Adriana
Vicario
Event
Analysis #5
March
21, 2013
The involvement of others has the
potential to influence the way people go about making decisions. I found
through several works of literature that this theme is common and yet different
for each scenario. In “A Father”, the pregnant daughter is believed to have
made the choice to have a child from the family’s move to America. For the poem
“First Practice”, the speaker describes his coach’s demands to come out of the
game winning. “Directions for Resisting the SAT” gives insight on how making
your own choice is how you can succeed. The article “Serving Up Hope” shows how
dramatically better the lives of two recovering addicts became when given a
chance to work. All of these readings could be related to Loyola’s lecture
event on Martin Luther King. The speaker at this event brought up the influence
Dr. King had on the black community and how he was a major leader in ending
segregation.
“A Father” by Bharati Mukherjee majorly
supports the theme of how influences can impact decisions made. The character
of the daughter named Babli had made the decision to have a child while
unmarried or in any committed relationship. She chooses to do something that
she knows is very much against her Indian family traditions. It is evaluated by
the father of Babli that the reason for her irrational decision was due to the
move to America. The culture that the family now faced was a far difference in
what they were use to. The father feels that his daughter’s decision to have an
illegitimate child would not have been acted upon had they resided in the
familiar community within India. You can identify that outside influences may
greatly change the way people go about their lifestyle.
“First Practice” by Gary Gildner
expresses the strong desire a coach has to win the game. Reading the poem you
may at first get the impression that the scene is of military men preparing for
war. The way the coach talks to his players is demanding but yet motivating. He
uses tactics to make his team aggressive by addressing the other team as, “…the
man you hate most, in the world”. This will have an impact on the way his
players perform in the game because they will have the mindset of using their
“hatred” for the other team to win. Having the coach as this enforcer really
brings about a positive power that the team may not have had to begin with.
“Directions for Resisting the SAT”
by Richard Hague speaks about the importance of making your own decisions in
life. Having taken the SAT in high school, I understand the pressures that this
test can bring. It was refreshing to see the SAT in a different way where in
this poem the speaker argues that it is just a test and does not dictate
anything. The speaker tells the reader to,
“…follow no directions. Listen to no one. Make your marks on
everything”. A statement as this could really change the way a student takes
the SAT. Going through the exam with a relaxed mindset could possibly produce
better results in the end.
“Serving Up Hope” by Stephanie Shapiro
is an article that tells the story of two individuals whose lives were greatly
changed due to the kindness of others. Brock and Lewis were former drug addicts
that were ready to make positive choices in life. Having a record as a former
drug abuser can be difficult for finding a stable job however, Galen and
Bridget Sampsen were thankfully open to accepting Brock and Lewis and their past.
Allowing them to have such an active role in the café has helped them grow
tremendously and prevents them from having temptations to abuse drugs again.
Due to the fact that the Sampsens made it their mission to help these
individuals, Brok and Lewis are able to live a life they never thought they
would.
Attending the lecture about Martin
Luther King, I learned how truly significant the influence of others can be.
Dr. King was a powerful leader who fought for equal rights among the black and
white populations. His wish was to live in harmony and he made it clear that
that would not come easy. His leadership opened the doors for others to take a
stand with him and take down the idea of segregation. With his motivation, a
powerful difference was made and people’s lives mostly changed for the better.
It was his persistence and support that brought about this change, which stands
as a moment in history today. If this theme of influence can become a marking
in history, it can also be seen throughout many of our everyday lives.
We may at times not realize the full
potential one has to impact the life of another human being. Whether that be
one person or millions of people, good or bad, it is strange to think that you
could have that much of an impact over someone else’s decisions. Shown through
our several readings, this can occur in many different ways and become a life
altering moment.
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