"Choices" Question 3: Does Ken show Peggy that he feels any sense of responsibility to her after the accident? Do you think he has any obligation to her? Discuss.

    In our lives, different choices have to be made in order to accomplish anything; which was demonstrated perfectly in the short story "Choices" by Susan Kerslake. Some choices may turn out to be beneficial towards you but some choices can lead to horrible consequences. In the story, a woman named Peggy unfortunately made a choice which ended up affecting her life tremendously. Even though Peggy was not one hundred percent reluctant to spend the weekend with Ken, a man who she felt affection for, she still decided to agree on it. In result, she got severely hurt in a car accident which ruined both of her legs while Ken was barely injured. However, Ken showed some responsibility by taking and  staying with her at the hospital but weirdly enough, he did not make an effort on speaking to her about the accident. Since Ken was the cause of the accident, should he be obligated to be by her side?
   Obviously, Ken played a big part on this accident because he was the one driving but he should not be obligated to be at her side. Clearly, Ken and Peggy's relationship began when neither of them wanted or had the intention to begin a real relationship with each other. Evidently, Ken would have to suddenly become her boy friend if he was obligated to take care of her. However, because Ken was the main reason Peggy became paralyzed, he must still take responsibility for what he has done. Simply taking care and supporting her through her recovery would make him feel less guilty.
   Depending if Ken was the major or minor reason for this accident, he should either take care of Peggy through her recovery or have obligation to her. If Ken was the minor reason of this accident, he should still take care of Peggy while she goes through her recovery. But if he was the major reason for this accident, he should take much more obligations for her such as, helping her walk and giving her money. Whether or not it was his fault in the accident, he should still offer her as much support as she needs in order to keep herself alive.

Choices

Does Ken Feel Responsible and Obligated to Peggy?

            There are many simple choices that Peggy made which led her to a car accident in Choices, a short story by Susan Kerslake. This could be her decision to ride in Ken’s seemingly malfunctioning car, or trusting Ken’s driving ability. There still remains debate over the exact cause of the accident. At the end of the story, Peggy starts to feel regret over these decisions when she sees how quiet and unresponsive Ken is. This raises the question, how does Ken feel about the accident? Does he feel responsible? Is there any obligation now that Peggy has serious injuries?

            It is possible that Ken does not feel any responsibility or obligation. It is probable that this would be if the cause of the accident were based on the environment around the car. For example, there are hints that Ken could be having a medical condition, particularly a stroke or seizure. In page five, Peggy describes Ken looking like he has a “[S]troke or fit.” Other examples are errors from other drivers or animals. Another driver could have crashed into him or the person could have caused him to crash. Or, animals could have been crossing the road. In fact, it was mentioned that the couple was driving in a forest. If Ken had something else to blame, it would make it much easier for him to feel no liability or regret about the accident.

            There is also evidence to support that Ken does feel responsibility. It is likely that he would have blamed something else to feel no obligation. On the other hand, it is the opposite for if he felt responsible. Ken could have been drunk, as he was sweating and visited a liquor store prior to driving. Similarly, the reason could have been simply poor driving. It is clearly described on page five that he is driving in an extremely relaxed position. Moreover, it is pointed out that he put an excess amount of pressure on the pedal. With the pedal being pushed more, he would have been going fast while his preparedness and reaction rate to things on the road is slow. It is probable that if he does feel regret, obligation and responsibility for Peggy, he believes that the accident was based on his own errors. This is because if he sees something else as a participant in the cause of the accident, it would be strange for him to blame himself.

            There is evidence to support both Ken feeling responsible and the opposite. However, it is more reasonable that he does feel obligated to Peggy because of several considerations. Even though errors in the environment like animals crossing are possible causes of the accident, Peggy trusted and liked Ken. He was the only person with her during the accident and Peggy was not the driver. No matter how large the possibility of another cause is, Ken is still Peggy’s boyfriend. Their relationship shows that they were in an obvious state of trust for each other. There is almost no chance that Ken is actually emotionless after the accident, unless he lost his memory. It is possible that he lost his memory or got a concussion because he is said to have gotten a head injury. This could also explain why he was silent to Peggy.

            Unless the author knows, it is still undeterminable whether or not Ken feels obligated and responsible for Peggy because of the accident. Nevertheless, there are more reasons in the text to feel the responsibility. This is a result of the fact Ken is Peggy’s boyfriend and he seems to have cared for her. In the end, it is wise to look before we leap, as we can see that some of Susan’s choices have caused her pain and suffering.



Essay #2

Jessica                                       Essay Draft                   April.24/2014

                           “Power always corrupts the one who holds it”

            Many times power can corrupt a person, but it could also reveal the truth. As a person gains power, the less control he has over his mind and himself. Limited power is always good for somebody to have, until they get more than they need. Power does not always result in negative consequences, but the many times it does, things can get out of control. There is always a reason to why it happened, an explanation on how it happened, and the results on how it affected the person that lost control.

            There are many reasons as to why power could corrupt someone. The main reason that affects people is that they are introduced to power at a young age. As a child, a lot of elderly people such as your parents or teachers have power over you. This makes kids think that it is okay to have control over another person, so they start to do it as they get older. While they keep aging, they keep wanting more power than they already have which brings on another point, too much power overrules the mind. It is natural for a human to start getting bored with something they have had for a while. Once somebody has a certain amount of power for quite some time, it will no longer satisfy them so they will keep wanting more and more. If they manage to get it, all that power will overrule their mind until they start using it only for the benefit of themselves. When people get to this stage, it starts to affect everybody around them in a negative way. If you want power, it is better to keep it to a limited amount, enough to make yourself happy but also anyone around you.

            Once somebody feels like they are in control, many things take a turn for the worse. The moment people know that they have power; they tend to take advantage of it. They might start doing things that are wrong, but thinking it is okay because having power will make someone feel like they are higher than others. That person might even use it against others and start making people do things for the person in control just to benefit himself. Having all that power will make someone feel overconfident which results in being very poor at spotting his own mistakes. In other words, having more power than you should can give you more opportunities to do bad things and get away with it.

            Most of the time, the results for this do not turn out positive. Getting to the point where you feel overconfident and very powerful will lead to the loss of your friends. The people around you will not be happy with the way they are being treated. It will also lead to the loss of yourself. Sometimes you will not remember how acted like before because the power will overcome your mind. This always leads to the loss of control. The more power you have, the less control you have over yourself because you let it take over.

            To summarize, having so much power could either make you or break you. Before people become powerful, they usually think that they will not turn into one of those people that get out of control. This can be true, however, there is also a possibility that you will. Being powerful is good, up to a certain point. Power does not always corrupt the one who holds it, but in most cases, it corrupts more than it does not.

Essay #2

                                  It is sometimes necessary to take decisive, preemptive

                     action against someone because of what you fear he or she might do later

          The virtue of being decisive and preemptive hasn’t received a lot of support lately. With world leaders refusing to admit mistakes when the evidence becomes overwhelming, their apparent decisiveness seems to be a fault. Decisiveness is simply the ability to decide with speed and clarity. In any situation the ability to decide is crucial because with one quick decision, you could save many people’s lives. Whether it is with a person you have never seen before, a friend you have known for a long time or even with a child you always see in your neighbourhood, without clear decisions, there can be no action and no results. Therefore, it is evident that it is sometimes necessary to be decisive and take preemptive action against someone.

      Whenever you find anything abnormal, the first thing you want to make is an effective decision. For example, if you see someone steal food from a store, you want to take preemptive action by stopping this situation. You can either stop him yourself, or tell a store employee and by making this decision, you can stop future robberies similar to this one. If you do not stop the robbery, the robber will not learn his lesson and will most likely keep stealing. The reason people aren’t decisive isn’t because that is an effective strategy for problem solving. Indecisive people act that way simply because they assume others will make better decisions for them.Therefore, these people end up being subjected to the whims of others and have to rely on the thinking power of others to survive.

       Not only can we make quick, effective decisions to stop a stranger from his poor decisions, being decisive can also stop your best friend from making mistakes. For example, when you find out your friend has not finished his homework but is already playing video games; you have to be decisive. By doing so, they could learn their lesson and never procrastinate ever again. In any decision you should decide a course of next action in only a few minutes, even if the decision is simply to tell your friend  to do their homework. Until you have made a clear decision though, you are simply procrastinating yourself. They do not spend time trying to solve the situation but simply avoid the decision entirely. Few people decide what to eat for dinner in less than a minute, hardly the decision that begins the course of action to influence their entire life. Evidently, withouts decisions, no progress can be made.

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       The fact that taking preemptive action can save a friend from procrastinating brings about the most important event: saving a child from danger. Children will not stop making mistakes until someone tells them. For example, when you see a child bicycling without a helmet, it is your time to take action and be decisive. Right away, you tell their parents to always make sure they have the right safety equipment in case of potential incidents. Not only will you save the precious life of the child, you will also save their parents from potentially losing their child. Therefore, Decisiveness is both a skill you can build and an internal state you can summon when you need. 

Although it would be nice if we lived in a world where nothing needed to be changed; when it is time to be decisive , it ultimately means recognizing when you should make the clear decision. At this point you simply need to make a decision with the faulty information at hand and move forward. Even if the decision was poor, that was simply the price necessary to learn from your mistakes and make a better decision next time. Waiting longer is just delaying the inevitable, so you must decide even in the face of uncertainty.

Power always corrupts the one who holds it

Power always corrupts the one who holds it

Power can be one of two things, a gift or a punishment. In most cases, people take advantage of their power so it turns out to be a punishment. This all starts with the amount of power the person beholds. Having power can corrupt the one who possess it and ruin the holders and their loved ones lives. The consequences for abusing power can be substantial. It begins with how others notice the abuse of power, then goes into how power affects them, and ends with the aftermath and chaos left over. There are many ways that power can take over, and in most cases it will. This is what happens when one has been granted to much power.

To begin, it is almost unrecognizable for the holder of power to realize that it is corrupting them. This is where those around the individuals come in, because only they notice that the holder of power is beginning to abuse it. To start, others will first start to notice the abuse when the holder begins to do things that benefit them and only themselves. This is often the first sign of corruptness being to creep in, yet many can’t do anything about it because they know change is occurring. This then intersects with the fact that next sign is that others will begin to see the change holder of power. Everything from attitude to language will be different and will stare to watch. Furthermore, the real kicker that lets others know that power is corrupting the holder is the fact that the holder will oppose any argument against them and take advantage of the situation. For example, if a co-worker recently got promoted and you disagree because of their work ethic, they might crack down on you and be harsher to you because thjey can now take advantage of you.  Corruptness can and will start to the dismay of the holder, but to the horror of the bystanders.

Once power has taken control, everything will slowly but surely turn into a living hell for those around the holder of power. To begin, they will become nearly unstoppable. Reason being is the fact that there is very little other can do out of straight fear because anything they do might come back and stab them in the back. For example, if an employee was promoted and now has a higher rank than the average worker, and you oppose anything they do, they might bring you down, fire you, or threaten you because of the complete power trip they are on. One who has been corrupted with power will always take advantage. Moreover, once power has taken control many are now afraid to react and do anything about the one who has been corrupted. Take into account King Zhou of China. The man was so evil and powerful that many were too afraid to challenge the man I any way shape or form.  The final thing that happens once power has taken over is that many lives are destroyed, including their own life. Once the power trip has come and gone, everything is devastated and torn. Many will see the changes that have been made in their life. The holder of power once corrupted, becomes a flesh ripping dagger, destroying all who stand in its way.

If the one corrupt of power is managed to be taken down, the aftermath of it all is unbearable and terrible. Firstly, relationships will be torn after power has taken over. Many who were once close will be ripped away like a piece of Velcro from another. Furthermore, this then leads into the loss of trust from everyone. If the holder of power is ever able to recover, trust will not be. People will have no reason to trust someone who has been corrupted again. An example of this would be a president losing an election. People would have lost their trust so why would they have voted for them again. Finally, the aftermath will lead to lose of judgement between what is right and what is wrong. The person who held so much power who made irrational decisions will now struggle to decide what to do to try to win anything back. The aftermath of one who was once corrupt with power is a cold and terrifying fate.

All in all, one who has too much power will indeed get corrupted. It all depends in the way how the power will take over, what happens when power does, and the aftermath that assumes after.  Many may hold different kinds of power but in the end, it will end up consuming the holder. It just might be different how it does and what chaos assumes afterword. To conclude, power will turn the nicest of people to absolute devils, so just watch out for one who might transform.

Anticipation Guide Essay, Act II, Topic #1

Power Always Corrupts the One Who Holds It

            Everyone knows the saying “With great power comes great responsibility.” And throughout history, this has been a hot topic. In fact, it has been debated upon, proven and repeated numerous times by every living being in our world. As people get more power, there are three main sequences that happen. The person will start getting arrogant and will depend on their own judgement. Then, the person will start to abuse his or her power and make impactful decisions. Finally, the person will become fully corrupted and will become a tyrant if they are around others weaker than them. However, this is preventable if the person is not left alone with power.

            If people are left with power and freedom, they will gain vanity as they take pride in their accomplishments and possessions. An example is found in Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare. In act one, Caesar thinks so highly of himself that he does not even interact with the Soothsayer, who is warning him. He only gets the Soothsayers message when Brutus delivers it. In addition, he sometimes speaks about himself in third person. This symbolizes that he thinks of himself as a god or a being of mass authority, even though he is just a powerful human ruler. People with freedom and power like Julius Caesar are almost certainly satisfied, and will do a lot in order to keep them. Thus, corruption ensues.

            After the person begins to be proud of themselves, their actions will show this. This is where it is not only small comments or thoughts. This means decisions about how their surrounding area is run. For example, after the French Revolution, Napoleon took over France entirely after seeing that the directors were corrupted. He had the audacity to do this because he thought of himself as a good supreme ruler. In the beginning of his rule, Napoleon started out well. This was because he shared power with his advisors. However, he later absorbed all power for himself because he was caught in ambition. Eventually, this led to his dictatorship of France. This stage is where the person with power begins to make meaningful decisions with negative impacts to all surrounding people.

            As people are left to keep gaining power, they will most likely end up as a tyrant. If their power was controlled earlier however, they would not have any chance of becoming corrupted. This is because power is the basis of control and leadership. Napoleon’s power was not controlled in time for him not to become a dictator. On the other hand, Julius Caesar was killed by Conspirators as his power and support from the mass public was rising. The Senate was the replacement for him and because it was a special group it was not as corrupted as Caesar. This is due to the fact the Senate has a share in power and the leader is not a person, but it is the majority of votes. Therefore, Rome was saved from a complete dictatorship.

            Power is necessary to lead a group, as without it, a group could not function and it would be in anarchy. However, there needs to be a limit on how power is given, because it can blind the one who holds it. Without this control, the person will likely go down the path of becoming a total dictator. No one is perfect, and past events like Julius Caesar and Napoleon have proven that no one can lead a large group of people alone. This is why co-operation and teamwork is so highly praised.

 

        Last Monday, there was a slam poet at our school all day. We were lucky enough to go see him during our English class last block. Slam poetry is a type of competitive poetry where the speaker puts his feelings/experiences into words and recites the poem fast. Our speakers name was Zack Jackson and he came from a Native background. Everybody in the audience seemed to really enjoy his performance.
        Zack recited a few poems that reflected his darker past. Before he came, I never knew or understood what slam poetry was. However, after seeing him, I enjoyed it very much. I really liked how before he started reciting his poems, he tried to connect and engage with all the teenagers in the room. He talked about things such as games that are popular, spoke the way teenagers do instead of speaking formally, and kept making jokes. Once Zack got to his poems, he was very good at speaking quickly, but clearly, and using many hand gestures. His hand gestures and different tones of voice really kept me interested and focused on his poetry. You could hear the emotion through his voice and he spoke with such description, you could even imagine everything he was talking about without having to see it. Since I didn't know anything about slam poetry, I was not sure what to expect. However, the friends I talked to that went to listen to Zack before me all gave me very positive reviews and said he was very good, which made me look forward to seeing him. In the end I ended up really liking his poems. If Zack or any other slam poet came to our school again, I would definitely like to go see it again because I ended up really liking slam poetry.