Wednesday, May 28, 2014

What was Equiano's Attitude Regarding His Life in the British Navy?"

The following is an essay for my English 1 course.

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     Olauda Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, was a slave. Stolen from Africa at a very young age, he was bought by an officer in the British Navy. He was taken aboard ships, and was taught the sailor's way of life, which he quickly became accustomed to.
     I do believe that it is safe to say that Equiano loved life at sea. At first, he was terrified of the white man, and shuddered in fear at his every move. Life at sea, surrounded by Europeans, quickly cured him of this. He began to learn the ways of the British Navy, and even called himself, 'contented', with their way of life. After participating in a battle against the French, (something he'd longed for for a very long time), and happily escaping all harm, and danger, Equiano described himself as, 'happy', 'comfortable', and other things.
     Equiano's attitude was very positive regarding his life in the British Navy. He was well fed, well treated, and very contented with his life. His master was kind, and the Europeans aboard the ships were as well. He kept this positive attitude until he was unexpectedly sold by his master.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

What Must I Do in My Note-Taking to Describe What is Going on Around Me?

The following is an essay for my English 1 course.
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    What should I do to describe what's going on around me? It's a valid question...and one that's been posed by hundreds and hundreds of writers. Here's my answer: adjectives.
    I love adjectives. I think they're descriptive, helpful, insightful, and easy to use. There, I just used four! Adjectives are commonly described as 'describing words'. They're words that provide details about something, namely a noun or a verb. I used the adjective helpful to describe the word adjective!
    The reason I would use them to describe the world around me, is that they are so easy to comprehend! Looking back on my notes and understanding what was going on when I wrote them would be a cinch. Just read the base sentences, and then add in the adjectives. They'll help you get a very clear, very detailed view of what was going on.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Has Any Event in Your Life Had the Same Impact that Learning to Read Had on Douglass' Life?

The following is an essay for my English 1 course.

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     Learning to read had an unmeasurable impact on his life. It was the beginning of his realization of enslavement, and the start of his longing for freedom. Indeed, this does seem like a pretty hard event to match, but I think I have one that might just put up a fair fight.
     Just five months ago, I left the Mormon church. It was a heck of an ordeal, spanning at least three of those five months. The Mormon church has hundreds of life-restricting values, rules, regulations, and practices. Once I started to realize this, with the help of the internet, and my parents, I, like Douglass, began to come to the realization of the terrible position that I was in. While Douglass' transformation took years, mine took only weeks. Within weeks, I started opening up my mind to freedom. Douglass had to long for years and years for freedom, but my search proved nearly instant gratification. I was soon free from the Mormon church, and am happy to report that I am a 'free man' now.

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