The Importance of Kindness

The Importance of Kindness is a video that encourages the audience to be kind because it can change your life and the lives of others.

Section I, Narrative
One way that George Saunders, the author, does this is by providing a narrative so the audience can connect to the message. “In 7th grade this new kid joined our class,” this quote from the video provides the audience with something that they can relate to, many people knew of a new kid in school or they were that new kid. The use of a narrative allows the audience to receive and comprehend the message on a deeper, more meaningful level. The take away is no longer foreign and becomes more normal and at the same time thought provoking.

Section II, Interesting Information
Saunders delivers interesting information when he speaks about what he did and better yet what he didn't do to stop the bullying from taking place. A quote that represents this is "another human being who is right in front of me suffering and I responded, sensibly, reservedly" this quote helps to point out that the author now realizes that they way that he responded in the particular situation was not the correct way to act. This interesting information helps to prove the point of the piece because the author points out and explores his flaws in that particular moment.

Section III, Surprising Information
In The Importance of Kindness the author wants the to make surprising realizations that they wouldn't have normally had when watching the video. He poses the question "who in your life, do you remember most fondly?... Those who were kindest to you I bet. But kindness it turns out is hard" this quote exemplifies the overall meaning of the passage. Even though kindness is difficult it is necessary to keep those who you love close to you. What makes this video interesting is the fact that when talking about kindness, people don't usually say that it id difficult. But the fact that Saunders addresses it makes a point that kindness is something that is difficult at times but that it is also something that is needed in life.

Catcher in the Rye 2

The vingette that I chose was the scene where Holden sees the nuns with the cheap suitcases. This scene also causes him to have a flashback to when his old roommate was jealous of Holden's expensive suitcases. Holden goes on and on about how he doesn’t like cheap suitcases and how he immediately judges people for having cheap suitcases. Holden tends to make snap judgments about people without thinking about it, but later in the passage when he actually speaks to them, he realizes that they aren’t that bad. This realization also occurs when Holden stops talking about his roommate’s suitcases and more about his personality. This is an interesting side of Holden that we haven’t seen yet in where he makes a snap judgment but then further explores his relationship with that person. 

Catcher in the Rye 9-10

Catcher in the Rye 9-10

In the passage by Daryn Kagan, the author speaks about her newish car and the persistent rattle sounds that it makes while she drives. No one seems to hear this rattle but her and her husband, it is a quiet thing that only they can hear. In the end of the poem Kagan speaks to the fact that everyone has a “rattle in their newish car” everyone has a “thorn in their side” everyone has something that “others can’t see or detect that you’re told to get over”. Kagan believes that everyone has something that they struggle with but can’t seem to shake, something they can’t seem to overcome.

In Catcher and the Rye Holden’s “rattle” is Allie’s baseball mitt.  Holden holds onto the mitt for sentimental reasons which remind him of his brother who passed away from cancer a couple of years prior to the beginning of the book’s timeline. From the way that Holden speaks about his brother the audience can see that he hasn’t completely accepted Allie’s death. Holden holds onto this mitt to hold onto his brother. After Allie’s death Holden breaks his hand after punching out all of the windows in the family garage, after telling this story he says “My hand still hurts me once in a while” (Salinger 50). The fact that Holden sometimes still feels pain in that broken hand, which exemplifies the rage and hurt that Holden felt after Allie’s death, shows that Holden still has that thorn in his side that prevents him from truly living.

Holden never really accepted or truly mourned after Allie’s death. He will always have a silent rattle in his car.