"Tex" Literary Essay

The book “Tex” by S. E. is about Texas McCormick a 15 year old boy living with his older brother Mason in the small town of Garysville. Tex and Mason’s mother died when they were young, and their father leaves them for two months every summer to go to rodeos. One summer, however, he is gone for over five months, until November, leaving Tex and Mason to look after themselves. This situation leaves Tex and Mason with conflict in their lives. When kids have to fend for themselves it can create chaos, and rip apart their lives.

When children have to provide for themselves it can cause them to have to give up aspects of their lives that are very important to them. When Tex and Mason run out of money and have to pay the gas bills they are forced to sell their horses, who are their prized possessions. " ‘I'm going to get my horse back,’ I said ‘Pop wouldn't let you sell those horses if he were here.’ ‘Pop isn't here!’ Mason shouted. ‘Can't you get it through your thick skull that all this happened because Pop isn't here!’ ”  This helps the reader understand how that the absence of their father has changed Tex and Mason’s lives and made them grow up quickly and have to deal with  things that teenagers generally don’t have to deal with.  Having to lose his horse makes Tex feel mad, and upset, and feel very alone. “I couldn’t seem to stop crying. I cried because I was hurting… I cried because Mason had never beaten me up before. Mostly we got along pretty good. Finally I thought about Negrito (Tex’s horse) being gone, and Pop being gone and I bawled like a baby.” Tex and Mason really depend on their father to take care of things as most adolesents do, and when they have to survive without him it causes conflict and upset in their lives. When parents aren’t present it causes kids to grow up more quickly than they should and to give up things that are important to them.

When parents are gone it can cause kids to feel estranged, but when parents return kids may accept them back into their family. One day Tex and Mason reflect on how long their father has been gone, “It doesn’t seem that long ago. He’s only been gone five (months) I guess he’ll be coming home pretty soon now.” This quote helps the reader to see how although Pop’s absence has been tough on them they still love him, and will accept them right back into their family.  When Tex and Mason’s father returns to them Tex remarks at how alienated the father seems to be. “Pop was a completely separate person from us. I don’t know exactly how to explain it.  He was just the same as he always was, but he was unconnected. Almost like he was a visitor.” This shows the reader how although Tex welcomes back his father, he feels as if he is not as constant in his life. It helps the reader how Pop’s absence has affected the boys emotionally not just physically. When parent’s aren’t present it will separate them from their kids not just physically, but also emotionally, and even though the kids may still love them it will further divide a family.

 Although when Tex, and Mason’s father returns they accept him back into their family, they still feel tension between them. Mason feels completely betrayed by Pop, and isn’t willing to accept him into the family as quickly as Tex is. When Tex pulls a prank at school and Pop doesn’t make a big deal about it Mason feels that Pop is being irresponsible. “Then think about me! For God’s sake, how do you think I feel seeing you being ‘nice’ to him like you’d be ‘nice’ to a goddamn stray puppy! While I’m the one who has to look out for him and what’s going to happen when I’m not here?” The reader can see Masons uncertainty about Pop in the way he explodes. It is clear that Pop’s absence has been really hard for Mason and Tex, and it has affected them majorly. Mason continues to feel upset with Pop when Pop is surprised that they had to sell their horses because they needed money. “I know you never thought about the money. The good-sized hunk shrunk real quick when Tex fractured his arm last May and we didn’t have any insurance. We both had jobs, yeah. Summer jobs. It hasn’t been summer for a while now. And whether you planned it or not, you’ve been gone this long.” This helps the reader to understand how hard Pop being gone has been for Mason. It shows that although the boys love Pop there is still hesitation about him being back and whether or not they can trust him. Even when parents return tension, and division between the parents and kids still lingers.  

Kids tend to depend on their parents, and when their parents are gone it can be really tough on them emotionally, mentally, and physically. When Pop leaves Mason and Tex for an extended period of time it really affects them, and turns their lives upside down. I could never imagine what my life would be without my mom, it really goes to show that sometimes it’s hard to appreciate what you have until it’s gone.

"Boy 21" Synthesis Page

Here's an old synthesis page that I forgot to post!

"Ready Player One" Essay

When people are feeling glum or isolated, we often find comfort in electronic activities. They're a place where you can distract yourself with something or someone else. Picture it, you're feeling particularly upset, and there seems to be no cure, except to sit in front of the T.V. and munch on your favorite snack, while getting absorbed by the make believe lives presented on screen. This is a familiar scene for many people. Ernest Cline’s “Ready Player One” is the story of Wade, a boy in his teens in a dystopian 2044, who spends most of his days on the OASIS an online virtual world, where there are no limits (literally!) It’s not only Wade who spends his time on the OASIS, but practically the entire population. When the creator of the OASIS passes away, a contest to find a virtual easter egg hidden within the game is announced. The winner of this competition will inherit his multi billion dollar savings. Wade is among one of the many people who is searching for the easter egg. Wade spends all of his time on the internet, not just trying to find the easter egg, but escaping his bleak reality. The internet has become a comfort for Wade, and many people, when the world is just too harsh, and tough to bear, and he learns that the attraction of the internet can be hard to beat although he eventually does.

         Throughout the book we see how completely immersed Wade has become in the virtual world. Wade is constantly on the internet, and doesn’t partake in any other activities, including lots of activities that we would consider a part of our everyday lives. For example Wade goes to school in the OASIS, “My avatar materialized in front of my locker on the second floor of my high school... I glanced up and down the hallway. My virtual surroundings looked almost (but not quite) real. Everything in the OASIS was beautifully rendered in three dimensions.” (Pg 27) This lets the reader know how virtualized the world is, and how limited human contact is. It also suggests at what our world may become, and what it seems it's already started to become. In addition almost all exchanges with people are online, and all of Wade’s friends he only knows through the internet, and not in real life. This shows that Wade lives his life almost entirely online. This also makes us see how widespread the obsession with the online world has become. Throughout the book we see how electronic the world has become.

         When Wade feels alone, and isolated from human contact, he seeks refuge in the OASIS. Wade doesn’t have any friends from real life, but only from the OASIS, including his best friend Aech. “Despite what I’d said to Aech, knowing that I was about to meet him in person after all these years made me more nervous than I already wanted to admit. (pg 320)” This shows how Wade feels alone, and spends all of his time on the internet, because he has never had any friends in his ‘real’ life. In addition the quote “Being human totally sucks most of the time. Video games are the only thing that make life bearable. (pg 10)” is an almost literal translation of the previous statement that ‘when reality is too hard to bear, people often go to the internet for comfort.’ This informs the reader that because Wade has never had the opportunity to really connect with others off the internet, or while he hasn’t been online, he feels that being human “totally sucks most of the time.” When people find that reality is too hard to bear they often try to escape reality on the internet.

         Although the internet may be a temporary solution for one’s unhappiness, fake connections will never beat real ones. This is shown after Wade meets his long time virtual best friend Aech, and begins to feel the joys of a face to face relationship. “ 'Are we going to meet them now?’ I asked, doing an extremely poor job of hiding my apprehension.” This shows growth in Wade, because he realizes that going on the internet may have been a fun pass time, but actually being with others, and seeing your friends in real life is much better. The idea that real connections over weigh electronic ones become clear to Wade, after he wins the easter egg contest. After he has won he is taught a lesson by a pre programed avatar of the creator of the OASIS “ ‘I created the OASIS because I never felt at home in the real world. I didn’t know how to connect with the people there. I was afraid, for all of my life. Right up until I knew it was ending. That was when I realized, as terrifying and painful reality can be, it’s also the only place where you can find true happiness. Because reality is real. Do you understand?’ ” This shows that Wade may fully be able to have a life that isn’t filled with the superficial/ temporary happiness that is brought to him from being constantly online. It can be confusing and difficult to make, and keep relationships with people, because real people are complicated and we can't control each other. Although the real world may have ups, and downs, it also will make us feel true emotion, and that is something that is hard to really feel from electronic activities.

         When people feel overwhelmed with their real lives, they can escape reality by going online, and they often do. This may be a seemingly fun remedy, but as is shown in Ernest Cline’s “Ready Player One” the happiness that is gotten from living in a virtual world ultimately doesn't measure up to the happiness that is gotten through real relationships. Talking to people, and forming bonds that exist in the real world, are better than letting the internet become our real world. The society we live in today is so electronically oriented, and it seems that we are going in the direction of a world where our online connections outweigh our real ones. Earnest Cline's "Ready Player One" reminds us, that although reality can be rough, it's real, and it's the only place where we will find true happiness. The next time it may seem easier to escape to the internet instead of being in reality, ask yourself if you're just trying to avoid living in the real world around you.

"Ashes" Literary Essay

Parent rivalries often confuse a child about the difference between what he/she wants, and what he/she needs. In Susan Beth Pfeffer's short story "Ashes" we are introduced to a family who has been through a complicated divorce. Our main character Ashes (a teenage girl) is asked to steal money from her mother by her father. Ashes must decide whether or not she will steal the money from her mother for father, causing her to pick a side. Her mother is a practical woman who always provides for Ashes, even if it doesn't make her happy in the short term. Her father on the other hand is a dreamer always flattering Ashes, and making her promises that he can't keep.  Susan Beth Pfeffer's "Ashes" shows us that what we want from our parents may not always be the best thing for us, and that making the decision between what we want and what we need isn’t easy.        

In a relationship between a child and a parent, the child may prefer, one parent over the other. At the beginning and throughout the short story, Ashes shows how much she loves her father. She says "That winter, it felt like every time I saw my father, the sun cast off a little more warmth than it had the day before." This piece of textual evidence shows how exuberant her father makes Ashes feel, and shows how much love she has for her father. This makes the reader understand that although Ashes doesn’t live with her father, that she is able to maintain a close and loving relationship with him. Although Ashes would like to depend upon her father, he is not always trying to provide for Ashes, and is not everything she needs in a parent. "Dad used to promise me the stars for a necklace, but like most of his promises, that one never quite happened… Dad gets by on a grin and willingness to help… The world might be a better place, but child support checks don’t always show up on time, and I never did get that necklace made of stars.” This helps the reader see that although Ashes loves her father very much, she also recognizes that he can be what her mother calls an “irresponsible bum.” It also helps the reader to see that Ashes wants to believe that her father is going to come through, but doesn’t have have much faith in him. This is an example of how, what you want in a parent might not always be what you need.

       On the other side, the relationship with a parent, may not always be what you want. Ashes’s mother provides her with the support she needs, but Ashes prefers her father who lathers her with feel-good compliments. "She's (Ashes's mom) the most practical person I know always putting aside for a rainy day... The flashlight with working batteries for a blackout. The extra quarters for laundry that isn't quite dry." This shows how practical her mother is. She is always prepared and ready for the unexpected. It also helps the reader to see that Ashes may take her mother’s practical guidance for granted, causing to prefer her more seemingly enticing father. It becomes even clearer to the reader that Ashes prefers her dad when she says "Mom might never be caught without batteries or tissues, but she just called me Ashleigh- a name she didn't even like- and never promised me anything." This shows, that although Ashes recognizes her mother's preparedness, she is oblivious to how it helps her, causing her to favor her father. This is a clear example of how what may seem more exciting and promising, may not be the best choice for yourself.

      Although Ashes seems to lean toward her seemingly more exciting father, she grows throughout the story to realize that what you want is not always what you need. It may be hard to distinguish what we want from what we need ultimately we are going to have to make a decision, and that will affect who we are. Towards the end of the story, Ashes’s dad asks her to "borrow" 200 dollars from her mother’s teapot of money for a rainy day. Ashes is put in a position of vulnerability, where she must decide between her father's lack of stability, and her mothers pragmatic attitude. She has many difficulties deciding which side she will take, and although we are not told which side she does go to, it seems to suggest it will be her mothers side. At the very end of the story while making this decision Ashes says "It always felt a little colder when mom wasn't there. Even with the lights turned on, it seemed a little darker." This shows growth in Ashes, and having new feelings that she didn’t have at the beginning of the story. As she discovers these new feelings, she is able to recognize that what she needs will ultimately lead to the best outcome, and this brings her a different form of warmth and comfort. It also shows that Ashes can fully appreciate the love her mother gives her, even though that love is shown in a different way from her father’s love. In addition we can see how Ashes leans towards her mom, as she gets closer to her final decision. "I stood over the teapot and stared at the money. Mom's emergency money. Her earthquake money. Her Martian money." This shows that Ashes appreciation for her mom continues to grow, and she becomes hesitant of stealing for her father. Ashes realizes that although her mother’s preparedness may seem petty, and even irrational, it is an indication of how much she cares. These pieces of evidence seem to amount to the ultimate decision of Ashes choosing what she needs. Although it may not always be what you want, overtime figuring out what you need will change things for the better. We come to understand not only how difficult the decision is, but how it will ultimately effect you.         The things we want are not always what we need, this is something everyone feels, even in the simplest forms. An example that comes to mind is in friendships. A friend that is super, fun, and who it seems you have a ‘perfect’ relationship with may be what you want, but a friend who you can openly communicate with, and has seen your weaknesses, may be better. This is an example of what Ashes has to face, just on a different scale. The idea that what we want isn't always what we need, is a hard idea for many people, and a major focus of the short story "Ashes". I think this text not only speaks to the difficulties of coming from a split home, but really talks about the internal battle that comes from figuring out what is best for us. Susan Beth Pfeffer's short story "Ashes" is about the difficulties of coming from divorced parents, and the havoc within us between what we want and what we need.

"Every Day" Literary Essay

Over the summer, I read many books. One that I particularly enjoyed is called “Everyday” David Levithan. Everyday is the story of a budding romance, with a slight twist. The romance is between a girl named Rhiannon, and a character named A. The plot twist is that A wakes up in a new body everyday. One day A wakes up in the body of Rhiannon’s boyfriend, and A feels a connection, and so does Rhiannon. Through this difficulty of A switching bodies, A and Rhiannon manage to come together and create something beautiful. There are many reasons why I love Everyday, and why it is an important book to me.

         One thing about Everyday that I loved was the complexity of the characters. Throughout the book you met many characters although a few stay constant. If you take the character of Reverend Poole for example, that is such a complex character. Reverend Poole wants A to join the movement of captivating a body and staying in it. Reverend Poole is a complex character that has really been weathered down and beaten up by the circumstances of their life. He feels pain, and takes it out, literally stealing someone’s life. Or take Rhiannon. She is a character with so much complexity. She is taken advantage of by her boyfriend, (Justin) and it’s such a routine for her to be taken advantage of, she likes it. Rhiannon is a complicated character for many reasons. Another complicated character is A. A doesn’t feel loved, and feels like there’s no place that A belongs. The complexity of the characters is something that I really like in Everyday.

        Another component of Everyday that I really like is the concept of the book, and the idea of switching bodies everyday. This part of the book is so cool. It is mindblowing, and hard to wrap my mind around, it makes me feel empathy for A, because that would be a hard life. I also really liked how David Levithan included the component of love in the book, that made it so much more interesting and exciting, and really helped me empathized with A. The idea of finding love in the hardest and most random situations is both beautiful and true. Another part of the structure of the story that I really liked was the "evil." This helped me keep on the edge of my seat, and made me feel more emotions. Not only could I feel jubilance for A, I could also feel fear too.

       All in all, Everyday was an amazing book that took me on a journey filled with many emotions and plot twists. All different subtle things that David Levithan did in his writing came together to create a wonderful book that really made me think.