Comparing Tears In Heaven, Imaginary Heroes, And Still I Rise

Connections are absolutely essential in everyday life. People learn by making connections with what they are presented with, to their previous knowledge. When people can relate to another and empathize with each other, they learn to be compassionate. After reading “Abitibi Canyon” by Joseph Boyden, I wondered how this story was similar to my life and to others.

Survival in a life or death situation is completely circumstantial and unpredictable.Laurence Gonzales’s central idea about survival in his essay “Deep Survival” is that it requires a positive mental attitude. Gonzales supports this claim by stating “...only by researching and dissecting the mysterious quality..called positive attitude would [he] ever understand survival” (334). Gonzales has presented a correct definition of a positive mindset as the most important tool in survival.A positive mindset compels a person to stay calm,make rational decisions and prevent them from giving up.

When someone goes through a time of grief, it is only natural to find a way to deal with the hardships and until it eventually goes away, but people may come to realize that the loss can never be forgotten. This process of grieving and fighting through hard times to finally come to peace and accept reality is also reflected in literature such as “Hold Tight”. The short story ¨Hold Tight¨ by Amy Bloom shows that when people deal with grief, people may try to find ways to cope with the pain by letting out their anger on others or becoming self-destructive, even though it may not be possible to completely forget the woe.

Helen Keller once stated “… although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it…” This can be translated by meaning we have experiences that can be challenging and only gets harder, only so we can beat them. I strongly agree with this quote. I chose two works of literature to prove this saying, and opinion to be true. The first piece I have chosen is “Words Not Spoken” by Beatrice Boyle. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury would be the second literary piece I chose.

Unfortunately, many situations we must face in life are like this. People are not always around to help us through hard times, and most tragedies, such as death, are obstacles that we must overcome individually. As described in the poem though, death is an inevitability that we cannot change, and therefore should not deter us from our path. We must learn to deal with tragedies such as death, as they are unavoidable. These events do have an everlasting effect on us, but they should

Thinking positively can be a difficult task, no matter the circumstance. When negativity fills you up like helium in a balloon you should always try to find the light in the darkness. Thinking positively doesn’t make the hard times disappear, it helps you survive negativity and the daily conflicts that challenge you. Looking on the bright side of things increases attentiveness, improves your ability to think, and leads to happier thoughts (Psychology Today). No matter what you are going through, you should always stay optimistic. “Man’s Search for Meaning” and “Dear Miss Breed” are great examples of how having a bright outlook can help you survive conflict.

It is safe to assume that the author is no stranger to death. He has seen many people close to him grieve. He has noticed that everyone grieves differently. He understands the need for God’s grace in the midst of grief to get one through the stages of grief.

“Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution.” - Albert Einstein. This quote is telling us that we should be positive, even in rough times.

In reading this book it triggered a memory from over ten years ago. In 2001, I lost my great-grandmother to heart related issues. For me her death went farther than just losing a relative. As far back as I can remember my great-grandmother was a part of my daily life. My mother had me when she was still in high school so naturally she still lived at home. My father was nonexistent in

The reality that someone has been removed eternally from your lifetime is a large, unwieldy fact to come to terms with. However, the funeral provides a psychological point of closure so that healing may begin. As stated by Selected Funeral Homes, “…a loved one's death is much more of a process-requiring hours, days, and even weeks to fully believe the reality. Because this realization of death is not instantaneous, funeral rituals help people gradually accept that their loved one has made the transition from here to there.” This is an important point to ponder and internally understand in a world of instant gratification and resets. Often seen in the American pop culture of film, TV, and video game violence are the numerous deaths and gruesome ends that characters meet. It is all too easy to focus on the hero’s triumph, or hit the reset button one more time. It is a world of quick reward and feedback, and if that has not been achieved, you do it again until you are satisfied. It is critical to realize that there is a permanent “game over” for people and things in the real world in order to re-shift focus on coming together as a society to create and celebrate a shared piece of

In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart” (Goodrich and Hackett). Anne Frank tried to stay positive during the Holocaust in “The Diary of a Young Girl”, and Babe Karasawa perseveres through the Japanese internment in “Dear Mrs. Breed” by Joanne Oppenheim. There are many examples that prove staying positive and having perseverance is the best way to handle conflict because it makes an individual feel empowered, it has health benefits, and it has worked many times throughout history. The best way to respond to conflict is by having a good attitude because of its health benefits.

Maya Angelou is a woman that has done so much in her life time I would not know where to begin. There is always one poem that she published that will stick in my heart forever. The poem “Still I Rise” is a phenomenal poem that I think everyone of every race should have the pleasure of being a part of. "Still I Rise" You may write me down in history, with your bitter, twisted lies, you may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? 'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells pumping in my living room. Just like moons and like suns, with the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise. Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops, Weakened by my soulful cries. Does my

The poem “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou, addresses White people who discriminate African Americans. During this period of time, Black people were not being treated equally, with this poem Angelou wants to defend African Americans. As a civil rights activist it is her job to fight for people's rights. By employing simile, imagery, and repetition, Angelou defends African Americans against their oppressors and shows that people have to be confident and strong, and not feel put down but rise above their problems.

“No matter how tough the situation, you still have to hang on.” Lailah Gifty Akita. Grief, an obstacle that we must all overcome at one point in our lives. Grief is everywhere, you may not notice it, but it is omnipresent. Victims of 9/11 faced with massive amounts of grief. Traumatization happened to most. An event that is unforgettable to many. In two of the works, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran and "Reign Over Me" by Mike Binder, there were many instances of grief that the individuals had to overcome. You must learn to embrace grief or get stuck in a never-ending cycle of despair that displayed through the characters when they befriended others to overcome their grief, moral support that they achieved by others, and their efforts to move on with their life.

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow” - Helen Keller. There are many things in this world to be miserable and heartbroken about, there are many things that have had terrible outcomes, and there are horrendous things, like the holocaust, that has scared every person on this earth. What got people like Anne Frank, Japanese Americans, and Fritzle weiss fritzshall through the most petrifying experiences they had ever known; was positivity. The paragraphs below explain how having positivity in a time of terror is the best way to survive.