After reading 2

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens describes people who obtain felicity from inner values can be readily gratified. However,one’s constant happiness is from inner value, the protagonist, has a passion for worldly values such as social status and intellect. He dreams of raising his social status from an orphan to a aristocratic gentleman by marrying Estella, whose guardian is a wealthy woman. However, all of his endeavors to be a gentleman turn into a meaningless effort when he realizes that his anonymous backer is an ex-criminal. His benefactor is disliked by society and is contradictory to a normal gentleman, the kind of man that Pip seeks to be. These paradoxical truth agonize Pip. At last, he gives up his attempt to live like a gentleman, and decide to follow his conscience. He tries to please his benefactor, although he does not like him much. In the process of gratifying the backer, Pip gradually realizes the true worth of inner values. He is finally aware that conscience and loyalty are more important and valuable than high status and knowledge.

after reading

Like most Nicholas Sparks novels- walk to remember and wedding etc, describes a man and woman’s affair. Through the protagonists, the author tries to suggest what is true love. After reading his book, I have been thinking of love. Actually I have not fallen in love yet. I do not know what it is exactly. However, I am able to imagine and draw my future love. Similar to other normal teenage girls, I hope to meet an idealistic man who has perfect conditions- personality, figure, and facial appearance. I have not pondered about affection and feelings for each other. However, this story let me realize how lovely it is to feel love. John, the protagonist, has enlisted in the army after high school, not knowing what else to do. Then, during a furlough, he meets the girl of his dreams-Savannah. She is attending college in North Carolina, working for Habitat for Humanity, and who is totally unprepared for the passionate attraction she feels for John. The attraction is mutual and quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah vowing to wait for John while he finishes his tour of duty, and John realizes that he is ready to settle down with the young woman who has captured his heart. However, the last letter from Savannah lets him know that she has fallen in love with someone else. He is incredibly angry then; more than he feels betrayed. After that, he does not want to meet anyone related to her, and he becomes the consummate soldier to escape into the only world that still seems real to him. Several years pass as he cares for his father, but he still thinks of her. He gets information about Savannah. He tries to meet and look for her. He finally finds her house and sees her. He can cleary sees she has a ring on her finger. When they cross each other on her house, they feel the as same years ago. Also, he is able to realize she is happy with her life. Seeing her family is concord, John discovers that loving Savannah forces him to make the hardest decision of his life. He decides to leave her life and let her continue her contented life with her family even though they need each other and truly know their love. John’s resolution keeps their true love instead of his being angry.

Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence

OH A RUM
25th 2007
English 3
Paul Kang
Personal Essay
Word Count: 373
After living alone for many years in a rural district, my grandmother said good-bye to her place filled with sixty years of memories and experiences to stay with my family in the city.
In the first week of grandmother’s days in the city, she was confronted with many troubles because of the abrupt changes in her lifestyle; her new surroundings were more polluted, busier, and crowded with new people. In order to help her adapt in the new area, my family provided a vegetable garden for her to plant seeds. This allowed my grandmother to enjoy her unfamiliar environment. She was always busy with her plants because she had found a new hobby at the small vacant land. Several months later, the result of her effort came to fruition-home-grown fresh lettuce. Thanks to my grandmother's organic vegetables, we could now get delicious and healthful nourishment. We were happy to see her smile; adjusting well to her new lifestyle. Experiencing a lot of advantages in her gardening, my family also grew an interest in her lettuce.
These days, after coming back home from school, I spent time with my grandmother caring for them. Since the vegetable patch was located on my way to school, I could see how well the plants were growing. One day, I noticed that the amount of lettuce kept changing before and after school. I told my grandmother about the situation and suggested that she ‘enclose’ the land against trespassers. Nevertheless, my grandmother said ‘we don’t need to wall up the ground because pulling some lettuce out of the soil helps to thin them. This way, they grow well and we can get a bigger amount. In addition, others can get healthy vegetables!.”
Obviously she was right, sharing with others brings about double outputs, and it also leads to other's happiness. I looked around myself. I had, however, had my own fence and boundaries. I had only sought my goal and known nothing beyond myself and my felicity. Through my grandmother’s words, I realized that the best way to live is by doing my duty-studying, not only accumulating knowledge but also sharing my knowledge with people and helping them with it. In this way, she has forever influenced my life.