As I sit down on my bed
to write my second blog for AP English, I cannot help but feel a sense of discomfort.
Two sets of gleaming, furry eyes lay focused on me, and their rumbling bodies
purr. Yes, AP Englishers, I am a crazy cat lady. Although my house remains in
balance with two dogs and two cats, I must admit that I spend the majority of my
home time with my cats, Maisy and Tigger. One of my favorite discussions this
year came as the discussion of jobs that we have held throughout our lives.
Anna Witkin shared her tales of “cat sitting,” involving intricate joint exercises
that she provided to the felines. Although I cannot say I have reached the levels
of care that this cat owner extends to her pets, I do admit to caring for them
just as much. Unfortunately, my family does not feel the same proclivity to
Maisy and Tigger as I do. My dad often jokes about feeding each of them to
circling hawks, and my brothers openly hiss whenever either walks by. They have
even taught my dogs the same hatred—whenever someone ekes a “meow” from
anywhere in the house, my dogs will literally BOLT in order to nose dive under
my bed in search of their nemeses. I try to protect my cats, but more often
than not my efforts fail, and the age-old canine versus feline battle ensues. I
have noticed this same sort of protective nature evolve in certain characters
of each short story we have read, even if their efforts remain equally futile
as my own. Although living through
different scenarios, one thing every protector holds in common becomes how
their actions prove relatively ineffective. The wife in “The Second Bakery
Attack” may or may not have removed a curse. The Misfit’s gang shoots the
grandmother’s family in “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”. Many citizens remain
opposed to the presence of the inventor’s balloon in “The Balloon”. The police
can do nothing to resurrect the old man in “The Tell-Tale Heart”. As students
of AP English 12, we always put our best effort into every work we do. We may
not receive our desired grade, but we can build from the experience in order to
improve the next time. In order to stay true to the balloon inventor’s advice, I
try not to search for too much deeper meaning in my cats. Even as I write, Tigger
snores noisily and Maisy remains busy licking herself. I can only take from
them the lesson of caring for something I love, ranging from my own home to my
school work and beyond.
I agree with your view of not trying to search for the deeper meaning in certain things. Although I despise cats, I find the same comfort in my dog Tootsie. And I also take the lesson of caring for her and other things in my life, because I love them. That's a cool connection you found between all of the short stories too!
ReplyDeleteAs long as we're spilling secrets, I, too, am a crazy cat lady. Although I did not write about my love for felines, I did write about a similar theme as you: humans' tendencies to obsess over meaning. I empathize with your attempts to avoid pinpointing a purpose for everything, for I do the same.
ReplyDeleteAlyssa, I too admit inexplicably strong feelings of affection towards my cats. My efforts to protect them from torture at the paws of my dog have, unfortunately, proves futile. Therefore I believe that people should act as their own protectors instead of relying to others to defend them, like the independent Joseph in New Boy.
ReplyDelete