12 Years A Slave- Text-To-Society

My second memoir that I chose to read was 12 Years A Slave by Solomon Northup. 12 Years A Slave is about a freeman who lives with his family in Saratoga Springs, New York. He is a very good violinist and one day two white men offer him a job for a lot more money that he was currently making. He took them up on the offer and one night while they were in Washington, D.C. Solomon became very ill, and then as he was going to a doctors office he passes out. He was drugged. When he wakes up, his hands and feet are bound in chains and he has no idea where he is. He later finds out that he was sold into slavery by the two men who he was traveling with. When he tries to say that he is a freeman, he is severely beaten. Nobody believes him, and from then on he is never allowed to say that he is a freeman. In the twelve years that he was forced to be a slave, he moved from plantation to plantation doing what his masters told him to do. When he didn't follow their rules he was whipped and beaten. Finally after twelve years in bondage, he is freed by his friends from New York.

The central idea I gained from reading my second memoir was that everyone has a right to freedom. Solomon had his right to freedom taken away from him and that was not right. Everyone has their right to freedom and it shouldn't be taken away from them, especially just based on race, religion, gender, etc.

My central idea relates to Brittany Maynard's death because she decided to end her own life. People who have moral objections to suicide really disagree with Brittany's decision. Since Brittany had her own right to freedom she could do what she wanted to. She was really suffering and she didn't want to deal with it anymore. I think it was okay for Brittany to make the decision that she did. She didn't break any law when she decided to end her life. I don't understand why people freak out so much over her decision. It doesn't even affect half of the people who are making such a big deal about it. She had her right to end her life and she did because she was terminally ill and couldn't deal with living anymore. She didn't do anything wrong, it was her own decision, not anybody else's.

Brittany Maynard's Right To Death

The Choice- Best Thing About My Book

The best thing about my book I am reading is the setting. The author, Nicholas Sparks, does an amazing job of describing the setting. I feel like I'm sitting there right along with Gabby and Trevor. One of my favorite lines of setting is, "It's not like an ocean view, where all you see is waves and water stretching to the horizon... There are always sailboats and yachts streaming toward the marina; if you come out here at night, you can see the crowds along the waterfront and listen to the music. I've seen porpoises and rays passing through the channel, and I especially love to see wild horses over on the island" (pg.156). I love that quote so much because I can really just close my eyes and picture exactly what Trevor is describing. It's almost as if I can feel the breeze coming off the lake, and as if I am staring out at all the different boats and crowds of people.

The Color of Water- Most Important Line

The most important line from chapter 6 is "God is the color of water. Water doesn't have a color"(pg.51). This line is important because it connects to the title of the book. It is the main theme of the book so far. When Ruth says that she is basically saying that God doesn't judge people based on their race or color. It helps to develop the plot because it helps James understand the no matter what God loves everyone equally. It doesn't matter what you look like on the outside all the matters is whats on the inside. No one is below you just because they are different than you. People shouldn't be rude to other people just because they are different. They can't help that they're different, they didn't do anything wrong either. Everyone should be treated equally.

The Choice- About the Author

I am reading The Choice by Nicholas Sparks. Nicholas Sparks wrote his first unpublished book while he was sidelined by a sports injury. He went to the University of Notre Dame for sales but when he had business setbacks he started writing again. His first two stories he wrote went unpublished, so he tried many other jobs. When he had his first kid he decided to try his hand at writing again. Finally his writing turned into his best-known story, The Notebook. The Notebook helped Nicholas to write The Choice. Nicholas wanted to write a book with the same kind of magic as The Notebook to show that he hadn't forgotten why people had began to read his novels in the first place. And out came The Choice.

Besides just writing, Nicholas also contributes to a variety of local charities in North Carolina where he and his family live, and also a variety of national charities. Nicholas also provides scholarships, internships, and a fellowship annually for the Creative Writing Program at the University of Notre Dame. Him and his wife both founded The Epiphany School in New Bern, North Carolina. Since Nicholas was formally a full scholarship track and field athlete, he spent four years coaching track and field at local high schools. And finally Nicholas and his wife started the Nicholas Sparks Foundation which is a nonprofit committed to improving cultural and international understanding through global education experiences for students of all ages. Between the foundation and gifts to Nicholas and his wife, Catherine, more than $10 million dollars have been distributed to deserving charities, scholarship programs, and projects.

Nicholas Sparks Biography