3.1

Rich countries such as the United States need to limit their assistance of poorer countries because it does not teach them how to succeed in the long run. When money and food are simply given to people, they do not learn how to acquire them in the future. No effort would have to be put into receiving essentials, and eventually people will become lazy. Since unemployment checks and food stamps have little requirements as to who can get them, unemployed citizens are basically given just as much as workers. The hard-working citizens can ultimately obtain equal resources as people that don't even have jobs. As the article states, when someone is simply given fish to eat they do not learn how to get more; they just ask. When that same person is taught how to catch a fish, they will learn how to catch another. They can now fend for themselves without the assistance of others. The same principle applies to our world: if someone is flat-out given food and money, they will not have the opportunity to progress on their skills of gaining resources on their own. Excess food in countries that do not have such large populations should not be handed out to less fortunate countries without those countries providing compensation. Whether this compensation be that they put effort into changing their ways of life like enforcing birth control, poor countries must show that they are pushing for improvement. The Green Revolution uses this concept by sharing beneficial food cultivating techniques, like miracle rice and miracle wheat, with developing countries. Although overpopulated foreign countries such as India and China receive medical assistance from developed countries, it eventually leads to a competition of resources because of their large populations. A larger population creates less food and medical care for everyone else in the population. This means that with the aid of resources from other countries, poor countries eventually become overpopulated. The immigration of Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans into the United States contributes to the poor economic state of our country. Employers abuse the power that immigrants will work for very cheap labor. Jobs are taken away from original citizens that were in need of jobs and were willing to do the same jobs. If immigration was limited like the example set in Hawaii, there would be little problems concerning overpopulation. Birth control can assist with this problem as well. Instead of sharing food and medical care with foreign countries, the United States needs to share techniques of obtaining them as well as birth control. This would ultimately hinder the population growth in densely populated countries and allow them to prosper. With developing countries doing well, there would be little need for those citizens to immigrate to the United States. The economy of the United States would not suffer from the dangers of cheap labor. There is no solution that would completely solve the conflict of developed countries risking their own societies to help others. Allowing a limit on the amount of help given to others will do the most good for the givers and receivers. Teaching ways of succeeding rather than simply handing over resources will benefit most countries in the long run.

Great Gatsby 2.4

1.) "I tossed half-sick between grotesque reality and savage, frightening dreams."
Nick is unable to sleep well throught the night after Myrtle's death. He is worried about Gatsby waiting outside of Daisy's home in the middle of the night because Nick does not want him interfering with Daisy and Tom's relationship anymore. Nick is fed up with Gatsby pursuing his dream that will never come true. He knows that Gatsby has not caught up with reality, and will not let go of the past. Gatsby's dreams will eventually be crushed, and the harsh feeling of reality will set in on him. Nick is worried about whether or not the truth of Gatsby will be revealed to Daisy, diminishing all hopes Gatsby has of winning Daisy.

2.) "His house had never seemed so enormous to me as it did that night...we sat smoking out into the darkness."
Nick is astonished at the vast size of Gatsby's mansion because it seems more spacious and empty than he had remembered it. This marks Gatsby's downfall as he begins to realize that Daisy has given up on him. He no longer throws lavish parties filled with excitement because they were only attempts to impress Daisy. The build-up of dust in his house is a sign that Gatsby's hope is decreasing, and the dark atmosphere resembles the darkness in his heart. The empty, silent house symbolizes that Gatsby is empty without the consent of Daisy's love. The mood that he puts off is noticed by Nick, and that is why Gatsby's mansion appears to be bigger and silent.

3.) “I have an idea that Gatsby himself didn’t believe it would come, and perhaps he no longer cared.”
Nick believes that Gatsby has given up on Daisy. Gatsby was waiting on Daisy’s phone call, but it never comes. He decides to go for a swim on the last possible day of the season. This is the bottom of his downfall as a character because he has decided to change his busy, hopeless lifestyle to one of serenity. Gatsby does not care about impressing people anymore if he cannot have Daisy, so his soul has died inside of him. Wilson murdering Gatsby was merely useless because he had already died emotionally.

4.) “At first I was surprised and confused; then, as he lay in his house and didn’t move or breathe or speak, hour upon hour, it grew upon me that I was responsible, because no one else was interested—interested, I mean, with that intense personal interest to which every one has some vague right at the end.”
Nick realizes that he is the only person that could take responsibility for Gatsby after his death. Not one other person in the world seems to be affected by the death of Gatsby because his only reason for existence was impressing Daisy. He did not develop personal relations with anyone besides Nick, and most of the people Gatsby did know had either died or disappeared. Daisy, Tom, Wolfshiem, and Klipspringer all refuse to go to Gatsby’s funeral because they cannot bear to face the truth. Daisy and Tom are stuck in their perfect world and don't want to be affected by the harsh consequences of reality.

5.) “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy—they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.”

Nick states that there are certain people in the world that focus only on themselves like Tom and Daisy. This results in them creating catastrophes in other people’s lives even though they are content with what is happening in their own lives. They turn to wealth in order to solve their problems, but in reality this only allows them to hide from their problems. The carelessness of some people results in the destruction of others’ lives.

2.3 Valedictorian Essay

While there are negatives to a school naming their valedictorian such as anxiety and pressure, the honor creates motivation for students to try their hardest in school. There would be little drive for students to have a high GPA if, potentially, there was no competition. They would begin slacking in their school work because they had no important reason for doing well in school. Achieving valedictorian usually guarantees acceptance to the college of the student's choice, as well as numerous sholarships. Modern-day students are much more competitive than in the past, and they want to be rewarded for their dedication to academics. While there can be those students that cheat their way to the top, most valedictorians put much effort into gaining the top spot of their class. Numerous hours of studying and homework are put into achieving the highest possible grade. It would be unfair not to point out the role model for all other students because it sets a path for all other students to follow. Although struggling to beat one's classmates can cause tedious, stress-enducing agony, the competition teaches real life skills. Nothing simply comes to someone in life; they must put determination into achieving their life goals. Competition is a key factor in college, careers, and many other aspects of daily life such as relationships. One can not rely on success being given to them unless they put in the time necessary. Since the education system in the United States is decreasing compared to many other foreign countries, the drive for academic success is imperitive. Countries such as Japan are filled with work-savvy students that are willing to dedicate their entire lives to school work. If schools were to eliminate valedictorians and celebrate a larger number of students, then the students that received no special recognition would feel even more rejected from achievements in high school. They would know that they did not make the increased percentage of students graduating at the top of their class. More thorough regulations should be required for valedictorians so the rules are more clear. This would hinder the confusion that results in court cases. Although the title of valedictorian does not ensure that that person is the smartest student in the class, it does show that they are the most dedicated, hard-working student. This is a good basis for college acceptance when college boards are determining who would succeed in attending their schools. Those students work for recognition and they deserve it because of the tedious work involved. There is a risk of cheating in almost every daily activity from working out to a college entrance exam; a student utilizing their knowledge and strategies to work their way to the top of their class is not cheating if they follow all of the rules. They could possibly be criticized by their classmates, but those classmates could have done the same exact thing if they had similar determination. Valedictorians are necessary to high schools because they provide fellow students with a sense of direction and motivation for competition.

Great Gatsby 2.2

"I wouldn't ask too much of her...you can't repeat the past." 

Nick is telling Gatsby that he shouldn't expect too much of Daisy because she is not what she used to be. In the past Gatsby and Daisy were madly in love and nothing could have separated them; nothing except the fact that Gatsby didn't have a lot of money. Now that he is rich, he is trying to re-create his ideal version of Daisy. She is now in love with Tom as well as Gatsby, and she will never live up to Gatsby's old expectations. Gatsby is convinced that he can relive the most exciting era in his life, but Nick assures him that he can't. 

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall."

Jordan is reassuring Daisy that the fall season brings new life that was previously drained from the Summer heat. Daisy is concerned about what they are going to do for the next thirty years of their lives. The characters have lost their sense of direction because of so many events occurring at once. Jordan blames the scorching summer heat as the reason behind so much confusion. Their overwhelming lives will be calmed with the arrival of fall. The change in seasons resembles rebirth because it introduces relief from the heat. The cool weather of fall symbolizes a refreshing change in their lifestyle. 

"There was no difference between men, in intelligence or race, so profound as the difference between the sick and the well."

Nick observes that Mr. Wilson is so shocked at the suspicion of his wife cheating on him that he looks sick. Nick also observes that Tom is similarly distraught by the fact that Daisy is in love with Gatsby. Mr. Wilson and Tom are devastated which is the reason for their "sick" appearance. The major difference in humans is whether they are completely content with what is going on in their lives or not. People of all races, religion, and social status are equal in the fact that their emotional standing is the most important factor in determining their satisfaction in life. 

"She told him that she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw."

Daisy thinks that's she secretly tells Gatsby of her love for him, but her husband sees the event. Tom is completely shocked by seeing this because he never suspected of Daisy being disloyal to him. Although Tom had gone behind Daisy's back with Myrtle, 
he is appalled at the idea of Daisy cheating on him. This is a major turning point of the novel because the seemingly-perfect lifestyle of the couple is disrupted by the harsh truth. Major conflicts are foreshadowed to erupt between Gatsby and Tom because they are both in love with Daisy. In truth, Daisy is in love with the idea of being loved and financially stable. 

"So I walked away and left him standing there in the moonlight- watching over nothing." 

Nick leaves Gatsby alone outside as he is watching over Tom and Daisy. Tom had just learned that Daisy is in love with Gatsby, so Gatsby is concerned that Tom will have a heated argument with Daisy. Although the couple seems perfectly content as if nothing had ever happened, Gatsby is determined to stay outside their window all night just to make sure Daisy is safe. Nick believes that Gatsby should leave the house because Tom and Daisy are doing just fine, and he is growing increasingly weary of the truth behind Gatsby. He thinks that the couple is happy with each other and that Gatsby does not need to interfere with their relationship. 

Commencement Speech

The speaker is correct when she says that after graduating from college, students should pursue their own goals rather than others'. From the first day of kindergarten to the graduation of college, students are influenced to fulfill what others want them to. Teachers tell students to make good grades, friends tell their friends that they are only cool if they fit in, and parents show acceptance when their child has succeeded in what they wanted them to. Students can "put down the backpack" once they have completed their education because the real world is about pleasing theirselves. They do not have to be perfect anymore or try so hard to live up to the standards of other people. Rather, they must go beyond the boundaries of society's basic rules and seek life based on their own rules. People must ask themselves questions such as, "Why am I doing this?" to make sure that the answer is "for myself." The sole purpose of every action in their life needs to be for the benefit of themselves in order to achieve happiness. After college there is no set of limitations or requirements to follow because they must be determined by one's self. In order to succeed, rules need to be broken. Following rules set by others will not create a sense of fulfillment because they were not for the sole purpose of happiness in the individual. Although one could possibly be judged for doing something out of the ordinary, it does not matter. As long as they believe that they are doing what is important to their life, it is acceptable. Since no single person is exactly like another, limitations should not be universal. Most people think that once someone graduates from college they must start a career, get married, and then have children. If someone were to go against this set of rules imprinted into the minds of Americans, they would be frowned upon. In reality, decisions made should be based on that person's desires only. They must not sacrifice their character in order to make others accept them. To succeed, one must persuade others that their regulations are important to helping society. Parents try to persuade their children to do what they want them to do, but this sacrifices individuality. Trying to please others will only result in a fake personality. Being fake does not help anybody because success is only achievable by people that are content with themselves. In order to live a successful life one must accept that perfection is different to every individual. The ideal image and grades are opinionated to society, although people think that there is a set of guidelines they must follow. People need to identify all of the flaws in theirselves before they can fully accept the fact that they are not perfect. They will learn to respect the fact that not all other people can live up to their expectations. Everyone has a different view on the "perfect" life, so there is not a universal code for perfection. 

Great Gatsby Week 1.4

"One thing's sure and nothing's surer… The rich get richer and the poor get – children” (Fitzgerald 95).

     Fitzgerald is trying to state the point that wealthy citizens will just get more money and never achieve complete happiness while the less privileged citizens can lead joyous lives without material wealth. When in possession of a large sum of money, people get carried away and their only focus is to obtain more money. The part of society that lives in poverty is able to achieve satisfaction in life because their focuses are set on more important things such as “children.” The primary purpose of this quote is to illustrate that money can not always buy happiness.

 “I saw him opening a chest of rubies to ease with their crimson-lighted depths, the gnawings of his broken heart” (Fitzgerald 67).

     Gatsby shows Nick a picture of him taken during his time at Oxford and Nick pictures Gatsby looking a chest full of rubies to help him find comfort in his depressing life. Gatsby finds that buying expensive items eases his longing for Daisy. Although the shining rubies would offer no alleviation towards his pain, Gatsby would like to think that they are helping him solve his problems. Again, he thinks he has to impress people with material wealth in order to stand out as “great.” He turns to luxury to hide his struggles just like alcoholics turn to alcohol and drug-users turn to drugs. Gatsby’s “drugs” for comfort are money and popularity.

“Recovering himself in a minute he opened for us two hulking patent cabinets which held his massed suits and dressing-gowns and ties, and his shirts, piled like bricks in stacks a dozen high. “'I've got a man in England who buys me clothes. He sends over a selection of things at the beginning of each season, spring and fall” (Fitzgerald 92).

     Gatsby is giving Nick and Daisy a tour of his home and shows them his closet which is fully-stocked with expensive clothing and accessories. Nice shirts are stacked high on cabinets and his clothing is bought by an English man. This shows that Gatsby thinks so highly of himself that he does not even shop for himself. He is concentrated on the idea of impressing Daisy to win her approval because he thinks that money creates happiness. In today’s society, people try to awe others by showing off how many material items they can purchase. They are focused on the assumption that they will gain more friendships and acceptance if they are able to make a lot of luxury purchases.

“There must have been moments in the afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams—not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion. It had gone beyond her, beyond everything…No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart” (Fitzgerald 95). 

     The author is stressing that people overestimate their ability to achieve their dreams in real life. The actuality of Daisy’s character falls short of Gatsby’s expectations. He believed that since they had experienced a romance previously, that their love would immediately be reignited. He pictures Daisy as being the woman of his dreams and perfect in every way, but occasionally he notices things about her that do not resemble his dream. This concept applies to the real world because people shoot too far in life and are often let down by their achievements. They do not fully succeed in what they set out to do resulting in mental failure.

“The modesty of the demand shook me. He had waited five years and bought a mansion where he dispensed starlight to casual moths” (Fitzgerald 78).

     This quote explains that Gatsby has been waiting for Daisy’s love for five years. He went to great measures to gain the opportunity to meet with Daisy by buying a luxurious mansion across the bay from her house. Gatsby has thrown extraordinary parties in the hopes that he will catch Daisy’s attention. He asks Nick to set up a tea party for him to coincidentally run into Daisy. When Nick agrees, Gatsby is overwhelmed with gratitude and offers many favors in exchange. The author portrays Gatsby’s character as determined to get what he thinks he wants in life. Although Gatsby’s idea of the perfect life may be far reaching from reality, he strives for them to come true.  

Fiction 1.3 "Let Teenagers Try Adulthood"

Should Teenagers Be Allowed To Try Adulthood?

     The main point argued in "Let Teenagers Try Adulthood" by Leon Botstein is that high schools are hindering the development of adolescents because they isolate teens into cliques and stereotypes. The author fails to explain the primary purpose of high school which is to provide a social and educational bridge into the real world. Adulthood can not be mastered when on a rushed route through one's adolescent years; lessons take time to be retained in the brain. High school is a definite necessity when preparing for the obstacles of adulthood. When experiencing the process of high school, students gain much-needed social skills, basic knowledge, and the concept of who they want to be in the real world. Botstein believes that high school is limiting teens to only interacting amongst their similar-aged peers. Although this may be true, it offers a sense of comfort to teens that are intimidated by working with older people. The ability to connect among peers must be achieved before one can achieve success on their own. As well as social comfort, one must be well informed of basic information. Botstein thinks it is necessary to rush into college, but a person can not do well in college if they are not properly prepared. If too much information is crammed into the brains of students in order to rush them off to college, then they will not retain the information properly. With the aid of high school, students develop a judgement of who they are and what they would like to major in. Botstein argues that by spending less time in high school and more time in college, a student will succeed more in the real world. This is not true because the student does not have enough time to fully develop an opinion concerning what they aspire to be. Major conflicts would result from a younger graduating class. There would be a higher rate of unemployment considering the demand for jobs right out of college. In addition, high school students need time to develop an understanding of maturity towards ideas and concepts of life. Botstein suggests that since our generations are maturing more quickly physically, teens do not need to spend as much time maturing their skills in life. This is a false accusation because the generations of children are becoming increasingly mentally immature. Sports and hobbies are viewed as stereotypical dividers by the author, but they are merely a way to accompany people in acquiring cooperation and leadership skills. Teens learn how to give orders as well as receive them from other teammates resulting in the improved ability to communicate effectively. Hobbies open up a broad spectrum of interests that may take a student years to finally decide on which one they would like to pursue. Much time must be given in order for them to consider their options of which hobbies they would like to strive for in life. Leon Botstein's idea of shortening the time spent at secondary school would be unable to work properly because teens would not gain proper education of how to survive in the real world.