Mask on the face of death - Richard Selzer

I believe this essay was one of the most informative essay I've read this summer. This piece by Richard Selzer Mask on the face of death, gave the reader all types of detail information about the Aids virus, the symptoms, treatment and how the men of Haiti are contracting the disease. While reading the story, I became annoyed reading the prostitute (Dominican Women) come over to Haiti and most knowing they are infected with the Aids virus and continue to sleep with the men. During Selzer inter- view with one of the women he asked (Carmen) "if you knew that you had Aids, that your blood was bad would you still sleep with men"? She throw her head back laughing to avoid the answer. Selzer assumed the answer was yes.

The AID epidemic that is destroying Haiti is really scary, so many of the people their sleeping with people who are infected by the disease. Not only heterosexual but homosexual acts. The essay indicated a few of the men rites of passage it seem and the use of voodoo. Which is a practice mainly use in Haiti.

The essay leaves you with a lot to think about, the AI D's virus has no racial, ethic or economic prejudice, anyone can be affect.

Unspeakable Conversation - Harriet McBryde Johnson

In Harriet Johnson's essay Unspeakable Conversation, she wants her readers to know even though she has a physical handicap and she is unable to do many daily activities that we take for granted, she is still a human being. Because of her disablity it didn't hinder her intellectually which was proven during her debate with professor Singer for Princeton University.

Singer believe that a parents should kill their unborn child once they find out there is physically or mental issues. He wanted to legalize the killing of certain babies who are born with phyically handicap. I feel who has the right to give someone the authority or choice to say if a child should be born. There are many people who have phyical disability who function extremally well.

I'm aware some parents have been give the option to abort the fetus if there are complications which cause a thread to the life of the unborn. But under normal circumstances most parents are excited once they have concieved a new life.

Singers argument my be strong for some people, but I'm not in agreement.

What did you do in the War, Grandma? - Zoe Tracy

Once I read "What Did You Do In The War Grandma" by Zoe Tracy Hardy I realize the effect war had on an individual. Zoe worked in a factory during WWII, making the atomic bombs used in the B-29 plane. She seem proud to be apart of the making of the bomb. After reading the newspaper her attitude change toward the war. The evening news made her feel compassion for the soldiers who were exposed to radiation, and may come back crippled. She couldn't sleep because she felt she had something to do with their injuries.

Once the bomb was dropped it had reduced Japan to ashes,more than 15 square miles of Tokyo was effected by the bomb. On Aug 14, 1945 Japan unconditional surrendered.

War had a devastating affect on soldiers as well as civilians. Soldiers who came back alive had physical scars and mental scars. Some of the soldiers were exposed to radiation which affected them in many ways. Both the soldiers and their families experienced the emotional scars forever.

Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki - Laurance

The essay written by William Laurence was rather enjoyable, I liked the way the author describe in great detail the actual bombing of Nagasaki. It was rather amazing William L. Laurence, was permitted to fly on the B-29 Superfort to drop the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki. He was the only reporter who knew about this top secret mission. He was fortunate the military allowed him to be apart of history in the making. He describes the making of the bomb and the mission to drop it in great detail. Laurance describes the atomic bomb by saying, “It’s a thing of beauty to behold, this gadget”.(William L. Laurence). Within the story Laurance makes you feel like your riding on the plane right beside him and the other flight crew. Laurence became alarmed by the eerie light coming through the window and once the captain explain the pattern of light he was relieved, The captain referred to it as a St. Elmo‘s Fire.

Once they arrived in Nagasaki the captain circled the area Laurance continues to keep the readers involved by describing what he saw prior to the bomb being released. Laurance said “ little towns on the coastline, heedless of our presence“. Once the bomb dropped the flight crew observed the bomb it, the tremendous blast wave struck the plane. Laurence describes blast as a giant ball of fire.

The detail that this author gave was very enjoyable, while reading I became more engrossed in the story. Really good essay.

Graduation - Maya Angelou

The essay written by Maya Angelou I enjoyed tremendously. While reading you begin to feel the initial excitement she is experiencing while preparing for graduation. When the Maya wrote " The children in Stamps trembled visibly with anticipation". It allowed you to actually feel the excitement of the children. The excitement becomes tarnished when a local politician making use of the graduation ceremony for his own purposes for the election. In his speech he made the student feel worthless, especially when he began mentioning what he was doing for the white schools across town providing new art teacher and microscopes, chemistry labs. He was given the white student every chance to become the next scientist, Dr’s and lawyers. When he mentioned what he would do for the black student of Stamp, basically it was labor intense work. Of course the stereotype for young blacks men is to become the next Jessie Owens or a famous football player. It was obvious that Donlevy didn’t’ have the student of Layfayette County Training school best interest. They were expected to have jobs as maids, carpentry, farmer, washwomen, and handymen. Never given the black student the opportunity to reach for more.

This story is definitely about persevering an striving for more. Not allowing anyone to tell you what you can do, but know what you are truly capable of accomplishing. If you can believe it, you can achieve anything.

Shooting an Elephant

I really didn't care for this essay, because it was hard for me to follow; I had to read it over several times before I understood the essay.

Shooting an Elephant was about an English man that was a police officer in Burma, he was hated for his race and felt it almost impossible to do his job. Because of all the hatred and disrespect he deal with from the Burman people. He was always expected to do what the town’s people asked of him when they asked. When the elephant got loose the sub-inspector at the opposite end of town call him to deal with the elephant he really didn't know what to do. He had to choose whether to kill the elephant or not. Since he was the sub-divisional police officer on duty the final decision was in his hands. In the end, due his decision to shoot the elephant, the elephant lay dying in a pool of blood. The author was able to make you feel bad for the elephant and I feel toward the end he was tortured. When Orwell strugged with his morals, and showing a sense of compassion for the dying animal.

I gathered from the story is sometimes in life you are faced with making diffcult decisions and some are influence by others. It's up to make the correct choice that you can live by.

Beauty - Alice Walker

I enjoyed reading Beauty by Alice Walker, it was interested to learn about her life and how she lost her eye. Some of the cute parts was when she described her little dress and biscuit polished patent leather shoes. I like when she said "It was great fun being cute. But one day it ended" She was referring to the injury to her eye. It was very unfortunate her parents didn't take her to a Dr. soon to try and say her sight. Althought she lost her eye she still became an amazing writer. This just goes to show, that you can do anything if you try.