2010年12月23日 星期四

Ordinary People Produce Extraordinary Results

Summary
      Rosa Parks, mother of the civil rights movement, was interviewed on CNN on Martin Luther King Day because of her devotion to the civil right movement. Paul Rogat Loeb was also part of the show, and it came to his mind that the host’s explanation of Rosa’s story revealed the context of Montgomery boycott. Before her refusal to yield her bus seat to the white, Parks had dedicated herself to NAACP chapter and Highland Center, where she had met predecessors of civil right activists. That is, the success of the movement was achieved not only by her but by many activists.
       Though it was no doubt that Parks mad a great impact on the civil right movement, behind her story was the hard work that upset her, which showed that she was same as ordinary people. We found it difficult to be heroic like Parks because convention and media shaped models that were hard to achieve and skipped reasons and details behind extraordinary actions. Therefore, we believed that extraordinary people were different from normal people and ignored the fact that those who “were bathed in a circle of light” may feel hesitant like ordinary people. However, the grass-roots movements, for example, were composed of ordinary and forgotten people who fought for freedom and justice with perseverance. Besides, the most inspiring examples were people who “succeed despite their failings and uncertainties” like Parks.
      Park’s story told us the importance of joining together to change the world though we ordinary people may fail and be uncertain. If she and her peers had given up without humble work, Montgomery boycott would not have been heard. Therefore, only when we act despite hesitation and uncertainties would we have opportunities to success.

Response
       Ordinary people are often ignored. It is their seemingly ordinary behavior that they do not be noticed. Nevertheless, under their ordinary behavior and appearances are thought and consciousness that may be unique or even surprising. If they do not show what they think and do not be noticed by others, it is impossible for them to be thought of as extraordinary people.
       Most extraordinary people are like we ordinary people; they have frailties and encounter failure like us. As in gossip magazines, those who are more powerful, wealthy, and gorgeous than us sometimes make troubles and feel upset and uncertain when facing dilemmas. We could imagine that Rosa Parks felt worried and depressed when seeing that African Americans were still discriminated, though Parks dedicated herself to civil right movements. Furthermore, ordinary people can actually do extraordinary deeds. Without those unknown and ordinary people, civil right movements could not be successful because it was their efforts to advance the movements that America had the hope of being the country that all races are born equal. If fact, ordinary people have power to change the world. If ordinary people gather together, their power can be strong and cannot be underestimated. Therefore, ordinary people are the key to make the world better and different than it used to be.
      We can believe that we ordinary people have opportunities to become extraordinary if we have faith in ourselves. What makes extraordinary people extraordinary lies not in their fame but in their confidence, braveness and virtue, which makes differences between ordinary people and extraordinary people.

1 則留言:

  1. Generally speaking, your summary is quite clear to read. However, here I would like to give my suggestions. First, one of your sentences begins with “we”, which should not exist in a summary that would be seen as your opinion. Second, before post it on the online-writing web, please recheck your grammar; for example, you forget to put “the” before same as. Third, your last paragraph of summary is more likely an individual opinion which might be seen in your response. I think your response is good, but you should be careful to miss some words which may lead wrong grammar when you type your article.

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