Marco's Virtual Bookshelf

The Books that shaped me

1) Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

I read Heart of Darkness the summer going into my senior year of highschool and was puzzled by what it meant at first. Marlow goes on this journey into the center of Africa and is bewildered by the behavior of the natives. Kurtz becomes somewhat of a mystical figure in that he has complete control of the natives and has become immersed in their lifestyle. Yet, Kurtz dies on the way back to civilization with the final words, "The horror, the horror". Upon reflection, it is clear that this novel was about colonialism and dealing with people that have different cultures. Going into college this semester, I feel like I can relate to traveling into unknown territory with people from all over that have lived very different lives than I have up to this point. It is easy for people to take their own ways of life and force those things on to other people. I chose to interpret the "horror" that Kurtz described as the manipulation of others beliefs for your own gain. This novel helped me understand that it is important to act responsibly with my culture and to not take advantage of other people by manipulate them to my beliefs.

2) Grendel by John Gardner

Grendel is unique in that it takes place with an antihero as the main character. Grendel is one of the villeins from Beowulf which I had read immediately proceeding my reading of Grendel. In Beowulf he isn't very fleshed out; he was just a monster that was waging war on a town that Beowulf had come to slay. In Grendel, the title character deals with existential crisis that leaves him isolated and confused. Grendel's ego was huge, and he felt like he was too smart for everyone around him. Anytime he tried to be accepted, he was hunted for being a monster. He often yells at the sky and questions his very existence. These are things that are very natural for humans to experience and few books I have ever read deal so bluntly with this topic. Why are we here? What is our purpose? What is real? This novel encourages reflection of the world around you. After reading this novel, I began to ask myself these questions and came to the conclusion that life is all about how you live it. You give yourself purpose by setting your own goals and striving to accomplish them. It doesn't matter why or how we're here, all that matters is that we are here.

3) The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

I read The Great Gatsby my junior year of highschool and it is probably my favorite book I have read. The enigmatic figure of Gatsby captured my attention and I wanted to learn more about him. After learning his story, and that he did it all for Daisy, I began to think they would surely run off together. But things didn't work out. Gatsby was a dreamer and he idealized Daisy to such an extent the he was in love with the thought of her, not the actual person. Gatsby never got the chance to come to this realization. This is something that I myself get very caught up in. Becoming so infatuated with someone that I build them up to be something that they're not. Being ambitious is a good thing, but it needs to be motivated by internal motivation. No matter how much you want someone to be like you imagine them to be, they are who they are.

4) "The Dead" by James Joyce 

After reading "The Dead" this semester, I had to go back and reflect on my own life. Seeing Gabriel try and do everything the right way and please everyone, but have passion allude him, really hit me. I get very caught up in thinking about what the logical choice to make is, and I don't spend enough time actually "feeling". This story showed me that it's not always about what people think about you, but rather the feelings you share. Doing things for the sake of being successful will lead you to an empty life without being truly remembered. Doing things because you are passionate about it is how you can live on even when you are dead.

5) Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter books were my childhood. The excitement of becoming immersed in a fantasy world with magic and fantastic creatures isn't what makes this books special to me though. The characters deal with loss, curiosity, and adventure. These things may occur in a fantasy world in the novels, but they are very real themes in the real world. J.K. Rowling tells a story with characters that display qualities that are truly heroic. Harry's bravery, Hermione's smarts, Ron's loyalty are all admirable. The countless quirky characters that all have something to say. They fight evil forces that are all about superiority and corrupted power, which unfortunately mirrors some situations in the real world. These novels instilled values in me that are truly good, and for that I will always cherish these novels. Inclusiveness and standing up for what is right are always what I strive for after reading Harry Potter. 

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.