Essay 8

FINAL DRAFT

Madeline

English 9

Mr. Salsich

November 17, 2009

An Unforgettable Fight:

An Essay about William Manchester's "Okinawa: The Bloodiest Battle of All" and My Life

One event can change our lives forever. One experience can strike us, and that feeling can stay within us for the rest of our lives. In William Manchester's essay "Okinawa: The Bloodiest Battle of All," the battle Mr. Manchester was forced to endure changed his life, and his youth became wrapped around this event. Similarly, my young life has been wrapped around my experience at Pine Point School.

TS In William Manchester's essay "Okinawa: The Bloodiest Battle of All," I think the author describes the horrific battle as "the central experience of [his] youth" because the battle changed him, and this change was so drastic that it became the central point around which his entire young life revolved. SD The author's body recovered from the traumas of war, but his mind did not. CM Manchester was left completely disabled after a shell exploded next to him, but he was strong, and his body healed itself; however,"the invisible wounds remain[ed]." CM The gruesome images of war, trapped in his memory forever, would not let the author forget his experience; his emotional wounds still festered long after his physical wounds were gone. SD Another aspect of the battle that made it so important, besides the physical and mental injuries, was the devastating loss Manchester experienced as he watched his friends die. CM It is difficult to imagine being stranded in such a nightmarish world, where one is left helpless, watching friends, and brothers, die painful deaths, and nothing can be done to save them. CM All this grief has been branded on Manchester's mind, and he "will mourn them until [his] own death releases [him]" from the pain of loss. SD The impulsive grudge Manchester held against Japanese people is yet another way in which the battle changed him. CM The author became so used to thinking of the Japanese as the enemy that he cannot rid himself of the automatic hatred he feels for former Japanese soldiers; when the war was finished, Manchester must have found this instinctive grudge difficult to deal with. CM Being unable to forgive an entire race would certainly change a person, and could certainly become a nagging issue for a young man, as it did for Manchester. CS The battle of Okinawa left Manchester with a broken spirit, burdened with the weights of hatred, violence, and loss, and because the battle was so horrifying, Manchester just couldn't recover; it was impossible for him to leap over the hurdle of the battle, so it became the obstacle that held up his youth.

TS Thankfully, my experiences in life so far have not been as horrifying as Mr. Manchester's; however, my move to Pine Point School has changed me in many ways, just as the battle at Okinawa changed Manchester, and the changes have become a very important part of my youth. SD Before I came to Pine Point, I came home from school each day feeling angry and unappreciated. CM The school I attended was going through some difficult times, and it left me feeling terrible; school was a dreaded misery, and I remember wishing that I could leap out of the window of the classroom. CM When my parents saw that I came home from school every day with a scowl plastered to my face, they decided a change was needed. SD So, I came to Pine Point School, and, unlike the terrors of Okinawa, the "central experience of my youth" has altered my way of thinking for the better. CM The nurturing environment at Pine Point has encouraged me to embrace education and try to exceed my limits; instead of anger, I feel accomplishment at the end of the day. CM Pine Point has made me "bright...strong and inspired by ...[a] love of" new knowledge; my school is helping me grow my wings so that I can soar later. SD These days, my entire life is centered on Pine Point. CM My education, friends, athletic experiences, accomplishments, and my past and future are all contained within the single "Pine Point School experience." CM Without Pine Point, my life would be void of all the happiness that I have found through learning. TS My move to Pine Point has let me out of my gloomy cocoon into the light of education, and the changes brought about by this light are the most important things that have happened to me.

The battle at Okinawa scarred William Manchester, and changed his outlook on life. In contrast, Pine Point has cured my frustrations about education, but has also changed the way I look at my life. Both Mr. Manchester and I have been captured by these experiences of our youth, and our lives have been redirected, for better or for worse. One event changed our lives forever.