World War II: A Letter from the Battlefront

U.S Army Base Camp,
Berlin, Germany
May 1, 1945

Dear Father,
I am truly sorry I haven’t written you yet. I am fully aware it has been over a week since my departure for Berlin, but you mustn’t be mad. The generals are merciless. If possible, they would have us working into the night on no food or drink. I get the equivalent of one portion of grandmother’s lasagna to last me the whole day. Mind you, the quality is not nearly as great. The food we are supplied with is stale, causing my stomach pain. I guess I shouldn't’t complain because I know other armies are worse off than ours. Even though we get the enough rations to sustain us, I am aware that others get less. So, I am holding my high. But, the constant work load does not help our situation. With just enough food to survive, we carry on traveling to different parts of the city, killing more people than I could have imagined. Not that I have any war experience prior to this, but I do believe this will go down in history as one of the bloodiest battles in history. I won’t go into detail on this matter however because I would not like to upset you.
To reassure of the good this war is bringing us, I decided that you might like an update on the progress of the war. A lot has happened in my short time here father. I arrived in the beginning of the Battle of Berlin on April 20th. Since then many events have taken place. We, the U.S troops, met the Soviets at Torgau, on the Elbe River in northwestern Saxony, Germany. Our leaders came back to us, reaffirming the plan to destroy the Third Reich. Shortly after that, Benito Mussolini was captured and on April 28th, he was executed. I know it was the death of a man, but it brought many people freedom from a fascist dictator. We were expecting that this would bring even more change, and it certainly did. The very next day, April 29th, the Dachau concentration camp was liberated by our troops. This was the first concentration camp opened in Germany, causing great relief too many inhibitors. Soon after, it was clear that Soviets were taking control of Berlin. On April 30th, the Soviet flag was raised over the Reichstag in Berlin. On that very day, Adolf Hitler committed suicide by gunshot and poison. I cannot say for sure, but he might have seen his awaiting fate when he came upon that Soviet flag, and decided he best end his life for himself. A just today, Grand Admiral Doenitz took command of Germany. I suppose it won’t be long before the German troops surrender in Italy, and Berlin fall under Soviet control. It appears our work may be done; meaning I will see you that much sooner.
I can already see relief on the faces of soldiers, feel the decrease in work load, and experience the pure joy of this moment. This is why I felt it was time to write you, knowing that you would appreciate the good news. Although I do wonder that by killing these enemies we have made for ourselves, have I truly brought peace to our nation? When I signed up for this job, I thought I would be helping more than harming. I do try to do right by you and my country. But why does serving our country result in the death of others?
Your loving son,
Benjamin Wright

Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Berlin

Anne Frank Reflection

Question:
In her diary Anne opined: “…if you’re wondering if it’s harder for the adults here than for the children, the answer is no…Older people have an opinion about everything and are sure of themselves and their actions. It’s twice as hard for us young people to hold on to our opinions at a time when ideals are being shattered…” (July 15, 1944.) Do you agree or disagree with this quote? When was the last time that you experienced the “shattering” of an ideal?

Answer:
I both agree with Anne Frank and disagree on this topic. I believe she is correct in thinking children are unsure about their beliefs, while adults know what they believe in. Children like to believe the best, but in this situation that Anne Frank is in, it is impossible to see good in the world. These children had to deal with real problems during their youth, rather than getting to play and have fun(the way kids should). For example, I always adored the tooth fairy while growing up. But, my parents having thought i was to old for her stories and gifts, told me the truth. My ideal of the tooth fairy had been "shattered", and i was devastated. I can not imagine having to have lived my whole life with any of those types of childish ideals. They make childhood enjoyable, and lead to an enjoyable life. However, I also disagree with this Anne Frank on the difficulty for the adults in this situation. They may be confident in their opinions, but they have also known better times. They have grown up without the injustice towards their religion, a fascist dictator, and overall worse quality of life than Anne has. Children on the other hand, are not accustomed to equal rights, stable government, and a better quality of life. This life is almost all the children have ever known, as opposed to the adults. In this way, the situation her family is in may be even harder for adults.

Image: http://www.annefrank.org/upload/Kinderjaren/P8AnneFrank16.jpg

Animal Farm Movie vs. Book

Overall, the movie covered the main points of the book, but there were some minor changes. One of the main differences between the movie and the book of Animal Farm was a few of the characters that were present in the book, were not in the movie. Mrs. Jones, Mollie, and Clover were all absent in the movie. I was curious to why they would remove some characters from the storyline. Even the animals that were in the movie played much less of a role than they had in the book. Another difference between the movie and the book of Animal Farm is being able to see what happens on the farm. While reading the book we had to make assumptions on many of the topics, such as the fall of the windmill. But, in the movie we saw these different events play out. We witnessed Mr. Jones blow up the Windmill with dynamite during the Battle of the Windmill. The movie gave us a lot more information on the happenings of the farm. Yet another difference between the book of Animal Farm and the movie was the ending. The book ends with the human farmers coming to Animal Farm to inspect the facilities, and later enjoy themselves by drinking, talking, and playing cards. However, in the movie pigs from other farms come over for a convention of pigs from all over England. They spread the idea of Animal Farms, and later enjoy each others' company. Then it continues to show the animals of Animal Farm rebel against the pigs, the way they had against the humans. The story line of the movie and the book was mainly the same accecpt for a few changes to the details.

A Recipe for World War II

Ingredients
· A miscarried Treaty
· A failed League
· An accession of Leaders
· Accommodation
· Hostility on many fronts
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Now we may begin battling!
Step 1) Use the treaty of Versailles to whip the German flour with the (French and British provided) milk in a mixing bowl. Add the Austrian, Russian, Czechoslovakian, and Polish ingredients. Let the newly formed dough soak in the new ingredients.
Step 2) Use the League of Nations to beat the prolonged, defenseless, incapable ingredients into a single mixture (these will act as magnets to all the ingredients already in the bowl). If you have completed these step successfully, the mixture should be until crumbly and unsettled.
Steps 3) Gradually stir into the current mixture a few fascist drops of lemon zest (only three drops). Use with caution as these are capable to take over the taste of the whole dish. If overdosed, it could give the cake a tangy and unpleasant taste.
Step 4) Give the dough 2 minutes to stiffen. A break from course stirring will make it easier to work with. Resist from touching, but watch carefully as to not let the dough harden completely. Once it becomes to touch, it is unable to be worked with any longer.
Step 5) Place dough on a cutting board and pound (with fists) until it becomes a smooth slate. Warning, it may spread far during this process, so make sure to place in a large baking sheet. Using oven mitts, place in the oven to bake.
Step 6) Take out of the oven after 7 hours (for the dough to inflate and then burst), or until middle has been cracked open.
Place cake on a rack to cool.
Once cooled enough (center may take up to 10 hours), you will have yourself a scrumptious Bundt cake!

My character in Animal Farm

There are many characters in the novel Animal Farm, but I identify most with Benjamin. Benjamin is the cynical, indifferent donkey who rarely talked among the other animals as it explains on page 4 He doesn’t necessarily play a main role in the novel, but he is still a very powerful character. At the beginning, during the unrest before the rebellion, Benjamin refuses to take part in the animals’ issues. He is like me in this way because I do not like to get involved in conflicts that don’t concern me personally. Like me, he would watch as the situation plays out. This leads to Benjamin lack of involvement during the rebellion. Another way Benjamin and I are also alike is in the way that Benjamin can foresee what will come from these conflicts, but knows he cannot affect the animals enough for it to make a difference. He has his premonitions of what is to come, but doesn’t chose to share them with the group of animals. In the end, the other animals will do what they wish according to their own thoughts and feelings. They will listen, and follow their leader no matter what Benjamin will say. Like him, I usually have intuitions of how situations will play out, but rarely share these with others due to the others’ right to make their own decisions. Finally, Benjamin and I are alike in not wanting to voice our opinions to our peers. He is very quiet, and rarely talks amongst his fellow animals, except for the occasional discussions with his friend Boxer. We both have our opinions, like everyone else, but we usually do not choose to share them. I prefer to let others handle these situations without sharing my thoughts because I do not have enough power to affect others choices. In these ways, Benjamin and I are most alike than any other characters in Animal Farm.

Image: http://www.bradfitzpatrick.com/store/images/products/preview/a037-cartoon-donkey-clipart.jpg