Taiyyab Ahmed

Mrs.Pasche
AP English Language and Composition
01-20-14
Fighting Back By Deena Burnett
1. we must never forget what happened to this country on September 11, 2001. I say
this not out of any personal bias because Tom dies, but because it reminds us that
there is a price to achieve and maintain freedom. There always has been. Our freedom
is always assailable. We must be willing to stand firm, stand up, and even fight for it
when the need arises. We must be willing to do the right thing in the face of danger.
We must be willing to lay down our lives, if called, to secure the future of our country
for the generations that will follow us.(53).
This passage occurs right before the author begins to describe toms actions on that
day. This passage really inspired me because of how the author repeated we must,
which really involved me and take her words seriously. I think this is a particularly
meaningful passage in the book because it serves as introduction for her more
emotionally gruesome story of how her day was on September 9
th
. the effect of this
quote in relation to the books overall purpose is that it reflects the qualities that tom
had during that flight and that we should have them as well.
2. this is not my life. My life is quiet, suburban, and ordinary. Things like this dont
happen to people like us. We dont have policemen in our homes. We dont get
questioned by the FBI. This is cannot be real.(75).
This passage intrigued me because it really showed the realizatio0n of how her life
had been instantly changed. Moreover, I believe the purpose of this passage was to
show her readers that anything can happen to anyone at any time. This was a
meaningful passage from the book because it serves as the beginning of her new life,
a life in which everything will be different and she wont be able to look back at her
old one anymore.
3. I was getting irritated. This wasnt how it was supposed to go. I was annoyed that I
had to tell the children about Tom before Id had time to collect my thoughts and plan
what I had to say. In addition, I still couldnt get the girls to be still. All they wanted
to do was play. Halley was sitting on the bed paging through a book while Madison
and Anne Clare were running around the room with toys, occasionally stopping to
look through the window blinds. I didnt know what else to do, so I just started
talking.(83).
This passage occurs when the author finally decides to tell her children about what
had happened to their dad. This passage really made me feel bad for her because it
made me feel as if I were in her place and what would I do? I find it interesting how
the author starts by stating how it isnt going according to her plans because I think
the author wanted to the reader to feel the expect the unexpected feeling of the
author.
4. nodding politely, I stood there and tried to force a smile. My mouth is never going to
smile. I just know it. It feels so heavy. I tried putting on a pleasant face while holding
back the tears. It had begun.(97).
This passage really prompted a strong response from me because the author is going
through so much emotional and mental torture that it is just unbearable. She states
that it feels so heavy which means that how could she possibly smile when her
husband, the love of her life, the father of her children, just passed away on a horrible
and tragic accident.
5. I felt so hollow, like a vast and desolate void. And if I couldnt feel anymore, if I
was empty inside, why was I still here? How could I still be walking and talking
when I felt so dead inside? I couldnt understand how someone in my condition I now
found myself could still be physically alive. I had to do something. I couldnt just lie
there. But I couldnt go outside my room, either. I couldnt go downstairs. I couldnt
watch TV. If I did, I would wake up my mom and the children. I felt trapped in the
bedroom Tom and I had shared for so many years.(121).
This passage happens when the author had just given so many interviews and was
tirelessly awake for the past days. I think this passage was meant to show how much
Tom meant to her and what had happened when his presence was no longer there.
The author uses questions as a rhetorical technique, in order to express her internal
monologue, so that the audience could have a more in depth feeling of her
environment from her perspective. I agree with the author because when someone
loses such a close person, it feels like theyve lost everything and I guess thats how
she felt.
6. I kissed the girls goodbye and returned home. Several friends had already arrived,
they were checking on me and asked how they could help. Reporters were to be
turned away. I had answered all their questions the previous day, there would be no
need for more interviews today.(123).
The purpose of this passage was to explain how the author was slowly taking control
of her new life. This passage showed me how, its human nature to adapt, and if you
want to succeed, thats exactly what you need to do. The author couldve dwelled on
the past, but that would lead her nowhere. By accepting the present, shes able to
shape her future.
7. soon the house began to stir, and I was feeling wary about flying. On the way to the
airport, the fear grew inside me. I didnt voice my concern, but the kids could sense it.
Mommy, said Madison, if no one was paying attention when the bad people got on
Daddys plane, why do you think theyll pay attention when we get on the
plane?(136).
This passage occurs when the authors family is going to Toms memorial and it
really shows how the loss of a father affected its kids. This passage made me
question how safe and secure America was back then. The authors reaction to her
question would probably have been to keep your faith in god because since this
family was very religious, they would probably do that.
8. with flowers decorating the altar and the American flag draped over Toms picture
as the backdrop, Monsignor Joe opened the service by saying, What a difference a
day make.(144).
This passage puzzled me because of how powerful the Monsignors words were. He
was able to capture everything that happened and how it impacted millions of lives in
just one sentence. I think that this was a high point in the book because not just is it
related to the authors life but also to many of our lives.
9. Quote of the book: Tom often spoke of the importance of being a good citizen. He
loved our country and was concerned about the moral direction in which we were
headed. He had a keen sense of right and wrong. He believed good values and high
morals were not debatable. Most importantly, he practiced what he preached.(166).
This, I believe is the quote of the book because it shows Toms life and what he
valued and how his family was able to implicate those values in their lives. Moreover,
the last sentence describes how Tom was a true person to what he said because he
died for a cause, helping others even to his last breath, and I think that was the overall
purpose of this book was to keep your faith in god, and do what is right no matter the
circumstances.
10. Reflection letter: this assignment helped in rhetorically analyzing pieces and also
carefully looking through the details. I believe that after reading this book, I too, was
inspired by Toms actions and was able to see how people felt about September 11,
since I was pretty young at the time. Overall, I think this was an exceptional book and
would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in these types of topics.