PBA 2

Siddharth P's PBA 2

"Harrison Bergeron" SAR 2

"Ambition" and "Pokemon theme" SAR 3

Personal Narrative 4

Final Thematic Statement 5

Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.- This text exemplifies my pure need for competition. The story takes place in a futuristic society where everyone is “equal in every which way”(Vonnegut Jr. 1). This leads to a society where no one could be “better than anybody else”(Vonnegut Jr. 1), thus destroying any chance of competition. This lack of competitiveness led to the downfall of humanity—a world where even average people “couldn’t think about anything except in short bursts(Vonnegut Jr. 1).” This dystopia resonates with me, as I need competition to succeed. Just like most Enneagram #3’s, I am defined by my need to surpass others. Without this trait, I would fail many things. I resolved to advance in Boy Scouts solely because my friend was ahead of me. My competitiveness is what keeps me going. Just like the society shown in “Harrison Bergeron”, a lack of competition with others would lead to my collapse.

Ambition by Leon Zernitsky- This represents my ability to conquer even my largest goals with hard work. The painting shows a figure standing on top of a mountain much larger than him. I relate to this because I will always try to accomplish my goals—no matter the size. Though the figure is a tenth the size of the mountain, he still made it to the top. Even though his goal seemed much too large, he accomplished it through hard work. The mountain in this painting has no defined paths for one to follow, yet he got to the mountain’s peak. The figure made his own trail, pushing through obstacles along the way. I relate to this as I, like most Enneagram #3’s, work hard to achieve our goals—even if it means creating our own paths. While I was trying to improve at tennis, I put in a lot of work— often by myself. This painting exemplifies how I will always conquer my mountains and stand triumphantly at the top.

Pokemon Theme by Jason Paigen- The lyrics of this song represent hard work. Throughout the song, the singer conveys his aspirations and what he’ll do to succeed. The singer reveals his ambition when he claims that he wants to “be the very best / Like no one ever was”(Paigen 1-2), as it is his calling. He backs this up with how hard he is willing to work to accomplish his goals. He will “travel across the land / Searching far and wide(Paigen 5-6)” until he is number one. The song repeatedly shows that his ambition is rivaled only by his hardworking nature. I can deeply connect with this as I put in a lot of effort to get what I want. I wanted to get a perfect score on the Algebra EOC, so I studied for days. While I didn’t get exactly what I wanted, I only missed one question. This song is a perfect representation of the lengths I will go to achieve my goals.

If you like this art piece, you should go to https://www.leonzernitsky.com/ LeonZernitskyArtLarge Wall Decorative Art Prints and Original...LeonZernitskyArt

It seemed to be a normal day—and to those who didn't have the mind of a fourth-grader, it probably was. However, it was the day of FitnessGram—one of the largest sources of pride for any elementary schooler. Provided you did well, of course. My only goal was to beat everyone else in at least one thing. My competitiveness wouldn’t allow for anything else. I figured I had the best chance during pushups.The bell rang, scattering my thoughts. It was time. We all filed in one by one and sat criss-cross-applesauce at our respective spots. After our instructor gave a brief explanation, we started pushups. I was shaking in anticipation. The monotone, prerecorded voice guided me. “ Down, Up, Down… ”. The voice continued, pushing me through to around 20 pushups. Suddenly, my arms started to feel sore. Panic filled my lungs, making it hard to breathe. I barely went down for my next pushup. I can’t stop here. Not when there are so many people left. A quick look around the room showed me that at least 30 people were still standing. Determination filled every fiber of my body, strengthening me. Everything else faded into the background, as I easily got to thirty pushups. Ten people had given up. I pumped out another 10, and there were 5 people left! Victory was in sight, but my arms felt like they were going to implode. After a few more pushups, I looked around and saw that it was just me and one other person. I could have stopped there. Second place is pretty good, I thought. I was going to stop my pushups, but I couldn’t. The thought of coming second place to anyone disgusted me. So, although my noodle arms were about to sanp under the pressure, I focused and kept going. At last, the other person dropped, ensuring my victory. I quickly followed suit as if I was going to pass out. The only thing keeping me up was the fact that I had won. I had done the most pushups out of anyone in our class—maybe the entire grade! I realized something that day. I realized that when faced with competition, I strive to be the best. And when I strive to be the best, I can do anything.

Down, Up, Down, Up

With my need to win and hardworking nature, I can do anything (💅)