Romeo and Juliet - Love

Love has many different definitions.  In my own opinion, love cannot be defined, but there are some definitions of love that can be found in the Corintheans and dictionary.  In the Corintheans, love is defined as being truthful, caring, and hopeful.  It also includes that people have to work to love each other and stay in love with each other.  The dictionary defines love as an attration to someone, concern for another, or to strongly desire something or someone.

These two definitions of love seem very similar, but yet they contrast in many ways.  The Corintheans mentions about being pacient and honest, but the dictionary doesn't include that.  Additionally, the Corintheans include that love isn't something people brag about and it never fails.  Unlike the Corintheans, the dictionary mentions that love is a and it may be a sexual attraction to someone or admiration to something.  Also, love may be used as a verb, according to the dictionary, which it would then mean to take pleasure in or to feel attraction to something or someone. 

I believe that the Corittheans defines love better than the dictionary.  For one, the Corintheans has a much deeper meaning, and it includes plenty of information.  The dictionary has a few vague phrases that define love.  According to the dictionary, love is attraction to someone, but I believe it is more than an attraction and the Corintheans tries to explain the feeling of love.  All in all, it is very dificult to define love because people may believe in love many different ways, but if I were to try to define love it would be similar to the definition provided by the Corintheans.

"Rules of the Game" - Relationship Metaphor

Any relationship could be described as a rollercoaster, for they have their uphills (good times) and downhills (bad times).  The relationship between my oldest brother, Nick, and I can be related to a rollercoaster.  Since he is at college, I rarely get to see him.  Sometimes when he does come home, he tries to boss me around, so we end up fighting most of the time.  This would be the downhill.  Other times he will be nice to me and even offter to give me a ride somehwere whether it's to the football games, practices, or a friend's house.  These times would be concidered the uphills.  All in all, the relationship between my oldest brother and I is like a rollercoaster because we have ups and downs just like a rollercoaster.

"Checkouts" - Crush

In the story "Checkouts", a girl falls in love at first sight with a bag boy at a grocery store.  The girl likes the boy without even knowing anything about him.  Eventually, the girl checks out in the bag boy's line.  When the boy is going to put the mayonaise into a bag, he drops it and completely embarrasses himself in front of her.  The girl didn't care, and she still liked him, but they never talked again.

My crush from fourth grade is similar to the behavior of the characters in "Checkouts".  It all happened during chorus rehearsals while I was standing next to the boy.  I didn't know him when I decided that I was interested in him, but during every break, we talked and got to know each other a lot better.  It was extremely hot in the gym, and I began to feel light headed.  I was too scared to tell someone that I didn't feel good, so eventually I passed out and completely embarrassed myself in front of him.  I never talked to the kid again, but whenever I see the boy, I think of what happened in fourth grade.

"The Birds"

Many historical events predict what happens in the story "The Birds".  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his speech relate to this story very well.  The birds were trying to attack the humans because they have been mistreated for so long, and they want to gain their freedom.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech is about treating all people equally.  In both events, one group was fighting for equal right for all different groups.

Besides Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., this story is also predicted by the 1970's Energy Crisis.  During both of these horrific events, people needed to live with only the major necessities.  If anyone left the house in "The Birds", they would be attacked, so they had to live with what they had in the house.  The people really needed to conserve their resources, especially gas and oil, during the 1970's Energy Crisis.  The people feared running out of their major needs, so they needed to conserve as much as they could.

Along with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the 1970's Energy Crisis, "The Birds" is similar to the 1992 LA Riots.  In both events, people lived with fear.  In "The Birds", people were terrified of being attacked by the birds.  People in LA lived with fear of their home getting set on fire or getting shot whether the people were innocent or not.  In conclusion, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the 1970's Energy Crisis, and the 1992 LA Riots predicted the story "The Birds".

"The Most Dangerous Game" and Modernism

In the story "The Most Dangerous Game" I believe Rainsford needed ot kill Zarof.  For one, Zarof is very uncivilized for trying to hunt and kill other innocent human beings.  Also, Zarof tricks all the people he could find and made them become huntess without a choice.  General Zarof didn't deserve to live after all of his barbaric actoins.  Summarizing, it was absolutely necessary for Rainsford to kill the uncivilized General Zarof.

"The Most Dangerous Game" and modernism are similar in many different ways.  Just as modernism, this story occurs before the atom bomb in 1944.  Also, it is realistic, for it shows that some people can be uncivilized.  Like modernism, it makes people aware that at sometime they will die, and no one can live forever.  Additionally, modernism allows you to interpret your own endings.  For example, I believe Rainsford needed to kill Zarof and sleeping in his bed symbolized peace, but someone else may think Rainsford shouldn't have killed Zarof and sleeping in Zarof's bed foreshadowed that Rainsford would become like Zarof.