Barbara Kingsolver. I'm sure many of us has heard that famous name before reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. When I think of Barbara Kingsolver, I think of The Poisonwood Bible, simply because this is one of more famed works. When most people think of the renown Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle may be overlooked because this particular subject matter is probably pretty scary for most Americans to think about. Growing most of your food, and if you must buy food, being required to purchase it from a local market? Yikes!
Well for most English classes where I read a book and I don't like it too much, I would make something up and make myself sound interested. Seeing that this is now a college class, and we as students are intellectually maturing, I feel that only 50% of an AP class is completing a larger course load. I believe that the other 50% of an AP class isn't just learning about random facts that many of us may not remember, but instead developing our own ideas and establishing which type of writer we are. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm right, but I'll leave that for you to decide. In any event, I can honestly say that I didn't relate to this book at all, and I did not enjoy reading it. However, upon finishing Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I was able to find so many values that I honestly do feel that can assist anyone in life. Values such as determination, dedication, and the ideas of putting something in mind to action really stuck with me. While reading this entire book, I couldn't understand why Kingsolver would put together such a book that really didn't captivate a reader with tastes like myself; however, after completing the book I came to a much different conclusion: Maybe Barbara Kingsolver wasn't trying to write about random vegetables. Instead, maybe she was conveying the message that American families from all four corners of the country may undergo the same adventure her family did, while possibly preserving the planet. If America could change its lifestyle, who knows what good could blossom from this.
So little Jimmy may ask, "Blake, what does weightlifting have to do with Animal, Vegetable, Miracle?" Well, I would tell little Jimmy that the putting something in mind to action is exactly what Kingsolver did in her book. Barbara and her family had an idea in mind, and completed it. Although there were set backs along the way, her family charged through this and successfully finished an idea. I believe that all good things come from an idea, and if that idea isn't executed, nothing good will come. Looks like Kingsolver thinks the same! In addition, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle also includes values such as dedication and determination which are cornerstones for the sport of weightlifting. Me and Barb must think alike on this one too, because both most certainly require these aspects! Me and Kingsolver alike both were on special diets, and we both also pledged to abstain from certain things. Becoming stronger and stronger definitely coincides with Kingsolver's plotted idea in her book because over time, Kingsolver was able to better and better live with eating locally grown foods. Although she was weaker in the beginning, she became stronger, like I did. I could go on for pages and pages explaining how Barbara Kingsolver's book related with my summer project. Actually, maybe not pages and pages, but I could definitely elaborate further. Overall, the ideas of progression, determination, dedication, and putting an idea to action are most certainly present in my project and Kingsolver's book. I plotted my weight progression on charts for weeks, I made over 200 posts on a weightlifting website in addition to my 8 twitter and blogspot posts in order to gain knowledge for my project, and Kingsolver did similar research before undergoing her project. Weightlifting seems like an odd match for Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, but if you open you mind and think about the similarities, they are nearly exact.
I hope you all had an amazing summer, and good luck this year.
Best of luck,
-Blake
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