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Persuasive Essay

Decent Essays

Michael Jordan once stated, “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb over it, go through it, or walk around it.” This inspirational quote motivated many to overcome adversity when challenged by it. The texts, Speak by Laurie Anderson, “Third and Final Continent” by Lahiri Lahiri, and “The Art of Resilience” by Hara Marano, all have themes similar to Jordan’s quotation. All three articles support this through symbolism, foreshadowing, and character interactions. A common theme that one must stay resilient in order to overcome challenges while also staying level-headed during the positive and negatives is shown in Speak, “The Third and Final Continent,” and “The Art of Resilience.” Throughout the literary pieces, devices are utilized to express the theme: one method the authors do this is through symbolism. To exemplify, in Speak, Melinda, a depressed survivor of rape, must draw a tree for art class. Throughout the story she has trouble creating this tree until Ivy gives her advice. Ivy explains, “It’s fine the way it is, it just needs some leaves. Layer the leaves and make them slightly different sizes and it will look great”(Anderson 146). In this novel, the tree symbolizes Melinda’s life. The moment her piece of art falls apart represents the time Melinda loses all of her innocence. The point in which Ivy gives her confidence represents Melinda changing her perspective on her situation. Furthermore, the article “The Art of Resilience” explains the theme through symbolism as well. To demonstrate, the words used by the author can be interpreted in a way to show the theme. She says, “Resilient people do not walk between the raindrops: they have scars to show for their experience. They struggle but keep focusing anyway” (Marano). Being resilient not only means staying strong, but also overcoming a problem harmed, but not defeated. In reality, one must be able to face challenges in life and not be afraid of backing down. Both authors express their theme through symbolism in their stories. These quotations show how overcoming adversity can strengthen one in the end result.
Throughout the story, character interactions led

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