ipl-logo

I Just Wanna Be Average

262 Words2 Pages
In “I Just Wanna Be Average” by Mike Rose, a student describes his admiration of an unlikely idol, his high school English teacher Jack MacFarland. The way Rose initially defines his newly found idol creates a full, vivid image of the type of man Jack was. He seemingly transports the reader into this time in his life. The text has a subtle bohemian feel, thanks to the words we’re given to describe main character, Mr. MacFarland. Rose recalls, “He was a beatnik who was born too late.” (98) I think an underlying theme of this story is to never underrate or discredit someone’s power of influence based on the amount of formal education they’ve received or their physical appearance. Throughout the story, Rose recalls times in which he was immensely
Show More
Related

High School Confidential David Denby Analysis

1100 Words | 5 Pages

The most hated plot in America is the underdog’s demise- the empathetic pain of scrutiny, and the failure we all miss to escape. The scrawny, glasses-wearing outsider is often the underdog, the hero we all cheer for. The one who makes all the refinements in a society that is stagnant to change. And his most successful storytelling, or retelling, is that in the setting of high school. He walks awkwardly down the hall with his shoulders slightly hunched inward and mouth slightly ajar.

Read More

Summary Of Commencement Speech At Mount Holyoke College By Anna Quindlen

201 Words | 1 Pages

In her “Commencement Speech at Mount Holyoke College”, Anna Quindlen employs personal anecdotes and her academic background to effectively build her credibility. Quindlen explains how her strive for perfection in her younger years only served to add needless parasitic pressure. She claims that “being perfect day after day, year after year, became like always carrying a backpack filled with bricks on my back” (Quindlen 1). Drawing from her personal experiences, Quindlen challenges her audience to “give up the backpack”. By building a strong connection through shared hardship, Quindlen appears as an authority on defying conformity to discover one’s own individuality.

Read More

Summary Of The Prize By Dale Russakoff

1781 Words | 8 Pages

Bulman is based on why Hollywood films represent students and education in constant way that can be predicted by the actors/plot social class based on American culture. The difference among urban, suburban, and private school genres are separated and compared to find their consistencies in films. Bulman uses Durkheim’s theory of individualism (utilitarian and expressive) to indicate how individuals are dependent on one another and although it is a product of social life, it can restrict some from recognizing their connection to the social life. This foundation of individualism guides the reader as the book further breaks down how the films ‘choose’ their plots to portray a stereotyped social class. Urban schools are in need of a savior, suburban schools have student heroes and do not need education, and the private school that challenges the culture of privilege are the three sections

Read More

Mike Rose Rhetorical Analysis

670 Words | 3 Pages

Mike Rose took an admission test to find out where he would be placed in the school system, there was another child with the last name Rose. Apparently this other child had done poorly on his admissions test, being placed in a vocational school. While the author Rose had done well enough to get into a standard school. The two children’s scores got switched so the author Rose got placed in the vocational school. “The other Rose apparently didn't do very well, for I was placed in the vocational track, a euphemism for the bottom level.”.

Read More

Appearance In Gary Soto's Short Story The Talk

264 Words | 2 Pages

In Gary Soto’s short story “The Talk” he reveals how society values appearance way too much. The main characters discuss about how their appearance affects their self-esteem, mindset, and their future jobs. The characters start out discussing their appearance and call themselves ugly, “We were twelve, with lean bodies that were beginning to grow in weird ways. First, our heads got large, but our necks wavered, frail as crisp tulips” (par.2). The boys talk about their appearance as if they were really awkward when in reality they probably don’t look like the way their describing themselves.

Read More

Book Report On Freak The Mighty By Rodman Philbrick

292 Words | 2 Pages

Have you ever been judged by some and have gotten hurt? Have you ever judged based on their look? Well judging someone based on their look or appearance is not a good thing to do. In the book Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick, with main characters Max and Kevin , the theme of the story is to never judge a book by it’s cover. To begin with, not judging someone by their appearance can be a little difficult especially if they look different or unique, like Kevin.

Read More

Similarities Between Dear Martin And The Rose That Grew From Concrete

1441 Words | 6 Pages

In the poem, “The Rose That Grew From Concrete '' a rose grows from a random crack in the concrete. The rose adapts to its new environment while sticking out from the rest of the roses. This rose grew on its own, not from a bush not in the dirt but from a crack in the concrete. Shakur uses symbolism to convey his message of overcoming challenges. Through story elements and plot development, both texts show how overcoming obstacles may be hard to do, but it's not an impossible task, especially with the right amount of determination.

Read More

Outsiders Social Class

491 Words | 2 Pages

Imagine a world, where social classes determined how you look, think and act. Throughout the Outsiders, the reader is always reminded that social class is the only thing that everyone in the book cares about. While reading the Outsiders, near the end of the book, a crucial theme was perceived. This theme is to never judge a book by its cover. Even though this theme is represented later in the book, many examples of this theme can be found earlier in the book.

Read More

Examples Of Suspense In A Rose For Emily

710 Words | 3 Pages

“A Rose for Emily” is a unique short story that keeps the reader guessing even though its first sentence already reveals the majority of the content. William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” is the epitome of a work that follows an unconventional plot structure and a non-linear timeline, but this method of organization is intentional, as it creates suspense throughout the story. William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” follows an unusual plot structure, which creates an eccentric application of suspense to a short story. Throughout the story, there are no clear indications of standard plot structure in each section, such as intro, climax, and denouement. Instead, there are sections, which are not in chronological order, that describe a particular conflict or event, which in turn creates suspense, as each conflict builds upon each other to make the reader question the overall context and organization of the story.

Read More

Character Development In Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club

1023 Words | 5 Pages

After Ted visits the house in order to collect the divorce papers, Rose finds out about his new lover and she feels completely devastated. This new emotion leads something to click inside her head and, as she described, “And then for the first time in months, after being in limbo all that time, everything stopped” (Tan, pg. 194). Something inside Rose changes and she finally allows herself to challenge her husband. Rose realizes that she wasn’t actually seeing things for what they were and was allowing her ex-husband to continue controlling her, seeing as though she was going to simply accept the money and sign the papers. The shock of the affair is so big that Rose begins to see and decides to stand her ground and fight for what she wants in the

Read More

Stereotypes In Frank Gilbert's Husband

1215 Words | 5 Pages

In rebuttal to Victor John for shaming his most treasured passion, bringing dishonest and untrue words to the Rescue and Aid Women organization, and enticing the buzzing sounds in the small town, Frank Gilbert’s feelings of unjustified humiliation refuses to stand still against the selfish pride of Victor. Frank gathers the small town to the old and crooked assembly hall, and attempts to publicly correct the assumptions that began tainting the image of his association. Despite his old age, Frank Gilbert is ambitious and hard at heart, especially towards ideas of conformity. This thin man surrounded by wrinkles, stands in front of one hundred townsmen with a walking stick in hand, and dressed in lightened clothing.

Read More

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower Belonging Analysis

1304 Words | 6 Pages

Startled by the suicide of his friend, Charlie starts writing letters about his daily life as he begins high school. Unsure who he’s writing to, just a “friend”, the reader follows the ups and downs through the eyes and writings of Charlie. This is a momentous year as he goes through a series of many firsts (first date, first cigarette, first visit to the Rocky Horror Picture Show), while trying to “participate” in this new setting. Within this year and within these letters, Charlie and his friends go through break-ups and break-downs, all in the hopes of trying to grow up in the novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. One of Charlie’s friends, Patrick is a character that clearly goes through these break-ups and break-downs.

Read More

Oscar Wilde Research Paper

811 Words | 4 Pages

Oscar Wilde is an important literary inspiration of his time. During the late 1800s, Wilde was not necessarily respected and recognized as an exceptional man of his time. Wilde was often criticized and his work was critiqued heavily. Wilde endured many hardships in his lifetime, yet was still able to write dozens of poems, essays, plays combined. Wilde’s short story, “The Happy Prince,” exhibits an important development of characters in a tale initially meant for children.

Read More

Sexuality In Ursula, Remedios The Beauty, And Pilar Ternera

1329 Words | 6 Pages

Her high school “hookup”, Eddie Oakley, is mostly an extension of her already existing feelings of isolation. Their relationship begins as a way for Rose to cope with her loneliness, after her ability destroys most of her close relationships with people (Bender 156). He continues to be her stress release but has no understanding of her emotions, calling her the “tank” because of her stoicism. There is no power dynamic here. Rather, they both use each other exclusively for their own personal gain (Bender 132).

Read More

Creative Writing: Shooting A Gun

1463 Words | 6 Pages

Rose knew how to shoot a gun, she also knew how to hunt for food, but Trudais being the Man that he was, would not allow her too, she only took care of herself and the kids. Candice cooked when he was well, he told her stories of his family and how all this came to be. Rose understood. Trudais had given Rose a Room all to herself , every night Trudais would come into the room, to check the windows and to make sure her gun was loaded and clean.

Read More

More about I Just Wanna Be Average

Related Topics

Open Document