Essay #8

　
　Lies and Loneliness
An essay on loneliness
By: Jake DeLapp
Pine Point 8A English
November 2010
        Loneliness is really just a lesser form of depression, and everyone suffers from it. When you are feeling abandoned, you obviously are sad, I don’t know anyone that would rather be alone then with friends. Although no one likes to be lonely it happens to everyone, you can't escape it completely. Even the most popular people, or even characters from books, TV or movies suffer from loneliness as well and I can assure you that they hate it just as much as you or me.
        In To Kill a Mockingbird Dill, the boy with kind, loving, cool parents, family and friends feels lonely. In To Kill a Mockingbird we find out that Dills life and parents aren’t what we thought. His parents avoid him, and when he’s not with Jem and Scout, his life is actually very isolated. Dill even said “he-they just wasn’t interested in me” which just proves that Dills parents weren’t who he depicted them to be. Because Dill felt very alone he made up illusory stories about his parents and many other things. One time Dill actually said that his father ran a railroad and that on his way to Maycomb he helped out on the tracks, which we later learn is not true at all. I believe Dill lies because he doesn’t want Jem, Scout, Atticus or others to think Dill lives his life in complete solitude, he might think that if they know he is a loner they wont like him. I believe Dill is right to feel alone and make up lies like he did, if I were in his shoes I would do the same thing.
        alghough i have many kind, compassionate friends, I often feel lonely. I may be doing something as simple as doing homework or reading when I start to feel desolate. I start to think about all my friends and how much fun I could be having with them, and wish I was with them at that very moment. Although my friends certainly aren’t abandoning me I cant help but to feel isolated. I often try to avoid the feeling of solitude by texting my friends or talking on the phone, but that forlorn feeling never departs me completely. I am not a loner, but at times I cant help feeling    as though I am an outcast.        
        In actuality no one wants to feel isolated and lonely. Lots of people may seem like they want to feel lonely but it's just because they feel rejected. In lots of movies and TV shows you will see a grumpy old man that seems like he’s angry at the world and doesn't want anything to do with anyone, but in the end you always find out that it's not the truth and that they really do enjoy company. Sometime in life you may meet one of these characters who are just suffering from loneliness, and when you do think about what loneliness feels like and offer to spend time with them and cure them of their loneliness.        Although I have many kind and       

graphic organizer; essay #8

Main Point or Thesis of Essay = loneliness
Bell word = lonely
Paragraph 1 -- Opening
Hook = everyone is lonely sometimes
Comment on the hook = friends aren’t with you all the time
Comment on the hook = even when your with people you might miss someone else and feel lonely
Thesis (with bell word) = nobody is never lonelyParagraph 2
TS (Main Idea, Topic, or Thesis) = In TKAM Dill feels lonely
2 Echo words to be used = alone, isolated
SD = “that wasn’t is, he-they just wasn’t interested in me”
CM = parents didn’t want him
CM = Dill felt very alone
SD = “well they stayed gone all the time, and when they were home, even, they’d get off in a room by themselves”
CM = Dill felt like he wasn’t wanted
CM = because he felt alone he made up lies (what he did over summer etc.)
CS =
Paragraph 3
TS (Main Idea, Topic, or Thesis) = many people are lonely
2 Echo words to be used = solitary, desolate
SD = I see lots of people alone
CM = there everywhere (school, sports etc)
CM = seem to wander around by themselves
SD = I don’t think anyone should be lonely all the time
CM = friends are great and everybody should have them
CM = how would you feel if you were lonely all the time
CS = help lonely people out.
Paragraph 4
Hook (the same as paragraph 1, or different) = everyones lonely some times
Echo word (could be bell word) = unnacompanied
Comment on the hook = maybe your away on vacation
Comment on the hook = maybe your friends are made at you
Re-statement, in slightly different words, of the thesis = nobody should live in isolation

Transformations

An Essay on Changing

By; Jake DeLapp

Pine Point 8A English

11/4/10       

         Nobody ever stays the same. In my whole life I haven’t met anyone that hasn’t changed physically or mentally. Nobody stays in baby form or thinks like a baby their whole life. As you grow up you’re basically transforming and changing from your previous self.
        In TKAM we start to see Jem changing. He’s obviously not the same person he was in the beginning of the book mentally. He no longer plays childish games with scout. He also spends more time alone reading in his room or just chilling out, whereas before he always was having fun with scout and fooling around. We are starting to see that Jem is no longer a young boy. In the beginning of the book he appeared to be a child, but now he appears to be a young man. Jem is obviously not the character we used to know.
        In many ways I am changing as well. I don’t goof around like I used to, I am no longer found playing with action figures or other toys I used when I was younger. Instead you may find me playing sports, doing homework or skateboarding. I am also mush smarter and more serious. My intelligence has definitely altered since kindergarten, I now understand things that I didn’t think were even possible to understand when I was younger. I am also, obviously, not the same physically as I was many years ago. I am certainly not the same size, and not nearly as weak. I also can do things like shooting a three pointer, which I could never do before. Shooting a three pointer or kicking a soccer ball a far distance was something that I looked up to middle schoolers in amazement for being able to do. I’m also not the only one that’s changed, everyone around me has changed and are changing as we speak.
        Everyone we know has probably changed since you first met them. You probably have as well. Your not the same puny five year old you used to be. You probably don’t play with toddlers toys either. In the end everybody changes, nobody stays the same.

graphic organizer-growing up essay

Main Point or Thesis of Essay = as you grow up you change in many ways
Bell word = change

Paragraph 1 -- Opening
Hook = adults never the same as when they were 3
Comment on the hook = Change mentally
Comment on the hook = change physically
Thesis (with bell word) = as you grow up you morph
Paragraph 2
TS (Main Idea, Topic, or Thesis) = In TKAM jem start to change
2 Echo words to be used = transformation, modification
SD = grows up mentally
CM = doesn’t play childish games
CM = spends more time alone
SD = not a boy anymore
CM = child in start of book, progressed as book comes along
CM = becoming his own person
CS = not the character we used to know

Paragraph 3
TS (Main Idea, Topic, or Thesis) = I’m also growing up
2 Echo words to be used = alteration, ammendment
SD = not childish anymore
CM = don’t play games
CM = much smarter and more serious
SD = not the same physically
CM = much taller and stronger
CM = do stuff never could before
CS = everyone changes
Paragraph 4
Hook (the same as paragraph 1, or different) = nobody stays the same
Echo word (could be bell word) = adjustment
Comment on the hook = change mentally
Comment on the hook = change physically
Re-statement, in slightly different words, of the thesis = as you grow up you change in many ways

       

The Secret Life of Parents

Surprising Facts About Our Parents

An essay by Jake DeLapp

8A English

10/25/10

        Our parents all probably did something incredibly stupid, awesome or amazing. In TKAM Jem and Scout learned that Atticus, who was thought to hate guns and violence, was actually an incredible marksman. The best in Maycomb county. Your parents may have secrets or have told you incredible stories that may have flabbergasted you as well. In this essay I will tell you all about how my mom isn’t as lame as I thought she was.

        (ts) Imagine that your seemingly normal dad was actually a rock star and went on tour all over the world, but he never told you! (sd) This is exactly what Scout and Jem go through when they realize there dad is ol’ one shot Finch, the best shot in town. (cm) In TKAM when the sheriff hands Atticus the shotgun Jem and Scout think he’s crazy, but then Atticus makes a perfect shot to take out Tim Johnson, the “mad dog”! (cm) Jem and Scout are astounded and excited to find out their dad isn’t as boring as they thought. (sd) Scout and Jem are also shocked why Atticus doesn’t want them shooting birds. (cm) They are confused because Atticus used to shoot birds and other creatures all the time when he was a child. (cm) Miss Maudie even said “If he shot 14 birds with 15 shots he considered it a waste of ammunition”.(cs) After what Jem and Scout saw, I don’t think they will ever call their dad boring again.

        Many of us have probably learned that our parents may not have been the person we imagined them to be in their youth. Your dad may have been a star sports player, or your mom may have been a cheerleader. Maybe their past was rebellious and they told you all about stunts they used to pull. I even learned that my mom saved my dads life and went on awesome vacations before I was born.

        Back in the olden days my mom actually saved my dads life when they were on vacation! They were going down natural slides made from waterfalls when my dad went to go down a wrong one when my mom grabbed him before he plummeted to his death. I was astounded when I learned about this vacation. I was startled because I didn’t think my mom ever did anything cool. I thought all she ever did was read or do other lame things just like Jem and Scout thought all Atticus ever did was read, it turns out we were all wrong. Although what my mom did was very cool I was also a little bit angered. Our family never goes on awesome vacations like sliding down waterfalls anymore! All we do now is go visit our cousins or go up to Vermont. I will have to talk to my parents about this issue, I want to go do something cool like they used to do sometime soon. When my parents told me all about this I learned that you should not always judge a book by its cover, someone who may seem lame may not be who you expected.

outline for essay #6

Thesis=moms a hero
Bell word=Surprising
　
Hook=Mom saved dads life once
Cm1=waterfalls
Cm2=mom grabbed dad before he fell
　
Topic/hook=moms a hero
2 echo words=amazing, shocking
Sd=had no idea any of this happened
Cm1=why didn’t my parents tell me
Cm2=mom doesn’t do cool stuff anymore
Concluding sentence=
　
Topic/hook=why don’t I have fun anymore
2 echo words=awakening, astounding
Sd=parents went on awesome vacations before me
Cm1=why don’t we do awesome stuff anymore
Cm2=I want to slide down waterfalls
Concluding sentence=get parents to take me to fun vacations
　
Echo word=stunning
Hook=mom is cooler than I thought
Cm1=saved dads life
Cm2=did cool stuff
Restate thesis=moms a hero

Water from the eyes

My thoughts about crying

An essay by Jake DeLapp

Pine Point 8A English

October 2010

        Crying is really just water that flows from our eyes when we become saddened. Its something so little, but it means a lot. Even though some people cry a lot, I think they are really just wimps, and should go with the flow. Crying is only for the big things.

        (ts) I don’t cry very often, but when I do its because I’m very hurt, or very emotional. (sd) In TKAM Jem was crying after Mr. Nathan Radley sealed up the knot hole in the tree. (cm1) Jem wouldn’t normally be depressed or cry if any tree was sealed up, but this was the tree where him and scout found all sorts of small treasures in the afternoons, on their way home from school. (cm2) They found gum, watches, and all other things that appeared remarkable to children of their age, but when the tree was sealed up all the trinkets would no longer be in the knot hole of that one very special tree. (sd) On the other hand, Jem may be crying because he thinks someone caught him such as Atticus or another adult and he would be in big trouble. (cm1) To some kids getting caught for something of this manner may not be a big deal, but Jem hasn’t ever been whipped and obviously doesn’t want to be any time soon. (cm2) For example, when , someone (a.k.a Jem) lost his pants at the Radley’s he went to get them so he wouldn’t be in trouble, even if it meant he may be shot by a ruthless Nathan Radley. (cs) No matter why Jem is crying, I believe he has a reason. If something as special as the tree to Jem and Scout was lost I would be very upset and maybe even cry myself.

          (ts)When I was little Max, my pet cat and little buddy, died, I think I had a reason to cry. (sd)Sometimes people cry too much, but if you only over the important things I think its ok.(cm1) I cried when Max died because that was the loss of a family member, something that’s important.(cm2) If you cry over forgetting gym clothes once, then you probably cry too much.(sd) When max died, I cried a lot, but moved on.(cm1) I believe its very important that you move on after something bad happens to you.(cm2) After all you cant cry for years on end!(cs) Often times we should be sad, and maybe even cry, but you should always look for the good things in life, its just as hard as looking for the bad things.

        In my opinion crying should be for the big things in life, or something that really hurts. You shouldn’t cry if you want a book in a library, but its already checked out, or something else as simple as that. When something small happens just continue on in life, and remember that you cant control what happens. You don’t have to cry over anything or everything that happens to you.