Utama 1

Hana Utama

Ms. Wing

Pre- AP English, Period 5

7 May 2018

Bounce Back

Experiences gained throughout life can greatly influence a person through their actions

and who they are as a person. Many life experiences are attached to intense emotions that can

stick with a person their entire life. The more intense the emotion-- the more considerable the

effect, like a loved one’s death or a break-up. Oscar Wilde’s statement, “Hearts live by being

wounded” stands true due to the fact that although scarring, these memories and experiences help

mold a person into who they are today and give them the ability to “bounce back” stronger than

before. Evidence to support Wilde’s statement can be found in literature through​ The Princess

Bride​, current events like Malala Yousafzai and her advocacy for equal educational rights, and

the Stoneman Douglas high school survivors.

A piece of evidence to support Wilde’s claim from literature can be seen in​ The Princess

Bride​. The main character, Buttercup, was heartbroken when her one and only love, Westley,

died aboard a ship at the hands of a ruthless pirate. Devastated, Buttercup declared that she “must

never love again” (Goldman 69). Buttercup was the most beautiful person in the world so it was

not long before Prince Humperdinck- a soon to-be king asked her to be his queen. Buttercup

made a deal to marry and bear an heir for him, but explained that she will never be able to love

him. As a result of her heartbreak Buttercup became very independent and learned to live
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without love. Buttercup decided that she didn’t need love to live a great life, soon she would

have abundant riches and would be the most beautiful queen to have ever lived. Even when

Buttercup and Westley-- first disguised as the man in black-- were finally reunited she left him to

go with the prince. Shocked, Westley asked her if she “would rather live with [her] Prince than

die with [her] love,” (Goldman 217) and she concluded with the statement that she “would rather

live than die” (Goldman 217). Buttercup’s assertion revealed that her first and only heartbreak

led her to become more self-reliant and she believed that staying alive was more important than

love.

An example from current events to support Wilde’s claim is Malala and her battle for

equal educational rights for women. Malala grew up in a small village in Pakistan and when she

was only ten years old, an extremist terrorist group called the Taliban, took control of her village.

The Taliban enforced oppressive laws on Malala’s village, including banning education for girls.

Malala publicly protested against the Taliban and continued to receive her education. She

became a target due to her increasing popularity and on October 9, 2012, a member of the

Taliban jumped on to her bus and shot Malala three times: “in the head, shoulder, and neck”

(Yousafzai). After she had healed, Malala created the Malala Fund and continued to travel

internationally to advocate for equal education for girls. Even though she was shot in the head

and suffered both physical and mental damages, Malala was determined to achieve her goal. In

fact, the attack from the Taliban member made her even stronger than before. Malala proclaimed

that the Taliban did not stop her from achieving her goals and ambitions but instead her

“​weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage were born” (Yousafzai). ​It

was in October 2014 that Malala, at just seventeen (the youngest recipient to ever receive the
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award), won the Nobel Peace Prize for her advocacy in the suppression of children and young

adults and equal educational rights. Malala might have suffered from a devastatingly traumatic

event, but she rose above it and continued to help empower girls around the world.

Some might argue that people can lead a meaningful life without having to suffer from a

traumatic event. But it should be considered that if life only contained joyful moments, it would

become meaningless. For people would have nothing to be thankful for, nothing to live for.

Though terrible, these painful memories and experiences serve as trials in life that are necessary

for the growth and development of people. An example of this is the school shooting at the

Stoneman Douglas High School. On February 14, 2018, nineteen year old Nicholas Cruz opened

fire during school hours, killing a total of seventeen people. That day would be known as one of

the deadliest mass shootings in American history. After the attack, students and parents were

enraged by the failure to prevent Cruz , from getting his hands on dangerous firearms, especially

since he suffered from multiple mental illnesses. There were many student survivors from the

school who became leaders in protests for stricter gun laws and “walkouts.” As reported by Alter

for the TIMES magazine, “​these students have become the central organizers of what may turn

out to be the most powerful grassroots gun-reform movement in nearly two decades…” (Alter).

They encouraged other teenagers across the nation to walkout of class for seventeen minutes in

honor of the seventeen lives lost and to advocate for stricter gun laws, demanding change from

the government and NRA. After the attack at his school, student David Hogg declared that he

had become “...more of an activist” (Hogg). These students have turned their sorrow into action

and became determined to ensure that another school shooting can never happen again.
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After nearly a decade since Wilde’s death, his statement still stands true-- it is these

horrific memories that shape people into who they are today. Buttercup, Malala, and the

Stoneman Douglas survivors are examples of individuals who have faced trials in life, but have

decided to bounce back stronger. Their struggles can serve as examples for those who are

experiencing challenges in their life, to remind them that after the storm there will most certainly

be a rainbow.
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Works Cited

Alter, Charlotte. “How Parkland Teens Are Leading the Gun Control Conversation.” ​Time​,

Time, 22 Mar. 2018, time.com/longform/never-again-movement/.

Goldman, William. ​The Princess Bride​. Ballantine Books, 1973.

“Malala's Story | Malala Fund.” ​The Malala Fund​,

www.malala.org/malalas-story?utm_expid=.rFt8T4goQvu3waedVYhuNA.0&utm_referr

er=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.malala.org%2Fabout.

“TIME 100 Gala: David Hogg Says He's 'More of a Citizen' Now.” ​Time​, Time, 24 Apr. 2018,

time.com/5248853/parkland-survivor-david-hogg-ive-become-more-of-a-citizen-and-an-

activist/.