...Save as many as you ruin Simon Van Booy One thing we all have in common is that we make mistakes and regret them. That is what happened to Gerard when he met the only woman he had ever loved after eight years apart. But sometimes the mistakes we make, end up turning around and by a religious experience, faith gives us a second chance. The magic, realism short story‘ Save as many as you ruin’ by Simon Van Booy starts with in medias res composition. ”By the time Gerard leaves the office it has stopped snowing”. Afterwards the short story continues in a chronological order, but Simon Van Booy uses flashbacks, dialog and direct speech to show the audience of the short story, specific events of Gerard’s past. The narrator of the short story is a third person narrator, writing in present tense. The story time is one day and it takes place in Miami. It starts when Gerard leaves his job and ends when he is sitting in his study room, looking out the window wondering about his life, when he suddenly feels as it says in the short story. “a chill like cold water down his back”. After thinking about his different times with Issy and Laurel. According to the short story, Issy and Laurel are two out of the four momentous women in his life whose names are Indra, Lucy, Issy and Laurel. Gerard is the protagonist of the short story and Issy is the antagonist. Issy has given birth to his beloved daughter Lucy, who is the most important person in his life. Issy was never a woman Gerard...
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...Essay on Simon Van Booy´s "Save as Many as You ruin" by Sune Espersen. The main character in the short story is Gerard, he is living in Manhattan and has an eight-year-old daughter named Lucy. He must have been growing up in England as it is mentioned that his prep school was English. Gerard is a handsome man, probably between 30 and 40 years. Gerard is a single father, Lucy's mother Issy left them when Lucy was very young and she went to Los Angeles to become an actor. Lucy´s mother Issy died 4 years ago, she was found floating in a pool, Gerard went to her funeral in Los Angeles. In the beginning of the text we find out that it seems to be important to Gerard that he makes his life extraordinary and he want to be a person who stands out from the crowd. Gerard's reflections creates a very glorious, overwhelming atmosphere, because he thinks of his own life compared with the many other people who lived before him. The atmosphere in this part of the text also tells us that something is going to happen in Gerard's life. In the beginning he also talks about the past, he talks about his old, English prep teacher Hetherington who won a medal at the Olympics while Adolf Hitler watched, and he talks about the second World War: "Millions were about to be killed as teenage Hetherington crossed the finish line. A few years later, children walked into gas ovens after a long journey from home." - P.1/l.15-17. Just things from the past, which probably is an introduction to when he...
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...Save as Many as You Ruin In the short story ’Save as Many as You Ruin’ we are introduced to the way of making relationships in most of the big cities. In this essay, I will be analyzing the text focusing on the mood and contrast. In the end I will be making a separate conclusion, where I will be summing up the things I’ve analyzed. The short story ’Save as Many as You Ruin’ begins in medias res. It appears that Gerard is very selfish and somehow lost in his career and in his wife since he decides to hire a babysitter to take care of his child, named Lucy. This shows us that he gives his pursuit of love a higher priority than his own child. However, we also experience him as considerate and compassionate person when he is together with his child Lucy and this kind of ambiguity is extreme in everything that Garard does. Gerard also seems to be a very doubtful person. ”Gerard wonders if he has done the right thing” – line 60. We also notice how Gerard, from what we know, does not ask about her daughter’s well-being, when they speak together. This can also substantiate the fact that Gerard is a very selfish man. There are a lot’s of contrasts in the short story, ’Save as Many as You Ruin. For example, when Gerard think’s about what will eventually happen and what actually happens turns out to stand in great contrast to each other. ”Perhaps he could have walked on. Later home in his study, he could re-create the moment he saw her in line at the shop and let her memory spill...
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...Save as Many as You Ruin Every once in a while, people make life-changing mistakes; mistakes that can seem irreversible and absolutely fatal to your life. But in some cases, fate might just reach out and bless them with another chance. These are the cases where the involved can live through a religious experience and have the opportunity to save what they’ve previously ruined. Gerard is a handsome man from New York, who is approximately 40 years old. The turning point in the story is when Gerard meets Laurel coincidently after he sees her through a shop window. Gerard and Laurel are former partners, but the relationship ended when Gerard had to proclaim that he had made another woman pregnant while they were still dating. Gerard has Lucy with Issy, and after Issy moves to Los Angeles to fulfill her dreams about being a Hollywood actress, Gerard takes the responsibility of raising Lucy on his own. Four years after Issy went to Los Angeles she was found dead in a pool, possibly after a suicide as she had taken her time to write Gerard’s name as her next of kin. Gerard lives what could be conceived as a boring and regrettable life, with the exception of his daughter; Lucy. Lucy is Gerard’s light of the day. “Gerard feels a stabbing love for his daughter” [l.18], “She’s wonderful, just wonderful” [l.78], “I love you” [l.165]; in this short story we’re constantly reminded of Gerard’s endless love for his daughter, and it is clear that she is the light of his seemingly...
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...Persuasive Essay Paper Jessica Ogunlanoh University of Phoenix April 11, 2010 Paula Brobst Essentials of College Writing/COMM 215 Ending Illegal Immigration Persuasive Essay Paper 1 As Benjamin Franklin once said, “In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Unfortunately, none of us can live forever and while eliminating taxes seems like a long shot, we can certainly lower it. To do that, we must have a strong economy. To have a strong economy, we cannot have one of the biggest economic drains in the nation: Illegal Immigrants. There are an estimated number of twenty million illegal immigrants in the United States. These criminals are leeches of our economic system as most of them do not pay taxes. The criminals also drain our economy by taking our jobs. Illegal Immigrants ruin the standard of living for hard-working American citizens and legal immigrants by using our social service programs from OUR taxes. It’s not simply economical issues that make it horrible and preposterous for these criminals to be accepted, it’s moral principle. Illegal Immigrants in general, do not pay taxes. Why is that? These kinds of criminals are virtually invisible to law enforcement. They are undocumented. They don’t have valid birth certificates, social security cards or passports. Since they are about as easy to find as finding Waldo in the bible, they pretty much have simply an option...
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...10 September 2013 Eco-Defense Is the defense of trees equivalent to the defense of our families? Edward Abbey would have you think this to be true. In his speech Eco-Defense, he begins by making the reader feel threatened and ignites a need to put up some kind of defense. For example, in the first sentence he poses the scenario “If a stranger batters your door down with an axe, threatens your family and yourself with deadly weapons, and proceeds to loot your home of whatever he wants” (344 Abbey) it is a crime, which connects with the reader on a deeper and more emotional level. This, however, is not the main point of Abbey’s speech. He attempts to bring the readers to arms to save the forests and trees, but he does so in an unconventional way that could have dire consequences. Abbey was born in 1927 and lived in Pennsylvania until he joined the army after graduating high school. He grew up during the depression, which caused his family to be on the brink of poverty. Ironically, his father worked as a lumberjack when Abbey was a child. Growing up during the depression and watching his father work as a lumber jack could have helped spur on his desire to save the wilderness. He feels so passionately about his cause that the reader should question what ignited that passion to begin with. As a child, he was probably taught to save resources at all costs, but as an adult realized the resources he should be saving are the natural ones. As well-meaning as Abbey is, it is hard...
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...Reading Response of Lack of Electronic Etiquette Michelle Singletary gave a very strong visual image of her stance on the issue of electronic use in public. The author used many examples that made this essay much more enjoyable to read. The issue presented is something we all need to spend some time and think about. As it not only affects us, but others in the society. It is time for us, to not be selfish and start thinking about others around us. I personally enjoyed this work of art as it was on a topic that actually occurs to me on a daily basis. Whenever I am sitting in a quiet place whether it be trying to study or relax, there always seems to be one person to disturb that moment. A majority of those people who ruin that time are, of course using their personal electronics. Another reason I do not like the constant use of electronics is because whenever I go to spend time with my friends, I usually end up getting annoyed. Due to the fact that they are constantly texting away, and not focusing on fun things we can do without the use electronics. This is a very important topic because it affects how we will act in the future. Nowadays there are so many that prefer to text people instead of meeting face to face or calling. Not only because it saves time but also it saves the effort it takes of having to go through all of the work. Imagine, how it will be in the future where humans communicate to each other electronically instead of verbally. It also disturbs the peaceful...
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...I remember after Liberation, I suffered probably more from loneliness and the isolation, more than during the Holocaust period…I suppose it has to do with the fact that after, the life around you seems to be normal but you are abnormal. Well, why?...In concentration camps and labor camps, there was a preoccupation with survival…But then after what was called-actually, the realization of liberation was not vivid to me, was not real with me for a long time, but I remember during the years ’45, ’46, ’47, and even up to ’48, I would find myself crying, and quite frequently…[experiencing] a feeling of “Yes, I’m alive, but that’s it, the rest doesn’t matter” (Langer 23). This is arguable the most dangerous symptom of the concentration camp syndrome because sleep disturbance, anxiety, and feelings of guilt are all symptoms that with time and the proper attention can all be managed and possibly overcome, but loneliness is a feeling that consumes you and eventually if your loneliness can’t be filled up by something, it can be...
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...Witchcraft was a common but hated word in Salem. In the book The Crucible by ‘Arthur Miller, you either had two choices, you admit you have done witchcraft and you don’t get hung, but you wreck your reputation, or you say you didn’t do witchcraft and get hung for it. Since John Proctor’s motivation is keeping his family safe. his decision to admit adultery, establishes a twist by the end of the play. One of the few motivations that John Proctor was, protecting his family and keeping them safe. Elizebeth and there kids meant everything to them. “ My wife will never die for me! I will bring your guts into your mouth but that goodness will not die for me!” (1071) Proctor’s violent language shows the strength of his feeling for Elizabeth, and hs great deal of respect. John Proctor was eager to risk anything to save his family to keep them from getting harmed. They meant everything to him. John’s will to fight for his family’s safety was a struggle for him, but he risked his own life to keep them safe. John committed adultery with Abigail in the beginning. That choice effected him greatly by having to get involved in court. Also has to force being hung or not. All of this was mostly to protect Elizabeth. ‘..she’ll ruin you with it, I know she will’...
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...with internet access can lead them down the path of corruption. Pornographic material and similar explicit content available on the internet tend to degrade humanity. Almost any song or movie you can think of can easily be pirated from the internet, making protecting copyright almost impossible. Albert Einstein once said “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots”, this quote is so precise, and it scares me. The internet is a great place for one to learn how to write an essay, but also the perfect place for someone to plagiarize someone else’s. Plagiarism and pirating copyrighted material cause very negative outcomes, this could ruin one’s reputation, or even worst, get them locked up in federal prison with 500,000 dollars bail (Pirating). P2P sharing sites like thepiratesbay, and kissasstorrents have successfully been taken down by the CIA, they are slowly cracking down on such websites while they remain lenient on the pornography websites corrupting our youth. With pornography being easily accessible and only a couple clicks away, an addicted user will see it as a new pack of cigarettes in his pocket, easily accessible whenever he/she is feigning. With almost every 12 year old having internet access, it is very hard to save what’s left of humanity dignity. In most countries, negative effects of the internet are blocked and the internet is used for mostly...
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...The Crucible In Class Essay (Revision) In the play The Crucible, by Arthur Miller is about pride, and reveals that when people have too much pride it can cause suffering to not only them, but to other people around them. John proctor is a tragic hero because he is neither entirely virtuous nor evil, his tragic flaw is his pride, or hubris. John learns that his pride causes himself and other people around him to suffer. His pride is a big problem in this play because it leads to his own and other people's’ deaths, even though he tries to stop it. John causes many problems because he does not want to admit to the things he does because he is too prideful. The main mistake John makes in this play is he commits adultery. John does this because he is very prideful and thinks he can get away with doing this, but after he realizes that this was the wrong thing to do his pride still keeps him from admitting to it. Even though Elizabeth knows what he did, because he confessed to Elizabeth, he still did not want to admit what he did to the town. John wants Elizabeth to forgive him and is trying his hardest to earn to earn her trust back. “Spare me! You forget nothin’ and forgive nothin’. Learn charity, woman. I have gone tiptoe in...
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...The Crucible Essay In The Crucible by Arthur Miller near the end John Proctor is accused of witchcraft and doesn’t confess it and is hanged for not confessing to a crime he didn’t commit. John Proctor’s actions when he tears up his confession which is a lie was believable. A reason Proctor tore his confession is he believes God damns all liars. He told Mary warren when she was in court confessing the girls are faking he tells her “Mary, God damns all liars” (Act III. 1066 – 1067). So when he is pondering if he sould hand it over or not to hand Danforth his confession, he remembers what he told Mary in the Courthouse. Proctor doesn’t want anyone to be killed for him. He risked the way the townspeople looked at him in the street to save his...
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...The Crucible Essay “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does no feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear” (Nelson Mandela). In simpler terms, courage is when something that a person believes in, is more important than the fear that comes with the consequences of that belief. The Crucible has many key themes, but the theme that has the broadest effect on the reader is courage. John Proctor is a great example of the courage shown. While, Abigail Williams shows immense cowardice. Throughout the Crucible many characters have to face the horrendous decision of whether to confess to have ‘been with the devil’ and lose their ‘good name’ or bee executed for that of which they did not do. John Proctor is a great example of a character with extraordinary courage. John although pressured to confess and knowing that he’ll hang, refuses to ruin his ‘good name’ and he does not fully confess to the crime. When Judge Danforth would not give up the argument with John to sign the confession, he asked, “Then explain to me, Mr. Proctor, why will you not let me have it?” (pg.1231). Proctor answered, “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (pg.1232). These quotes show how strong willed John is in not having a bad reputation and how John has great courage and doesn’t lie just to live. However that John may express great courage...
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...Crucible essay The playwright The Crucible, by Author Miller, main themes are definitely honesty and integrity. Many people were accused of witchery and were either hung or imprisoned; which depended on their reputation in the town. Lies and dishonesty are a really important part of this story. There are many dishonest things that were said throughout the play. Most of the characters have very strong feelings about their reputations, simply because the time era and where it takes place, in Salem. One character in particular that shows integrity is john Proctor. Proctor thinks very highly of his reputation, but when he made a decision to confess to having an affair he completely ruined his reputation. After he was accused of being a witch, and began his trials, he said “A man will not cast away huis good name.” He didn’t want to ruin his name around town. He at least wanted to have a good legacy to leave his children so he decided to be hung. He says “I have given you my soul; leave my name.” Proctor had stated this when he was told to sign the confession....
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...come and go, some will be remembered and some are forgotten. But one thing is for sure, I'll never forget the person who is known as my second parent. Who did efforts for me to gain knowledge, the one who has been my guide for so many years, the one who scolds and corrects me when I am doing wrong, the one who has been there as I face to reach the stepping stones in my life. The one who appreciates my efforts, the one who is always there to feed me a bit-full of information that I might use someday, the one who saves me from this unfair life where everyone should be feed with the same level of knowledge. The person who sacrifices for our own good, and yet, the laziness that I've shown them, the tiredness that they have seen from me. After all, they never give up and they never stop to fill us with knowledge and when we are going to fall, they are always there to reach our hand and pull us back and so, the years might have been overthrown, and everything will fade, but they always be my hero for life and for all that efforts and sacrifices that they've done for us. How would life be without our teacher? In life, people may come and go, some will be remembered and some will be forgotten. But one thing I am sure of, you can never forget the persons who you can also call as your second parents. Your teachers. When we’re talking about our teachers, all of us are glad to thank them especially when you’ve learned a lot of great lessons from them. But we can never regret that sometimes...
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