Second guessing
Will you do me a favor and read 477 words for me?
Let me know what you think.
I'm sort of in freakoutI'mnevergoingtogetintocollege mode. I think we all go through it. But really. I think that feedback will help me and then I'll have the courage to actually submit my Common App.
You can make me read all the Steinbeck and Shakespeare you want, but nothing I’ve read so far holds a candle to Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham. Don’t get me wrong; East of Eden taught me everything I need to know about the Bible, and Hamlet’s got a whiz-bang ending, but neither piece is quite as resonant as the tale of Sam-I-Am. Because of the context of the book, or perhaps just because of the “I Can Read It All By Myself” label, it is often dismissed as a story written to amuse children and annoy parents. The fact of the matter is that Green Eggs and Ham is so much more than a story; it is a means by which anyone, the annoyed parent, the laughing child and everyone in between, can live.
Theodor Seuss Geisel, beloved author and illustrator, wrote this masterpiece using only fifty different monosyllabic words. It is the simplicity of this book that I love the most. Sure, it’s got a few fancy stylistic attributes: parallelism, alliteration, iambic tetrameter. But the magic of the story lies in Sam-I-Am. Sam is the mover and the shaker, the bearer of the torch, the life of the party. He has perseverance, enthusiasm and creativity and never, not once, does he lose faith in his friend. The friend, however, is stubborn as a dissatisfied heiress, at first not agreeing to try the meal, exclaiming over and over, “I do not like green eggs and ham! I do not like them, Sam-I-Am!” no matter where he is or which animals surround him. Despite himself, and after much time and effort on Sam’s part, his friend tries the meal and voila! Sam was right all along.
I’m sure that we all know this feeling too well, as the squeamish person being offered sushi or the socially awkward teen getting pushed into a party. There are plenty of things in this life I don’t want to do: I don’t want to be home by midnight, I don’t want to learn the laws of physics, I don’t want to write another essay. But I do. I’m not always self-motivated or accepting of change, but I have quite a few Sams in my life to push me along when I gripe. I would like to think that I am Sam: brave, nonconformist, willing to eat strange-colored foods. I’m sure that I possess some of these qualities, but there are times when I dig my heels in the sand and refuse to take a risk, saying, “I would not, could not!” And then I remember Green Eggs and Ham and realize that’s no way to live. I’m reminded to take risks, to stand by my beliefs, and above all, before making any decisions, to consider: “Would I do this in a box? Would I do this with a fox?”
...I love you so much if you just read that.
Let me know what you think.
I'm sort of in freakoutI'mnevergoingtogetintocollege mode. I think we all go through it. But really. I think that feedback will help me and then I'll have the courage to actually submit my Common App.
You can make me read all the Steinbeck and Shakespeare you want, but nothing I’ve read so far holds a candle to Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham. Don’t get me wrong; East of Eden taught me everything I need to know about the Bible, and Hamlet’s got a whiz-bang ending, but neither piece is quite as resonant as the tale of Sam-I-Am. Because of the context of the book, or perhaps just because of the “I Can Read It All By Myself” label, it is often dismissed as a story written to amuse children and annoy parents. The fact of the matter is that Green Eggs and Ham is so much more than a story; it is a means by which anyone, the annoyed parent, the laughing child and everyone in between, can live.
Theodor Seuss Geisel, beloved author and illustrator, wrote this masterpiece using only fifty different monosyllabic words. It is the simplicity of this book that I love the most. Sure, it’s got a few fancy stylistic attributes: parallelism, alliteration, iambic tetrameter. But the magic of the story lies in Sam-I-Am. Sam is the mover and the shaker, the bearer of the torch, the life of the party. He has perseverance, enthusiasm and creativity and never, not once, does he lose faith in his friend. The friend, however, is stubborn as a dissatisfied heiress, at first not agreeing to try the meal, exclaiming over and over, “I do not like green eggs and ham! I do not like them, Sam-I-Am!” no matter where he is or which animals surround him. Despite himself, and after much time and effort on Sam’s part, his friend tries the meal and voila! Sam was right all along.
I’m sure that we all know this feeling too well, as the squeamish person being offered sushi or the socially awkward teen getting pushed into a party. There are plenty of things in this life I don’t want to do: I don’t want to be home by midnight, I don’t want to learn the laws of physics, I don’t want to write another essay. But I do. I’m not always self-motivated or accepting of change, but I have quite a few Sams in my life to push me along when I gripe. I would like to think that I am Sam: brave, nonconformist, willing to eat strange-colored foods. I’m sure that I possess some of these qualities, but there are times when I dig my heels in the sand and refuse to take a risk, saying, “I would not, could not!” And then I remember Green Eggs and Ham and realize that’s no way to live. I’m reminded to take risks, to stand by my beliefs, and above all, before making any decisions, to consider: “Would I do this in a box? Would I do this with a fox?”
...I love you so much if you just read that.