Prisha's Bizarre Takes on Lit

These next few years, I have a goal of getting into reading more. Ever since I was little, I was a massive bookworm. I mean, I would go through books like crazy, reading one every 2 weeks, and the best part was, I actually loved doing it. I didn't get a reward or anything out of it -- i simply loved to read. Although that passion has slowly dissipated over the years, I want to start it back up now - especially as I enter a new chapter of my life. Here's a list of the next 10 books I hope to read over the next 10 years :D #1: Freshman Year of College - How To Know A Person This year will be full of building connections as I enter a new era of life. I will be meeting new people, networking, and overall, trying to fit in even when I feel like I can't. Creating a good circle around you filled with people who motivate and inspire you can be hard, especially in such a new environment, so I want to spend some time working on this. One thing I really hope towards working is buildin...

  Over winter break, I watched a movie called  Super 30,  a film that is seemingly confusing off the title. Super 30? What does that mean? Out of a leap of curiosity, me and my dad sat down on the sofa, ready to watch a movie that had received raving reviews. What I saw changed my life (not to be dramatic or anything). A quote that really stuck with me from the movie was this one: "in ameer logon ne apane lie chikanee aur sundar sadaken banaeen aur hamaare raaste mein bade-bade gaddhe khod die. lekin yah unakee galatee saabit huee, kyonki in gaddhon ne hamen koodane ke lie prashikshit kiya. jab samay aaega, to ham sabase oonchee aur sabase lambee chhalaang lagaane vaale honge." Yes, I know this probably seems confusing, so let me translate.    "These rich people made smooth and beautiful roads for themselves and dug massive potholes in our path. But this turned out to be their mistake, as these potholes trained us to jump. When the time comes, we will be the one...

Metrophobia. An irrational fear of poetry. It sounds kind of absurd -- how can someone be afraid of words stringed together on a page? However, it may be a bit more common than you think. Many people tend to resist poetry, shy away from it at times. Something about this art form, so cryptic yet intimidating, scares people away from its beauty. The Road Not Taken. Written by Robert Front, this poem is regarded as a classic amongst many, having deep meaning within its stances. A poem that first stuck out to me when I read it. At first, I wasn't sure how to interpret its essence, as I quickly got hung up on the direct meaning of the words. I fixated my attention on the words, for example on the line,  To where it bent in the undergrowth;, or the line,  And both that morning equally lay.  I forced myself to try to understand what these lines meant. I think that's one of the ways we self-sabotage our ability to understand poems. We look for direct meaning in something, taking ...

Walking into AP Literature, I didn't know what to expect. Over the course of 11th grade intense AP Lang, I had strengthened my writing skills, learning how to analyze and articulate my ideas in a meaningful way, especially when it came to open-ended topics. I learned how to communicate complex ideas through subtle means of writing, a skill that has helped me through college application season as well. However, with all this focus on perfecting and crafting my writing, I fell behind on my reading journey, losing my traction of finishing a book a week like I used to. Reading had always portrayed itself as an outlet for me; a space for freedom of imagination where I could craft my own narratives. I was an avid reader, delving into mystery and realistic fiction novels whenever I had the time. A true bookworm. However, over 11th grade, my passion for reading slowly began to fade away and transitioned into a mandatory requirement. I only read when I needed too for an assignment, and read...

  I slammed the book shut — how did Iago not die despite embodying a crude, villainous persona all throughout and driving everyone around him into a manipulative frenzy? I was frustrated to say the least.  Othello: a famous play composed by the one and only, Shakespeare. Shakespeare crafted a story about a Moor manipulated by the evil ties of Iago and thrown into a spiraling series of events leading to the tragic deaths of Desdemona (his wife), Emilia (her servant), and unfortunately for him, himself. Shoulda looked for more evidence, Othello. And maybe, trust your wife. Iago getting ready to barbarically ruin Othello's life 😈 This play observes the discrete and careful orchestration of characters’ downfall crafted through Iago’s abhorrent scheme of lies, highlighting a motif of deception and manipulation arising throughout various instances of the play. Iago’s deliberate ploys were a part of the dramatic irony the audience was exposed to, making it all the more authentic to ...

This past week, we read and analyzed Candide, a French Novel revolving around the story of a young man named Candide and his journey through various spiraling adventures, surrounding by characters that either helped him or turned against him. Amongst these were Pangloss --- who acts as a philosopher and Candide's mentor/tutor. He is constantly offering ideas in moments of desperation or despair, putting on a positive mindset when Candide is feeling otherwise. However, through various moments throughout the book, Voltaire reveals how this philosophy that Pangloss preaches is the main satirical target of the novel, showing how his and other character's experiences seem to contract his beliefs. For example, Voltaire writes about a scene where Candide and Pangloss have just gotten off a ship voyage and arrived at Lisbon, where there had been a terrible earthquake -- a seemingly disastrous calamity. However, even in these dire situations, Pangloss offers his blind optimism, saying, ...