Beside the Nore
Strengths & Weaknesses ---- What works about this essay?
Well Hubert, I have to say I am very moved by your essay. You drew me into your memories and made me believe that I need to work on recording my town’s local history. I am also impressed with your personal story; specifically, your supporting of people through the Nazi regime inspired me.
A theme I saw throughout your essay was that of wanting to fully remember the days past. Your essay has time woven like a ribbon, effortlessly flowing like a river throughout the piece. You seamlessly transitioned from today to days past and back to the present. Well done!
I’d like to read a quote from your piece: SLIDE “Everything changes, yet there is a core of continuity…” This quote reminded me of something I was told as a young adult, SLIDE “The only thing constant in life is change” (1650’s, French Author Francois de La Rochefoucauld). This quote I believe shows us the fragility of life and how important it is to keep an accurate recording of what has transpired. If we as a culture fail to remember what we have done, how will we prevent ourselves from repeating the mistakes?
I believe you pointed this out to the world when you spoke out against the massacres in Bosnia. SLIDE You saw the atrocious actions of Milosevic’s repressive campaign against the Albanian Kosovars and likened this repression to the actions of Hitler against the Jews SLIDE. You were ignored, ridiculed even for your thoughts. If people had connected the dots as early in the Albanian repression as you did, maybe a majority of the 200,000 Bosnians killed could have been saved.
Another point you make is one of life changing, you discussed the improvements made to a local town when the railways came. How the canal and barge workers livelihood was made obsolete. Instead of those obsolete workers remaining in the town to enjoy the progress, they used the train to escape to a new life. Taking advantage of the tool that brought progress to
Well Hubert, I have to say I am very moved by your essay. You drew me into your memories and made me believe that I need to work on recording my town’s local history. I am also impressed with your personal story; specifically, your supporting of people through the Nazi regime inspired me.
A theme I saw throughout your essay was that of wanting to fully remember the days past. Your essay has time woven like a ribbon, effortlessly flowing like a river throughout the piece. You seamlessly transitioned from today to days past and back to the present. Well done!
I’d like to read a quote from your piece: SLIDE “Everything changes, yet there is a core of continuity…” This quote reminded me of something I was told as a young adult, SLIDE “The only thing constant in life is change” (1650’s, French Author Francois de La Rochefoucauld). This quote I believe shows us the fragility of life and how important it is to keep an accurate recording of what has transpired. If we as a culture fail to remember what we have done, how will we prevent ourselves from repeating the mistakes?
I believe you pointed this out to the world when you spoke out against the massacres in Bosnia. SLIDE You saw the atrocious actions of Milosevic’s repressive campaign against the Albanian Kosovars and likened this repression to the actions of Hitler against the Jews SLIDE. You were ignored, ridiculed even for your thoughts. If people had connected the dots as early in the Albanian repression as you did, maybe a majority of the 200,000 Bosnians killed could have been saved.
Another point you make is one of life changing, you discussed the improvements made to a local town when the railways came. How the canal and barge workers livelihood was made obsolete. Instead of those obsolete workers remaining in the town to enjoy the progress, they used the train to escape to a new life. Taking advantage of the tool that brought progress to