2.3 Best in Class

            As a student the word valedictorian means not only smartest in the class but money. It’s all about the scholarship money. Most of us can’t afford to get to college on our own and the privilege of being valedictorian gives you a better chance of a college to fight for you to go to their school. For others it means that they are the hardest working in the school or the most likely to succeed or just that they like to be the best in everything they do. Maybe being valedictorian is the only thing they accomplished in high school. As Talbot points out not every kid is good at sports or at anything else and their academics it the one thing they really want to be recognized for. In high school when it comes to the end of senior year it is important to stand out for something especially if you worked exceedingly hard for it.

            To take away the valedictorian award would be like taking away the MVP award on the basketball team or to tell the captain of the football team that he’s a really hard worker but everyone is captain. To work so hard and be put in the same category as people who just barely got by with AP classes and didn’t work half as hard as you had. This maybe the last time teenagers are recognized all the hard work they’ve done in their adolescence. For the next few years after all the titles you go in high school no longer matter and for this last moment of high school this one person gets to be recognized for all the hard work they did before their adult life begins.  

            On the other hand some people get to the top in other ways than working hard. People do cheat and people steal. Some teenagers would really value being in the same group as the smartest in the class because they worked hard but just weren’t as smart or things didn’t come as easily to them. It would be great to know that their hard work is just as valuable as the smartest in the class. Some worked just as hard as the valedictorian and feel insulted that they aren’t recognized as well. In situations where schools are being sued over valedictorian ship it may be necessary to make the top ten percent equal. It’s wrong to take money from the limited they already have over a position that won’t even matter three months later when they get to college.

Despite the feelings of other students they still get recognized for being in the top ten percent, for having a certain number of GPA and they are still able to go to all the same schools as the valedictorian. Being valedictorian or not isn’t going to hold any of these students back from getting in to a good college. You can have slightly lower GPA and still get into a better school than the valedictorian. Valedictorian is a special privilege given to a student with the highest GPA and worked hard to get there. (518)

2.2 Great Gatsby Chap-ter 6-7

“Doesn’t he know she doesn’t want him?” (pg. 93)

Fitzgerald shows Tom’s obvious feeling towards Gatsby by voicing his opinion through the woman. Even though she says numerous times that she wants Gatsby to go Tom says she doesn’t. Fitzgerald does this to show how Tom is threatened by Gatsby and is concerned that he is involved with his wife. Tom isn’t concerned about Daisy’s relationship with this man he is concerned with the power that Gatsby may be taking from him by being with his wife. He would feel the same way if Gatsby was to take all of Tom’s friends away from him. Tom is afraid of losing the one person he has full control over. He knows that they weren’t in love when they got married but she was easy to control so he ignored her obvious love for someone else. (Words 135)

“She didn’t have a good time.” (pg. 98)

            Gatsby is portrayed as a man consumed with love for Daisy. But really he isn’t desperate for Daisy he is desperate for the way things were before he went off to war. War can do a lot to a man especially for men like Gatsby who had survived on other people taking him along at the time. After he went to war he had to take care of himself. Daisy is a symbol of that time when he didn’t have to always make it on his own.  He is now seeing that Daisy is not the same woman she was once he broke her heart. Plus she now has the responsibility of a baby; this woman can’t even take care of herself. Daisy being able to fulfill Gatsby at this stage in her life is highly unlikely. (Words 137)

“’Can’t repeat the past?’ he cried incredulously. ‘Why of course you can!’” (pg. 99)

Fitzgerald puts forth the belief that you can’t repeat the past. This is untrue when the past repeats itself all the time. The past is bound to repeat itself if the lesson was not learned the first time. World War II, stock market crash, Genocide, all events that repeat themselves in cultures around the world some numerous times. If these horrible things can repeat themselves then so can the good. Gatsby could have his happy ending under slightly different circumstances if he wasn’t searching for exactly what they have. He has to take into account that when you grow you change. There is also the possibility of her being left heartbroken all over again if she chooses him. (Words 118)

“Her voice is full of money” (pg. 107)

            Fitzgerald implies that Daisy is a privileged woman full of charm and “jingle” when really Daisy is very easily portrayed and uneducated and dependant. Money is something you need in order to get the things you want. People depend on money but nothing in her voice says that you can depend on her in any way. She sounds flimsy and weak, just as men during this time. Also during this time money speaks of power and status both of which is lost on Daisy with her scandal of a husband and her reluctance to urge him to end his infidelity. (Words 100)

“…there was no difference between men…” (pg. 111)

Nick brings to light the idea that Tom and Wilson are the same in finding out that there women have cheated on them but they are very different. Where Wilson shows sickness and weakness Tom shows strength and courage. He confronts Gatsby about Daisy and his relationship and they argue about. On the other hand Wilson doesn’t even confront Tom about Myrtle’s infidelity instead he tries to buy a car from Tom in an attempt to leave without dealing with it. Not only has this but he allowed Tom to feel pity for him by just giving him the car. Its Tom’s fault that Wilson’s wife died. She was looking to run away with Tom and she got killed by his wife unintentionally. Tom and Wilson are not the same. (Words 130)

(Words 667)

2.1 Commencment Speech

The essay "Commencement Speech" speaks about the effects that the desire of perfect have on our youth. In order to solve this 'problem' the author urges us to stop trying to be perfect. There are certain aspects in life that can't be achieved and chasing them may destroy us. On the other hand the ambition to achieve goals that signify a step towards perfection not only gives us a reason to live but makes us work to be better in the process. The idea of perfection is an illusion in our mind. Perfection can be defined simply as something unattainable. In this case it's a goal in anyone's life depending on their desires and hopes. It's not necessarily bad to strive for goals when we are taught to set goals and achieve them. The thin line between the burden of perfection and a self set goal is the attainability. If we set unattainable goals it becomes a burden; if we set attainable goals then it's an accomplishment. Both push us towards perfection but one is healthy and the other is not. The author is saying to drop unattainable goals.

These goals can be pushed on by anyone that affects our choices. We need to be aware of our limits. There is nothing wrong with wanting to please others if we please ourselves in the process but we must identify our limits and how far we are willing to push ourselves. When we get to the point where we are only hurting ourselves that is when we should "lay [our] burden down". We shouldn't fall under the pressures if we can't benefit ourselves as well as the people whose opinions matter to us, it shouldn't be one sided. We must know our balance.

People work their whole lives to find the balance. Those who aren’t haven’t even figured out that there is a balance. Everything in nature has a balance including people. Balancing ourselves is as close to perfection as we can get. The balance between our family life, home life and social life all depend on the choices we make and how they effect the people we care about and vice versa. If we drop unattainable goals and just focus on the attainable ones then all we have to worry about is the balance between pleasing ourselves and pleasing everyone that affects us. Then the question becomes is it more beneficial to please ourselves or to please everyone else. Other questions arise like: is it possible to please both and still achieve my overall goal? Is it worth hurting people in the process? etc.

These are questions we ask ourselves all the time without realizing its purpose. These are the questions that weigh our burden. After the decision is made we have to wonder did we make the right decision. The balance between our burdens doesn’t guarantee that  there won’t be guilt, or regret but it does satisfy the need for perfection. We ourselves have to identify the necessary risks in order to obtain our goals and weigh the options. We have to learn to accept our consequences no matter how great in order to matain the balance. If we can’t live with the consequences then we may not have made the right choice. It is a matter of perspective. This thought along can cause the burden as heavy as “a backpack full of bricks”. And the process starts all over again. (572)