And You Thought Your Life Sucked

I’m digging another student essay out of the vault for your enjoyment. Actually, I can’t guarantee that you’ll laugh, but your jaw just might drop in horror. I still remember when I first graded this paper a year and a half ago in a Las Vegas hotel room with Michael Michael, RJ, and Laura (which means I have people that can vouch for its authenticity, doubter Lewis!) and our reactions fluctuated between shocked and amused.

For context, this essay was assigned after teaching Elie Wiesel’s novel Night, a Holocaust survivor’s memoir that has previously caused some drama between an unintelligent coworker and me. After reading that book, I thought it appropriate to have the students write their own autobiographical narratives. To give it additional focus, I asked that the students use a theme that also appeared in the novel like overcoming an obstacle, conformity, perseverance, questioning faith, or witnessing injustice. It is worth noting that I never once asked the students to compare their personal experiences to Wiesel’s; that would be distasteful. Perhaps you see where this is going…

Rewards

Hi my name is [Clueless Clark]. I’m going to tell you how I struggled to find a job. This was a hassle because it was my first job and you have to fill out all this paper work. This kind of deals with the Jews struggling for their life but less series.

When I went to get a job I filled out all these application on the store computer. Some computers were slow and others fast while some stores didn’t have a chair to sit down so you had to stand up the whole time which was about an hour. At the end of the application you felt like you accomplish the world. If you don’t fill out application to different stores it is just like saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”. If you do pick one store then you have to keep up with it and set up an interview.

This struggled is a different kind of struggle like what the Jews had with the Nazis. The Nazis were making the Jews slaves by making them work with no pay and just a little of food to stay alive with no good health. If they didn’t work they would be killed and burned. While I struggled to get a job the Jews struggled to stay alive.

So when I pick my one store that I really wanted I kept up with it and did all the stuff I had to do. When I went to do the interview and past it I knew I just open a door to a new place. When you accomplish something that you are really trying to reach your goal you feel like the king of the world. But once you accomplish something you always got something else to but you never try to accomplish something at the same time because most of the time you wont or you will be working yourself to hard which isn’t good for you.

All in all if you try really hard and do everything that’s need to be done then you will reach your goal. The accomplishment would be the best thing you will every do for yourself.


THE END,
By, [Clueless Clark]

Ah, yes. Having to stand for an hour is kind of like dying senselessly in an internment camp. I defy you to think of a better sentence than “While I struggled to get a job the Jews struggled to stay alive.” (I suppose there is this other Nazi-themed student gem.) I’m currently undergoing a job hunt, as well, and though it hasn’t exactly been going well, it hasn’t been that bad. However, maybe after another unsuccessful month, I’ll consider my experience on par with the Holocaust, too.

If anything deserves to be flippantly compared to the atrocity of genocide, it’s this essay.