Charles Darnay

  Charles Dickens portrays Charles Darnay as a brave, smart, and loving man in A Tale of Two Cities. The novel reads "The accused, who was (and who knew he was) being mentally hanged, beheaded, and quartered, by everybody there, neither flinched from the situation, nor assumed any theatrical air in it" (Dickens 47.) This description comes while Charles is in court after being accused of treason. The fact that he doesn't even show any emotion in something so life altering shows that this man has some guts in him. Your average person would be sweating buckets, but Darnay is brave enough to face what ever comes his way and to stand there being ridiculed by just about everyone else, and not even bat an eye. Dickens writes "...Mr. Charles Darnay was established in English as a higher teacher of the French language who was conversant with French literature" (Dickens 99.) Any human who is mentally capable to teach lesser knowing people a considerable amount of knowledge in a certain area must have some good brain power. Also, knowing multiple languages is not a simple task itself, so I applaud him for that. "Dear Doctor Manette, I love your daughter fondly, dearly, disinterestedly, and devotedly" (Dickens 101.) Charles loves Lucie so much that he uses such elegant language when inquiring her father for her hand in marriage. To say these flattering words about anyone illustrates your caring and loving trait inside of you. I truly believe that Charles Darnay is the great human that the book so far depicts him to be.

Light and Dark

  Charles Dickens uses both light and dark to set the tone of optimism for the father and daughter relationship between Lucie and Dr. Manette. A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens writes "'You can bear a little more light?' (Dickens 30)" This quote is directed towards Dr. Manette, the long time prisoner. Following the inquiry, his daughter, who he hasn't seen before, walks in. This brings in light, both figuratively and literally, which represents hope in the broken man's life. The author goes on to write "...on her fair young face, that it looked as though it had passed like a moving light, from him to her (Dickens 32.)" What this is saying is that she is brightening his life so much, you can just sense it. Lucie brings whole new meaning to the man who has been in the dark for the past eighteen years, and is bringing him back into the light. The novel states "The darkness deepened as they both lay quiet, until a light gleamed through the chinks in the wall (Dickens 36.)" Light is barely seeping through the cracks in the wall, but it's finding its way to the doctor. Dr. Manette was seemingly going to be in the dark for the rest of his life, but somehow, Lucie made her way to find her father, even when all hope was gone for his life. Dickens effectively uses light and dark to set optimism between Lucie and Dr. Manette.

The Wine Shop

Chapter 5 of the novel A Tale of Two Cities written by Charles Dickens may seem like your run of the mill chapter, but what it really does is foreshadow war. The book partially takes place in France right before the French Revolution breaks out. Dickens writes "The wine was red wine, and had stained the ground of the narrow street... (Dickens 21)" The red wine spills and splatters everywhere staining the street. This foreshadows the blood that will soon fill the area with red."It had stained many hands, too, and many faces, and many naked feet, and many wooden shoes (Dickens 21.)" The sight of people with red on their skin and clothing may look innocent, but in the future, the wine will be replaced by blood because of the brutal battles that will be fought in the area. He goes on to write "...and one tall joker so besmirched... scrawled upon a wall with his fingers dipped in muddy wine-lees - BLOOD (Dickens 22.) That quote explains itself well. The red wine on his fingers represents the blood soon to come. The Wine Shop spill foreshadows what's to come in the future, and it's not bright.

Family

  Family is a pair or group of people who will surpass their own respective limits for one another. These people will stick together no matter what. They don't need to be the people you're related to through your bloodline, but the people you're related to because of how much time you spend with one another. If someone is feeling down, you go to your family. If you're feeling great, you do the same. Most lives revolve around families. And among around the whole world, no two families are the same. That's what makes them great, they have their similarities, but they all still have their differences. It's also important to remember there's no perfect family. In Betty Smith's novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and the essay named "Stone Soup" written by Barbara Kingsolver, both authors do a great job in their efforts to showcase the meaning and purpose of family.

  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn emphasizes the importance and how necessary family is. A great example of how Betty Smith introduces this is the following quote. "'I heard some neighbors whispering. They said you won't look at your father because he wasn't a good father to you.' 'He was a good father,' Francie said fiercely. (Smith 288)" Right before this conversation took place, the children's beloved father died. This scene takes place at the funeral soon after. The typical ideal version of a father that the public sees is far from their father, Johnny Nolan. He was a highly affected from his addiction to alcohol. Through this, these kids looked past that and loved him just as they would if he was a perfect man. That's a special lesson for all families, to love your family no matter what. The book also writes this conversation between pregnant mother and daughter. "'Do you like me, Mama?' ' I'd be a funny person, wouldn't I, if I didn't like my children.' (Smith 330)" This conversation may seem like just a normal family talk, but it was important to the young lady. She thinks that her mother doesn't love her as much as her brother, which is true, so this meant a lot to her. All families should know how important each member is and how they are all a team and need to cooperate and work together.

  

  The essay Stone Soup written by Barbara Kingsolver really captures the importance of family and understanding each other through the tough times. The accomplished writer wrote "Families change, and remain the same. (Kingsolver, 2)" That phrase is essential to have a happy family. Over time, things change, and families have to deal with that and work it out as a whole. The critically acclaimed author also states "To judge a family's value by its tidy symmetry is to purchase a book for its cover. (Kingsolver, 19)" This means that it doesn't matter what the cultural norm is of your time. To hastily react to a family who do things differently and label them as "weird" or a "bad" family is completely irrational. Kingsolver truly writes the meaning of family in Stone Soup.

  All through life, family can guide you to your next stop on your next journey.  Good or bad, you can always come to them for help or advice, and you should return the favor when the time comes. You should love your family no matter what they are going through or what they've done to you. Working through problems is something you have to deal with as a family. Remember, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks or says is the right way to do something, because life is different for everyone. Family is the thing that keeps everyone going.

  

Sacredness of the Ordinary

Baseball, to many, is boring. But to me, it's a compelling mind game with endless strategies and game plans. Never have I met someone who really enjoys the sport like I do. As long as I can remember, I've been a fanatic. Playing or viewing, it doesn't matter, it's just something I love. I'd call my self a fan of the ballgame in general. But, most of all, I am a through and through a Boston Red Sox fan.

The past couple years I've really developed my enthusiasm for the great game. So many people don't see the same thing I see. "It's too long" or "It's boring" is something good number of people say. I couldn't tell you what draws me to a fairly unpopular sport in today's youth. In my eyes, it is the least boring sport. You could get lost in all of the possibilities and crucial decisions in each game that is played. So many options I like to think of how great and challenging it would be to coach or work in the front office of a professional team.

This passion of mine is taken from my dad. I'm not sure where he gets his love of the game from, but I'm glad he's passed this on. Too bad he had to wait around 40 years to get the pleasure of viewing his hometown hero 2004 Red Sox take home the championship. He always tells me how lucky I am to be able to see the dynasty they have put on the last decade or so. Missing a Sox game is like a sin for us, but we keep each other updated, even through the rough times of recent.

I don't remember much of my early years of my baseball career. One thing I remember is saying that I wanted to be a professional player in 1st grade. Also, I remember that I didn't really enjoy it until I was 10 or 11 years old. That was when I started making improvements with my swing. It always seemed like I was on the worst team in little league. A few years ago my team didn't even have a win throughout the whole season. If that's not unlucky, I don't know what is. I just had to get used to it, and it really didn't bother me too much back then.

Now, here I am, wondering where all of the scouts are at my games. Don't they know I am making the MLB? In all seriousness, I still play baseball in the spring and really just try to have fun and try hard when I play nowadays. It pains me every time I strike out, knowing exactly what I did wrong and how I need to fix that for the next at-bat.

When I watch a game, I see it differently than most would. I look at it in more of a complex way. There is more than meets the eye. I like to think ahead and predict what the next move is, like in a pinch hit or a bunt situation. I guess I see some Sacredness in the Ordinary.