Love

There are five ways to say love in the Greek language. A way for each type of love: friendship love,  brotherly love, and passionate love.  The English language has one word. With so many different ways  to take just one word, people can take it the wrong way. The Secret Life of Bees teaches the reader  that you don't need to be family to love someone. Love can come in many different forms, but true  love comes because of who you are - not who you pretend to be.

When a girl loses her mom, she loses the one she trusts most. Lily took the loss of her mom harshly,  and could never give up the fact that she was the one that pulled the trigger. She could never forgive  herself, or her mom, since her mom had left her originally and had come back to get Lily. When the  bees came to Lily's room, Lily finally realized that she needed to get out of Sylvan, and go find out  more about her mother's past. She took Rosaleen with her, similar to a story where Huckleberry Finn  left his abusive father with a runaway slave. One of the things Lily still had of her mother was a  picture of Black Mary, and on the back it said "Tiburon, S.C." Lily decided to go there to try and find  more things about her mom. Ironically enough, she finds the family that took care of her mom,  Deborah. They live on a bee farm, and take her and Rosaleen in. 

Tiburon teaches Lily all about herself; not only about her past, but also who she is as a person. Being  with August relaxes Lily, and she is nice enough to let Lily stay and figure everything out. August loves  Lily almost as a daughter, just like she had loved her mother before she was killed. Lily telling stories  and making up her whole life all over again is questionable, but August, May, and June ignore the fact  and figure Lily out on their own pace, as they let her become part of their family. This book took place  in the 1960's, a time where racists were all over the place, and there were separate schools for white  kids and black kids. Sue Monk Kidd is sending a message; she's saying that love isn't force, it's just  there. During this time, if someone heard that a white teenage girl was staying with four black  women, they would protest, complain, and take her away from the women. By writing this book, the  author teaches the reader the true meaning of love.

The Virgin Mary is supposedly the mother of thousands, when she is a virgin. Now technically, that is  not possible. Being a mother to someone doesn't always mean giving birth to them. Someone  you have no relation to at all can be almost like a mother to you because of how much love they have  for you, and how much they care for you. A queen bee is a literal symbol of the Virgin Mary, since she  is the mother of thousands, but I believe that August is almost like the Black Mary. She may not be a  mother to thousands, but she is a mother to many people. August was the most mature one in the  May situation, and also was the one who ran the house, cared for everyone, and was the leader of  the Daughters of Mary. August was full of passion and devotion to what she did, but when it came to  someone she loved, she would give up anything to make sure that person was happy. She was a true  mother to many people.                                                  

Sue Monk Kidd used loads of symbolism in this book. One major symbol was bees. Bees represent

thinks weak physically, but strong willed. In a way, bees represent Deborah, Lily's mother. Deborah had gotten into an cruel relationship with T-Ray, and being the female and have less power than the other, she was physically weak. But, when Deborah finally gathered up the courage to leave T-Ray, that showed that she was strong willed. Once Deborah had died, Lily was all alone with T-Ray, and also had a abusive relationship with him. Bees also represent communication with the dead, and the bees that had crept into Lily's room were her mother trying to communicate. Lily trapped the bees in the jar, just like how T-Ray had trapped her inside their farm. Then, she let them go, and they stayed for a little bit. Finally they left, telling her to leave the farm just like they had. Lily didn't realize that the bees had helped her run away, but they really did.

Love can't be forced, it just comes naturally. You know that you don't truly love someone when you feel forced to love them. Loving the Boatwright sisters was so easy for Lily, unlike how it was with T-Ray. That's why it was so easy to stay at the bright pink house than to go back to Sylvan, where everyday she had to deal with the fact that her mother was gone, and her father didn't love her. Throughout the good and the bad, Lily found that the people that truly love her will always stay by her side.

"What does not kill me, makes me stronger."

Author's Note: I think that this quote applies to this book perfectly. Everything that Montag is going through in the novel is helping him become stronger.

Imagine the thoughts going through Montag’s head right before he murdered Captain Beatty. With Faber’s voice in one ear, Beatty’s in the other, and his conscience over powering, he must of just wanted to shut everything up, get rid of at least one of those voices. “What does not kill me, makes me stronger.” Nietzsche once said this, and Bradbury emphasizes the meaning to the quote in this novel. All of your troubles help you learn, all of the obstacles your face will help you out in the long run.

In the beginning of the novel, Montag is just another person in his world, doing what he is told, not what he thinks is right. Burning books for a living used to be a good thing for Montag, but luckily Clarisse came into his life. She helped him go through rough times, and realize what true happiness is. After Clarisse’s death, Montag took things into his own hands. He started to read some of the books he had stashed in his house, and discovered what he had to do, and his strength and independence is helping him do that.

After killing Beatty, Montag was attacked by the Hound. When attacked, he was hurt with the Hound’s needle. He immediately ran away, and now is wanted. Montag must have a lot of courage to be able to go through the rest of his life knowing that he is in danger. What he has gone through is making him stronger, is making him stand up for what he thinks is right, and is making him become more independent. With the help of Faber, I think Montag will be able to show some people the way life should be, and how to be happy.

Murdering Beatty, turning against the firemen, and turning against his life style may seem crazy, but since it’s not killing Montag, it’s making him stronger. Montag is becoming stronger throughout the book, becoming more independent, making his own decisions. It takes a lot of courage for just one person to stand up against so many people, and that one person probably has gone through a lot in their life, because “What does not kill me, makes me stronger.”

Patriotism

Authors note: The prompt to this essay is "does patriotism still matter?" This essay is mostly about how I think that patriotism does still matter, and also about how not just people in the military are true patriots. 

The tears roll down her cheeks as her loved ones carry the coffin out into the hearse.

She had always had a bad feeling about her husband going to war. She had always had that gut feeling something bad was going to happen. Her husband loved his country and devoted his life to it. True patriots come in many shapes and sizes. They are true Americans who love their country, and they deserve to be honored and respected, because patriotism still matters.

Patriotism: devoted love, support, and defense of one's country. When people think of patriotism,

they immediately think about soldiers, about all of the people over in Iraq and Afghanistan. These people are all true patriots, but we forget about the people that are over here, in our country. Just look at the firemen, police officers, teachers, or our mayors.

By 1965, there were thousands of American troops in Vietnam. By then the war was in full

swing, with tons of Americans dying, and tons of people in the US sad for the troops that were losing their lives, and their loved ones. My third cousin, Larry Smith, was a troop in the Vietnam War. I never got to meet him, but my dad has told me stories. He said that Larry told him that he learned how to load a machine gun with his eyes closed, but never once got the chance to load one in battle. My dad asked him what he used instead. And Larry said, a knife. In one of the battles he was wounded, and thought to be dead. He sat still, pretending to be dead, for two days after the battle was over, waiting for the Vietnamese to leave so he could escape. Luckily, he lived to tell that story.

Her smile stretches from one ear to the next when she sees him walk out of the terminal. She runs over and gives him a hug; a hug she’s been wanted for so long. He squeezes her so hard, he’s afraid he could be hurting her. To be an American citizen is a true honor. We live in a country that is well protected, and well run. But it wasn’t always that way; people had to work to get our country to be the way it is. These people are true patriots, and we all owe them a huge thank you.

Dreams turn to Nightmares

I sit in this train, on my way to Siberia, crammed with other people that spoke their minds. I’ll be fortunate to survive this place. There is a sudden halt, as the train comes to a stop. I take a step out, feeling a rush of coldness down my scrawny back, and hope for the best. Is this really what Communism was about? Is this how Karl Marx pictured it when he came up with the idea? George Orwell did a fantastic job of writing a satire to the Russian Revolution in the book Animal Farm. He shows how the leaders abused their power and did the exact opposite of what they had planned.


The animals in Animal Farm are hopeless, and in my eyes, pathetic. Watching Napoleon, their leader, control their every movement is painful. What is even more excruciating is knowing that half of these animals could stand up to these pigs, and tell them that this farm has changed from what it used to be. Animalism, which is what we would call communism, was supposed to make the animal world much easier, without humans, who represented the kings, or Czars. In the end, their world was the exact same as when the humans were there. It’s almost worse – especially because the people they adored and cherished were the new humans.

The three pigs represented three men that took the role of “leaders” during the revolution. Snowball, or Trotsky, and Napoleon, Stalin, disagreed in many different situations. Squealer, who was supposed to be Lenin, took Napoleon’s side, and kicked Snowball out of the farm. That’s when everything went wrong. Snowball was a intellectual pig, and helped the farm tremendously. When Napoleon took his ideas, saying they were his and the animals believed him, that was the first sign of abusive power. After that, nothing would ever be the same, and there would be no more Animalism. Orwell choose a pig to represent these three men because in his mind, and in many others, this is what these men were: pigs.

Communism was a type of government in which everyone was equal; doctors and farmers had the same pay because they were both as important, but in different ways. Animalism was just the same. The sheep may not be as smart or strong as horses, but they were both needed at the farm and got the same amount of food. But, with both Animalism and Communism, this didn’t really work out. The leaders took their power and used it to trick their minors, almost as if a teacher asked you a question and either way you answered it you would get a detention. The sheep were gullible and reliable. The pigs used that to their advantage, and the saying turned from, “Four legs good, two legs bad,” to, “Four legs good, two legs better.” Communism and Animalism sounded like what would be an almost perfect world, to a complete disaster.

He looks out the only window in the van, seeing his friends become smaller and smaller, until they vanish completely. He finally faces defeat, knowing that these are his last moments. With a feeling of sorrow, he remembers his idol, but now all he sees is a face of betrayal, of evil. Did Napoleon ever think about what he was putting Boxer through? Did he not realize that Boxer adored him? Boxer reminds me of the people sent out into Siberia, but he didn’t do anything to deserve it. Napoleon abused his power, and did what Old Major told them not to do; kill animals. That shows that no one should have absolute power, because, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Esperanza's Diary

My support group and I read The Bean Trees for our independent novel. I wrote these diary entries as if I was a character, Esperanza, who wasn't mention that much in the book. I did my best to describe her feelings.

July 1, 1987



Dear Diary,


My emotions are all over the place. This little girl, Turtle, is just like Ismene. I miss her with all of my heart. That day, when those horrible people took her away, I felt as if the world had ended, and I felt no need to stay here, even if that means leaving Estevan.


We went to a lake today. We had a fantastic time, but I am feeling a little suspicious of this young lady that calls herself Taylor. First, she had this toddler that looks nothing like her, but more like myself and Estevan, due to the skin color. Then, she goes off acting like she is in love with Estevan. Who does she thinks she is, me? To make matters worse, he seems to like her back.

On top of all this, we are here, in America, illegally. I really appreciate everything Mattie has done for us, and all the effort she has put into keeping us safe, and I know that we can’t go back, but I want to desperately. I’m tired of feeling insecure and out of place, and I don’t know what everyone is saying half the time. What if they catch us? What would happen? So many questions.



July 21, 1987


Dear Diary,


Today may have been one of the most unbearable days I have lived. After that exhausting road trip to Oklahoma, and everything that has happened, I am relieved that it’s all over. We visited a man named Mr.Armistead today. He seemed very nice, but it could have just been an act to make us trust him.


We went to this law office to try and help Taylor become a legal guardian of Turtle. We acted like people from the Cherokee Nation that didn’t have legal documents for Turtle, and they surprisingly believed us. It was a relief, but I couldn’t stand being in front of those people. They were asking us questions, and more questions, and then some more. I was just so emotional, I couldn’t take it.


My name was Hope, instead of Esperanza, so they weren’t suspicious about us. We, Estevan and I, dressing in work clothes, so it seemed as if Turtle would be better off with Taylor. I don’t know who she would be better off with, to tell you the truth. I want her to be better off with us. Her and I get along so well, it kills me to know that she is going to leave with Taylor once we arrive at our new home that will keep us safe.


On the way to Oklahoma, Turtle and I bonded. We would play hand games and she would tell me stories that I did not understand, since all she seems to talk about are vegetables. Then at the lake, Taylor and Estevan went out onto the lake on a row boat, and Turtle and I stayed back. We played and played and definitely would have seemed like mother and daughter to a stranger walking by. I have a feeling that Taylor has noticed that we seem like mother and daughter, and I think she is a little uncomfortable about that.


I feel very protective over her. In the Mr.Armistead’s office, I was holding her so tightly, as if I thought something horrible would happen. Then, I couldn’t control myself any more. I just can’t imagine life without her, but I have to let her go, I just have to.




July 24, 1987


Dear Diary,


The new house we are staying at is very nice and spacious, but I really miss Mattie. I never realized how much I take for granted, like Estevan, or even being here instead of Guatemala. I miss Arizona, and all of my friends that are there. I even miss Taylor. I don’t see why I hated her so much before. Sure she had a little crush on Estevan, but can I blame her? And now I realize that he would never betray me, no matter what, just look at all he’s done for me so far.

The person I miss the most is Turtle. When her and Taylor left about a week ago, I thought that it would only take a few days to get over the fact that I will never see Turtle’s exquisite face ever again. I am crying now, just thinking about her. I hated to see her leave with Taylor, but the more I thought about it, the more I think she is better off with Taylor, who isn’t as much of a young, inexperienced girl as I thought she was. She was nice to us, and I couldn’t thank her enough for getting us this far into our journey, us being Estevan and I.

Fantasy World of Childhood

You’re sitting on your beaten up couch with your clothes soaked, as you use your imagination to think of what your mother might have in store for you this time. Will you not be able to goof off with your buddies, or no more sweets for the rest of the week? Scoldings are nothing new, been there, done that. But maybe this is her last strand, maybe you have gone too far. In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, written by Mark Twain, Tom is a boy that gets away with everything. He lives in a fantasy world where children are allowed to do almost anything and everything they please, without serious consequence.

Mark Twain wrote this book after Civil War, so everyone wanted romance, so it would lift their spirits when it seemed like nothing was going right. They would read these types of books, and imagine themselves in this exquisite world, where even in a time in need; you have fun without getting into major trouble. Tom Sawyer could skip school, runaway, and even witness a murder, and still be just an innocent small boy. Tom skips school one day to go swimming. He comes home, and his aunt suspects something is up. She questions him, and he does such a good job of lying to her, and convinces her that he was in school the whole day. I'm not sure how, but Aunt Polly believes him. Not until his brother, Sid, comes in, he is having a great time, knowing that he had yet again avoided punishment. Sid tells on Tom, but Tom has already left to go meet up with his friends.

Tom is a boy that lives in a small town, in a small house, with a small family. His family doesn’t have much money, and he doesn’t have many nice clothes, or much food. Still, he makes the best of things and has such a great time doing it. He has an adventurous mind that is always looking for something new to do. Although Tom has so many fantastic times, he does experience some horrific or sad. When Tom and Huck were hunting for treasure in the haunted house, they come to realize that Injun Joe, one of the scariest people in the area they live in, is trying to hide his treasure there. They sneak upstairs, hoping not to be seen. They sit and sit, waiting for these horrible people to leave, so they too, could leave. Injun Joe’s partner, some they call Spaniard, notices their tools lying on the ground. He tells Injun Joe, who thinks to go check upstairs, to make sure that the tools owners weren’t spying on them. Half way up the stairs, he decides to leave the people, saying that they can tell everyone about their plans; they would be long gone by then. In the real world, this probably wouldn’t happen; Tom and Huck would have gotten caught, and may have been goners. This scene just shows what kind of world Mark Twain was picturing while writing this.

Innocence: a word that describes Tom Sawyer. The theme in this book is innocence to innocence. Tom does learn from all of his mistakes, which would make him be more experienced, but he does nothing with what learns. Tom learns that when you run away, you are missed dearly, and it hurts everyone that cares for you. He learned this after coming back from his pirate adventure, but when he and Becky ran off in the cave, he didn’t once think about his aunt or siblings, and how much they would miss him. In our world, sometimes we forget things, and we usually don’t get away with it too easily. Tom forgets nearly everything, but still gets by smoothly.

Sitting in your room, not too thrilled to be there, think about how miserable this weekend will be. This world is harsh and full of predicaments, very much unlike Tom Sawyer’s world. He can go off on pirating adventures or skip school to go swimming, but every single kid and a lot of adults admire him. That is why, in this small town in Missouri, everything is unrealistic, and seems to be the perfect world.

Tom Sawyer Response

Tom Sawyer, a young, adventurous boy that lives in the 1800’s. He enjoys playing tricks on his ageing aunt and skipping school to go pirating with a few friends. He loathes his brother, Sid, who always seems to catch him, and get him into to trouble. Scoldings aren’t anything new to Tom, but somehow, he always makes the best of them. That just shows how innocent this growing boy really is. He may be bad, he may have mischievous thoughts, but everyone seems to look past that in the end, which makes us realize how much of a fantasy world Mark Twain has placed this story in.

When Tom and Joe go off with Huckleberry to become pirates, they didn’t realize what they were putting other people through. They went off for at least a week, and then realized that everyone had missed them. But did they go back? No, not for awhile anyway. They stayed because Tom had a idea, which they thought would be funny. So they stayed and played more of their pirate games, thinking that everything would work out. In the real world, no one would think it was funny, and no one would forgive them, but in the world that Mark Twain has created, it is completely possible.

The funeral was during church on a Sunday. Aunt Polly, Tom’s aunt, was depressed and her eyes were already swollen. The priest had already started the ceremony, when Tom, Joe, and Huck walked in, making everyone have a double take. You would expect that everyone would be shocked, and disappointed in these boys. People would have thoughts running through their head, such as, “How could these foolish boys possibly stay away when they know that they are missed? How could they possibly but these poor people into this type of misery?” But in this case, no such thoughts were going through their head. They were all filled with joy. Why though? Because this world is a fantasy, in which things happen that wouldn’t in our world.

Tom Sawyer, a boy who lives in a world where everything goes his way. He can sneak out of the house, run away with someone everyone else hates, get whipped infront of the whole class, and everyone still loves him. He is an all-American boy, who hasn't yet realized what conciquences are like, and how much of an impact they have when you are a grown-up. All in all, when reading this book, you but yourself in a world that you would love to live in, but you also know that this would never happen, because our world is harsh.