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Symbolism And Isolation Depicted In Jason Reynolds's Speech

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Ian Brown Mrs. Korey English 2 Advanced Honors 21 March 2023 In his affectionately uplifting and cleverly crafted speech given to the graduating class of Lesley university, Jason Reynolds clearly articulates and creates strong connections with the graduating class using the methods of symbolism and anecdotes from his past to drive his point of getting everyone to stick together and help each other get opportunities they would need to succeed. In his speech, Reynolds proves that he possesses the ability to symbolize the point that he is trying to make. One of the examples of symbolism is the fish being stuck in the tank isolated from society. Reynolds states “After putting the fish in a tank, he asked us to name it and feed it every day. There was only one rule - a non-negotiable. We could not, under any …show more content…

The fish being stuck in this tank and isolated from society shows how some people could be stuck in a problem and might not know how to solve the problem or that they are even in a problem. Other people looking into this problem could be intimidated by the possibility of getting involved in this problem or getting themselves in their own problem. This can stop people from helping them, for example, the teacher “Mr. Williams” decided to one day pick up the fish and throw it out of the tank onto the ground, and all of the students were frozen in fear and anxiety when they saw the fish on the ground and they knew it was dying but they were too afraid of getting suspended to help the fish. At that moment two brave girls saved the fish and still ended up getting suspended even though they did what was right. Moreover, another example of symbolism is when the audience was told

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In the books Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman , and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge , the act of symbolism is a very important factor in them. Both books have great meaning and the symbolism carried throughout the books helps the readers understand how important it was and how it affected them. The symbolism also helps the readers understand how the character was feeling and the recurring action in the book . Although the two books are very different , the symbolism in them help them to be more understanding and very much alike .

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Nonetheless, two girls touched the fish and dealt with the consequence of being suspended since the fish was dying on the floor and the girls saved the fish by putting it back in its tank. Devastated and confused by the punishment, Mr. Williams explained, “Pick your heads up. You have no reason to hang them because you, in fact, did the right thing. But sometimes doing the right thing has consequences.” Reynolds will forever remember his teacher because of the lessons that were learned from that experience.

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Symbolism can be shown through animals by their

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In the book, The Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds Will The main character goes through a lot because he is constantly worried about following the three rules which are no crying, no snitching and to get revenge. He witnessed the murder of his brother. He goes on a adventure seeking revenge On the person who killed his older brother Shawn and on the way he meets his father for the first time and others people who want to help him along the journey. In the novel The Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds depiction of Unconscious /conscious motivation reveals when people have something engraved in their mind it will cause people to react without thinking. Jason Reynolds also reveals the idea of selective perception because it shows that people and remember

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In “Indian Horse,” the act of capturing and releasing fish back into the water is used to symbolize the loss and reconnection of Indigenous culture. During one afternoon, Saul and a dozen of other kids escaped from the residential school and made their way to a ridge, in which they used burlap bags to capture and release fish. Through this experience, they were reminded of their past and how much they’ve lost, which is shown in the quote, “We fell asleep that night with our noses pressed to our hands and as the days went by and the smell of those suckers faded, there wasn’t a one of us that didn’t cry for the loss of the life we’d known before” (Wagamese, Pg. 54). The memories associated with this event showcase the emotional impact of the loss of cultural heritage and traditional ways of life due to trauma caused by residential schools. Additionally, the act of capturing and releasing the fish relates to the process of reconciliation as they reconnect with and reclaim their Indigenous culture, which are necessary steps towards reconciliation.

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It is important not to let your fortunes make you lose perspective. Author Jason Reynolds feels passionate about this subject. In his moving and wittily made speech presented to the Lesley University Commencement address in 2018, Jason Reynolds cleverly articulates and effectively gets to the audience’s emotions through his use of an anecdote and symbolism to remind the audience to stay grounded and not lose their perspective of the less fortunate. Reynolds brilliantly appeals to the audience’s emotions by grabbing their attention with a riveting anecdote about an eccentric teacher he had in high school. The teacher, Mr.Williams, wore abnormal clothing and had a pet fish in his classroom.

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To identify and explain what the dolphin represents, is that it represents Jesse and his struggles because it shows that he is in pain and struggling to do everyday things. To begin,Jesse shows resilience when he transports the dolphin to the cold and icy breakers. The author says, “Jesse waded deeper,past the breakers...as he tried to head off

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Most commencement speeches are often boring, drawn out, and they seem similar, but this isn’t true about all of them. In his humorous and incredibly inspiring commencement speech given to Lesley University in 2018, Jason Reynolds captivates and teaches his audience through the use of storytelling and comedy to deliver his life advice. In Jason Reynolds commencement speech, he uses humor and other rhetorical devices in order to appeal to the audience’s emotions. For example, in the first sentence of his speech Reynolds makes a comment on how much of a challenge it was trying to fit all of his hair into the graduation cap.

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Also, the fish represent the obstacles that one may face while trying to reach their goal and shaping their ability to achieve it. This ultimately challenges them to decide whether to accept the task and grow or abandon their dreams by giving up. The girl’s the environment around her influenced her hard work ethic and her decision to have patience to accomplish her

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The description of the fish flopping on the ground as it is breathless on the ground, shows the symbol of the story, and the purpose of the story. Get in trouble to save the fish, or not get in trouble and not save the fish. Overall, the use of rhetorical devices helps the audience understand Reynolds way of speaking, and clarifies the topic of empowerment and

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Reynolds uses this story to share a personal anecdote, telling how the fish could be seen “...flipping and flopping and flapping, inflating, deflating, dying, only to be met by mortified and confused faces.” By using this alliteration, Reynolds is trying to evoke empathy from the graduates, wanting them to feel the sadness represented through his words. He uses alliteration to help his audience understand how the fish was moving, with the audience being able to imagine what it was like in that moment and how terrifying it was. By using alliteration, Reynolds demonstrates his overall message to the graduates how through the course of life, it is often easy for individuals to only think about themselves, not taking a look at others around them. Through taking a look at other’s situations and checking in on them, humans can learn to help those who are less fortunate.

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“Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense.” Symbols can add a deeper meaning than just an object itself that the author is trying to make. Symbols can also foreshadow what is yet to come. The audience can interpret a symbol in many ways it depends on their experience. In Southside Chicago the Younger family is struggling to have hope as they are always facing society.

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Steven Zheng Mrs.Korey 3/20/23 English 2 “Jason Reynold delivers Lesley University Commencement Address,” Rhetorical Analysis Numerous individuals each year graduate from college, destined for the real world as they take flight. In the highly creative and skillfully crafted, “Jason Reynolds delivers Lesley University Commencement Address”, given at the commencement of the graduates of Lesley University on May 19th 2018, Jason Reynolds delivers a poignant and deeply meaningful message of taking on the world. Jason Reynolds establishes credibility and meaningfully appeals emotionally to his audience through his masterful use of similes, metaphor, alliteration, repetition, symbolism, humor, and charisma to help them take flight in their lives.

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Symbolism can use an object (like a tree of birds), or art, (like Melinda’s art project or Mr. Freeman's canvas) to represent an abstract idea. Laurie Halse Anderson uses symbolism to hint at a certain mood or emotion, rather than just blatantly saying it. So, the use of symbolism is important because it helps create meaning and emotion in a story. Symbolism makes a book fun to read, the symbolism produces a thought provoking work of art and it, (like in this book), adds meaning to seemingly unrelated objects and elicits emotions in the

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