Beckett's American Literature Blog

Prompt: Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks and spending time with family over a nice dinner.  Write about your most unforgettable meal.  Prompt Response:  One of my most unforgettable meals took place due to food poisoning. When I was a lot younger, a sort of stomach bug or sickness was going around my elementary school, with many kids being out for days on end. It was during this time, me and my family decided to go out to a pizza place with some family friends in order to have a little fun. When we were getting ready I then noticed my stomach started to hurt, and by the time we got there I felt very ill and was simply unable to eat. My parents tried to make me, but I physically couldn't stomach that much food without gagging and eventually I just gave up. At midnight, I woke up in with a strange feeling I knew all too well. I ran to the bathroom just in time to throw up into the toilet, which was... not fun. All in all, although this experience didn't directly inv...

Prompt: Write about a time when you realized you needed to look out for yourself in a silly or harmless situation—maybe dodging a pop quiz, escaping a group chat argument, or remembering at the last second to submit an assignment. How did choosing wisely make your life easier? Prompt Response:  One time I realized I needed to look out for myself in regards to a harmless situation was when I forgot to go to nature club one day. The day prior, I heard that the meeting was cancelled, not realizing it was actually scheduled to the next day. Once I was on the bus, I checked the GroupMe, but it was too late to really get off. When I got home, I was still able to get service hours by picking up trash around my own neighborhood. All in all, I think small issues like these are very telling of who you are as a person, and I often try to remedy them to the best of my ability. Summary: Today in class we finished the short story "The Life You Save Could Be Your Own," and watched a short f...

Prompt: Describe a time that you had an encounter with an unhoused person, either directly or indirectly. What did you think and how did it make you feel? Prompt Response:  I often see unhoused people on certain street corners, benches, or sidewalks simply walking about. I feel great sorrow for them, as I see homelessness as a societal issue, where we as a community have failed them. It also leads me to the reason why pity is almost never a truly good response to anything (especially a living breathing person), as it indicates a hierarchical imbalance that should not exist in society. In conclusion, homeless people should be treated with respect and as actual people, not objects that should feel grateful for spare change. Summary: Today in class we began reading over a short story and answered questions in Writable. Reflection:  I'm interested in seeing where the story is currently going. I think that the unhoused person is going to steal the car and perhaps hurt himself or on...

  Prompt: Write about what you are thankful for. Prompt Response:  I'd say that I'm thankful for a lot of the things I have, but first and foremost my friends and family (...for the most part). These people have supported me throughout all of my struggles and I'm quite appreciative of all the times they were there for me.  I can confidently say that I wouldn't be in the position I am in now without them around me, and I hold great gratitude  towards all of them. Summary: Today in class we completed vocabulary lesson three and two of its exercises. Reflection: I found the vocabulary to be relatively new and many of the words to be completely unknown to me. I did however recognize the words archaic and patronizing, so I guess I'm not completely in the dark.

  Prompt: The last scene forces readers to reinterpret Emily’s entire life. Write about a moment when new information changed your perception of a person or situation. How did that “plot twist” reshape your understanding, the same way Faulkner’s ending reshapes the story? Prompt Response:  One time I learned something that changed my view on another subject revolved around my experience with the Marta metro. One day when I was a lot younger, I got on the Marta for the first time with my family in order to get downtown, as it was probably quite congested with traffic at that time. On the train, I saw an unhoused person who seemed mentally unwell, which kind of scared me if I was being honest with myself. Only later did I understand that these people really have nowhere else to go and the train acted almost as a shelter of sorts with vital air conditioning. It's sad that we can't provide for those who can't provide for themselves, and I think this is something that really nee...

  Prompt:  In  “A Rose for Emily,”  Miss Emily’s actions shock the reader—she kills her fiancé and keeps his body in her home for years. People often react with disbelief when they hear about real-life stories that seem just as unbelievable. Write about the most shocking or “craziest” news story you have ever heard. What happened, and why did it stand out to you? How did people react to it, and what does it reveal about human behavior? Prompt Response:  One of the most shocking stories I've seen on the news was about a school shooting that was relatively close to Lakeside. I first heard about this from other students, who seemed to be scared that our school would be next. The following day many people decided not to go, however this made me wonder if they were actually in fear or just looking for an excuse not to go. Overall, this news revealed how people can take advantage of tragedies for their own selfish interests. Summary: Today we read and analyzed the tex...

Prompt: Miss Emily’s house once represented pride and tradition, but over time it became a symbol of decay and isolation. Describe a place that holds deep memories for you—positive or negative—and explain how it reflects part of who you are or how you’ve changed over time. Prompt Response:  One place that holds deep memories for me is my old childhood home. This place represented a time of ignorance and freedom for myself, which I find myself longing to return to in some ways. At the same time it also represented a very limited worldview which I still find other people exhibiting. Overall, when I look back on it, I'm grateful I was able to grow up in a somewhat safe environment, but I still can't ignore the bad things that happened as well. Summary: Today we began to read a short story and answered questions about it in Writable. Reflection:  I think that the short story is just OK. It doesn't particularly interest me, but I'm still wondering what may happen to the old ...

Prompt: Think about the vocabulary words from Lesson Two. Write about a time you saw or heard one of these words outside of the classroom — maybe in a movie, song, social media post, or book. Describe how it was used and whether the context helped you understand the word better. Prompt Response:  The first time I saw the word arable was probably in my freshman year of AP Human Geography. We were learning about different types of cultivation and agricultural practices when it first came up, describing those which are favorable to farming. It means the same thing, often referring to land which can grow crops easily. All in all, the experience in that class definitely helped me to understand the word and the world just a little bit better. Summary: Today we completed our presentations and our new vocabulary words. Reflection:  I found the words to be somewhat interesting as I've never heard many of them before today. My favorite word probably has to be donnybrook, as it seems qui...

Prompt: Thinking about  “The Rockpile,”  which parent or guardian in your life has been the strictest when it comes to discipline? Explain how their approach to discipline has influenced you or shaped your behavior. Prompt Response:  I definitely think that my father has been the one who has been the strictest in general when it comes to parenting. He's always implemented small things like screen times among other restrictions to regulate what me and my brother were able to do. This has definitely made me very protective of my "freedom" and very skeptical of things that I was forced into doing. Overall, I see what my father was trying to create, but it was kind of ineffective in correspondence with my personality at least. Summary: Today we worked on our presentations revolving around the short-story "The Rockpile." Reflection:  I think that my part of the project is going quite well. I only have a small portion left to complete, and it should be done by Monday.

Prompt: Thinking about "The Rockpile," what is something your parents forbade you from doing when you were growing up? Explain what it was and why they might have set that rule.   Prompt Response:  One thing that my parents forbade me from when I was growing up was biking out by myself. When I first learned to ride a bike, I really wanted to go around the neighborhood whenever and to wherever I wanted. However, my parents insisted that one of them was with me, as they were probably scared I'd get hit by a car or lost. Thinking back on it now, I'd say it was a fair rule, but in the moment I was really upset. Summary: Today we read a short story titled "The Rockpile" and answered questions that surrounded it. Reflection:  I found the short story to be fairly interesting and entertaining. I really enjoyed the unique time period and writing style that the text exhibited, as well as the familial dynamics.

Prompt: Words shape how we think, write, and interpret literature. Think about a time when learning a new word or understanding a specific term helped you better analyze a text, express an idea, or make your writing stronger. Prompt Response:  One term that has helped me better understand literature as a whole is "figurative language." I'm not sure when I first came across this term, but it was probably quite a while ago in my educational journey. I think that by comprehending what it meant and all that encompasses it, I was able to really see how creative writing and language can be. By using words in unconventional ways, you can invoke very distinct and unique effects in your audience, which is key in conveying ideas effectively while avoiding sounding monotonous. Summary: Today we learned about our new vocabulary words and did an exercise about it. Reflection:  I found the words that we learned today to be half new and half old. I think that my favorite word is ubiquit...