Flowers for Algernon
"The more intelligent you become the more problems you'll have..." - Dr.Strauss
The reason this quote is important in the story is because the main character was originally simple minded, unaware of much around him until one day he had surgery on his brain which expanded his thought process, but also revealing to him many unpleasant truths in his life.
This quote resonates with many of society today, such as another quote of similar meaning: "ignorance is bliss", stating that sometimes it's better to not know. People may not notice for the most part, but people with jobs that require more response in a certain area face more problems than usual, such as scientist or doctor having to find out a new pathogen has emerged and races against the clock to get it contained and create a vaccine to counter it. Another example is being a world leader, such as the President of the United States of America. It is not an easy job, having the weight of America on your shoulders to lead, either through glory, or through ruin. The president is constantly bombarded with assaults from many faucets of society, like making bills or amendments to suit the American people, as America is a democracy. Basically people with more intelligence usually have more pressure pushed on them when they reach higher slopes of achievements.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
11/19/10 Writing Challenge
Harry Potter and The Hazy Aftermath
It was half past dawn, Harry had recently woken up in a room covered in white, with a single door as the entrance. He wondered what he was doing there, he had recently defeated the Dark Lord Voldermort and brought peace to the World of Magic. After taking a nap, the last thing Harry remembered was waking up in this room of white, a single door and a mattress. He tried to open the door and leave, but it was locked from the outside, there was nothing to do. If only he had his wand he would be able to unlock the door with ease. He observed and noticed that every few hours a man in white would come and give Harry these strange liquids to drink. Maybe they were potions that forced him to forget what had happened to him or to prevent him from calling his wand. Needless to say Harry had attacked the man with his back to him and forced his way out. He had to find a way out of this white laboratory of death. It was probably the place where the remnants of the Death Eaters took him to to take their revenge on Harry for their fallen leader. Harry was determined to find a way out, finding open exhausts and climbing into of the pipes and wiggling his way through. It took him back to the days of when Dudley and his gang would bully him, forcing Harry to hide in the exhaust pipes to avoid being harmed by the trio of bullies. Back to the escape, Harry had found an elevator shaft, and he went down carefully as to not make a noise that might alert his enemies. At the end he finally got to the bottom floor, or so he thought. He called for his Firebolt to come, but nothing came, so he tried again, but once again nothing came. Harry concluded that his enemies' potions have somehow affected him, blocking his magic. Harry decided to things the old fashion way, just like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible III; II sucked. Doing incredible flips and stops that would make a stunt-double blush he reached the entrance out. Just then, as he was about to make a dash for freedom he saw a familiar face, his Aunt and Uncle Dursley. Their faces welled up with tears in their eyes and handed Harry a clipboard. They turned and left as Harry was subdued by 4 men in white, shocked from what he had seen.
The British Institution of Mental Health
Harry Potter, age 18
Admitted at age 10
Trauma:Parents murdered by serial killer when age of 3.
During his 10th birthday he claimed to see a giant man come in and invite him to a school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, while all that were present at time saw nothing.
Symptoms:Psychological impairment of thought, diagnosed as Schizophrenia.
His life had all been a lie, a cruel trick of the mind, all crumbling before him. Left forever in his little white room alone with himse-
Harry gasped, waking up from his nightmare, wondering what had happened. A frightful dream he thought, a shocking dream. He went to get a glass of water to calm himself down, still thinking about the dream. Wouldn't it be funny if it all had happened was what he thought, going back to bed, but it wasn't real, he was okay. Afterward, he then snuggled back into his haven, safe from the atrocities that haunted his dreams.
Harry was safe, safe in his cupboard under the stairs.
It was half past dawn, Harry had recently woken up in a room covered in white, with a single door as the entrance. He wondered what he was doing there, he had recently defeated the Dark Lord Voldermort and brought peace to the World of Magic. After taking a nap, the last thing Harry remembered was waking up in this room of white, a single door and a mattress. He tried to open the door and leave, but it was locked from the outside, there was nothing to do. If only he had his wand he would be able to unlock the door with ease. He observed and noticed that every few hours a man in white would come and give Harry these strange liquids to drink. Maybe they were potions that forced him to forget what had happened to him or to prevent him from calling his wand. Needless to say Harry had attacked the man with his back to him and forced his way out. He had to find a way out of this white laboratory of death. It was probably the place where the remnants of the Death Eaters took him to to take their revenge on Harry for their fallen leader. Harry was determined to find a way out, finding open exhausts and climbing into of the pipes and wiggling his way through. It took him back to the days of when Dudley and his gang would bully him, forcing Harry to hide in the exhaust pipes to avoid being harmed by the trio of bullies. Back to the escape, Harry had found an elevator shaft, and he went down carefully as to not make a noise that might alert his enemies. At the end he finally got to the bottom floor, or so he thought. He called for his Firebolt to come, but nothing came, so he tried again, but once again nothing came. Harry concluded that his enemies' potions have somehow affected him, blocking his magic. Harry decided to things the old fashion way, just like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible III; II sucked. Doing incredible flips and stops that would make a stunt-double blush he reached the entrance out. Just then, as he was about to make a dash for freedom he saw a familiar face, his Aunt and Uncle Dursley. Their faces welled up with tears in their eyes and handed Harry a clipboard. They turned and left as Harry was subdued by 4 men in white, shocked from what he had seen.
The British Institution of Mental Health
Harry Potter, age 18
Admitted at age 10
Trauma:Parents murdered by serial killer when age of 3.
During his 10th birthday he claimed to see a giant man come in and invite him to a school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, while all that were present at time saw nothing.
Symptoms:Psychological impairment of thought, diagnosed as Schizophrenia.
His life had all been a lie, a cruel trick of the mind, all crumbling before him. Left forever in his little white room alone with himse-
Harry gasped, waking up from his nightmare, wondering what had happened. A frightful dream he thought, a shocking dream. He went to get a glass of water to calm himself down, still thinking about the dream. Wouldn't it be funny if it all had happened was what he thought, going back to bed, but it wasn't real, he was okay. Afterward, he then snuggled back into his haven, safe from the atrocities that haunted his dreams.
Harry was safe, safe in his cupboard under the stairs.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
11/5/10 Reading Questions
Black Jack
Black Jack, the main character of the series that is also named after him is a back-alley surgeon who works without a license and charges exorbitant prices to his patients who come from all parts of the world.
This story makes you think about life itself, provoking the thought of what humans are willing to do on the verge of death, which is illustrated often. Black Jack is the one whom is called when someone has no way out, a last resort. A story about life and death is bound to provoke these thoughts.
Black Jack is a doctor that works outside the law, he has not gotten a license and refuses to do so. He works this way because to get a license one must take an oath to not kill. Black Jack cannot swear on this oath because he is searching for the people that caused the death of his mother and nearly himself, swearing revenge on them.
The events in the series are divided into episodic stories that Black Jack is involved in. Usually it is people searching for Black Jack to fix their diseases, other times he goes out of his way to find them. At the end of each episodic event some moral is learned.
Black Jack, the main character of the series that is also named after him is a back-alley surgeon who works without a license and charges exorbitant prices to his patients who come from all parts of the world.
This story makes you think about life itself, provoking the thought of what humans are willing to do on the verge of death, which is illustrated often. Black Jack is the one whom is called when someone has no way out, a last resort. A story about life and death is bound to provoke these thoughts.
Black Jack is a doctor that works outside the law, he has not gotten a license and refuses to do so. He works this way because to get a license one must take an oath to not kill. Black Jack cannot swear on this oath because he is searching for the people that caused the death of his mother and nearly himself, swearing revenge on them.
The events in the series are divided into episodic stories that Black Jack is involved in. Usually it is people searching for Black Jack to fix their diseases, other times he goes out of his way to find them. At the end of each episodic event some moral is learned.
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