Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is considered to be one of the most classic books written; everyone has heard of it and makes a reference to it once in a while (i.e. “hey Romeo”, Love Story by Taylor Swift or the movie Letters to Juliet). However, what a lot of people do not realize is how the book really ends. We all know Romeo and Juliet are head over heels for one another, but instead of a happy ending it ends in tragedy. Romeo and Juliet’s families are feuding so Juliet takes an herb to fall asleep in an attempt to be able to run away with Romeo. When he sees her he assumes she’s dead so he kills himself. When she awakes and sees what he has done, she kills herself so they can be together.

The whole story turns in to an ironic situation because Romeo and Juliet keep using words like “forever” and “eternity” that they will spend together, but who knew it would end up like that. There are many themes throughout Shakespeare’s play but love and fate are the themes that stuck out to me most. Love was shown through the relationship that aspired between Romeo and Juliet and how it was deeper than anything both of them had felt and obviously, willing to die for. Fate because if Friar John had gotten the message to Romeo a little faster, maybe he would not have killed himself, then Juliet would not have killed herself and they could have figured out a way to make it work. However, because of the poor timing, was it fate that they die for one another?

There is lots of foreshadowing going on in the beginning of the book. For example, Juliet says at one point, “My grave is like to be my wedding bed” and Romeo had a dream of Juliet kissing him while he was dead, which turned in to reality. Throughout the book there is lots of human vs society because Romeo and Juliet have to fight against their parents and other “lovers”. Some tones I picked up on while reading were misery, love, and violence. All three played a major role in making this story unique. There was obvious love between Romeo and Juliet. There was violence between Tybalt and Romeo and between the families. Lastly, there was misery in the sense of Romeo and Juliet not being able to together and not want to live without one another. Also, after they died their families had a sense of misery and put away their feuds for the sake of peace.

Overall, this was a pretty good read. I would recommend it to those who like the 1500’s style writing and a good love story. I think that anyone 13 and older could read it, just because the violence and the suicide may not be suitable for some kids and may spur some ‘ideas’. I personally liked the love story in its entirety and how it turned out nothing like I thought it would. I also had to look at the modern language translation a few times just to understand what was being said. In general, I think this book will be around for the ages.

Word Count: 540

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Eat Pray Love is a story if leaving it all behind to find who you truly are. In her memoir, Liz travels to Italy, India, and Indonesia. She has a different purpose for each place. In Italy she attempts “the pursuit of pleasure”; in India she makes the “pursuit of devotion”; while in Indonesia she makes “the pursuit of balance”; all of which I feel are something we all crave to be in our own life.  All in all Liz learns, through her plethora of experiences, who she is and learns the art of forgiving yourself and living by your definition of happy.

Eat Pray Love was a fantastic book. I loved the way the author used different phrases from each country. For example, in the chapter about Italy she uses un’amica stretta, which means a “close friend”. I also like how she talks about her internal struggle. There is a lot of human vs human throughout the whole book. In the beginning she walks out of her marriage, then eventually finds a guy to fill her void, then struggles with depression. It makes me feel connected to the writer and she writes out the conversations in her head with herself, which add to the connection.

The overall theme in this book is religion. While Liz doesn’t necessarily believe in God she believes in a God, she doesn’t know what it is though. She basically starts her voyage to find herself and make that connection with a greater being. The author includes a humorous and reflective tone. She makes small jokes though out. I would definitely recommend this book, especially to anyone who wants to travel or likes other cultures. Also, I think the audience for this book should be at least high school age, because of some of the language contained within the pages and some topics that are discussed.

In the beginning, Liz talks about a trip to India she had before where a medicine man gave her advice and told her some things to look out for in life. The encounter with the medicine man forshadowed events that actually happened later. One example was, he told her that she’d loose all her money but not to worry because it would all come back quickly. It happened when Liz’s ex husband finally accepted her final divroce settlement of giving basically everything. That included part of her salary and the income she gets on her previously published books. Liz became broke but then a few weeks later her publisher bought her book about her travels to these three different countries in advance, giving her more than enough to cover her expenses and what not.

In the end, Eat Pray Love was one of the best books I’ve read. The author’s rhetorical techniques captured my attention to where I didn’t want to put the book down and it inspired me to start learning Italian after the AP tests. This book has also left me wondering what I want to do with my life. It would help anyone who reads it start to wonder what their purpose is, and what there is beyond their comfort zone.

Word Count: 525

Gulliver's Travel by Jonathan Swift

            Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift is a book of adventure, new lands, discovering new places and things…or is it? In Gulliver’s Travels, Lemuel Gulliver travels from England to different countries and has experiences that are outlandish and peculiar. While I thought the book and its characters’ tone seemed a little defensive and arrogant, almost satiric, (I thought this because of how Gulliver is always asking for the reader’s forgiveness while also not seeming to care and babble on about things that do not matter the reader, the ones he cared for their opinions the most), I looked it up to find it in fact was about a conflict with the English government of Swift’s day. I love this because while he is confronting something personal he turns it into a great story that is very interesting and captivating to the reader.

            In Swift’s book there are a plethora of possible themes that could be taken away. For example, one theme could be man versus society. Lemuel Gulliver is somehow imperfect in every new country and society he travels to. The society, who may at first accept him, always be rid of him in one way or another. In Lilliput the king was displeased when Gulliver would not continued to help them and charged him with treason and in Brobdingnag, the king disliked that he has used guns, etc and Gulliver’s “travel box” is conveniently dropped into the ocean by a giant eagle. Gulliver also finds imperfections within the majority of places he visits. For instance, he finds that when in Brobdingnag even thought the ladies let him run on them while they are not clothes; he discovers the size of their pores to be disgusting. I find his first few experiences in those societies and foreshadowing of what will become of his rejection of society.

            Another thing that was unique to Swift’s work was the reappearance of a few things through out the book. One thing that was reoccurring was Gulliver’s clothing. He always described specifically the clothing he was wearing tearing or receiving, whether it was great, too big, to this or that he always had to mention it and spent a great length of time on it. Also, human waste came up frequently; once when he put out the fire by relieving himself on the Queen’s home, or when others in Houyhnhnm country would throw it and the flies that drop it on his food, etc.  I am honestly not sure what that’s supposed to mean or if it’s like the women whom he found disgusting just because of their giant bodies or if it is just a coincidence.

            Overall, this is a fantastic book. I think Gulliver’s Travels is my favorite piece of classic literature that I’ve read, so far. I recommend it to my peers and even adults who enjoy reading classical literature. Even though it is an old, satiric piece of work, it is enchanting and enjoyable. I find most classics to be hard to follow along with and I get lost in the first paragraph, but I liked how this book was not like that, I was actually able to comprehend what was going on and maintain an understanding.

Word Count: 535 words