Obesity by Depression

"The options went like this:

1. Get fat. Just take up eating as a serious pursuit. Food was an easy escape. Just go for it."

-Lesley Choyce, The Book of Michael 95

Michael Grove is very depressed. He had to spend months in jail for being wrongly convicted of murdering his much-loved girlfriend, Lisa. Then, the real killer turns out to be his old girlfriend Miranda, who he left behind when she started doing meth. For these reasons, even though he is now proven to be innocent, some people still see him as a killer.

So does Michael.

As seen here, one of the ways he thinks he could deal with the depression is by turning to food as a recluse. I've seen stories of people turning to excessive eating to try and ease depression on T.V. shows like The Biggest Loser. Their tales from the first episode always end with regret and even more depression. Thankfully, Michael does not go down this path, and instead works to create a new life for himself.

Michael Grove

"Miranda came into my life because I wanted to be bad. When you are a teenage guy and you are heading into your bad phase, when you are pissed off at the world and want to make a statement about how screwed up it all is, when you are cynical and smart and thinking about turning dangerous, you better hope that a good friend comes along and sets you straight. Or you better hope that you run into a really intelligent and sweet girl - one like Lisa.
"Unfortunately for me, Miranda came along before Lisa."

-Lesley Choyce, The Book of Michael 25

Michael Grove is a teenager wrongly convicted of murdering his girlfriend Lisa. This quote shows his admiration and compassion for Lisa. It also indicates that Michael can analyze and evaluate his past, realizing that what he did and felt was foolish. It takes intelligence and strength to do this.

Michael's journey will be difficult, with the trauma of the murder, trial and prison locked within his mind. Also, many people still believe him to be connected to Lisa's murder. However, I think that Michael's intelligence and strength will pull him through, and ultimately, he will succeed in both his inner and outer battles.



I chose this song, "Regret" by Anathema, because I feel it really details everything Michael is feeling. Love for Lisa... hate for her killer... loneliness... fear... and above all, regret. It also seems to me like the kind of music Michael might listen to.

A Summary And Review Of George Orwell's "1984"

It is 1984, 24 years after the Revolution that divided the world into three superstates locked in eternal warfare.

In the superstate of Oceania, Winston works unwillingly for the totalitarian government known as "the Party".

Then Winston meets Julia. They fall in love, and try a desperate attempt at rebellion, only to be caught and tortured into soulless slaves.

Orwell's portrayal of this "negative utopia" is amazingly detailed. The way it is broken into three parts is very effective. 1984 is a powerful warning of what humankind will become if it continues down its path of greed and corruption. This weighty message affected me deeply, and I hope it does the same for political and corporate leaders, or we may face the end of human nature and love.