Thursday, March 21, 2013

Event Analysis #5


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 cafĂ© 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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