Despite his recent diagnosis with ALS, a neurological disorder with no cure, Lou Gehrig is able to maintain a positive and inspirational tone through his use of positive diction in order to stop his fans from pitying him because he still has so much to live for. Gehrig uses many words with a positive connotation, which help create his positive tone. When describing his encounters with “these grand men,” Gehrig uses phrases such as “the highlight of his career” and “honor” to show how lucky he has been. These phrases emphasize his wonderful experiences meeting such famous figures and help him prove, to the audience, that he has lived an incredible life, which he uses to deflect pity from the audience. Gehrig’s word choice has a large impact
Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and recklessly growing at a fast pace, in that every sixty-seven seconds, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s. ("Latest Facts & Figures Report | Alzheimer's Association., n.d.) The worst part of Alzheimer’s is not what occurs in the present, but instead, in what is yet to come. In “Jan’s Story,” the author and main protagonist of the tale, Barry Peterson, learns how to cope and live with the pain of The Disease, on a heartbreaking journey of love, loss, and the true test of how far will one go for whom they love.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, by Walter Mosley, offered a unique insight into the mind of an elderly person struggling with dementia. Seeing the world through Mr. Grey’s perspective gave me a new appreciation for our elderly and the problems they face on a daily basis. Mr. Grey is an elderly man struggling with the beginning stages of dementia. He is no longer able to care for himself and has family members that come to take care of him, though Mr. Grey only trusts a select few people to do so. His physical and cognitive abilities have declined with age and make it difficult for him to get around and communicate with people.
“Everyone is handed adversity in life. No one’s journey is easy. It’s how they handle it that makes people unique.” This is a quote by Kevin Conroy. When applied to the novels Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom and Night by Elie Wiesel, it is easy to see the truth in Conroy’s words.
The Last Lecture, Rhetorical Analysis of Randy Pausch Dr. Randy Pausch enticed to the world with his approach in how he views life and accepts the idea of death. His unique attitude towards death is based on the idea that one is still able to have fun even when death is knocking at their door. He conveyed this message of having fun at all times through a tangible example of his own take on life during his final days. “The Last Lecture” he titled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" wasn't about death, it was about living and recognizing the importance of overcoming obstacles and enabling the dreams of others and seizing every moment as if it was one’s last. In reference to his Tigger or Eeyore analogy, where he separates the world into
Doing this makes his words, his lessons on the Meaning of Life more likely to be absorbed by the readers of the novel, just as Mitch absorbed them during his time talking to his dying professor. He calls out how preposterous the common fear of aging is, pointing out how
Facing Adversity Kevin Conroy once said, “Everyone is handed adversity in life. No one’s journey is easy. It’s how they handle it that makes people unique.” In both novels, Tuesday’s with Morrie and Night, the main characters were faces with some of life's biggest adversities. In Tuesday’s with Morrie, Morrie gets diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and slowly fades away each day.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands at a moment of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” -MLK. A Lesson Before Dying is based in a modest community in the south. Written in 1993 but set right after WW2, A Lesson Before Dying promptly displays the prejudice and discrimination that many people faced during the 1940s. Through his writing, Ernest J. Gaines demonstrates the challenges and struggles of being successful, back in a time where many black men were brought down to the level of an animal.
The eye opening topics of The Twilight Zone reveal societal issues that were relevant in the 60’s when this show was first released. The black and white, 22 minute episodes each told a story while teaching lessons to the audience. This series was a popular science-fiction show during the 5 seasons it ran. Each episode highlighted a different part of society and brought light to the problems it will have if society doesn’t fix them.
He tells his fans that he has ALS, but he is still going to live his life until he can’t move his muscles. Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech delivers an inspiring message by including pathos, ethos, and repetition to show how lucky he is despite
Morrie’s Life Lessons Work, that is one thing that there is no shortage of in Tuesdays with Morrie. In the novel, Tuesdays with Morrie, one recurring theme is learning to live each day to its fullest. Mitch Albom, the narrator, chooses his career over his social life. He often takes things for granted, like Morrie did back in the day. Morrie wants to fix that for Mitch so he doesn’t do the same because he learned how not to take life for granted: “We think we don 't deserve love, we think if we let it in we 'll become too soft” (Albom, 1997).
The episode that I listened to was Episode 187 "Sugar Rush". I watched a few other episodes but I kept coming back to this one in particular for it was the most random yet somewhat all tied together. What made me click on this episode was the picture of Nancy Sinatra which I 'm familiar with and I love her song "Summer Wine". The theme of the show was "Sugar Rush" and many of the songs I was familiar with so it peaked my interest.
Michael Brooks ENGH 396 Reading Response #2 September 17, 2015 Sunday in the Park Sunday in the Park by Bel Kaufman is an emotional short story the details a nice family’s encounter with an obnoxious, unpolished family. The short story plays on human emotion, instinct, and behavior as a way to illustrate the contrasting differences between both families. The story is about a family, a mother, a father and a young boy, who intend to spend a relaxing day together in the park. In the park, the young boy from the “nice family” is playing in the sandbox with a young boy from the other family. Suddenly, the boy from the other family starts throwing sand at the boy from the main family.
“The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy - it’s all that matters” (Audrey Hepburn). In the book Tuesdays with Morrie, Morrie Schwartz teaches people what it is like to die, and how that information changes the way people should live. Morrie has ALS which is a disease that slowly makes you lose control of your body because it weakens your muscles. Morrie teaches how to live life to the fullest, express emotions, and keep people close.
In regards to my future pathway after high school, Tuesdays with Morrie has helped me realize how important an equal work-life balance is and to feel a sense of fulfillment with the career I choose to pursue. In countless cases, people become so caught up in their jobs that they miss out on the small moments that make life so enjoyable. So to find that equilibrium where you’re working, but still able to continue to be with people you love and do the things you enjoy is
