Controlling

In the book, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, the main character Hazel is a victim of lung cancer.    It's almost certain that she won't live a long life, and she generally prefers to sleep, read and be by herself.  She says that it's a "side effect" of cancer.  When her friend Gus asked her what her hobbies were, she couldn't think of anything.  He then went on saying how he dislikes those who become their disease and let it stop them.  Overall, this makes me think about the unwillingness for some people to push past things that stand in their way.

For Hazel, her cancer has made her resort to just wanting to be alone in her room.  And even when she hung out with her friend, she told her she had to go home early when in reality, she just wanted to be alone.  She feels it awkward to try to make other people understand what it's like for her to have this disease, and has seemed to just shrug her shoulders instead of making the best of it.  This is one way she has "become her disease."  Another example I can think of in real life is when it seems that there is no hope, so people just give up instead of trying to fight.  For example, when others tell people that they can't do something, many agree and just give up.  However, I think that you shouldn't listen to others and always follow your dreams if you work hard.  In conclusion, I think that one thing shouldn't end up controlling how you live your life.

Use Your Voice

As I continue to read The Diary of Anne Frank, I have realized she talks about her personality a lot.  While she likes to say what's on her mind, and stand up for what she believes in, the rest of the hidden people in the Annex look down upon her for that.  They say, "Why can't you be quieter and not talk back like Peter and your sister?"  However, Anne looks down upon people like her sister because she thinks them cowardly for not standing up for what they believe in.  Overall, I agree with Anne.

I agree with Anne because I think people who never talk back or push for things they really want will be tossed about in society.  If they don't speak up, they can get taken advantage of and end up being unhappy.  For example, Margot is quiet but then in the end she does whatever others tell her to do.  Though Anne doesn't describe Margot's feelings, I can only imagine that Margot often does not want to do these things or agree with others.  Thus, many unhappy feelings may be bottled up inside of her.  Anne later mentioned how everyone is depressed, and Margot complains about headaches.  Maybe this is the affect of not expressing her true feelings.

Another example in everyday life is when others make a mistake about what each individual is supposed to do.  For example, they might think they volunteered to do something, when they didn't.  A lot of times when this happens, I notice that the person has a confused look on their face but then slugs off to do the task without informing the person who made the mistake.  They often end up doing something they don't want to do.  Sometimes it annoys me that they didn't just speak up and tell the person that they made a mistake.

In conclusion, I think that standing up for yourself is a really powerful tool in life.  Though I'm not saying you should talk back to everyone who disagrees with you, I think we shouldn't always back down and let others command our lives.  I think being a little agressive or a "go getter" can really help you lead your life.