Luis J. Rodriguez

When I was in the fifth grade, I was assigned to write a book. The assignment was to write a “How to” book, and you could choose whatever it was about. So, I came up with my topic and I believed it was the beginning on the greatest book of all time. I spent time hand illustrating and writing every word on every page. Then, all I had left to do was make the title and cover of the book. With a lot of thought, I chose to call my book How to Wash Your Dog, it was literally steps on washing a dog.…

as all on stage seemed entirely committed to their characters, actions, and intent. No matter how serious or silly the scene, I found the believability to be there. While I found everyone believable, I found The General, played by Craig Culp, and J. Edgar Groover, played by Greg Threlkeld, to be the most convincing of the cast. From his wide dramatic movements to his round about way of speaking, Culp encapsulated the perfect manipulative, freak show, scam artist. You knew from the…

An inference I can make about a relationship between two characters is the relationship between Harry and Hagrid. Since Hagrid told Harry the truth about his parent. “But you must know about your mom and dad,” he said. “I mean, they’re famous. You’re famous.” Hagrid said this to Harry in Chapter 4, after bursting into the hut on the island where Mr. Dursley has brought Harry to escape the magical letters. Hagrid’s was surprise at Harry’s ignorance of himself and of his family underscores the…

Throughout the past hundreds of years, entertainment has been an abundant source of leisure and recreation for citizens, rich or poor. From the ancient Romans cheering elite gladiators in the Coliseum to contemporary couch potatoes binge watching their favorite sports teams on ESPN, entertainment has remained relatively similar through time. The art of literature is one of these forms of entertainment; its worldly messages have made it able to thrive over hundreds of year. One of these themes is…

Author Willa Cather in her short story, “Paul’s Case”, suggests that the main character Paul is unhappy with his lifestyle, and therefor he devotes himself towards living a life of luxury. She supports this by first showing Paul in his disciplinary meeting at school, then Paul goes to the theater, then he returns after the theater to the dullness and darkness of Cordelia Street. Cather’s purpose is to demonstrate that nothing good comes out of hoping for something that you don't have, and be…

Every child is warned of the “adult world” where all the magic and fairytales of their previous years disappears, where enjoyment is succeeded by exhaustion and monotony, where you have to pay taxes! During their youth, a considerable portion is dedicated to fortifying their emotions for their upcoming toils. However, what happens when life shatters this fantasy too early? Holden Caulfield from Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and Franny Glass from his short stories, Franny and Zooey are two…

Catcher In the Rye Task In J.D. Salinger's book Catcher in the Rye, the main character, Holden Caulfield has quite the adventurous downfall. The story takes place in New York City during the 1950’s, though in actual fact it is hinted that Holden is recalling the story in a mental institution. Holden is a troubled young man that is sent to his 4th prep school, Pency Prep, which he is then later kicked out of. This is not the only instance of him having a hard childhood, another occurrence is when…

The Catcher in the Rye is a novel written by J.D.Sallinger published in 1951. The story follows Holden Caulfield’s experiences in New York after leaving Pencey Prep, a boarding school he has just been expelled from. The novel explores complex issues such as isolation, alienation, innocence, loss and identity. Holden tells his story from a rest home, where he spends his days after getting tuberculosis. A psychoanalyst encourages him to write about the events which led him to getting…

The Tempest and the Power Needed to Rule The main motif of the play The Tempest, written by William Shakespeare (ca. 1611), is the power that a ruler can exert over his fellows and followers. In the play, this ruler is given form in the main character Prospero, the Duke of Milan, who was overthrown by his brother Antonio and the rival Duke of Naples Alonso, and exiled to a deserted island somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea. Over the course of the play, Prospero uses power in a variety of ways…

By the end of his three-day journey, Salinger associates Holden with symbols suggesting that he may be ready to leave the world of childish dreams and enter the adult world. The first sign of Holden accepting his role as an adult is when he takes Phoebe to the carousel, but sits on the bench. Once arriving, Phoebe goes onto one of the horses and questions Holden when she sees him sit on the bench rather than a horse also. Holden tells her, “maybe I will next time I’ll watch over ya… I’ll be…