The Lives of a Cell by Lewis Thomas

"Man is embedded in nature" (358).  Those five words summarize Lewis Thomas's essay, The Lives of a Cell, into what its overall purpose is.  To inform mankind how important cells are, and how they all come from nature.  Thomas graduated from Princeton University, then went on to Harvard Medical school where he gained his knowledge to become a physician.  He was a Pulitzer Prize winner for general nonfiction, which led to his strongly praised essays and research, such as The Lives of a Cell.  This essay was written for the New England Journal of Medicine, and was spread around to many books and different physicians, becoming a well regarded text.  Thomas wrote this with the intentions to prove his purpose that we may not think about nature, but without it, we literally would be non-existent.  We are made up of nature, including the individual cells that we need to make our body function, and make every day life possible.  He uses mitochondria as a metaphor to orchestrate his purpose, proving that they seem to be little parts of nature that mean nothing to us, but in reality are more complex and necessary than Jamaica Bay (359).  This metaphor is meant to make us realize that the little things we see and use may be of little help, but without them (nature) we are nothing.  Lewis had an intended audience of doctors and any readers of the New England Journal of Medicine, but his metaphoric references and use of imagery made the essay blow up into something high school students can read to understand the importance of nature, which is exactly what Thomas's initial purpose was.  If one were to ask these readers, anyone from high school level to Harvard Medical school, everyone would agree that his purpose was accomplished in just two short pages.

PHOTO: Kingsley Felix, These are just some of the thousands of little but very important cells we need and rely on.

Pamplona in July by Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway, similar to Mark Twain in that their presence was essential throughout the history of writing, was an American author, whose stories played a huge influence on fictional writing throughout the 20th century. He begins this essay with the trouble he went through when arriving in Northern Spain, and how every local in the town tries to benefit from the thousands of people that flood into Pamplona in July.  The hotel host was trying to make as much money off of Ernest and his crowd as she could, only adding to this adventure that he went through in 1923.  After describing the many different events that he witnessed throughout his trip, one analogy he used, which made his picture of Pamplona very vivid, was when he said "All the carnivals I have ever seen paled down in comparison.  A rocket exploded over our heads with a blinding burst" (Pamplona in July 98,99).  After effectively achieving his purpose, Hemingway's additional use of imagery placed me in Pamplona with him.  His purpose to make me aware of the culture of the bullfighting capital of the world was seemed to be achieved too easily by Hemingway.  He keeps the reader engaged by using subtle hints of humor.  When Ernest is writing on why there are little accidents during this festival, he says it is because everyone relies on the steers to guide the bulls safely throughout the streets (101).  Adding to the list of vivid essays that captivate the reader, allowing them to be placed in Ernest's shoes, Pamplona in July successfully conveys to the audience eager of learning about the world what exactly Pamplona is like in July.  Hemingways effective use of imagery, analogies, and diction kept me engaged, and placed me in Pamplona.  His purpose to show me the culture, and to entertain me of his past events was done with grace, never leaving me at a pause while reading the essay.

PHOTO: Callum Graham,  The thousands of people turn Pamplona in July into the chaotic city Hemingway described.

Corn-Pone Opinions by Mark Twain

As I flipped throughout The Best American Essays, Mark Twain's name jumped out at me.  Little is needed to say about this author, as he is arguably by many the greatest author of all time.  His Mark Twain Prize award is the most prestigious award for American humor.  I have always heard so much about his prodigious writing, but have never actually read any of it.  So, I dove into Corn-pone Opinions, and immediatly realized why he is such a praised writer.  Twain analyzes the meaning of corn-pone opinions throughout this essay, and writes on how there are no true, self made opinions in the world.  There are only opinions that are made based off of what others think.  He begins this by telling a short story of a young black slave that he would listen to preach during his teenage years in Missouri.  One day, as the slave was preaching his daily sermon, he said "You tell me whar a man gits his corn pone, en I'll tell you what hus 'pinions is" (1).  From that day on, Twain was intrigued by how all opinions come from the influence of others.  His purpose is highlighted when he uses a rhetoric strategy, connotation, suggesting why "Catholics are Catholics, why Presbyterians are Presbyterians."  It is because they follow the opinions of what their associates follow.  If I stop wearing blue jeans to school one day, then my peer will notice and stop wearing blue jeans, and this whole process will snowball.  The audience of anyone from students to pleasure readers can assume from here that there are truly only corn-pone opinions in this world, which is what Twain is trying to convey.  After finishing the essay, I realized that Twain hit the nail right on the head,  he proved his purpose that opinions never come from one's self-realization, and are only formed from what they are influenced by from others.

Cartoon by Glenn Mccoy.  Illustrating how the voter is basing his opinion on someone else's.