Marvelous Happy Things

I read the New York Times ' review of Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman , and I was scared. It described the book as the equivalent of a horror remake of To Kill a Mockingbird . I did not want to read this new installment of Harper Lee's. However, being a student of literature, I knew that others would most likely be asking me about it, and so I read it. In To Kill a Mockingbird , the answers are simple. Stand up for the Negroes. The justice system will prevail rightly and protect those without privilege. Children can trust their parents to make wise choices. In Go Set a Watchman , Maycomb has changed. Jean Louise (Scout) does not enjoy these changes, and she confronts her worst fear: she and her father disagree. Though Atticus Finch appears to have changed, he has not really. He forces his twenty-six year old daughter to grow up. Jean Louise finds a new ally in her aunt Alexandra and an old one in her uncle Jack. The reader also learns about her relationship with possible b

It's not as easy as it seems. I've grown up with this perception that it is extremely important to have a good reputation. If you've read Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman , then you know that you must be well-liked. If people think badly of you, then you could miss out on career or relationship opportunities. So, I do my best to stay on everyone's good side. Does it sometimes feel like a manipulative balancing act? Yes. I never know when I might need someone to have my back in a situation. It's difficult to make enemies this way. Why should they hate you when you've done nothing to deserve it? It's also difficult to take a stand for or against popular issues. What if that employer all of a sudden refuses to hire me because I made one comment online with which he or she doesn't agree? Then I get a bad reputation, and opportunities start to disappear. It happens more and more often these days. Keeping a good reputation also means making every decis