Brock's Virtual Bookshelf

Brock's Virtual Bookshelf

Books That Built Brock

These five books effected two different aspects of my life: the first three effected my morals and character which are portrayed as the top two pictures and the bottom left picture, while the last two books effect my political views which are portrayed in the bottom right picture.

1. A Long Way Gone

During my freshman year of high school, A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah was the required reading for my first Advanced Placement class. I loved this book so much that it became my inspiration to continue reading. In this book, Beah describes his plight as a young boy caught in the Sierra Leone Civil War where he was forced into drugs and killing. I could tell that the purpose of this book was to give Westerners an aspect of a different culture, like in Persepolis, and that is exactly what it did for me. I had no idea of the horrors of Africa when reading this book and thought most of the world is just like the United States with just a few changes. It showed me true pain and hardship and changed my personal values. I learned to never feel bad for myself because there are people all across the world who have it much worse than me.

2. Message to Garcia

This short passage also changed my character and personal values and sits at the number one spot on my favorite literary works. A Message To Garcia by Elbert Hubbard starts with an Army Lieutenant named Rowan and how he performed a task that no one else could. Later, Hubbard talks about what in Rowan's character makes this man so proficient in his duties. This short passage of only five pages changed the way I thought about every task, class, and project I ever put my mind to. This piece of literature shows that you do not need a novel to have a theme and influence a life and is a perfect example to why literature is written. 

This is link to the PDF and if you take one item from my reading list, I encourage this one:

http://www.benning.army.mil/infantry/199th/ocs/content/pdf/Message%20to%20Garcia.pdf

3. The Dead

The Dead was the third and last story that influenced my values. The Dead by James Joyce was my favorite literary work of the class and inspired me to do what I am passionate about. In the story, the main character, Gabriel, lives a passionless life and pays for it through his wife's long lost love for her dead lover. His lack of passion showed me that some of those who are alive are not living to their true potential, so I should live to my full potential or end up as Gabriel.

4. Animal Farm

Animal Farm by George Orwell is not only a famous Orwell novel, but also my favorite political book. Animal Farm is about a farm that overthrows it's human caretaker and implement a one-party system where the pigs control the farm. As the novel progresses, it becomes apparent that the one-party system does not fair well. This is an obvious allusion to the Chinese Communist one-party system that Orwell does not approve of. Orwell intelligently crafts Animal Farm, as well as many other novels, to show the greater government expansion leads to greater oppression. Also, this is a good example of why we read literature; to show us a different perspective of the same point to either further your belief or change your point of view.

5. Red Scarf Girl

Red Scarf Girl is about a young girl growing up during the Cultural Revolution in China. The Cuiltural Revolution was a disgard of the old traditions before communism to the new government approved traditions and those who were wealthy or had some status were shunned and stripped of everything they had for many generations. Her plight as a child, as she describes as a child caught in this oppression from her own government, is something that angers me and drives my political beliefs and actions. It even inspired me to become a Green Beret, who's motto is "De Oppresso Unum" or "To Free the Oppressed" to ensure no child falls to the same fate.