50 Essays Synopsis Flashcards
The author suggests that to be a good writer, one must read a ton first. They also say that if you don’t enjoy what you do, you should move on to something else.
Reading to Write by Stephen King
The author recounts his efforts to learn to read and write as a young slave. That knowledge is also what sparked his eventual activism.
Learning to Read and Write by Frederick Douglass
The author tells how they learned to read through comic books and their father’s vast collection. They claim that reading is the key to students breaking out of their disadvantaged state.
The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me by Sherman Alexie
The author describes what it’s like to be homeless and to depend on people’s trash for everything, constantly emphasizing how wasteful and careless people can be.
On Dumpster Diving by Lars Eighner
The author depicts two instances of people giving a small donation to homeless men, and wonders if it was compassion or fear. They argue that we must be confronted with such things in order to learn compassion.
On Compassion by Barbara Lazear Ascher
The author details what it was like working as a waitress for minimum wage, depicting terrible working conditions and showing how much of a struggle life can be for the lower class.
Serving in Florida by Barbara Ehrenreich
The author reflects on the way the internet has dramatically decreased our attention spans, making the ability to read and think deeply harder and harder as technology continues to progress.
Is Google Making Us Stupid? by Nicholas Carr
The author explores the feelings of joy and sadness they felt upon unexpectedly seeing their deceased mom on Google Maps, and notes how such occurrences are becoming more common.
The Ghosts in Our Machines by Matthew J.X. Malady
The author’s brief essay illuminates the issue of light pollution in the modern world, explaining how artificial light negatively affects wildlife as well as humans.
Our Vanishing Night by Verlyn Klinkenborg
The author reflects on a set of controversial photos that show a woman falling to her death. They argue that such photos are necessary to show the harsh realities of life and death.
The Boston Photograph by Nora Ephron
The author gives examples of small problems he has experienced and how hesitant he was to complain to someone. He argues that Americans have gotten too shy about vocalizing their concerns in both minor and major matters.
Why Don’t We Complain? by William F. Buckley Jr.
The author recounts a time as a young British officer in Burma where they had to shoot a rampaging elephant. They use this story to show how fragile Britain’s power had become.
Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell
The author considers the concepts of “loser edits” and “winner edits” from reality shows and how they exist in real life as well, either through other people’s views of us or our own self-perceptions.
The Loser Edit by Colson Whitehead
The author reflects on the way that the physical sciences have helped them deal with difficult times, and exemplifies that in the essay by the way they use the elements to represent their periods of life.
My Periodic Table by Oliver Sacks
The author uses the heart as an extended metaphor to show how all life on Earth, from hummingbirds to blue whales, are complex organisms designed to persevere through life’s struggles, both physically and emotionally.
Joyas Voladoras by Brian Doyle
