Alon Together
Yuqin Ge
Prof. Joshua November
Final Draft 4
4.8.2013
Imagination and Reality Individuals live with both imagination and reality. Often, imagination is based on reality and rooted reality. They utilize their imagination to image something they have never seen to fulfill their curiosity or something they are eager to realize. In “The World and Other Places,” Jeanette Winterson depicts a boy, a fictional character, who imaged flying to many places in his childhood. When he grew up, he joined the Air Force and realized the reality was not as fantastic as he had imagined. In “Bumping into Mr. Ravioli,” Gopnik uses his daughter Olivia and her imaginary playmate Charlie Ravioli, who is always too busy to play with her, to reveal a deeper truth about New York. Gopnik explains how imagination can be beneficial in understanding reality. Gopnik and Winterson both confirm that imagination is beneficial because it can help individuals to develop their identity and to have fun. One the contrary Gopnik contradicts Winterson, suggesting that imagination can also let individuals feel disappointed when imagination can not match reality. Individuals can develop their identity with imagination. Gopnik confirms Winterson on people can develop their identity through an imaginary sense. In Winterson’s story, the narrator was disappointed because reality was so different than his fantasies in his childhood. He supposed the real places and the people would be like fantasy as he imaged; however, his reality let him down. He lost himself and tried to find a specific answer to his identity, “How shall I live?” (287) Until one day, the narrator met an old woman in the park, he realized he could develop his identity through his imagination. Although the old woman was in poverty, she was happy, “Happy. The kind of happiness that comes from a steadiness inside. This was genuine. This was not someone who had turned away from the bolted door. It was open. She was on the other side.”
Prof. Joshua November
Final Draft 4
4.8.2013
Imagination and Reality Individuals live with both imagination and reality. Often, imagination is based on reality and rooted reality. They utilize their imagination to image something they have never seen to fulfill their curiosity or something they are eager to realize. In “The World and Other Places,” Jeanette Winterson depicts a boy, a fictional character, who imaged flying to many places in his childhood. When he grew up, he joined the Air Force and realized the reality was not as fantastic as he had imagined. In “Bumping into Mr. Ravioli,” Gopnik uses his daughter Olivia and her imaginary playmate Charlie Ravioli, who is always too busy to play with her, to reveal a deeper truth about New York. Gopnik explains how imagination can be beneficial in understanding reality. Gopnik and Winterson both confirm that imagination is beneficial because it can help individuals to develop their identity and to have fun. One the contrary Gopnik contradicts Winterson, suggesting that imagination can also let individuals feel disappointed when imagination can not match reality. Individuals can develop their identity with imagination. Gopnik confirms Winterson on people can develop their identity through an imaginary sense. In Winterson’s story, the narrator was disappointed because reality was so different than his fantasies in his childhood. He supposed the real places and the people would be like fantasy as he imaged; however, his reality let him down. He lost himself and tried to find a specific answer to his identity, “How shall I live?” (287) Until one day, the narrator met an old woman in the park, he realized he could develop his identity through his imagination. Although the old woman was in poverty, she was happy, “Happy. The kind of happiness that comes from a steadiness inside. This was genuine. This was not someone who had turned away from the bolted door. It was open. She was on the other side.”