Prompt: 1) Read “Paradox and Dreams” by John Steinbeck
2) Underline
and/or highlight every paradox that
you come across
3) Choose
two paradoxes that speak to you and reflect
4) Reflections
should be at least two paragraphs in
length, should include a topic sentence, and include quotes to support your
reasoning.
"We say we are self-reliant, yet at the same time, we are completely dependent."
I think this paradox resembles how many Americans argue, and fight for freedom or independence, yet they are so dependent on so many different factors, and they don't even realize it. It kind of comes back to the claim that many people want things, just because they don't already have them, even if it isn't realistic at all. Many citizens act like they're getting everything on their own, and doing all the work, yet buying already prepared meals at the grocery store isn't doing all the work. This common mistake by citizens is a modern day illusion.
This paradox is right at the front of our nose, just waiting for us to notice it. In my life, along with 99% of other teenage relationships with family and teachers, all we want, is to be left alone to do our own thing. Again, all the time we are requesting and begging for that freedom and self-reliance, we don't realize how dependent on our instructors and parents we actually are. Without them, we wouldn't have an education, food, water, or shelter for that matter. There are times where these requests are reasonable, when they come in small manner, asking for small favors pertaining to have our own responsibilities. However, there are also often times where we just don't realize how much we actually would have to do without them. You end an argument with your parents, tell them how strict and over-protective they are, and how much they're in your business, and then you walk into your room to a made bed, and folded piles of clothes without even giving them a second thought.
"We shout that we are a nation of laws, not men - and then proceed to break every law we can if we can get away with it."
Many people in our nation, claim that they're something that they might not actually be. It's sort of a mix between exaggeration, and actually thinking you're better than you are at something. I think that when Americans have a certain quality, like a good law system, they tend to brag about them, even if they don't use it or take advantage of it. I mean, we are a country of freedom, our roads are, "paved in gold," and yet we are thousands of dollars in debt. We don't use our privileges!
I can relate to this paradox because of personal experiences between me and my siblings. One of us will get something that the other really wanted, and we would brag and brag about it, even if it didn't apply to us, or if we couldn't use it the proper way. Our country has all the right aspects and qualities to be great and really successful, but we make mistakes and don't pay attention to the great things we could be doing.
This paradox is right at the front of our nose, just waiting for us to notice it. In my life, along with 99% of other teenage relationships with family and teachers, all we want, is to be left alone to do our own thing. Again, all the time we are requesting and begging for that freedom and self-reliance, we don't realize how dependent on our instructors and parents we actually are. Without them, we wouldn't have an education, food, water, or shelter for that matter. There are times where these requests are reasonable, when they come in small manner, asking for small favors pertaining to have our own responsibilities. However, there are also often times where we just don't realize how much we actually would have to do without them. You end an argument with your parents, tell them how strict and over-protective they are, and how much they're in your business, and then you walk into your room to a made bed, and folded piles of clothes without even giving them a second thought.
"We shout that we are a nation of laws, not men - and then proceed to break every law we can if we can get away with it."
Many people in our nation, claim that they're something that they might not actually be. It's sort of a mix between exaggeration, and actually thinking you're better than you are at something. I think that when Americans have a certain quality, like a good law system, they tend to brag about them, even if they don't use it or take advantage of it. I mean, we are a country of freedom, our roads are, "paved in gold," and yet we are thousands of dollars in debt. We don't use our privileges!
I can relate to this paradox because of personal experiences between me and my siblings. One of us will get something that the other really wanted, and we would brag and brag about it, even if it didn't apply to us, or if we couldn't use it the proper way. Our country has all the right aspects and qualities to be great and really successful, but we make mistakes and don't pay attention to the great things we could be doing.
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ReplyDeleteI can relate to your example on the second paradox. I like your vocabulary choices.(: Good job.
ReplyDelete