Glueck1

ColleenGlueck
Ms.Wenick
HonorsFoundationsI
January5,2017
Howdotragiceventschangewhoweare?
Unfortunatethingsinlifechangeus,aswellasinspiretheaffectedcommunitiestobond
togetherandleanoneachotherduringtheirtimeofneed.Nottomention,thesetragicevents
leaveournationinshockandfright.Weareencouragedtocometogetherandgrowstronger.Say
youexperiencedsomethinglifealtering,likelivinginpoverty.Howwouldyouchange?Ifyour
townwentthroughoneofthebiggesttragediesever,likeSandyHookdid,howwouldyouall
heal?Whatifthecountrylostof2,996people,likewedidonSeptember11,2001?Howwould
everyonecomebackfromthat?
Ourownidentitiesshift,foratleastalittlewhile,afterexperiencingatragicevent.
Victory,byAlexieShermandemonstratesachangeinidentityforasmallamountoftimedueto
theenvironmenthewasresidingin.Althoughhislivingconditionsandlifewasnotthemost
unfortunateevent,ithadabigenougheffectonhimtodrivehimtodosomethingoutofhis
normalcharacter.Thepoemstates,WhenIwastwelve,Ishopliftedapair/ofbasketballshoes.
Wecouldnotafford/themotherwise.(Alexie,13).Afterchoosingthispoemtoresearch,we
foundthatatthetimehewaswritingabout,AlexielivedontheSpokaneIndianReservationin
Washington.Livinginpovertyandnotthemostidealenvironmentdrovehimtostealapairof
shoes,becausehewantedthemsobadlybutcouldnotaffordthem.Iknowthiswasoutof
Alexiesnormalidentityandcharacterduetowhenthepoemsaid,Whentheballclankedoff

Glueck2

therim,Ifelt/onlyguilt,guilt,guilt.O,immortalshoes!/O,kicksmadeofparanoiaandrue!/
Distraughtbutunwillingtogetcaught/orconfess,IthrewthosecursedNikes/intotheriverand
hopedthatwasgood/enoughforGod.(Alexie,411).SinceShermanAlexiefeltguilt,weknow
thattheacthecommittedoftakingtheshoeswasnotlikehim,wecanalsotellthathehasa
conscious.Lateroninthepoem,heevenconfessedhiswrongdoingtohisfatherandaskedfor
forgiveness(Alexie,1718).Additionally,becauseShermanfeltguilty,wecanassumehedidnt
permanentlychange.Hefixedhisproblemandwasntchangedforthelongrun.However,we
canconcludethathedidchange,atleastmomentarily,heignoredhisunfortunatefinancialstate
sinceitdidnotallowhimtheluxurieshesoeagerlydesired.
Oftentimes,atragedyinspirestheaffectedcommunitytobondtogether.Afterthe
massiveschoolshootingtookplaceinSandyHook,PresidentObamapresentedaspeechtothe
communityinhopesofbringingthemtogether.Obamademonstratesonseveraloccasionsinthe
speechthatthenationtrulyfeltforthoseaffected,thatNewtownwasnotalone,thatwewere
alsoinpain.Hedoesthisbysaying,yourenotaloneingrief;thatourworldtoohasbeentorn
apart;thatallacrossthislandofours,wehaveweptwithyou,wevepulledourchildrentight.
Andyoumustknowthatwhatevermeasureofcomfortwecanprovide,wewillprovide;
whateverportionofsadnessthatwecansharewithyoutoeasethisheavyload,wewillgladly
bearit.Newtownyouarenotalone.(Obama,1).Thattypeoflanguageandstatementsinthe
passagereallyinspirethecommunitytocometogether.Byknowingthatthesurrounding
communitieshavealsoweptwiththemandknowingthattheyarenotalone,theaffected
communitybondstogethertoweepwitheachotherandleanonthepeoplethatwentthroughthe
samelifechangingexperience.Anotherexampleofthiswas,Asacommunity,youveinspired

Glueck3

usNewtown.Inthefaceofindescribableviolence,inthefaceofunconscionableevil,youve
lookedoutforeachother,andyouvecaredforoneanother,andyouvelovedoneanother.
(Obama,2).Bynotonlysayingthat,butalsoincludinganecdotesaboutthechildreninthe
schoolhelpingoneanotherduringtheirevacuation(Obama,12),Obamamanagedtoshedlight
onthepeopleofNewtowntohelpthemrealizehowtheyhavereallyhelpedoneanother.Once
thepeoplerealizedhowmuchofanimpacttheyhadononeanother,thecitizensofSandyHook
cametogethertobeattheterribletragedythathadhappenedtothem.Aneventlikethistruly
changesacommunity.Thecitizensnowhavetolearnhowtosurvivewithouttheirlovedones,
theyhavetolearntodependononeanotherandhowtocontinuelife,theyhavetolearnwho
theyarewithoutthepersontheylost.
OnSeptember11,2001,ournationexperiencedahorrifictragedyandlostnearly3,000
people.Laterthatnight,thethenPresidentGeorgeW.Bushdeliveredaspeechtothenationto
calmtheirnervesandtellthemthefacts.Hedescribedhowpeoplechangedthatday,howthey
sawevilbutchosetobecomestronginstead.Thequotethatprovedthisis,Theseactsofmass
murderwereintendedtofrightenournationintochaosandretreat.Buttheyhavefailed.Our
countryisstrong.Agreatpeoplehasbeenmovedtodefendagreatnation.Terroristattackscan
shakethefoundationsofourbiggestbuildings,buttheycannottouchthefoundationofAmerica.
Theseactsshattersteel,buttheycannotdentthesteelofAmericanresolve.Americawas
targetedforattackbecausewe'rethebrightestbeaconforfreedomandopportunityintheworld.
Andnoonewillkeepthatlightfromshining.(Bush,1).Bushtoldournationthatwearea
strongcountry,thatwhentheyfacedevil,theybondedtogether.Anexperiencewithsomany
casualtiesaltersthewayanationfunctions,thepeoplechange.Insteadofcarryingonwiththeir

Glueck4

livestheymuststepbackandfindanewwaytocarryon.Theyhavetobecomestronger,Bush
knewthiswhenhesaid,Today,ournationsaweviltheveryworstofhumannatureandwe
respondedwiththebestofAmerica.(Bush,1).Inthefaceofterror,theychosetobecome
stronger,toleanononeanother.Andbecausethisaffectedsomanypeople,thewholeanation
changed.Weallhadtofindanewwaytocarryon,andthatchangesacountry.Sincesomany
individualidentitieschanged,thenationsidentitychanged.
Toconclude,tragiceventschangeusandwhoweare.Whetheritbeanindividual,
community,ornationalchangeofidentity,wechange.Theeventmightnotchangewhoweare
forever,or,itmightcauseustoliveourlivesdifferentlyfromthatpointforward.Anunfortunate
eventmakesapersonstronger,makesacommunitycloser,makesanationreevaluateitself.
Althoughthoseeventscauseustochangeinmanydifferentways,wehavetorememberthat
everychangewegothroughdoesnthavetobeanegativeone.Rememberthatitisourchoice
howwechangeaftertheseterriblethings,itisuptoushowwemoveon.

MLAWorksCited

Glueck5

Alexie,Sherman.Victory.ProjectMUSE,https://muse.jhu.edu/article/608126/summary.
Accessedon5January2017.
Obama,Barack.RemarksbythePresidentatSandyHookInterfaithPrayerVigil.Remarkson
theSandyHooktragedy,16December2012,NewtownHighSchool,Newtown,CT.
KeynoteSpeech.
W.Bush,George.9/11AddresstotheNation.Remarksontheterroristattacksthattookplace,
11September2001,NationalTelevision.KeynoteAddress.