Don 't judge a book by its cover. Being a commonly known expression, it also applies to people; don 't judge a person by their appearance. While conclusions about character may be made by just one glance, it is crucial to "look past the front cover" and to hear their story. Stories have a remarkable effect on adversity, and allow people to cope, which is arguably the most important aspect of being an American in the 21st century. Furthermore, stories not only have the power to give individuals an identity, but also in a multitude of people one will find such a vast array of stories to learn from. Lastly, stories are what bring people together. In Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer and 102 Minutes by Jim Dwyer and Kevin
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Millions of Americans each day come to their separate hurdles of life all from different backgrounds. In fact, America strives so much for diversity of stories, that there is a lottery “whose winners move to the United States, get a green card, and become Americans" (Nor). To illustrate a conglomeration of stories, on the day of 9/11 people from every walk of life were forced to overcome differences and help each other get out of the burning buildings. Throughout the …show more content…
Sharing stories has been a part of life since the beginning when it was solely oral telling. It has now evolved into every kind imaginable from videos to books. However, telling stories still remains a main point of connection. Two very different men from the 9/11 attack share the experience together. Immobile Ed Beyea must rely heavily on “Abe Zelmanowitz, another Blue Cross computer analyst who worked one cubicle over, separated by an aisle on the south end of the floor. Considering the distances between them- physical, cultural, religious- that they were now inches from each other in the stairwell might have seemed peculiar” (Dwyer and Flynn 43). The power of undergoing an experience together breaks down social barriers, as demonstrated in this quotation. Even though Beyea and Zelmanowitz were extremely different people, they were able to persevere with each other. Solely on their own, Beyea certainly wouldn’t have been able to survive and Zelmanowitz depended on Beyea’s emotional support. Additionally, stories are shown to be the basis of human interaction, and amazingly create the foundations of a relationship. Through coping with the stress and loss of 9/11 sharing stories bonded Americans from all different backgrounds
Millions of Americans each day come to their separate hurdles of life all from different backgrounds. In fact, America strives so much for diversity of stories, that there is a lottery “whose winners move to the United States, get a green card, and become Americans" (Nor). To illustrate a conglomeration of stories, on the day of 9/11 people from every walk of life were forced to overcome differences and help each other get out of the burning buildings. Throughout the …show more content…
Sharing stories has been a part of life since the beginning when it was solely oral telling. It has now evolved into every kind imaginable from videos to books. However, telling stories still remains a main point of connection. Two very different men from the 9/11 attack share the experience together. Immobile Ed Beyea must rely heavily on “Abe Zelmanowitz, another Blue Cross computer analyst who worked one cubicle over, separated by an aisle on the south end of the floor. Considering the distances between them- physical, cultural, religious- that they were now inches from each other in the stairwell might have seemed peculiar” (Dwyer and Flynn 43). The power of undergoing an experience together breaks down social barriers, as demonstrated in this quotation. Even though Beyea and Zelmanowitz were extremely different people, they were able to persevere with each other. Solely on their own, Beyea certainly wouldn’t have been able to survive and Zelmanowitz depended on Beyea’s emotional support. Additionally, stories are shown to be the basis of human interaction, and amazingly create the foundations of a relationship. Through coping with the stress and loss of 9/11 sharing stories bonded Americans from all different backgrounds