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Bullet in the brain literary review
Tobias Wolff's short story, "Bullet in the Brain
Bullet in the brain literary review
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In “Cooling Down Our Brain,” Jason Peters talked about how researchers proved that self-control can be developed by specific mental exercises. He explained an experiment named “the marshmallow test” and how the result of the experiment showed that children who had self-control became more successful in their lives than those who did not have it. The author further stated that additional research showed that the human brain has “hot” and “cool” areas and everyone can train the “cool” part to control the impulses.
A soldier’s heart is a past term used to describe someone with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), specifically given to someone who fought in the Civil War. Someone with a soldier’s heart experiences fear on a higher level. They may even find certain things that wouldn’t be scary to someone with a stable mind terrifying. Symptoms can be re-experiencing trauma, emotional numbness, and sheltering away from other people. After completing the book, “Soldier’s Heart,” by Gary Paulsen, I truly believe that Charley Goddard suffered from PTSD during and after fighting in the Civil War.
"A book is a loaded gun in the house next door" (Bradbury 56). This quote was from Fahrenheit 451, a book where technology takes over a society and diverse knowledge is banned. People who own books are deemed crazy and have everything burned down. It connects to Harrison Bergeron, a short story by Kurt Vonnegut, where everyone is equal by bringing everyone down to the lowest average. People in this dystopian society are handicapped mentally and physically and when someone decides to rebel they are met with grave consequences.
Gisele Bundchen once said “I feel like when people judge me they're not judging me, because they don't know who I am.” This quote means, to not judge a book by its cover. In Shusterman’s dystopian novel, Downsiders both the Topsiders and the Downsiders both judge each other based on unrealistic claims. The Downsiders think that the Topsiders have stupid beliefs and, do stupid things. However, once learning of the Downsiders’ the Topsider’s views on the Downsiders are not much better.
Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words in books can kill. The influence of literature is overlooked when it comes to violence. Movies and video games are usually blamed for this type of aggressiveness, but rarely does one point their finger towards a compilation of words on paper. It is forgotten that books hold an incredible power over the mind. Whether it is the power of imagination, the key to new thoughts and ideas, or the development of new emotions, reading can change a person.
The novel Out of my Mind, by Sharon M. Draper is about an eleven year old girl with cerebral palsy named Melody Brooks. She can’t walk, talk, eat, or use the restroom on her own. She has a photographic memory and is the most intelligent student in her grade, but nobody knows of this talent until she gets a device called a Medi-Talker that allows her to communicate easier. There are several themes that shine through within this book. Acceptance, determination, and the power of words are shown many times as you get further into the book.
A simple book written with the best intentions; Ray brings to the world Fahrenheit 451 in 1953 (Kipen). Having World War II influencing Ray’s ideas for the book. Fahrenheit 451 brings ideas and points that Ray Bradbury felt the need to write and open the public’s eyes to, as to how technology is changing people’s lives and they are leaving behind books and their critical thinking. Ray Bradbury brings a book about censorship and how banning or in this case burning books does not keep people from the curiosity of the message books have. A big irony arises and his book becomes banned and censored, exactly the same way as in his book.
In Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Slaughter-house Five, the main character Billy Pilgrim does not experience many emotions during the time he spent in World War II. He even lack responses to people or events that had significance in his life. Throughout the novel Billy talks about his time traveling experiences, and describes different moments he traveled to in his life. These descriptions and experiences often include his interactions with the fictional planet Tralfamadore, and the bombing of Dresden. In the novel, Billy states multiple times that he wishes he could die because he is unable to connect with anyone on Earth.
“The Veldt” is a short story by Ray Bradbury. This story can be analyzed using a Marxist and psychoanalytical perspective. For both of these perspectives, the main evidence is found in the kids and their relationship with their parents. For Marxist, “The Veldt” shows how the family relationship reveals the oppression of the lower class and their battle to become the new upper class. The structure of power in this can be connected to the power struggle of today’s society.
The world is selfish place, full of selfish people with cruel intentions. No one does anything descent or kind for anyone else, without it benefitting themselves in some kind of way. Kindness (generosity?) isn't free. We all pay for it in the end…eventually. The book A Cage of Butterflies, by Brian Casswell, is an episodic novel about 'babies', who are stolen from their families to be used as lab rats.
Both the poem “Warren Pryor” by Alden Nowlan and the short story “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr express a depressing tone. “Warren Pryor” is about a son who chooses a career that he dislikes in order to please his parents. “Harrison Bergeron” is about a dystopian society where excellence in any way is considered a disadvantage and inequality for others. In both texts, the protagonists all face the barrier of having their nature being stifled; however, the speaker in the poem chooses not to fight back for himself, while the majority in the short story is not even able to realize the barrier that they face.
Bullet in the Brain The title might be misleading to anyone used to action-packed short pieces of fiction. One might imagine a gunfight occurring in a crime drama were the protagonists shoot at each other and bullet ends up in one of their brains. However, he or she would be disappointed. It is the case of Anders, a book critic who will not keep quite.
In “Brains vs. Brawn”, by Mark Cotharn, Cotharn talks about his experience on both sides of discrimination. At his first school he had a high status because of his talents playing quarterback on his high School football team. It was at this school he got the “good side” of discrimination. He talked about how the football coach came to talk to Cotharn about joining the football team. Even the Principal met with him and told him he will to well at the school.
Andrew Slawson Professor Morowitz HNRS 353 1 September 2014 American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis The 1991 novel American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis is a satirical story detailing the daily life and internal monologue of late-1980s New York City businessman and serial killer Patrick Bateman, a man devoid of empathy and obsessed with how he presents himself to others. Most of the novel is told in a stream-of-consciousness style from the unreliable point of view of the protagonist, and mistaken identity is a consistent theme throughout the novel. As a result, it becomes difficult to determine whether the events that take place are the delusions of Bateman’s psychotic mind or actual facets of reality.
We live in a society today where judging others is a regular, everyday activity. Many people may blame a significant amount of this issue on the excessive amount of technology we have access too, but this problem has been around for much longer. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, it shows the ugliness that can come from judging others, but it also teaches two young children, Scout and Jem, to listen to others, so that you can have the opportunity to learn from them. Throughout the story many characters were able to demonstrate this lesson for the kids, but three that were true examples of it were Tom Robinson, Atticus Finch and Boo Radley. With only aiming to stand up for what they believe in and not worrying what everyone
