Carpe Diem Narrative

The weather cleared up and me, along with my entire class and teachers, got to enjoy a beautiful ceremony. Lining up we started to proceed out to the football stadium from the gymnasium, my mind would not stop thinking. I just could not stop remembering what it took for me to get to this day. The stress that I endured studying for the SAT, filling out my applications and most importantly, perfecting my essay. The idea that I was not going to be living in this beautiful town I have spent my life in, brought a flood of emotions. Thoughts of my friends not being by my side next year made me feel as if I was sinking into a deep hole; this place, this town has had so much to offer to me. The past two years that I had spent in this place were the most emotional and exciting times of my life. I knew even though I was not going to be waking up in my familiar place anymore, I would be waking up in what was to become my new familiar place. I knew that even though my friends would not physically be there with me every day, that they would be there when I called them. If it were not for all of the people I have met along the way, I do not think I would have ended up where I am today. It just is a common thought for whenever I get sad about everything ending, I remind myself that there is a new beginning coming and it is going to be amazing. The place that I have spent my whole life

There are millions of people around us, the sound is so loud it’s almost unbearable. Everyone is waiting in line to board the SS Nevada, the ship that is going to take us all to Ellis island, the gateway to America. I can hear the chatters of excitement echoing about their freedom in America, but I’m having mixed feelings about leaving. I’m excited to go because I will receive my freedom and be reunited with my mother and father, but I’m also devastated that I have to leave you and the rest of Ireland behind. Tears escape my eyes just thinking about not being able to talk to you every day, but I promise I’ll write like this often once I reach America.

The first episode takes place south of Sicily as an American soldier, Joe, and an Italian teenager, Carmela, try to communicate after Carmela safely led a group of American soldiers. At one point, Joe and Carmela are alone and struggling to converse because of the language barrier. They do not understand each other’s ways and dialect. Joe and Carmela end up bonding as Joe speaks of loneliness and homesickness, demonstrating a connection aspect between varying cultures. This feature of communication is broken when violence interferes and Joe is killed. Carmela shows obvious sorrow over the loss, displaying realism and progressing the relationship between Italians and Americans. This episode introduces a multitude of themes that present themselves again later in Paisan. Joe and Carmela’s language barrier is an effort at a mutual understanding and interaction between Italians and Americans. As an opening episode, this scene shows a level of vivid reality and brings awareness to humanity.

When I got back home, my mother was still awake, waiting on me to get back home, it was almost three in the morning. She asked, “ where were you?”

The ride home was much different than the ride to the hospital, Mrs. Girroir reminisced about all the good and the bad times they shared. She told me how he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and got several Medals of Honor. She told me the story of how they met in Honduras while he was stationed there. She grinned as she explained how he told her father he would marry her before they even spoke to one another. He was a very confident man, very romantic, yet stubborn and sarcastic. I glanced in the rearview mirror at the girls and saw them smiling listening intently to their mothers stories. The mood was no longer melancholy but lighthearted almost mirthful. We attended the funeral, Janice and I. We had become a part of their family, experienced both sorrow and pain alongside them.

Primo and Guido are of the Italian descent and speak Italian. In the concentration camps, many different languages were spoken among the prisoners, resulting in many not being able to communicate with one another. The incapacity to communicate took away the beauty in language with the vague guessing of what another person was trying to say. As Primo states,”I understand that they are ordering me to be quiet, but the word is new to me, and since I do not know its meaning and implications, my inquietude increases. The confusion of languages is a fundamental component of the manner of living here…(Survival of Auschwitz, 25)”. This demonstrates that the language barrier forced on prisoners only further dehumanizes them. Similarly, in the scene of Life is Beautiful,”The guards asks for a translator to translate what he is saying to the prisoners. Guido volunteers even though he does not know how to speak any German. (Life is Beautiful)” The reason behind this is to strengthen his humanity again by being someone important to the

On a cold rainy night at Chicago O’Hare airport, there were four men who were traveling to a convention held in Rome, Italy. The topic for the convention was about culture and linguistic issues. Now, these men were childhood acquaintance that haven’t seen each other in their young teens. While each of them was mesmerized on their tablets they each took a seat at the nearest Starbucks café shop. Once the baristas called the men for their order, they were surprised and delighted to encounter each other at the counter. They sat down

I wanted to be there, even though it was quite a trip. The traffic was dreadful especially on this holiday weekend. The minute I got your letter, I had the courage to risk it all. What matters now is you’re back and my heart starts beating again. I’ve reached the hill finally. There was a chill in the air. The only sounds were bugs thrumming in the grasses above and birds chirping even higher up. And there you were, looking as if we didn’t part. There was no hesitation, we linked arms with each other. No urging needed, we kissed and

My parents had packed everything. EVERYTHING. There was bareness on the walls and there was around us except piles and piles of boxes. I looked around the house one last time as cold salty tears streaked down my face. I was covered in tears from the waist up. The feeling of leaving everyone made me empty inside. I felt hollow. Finally my dad said, “Let’s go!” I pleaded with him to let us stay, but I got the same usual answer, “You’ll be fine.” I wasn’t.

It is 1892, the time when coming to America is anyone’s dream. But for little Beniamino it is a foreign place where he has never wished to be. His mother leaves him alone on a cargo ship heading to America in hope to give her son a chance to start a new life. However, once Beniamino reaches the New World, he has only one thing on his mind: return back to Napoli. Soon, he figures out that getting on a ship back home is not as easy as it looks. Doubtless, any child in his place would have given up, but Beniamino has always been exceptionally clever and quick witted. No trouble or danger can make him put his hands down, as he has hope beating in his heart, the hope to see his mother again.

My mom had been going to school in Virginia and staying at my Aunt Ana’s house. She had been away for two weeks and wanted to come home for the weekend. My mom had suggested that I go back with her and visit

The start of Lucy’s journey of introspection begins when Lucy arrives in Italy and is the stereotypical English tourist. The conventional English tourist does not care to learn about the foreign people, but he or she is infatuated with the country’s past history and art. The art and history of a country are alluring and disassociate from the stark reality that the people of the country represent. Forster resents the stereotypical English tourist from an early age when travelling with his mother to Italy. Forster conveys his distaste in A Room with a View in two methods. First, he translates “the lack of view [of Lucy and Charlotte’s initial room] as symptomatic of the [English] cultural narrow mindedness” (Sampaio 900). Both Lucy and Charlotte are arrogant when

Progressing through the novel, Miss Lavish, an extravagant woman, guides Lucy to release control and embrace the unknown. Coming from an upper class, Lucy’s perspective on life has always been encompassed on social norms. The people she interacts with and rules she must follow all have a distinct relationship to her social class. Italy has given her the opportunity to go beyond the social standard that her upper-class stature puts forth. Miss Lavish tries to rotate Lucy’s close-minded view of the world because she believes that exploring will always lead to a wide variety of opportunities. When Mrs. Lavish says "One doesn't come to Italy for niceness," was the retort; "one comes for life. Buon Giorno! Buon Giorno!" (2.12) She is forcing Lucy to look up from the Baedeker which subtly begins to introduce the idea that this, in fact, represents Lucy slowly peering up from the metaphoric barrier the society has created for her. Lucy has always been a shy girl who was influenced by other people’s opinions on her, but coming to Italy gave her a new outlet to discover her own personality. It’s a new environment where she can explore not only the streets of Italy but the streets of her thought process as well. Mrs. Lavish unintentionally introduces to Lucy that in order to explore, you must be patient. Lucy finds that solutions to all issues are not just given. When she says, “As to the true Italy--he does not even dream of it. The true Italy is only to be found by patient observation." (2.12) It points Lucy in the direction of solving

I painted a smile on my face and grabbed the basket full of pastel orange petals. I looked down at my dress again, remembering the last time I had worn it, my mom was with me and my family was there. Part of me wished she was here with me, even though I knew she couldn’t be for many complicated reasons

As the end of the night approached us, I couldn’t stop thinking about how many mixed emotions I had about starting a whole new chapter in my life. I couldn't wait to go to college, meet all new people, get a degree so that I could start my career path, but I knew that meant I had to say goodbye to my two best friends, who were moving several hours away from me. This was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do in my life. We all cried a little, and then made promises to keep in touch, and then we were off into the real world! I was very happy to be at this point in my life, but I was scared deep down inside.