Sam
11/16/10
Mr. Salsich
English
Essay 8 outline
Paragraph #1
HOOK- How can a person split a ray of light?
CM-Or how does a whole world lie in a twinkling star?
CM-Thinking the way Dickens did, can be tricky business
Thesis- In this difficult writing there is many meanings
Paragraph #2
TS- This paragraph is extremely confusing and difficult to read, but it is filled with great meaning.
SD- This world is huge, (quote about France compared to sky)
CM- The sky is enormous; France is a small sliver of it
CM-This indicates that Dickens was comparing things
TS-I think the main point of the paragraph is, the world is huge, what’s beyond it is even bigger, us humans are not nearly as intelligent as we should be
CM- If France is a sliver of the sky, then the earth is just a twinkling star in all of space
CM- If the earth is just small sliver of space, then we most likely are not the most intelligent, (quote about human knowledge)
Echo- signify, indicate
Paragraph #3
TS- Paragraph has a lot of advice and meaning behind it
SD- The idea about not knowing everything
CM- Some people think they know everything, but they are 1 in 7 billion people
CM-They are a blade of grass in a field
SD- I often find myself in my own world
CM- But there is much more to Mystic, Connecticut
CM-I cant wait to expand my world and step out of my box
Paragraph #4
I think people get to wrapped up in their own lives
They don’t know what else is out there
It doesn’t matter if its around the country, world, space, people need to broaden their lives.

Sam

11/29/10

English

Mr. Salsich

What Lies Beyond:

An Essay On a Paragraph Dickens Wrote

Have you ever wondered what is beyond earth? What else could possibly be out in space? I think these questions are some of the most baffling. Space is huge and earth is a minute piece of it.

The paragraph on page 183 in Tale of Two Cities, is possibly one of the most puzzling. SD- This world is huge: “Thousands of acres of land- a whole province of France- all of France itself- lay under the night sky, concentrated into faint hair-breadth line."(Dickens, pg 183)CM- Dickens is saying, the sky is enormous and France is a small sliver and in the bigger picture, earth is a small sliver of the colossal(fast) universe. SD- The main point of the paragraph was that we humans are too big for our britches. CM- If France is just a sliver of the sky, than earth is just a twinkling star in a huge universe. CM- I think the human race thinks they are so smart and ahead of our time, “And as mere human knowledge can split a ray of light and analyze the manner of its composition, so sublime intelligences may read in feeble shining of this earth of ours”.(appositive) CS- Overall, the world is big, we humans are smart, but space is massive, there are bound to be more advanced planets.

This paragraph relates to my life and the world of 2010. SD- The idea about not knowing everything applies not only to the paragraph but my life as well. CM- Some people think they know everything, but they are one in seven billion people. CM- They are like a blade of grass in a massive field. SD-I often find myself in my own minute(fast) world, oblivious to what is around me. CM- However, there is much more than Mystic, Connecticut. CM- I can’t wait to expand my world, step out of my box, and expand my knowledge of the world.(coordinate) CS-Its human nature to assume(fast) you’re superior, but you can never be the best; there are just too many people.

Just like France is a small sliver of earth, earth is a small sliver of space. We humans have no clue what else lies out in that dark endless hole we call space. If there is life on other planets we humans are most likely not the most advanced. So what is beyond earth? This question will linger in my head for some time.