The Blinding, Comforting Light:

An Essay on Light’s Place in My Life and in A tale of Two Cities

Jordan Crawford

9th Grade English

November 30, 2011

    When you walk into a dark room your first thought is probably, “where is a light switch”. Well have you ever stopped to consider the significance that the small light has or what it could symbolize; and the most common answer would probably be no.I personally don’t stop very often to think about small environmental details like that. But, if you ever do take the time to stop and consider the significances of lights or other small items, you may be amazed at the many things lights can be related to.  
    My first example would be books, those sheets of paper that make up something remarkable, such as A Tale of Two Cities. One of the chapters in this book revolves around Mr. Manette and how he was locked for, an extended time period, in a dark room. In one instance the light starved man even sounds scared of the light after being in the dark for so long. When one of the characters wants to open the blinds in the room Mr. Manette lives in, he asks the nervous man if he can handle more light and Mr. Manette responds, “I must bear it, if you let it in.” and this was said to be said with words that were tainted with stress. Outside this room the poor people of France are following their moods that, in some ways, follow the climate. When the weather was bright and sunny on a winter day a cask of wine broke and this caused a huge crowd filled with happiness. When all the wine was drunk a cloud passed over and the moods went back to the way they were before the wine incident. In another part of France there is a dark, ugly, overall unpleasant, little bank with cheese people. At Telson’s Bank the new employees are kept out of sight until they have spent all there wake hours at the bank so they don't see the light until they are a regular Telson’s Bank employees. Cheese is kept in the dark of stores also until it develops the familiar and standard blue look of Blue cheese and is ready to be seen by costumers. Charles Dickens may have had many confusing passages, but almost all can be related to something familiar to you, the reader.
    Charles Dickens often used light to show the frailty of the townsfolk of France, but in my life light is always welcomed with open hands. Firstly, every morning during the winter the light of the sun shines brightly and usually warmly. Unlike the warm sun in the summers, the winter sun rises into the sky early therefore starting to warm Connecticut earlier than usual. On exceptionally cold days the sun’s early rises mean that I am happier,brighter, more awake, early in the day. On a likewise note, the afternoon sunset can be just as great as the morning sunrise. For me the sunset symbols another day overcome for the school year. It is comforting to know that no matter how hard the day was it is over and an easier one awaits and this thought makes sleeping easier. Overall the winter light is comforting, but light can symbol things more than accomplishment and can be comforting. During the cold winters we make fires, warm waves of heat that roll around spreading warmth. On the other hand, the weather at school decides sports games and practices, if it is dark and rainy we don’t play our outside sports. Overall, light can symbol, or mean many things for many different people.

Light is a broad subject, but when broken down ray by ray you can find the small things it does that you appreciate immensely. This goes to show that no matter if a connection is symbolic or simple it can still be meaningful. For Mr. Manette light was an alien subject that he was worried about. On the other hand, for me light is comforting and loved every day.  

    Self Assessment
1. I am trying no to misspell words in my sentences.
2. I Think that I used many good transition for my sentences.
3. A weak point I see in my writing is the wrong usage of commas.
I would give myself a B.