Progress

I can't believe that the first six weeks of my last year of high school is over. Its exciting, but terrifying at the same time since the thought of slowly becoming an adult is unbelievable. Despite the opinions of previous Panthers that their senior year was easy, I have come to realize that it is no walk in the park. The work load this year has been just as much if not more than any other year. On top of the school work that we have to put into our daily routines, we have the added stress of college applications which are much closer than anyone thinks. However, with the insane work load and stressful week days, it's exciting to know that you're the oldest one at the school for a change, and that new memories are just months away. Overall, I'm feeling great about this year and what it has in store for me.

The Speculator by Victor Niederhoffer and Laurel Kenner

Through reading "The Speculator" I learned about how being the champion, king, or the best of something has its positives, of course, but negatives as well. All of the companies mentioned in this article including Genentec and Enron were massive industries that used to be on the top, but tragically fell. Whether is was the giant egos that developed overtime as their businesses grew, or too much self confidence causing careless errors, these companies fell victim to a classic reoccurring theme in tragedies. Niederhoffer and Kenner explain how when too much power is given to a single human being and when they can't receive anymore since they've reached the highest point of success, there is nowhere to go but down. Usually in a situation of such extreme power a sense of self admiration takes over which clouds the mind from rational thinking. This fatal mistake sets the high figure into a fast downhill spiral that ultimately ends in disaster. It was recently discovered that Governor Mark Sanford cheated on his wife with a mistress from Argentina. Some think that he believed he was above the law in this situation, exempt from any consequences. However, regardless of the reasons for his actions, the world sees yet another powerful leader fall off of his thrown, solidifying this constant theme of tragic stories.

The Tragic Fallacy by Joseph Krutch

"Reading Three" from "The Tragic Fallacy" was almost refreshing to read. In the midst of our tragedy unit, the AP literature classes have been surrounded by grief pity, and shocking depression. However, Krutch doesn't show tragedy through a dark light at all, but instead relates it to inspiring and excellent things. Twisting the normal thought of tragic tales, they are compared to things such as "nobility" and explaining how the characters throughout these stories have "saved themselves" from their horrible lives. Even though I enjoyed reading another opinion on this genre of literature, I'm not fully convinced that I believe it. I don't completely agree with the strict structure of tragic formats and what they mean but, to me, a tragic tale doesn't seem half as positive as Krutch makes it out to be. Joseph Krutch explains how every story, whether it be a comedy or tragedy, have a happy ending if it "perform[s] their function[s]". This concept relates to my own tragedies in life. When it seems as if nothing is going my way and a horrible event hits me for no apparent reason, the unfortunate experience always ends up teaching me a lesson in some way and preparing me for future experiences to prevent further tragedies. Therefor in its own way it has fulfilled its function of occurring.

Falling into Place

Problems surround us everywhere we go, even the happiest of people are struggling and the best of places could have secret distresses soon to be discovered. Most of the people in the world have the hope that everything will work itself out for the better, that all their hardships and troubles will have a happy ending. As tragedy has currently surrounded my world; whether it be a school unit, a historical disaster remembered, or a current event that has crushed several close to me, the belief that everything will fall into place is stronger than ever. The theme of tragedy in literature creates the same pity and helplessness that would overcome you in the real world. Almost as if it is preparing us for what could happen, the tragic stories and plots that have constantly been read throughout time have shown us to be stronger human beings and build upon what has thrown us down. The world has united since 9/11 and currently the bay area is growing stronger from the San Bruno fire. Everyone wishes that things will work themselves out, but I believe the world has been empowered to make things fall into place instead of waiting for it to happen.

Change

Much like the change in "Bartelby", my own life is undergoing a shift as well. I can't tell where I'll end up by this time next year, but the process of change is already beginning to take place. As the story is fast and sneaks up on you with great subtlety, college applications and my future has snuck up on me as well. It seems like only yesterday that I walked through the Burlingame High School doors as a freshman and soon I will be walking out as a new person entirely, much like how Bartelby and the narrator ended the story as completely new men. I have realized from this past week that what sometimes needs to change is the setting that a character is in or the people they are surrounded by as well as the character itself to effectively take the story forward, and I believe my change of setting and friends will be a hard shift but will ultimately take me forward successfully in my own story.

Bartelby

From reading and analyzing "Bartelby" this past week, it has been made clear that the author illustrates to the readers that the tone of any book doesn't have to be set by the main character. As we progress through the story, how the narrator perceives Bartelby changes and as a result the entire objective of the story shifts along with it. The tone used to describe this controversial character changes from frustration and hatred to patience and understanding. This allows the reader to be led on almost a subconscious journey, unaware of what or how the mood of the story is changing as they are swept away in the plot. When the main character isn't the focus of the change, the shift becomes subtle and allows the story to flow in a different and almost greater way.