This is a book review I completed for World Literature summer homework at Prairie Ridge High School.

Pg. 2-170

The novel begins with an overview by Death, the narrator of the story. He describes the world in colors, and proceeds to introduce the main character of the story, a small girl named Liesel. Her mother, her brother, and she were riding a train to the central setting of the plot, Himmel Street in Germany. Due to political difficulties and conflicts, Liesel?s mother was forced to surrender her children to foster care, and the foster parents were to be Hans and Rosa Hubermann. However, during the ride to Himmel, Liesel?s younger brother died, and turned into a corpse that Death was to retrieve the soul of. Upon his arrival, Death remained present to observe the burial of the young child in the snowy, frosted, frozen ground. Just before leaving, Death noticed one more thing ? Liesel picking up a forgotten black book from the ground, titled The Grave Digger?s Handbook, to mark the beginning of a life laced with extensive book thievery.

Liesel?s new home was a cramped neighborhood, holding the name of Himmel Street, translating into ?Heaven.? Her new foster mother, Rosa Hubermann, is a short, plump woman. She does a washing and ironing service for wealthier families for a living. To show her affection, she frequently insults and beats Liesel with wooden spoons. Her foster father, Hans Hubermann, on the other hand, is a calm and collected person who lovsed to smoke cigarettes he rolled himself. He paints homes and plays the piano for a living. His close relationship with Liesel budded when he rescued her from the snarling hands of the bathtub and taught her how to roll cigarettes instead. Hans helped Liesel through her toughest times, including when she woke up in the middle of the night from nightmares of her brother?s death.

As Liesel became accustomed to her new surroundings, she began to attend the Bund Deutscher M?dchen, part of a group of Hitler Youth ? she had arrived during the time of Nazism. In addition to participating in her contribution to her political leader, Liesel attended school where she met a colorful collection of students, including one named Rudy Steiner that longed to kiss her. After a day in school when she made a fool of herself by failing to read successfully in front of the class, Liesel proved that she was a girl to be respected by decimating two of her male classmates. Over time, Liesel avoided getting in as much trouble as she once did, and adopted a new hobby ? reading in the middle of the night with Hans.

One night, when Liesel wet her bed due to her recurring nightmares, and she and Hans began reading the book that she acquired the evening of her brother?s death, The Gravedigger’s Handbook, after it was found while changing Liesel?s sheets. With the task challenging at first, Liesel and her papa began by reviewing the alphabet and correlating letters with words. Soon, they became dedicated to their work, and papa even excused Liesel from helping her mother picking up and dropping up clothing for their washing and ironing service to continue reading their handbook. With Liesel?s love of books only growing, Hans traded some of his cigarettes for a pair of books to gift Liesel with for Christmas ? Faust the Dog and The Lighthouse.

Not only did Liesel gain interest in reading, she also started writing as well. Practicing by writing on the basement walls, Liesel became skilled with words and soon began to write letters for her biological mother. Without knowing what had truly happened to her true mother, she wrote letters periodically and kept them safe until she was able to mail them. One day after collecting payment for Rosa Hubermann’s washing and ironing service, she spent a small portion of it for postage to mail her letters. After getting beaten by Rosa for spending her money, Rosa apologized to Liesel for the first time ? not for the beating, but because she knew Liesel would never really make contact with her biological mother ever again. Almost daily, Liesel went to check the mailbox for a response. She never got one.

Some time afterwards, a large event exposed Liesel to a new facet of the world. Liesel experienced her first Nazi book burning. The thrill of the moment captured Liesel?s attention, as she saw the piles of Jewish paraphernalia burst into flames. After the burning, Liesel asked Hans about her mother: why she was taken away from her, why she never responded to her letters, and where she was now. After establishing the idea that her mother could have been a communist, and she was likely taken away by the F?hrer, Liesel declared that she hated Hitler. For the first time, Hans struck Liesel, flat across the face, following up by stating that those words should never be said in public. Moments later, when her father was occupied with discussion, Liesel stole her next book, an undamaged book from the pile from the book burning. As she crept away with The Shoulder Shrug, the heat emitting from the book burned her.

While going to pick up washing and ironing from the mayor?s house, Liesel discovered one day that Ilsa Hermann, the mayor?s wife, had and maintained a personal library in her home. After being invited into the mayor?s home, Liesel embraced the sight of a multitude of books, all properly organized in shelves. Returning periodically to pick up and return the washing and ironing, Liesel read a few pages from a book in the library each visit. In addition to reading, Liesel heard stories about Ilsa’s son and how he died. Before leaving that day, Liesel chose to say “I’m sorry” to Ilsa for what had happened to her son. Before Liesel heard the “For what?” she was already out the door.

Himmel Street was a poor place. Both Liesel and Rudy had difficulty surviving with the rations of food they were provided. One day, the pair ran into a boy with a massive mound of apples. Upon chasing him into the woods, Liesel and Rudy encountered Arthur Berg, a master thief, and their true thieving careers began. Their first successful raid was a farm with apple trees, and yielded a dozen apples to be split between Liesel and Rudy. After overeating, both threw up after returning to their homes because their stomachs weren?t used to it. Liesel blamed it on Rosa?s pea soup.

Finally, a Jewish man was introduced into the setting. Formerly a Jewish fist fighter, and a daring, perseverant man, Max Vandenburg was now confined to a storage space so he would not be caught and brutally punished by the Nazis. He had received a copy of Mein Kampf from a man named Hans Hubermann. Max had never met this man before, but he was to find Hans in his house. Disguised as a German, he travelled to Himmel Street where Hans lived. He removed the key to the front door from the front cover of Mein Kampf where it had been taped. After squeezing the key in his fist, he leaned forward to unlock the door.

The first third of the book has great significance, introducing the main plot and central setting of the book. Its purpose is to accustom the reader with the general flow of the natural lifestyle of the Hubermann family. It also serves to describe the types of relationships held between Liesel and a majority of the characters present in the story. Without this section, the book would be missing the most important part of its content. Readers would not understand the significance of Liesel?s life and the reason why the story is being told. Also, the last several pages provides an introduction and background information of a new character that is about to enter the story. Without this transition, the new character?s entrance would be abrupt and unexpected.

A question that I have about this section, as many people probably do also, is about the future integration of the Jewish fist fighter into the Hubermanns? lives. In the time of Nazis and Hitler, Germans were not permitted to house or shelter Jewish people. However, in the last chapter of the section, the narration suggests that the Jewish man traveled to the Hubermann household to receive housing: ?Now he turned on to the side street, making his way to number thirty-three, resisting the urge to smile, resisting the urge to sob or even imagine the safety that might be awaiting him.? The book mentioned earlier that Hans Hubermann had previously attempted to join the Nazi party. However, after being informed of the Jewish fist fighter and his quest for security in the Hubermann?s house, one comes to think that Hans may have applied for inclusion in the party for the sole purpose of masking a trait he may have ? love and sympathy for the Jewish.

Pg. 171-350

The second third of the book starts off with the entrance of Max Vandenburg into the Hubermann household. He awkwardly asks Hans if he still plays the accordion, bridging into a flashback told by Death. Remembering the events of the Great War, Death proceeds to explain a day when Hans Hubermann was exempt from participating in a battle due to his writing ability. While he was helping the captain write letters, the other soldiers went into battle and did not return. Hans was the only soldier under his sergeant that was still alive. Hans had a good friend during this time whose family he tracked down after his return from the Great War. His friend was Erik Vandenburg ? Erik had taught Hans how to play the accordion. The strong friendship between the two made Hans feel obliged to help Erik?s son Max during a time when he needed help badly.

As Liesel introduces herself to the setting of the newcomer, wondering why a stranger was uncontrollably eating Rosa?s pea soup, she experienced a completely new feeling. As Rosa and Hans lectured her about the dangers of telling someone that there was a Jewish man hiding in their basement, Liesel complied but remained confused at the entire situation. Hans then added some clear consequences: ?I will take each and every one of your books ? and I will burn them. I?ll throw them in the stove or fireplace. They?ll take you away from me.? After striking severe fear in Liesel, Hans comforted Liesel for a few minutes.

Upon the first true person-to-person encounter between Liesel and Max, the young girl was unsure what to do. After speaking shortly, however, they instantly became good friends and found similarities between their personalities. Their first discussion involved their nightmares ? the images of Liesel losing her little brother, and the images of Max leaving his family. After feeling the soothing relief of sharing his troubles with another person, Max began writing a novel using the ripped-out and painted-over pages of Mein Kampf. He wrote about his life as a childhood, his struggles growing up, and the new girl he met in the basement of a home on Himmel Street.

One day, going to pick up washing and folding from the mayor?s house, Liesel received a letter from the mayor?s wife addressed to her mother instead of the normal batch of dirty clothing. Upon receiving it, Liesel immediately knew what had happened. In the past few months as the economy declined, Rosa had been gradually losing customers for her washing and folding service. Even the rich families in the area were saving up on their money and doing their own washing and folding, which resulted in Rosa losing all but her last customer, the mayor. The instant Liesel laid her hands on the letter, she insulted the mayor?s wife in her rage. The thought of losing her and Rosa?s last customer made Liesel storm out of the house, wondering what exactly she should say to Rosa when she returned with no clothing.

Suddenly, one day, Max fell asleep and did not wake up. In Liesel?s concern, she could not get her mind off Max and started collecting gifts for him to share about when he woke up. The set of presents included a deflated ball, a ribbon, a pinecone, a button, a stone, a feather, two newspapers, a candy wrapper, a cloud, a toy soldier, a miraculous leaf, a finished whistler, and a slab of grief. After days and days of Max?s unconsciousness, and days of days of reading to him, Liesel broke out in tears. Although Rosa comforted Liesel and told her everything will be all right, she spoke otherwise with Hans. Liesel became deeply worried when she overheard Rosa contemplating what would happen to them if Max never woke up, and what they would do if they had a dead Jew in their basement. Miraculously, while Liesel was at school one day, Max opened his eyes.

A full-blown war was imminent. A reminder of the bad things it would bring came when the Nazi party started going door to door to check for suitable air-raid shelters. Liesel witnessed the Nazis progressing their way down Himmel Street one day when playing a game of soccer. Faking a severe injury to leave the game as soon as possible, Liesel made it to Hans immediately and informed him that the Nazis were coming. Relocating Max from the basement to Liesel?s bedroom, the Hubermanns braced themselves for the longest three minutes of their lives. As the Nazis descended the steps to the basement, Hans, Rosa, and Liesel shivered at the thought of having their basement used as a bomb shelter, wondering what they would do with Max each time the bomb danger siren went off. The Nazis came back up the stairs. The basement wasn?t deep enough. The Hubermanns were safe.

A quote that I particularly liked form this section was spoken by Death in his narration of the story as a side note: ?I?ve seen so many young men over the years who think they?re running at other young men. They are not. They?re running at me.? This quote appealed to me because it captures the essence of soldiers participating in war from a non-human?s, non-participator?s viewpoint. Because it is said by Death, the text of the analysis is not obscured or biased by patriotism, as may be if said by the soldiers. This quote creates some imagery of two large opposing groups of men separated by a black-hole-like being in the center. In the zeal of desire for victory, these young soldiers do not realize that they are not invincible, they are not guaranteed a victory, and they are not in a safe nor secure position. In their zeal, soldiers cannot see the fate that awaits them in the center of the battlefield. For someone not familiar with the antics of war, this quote gives an uncensored description of what war really is ? a blind suicide mission for innocent men with a misconception of their indestructibility.

While reading, I noticed the strong relationship building between Liesel and Max Vandenburg. I believe that this strong bond formed so quickly because both Liesel and Max needed someone close to them in their lives. The book described the miserable pasts of both Liesel and Max: Liesel had lost her brother, and Max had lost his family, including his mother and a close cousin. After meeting each other, Liesel and Max were able to play the roles of the missing important people in each other?s lives. Max could be the brother that Liesel once had, someone that she could tell all her secrets to and talk with regarding all her problems and struggles. Liesel could be the caring mother and cousin Max once lived with; Liesel?s nurturing and loving nature did wonders to Max?s loneliness in the basement. It is this family-like bond that pulled Liesel into sitting by Max?s side when he fell unconscious, ?pulling a lump of salt water from her eye and feeding it onto Max Vandenburg’s face.?

Pg. 351-552

After Liesel?s last day at the mayor?s house, after Liesel?s last trip to pick up washing and folding, and after Liesel?s last moments in the mayor?s wife?s library, she could no longer stand being so far away from the books that she once embraced herself with. In a quest to prove to herself and to Rudy that she was able to steal more than just apples, Liesel climbed through the window of the mayor?s house and into the library. Feeling the books that she was once able to read unconditionally, Liesel grasped one tightly and made her way out the window ? she was stealing what she felt belonged to her. After multiple visits to the library, Liesel noticed something unusual one day. The window to the library was left unlocked, and there was a large, thick book leaning up against the window. Upon its retrieval, Liesel found a note from the mayor?s wife explaining that her attempts at stealth did not succeed, and she was already aware of Liesel?s entrance. She stated that the large book was a dictionary that Liesel could use to look up words from her other books that she did not know. The dictionary was put to use well.

Meanwhile, real war had begun. German was under attack by air raids, and the alert sirens went off multiple times for Himmel Street ordering residents to file accordingly into their proper community shelters. The very first alert was a false alarm, but struck resounding fear in the hearts of many Himmel Street inhabitants. In the last moments before leaving their house, the Hubermanns wished Max fare-well, as he would obviously not be able to join them in the safety of their neighbor?s approved basement. In the longest moment of their lives, the occupants of the shelter listened to Liesel?s soft voice reading one of her books, soothing the mood and relieving the tenseness of the air. Over and over, as Himmel Street took cover bombing after bombing, Liesel helped bring comfort to the dwellers as she continued reading her book, progressing further and further into the plot, while still keeping Max in the corner of her thoughts. During one of the raids, Max found the courage to come out of the basement and take a look outside while everyone else was taking cover. He saw, for the first time since his arrival, the fresh air, and the lights in the sky. Not long afterward, Max left 33 Himmel Street: ?You?ve done enough.?

Occasionally, Liesel was able to witness the marching of the Jews, headed towards concentration camps. Every time the Jews passed, Liesel looked out for her lost friend, hoping he was somewhere in the crowd, and every time the Jews passed, he was nowhere to be seen. One day, Hans decided to offer the passing Jews a small portion of bread and got severely beaten for the act by the Nazi guardsmen. Not long afterward, Hans received his real punishment ? he was finally accepted into the Nazi party, but it was in an unexpected manner. In order to serve and promote the Nazi party, Hans was ordered to fight for the Nazis in war. He was sent off to combat and had no choice as to what to do. To make situations worse, Rudy?s father was also forced to participate.

While at war, Hans had some of the most heart-wrenching experiences. Assigned to a department responsible for uncovering and identifying bodies severely dismembered in attacks, Hans saw the most gruesome facets of war. Back at home, Liesel witnessed the true feelings Rosa had for Hans. Under the insults Rosa hurled at Hans on a daily basis, there was a warm Rosa, a Rosa that missed Hans greatly. Liesel saw her foster mother grasping onto Hans? accordion, engulfed in depression and sadness. Although she may not have shown it, Rosa longed to be with Hans again. During a trip one day, Hans got into an argument with another member of his team. While unexpectedly changing positions in a truck they were riding, a fatal accident occurred, and the man sitting in the seat Hans would have normally occupied was killed. Hans survived with a slight arm injury and was sent back home due to a disability.

The end of the world came one day on a peaceful night. Liesel?s world came crashing down while she was in the basement writing her novel. The sirens had not sounded that night, and Himmel Street was laid to ruins. The sole survivor was Liesel, who had been in her basement, protected and unaware of what had happened. As Liesel breathed in the musty air, she ran from dead body to dead body, unsure what had become of her life. The only people she knew had all been taken from her. As she made her final visit to Rudy?s house, she decided Rudy did deserve that kiss he longed for. Years later, Liesel met up with Rudy?s father, who had been safe from the bombing due to his serving in the military. They continued with his clothing tailoring business, and eventually even received a visit from Max Vandenburg.

As the novel closed, Death describes how he learned of the life of Liesel Meminger. I found the book very unique in the way it uses a very unexpected viewpoint as the narration. Because the storyline is described by a supernatural being?s viewpoint, the reader receives an insight to the plot that normal characters would not be able to provide. After Liesel’s death, she meets with Death and asks him if he read her autobiography. This confrontation was effective because it creates an analogy of television to real life ? Liesel was in a television the entire story, as we were watching her and learning of her past, but she then becomes a real-life being and has a discussion with our narrator, which we have built a personal relationship with while reading the book. The reader sees Liesel as more of a real person instead of just a fictional character after she is extracted from the storyline and given the personality of ?one of us."

Finally, the last line of the book intrigued me. Labeled as ?a last note from your narrator,? Death says, ?I am haunted by humans.? This made me think of how everyone is uncomfortable in foreign situations. Children have nightmares all the time because they think a beast of a different specie ? the closet monster, the under-the-bed monster, the toe-eating monster, etc. ? is hiding in their bedroom, waiting to assault them after they fall asleep. This even happens between races of humans ? immigrants coming to America are inevitably mistreated, and even Americans touring to other countries are inevitably discriminated against. After such a supernatural being as Death stated that he is haunted by humans, a specie that he is far more powerful than, it enforced my views on why people have difficulty adapting to others different from themselves. Humans do not enjoy being placed in situations they are not used to, may it be a different environment or with different people.

This is a book review I completed for World Literature summer homework at Prairie Ridge High School.

Pg. 1-86

A group of students receive a tour of a scientific- building from a director as the story begins. Wandering from machine to machine, students furiously take notes as the director describes the process they are witnessing. This scientific building is actually a giant human cloning factory, producing thou-sands upon thousands of identical humans similar to manufacturing products on an assembly line. The director describes how these engineered humans go through a process similar to human gestation in-side a bottle, where they are custom designed to fit their caste and future occupation. Additionally, the director emphasizes on optimizing these humans to become as useful and productive as possible as soon as possible, including reducing maturation periods to a handful of years.

As the tour continues, the director shows how the manufactured humans are trained at a very young age. A demonstration is shown where human infants of the lower three castes are lined up and told to retrieve some books. As the babies crawl to the books, a severe electric shock and loud sirens terrorize them. The director explains that this allows the infants to make a correlation between books and discomfort, which makes them dislike education and ultimately prevents them from ?wasting? their time studying to become better people, as members of their caste need not learn as much as members of a higher caste. Similarly, infants of the higher two classes are told using a voice recording that they must achieve more than the lower three castes, thus programming and conditioning the infants, but this time using a process called hypnop?dia instead of pain correlation.

Further into the tour, a comparison is made between the time of the setting of the book and the current setting of the reader. As the students watch the manufactured infants engage in erotic behavior, the director explains that a long time ago, in a previous period where natural human reproduction occurred, sexual activity during childhood was considered inappropriate and unacceptable. I believe the analogy made between the differences of what was and is considered inappropriate gave insight into what cultural taboo really is. The students receiving the tour were educated similarly to how the manufactured humans are educated, and they are told how to live life correctly. I personally believe that taboos are rarely linked to what is really ethically right or wrong, and is more influenced by what others claim is embarrassing or private. Seeing as these manufactured humans feel no shame exhibiting sexual behavior, the same can happen in modern-day times. Conclusively, this concept can be used as methods of revolution, when extreme changes occur within the population of Earth. Also, when misused, eras like Hitler?s can rise as people?s beliefs are changed entirely, and they are unable to tell the difference between what is really right or wrong.

I was intrigued by the emphasis placed on how the human production described was very similar to an assembly line, and picked up a possible hidden meaning behind the implications. Although the book was published in 1932, there may have been arguments regarding human cloning and unnatural reproduction back then. By stressing the significance of the inhumane assembly lines, the author makes a powerful stance against mass production of humans, as they lose their individuality, personal characteristics, and idiosyncrasies. Although the simulation of human birth greatly resembled actual gestation (the bottles with humans planted inside were taken down a belt measured by meters, with meters being equivalent to the days inside the uterus), the treatment the bottles received did not fulfill the nurturing care and love a human deserves when developing from an egg.

Pg. 87-171

Following up on plans mentioned earlier in the book, Bernard Marx and Lenina go on their scheduled date. During the outing, Bernard is severely embarrassed by Lenina acting so freely and publicly about her sexual life. After partaking in various activities together, like traveling via helicopter, playing obstacle golf, having a drink of coffee, and attending a wrestling, match, Bernard and Lenina eventually have sex. A day afterward, Bernard states that he never had an intention to have sex with her that night and prefers to act in a more mature and orderly manner. The couple then goes to the Reservation, and learns that the director has plans to exile Bernard to Iceland.

After reading about Bernard?s experiences, I think that he feels out of place in the caste system of his time. Concluding from his reactions to particular incidents, Bernard prefers the older and more professional way of life than the new system of human manufacturing. As shown by his reaction to Lenina’s demands, Bernard is a shy man that likes to take things slowly and steadily. Interpreting his response to Lenina’s sexual desires, Bernard has a more modern-day conventional style of dating and getting to know people. However, although he did not wish to comply with Lenina’s longings, Bernard proceeded to satisfy Lenina nonetheless. This made me realize that the problem of peer pressure and outside influences still affects and will probably always affect how humans respond to situations where they are unsure of what action to take.

Also in this section, a new character named Helmholtz Watson is introduced. Falling in the alpha caste, he is described as one of the most perfect humans alive. Holding the occupation of lecturer at the College of Emotional Engineering, he is extremely intelligent and attractive. Although Helmholtz excels beyond others in his caste, he disapproves of the new method of human production through assembly lines. He has a desire to prove that one can surpass what they are trained to do during production, and repetitive replays of recordings cannot defeat the power that comes with self-innovation. Meanwhile, he easily fulfills what alpha caste members are expected to do.

I believe that Helmholtz resembles a powerful human in our modern day that brings changes through advancement of ways. Although living in the age of castes and unnatural human production, Helmholtz has a firm opinion about the situation at hand, and strongly opposes to it. People like these in our modern day, good or bad, have brought changes to our world. By being able to live in the moment and plan for a future at the same time, people like Helmholtz have successfully improved the way of life. Although the book declares that this process was upgraded from regular human reproduction, I think that Helmholtz sees the flaws of lack of individuality from using this process, and he does not believe the improvement really is an advancement. These days, developing children and teenagers see people like this as icons. Being both conforming and rebellious at the same time, these idols act as influential leaders controlling their followers and leading them in the direction they believe is best.

Pg. 172-268

A new character named John comes into play and holds a large significance in this section. Bernard and Lenina first meet John in the Reservation, where he states that his mother comes from outside the Reservation. After introducing his mother, Linda, to Bernard and Lenina, they soon discover that there was never an intention for John to be born. According to Linda, the contraceptive malfunctioned, and John was born inside the Reservation; afterward, Linda was too ashamed of herself to leave the Reservation with a child, so she stayed. The distress and depression caused Linda to abuse soma, a drug said to have the same effects as modern-day addictive drugs, bringing a sense of temporary bliss and happiness, but with no side effects.

After learning about soma, I had a question: How could a substance cause someone to artificially feel a wave of intense pleasure, but not have any negative side effects? Essentially, modern-day drugs cause severe detrimental psychological side effects because they produce an unnatural feeling of delight normally unobtainable by regular means. As users become dependent on this feeling, their bodies desire more of the euphoric feeling, causing their minds to become stressed when not experiencing the exhilaration. Assuming that soma has the effects it is advertised to have, and has nonexistent side effects, it made me think that the only way this could happen is if the manufactured humans? minds were also altered psychologically. Similar to how the bottled babies were trained to be in particular castes, and customized to complete particular tasks better than any other individual of their breed, their minds may have been ?upgraded? from the emotional and seemingly weak humans we are now to unchanging and unaffected robot-like creatures.

Continuing on the idea of soma, this is an excerpt from the book: ?And there?s always soma to calm your anger, to reconcile you to your enemies, to make you patient and long-suffering. In the past you could only accomplish these things by making a great effort and after years of hard moral training. Now, you swallow two or three half-gramme tablets, and there you are. Anybody can be virtuous now. You can carry at least half your morality about in a bottle. Christianity without tears?that?s what soma is.? This description of soma?s abilities extends upon the original comparison it was made to modern-day drugs. Not only does it make one feel a rush of happiness, it also fast-forwards the endurance one requires to become a respectable person. By speeding up the ?moral training,? one may be able to achieve a high social status without placing much effort into their self-image.

Additionally, the idea of making someone more patient and long-suffering contradicts the firm castes the people must be a part of. Essentially, soma will make anybody a higher-class person if taken enough. By creating this substance, the original conditioning the babies receive when they are developing becomes useless, as they would be able to gain status using external influences.

These are all in-class essays I wrote to prepare for the corresponding Advanced Placement exams. All these practice essays were handwritten in a timed environment, and have been typed and published online as-is.

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Farmers’ Misery (AP US History)

In the period of 1865 to 1900, American farmers experienced numerous problems in their lifestyle and capabilities to prosper. In some situations, the potential to survive declined to almost none, as the profits earned by American farmers were insufficient and lacking. Two key factors that contributed to these problems include big business and government policy, and the decisions of the farmers themselves. I believe that although some were obvious and some were less apparent, both had an equal impact on the depression and misery of the farmers.

To begin, big business had the most resounding influence on the abilities farmers had access to to make a living. This time period being the time after industrialization and countless new inventions, farmers that could afford them could use machines to speed up the process of harvesting, cultivating, and other tedious tasks. As a result, a handful of wealthy farmers were able to produce and export crops at a much faster rate than a majority of their competitors who did not possess the machinery they did. With the money they acquired, they were able to expand their farm by purchasing more land. In some instances, farmers bought land near railroads from railway companies. The companies were eager to sell because they would make a profit off of land gifted to them by the government, and farmers were eager to buy because with the railroads next to their farms, they were able to export and transport their goods more quickly. By expanding their farms and producing a multiplicative amount of everyone else, they were able to increase the ratio of their sales to competitor’s sales, thus making a much greater profit. Other smaller farmers were, as a result, put out of business, with the cause being bigger businesses.

Moving on, the government, their decisions, and their policies made the overall profits of any one particular farmer in specific decline. The main situation that made this occur was the Homestead Act, where farmers would receive 160 acres of land for free if they were to live on it, farm on it, produce on it, and make the area livable. With this new act, want-to-be farmers with no money got something they could only dream of – plenty of land to live on. The excessive amount one person got allowed them to join the farming industry and become a competitor to other farmers. More crops were being produced by the day, but the number of consumers stayed the same or inclined at a much lower rate. The amount of competition rose drastically by every additional farmer joining the race to prosperity, and the amount of money one farmer earned slowly but surely declined. In essence, more farmers producing resulted in more income problems for the already existing farmers.

Finally, the farmers’ own decisions were a key component in the downfall of many. Similar to the Civil War, farmers produced many of only one crop, instead of creating a variety. Resembling exactly the death of King Cotton in the South during the Civil War, the farmers of the period had an overproduced and overinflated product that was underconsumed and not necessarily in such abundance. The choice of farming only one crop made income problems for all the farmers producing that crop. With insufficient profits coming in, the problem caused by the farmers’ choices caused their own demise.

Conclusively, between 1865 and 1900, the farmers were faced with problems that caused them to lose profits and potential earnings from products they produced. Out of many, the two key factors rooting the issues were higher authority, such as bigger businesses and the acts of the government; and the farmers choices such as what they chose to grow or do with their land that they were gifted with.

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World War I (AP US History)

When the Senate defeated the Treaty of Versailles, there were two key influences that resulted in the final decision: the opposing forces, and President Woodrow Wilson. Although it is stated that liberal and conservative opposing forces were mostly responsible for this turnaround, I believe President Wilson deserves as much credit for the act. Wilson was responsible for speaking to the country and engraving in the citizens’ minds that the Treaty of Versailles was not a positive change for America. The strength of both opposing forces and President Wilson made the defeat of the Treaty of Versailles possible.

To begin, the liberal opposing forces discovered that the Treaty of Versailles does not meet their expectations. They hoped that the war "would end in a peace which would moralize nationalism by releasing it from class bondage and exclusive ambitions" (Document B). However, after analyzing the resulting effects and consequences of the Treaty of Versailles, they concluded "the Treaty of Versailles does not even try to satisfy these aspirations" (Document B). Instead, the liberals uncovered, "it does… nothing to heal the old and ugly dissensions" (Document B). It was this conflict in belief and viewpoint that caused uproar among the liberals, and it was this disagreement that caused action to be taken. The power of these liberal forces and their uprisings helped and contributed towards a favorable decision from the Senate.

On the other hand, President Wilson spoke to the American people to inform them that the treaty was not a desirable thing. For those unable to do it themselves, Wilson analyzes the implications of the treaty and concludes the consequences of following through with it. During a speech on September 5, 1919, Wilson bluntly declares to America, "You are betrayed. You have fought for something that you did not get" (Document C). By making the distinct past-to-present connection, those who are observing are able to think back to what happened in the recent past, and compare it to what is happening at the direct present. The people of the United States are able to see that all the effort they put in fighting, arguing, debating, and protesting was no good. All the struggles they went through were put to waste, with no desirable outcome. President Wilson inducing these thoughts brought rage and fury into the public’s minds, which aided them in gaining power and possessing a strong, unmoving viewpoint.

Furthermore, in another address to the country, Wilson aggravates their emotions by tagging the Treaty of Versailles as something that would lower the global position and capability. Wilson believes America should be "the light of the world as created to lead the world in the assertion of the rights of peoples and the rights of free nations…" (Document G). Afterward, Wilson sets up a contradictory scenario with the Treaty of Versailles being passed: "Do you in particular approve of the League of Nations as organized and empowered in that treaty? And do you wish to see the United States play its responsible part in it?" (Document G). By seeing the drastic difference between the two different cases, Americans are angry that their high standing rank in the world could be brought down to rubble. This not only enrages liberal and conservative opposition, but the population of the entire country as a whole. By working as one, the country combined powers, under Wilson’s and persistent encouragement, to defeat the treaty.

Conclusively, not only just opposition or the president was responsible for the defeat of the Treaty of Versailles. The combined efforts of the country, being pushed by the support and encouragement of the nation’s great leaders, overcame their obstacles and yielded victory when the Senate defeated the Treaty of Versailles.

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Industrial Robbers (AP US History)

Industrialism spurred in the late 19th century from mechanization, immigration, natural resources, and inventions. During this time, a handful of leaders took advantage of their opportunities and monopolized industries. As a result, massive profits were accrued, and the first billion-dollar industry of America was formed. Critics of the time said these industrial leaders were robbers. I believe the prior statement is only medially true; although it was commonly accepted that industrial leaders were thieves and hoarders, it is justifiable in both directions. For example, some leaders completely ignored the public and did not feel for them, while others donated massive amounts to social development and philanthropic causes. Overall, I believe it is impossible and unjustifiable to make a general statement about all industrial leaders.

To begin, there is sufficient evidence to prove that the claim of leaders being greedy is legitimate. For example, William H. Vanderbilt did not support the public at all, and did not care about what happened to them.When asked if he is servicing the public during an interview, Vanderbilt responded, "The public be damned" (Document A). This reinforced the fact that Vanderbilt was careless about the public and did not mind what happened to them. He continued: "I don’t take any stock in this silly nonsense about working for anybody’s good but our own" (Document A). Thus, Vanderbilt did not run his industry to make the world a better place, but instead did so only to make massive profits to keep for himself.

On the other hand, there is also sufficient evidence to prove that claiming the leaders were corrupt and hoardy was untrue. The best example is the legend of steel, Andrew Carnegie. After having his industry surpass a billion dollars in profit. Carnegie realized the unequal balance of wealth in his time’s society. He concluded, "The problem of our age is the proper administration of wealth so that the ties of brotherhood may still bind together the rich and poor in harmony" (Document C). This was used as the survival-of-the-fittest method. Although Carnegie did not provide for or donate to the public, he was not selfish. He merely encourages the public that this is the way of life and it will eventually be beneficial to the public as a whole. Instead of neglecting or making fun of the citizens, he aids them in realizing his views and business plans.

Moving on, there were industrialist leaders that did not act as "robber barons" at all, but instead gave much of what they earned back to the public. For example, John D. Rockefeller gave over $500 million in donations during his lifetime from money that he earned from his oil industry. By donating an amount multiple times larger than modern-day lottery, Rockefeller displayed a resounding act of respect, kindness, and gratitude to the public (Document H). These donations and contributions were made to various societies, foundations, boards, memorials, and universities. By utilizing this money, the public benefited with the money they had spent to purchase oil. Rockefeller became viewed as one of the most influential positive leaders of America that literally gave back to the public.

Finally, Russell H. Conwell summarized this overall issue with his precise input. Conwell said, "Ninety-eight out of one hundred of the rich men in America are honest. That is why they are rich. That is why they are trusted with money" (Document E). Essentially, he is saying that very few rich industrial leaders are corrupt or dishonest. There are hundreds and thousands of rich people that are capable of maintaining an honest business. These trustworthy leaders are not well-known because they abide by the law. The corrupt leaders are constantly accused and nabbed at by the public and the media, which is why they are well-known. The honest ones who stay under the radar have no reason to be in the news for wrongdoings because they have none.

Conclusively, there were a wide variety of industrial leaders in the 19th century, some corrupt and some honest. There were some who stole from the public, while others gave immensely. Although it is not possible to generalize about the nature of these wealthy men, they brought uniqueness and flavor to the society of their time.

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Sense of Urgency (AP English Language)

The following letter, addressed to Dr. Lanyon, is urging him to the aid of his friend, Henry Jekyll. Read the letter carefully. Then, in a well-organized essay, explain how various rhetorical devices such as tone, word choice, imagery, and syntax create the letter’s overwhelming sense of urgency.

10th December, 18–

Dear Lanyon, You are one of my oldest friends; and although we may have differed at times on scientific questions, I cannot remember, at least on my side, any break in our affection. There was never a day when, if you had said to me, ‘Jekyll, my life, my honour, my reason, depend upon you,’ I would not have sacrificed my left hand to help you. Lanyon, my life, my honour my reason, are all at your mercy; if you fail me to-night I am lost. You might suppose, after this preface, that I am going to ask you for something dishonourable to grant. Judge for yourself.

I want you to postpone all other engagements for to-night – ay, even if you were summoned to the bedside of an emperor; to take a cab, unless your carriage should be actually at the door; and with this letter in your hand for consultation, to drive straight to my house. Poole, my butler, has his orders; you will find, him waiting your arrival with a locksmith. The door of my cabinet is then to be forced: and you are to go in alone; to open the glazed press (letter E) on the left hand, breaking the lock if it be shut; and to draw out, with all its contents as they stand, the fourth drawer from the bottom. In my extreme distress of wind, I have a morbid fear of misdirecting you; but even if I am in error, you may know the right drawer by its contents: some powders, a phial and a paper book. This drawer I beg of you to carry back with you to Cavendish Square exactly as it stands.

That is the first part of the service: now for the second. You should be back, if you set out at once on the receipt of this, long before midnight; but I will leave you that amount of margin, not only in the fear of one of those obstacles that can neither be prevented nor foreseen, but because an hour when your servants are in bed is to be preferred for what will then remain to do. At midnight, then I have to ask you to be alone in your consulting room, to admit with your own hand into the house a man who will present himself in my name, and to place in his hands the drawer that you will have brought with you from my cabinet. Then you will have played your part and earned my gratitude completely. Five minutes afterwards, if you insist upon an explanation, you will have understood that these arrangements are of capital importance; and that by the neglect of one of them, fantastic as they must appear, you might have charged your conscience with my death or the shipwreck of my reason.

Confident as I am that you will not trifle with this appeal, my heart sinks and my hand trembles at the bare thought of such a possibility. Think of me at this hour, in a strange place, labouring under a blackness of distress that no fancy can exaggerate, and yet well aware that, if you will but punctually serve me, my troubles will roll away like a story that is told.

Serve me, my dear Lanyon, and save, Your friend, H.J.

P.S. I had already sealed this up when a fresh terror struck upon my soul. It is possible that the postoffice may fail me, and this letter not come into your hands until to-morrow morning. In that case, dear Lanyon, do my errand when it shall be most convenient for you in the course of the day; and once more expect my messenger at midnight. It may then already be too late; and if that night passes without event, you will know that you have seen the last of Henry Jekyll.

Many people say that the only person you can really depend on is yourself. However, we all have instances where we are unable to help ourselves, and we need someone else to come to our aid. In the provided letter, from Henry Jekyll, addressed to Dr. Lanyon, a sense of urgency drifts throughout the context of the letter as Jekyll pleads for assistance. The effective use of rhetorical devices helps add to the sense of urgency and makes the reader feel obliged and rushed.

In the beginning of the letter, Jekyll clearly defines the importance and time-sensitivity of the included information. Jekyll uses powerful words in the opening to communicate his point: "If you fail me to-night I am lost." Then, when concluding his letter, he states again: "and that by the neglect of one of them, … you might have charged your conscience with my death or the shipwreck of my reason." These two sentences link the thought of failure and incompletion to death and demise. By utilizing words with intense meaning, Jekyll proves that a single error, which may include being late or ignorant, could have destructive consequences. The reader receives this message and feels cautions and alert of the content of the message and specific procedure.

When the instructions begin, Jekyll’s tone portrays a sense of urgency by providing specific commands instead of requests. For example, Jekyll states at the beginning of the body of his letter to "postpone all other engagements for to-night." Although Lanyon’s plans may be unknown, Jekyll makes the assumption, and suggests that the reader should assume the same, that whatever he is about to present now is far more important than what Lanyon may have had planned. This gives the impression that what Jekyll requires is top priority, and thus must be completed first in a roster of chores.

Additionally, when Jekyll is explaining what he needs to be done, he continues using commands instead of bothering to be polite. An excerpt of his instructions are as follows: "You are to go alone, to open the glazed press; … and to draw out …" The nature of the commands are not that of a friend asking another friend of a favor, but of a superior assigning tasks to an employee or follower that must be completed by a deadline. A time limit is implied in a different command: "… drive straight to my house." The reader knows to do this first thing when he receives the letter, even if he is unavailable.

Building off the prior, Jekyll not only forms a sense of urgency but also makes it work effectively. The majority of the letter consists of demands, with a condescending, brutal tone. However, because most people prefer not to be "bossed around," Jekyll begins the piece in a friendly tone, seemingly apologetic for what he is about to unravel: "Dear Lanyon, You are one of my oldest friends; … I cannot remember, at least on my side, any break in our affection." By treating a person with respect and kindness, the target will psychologically tend to return the favor. In order to neutralize the demands in the remainder of the letter, Jekyll begins his composition in a peaceful, comforting, but seemingly pleading way. Thus, the sense of urgency will not only be picked up, but also be taken to heart.

Conclusively, the letter addressed to Dr. Lanyon from Henry Jekyll consists of powerful, meaningful language and effective, manipulative syntax. These rhetorical devices help Jekyll deliver his sense of urgency, and more importantly, have his urgency accepted by whom the message is directed at.

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Controversy and Challenge (AP English Language)

Few leaders have had as much impact upon the American consciousness as the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was, perhaps, the major influence on the Civil Rights movement of the late ’50s and ’60s. Tragically assassinated in 1968, his legacy lives on. the following is one of many of King’s strong beliefs: "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy." In a well-organized essay, defend, challenge, or qualify King’s beliefs that controversy and/or challenge are what bring out the true side of us. Base your response on your reading, experience, or observations.

When a man is attacked by a lion, the event can be perceived from two different aspects: the first is from the man actually being mauled by the beast, and the second is from another man outside the cage observing the assault. The man on the outside could be known as a brave, daring, undertaking man. However, the actions he shows from the position of safety are nothing like a man who may be less acknowledged in his tough-mindedness, but experiences and fights through a life-or-death situation. This all ties in with a belief of a powerful, influential American leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. He spoke once, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy" (King). I wholeheartedly agree with King from a logical and psychological viewpoint. The things a human does and can do in times of distress is what the particular person is really capable of.

Primarily, interpreting the sense of self-pride and confidence a majority of people possess explains why their actions during relaxation do not necessarily represent what a man can actually reach. Excluding outliers in statistical data, all humans wish to give a particular impression on other humans for who they are and what they are like. This is the root of basis for the variety of people we have in the population today; people choose their "style" in modern day culture by themselves, such as prep, punk, emo, or goth, some out of many. However, these external styles do not always represent the inner emotions of the humans themselves. For example, a local teen may not be punk because he likes doing things his own way, but because he feels isolated or segregated. Additionally, an adolescent girl may not be goth because she is cold and heartless and violent, but because she recently had a death in the family or a family tragedy. This idea of masking one’s emotions and not displaying their true characteristics ties in with the misrepresentation of potential one may display when at peace. Because they are not pushed or pressured, they may extensively plan their actions before performing them to maintain and support their external appeal.

On the contrary, discomfort in a (wo)man induces impulsive and on-the-spot behavior; things that would represent their true feelings shine through and beyond their mask like a light bulb is able to shine through its lamp shade. As King stated, during "times of challenge and controversy," one is put to the test and forced to act on instinct. This type of behavior closely relates to a concept better known as Ethics of Individualism. Although not true for everyone, most people feel more comfortable and less withdrawn when they are alone. A mask or "fake public version" of the person lacks necessity, because it is obvious that one does not need to hide oneself from oneself. Progressively, this idea can be implemented to the time spent alone. Most people are alone for a good number of hours per day, may it be during sleep or studying. Even further, a human will prefer this state of actualization because it is more relaxing to act in this manner. With all this in mind, conclusively, a human will resort to more satisfactory and comforting behavior as their natural behavior, and act in this manner when pushed and not given enough time to apply their mask. Thus, this natural state shows the true extent of a man’s behavior and potential, and supports King’s belief.

In summary, humans can be partionally analyzed with respect to their daily lives, and the waves of their behavior is found to be sinusoidal. By applying these findings, one may conclude that a man’s most genuine capabilities will show when they are put to the test without being given time to filter their actions.

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End.

Through the experience the United States acquired with participation in various wars, the advancement of weaponry and technology has been clearly noticeable. From the slaughtering, barbaric fighting of World War II to the tedious, elongated combat of the Iraq War, a progression is apparent in the styles of combat. As each war came and passed, the technology the United States had available to fight with changed. In some ways, they became more economical; in other ways, they became more dreadful and powerful. What is the relationship between available weapon technology and the way of using these weapons for fighting? Different wars required different types of weapons, as no two wars had identical weapon use. So, what things guide the way to determining what types of technologies are used in a war? Finally, what do we learn from one war to the next regarding what technologies to use and at what times? After a technology is tested and used in a war, does it change? And if so, what determines what changes are made? This paper will examine and answer these questions.

During World War II, the main reason of victory was due to productivity and growth of industry. During the beginning stages of the war, massive troop recruitment brought peaks of almost 8 million people enlisted in the army. Towards the end of the war, over 15 million had served in the fight. Immense quantities of weapons and vehicles were constructed. In his State of the Union Address, President Roosevelt stated, “… we shall produce 60,000 planes, 10,000 more than the goal we set a year and a half ago. This includes 45,000 combat planes.” The president also had some improving future ideas as well. “The rate of increase will be maintained and continued so that next year … we shall produce 125,000 airplanes, including 100,000 combat planes.”

There were more plans to mass produce products other than planes. Roosevelt proposed, “… we shall produce 45,000 tanks; and to continue that increase so that next year, 1943, we shall produce 75,000 tanks.” In addition, “we shall produce 20,000 [anti-aircraft guns]; and to continue that increase so that next year, 1943, we shall produce 35,000 anti-aircraft guns.”

With this massive production rate of weapons and automobiles, the necessity for a battle plan arose. Tactics and strategies could bring victory; but without them, the United States was prone to disaster and chaos. The United States devised a complex tank-infantry cooperation plan to prevent disorder and confusion. First, “The tactics … called for tanks to lead the assault over no man’s land and rake the enemy positions with shell and machine gun fire, pinning the defenders in their trenches.” Afterwards, when the area was generally cleared of opposing forces, the infantry came in. The tanks remained where they were, “for tanks remaining stationary simply rendered them an easier target.” This way, the infantry would survive longer for battle while the heavily armed tanks would receive the fire and take next to no damage.

When there were no vehicle weapons available, there were groups of infantry only with a specific type of weapon. The tactics changed greatly when these situations were the case. For example, there was a group of soldiers with rifles called the Rifle Group. “Its size varied between six and eight men, dependent upon nation and, of course, casulaties.” With limited availability in some cases, infantry had to adapt to what they were faced with. Although sometimes these rifles were slow-firing and at times frustrating, they had the potential to be very destructive in accurate hands. However, at the end, the combination of forms of offense proved to be better. Riflemen were important, but combinations were better: “The evolution of tactics gives that argument some validity, but ultimately without the presence of the individual riflemen the Squad would prove a one dimensional tool.”

However, in some cases, although there were massive numbers of tanks available, each division was limited to one tank, or even less at times. This was due to the proportion of infantry to tanks: “In 1940, the British Expeditionary Force had just two Battalions of infantry tank to support nine Divisions in France.” In these cases, the affectivity rate of the tanks decreased. To adapt to this dilemma, “the preferred option was to deploy a full tank company or squadron….” Even after these difficulties, there was no specific proportion or ratio set between infantry and tanks. They were used as they became available to deploy.

Amphibious landing craft also played an important role in coordinating attacks against enemies. These landing crafts, better known as boats, were mechanized utilities used for lifting military equipment. They were even capable of transporting entire tanks with little trouble. For protection, amphibious landing crafts also had their own form of defensive weaponry. Several machine guns or other similar weapons were mounted on the outside of the vehicle for defense of troops and crew inside.

Finally, the last thing that Roosevelt brought up in his speech was the merchant shipping. “In … 1942, we shall build 6,000,000 deadweight tons … and … we shall continue that increase so that next year, 1943, we shall build 10,000,000 tons of shipping.” All these drastic increases for production and industrial enhancement led to the United States’ victory in World War II.

Not only did the production of war materials increase; the funding for war shot up drastically. In Roosevelt’s speech “A Call for Sacrifice,” he mentioned to the United States that, “we are now spending, solely for war purposes, the sum of about $100 million every day in the week … but before this year is over, that almost unbelievable rate of expenditure will be doubled.” This massive rate of spending allowed the industry to rise at a rapid rate. Later in the speech, he mentions, “we must put more billions into war bonds.” In effect, the overwhelming amount of money will provide an overwhelming superiority of the United Nations: “so overwhelming that the Axis Nations can never hope to catch up with it.” This consistent reminder to the nation that we must put more available resources into the war shows a continuing effort to out-nutrition the opposers. With the massive amount of resources the United States has compared to the lower amount of resources their enemy has, the opposing side will eventually run short of resources and be forced to surrender due to lack of attack and defense.

There are many other things the war’s fighting style depended on; one of the key components for selecting weaponry is the geography and terrain of fighting. Air transportation was a vital necessity for conveying troops to islands. In addition, the infantry needed weapons to fight: “Victory requires the actual weapons of war and the means of transporting them to a dozen points of combat.”

As a variation to air, sea forces were equally imperative in numerous battles. A prime example that caused the destruction of many United States forces was during the Battle of the Atlantic. Although the Allies had a virtually infinite number of troops and supplies, Germany was equipped with the efficient and versatile U-boats, which brought havoc to United Nations’ defense. These submarines “nearly choked the shipping lanes of Great Britain, cutting off vital supplies of food, fuel and raw materials needed to continue fighting.” Germany had targeted the massive line of streaming resources.

To combat the massive losses experienced during the U-boat attacks, Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Great Britain brought together a Cabinet Anti-U-boat Warfare Committee. This committee found and took necessary steps to defend from further German U-boat attacks. They also developed new technologies and anti-submarine defenses. Once the production of proper mechanisms was complete, there were enrolled army volunteers titled as anti-U-boat escorts. A soldier with experience states, “… we sailed escorting tugs towing barges and equipment arrived at Omaha beach the day after D day.”

These anti-U-boats were also known as destroyers, and they were heavily armed with weapons. Most of them included “double turrets and heavy gun and torpedo armament….” These boats were originally called the torpedo boat destroyers, as they had powerful torpedoes with a high destruction potential and a very long range. Although the best way to attack using a torpedo is close range, these long-range torpedoes had a high accuracy rate. Even the bulkiest, most crudely built destroyers successfully completed their tasks: “Already, these ships, whose design had evolved from smaller and less capable ships, mounted all the armament that would go into the flushdeckers, but had a different layout.” When the development of anti-U-boats continued, different numbers of different types of weapons had priority over others. For example, “stressing torpedo firepower over gun firepower, the Gridley class mounted sixteen torpedo tubes but only four 5” guns.” Another example is the Fletcher with “modifications with three twin mounts of 5” guns instead of five singles.” The diversity of destroyers allowed the United States to gain an advantage over a variety of different opposing forces.

The vehicles anti-U-boat escorts controlled had sonar, depth charges, and other forms of direction-finding radar. However, this was not as easy as it sounds: “In order to be lethal, the depth charges had to land very close to the pressure hull within ten seconds of the disappearance of the U-boat.” These specific requirements required very skilled pilots that were very familiar with flying aircraft. Beginner pilots caused a resounding issue: “At first the aircraft and crews suffered from their inexperience.”

Finally, World War II was the marking of the beginning of use of nuclear weaponry. The most famous atomic bombings during World War II are the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After the United States made the offensive on Japan, the Japanese government surrendered to the Allies. This powerful and destructive force caused devastation beyond anyone’s belief. As realized by many people across the world, “the nuclear age had truly begun with the first military use of atomic weapons.” The United States held a weapon that not only killed, but also malformed and mutated the ones victimized. Although a relatively small weapon in size, the area its effects cover are massive: “It is 28 inches in diameter and 120 inches long. ‘Little Boy’ weighed about 9,000 pounds and had a yield approximating 15,000 tons of high explosives.” After the bombing occurred, many people were arguing about the ethicality of using nuclear weapons. Although war is against a country, it is immoral to kill immense numbers of potentially innocent citizens of the country.

World War II’s fighting strategies can be greatly contrasted with the ones used in the Vietnam War. Being America’s longest war, it took a great toll on the country as a whole, along with the countries the United States was fighting alongside. America had a desire to stop communism from spreading in southeast Asia. In the end, “the Vietnam War ended with the capture of Saigon by Communist forces and the surrender of General Duong Vanh Minh and his cabinet in the Presidential palace.” Although America did not meet total success, they used innovative technology to fight for what they believed was right. The nature of the soldiers fighting in the war also helped the country fight through until the end. Survey statistics show that 91% of Vietnam veterans say they are glad they served in the Vietnam War. If the Vietnam War were to be recreated, 74% say they would serve again, even after knowing the outcome. A common myth of the Vietnam War is that a majority of the ones that served were drafted. This is highly inaccurate; over two-thirds of the veterans that served in the Vietnam War volunteered, as opposed to World War II’s one-third. Because of this dedication and patriotism to the United States during the Vietnam War, 87% of the American population hold Vietnam veterans in high esteem. Finally, a fortunate result of the Vietnam war is that 85% of all surviving veterans were able to make a successful transition to civilian life.

The Vietnam War introduced a new form of transportation to the battlefield. During battles in deserts where storms are potential, troops needed to find a way to get in and get out quickly and efficiently without any extra work or losses. The Vietnam War is characterized by the United States’ large employment of air power. Helicopters were used to transport goods and troops in and out of battle areas. This type of war was relatively new to the United States, and when they first got introduced to the concept, they called it “air mobility.” This technique was highly effective against the communist troops: “American H-21 helicopters were used to ferry … troops into battle against communist Viet Cong guerillas in 1962. At first, communist troops fled when the troop-carrying helicopters landed.” The United States was able to rise victorious without even fighting.

However, the United States was not the only country that was adjusting and developing their weapons for a more efficient fighting style. “… at the important battle of Ap Bac, [the communist troops] soon learned that if they stood their ground, they could bring down the helicopters with relative ease.” This caused a problem for the United States, as the Viet Cong were being trained how to be the most destructive against these helicopters. They learned “…how to shoot ahead of the target to increase the chance of hitting it and where to shoot to cause the most damage.”

From this great loss of helicopters and troops, the United States made drastic changes in the ways they used their vehicles. As the United States got more involved in the Vietnam war, they increased the number of helicopters they used at once. The efficiency of helicopter drops drastically increased, and more troops received transportation with the helicopters. “Some combat operations involved over 100 helicopters at a time, plus fixed-wing air support to drop bombs and fire rockets at enemy troops.” This massive number of helicopters kept rising. By the end of the Vietnam war, over 12,000 different helicopters were used during the war. Army UH-1’s helicopters totaled over 7.5 million hours in flight time; Army AH-1G’s helicopters totaled over one million.

This advancement in helicopter and air technology proved useful during the Battle of Ap Bac in the Republic of Vietnam. On January 2, 1963, the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam witnessed their first major victory. Americans used helicopters to move quickly and transport troops from place to place, which gave Commander Hai Hoang and his troops little time to retreat. Although the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam downed many United States helicopters, the United States had proven themselves as a difficult opponent.

Using helicopters and starting an air war was a survival tactic as well as being a battle tactic. In ground combat, more Americans’ lives were lost due to the greater susceptibility to getting killed. However, when Americans used helicopters to strike Vietnam from the air, the chances of getting killed were greatly reduced. The United States used this strategy more often because it worked: “Once Johnson unleashed Operation Rolling Thunder, the air war over Vietnam escalated dramatically – from 25,000 bombing raids in 1965 to more than 108,000 in 1967.” At first, the bombings were only targeted against military locations and supply routes. However, as the war progressed, civilian areas such as roads, factories, and homes were attacked as well. “By 1967 the United States had dropped more bombs on Vietnam than the Allies dropped during all of World War II.”

Although fighting from the air was more efficient and effective, there were still ground battles. In areas safe from the mass destruction from bombs falling from the sky, ground forces attempted to wipe out the Viet Cong. However, the United States was inexperienced and had difficulty finding their enemies in unfamiliar jungles: “‘I could see neither villages, nor fields, roads, or anything but endless rain forests the color of old moss.’” The fighting environment was very uncomfortable for the troops, especially because of the harsh natural surroundings. There were traps hidden in the vegetation, and every step taken by an American soldier could be their last.

A development of a chemical called Agent Orange and the improved technology of aircraft were combined to form a defoliant. The trees, rain forest, and jungle were excellent places for the Viet Cong to plant mines and traps to kill American soldiers. In addition, soldiers of the Viet Cong could hide in the trees and snipe American troops without being seen. To prevent this, aircraft was used to spray Agent Orange across forests. After exposure to this defoliant, a mixture of herbicides, most of the vegetation was destroyed from the toxic compounds in the substance.

The previously mentioned spraying of defoliants was one of the air operations performed by the United States. With the various integration of air technology into other available forms of warfare, the United States had a great variety of techniques of attack. A specific operation with a correlation of spraying herbicides on South Vietnam to prevent vegetation protection for the Viet Cong was Operation Ranch Hand. The entire operation included a large number of different agents, titled by the color of the label on their barrel. “Between 1962 and 1971, Ranch Hand sprayed about 19 million gallons of herbicide, 11 million of which consisted of Agent Orange.”

Another air operation using newly developed air technology was Operation Pierce Arrow. During this military operation, new aircraft such as Ticonderoga and Constellation were used to attack Vinh oil storage depots. During this operation, two aircraft were lost, one pilot was killed, and one was captured and kept as a prisoner of war. However, the overall mission was successful; the United States was able to eliminate over 90% of the oil supply Vinh had in its depots.

Finally, one of the most significant but secretive air operations of the Vietnam War was Operation Barrel Roll. Simply put, “Barrel Roll was the U.S. air campaign conducted over northern Laos in support of the Royal Lao Government.” This was meant to be a signal to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in the North from the Republic of Vietnam in the South. There were a few key missions and objectives of Operation Barrel Roll. The first “was to conduct air operations in support … by the interdiction of enemy supplies moving across northern Laos.” Second, “aid was to be given by providing air support for Laotian grounding forces fighting the North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao.” However, things did not go as planned immediately; the operation started with the Laos struggling for their own survival. As the operation progressed, there were several air wars that broke out. Due to the United States’ developed technology regarding aircraft, the United States did not wish to contribute ground forces to the battle. “Lacking the will to commit US ground forces in Laos, the direct US combat involvement was with airpower.” At the end, although the United States was tactically successful, the Lao’s People’s Democratic Republic was still established.

One of the instances where the United States could not use their air warfare and had to adapt to the Viet Cong was during the First Battle of Saigon. It took place during the Tet Offensive in early 1968. The Viet Cong attacked South Vietnam from all sides of the country. They targeted key buildings and structures. A key monument, the Presidential Palace, was taken down in the capital of South Vietnam, Saigon. To cut off communications to the rest of the country, local Viet Cong forces attacked the National Radio Station. Most importantly, they attacked the United States embassy to disable and retreat the Americans. To defend from this attack, the United States could not use their air force as they would normally use to bomb the North Vietnamese. Instead, they used ground troops to fight back.

Finally, the last fighting style that will be analyzed will be the one used during the Iraq War. The Iraq War, also known as Operation Iraqi Liberation or Operation Iraqi Freedom, is a conflict that started when the United States invaded Iraq. At the beginning of the war, the United States believed that Iraq posed a threat to the United States from intelligence received. With the news spread to the United Kingdom, they occupied the country. Saddam Hussein was captured later in the same year, and was executed three years later. In the fighting that took place for this to happen, there were tedious waiting times that extracted every bit of patience from the soldiers participating.

In the ongoing war, people may hear a lot about roadside bombs. These weapons are explosives placed on the side of the road that are detonated when vehicles drive by. These explosives have killed many American soldiers supporting Iraq in their war against terror. The number of people being killed by these bombs are only rising: “The number of US troops to die in Iraq since the invasion began five years ago has reached 4,000, after an attack in southern Baghdad killed four soldiers. The milestone is likely to strengthen calls for US forces to be withdrawn from the country.”

Even though the number of American soldiers killed is very high, the number of Iraqi civilians killed or injured is almost exponentially higher. The killing style used in the Iraq war consists of a few people a day, and over time, the numbers rise very high. In a specific case, American soldiers are not the only ones that are being killed. “According to Iraqi Government estimates, 12,000 of its own security forces have been killed.”

After the United States invaded Iraq, there has been violent and destructive fighting as well, with hundreds of thousands of civilians targeted. “January concluded that between 104,000 and 223,000 Iraqis had died violently since the invasion.” Even then, this number is slightly inaccurate; the United States did not keep track of the death toll at the beginning of the invasion.

This mass killing style of the Iraq War has more statistics with large numbers. In overall deaths of American soldiers it was “reported close to 90,000 deaths by this month.” And because of the United States president: “a quarter of whom died last year when Mr. Bush sent in an extra 30,000 troops to Iraq, bringing the total to 160,000.”

Another known name of this war is the War on Terror, which describes one of the objectives of the war. One of the key reasons for the United States fighting in this war is to stop terrorism, which is “the act of unnecessary violence to instill fear into others.” This reflects the fighting style that the United States must survive through when participating in the war. To overcome the torturous nature of terrorism, the United States is making an attempt to spread the ideas of democracy into Iraq.

Finally, the turning point that started the United States’ involvement in this war was the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Terrorists used airplanes as their key source of weaponry and caused great destruction to the United States. Part of the war’s efforts include an attempt to prevent something like that from happening again.

In summary, the United States have developed greatly from its participation in many wars. The technology of their weaponry have changed throughout the years from the experience acquired from fighting. The losses the United States faced were turned into valuable lessons as scientists better developed the weaponry.

By definition, a poet laureate is “a person who has been honored for achieving distinction in poetry.” To deserve this award, one must put unimaginable effort into the work they do and how they do it. Maya Angelou, an African-American woman with lasting perseverance, has successfully crossed the line between an excellent poet and a true poet laureate. Defeating the hardships of her childhood, she wrote a poem titled “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” describing her unjust, personal adversaries she experienced from being an African American.

Seeing Maya Angelou’s abused childhood life, the poem takes into consideration the fact that she survived through mistreatment from her father. Her childhood was marked with her being an insignificant part of the family. However, while growing up, she defeated her failures in life and left them aside. She did not think highly of the things she could not accomplish, and looked forward to a bright future. She was sent around from family to family with nowhere to stay; however, she maintained a steady pace to her expectations for herself.

Even when she grew older, things did not go well family wise. She was raped by her stepfather when she was only seven years old, and lost trust in all human beings except her brother. At age sixteen, she became pregnant and soon became a single mother. Her true test of determination was shown here when she had her own child’s life to take care of and she did so successfully. With this in mind, she experienced the true power a woman like herself could hold. With motivation, she went on to conquer the rights and freedom she deserved.

The selected poem, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” is a prime example of Maya Angelou’s American views of life. The context of the poem uses two different birds as two different examples to represent two different types of people in her life: the free white men and the enslaved black men. Although the races of the described are never mentioned, the ideas presented have clear metaphorical connections with each respective race. With these characters, Maya Angelou was able to give the reader a better understanding of what it was like during her lifetime.

In the first stanza of the poem, the freedom and unconfined nature of the white man is depicted by the bird roaming aimlessly and boundlessly across the breadth of nature, enjoying the natural phenomenon of Earth itself.

However, the poem takes a sharp turn in tone when the introduction of the restrained bird begins. With the limited rights the African Americans have, they cannot take drastic actions to fight back. The verse continues by describing the dreams of African Americans. They are restricted, but they will continue to voice their opinions repetitively and protest for freedom and justice. Although they have never felt the thrill of freedom, they will continue to fight for what is right.

Once again, the poem returns to the peaceful, positive life of the white man who once again returns to the joy and tranquility of nature. The worms, representing food, are plentiful for the white men. They have enough power to claim the entire sky as their own. This is the prime representation of America; hoarding wealth, food, and belongings is a key characteristic of a majority of the American population.

Finally, the poem closes with another view on minority life. Beyond the pains and suffering, African Americans continue to fight for their rights and liberties. At last, the poem closes by repeating the third stanza. This creates a lasting effect about the persistence and determination of the struggle for independence and sovereignty. This repetition states, almost as a warning, that the African Americans will never give up.

Maya Angelou’s poems as a whole represent the American way of life well. Even now, long after she wrote her poems, the American people can relate to the types of poems she wrote and what she wrote about. The context of the poems are still relevant to the American ways of life, may it be good memories or bad things that could happen.

In looking at her poems’ topics as a whole, she has written about very American-related topics, including innovation of the American ways; ideas of freedom and liberty to the citizens; the rights of women, and minorities as well; what abuse is and how to deal with it; and feeling pride and honor in being an American.

Finally, Maya Angelou’s poems show a form of confidence that displays her true American nature when writing her poems. Thus, I believe that Maya Angelou best reflects the true American vision of a poet laureate, through her writing and thoughts put into writing.