Comparison/Contrast Essay

[pcliao]

Dear all,

Several of you still have serious problems with essay organization in your final versions. Besides, several errors in grammar, sentence structures, and spelling have remained "uncorrected" since your draft. You are supposed to improve each time when you receive new comments and are given chance to revise. However, it seems to me that several of you don't take your assignments seriously and don't try hard enough to improve.

On the other hand, I also see some of you making steady progress. I'm proud of and happy for you. Please keep going on!

Class, read models from Jennifer Tsai, Winnie, Yvonne, Patty
(above AA), Annie, and Peggy (AC).

Students mentioned above please do the following things:

1. Post your essay in your reply to my topic.

2. I know this discussion board dones't allow you to keep your original essay format. In order for our class to read more clearly, please skip one line between your paragraphs. Thanks!


Jane

[annie]

A White Man and a Black Guy

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A lot of people come into our lives and quickly go, so it is hard for us to imagine how a person who we know only for a transient time and is so different from us can have a great impact on us. However, in the movie Finding Forrester, this situation doesn¡¦t happen to Forrester and Jamal. Although it seems on the surface that Forrester and Jamal are quite different in their skin color, social status and the attitude towards themselves and other people, they do share a lot of passion in writing.

First of all, the most distinct differences between Forrester and Jamal are their skin color and social status. Forrester is a white man who is in a class of his own as a successful novelist and once wrote a best sold book. He is esteemed in the literature world because he won the Pulitzer prize when he published his first novel. Many people look up to him for his writing talent. On the contrary, Jamal is a black boy, so he is limited to a certain extent and suffers any racial discrimination. Many people look down on him just because of his color. For instance,Clarie's father keeps Clarie from making friends with Jamal because Jamail is a black man. Jamal comes from a lower class, so he needs the scholarship to enter the preparatory schoo, or he only can be educated in the ordinary public school. To sum up, Forrester has a respectable standing, but Jamal seems to have a little status of life.

In addition to skin color and social status their own, there are some other differences between them, which are the attitude towards themselves and others. Forrester seems very solitary and pessimisticly inward and closes himself as if he lived in the ivory tower. After his older brother passes away, he makes a prison for himself in his own home and tries to make himself disappear from the world.He doesn¡¦t go out anymore and just watches the outer world through his window. He is afraid to get in touch with anyone. For example,when Jamal brings him to watch a ball game the first time, Forrester uses a hat to cover his face and lowers his body to walk.After Forrester goes astray, he just hides in the corner instead of walking around or asking other people to find Jamal because he is scared to contact with people. However, we can compare Forrester with Jamal, who is young, optimistic and impetuous. Without doubt, he is talented no matter in studies or sports, so he can obtain the scholarship and can play an important role in his basketball team . Jamal doesn¡¦t yield to racial discrimination and always treats people with his sanguine heart. Although Forrester has a hot temper to him, he never changes his manner and uses his kind heart to move Forrester. Jamal also shows that he is not defeated, so he corrects his professor in the course in his high school. In short, Forrester is white outside but black inside while Jamal is black outside but white inside.

In spite of the differences given above, Forrester and Jamal also have something in common¡Xthey are both gifted and have enthusiasm about writing. Forrester once won the Pulitzer prize for his first book, and although he¡¦s self-contained, he continues creating works and never gives up expressing his feeling by writing. Just like Forrester, Jamal has lots of talent and passion for writing. His essay is the best in his prestigious school. He keeps writing in order to give them to Forrester to correct. ¡¨Jamal shares his love for writing and persuades Forrester to help him succeed in academic world,¡¨Holly McClure indicated in " It's Worth the Effort to Find Forrester"(13). This similarity makes them acquaint with each other coincidentally when Jamal shares his inspiration with Forrester and Forrester teaches him the skill of writing.

In conclusion, even if Forrester and Jamal have differences when it comes to the color of skin, social status and the attitude towards themselves and others,they prove that totally different people can still get along with each other.What come as a surprise to me is that they can not only share their own joy in writing with each other but also enrich each other¡¦s spiritual lives finally.The most precious thing is they make friends with each other sincerely in the end. As a matter of fact, although two persons like Forrester and Jamal get along only for a short time, they still have a significant impact on each other.