Six Word Memoir

Dreams have no deficits. Budgets do.

Apples to Apples

The New York Times article entitled "US Unit Secretly in Pakistan Lends Ally Support" describes US actions that are very similar to what Che began to do in Bolivia because in both cases there is a force that believes that a certain group of people would live better under a different system of government. However, one difference between the two scenarios is that the US is rebelling against a group that deliberately attacked them, whereas Che was leading troops in Bolivia against the government when he was not directly affected by the conflict. I think that we have been led to believe that there is a huge difference between the US actions in the Middle East and Che's actions in Bolivia because of the American propaganda against communism that deems Che's actions as terrible to the well-being of South America. Although I agree that Che's revolutions in Bolivia, the Congo, etc were not beneficial to these countries because of the killing of countless people, I do not think the US actions in Iraq are excusable either because civilians in the Middle East are being killed as well.

Argentina

"One morning the doctor didn't shake his head in the usual way. That was enough. Within the hour we were gone, heading west toward our next destination - the lakes. The bike struggled, showing signs it was feeling the strain, especially in the bodywork which we constantly had to fix with Alberto's favorite spare part - wire." (41)

This quotation summarizes Ernesto's determination through the voice that he uses. He emphasizes that he and Alberto left as soon as possible, without absolute confirmation from the doctor, suggesting that continuing their travels was more important to Ernesto than his own health. He also talks about La Poderosa as if its struggles do not bother him at all, but that they are instead just a part of the whole journey.

"On camp beds, the only beds we'd know from now on, and lying beside La Poderosa, our snail-like dwelling, we still looked into the future with impatient joy. We seemed to breathe more freely, a lighter air, an air of adventure. Distant countries, heroic deeds and beautiful women spun around and around in our turbulent imaginations." (40)

Ernesto's voice in this passage almost suggests that he takes pride in the fact that he and Alberto will only have access to camp beds for the next few months. Despite La Poderosa's lack of functioning, they are still very excited and full of anticipation for what they may encounter on the rest of their journey. In mentioning their "turbulent imaginations," Ernesto suggests that they had a very idealistic view of what this journey might hold for them (heroic deeds, etc), which is something that will definitely change as they continue their journey in order for Ernesto to reach his epiphany.

Theme #5 Introduction

This quote suggests that a couple bought baby shoes for a baby that they were expecting, but the baby wasn’t born or the woman had a miscarriage. The fact that the shoes were never worn gives this quotation a very somber tone. Since the shoes are being sold, the person or the couple selling them probably wants to detach themselves from the shoes because they could be causing a lot of grief. This also connects to “Hills Like White Elephants” in which the couple discusses getting an abortion. Although the woman in the story does not want an abortion, the story leads the reader to think that she may get one to ensure that the other main character in the novel stays with her. This statement could also embody her emotions in getting an abortion.

Essential Question

Who do I want to become and what impact do I want to have on the world around me?

I'm still very unsure of who I want to become in terms of a career. I know that I want to pursue something where I am helping others around me instead of having a career that has little impact on those around me. I think that one of the best ways to do this would be to pursue a career in medicine because I'm interested in science and I want others to be able to trust me with their health. However, it is unreasonable for me to commit to pursuing anything specific at this point in my life.

TMD Introduction

Short story:
I remember walking out to the driveway on my fifth birthday and finding a brand new blue bike with black tires and a giant red bow on the handlebars. Immediately, my five-year-old face lit up with joy. This bike was my first ticket to go beyond the driveway on my own. It was my first experience of freedom.
Everyday my friends and I rode the path down the dirt path that curved along the trees through our neighborhood. Feeling the wind at our backs and seeing our houses grow smaller in the distance made us feel beyond our years. Everyday, while we were on our bikes, we felt that we were the only people on Earth.
"The enormity of our endeavor escaped us in those moments; all we could se was the dust on the road ahead and ourselves on the bike, devouring kilometers in our flight." (22)

Ideology

Throughout the documentary, it is very obvious that Che has distinct values that he is willing to die to defend; however, I really don't think I have any ideals that I believe in nearly as strongly as Che. Just like much of the rest of society, I value honesty, integrity, and several other basic ideals, but I am definitely not willing to go to the same lengths as Che to enforce them. Even though I believe that these values are important, I do not believe that my values should be forced upon others, which was what Che intended to do by liberating Cuba with Castro.