Vincent Van Gogh's Analysis

Vincent Van Gogh was one of the most auspicious artists of the 19th century. His paintings are still marveled at by people across the globe. Some of his words, however, were just as brilliant as his art. Van Gogh once said, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together”. This summer, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Freakonomics and Dead Poets’ Society helped me to grow as a reader, writer and thinker by encouraging me that, while greatness takes time a preparation through small milestone, it is worth the effort. Summer reading is an important activity because it challenges young readers’ brain over the summer and prevents the brain from forgetting previously learned information. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, by Mark Twain, tells the story of a young man, Hank, who gets hit on the head with a crowbar and suddenly finds himself among King Arthur and the knights of the round table. Hank sees how far the country is behind technologically, and how stupid the citizens are, so he attempts to take over authority from King Arthur. He does so with subtle actions, slowly changing routines, or instituting new practices that only he is knowledgeable about, so he controls them. Hank uses this lack of knowledge to his advantage, saying “But don’t you know, there are some things that can beat smartness and foresight? Awkwardness and stupidity can” (Twain 242). For example, in the Valley of Holiness, the sacred fountain is said to be under a curse. Upon inspection, Hank finds that this “curse” is just a leak. However, he plays along in order to convince the people of what a great magician he is. He secretly brings in supplies from the kingdom, and gets to work on fixing the leak. When he finishes, he constructs an extravagant show to disillusion the people. Hank describes his show as “There they were, all going at once, red, blue, green, purple! Four furious volcanoes pouring vast clouds of radiant smoke aloft, and spreading a blinding rainbowed noonday to the furthest confines of that valley” (Twain 155). He uses this instance, as well as others, such as his curse of darkness—which was just a solar eclipse— to gain the trust of the country, and he eventually becomes second to King Arthur, who blindly agrees with anything Hank says. He builds up the trust of the people little by little, so that one day he finally achieves his big goal. Freakonomics describes the small processes that often go unnoticed behind major economical actions. It essentially embodies the meaning of Van Gogh’s quote, because nothing in this novel happens without a handful of other things moving it into place. For example, Freakonomics discusses why children become successful in relation to their parents’ actions, and the answer to the shocking question, “how much do parents really matter?” This excerpt attempts to explain a parent’s influence in their child’s life. Through hundreds of studies, scientists have concluded that “…[Parents] matter a great deal. Here is the conundrum: by the time most people pick up a parenting book, it …show more content…
They have taught me that if I want to succeed, I must be willing to put in the effort required, carry out the small steps, and withstand the minor failures along the way to greatness. As a reader, writer and thinker, I grew tremendously. By reading Mark Twain, I was challenged to understand a more difficult style of writing, one above my grade level. As for becoming a better writer, there is an old saying that reads something along the lines of “There are two ways to become a better writer, in general: write a lot, and read a lot” (Castro 1). I have become a better writer simply by reading and exposing myself to examples of elevated diction, literary devices, and new vocabulary. As a thinker, I believe one is always evolving. Every day experiences shape one’s perception of the world and how they think of their surroundings, individuals around them, and the environment. Freakonomics specifically challenged my way of thinking because it revealed the true inner workings of today’s economy, something I had not previously known. Overall, summer reading is a beneficial program because it ensures that students not only retain information, but gain new experiences, skills, and views on the world, just as I