Zoe’s+Hero+Essay

// The Giving Tree //

Have you ever just want it to be an all about you day? The book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstien inspires generosity, passion for others, love, and sacrifice. It is an amazing children’s book that describes pure love. This enchantment is about how a tree develops the love to a little boy. And this boy becomes a man, and soon an elderly, the tree sacrifices all she has physically to all the boy will accept. After all this trees attempts to endless play time like it once was, the relationship finally connects, he finally understands her affection…..love can truly be **anything** you want it to be!

I think shel silverstiens point for this to connect to was and is to mother nature and humans. The tree would be symbolized as Mother Nature, she has so much to offer, and is forced by something stronger than selflessness (in the trees case, love). The boy being humans, we keep on taking, andmoving farther away from the connection/ bond we once had with Mother Nature. I hope this will inspire you for a new tomorrow.

GETTYSBURG ADRESS
By Zoe J

The Gettysburg address was a fonomonal speech, of only two minutes, done by President Abraham Lincoln. This was read on the date of Thursday, November 19, 1863, at the memorial of the battle of Gettysburg (on the days of July 1st- 3rd of 1863).

This speech simply states that our country had only been born 87 years before the battle, and yet again they again have fought. He also states that they, “shall not die in vain”, and the burial ground does not need to be blessed, because these soldiers already have.

Notes:

Gettysburg Address=Thursday, Nov 19 1863

BATTLE OF GETTYSBERG
 * July 1st- 3rd 1863-battle of Gettysburg
 * Thousands of men, both union and confederate, had been killed.
 * The enormousness of the battle stunned the nation.

FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO…
 * A score= 20 units
 * Four score= 80 years
 * Total- 87 years
 * Referring to the American Revolution.
 * Gettysburg Address=Thursday, Nov 19 1863
 * Conceived= brought together/ born

WHY GETTYSBURG
 * Were finally being properly reburied
 * Dedicating a new burial site
 * Thousands of soldiers had been speedily buried after the battle

PARAGRAPH 2 EXPLANATIONS
 * We are meeting now in battle
 * It is important to honor those who have died
 * Now we are fighting again.

CLARIFICATIONS
 * Consecrated= blessed
 * In vain= with ought purpose or success (the dead shall not have died in vain)
 * Shall not perish= disaster, expire, not exist.

FACTS
 * Spoke for less than 2 mins
 * Only circa 270 words
 * The photographer thought that Lincoln would speak for a long time ( like the previous one had) so he took his time. So the picture during the speech is blurry, because Lincoln was heading to his seat when the picture was taken.

**__ T __****__ h __****__ e __****__ L __****__ i __****__ t __****__ t __****__ l __****__ e __****__ M __****__ e __****__ r __****__ m __****__ a __****__ i __****__ d __** By Zoe J ** Original story by-Hans Christian Andersen (1836) **
 * T **** h **** e original** little mermaid, by Hans Cristian Adersen is an enchanting story about how a girl sacrifices so much just to be with the one she loved, and didn’t really know, in this case the prince. In this wonderful story “the little mermaid”, gives up time or even seeing her family, her own comfort( when she was on land, every time she took a step it felt like needles or knives were in her feet.), and even her life. Because of her genuine devotion, she throws herself and a dagger into the ocean to her own death. She did this because her sisters negotiated with the sea witch, who granted “the little mermaid”, this wish that if she plunged a dagger into the heart of her, love, the prince, before sunrise, and her own death, would be able to resin in the ocean with her family. But because her love was to strong, she hurled herself into the sea. And does she gain immortality (which is one of the reasons that she became a part of land, because mermaids live about three hundred years, then there soul is gone. But humans go up into the heavens, and live on, immortality)? Read the story to understand how wonderfully amazing this story actually is, true love and devotion, a very rare thing that exists.

In this summary, I am going to tell you character traits of two of the characters of my choice in this book. First is the sea witch: She grants the little mermaids wish to go on land. But of course being the sea **witch** it has an exception:
 * Every time “the little mermaid” walks the little mermaid will feel needles and knives piercing into her skin.
 * If somebody marries the prince before the mermaid, her heart will be Broken, and the mermaid will become just of the foam of the sea and die.
 * “the little mermaid’s” tongue would be cut off, so she can’t sing with her enchanting voice, or have any speech.

As you may see this “sea witch” is evil, and takes advantage of people’s hopes and dreams.

The prince is in my opinion is also clueless, but in a different way, the mean way. He has no idea that she is in the pain she is going through just to be with him. Sure you may say well how was he supposed to know. But don’t you think he would notice that her tongue was GONE; or that her foot prints were of blood because of her curse! And even though she was sooo devoted, he just went along marrying another girl that he liked just because of her beauty; and she went along with it! I think he is very egocentric and should be more aware!!!

“The little mermaid”, on the other hand, is the one who started this whole story. She is the youngest of all her five sisters. And as each finally gets the privilege to see the sea shore, she longs even more to see the shore. When she finally does she catches glimpses of the prince, and instantly falls in love. Soon the ship falls into a wreck, and the sea princess saves the prince. She decides to listen to the sea witch, and go to the land above. This wish ends in ruins and the mermaid dies. But her curiosity, dreams, and devotions( not to mention being clueless) earns what she deses, immortality.

This story is truly bewitching, and I hope you have a chance to read it. What I think is most powerful is that she is so devoted to her love, and I think that true and entire devotion is very rare on this planet, and we need more of it!

[]- this is the original story by Hans Christian Andersen (1836).

What is a Hero?

Zoe J According to [] the definition of a hero is “a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a [|model] or ideal.” I also agree with this, but also in Greek mythology, or other fairy tales or books they have incredible strength (Hercules), or any other super powers or extraordinary qualities. According to me anything can be a hero to any person at any time, but in fairy tales and stories, they tend to only pick one individual in particular.

An unsung hero is a hero has not been discovered, appreciated, thought by others, or recognized as a hero. One’s self could even think that themself as an individual is their own unsung hero in a matter of opinion. Anything either animate or inanimate can become an unsung hero, although it is usually picked by the doings of an animate or alive thing. And of course according to [], the definition is”a person who makes a substantive yet unrecognized contribution; a person whose bravery is unknown or unacknowledged.” My unsung hero is either my 2nd cousin Sarah, or my mother. I would recognize Sarah because she was a physiologist, and was asked to help the people of the army on site. This was her first time doing this, and very scary. Those closer to her in my family were very fearful about her and how she was doing. Luckily nothing happened to her, and she is still alive today( the most surprising for me was that she had to have a gun in hand at all times even though she did not fight in the war of Afghanistan.). Also my parents would be my unsung heroes. They both work so hard to keep my sister Lyndsey and I thriving. I think that all parents and soon to be parents should be recognized for helping their children alive.