Essay 13: Final Draft

Marion Philippe

English 8

Mr. Salsich

01-28-10

“Cords Of Strength”:

An Essay About the Strength Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird and My Life

TS: According to dictionary.com, strength is “moral power, firmness or courage,” but to me it means to be able to adapt or change and to hold your head strong and proud. CS: “Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s the true strength,” (unknown) which is what Aunt Alexandra and I try to do.

TS: As I read through To Kill a Mockingbird, many themes jumped out at me; however, one theme that popped out the most in chapter 24 was strength. SD: For example, it started when Atticus came in with “his hat […] in his hand […]” to tell Aunt Alexandra, Miss Maudie, and Scout that Tom Robinson was dead. CM: At first, Aunt Alexandra seemed to be in a desperate place, making Scout and Miss Maudie sad but also showing “Aunty's” alter ego. CM: Oddly enough, she stood and had the strength to go back into the room full of ladies as if nothing had happened, which made Scout realize that “[…] if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could [she].” SD: Likewise, it also took a lot of strength for Scout to go on Aunt Alexandra’s “missionary circle” or also known as the ladies meeting. CM: Scout, who felt “[…] more at home in [her] father’s world,” likes to play tough instead of gossiping with the other girls in Maycomb. CM: She never liked to dress up, but for this meeting she was in a pink dress and was very polite, creating surprises for everybody, an appreciative smile by Aunt Alexandra, and bringing her one step closer to being a lady (Loose sentence). CS: From Scout having the strength to move on to Aunt Alexandra having the strength to keep going, Harper Lee took the theme strength and took it to a "whole new level".

TS: As found throughout chapter 24 of To Kill a Mockingbird, the theme strength often occurs; however, strength also occurs in everyday life. SD: For instance, everyday that goes by, there are more obstacles; moreover, this means I need to have the strength to power through them. CM: One day, the obstacles are test and quizzes and the next might be a basketball game; however, the more I think about them, the less strength I have (Antithesis). CM: But if I have the strength to stand up like Aunt Alexandra did, than these obstacles will be “a piece of cake.” SD: Lastly, as I watch the news and see all of the horrific images from Haiti, I see all the strength that people have. CM: When a man, so skinny that you could see his bone, crying for hope and help, had lost four family members and was searching for others, it made me realize that every survivor searching for loved ones has his or her own strength (periodic sentence). CM: Every step taken was a step towards new hope; even though some found nothing or no one, they had the strength to fight. CS: As we look though our most dangerous or saddest times in our lives, we will find that our strength got us through them.

TS: From Aunt Alexandra holding her head in a dignified way to me trying to find the strength to overcome obstacles, strength is an important element in life. CS: Some are physically stronger than others but some are mentally stronger; however, one will have to face a crisis where his or her strength will pull them out of the dark and back into the light.

Essay 13 Self-Evaluation:

-For this essay, coming up with a theme and choosing the right examples were the hardest part for me. I wanted to choose examples that were a significant part of the chapter and not examples that didn’t go with my themes.

-I think that I took out unnecessary words and also I used more of the word “strength” to tie the essay together. Also, I tried to change some awkward words or to change the order of words so my essay would have coherence.

-I thought that my first body paragraph was the best part of the essay. I made sure that I used some quotes to make the writing better, I made sure the sentences flowed and I also made sure that there was unity throughout the paragraph.

-I think that my periodic and loose sentences could flow better and could be stronger so they could enhance my writing a bit more.