Comparing Success In 'Me Talk Pretty One Day And The Veil'

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February 28, 2012 Success Through Effort, Greatness Through Perfection Success is a shining beacon of hope that drives people to lift themselves up from circumstances that undermine their true potential and goals in life. In "Me Talk Pretty One Day” by David Sedaris and “The Veil” by Marjane Satrapi, we are presented with two very distinct pieces of literature with two very similar characters who are faced with difficult challenges but through sheer determination, they come out successful. In Sedaris’s work, we are introduced into a world where a man must face a hostile teacher, while in Satrapi’s work, we are given a young girl who grew up in the wrong culture because she believes that woman should have equal rights. By analyzing both works…show more content…
However, effort alone cannot achieve greatness. I define greatness as a one of a kind person or feat. Greatness is not writing a play and showing it on Broadway with thousands of viewers, nor is it being the most valuable player in football for a year. Greatness is writing a play that will be echoed through the ages as being the best. Great people are Achilles, George Washington, Alexander the Great, Beethoven, William Shakespeare, and Aristotle. Great feats are Romeo and Juliet, the men’s 4x100 relay in the 2008 Summer Olympics for swimming, and the writing of the Constitution of the United States. These people and feats cannot just be made through one’s hard work. If given an unlimited time and never ending effort, there is no guarantee that an average person is able to match a work that is as comparable to Romeo and Juliet. Greatness needs more than effort; one has to be born with it. For example, Michael Jordan is considered one of the greatest basketball players ever to play the game. He did not just put his heart and soul into basketball; he was born with the ability to play. Anyone can get into the National Basketball Association if they work harder than anyone else, but there are few people that can be as great as Michael Jordan. An individual can be good by having the natural ability or effort to succeed but to become great, one has to possess

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