Thomas+awsome+essay

Thomas Xi 2011081102 ENG3U-SL November 18th If I tell you:"don't think about elephant."then what are you think about?The answers will be different but all of you guys will definitely first think about elephant.the reason is while I'm talking about don't think about elephant your mind will ask why,then the elephant will quickly come to the mind.It is a very simple example that I plant an idea in your mind.And do you know what is the most resilient parasite? Bacteria? A virus? An intestinal worm? An idea. Resilient highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it's almost impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed - fully understood - that sticks; right in there somewhere.Actually the idea could be justice or evil.No matter a idea is good or evil,once it generates almost nothing can stop it,just like the cancer virus.Same as the movie Inception,Cobb plant a very simple idea"your world is not real"in his wife's mind which cause her suicide;in the book To Kill A Mocking Bird (wrote by Harper Lee)some people plant a seed of hatred in to others mind with their speeches and actions which cause terrible races and hatreds,on the other hand Atticus try to use his words to plant a idea of "empathy" in Scott and Jem's heart to change them mind.As Cobb said:"An idea is simply but fatal." As far as I concerned there are abundant examples that how could people build a evil seed in others mind in the book To Kill A Mocking Bird.I can give you guys some examples.At the beginning of the book we can find out that most people in maycomb afraid and hate Boo Radley just because some people don't like Radley who is using speeches and words to slander him,makes him sounds like a demon, "People said he went out at night when the moon was down ,and peeped in windows......Any stealthy small crimes committed in maycomb were his work." (Lee 10). Although it is very easy to find out that most of these things are people's rumour,A lot of people still believe it because of these rumour have being circulated in maycomb for decades it already exchange from rumour to fact.Adults told children like Jem and Scout when They were very young.The idea of"Boo is a monster and pure evil"is deeply plant in their subconscious,people fear and hate Boo from their childhood.And when the children grow older they begin to use their own ways to pass the rumour to others:by acting Boo Radley,"Mrs Radley has been beautiful until she married Mr.Radley and lost all his money......while Boo slowly whittled away all the furniture in the house"(Lee52).This play not only based on the rumour but also add a lot of imaginations of the children themselves.And it will build a suck impression to the neighbors that Boo is definitely a monster because even children said he was evil.This example totally shows that how a seed of hatred worked in people's mind and how it went bigger and bigger.To be honest,even me think that Boo is a freak at the beginning of the book and after I read chapter30 and chapter31 I was totally shocked:Arthur is totally different with the "Boo"in my mind.There's another typical example-the cousin of Scout Ike Finch said that Atticus is a nigger-lover,"My folks said your daddy was a disgrace an'that nigger oughta hang from the water-tank!"(Lee 102).It is a very serious problem for a little boy to say that some body is a nigger-lover.He knows what is "nigger lover"means he knows what is "nigger",in the mean time I can deeply fill there's a seed of racial discrimination fully build not only in his mind but also in his heart.In America a lot of people like him had been planted the idea of races when they were just a child,the seed of hatred went deeply to their subconscious,they hate the black so much but even themself don't know why,just like a tradition,that's why this so complicated to solve the races problem in whole USA history.From this point,I think a evil idea is much more harmful than a deadly virus like cancer,because the virus just do harm to your body while a evil idea will devastate people's soul. On the other hand a good idea also can be planted in people's mind but you have to choose a correct way to do the idea implantation.If there is a seed of justice and righteous in your mind,it will benefit for your whole life.In the book,we can found that Atticus always told Jem and Scout"stand in others' shoes".Actually he was trying to plant a idea of "empathy"in to his children's mind.Do you remember in chapter two when Scout told Atticus the problem happened between she and Miss Caroline,Atticus taught her how to put herself into Miss Caroline's shoes and try to imagine what was she thinking about at that time."If you can learn a simple trick,Scout,you'll get alone a lot better with all kinds of folks.You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view,until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."(by Atticus;Lee 39)In fact Atticus knew that there was huge bunch of evil things in this complicated world,he just tried his best to build some positive ideas in to Scout and Jem's mind when they were just a child.He used not only speeches but his own actions to affect the children.When he was spat in the face by Bob Ewell he didn't either show his anger or be disappointed,when the children ask why he just said:"Jem,see if you can stand in Bob Ewell's shoes a minute.I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial,if he had any to begin with.The man had to have some kind of come back,his kind always does.So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating,that's something I'll gladly take.He had to take it out on somebody and I'd rather it be me than that houseful of children out there..."(Lee 293)In my opinion if any body spit in my face and thrill to get me,I'll definitely fight back,but look at Atticus he calmed himself down and solved this problem as a gentleman.He used his own action to teach Scout and Jem,it is much easier to plant a seed of righteous in to their subconscious,because children enjoy copy adults' actions.Atticus tried to put the idea of "anti-races"into the children's mind though at that time racial discrimination was rampant,he didn't want his children been affected by the concept of race.When Scout asked him did he defend "niggers",he said:"Of course I do. Don't say nigger,Scout.That's common...From now on it'll be everybody less one."(Lee 99).Atticus's words and actions(defence for Tom Robinson)taught his children that races were suck and every race could be equal.Just because people like Atticus who gradually changed people's mind,the phenomenon of racial discrimination are gradually disappeared in North America.Nowadays when we looking back on that period of history we think the race is horrible,because there's a idea of racial equality strongly grow in our heart. As far as I concerned if a seed of an idea grow in your heart it's typically difficult to change it.I know it because I try it before.When I just came to Columbia International College,some of my friends told me that Kazak guys in CIC is suck,at the beginning,I just think they were joking but with time pass I felt the Kazak guys were worse than what I first think about.They always cut lines;almost never clean their dishes after dinner;always ask others for free cigarettes...once a Kazak wanna borrow some cash from me,but I refused and then he just swear me with bad words which make me feel suck:he said "gidiates bidalase"means Chinese fag.Which really make me angry.From then on I never talk with Kazak any more,when I'm having a dinner if a Kazak sit beside me I'll feel thoroughly uncomfortable and I'll definitely move my seats.Actually I know it's a kind of races but I can't control my motion,the seed of hatred has already grow in my heart I can't stop it... An idea is simple but fatal,it is a double-edged sword,it can help you while it can also destroy you.Living in this complicated world we should distinguish which is justice and which is evil. Increase the self-suggestion ability and always imply yourself with positive ideas could help us defense some evil thoughts.Let the seeds of righteousness grow in our heart and our world will become much better than nowadays.