lydias essay 4

Lydia Schulz
Mr. H. Salsich
English 9
21 October 2008

The Beauties Of Appreciation
An Essay Discussing Appreciation in Zora Neale Hurston’s Essay “How It Feels To Be Colored Me”

Constantly in life, people are judging themselves, saying they need to be better or more confident. With the world that we live in, it can be difficult for people to stop comparing themselves or their appearances to those of big icons and celebrities. Some people might think, “Where does that confidence come from? How can they always seem so vibrant?” not realizing that all they need to do is have some appreciation for themselves. Zora Neale Hurston certainly knows how to appreciate herself, and now I must figure out how to do the same.

TS: As we can tell from her essay, “How It Feels to be Colored Me,” Zora Neale Hurston has much appreciation for who she is. SD: One aspect of Ms. Hurston’s personality that she truly appreciates is her culture. CM: She seems to be undoubtedly connected to her roots and what it was like to be little Zora of Orange County. CM: When she “set[s] [her] hat at a certain angle and saunter[s] down Seventh Avenue, Harlem City, feeling as snooty as the lions in front of the Forty-Second Street Library,” she is embracing and showing off her culture and what it means to her. SD: Many people do not realize how much their race can mean to them, thinking that they may be perceived as prejudiced or racist. CM: But Ms. Hurston compares herself to “a dark rock surged upon, overswept by a creamy sea.” CM: She is showing us that she knows how to really appreciate her race and how it changes her. SD: However, the aspect of Ms. Hurston’s self-appreciation that stuck out to me the most was her soul. CM: When she attended the jazz orchestra and heard the music, she had a profound experience sensed in the depths of her soul. CM: When the man sitting next to her did not feel all that she felt, she was astounded by how superficial a person could be. CM: This shows us that no matter what we look like, we are all like brown bags filled with “a jumble of small things priceless and worthless.” CS: All of these things have led her to a better appreciation of herself, for Ms. Hurston herself says, “How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company! Its beyond me.”
 

TS: So now I think, “What do I appreciate about myself?” and I realize there are multiple things of which I can be appreciative. SD: I came to recognize that though this is unrelated to me as a person, I appreciate the fact that I have a loving and caring family. CM: They are always there to encourage me, to support me, and to offer advice- something I admit I do not always accept. CM: Though I will always have brothers and cousins bothering and teasing me, I know that they would never deny my company, and I appreciate their tolerance. SD: I also realized that I would be a totally different person if it weren’t for my talents. CM: Whether I am learning in a classroom, playing with a sports team, or working in the art room, the things that I do well make me who I am, and we should all appreciate the things that set us apart from others. CM: The fact that I have things I can do with ease is very empowering and I have great appreciation for that. SD: Finally, I am thankful for my confidence. CM: I have never had particular issues with self-esteem or body image, and I think that not being self-conscious has helped me to focus on important things like achieving goals. CM: Being comfortable with myself has aided me in forging strong friendships, pushing myself to the limits, and most importantly, accepting myself. CS: All of these things have led me ultimately to a fine appreciation of myself.
 

These days, we can’t let things we see get to us and make us want to change who we are. Zora Neale Hurston has learned to appreciate herself, and I have followed her example. This is the way to overcome all of those qualms and insecurities, because we are all like brown bags filled with the assorted jumble that makes up who we are. What’s in your bag?

Ceilie's Essay #4

Ceilie Moore
Mr. Salsich
9 English
October 23rd, 2008

Appreciating Who We Are:

An Essay on Zora Neale Hurston’s Essay and An Appreciation For Myself

1. We all seem to have those moments when we just do not like who we are. 2. Whether we can’t stand the way we look or dislike how we act, accepting ourselves for who we were born to be is a bit of a struggle. 3. But in Zora Neale Hurston’s essay, “How It Feels to Be Colored Me”, it is very difficult to see what she disapproves of in herself. 4. Even if it's hard sometimes, I, much like Hurston, express great contentment with who I am and who I hope to become. 
TS: In her essay, Hurston writes about who she is and where she's from, without the slightest bit of embarrassment or resentfulness (FAST). SD: One thing Hurston especially appreciates about herself is how she is set apart from other people. CM: Hurston explains that she is different from every other person in the world by saying, “I have no race, I am me”. CM: In no way does she try to blend in with other people and she is grateful for what makes her different, because that is what makes her, her. SD: Another thing Hurston greatly appreciates about herself is her background. CM: Being African-American, she is aware of the fact that her ancestors fought for freedom and she is clearly thankful for it, but she also notes that it doesn’t affect how she acts. CM: “Someone is always at my elbow reminding me that I am the granddaughter of slaves. It fails to register depression in me”, meaning she understands who her relatives were, but it doesn’t define her as a person. SD: One more thing Hurston appreciates about herself is her company. CM: She recognizes the fact that she is a joy to be around, so when someone discriminates against her because of her skin color, it doesn’t offend her as much as it baffles her. CM: “Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company…”, proving she is just surprised that people are depriving themselves of her friendship just because she is black. CS: Overall, Hurston is so strong and so content with herself that nothing can bother her, because she knows and loves who she is, something everyone should learn to do.
TS: After seeing Hurston’s inspirational confidence in herself, it makes me realize the things I appreciate about myself. SD: One thing I really appreciate myself is my ability to laugh. CM: When times have been rough and I should be upset, there’s always something there to keep me going, which is laughter. CM: If I’m having a bad day or an unfortunate event happens (purposeful repetition), I am able to keep my head up high and find something to laugh about, proving I can stay positive in any situation. SD: Another thing I really appreciate about myself is the many ways I express myself. CM: I have a great interest and passion for academics, the arts and athletics, all things that I use for self-expression. CM: Whether I’m in art class, creating a painting, on the playing field, leading the team in warm-ups, or in the classroom, solving math problems, in each area of which I am interested in, I display a different side of myself. SD: The last thing I really appreciate myself is my everlasting potential to grow even more as a person. CM: In the last few years, I feel like I have evolved (FAST) in many different ways including I am more driven, more passionate, more outgoing and overall more confident (purposeful repetition) than I was just a couple of years ago. CM: I think that my capability of growing into as a person is never ending, and there will always be new things and new experiences that will keep me transforming into a better person. CS: In the end, there are still those days when I wish I could be smarter, more talented or better at something, but those moments mean nothing and the great qualities I have certainly outweigh those slight, unimportant things that I can’t and never will be.
1. There will always be things we wish we could change about ourselves, but those desires will fade away in time. 2. I used to be someone who wanted to look different, act differently and overall, be a different person (purposeful repetition), but I soon learned in time that I can’t change who I am and I have to be able to appreciate who I was born to be, which I now can. 3. Zora Neale Hurston is a perfect example of someone who is confident about every aspect of who she is and her essay “How It Feels To Be Colored Me”, she expresses how proud she is to be herself. 4. I feel that everyone should get the chance to appreciate themselves for who they are and live by what Hurston emphasizes (FAST) in her essay, “I am who I am, so what?”

Sarahs Essay # 4

Sarah Shourds
Hamilton Salsich
English 9
23 October 2008
Childhood Dreams
An Essay on Appreciation
To appreciate and to love are two different things. In the essay,
"How it Feels To Be Colored Me" by Zora Neale Hurston, there were
many things Hurston appreciated, such as her ancestors and her skin
color. In my own life there are things I appreciate such as my family,
my passion towards things and how I stand out from others
[Purposeful Repetition]. Both of us appreciate our ancestors, and like
who we are as a person and I don't think that will ever change.
TS Zora Neale Hurston appreciates her skin tone, her ancestors
and herself, and doesn't let the thoughts of others bring her down
[Purposeful Repetition of Her]. SD Hurston appreciates many things
in life, but one key element that helps her move on, is her
appreciation of her skin color. CM She appreciates the fact that she
is different from some people, and "[has] no race". CM This helped her
move through life, helped her ignore the rude comments, and helped
her be a better person by letting it go and not judging people by their
outer appearance but what's on the inside [Purposeful Repetition].
SD "But [she] isn't tragically colored," or dissapointed by her outer
appearance, she "does not mind at all". CM She thinks that everyone
should be looked upon as a blank canvas, and as they go on through
life, little by little their canvas will be drawn in with all sorts of things.
CM She thinks that everyone should stop worrying about their outer
appearance and start worrying about drawing on their canvas, or
living life. SD Lastly, Hurston treasures [FAST] herself. She has been
through a lot and learned to truly appreciate herself throughout her
childhood. CM When she moved to Jacksonville, and she "was not
Zora from Orange County anymore, [but] now a little colored girl,"
she learned that loving herself in any way possible was the best way
to get through the big change. CM One way of loving herself was to
simply ignore anyone's comments, and to just think of herself as the
one-and-only Zora. CS Hurston is an incredible woman and
appreciates many key factors that Americans tend to forget in life- to
love, and appreciate yourself.
TS After reading her essay I thought "what do I appreciate
about myself?" and many attributes [FAST] came to mind. SD The
first quality I truly admire about myself is what sets me apart from
others. CM I know I can be loud, I dress weird and I may not have
the best sense of humor, but those qualities alone help me stand out
of a crowd. CM I have a great appreciation for those several
attributes, because I know that no one else can stand up to them,
or do them as easily as I. SD Another aspect of myself that I
appreciate is the passion I put in towards things I love. CM For
example, I love modeling. CM Having such a strong passion for
this career has helped me move towards that childhood dream, which
I am now pursuing. CM If I didn't have such a strong passion for this
career, and I just let it go, I don't think I'd be where I am now. SD
Lastly, the most important thing I appreciate about myself, is pretty
much my family. CM They have gotten me to where I am today by
teaching me right from wrong, and by supporting me. CM They have
abided [FAST] by all of my busy schedules, and I know they will
always be by my side no matter what. CS I appreciate every
moment of my life, and thanks to all of these fine attributes and
family members, I even appreciate myself.
Zora Neale Hurston and I have a lot in common- we both
appreciate ourselves. No matter how conceited it may sound,
appreciating yourself can get you far in life if you just take it one
step at a time. Hurston learned to appreciate herself and she sets
a good example. Appreciating myself has got me to fulfill a
childhood dream, where can it lead you?

Timmy's Essay 4

Timmy O’Brien
Mr. Salsich
English 9
21 October 2008

True Appreciation:

An essay on Zora Neale Hurston’s essay “How It Feels To Be Colored Me”

        1. When someone mentions appreciation, people tend to assume they are talking about “thank you” and “your welcome”, but that is not always the proper [FAST] assumption. 2. Appreciation is also your view on life. 3. To be truly appreciative, one must acknowledge all the little things in life, and reflect upon how they make up the big picture. 4. Zora Neale Hurston seems to be one of the true appreciators in this world, and I try, sometimes successfully, to model her in that way.
        TS During her essay, Hurston mentions a lot of the little things in life that fulfill her or irk [FAST] her about her world. SD First of all, she appreciates the white passerby’s that grant her a friendly “hello”. CM They could have just kept going and ignored the little African American girl sitting on her porch, but they accept her and give her idle talk. CM You can tell Ms. Hurston appreciates this because she “needed bribing to stop” putting on a show for them, and they stopped to listen and watch out of pure will. SD Another thing Ms. Hurston appreciates is what people have done before her for her, but she must not always dwell on it. CM She describes their struggles as a race that started three generations before her with an “On the line […] Get set! [...] Go!”, and that she can’t look at what is behind her and feel sorrow. CM She has to realize what these people have done for her and all other African Americans in the country, but at the same time she must look to all the doors they have opened for her. SD Finally, Ms. Hurston appreciates individuality. CM She thinks that sometimes, “I am me.” And that everything around her matters not. CM She appreciates herself for who she really is by allowing it to come out with no hindrances [FAST] and “belong to no race nor time”. CS Ms. Hurston seems to appreciate many things, and these are just three of the examples I have interpreted from her essay.
        TS I also feel as though there are many things in life that I should appreciate. SD For example, my family, my friends, and even my acquaintances [purposeful repetition] should be recognized and appreciated. CM Through many different ways, they have done something that directly or indirectly affected me in a positive or negative way. CM For the positives, I should appreciate what they did, and for the negatives, I should appreciate what they tried to do. SD Another thing I appreciate in life is opportunities. CM I am very fortunate to have a family that can give me choices and that allows me to make decisions. CM It, similar to Ms. Hurston, allows me to focus on the present and the future instead of the past. SD The third thing I appreciate is individuality, much like Hurston. CM I, like the author, realize that everyone is different, and that I must respect them for it, and then appreciate them for those distinctions. CM I think that sometimes you really are you and you shouldn’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. CS In life, I appreciate many things, and I believe that they help me to be who I truly am, and to appreciate that as well.
        1. Appreciation is truly a glorious thing. 2. It allows people to understand themselves and everyone around them. 3. They must decide on the things that really matter, such as the little things, and pay special attention to them. 4. In the end, to truly appreciate, you must want to learn about yourself, about others, and about anything and everything else [purposeful repetition].

Sarahs Essay 3

English Essay Shourds 1
By Sarah Shourds
English 9
Hamilton Salsich
9 October 2008
Juggling
An Essay on the "Losses" and "Gains" in the Stories "Winter Dreams"
and "Sonny's Blues"
Losses and gains are two of the most popular games people play
everyday. People juggle losses and gains, toss them on fire and even
learn to dance with them. In the stories "Sonny’s Blues", by James
Baldwin, and "Winter Dreams", by F. Scott Fitzgerald, both main
characters learn to juggle their losses and gains, but only one
succeeds in their game. In one case, the protagonists gains
knowledge, and in the other case, the protagonist loses an emotion
thats hard to live without. Both protagonist learn life long lessons,
and have a hard time learning how to juggle.
In "Sonny's Blues," there is a lot of gains and losses between
both Sonny and the narrator. For example, at one point in the
story, it was almost like the narrator didn't even have a brother.
Sonny was never there, and the narrator was even scared to send
Sonny a letter while he was in jail. Sonny had lost himself, lost his
dignity and he had lost his own flesh and blood [purposeful
Shourds 2
repetition]. Going to jail was a rude awakening for Sonny, and it
made him realize his losses, and it made him think of how he can
control his losses and turn them into "gains". One of Sonny's "gains"
was in fact his dignity. He learned that playing music can help him
channel his anger and losses to make good out of them. He gained the
knowledge about the badness of drugs, and also learned that there
are healthier and more mature ways of unlocking the secrets to his
issues. In both cases the gain or loss was fairly important, and it
changed Sonny in a dramatic way. Sonny's loss led to his gain, which
could help him in the long run. His knowledge against drugs could
help him live longer and healthier and maybe even help him become a
better musician. Sonny has learned some life long lessons, and will
hopefully keep heading the way that he is- off of drugs and healthy.
In "Winter Dreams" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dexter shows
innumerable [FAST] amounts of emotions. He loses the love of Judy
and in which case he loses his sense to love. not only did his love of
his life just walk right out of his life, but she changed when she did so.
She lost the essence of true beauty when she walked out on Dexter,
and that tore him apart every day. On the bright side, Dexter gains
Shourds 3
all of the riches- minus the romance portion. He gained money, he
gained a wife, and he gained his ego back, until Judy stepped back
into his life and crushed it [purposeful repetition]. She made all of his
old feelings rekindle, then burst into flames. In this instance, sadly,
the loss was greater because it took away a key factor in Dexter's life-
his ability to love. He couldn't bare to look at another woman the way
he looked at Judy Jones. There just wasn't the same glow. He may
have a wife, and all of the riches, but love is a passion way above all of
that. It's an emotion deep within your heart, that if you take it away,
your whole life could sink to the bottom of the ocean. Dexter is
officially at the bottom of the ocean, and will never revisit the gates of
"love" ever again. As Clinton Burhans says, "Men like Dexter Green
do not cry," and when they do, it's a very large matter.
Both characters had lost something at one point, then gained
something in exchange. The differences in these stories is that out of
Sonny's loss he gained knowledge, and out of Dexter's loss he gained
wealth. These two stories are example of life and
how it all depends. At one moment, you could have your life totally
under your custody, [FAST] then in a blink of an eye you could lose it
Shourds 4
all. Both characters maintained their game of juggling, just like
everyday people have to do, and learn how to smoothen out the
bumps in their lives whether its drenching yourself in money, or
simply playing music.





Works Cited:

Clinton S. Burhans, Jr.. "Winter Dreams: ‘‘Magnificently Attune to Life’’: The
Value of ‘‘Winter Dreams’’." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Marie Rose
Napierkowski. Vol. 15. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 7 October
2008.
http://www.enotes.com/winter-dreams/magnificently-attune-life-value-winter-dreams

lydias works cited

Burhans, Clinton S. Jr.. "Winter Dreams: ‘‘Magnificently Attune to Life’’: The Value of ‘‘Winter Dreams’’." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 15. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 7 October 2008. http://www.enotes.com/winter-dreams/magnificently-attune-life-value-winter-dreams

lydias essay 3

Lydia Schulz
English 9
Mr. H. Salsich
7, October 2008
Give and Take
Some people would say that our lives are defined by the moments that make up a life, not the life as a whole. Those moments include everything from the best day of your life to the worst day of your life. They include the high points and the low points, the gains and the losses. Loss and gain (repeated throughout essay) was a major contributor in the stories of both “Sonny’s Blues” and “Winter Dreams”, and affected the characters’ lives in an immense way.
In “Sonny’s Blues,” the narrator, Sonny’s brother, lost and gained a great quantity of things. Fortunately for him, he seemed to gain a great deal more than he lost. For example, although the narrator lost his brother to the world of drugs, when Sonny was finally clean again, it helped him to gain a much better understanding of Sonny as a person. After Sonny invited him to the place where he was playing, the narrator not only realized Sonny’s talent as a musician, but he realized Sonny’s pain and he realized how much of his soul Sonny pours into the music. There were also many physical losses in this story. The two brothers’ father lost his brother in a car accident, but the narrator has suffered even greater losses. Both of his parents are gone and while his brother was in jail, his daughter Gracie died, though he is still making it through life and understanding that though he has lost so much, he will gain many things in return. I think the most significant gain in this story was the narrator getting a better relationship with his brother. When Sonny invited his brother to see him play, their bond grew stronger than ever because Sonny was finally opening up. This is a defining moment in the narrator’s relationship with Sonny. Though this story could be viewed as tragic, I think otherwise because of the connection Sonny made with his brother.
In “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the main character, Dexter Green, also did a lot of gaining and losing. When first reading the story, one might think that Dexter’s loss of Judy was his biggest, but in reality, the losses he suffered after Judy were much greater. He was just drifting through life without much purpose, sapped of all motivation when he lost his only love. With nothing to do but mope, Dexter’s life started to become insignificant. When Dexter had Judy, he put so much of himself into their relationship, much like Sonny did with his music. Dexter was in bliss when he had Judy, but was so empty when he lost his love that he lost his ability to really and truly love. Though he became thoroughly depressed, Dexter gained something out of his undesirable situation. As we know, “men like Dexter Green do not cry easily,”(Burhans) and instead, Dexter became much more guarded. After Judy, that caution made him play it safe with relationships, always wary of someone who might hurt him. Dexter suffered a great loss, the kind that no one should have to endure- the loss of his love and the loss of his identity.
It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. Sonny’s brother and Dexter both know the importance of this because they are people who have experienced both colossal losses and immense gains. They show us that life is a game of give and take, and that eventually, things will even out. All you need is a little patience.

Timmy's Essay 3

Timmy O’Brien
Mr. Salsich
English 9
22 October 2008

Gambling on Life:

An Essay on the Losses and Gains of Two Short Stories

        During life, many good or bad things can happen. You can lose a close relative or a necessary job, or gain a new relative or some needed real estate (purposeful repetition of four adj-noun combinations). Things like this happen daily all around the globe, but no one but the loser or gainer seems to recognize them. Right now, the losses and gains of Sonny and Dexter Green must be noticed, evaluated, and analyzed.
        In the short story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin, Sonny experiences some serious losses and gains. In the beginning of the book, Sonny’s life is going down the drain. He has lost his ability to be sober and to stay out of jail, his overall happiness, and he has entered a blue state of mind. He thinks he has nothing in the whole world to live for. However, near the end of the story, everything starts to come back. He stops using for the most part, and starts devoting (FAST) his time to music. He plays the piano in a band in hopes of gaining what he had lost, and he eventually achieves his goal and regains his true self. At the very end, Sonny’s losses and gains seem to equal out. Throughout the course of the story, Sonny loses himself and then finds himself in a different world – the world of music. It brings him back from his depressive state of self-exile, and enables him to recover his body, his mind, and his happiness (purposeful repetition). “Sonny’s Blues” is an ever-changing story of losses and gains.
        In a story called “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dexter Green takes on numerous losses and gains. He loses many things – the main one being his “ability to respond deeply to images of Judy and of their moments together.” (Burhans 16) For example, at the end of the book, he hears that Judy finally married and lost her spark, but he simply cannot care. He desperately wants to feel for her and understand her loss, but something inside him has left permanently. Oppositely, Dexter gains some things as well – mainly perspective on his haves and wants. As he reflects upon his winter dreams, he learns that things look a lot better when they’re just out of your reach. He thinks of Judy regretfully, remembering the moment when he could finally have her hand in marriage, but he declined and went his own way. During the story, Dexter appears to lose a lot more than he gains. He loses his ability to feel emotionally, and gains money, which, if put into perspective, is not equivalent (FAST). Money can be remade, but emotions, once lost, are gone forever. “Winter Dreams” is a meaningful story about feelings, money, and memories, and the balance loses and gains a lot during the course of the story.
        Dexter and Sonny both lose things and gain others during their respective stories. The significant comparison is that the losses and gains are presented in reverse order. Sonny starts with a terrible life, and ends with an enchanted one, but Dexter starts with a good future, and ends up dwelling in his awful past (adj/noun pairs). Overall, these stories show that no matter what is going on in your life at present, what happens in the future can either stop you in your tracks, or make way for brilliance.




Clinton S. Burhans, Jr.. "Winter Dreams: ‘‘Magnificently Attune to Life’’: \
The Value of ‘‘Winter Dreams’’." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 15. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 7 October 2008.

Ceilie's Essay #3

Ceilie Moore
Mr. Salsich
English 9
18 October 2008

Losing A Battle, Winning A War:

An Essay On Losing Everything and Gaining It All Back

       Loses and gains are a simple part of life. They are like a balancing scale: you win some and you lose some (repetition). In the stories “Sonny’s Blues”, by James Baldwin, and “Winter Dreams”, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, there are two protagonists who have a lot of experience with losing an immense (FAST) amount in their lives. In some cases these characters gain back something greater than what they lost, while others are left to wallow in their misery, wondering what could have been.
       In the short story, “Winter Dreams”, the main character is Dexter Green, a man who goes on an emotional rollercoaster ride with a beautiful girl named Judy Jones. Throughout the book, Judy and Dexter have affectionate feelings for each other, but the timing for their budding relationship is never right and in the end, Dexter loses all hope for Judy’s love. In the book, there is a section in which Dexter hasn’t seen Judy in seven years and one day a client mentions he knows a girl, Judy, who got married to a careless drunk and she now stays at home with her children. Dexter realizes his client is talking about Judy Jones and he falls into great despair and has to “accept[ ]…the fact that he could never have her” (Burhans 1) because she has fully committed herself to another man. Another thing Dexter loses is not only Judy’s love, but all opportunity to be with her. Within those seven years, he and Judy could’ve finally worked things out and started a life together. Instead, Dexter fled to the other side of the country, leaving Judy behind to settle for a man who is no good for her. Throughout this tragic experience, Dexter has gained one thing-a different perspective. He learned from his mistakes that he should’ve taken charge and told Judy from the start how he truly felt, instead of tip-toeing around his feelings like thin ice he didn’t dare step on. Now that Judy is finally out of reach forever, I think Dexter learned the lesson that he should cherish what he is given because you never know when it can disappear. Dexter is a smart young man, but because of his hesitant attitude and terrible timing (purposeful repetition), he could never find out what could’ve been with Miss Judy Jones,
       In the book, “Sonny’s Blues”, Sonny is a young man living in Harlem, struggling to get by in life and losing a lot on his journey to success. First off, he loses a relationship with his brother. Sonny and his older brother were once very close, but after his brother grows old, gets a job and starts a family, Sonny is abandoned, walking the concrete streets of the city alone. After being left in the dust, Sonny turns to a world of drugs, which eventually gets him into a significant (FAST) amount of trouble, causing his brother to come to the rescue and be more disappointed in Sonny than ever. As opposed to the many loses that Dexter Green faced in “Winter Dreams”, Sonny gains back more than he had originally lost. One thing Sonny gained was a passion. Sonny has a passion for music, especially blues, and although some laughed when he told them how he wanted to be a musician, he ignored them and gained something that kept him going, even when times were rough. Another thing Sonny gained was a new relationship with his brother. After Sonny made headlines with a drug bust, his brother came to help Sonny. At first, the reunion of the brothers was rocky, but once Sonny took his brother to listen to him play music at a club, the brothers saw each other in new ways. At one point, Sonny lost respect from his peers and relatives, he lost money to pay for food and rent, and he lost sight of what really mattered in life, but he made up for that when he got up on that stage and soulfully crooned with his blues band, because he and his brother had never been so connected.
       Dexter Green and Sonny both went down bad paths in life, not realizing what really mattered, love and family. But what differentiates these stories is the outcome. Dexter loses everything, while Sonny gains it all back. It goes to show how much you can lose in life, and how you can bounce back from it with just a little time, patience, and the support from a loved one at your side.

Works Cited
Burhans Clinton S. Jr. "Winter Dreams: ‘‘Magnificently Attune
       To Life’’: The Value of ‘‘Winter Dreams’’." Short Stories for Students. Ed. MarieRose                    Napierkowski. Vol. 15. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 7 October 2008.