"The more I read about this condition, the more I read about my brother, an individual unlike anybody I have ever met before. Clearly, not only does my brother have Asperger's syndrome, he is the poster-boy for it." (176)
This passage moves me emotionally because you can feel the weight being lifted on Augusten's shoulders when he discovers the condition behind his brother's confusing personality. His lack of social skills, lack of interest in other people, avoidance of eye-to-eye contact all match up with the symptoms of Asperger's syndrome. The idea that his brother is not alone and that people with this syndrome are often associated with genius must also be quite relieving.
"My next emotion is one of protection. I will now beat the shit out of anybody who is mean to my big, lumbering brother with his unusual, one-in-a-trillion brain." (177)
This passage moves me emotionally because it shows the bond between siblings that is very common, but at the same time quite special. Augusten feels for his brother and would do anything to protect him from malicious verbal attacks even though he is a full-grown man. I hope to have this same bond years from now and be willing to do anything for my brother and sister.
Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett
""You went to Vermont. You don't know how it was."" It was the meanest thing I could say to her, because Lucy couldn't stand the thought of being anywhere other than exactly in the middle of where everything was happening." (221)
This passage moves me emotionally because I have had the same feeling of longing to be in the middle of all the action whether it be the catching of a great fish or seeing a building fire in person. It is often painful to hear about things that happened second hand and understand that you could have seen it happen with your own eyes. Photographs can only capture so much and in the end a vivid memory will last a lifetime.
"History is strangely incomprehensible when you're standing in the middle of it." (218)
This passage moves me emotionally because even though I have truly never witnessed history in the making the idea that it is, "strangely incomprehensible when you're standing in the middle of it" is quite interesting. It is hard to imagine what Adrian and Ann were thinking while watching the World Trade Centres fall, but one can guess they were dumbfounded. We read about events like this in a history textbook, but do not experience their true shock-value.
After the Falls by Catherine Gildiner:
"I could hear all this because he was still screaming at the top of his lungs. A fool of myself. That phrase exploded within me and has clung forever like napalm. No matter what I ever did with men, I worried about making a fool of myself. I didn't know the rules. Had I looked needy and pathetic? I must have or my father, who was the picture of reason, wouldn't have acted that way." (25)
This passage moves me emotionally because of how powerful an effect Jim's words had on his daughter. The sentence, "That phrase exploded within me and has clung forever like napalm." is a spectacular description of what she is feeling. These words have stuck with Catherine for her entire life, which is quite shocking and therefore catches my attention as a reader. This is a perfect example of words that have the capability to scare someone for life.
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