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.

Mirrors - Lucy Grealy

After reading the essay written by Lucy Grealy, I felt bad for all of the pain she experience. She was so young to have had to experience such pain. Most young girls at the age of nine are learning how beautiful they are, they begin to change wanting to wear earring and finding their style. It's awful that people are so mean and would make fun of someone just because they are different. When someone is struck with an illness they have no control over you'd think other people would be more sensitive. I believe that is taught at home, it's a parents job to teach their child not to stare or point at someone just because they are different.

Physical beauty is skin deep it's what's inside the person that make then beautiful. The most beautiful women or handsome make can be the ugliest persons. It's all about the way you carry yourself and they way you treat people.