Fahrenheit 451

"We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the constitution says, but everyone made equal…A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon. Breach man's mind." Guy Montag's world is far from what you would call having individuality among the many people. It was as though no one had their own rights to whatever they would have wanted to do, it was chosen for them. Although equality and respect are two very important qualities to behold, to treat someone too equally can manifest a misery. His world in comparison to our world is with no contest a lesser form of living—a critical way of thinking. I cannot even perceive how it would be like to live in a world as his, no books to run away to during times of sorrow, and pain. The idea confuses me and challenges my mind to comprehend what these people thought when they created this so called civilized community. Every single person should have the authority to express what is on their mind, and choose their way of living. Without that ability, everyone would live the same, think the same, and more importantly, feel as if they were one being, which is certainly not a concept someone of the real world would want to follow.

The quote "What we resist, persists," by Carl Jung, is an abundant example of the strategy they know is true in Guy Montag's community. Their way of living does indeed persist, and although he does later realize the dullness of the situation, there is no way which he could have changed the community. It was just how they looked at life—always was and always would have been. I found great superiority in his choice to no longer follow this on his own term. One wonders if Beatty enabled himself to gain legal access to books through his position of authority, or possibly used his book-educated mind to manipulate Montag. Montag, though,  knew he could not live this way forever, so Montag decided to run away. What was happening was too much for him to take in, and unfortunately, he had been betrayed. Betrayed by his own wife. Montag ran off, away from the dreaded town while the war persisted. Finally, he along with his new friends searched for survivors and rebuilt civilization. His opportunity of living a life where his individuality could be brought out finally became a reality, a reality that he himself had created.

Guy Montag had more than anything, an extensive amount of circumstances that anyone of the real world would fear, but by the end of his great journey throughout the novel, seemed as though fears were a thing of the past. He obviously, overcame his fear of books, but more importantly, overcame the fear of not following what everyone else was doing, and performed his own beliefs. What should we fear in the real world? Many would think freedom, and many times wonder if we can remain free. I personally think, that we can indeed remain free, all depending on the actions of others as well as our own. As for what we fear, should be decided ourselves personally as individuals. Anyone can overcome their fears, as Guy Montag did, but the choice of pursuing that action is with no doubt an accomplishment that is to any ones ability. The only way this action can be accomplished, though, is if you have a mindset on what you truly want to pursue. You have the power to overcome your fears. You have the power to not just sit there, watching books burn before your eyes. You have the power to walk away, and carry out your dreams. 

Rain

Together we are, hand in hand, inseparable.

I look up, rain softly coming down from the clouds above

to the cold earth beneath us.

No distractions, no sound,

but the rain as it trickles onto the pavement.

Just us--no one else.

If i slip,

I know you would catch me.

Inseparable,

we rise together,

we fall together,

inseparable in the rain.

Great Expectations

The power of forgiveness is within each and every individual whether they are capable to perceive that fact or not. To forgive is not a promising quality that comes easily, though. In fact, forgiveness is one of the most difficult gestures a person can express. To deny someone else's sorrow is a devious quality which only builds up more and more guilt as time transpires. As with Pip, if you have dissatisfaction with yourself, you must move on because it is just time wasted to not be satisfied with who you are and who you plan to be. You have to forgive the person who hurt you to move on, and the key component to remember is that, when you set out to love there is no guarantee the love will be returned, so to forgive before it's not too late will higher your chances even more.

Miss Havisham represents the type of people of which hold onto the pain, and with that pain, seek to hurt others. She, as her cold heartedly self, indeed wanted Pip and Estella to be emotionally damaged perhaps because of her own personal experience that was obviously, too hard to let go of. Although at some points in ones life, you do not have much control over what happens or fully understand a result that you may never have intended to occur, you must go along by faith. Faith is what controls our minds and much of the time, is the creator of our decisions. This may not be true for some, however, for some do not do not go along by faith but go along with what they think would be the more simple, easier route out of their problems, whether it be a harmless solution or cause someone else a great amount of pain.

Heartless Miss Havisham had a devious and unusual interest of Pip and Estella together, and would quietly examine them as they interacted and communicated towards each other. Her solution of letting go of the past was clearly an irrelevant concept which was greatly unethical given the situation. Pip and Estella unfortunately had no idea whatsoever of what was to come about, or even regard what Miss Havisham was doing in that dark corner. The fact that she took advantage of two innocent children and strangely used them for her own sick pleasure is a preposterous deed of which I can only imagine.

As the book carried on, Pip started to change personality wise, and was feeling ashamed of his home most of the time because of his sister's temper getting quite out of hand. He had believed in the road to manhood and independence, but now, all had changed. The quote "I had liked it once, but once was not now" was to me, a sign that Pip was indeed not himself. He once was down-to-earth and lived each and every day by faith. This was no longer true, for now he was becoming incredibly cocky, and this to my beliefs, cost him his one true love. From the very beginning, I felt him and Bitty were destined to be together, but unfortunately when Bitty started to realize what was of Pip to become, he made no notice of it. He had his chance, his chance to go along by faith and be with Bitty, but he changed and canceled their love for one another. You find true love only once in a life time, but to love yourself more than that one other person is the factor that can change it all.

Our mind is what influences our actions and the choices we choose to make, but the decision to go by the mind or the heart is possibly the greatest one of all. Some believe that going by intellectuality is the better way to go while others may think differently. I personally, am of those that think differently of that matter. I believe that you should go by instinct, faith, and your heart. One decision can impact your whole life, and by going by faith, you yourself know that it was the right choice. People change and things go wrong, but the key solution to keep us going is to have the faith and the courage to move on and forgive those who have led themselves to their misfortunes. You cannot truly hate forever, no matter what the reason, and by living each day with your heart, forgiveness will come easier than ever thought possible.

Why should America’s Veterans be honored?

When I think of the word Veteran, I think of a hero. Courageous, life-savers, strong inside and out, may be better suited words to describe them to many; but when you add them all up, the outcome is a hero. Many people don’t realize how hard it was for them. They risked their homes; families; and more importantly—their lives. These men and women risked everything to come to where they are today, and those who survived, are truly lucky they were not killed. To be fighting another country in honor of your own is a remarkable task which is the least bit close to an easy job. In fact, it is probably the hardest job there is and ever was. Veterans represent people who were willing to step out of the shadows, and fight for who they are and what they believe in. To me, that is the greatest form of self confidence and superiority there is.
My grandfather was actually in a war; the Korean war to be exact. He gratefully fought for the United States and came back a stronger person. My grandfather fought for what he believed in and never backed out. He, is truly my hero, and will always be. It was a tough war, with many lost, and all remembered; but all together helping our country become stronger. If it wasn’t for the Veterans of the United States, our country would not be as stable. It is them that have made our country a better place to live with our own individual rights. They fought for the ones that could not, and supported the ones who could. Strong inside and out, these Veterans are truly amazing people.
Some were forced into war, some volunteered; but together they formed one strong group of individuals that protected us. America’s Veterans should be honored more than anyone else in the world in my perspective, even if they fought in a war of which no one may have remembered, they are still heroes. I hope one day every single person will realize the greatness within these veterans, because the amount of superiority they hold is without a doubt astonishing in every way possible.

No Turning Back

She looks at the horrific wreckage as she sits on the side of the city street. Tears rolling down cheek, her eyes closing, re-opening, closing, trying to perceive the picture that has been right in front of her. This was no nightmare; this was a reality she could no longer grasp hold of. She cried and cried, as if it would help. It did not—it would not. There was no turning back. It was she that caused one life to be lost, and nothing would ever be the same.