Dear Ms. Serensky,
I wish to prove your preconceived notions about my recent superlative award, "Life of the Party," wrong. On the morning of Homecoming, I entered the cafeteria to meet you in my groggy and slow state of mind. While you blamed my fatigue on my "secretive nature" and Friday-night-antics, I knew the real reason for the bags under my eyes: a temptress by the name of the Food Channel. For years, she has used her almighty influence to destroy every last ounce of my own willpower. Every night, her replays of Cupcake Wars forbid me to complete any assignments and beg for me to cater to their deliciousness. How can I possibly resist? The episodes entertain me for a few hours; yet, I still have not stated the real reason for my... um... occasional days of pure exhaustion. With my right hand on my heart and my head to the ground, I shamefully admit that once the first batch of fresh cupcakes appear on my screen, I cannot withstand my shutter-inducing need to bake these scrumptious delectables in my own kitchen. With this in mind, I find that I can relate to the crazed speaker from "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe. No, I do not plan on ravenously murdering an old man because he has a vulture-eye; however, I believe that we relate on the conceptual level of needing to fulfill our plans. Throughout the short story, Poe makes the clear assertion that once an idea becomes implanted in an individual's mind, it becomes difficult to ignore until someone has fulfilled the deed. Like myself, the dedicated man claims, "the idea... haunted me day and night" (3). By personifying "the idea," I feel as if he understands my unexplainable and incurable duty to address the nagging idea in my mind after watching Cupcake Wars. By no means do I advocate his violence and, well, illegal actions; however, I find his powerlessness in denying himself pleasure very intriguing and relatable. I so desperately wish that my devotion to fulfill my conscious mind's priority list held schoolwork in the top spot. But, I have discovered that when I bake batches of cupcakes before completing work, my mind temporarily lets go of all the stresses caused by school, sports, and work. My mind prioritizes baking because it brings me peace and joy, not unlike the initial feelings that the satisfied speaker feels after his expulsion of the bothersome eye. We both have a secret passion unseen by the public until our own admittance of our separate guilty pleasures: I love cupcakes and the murderer loves tearing human limbs from their sockets. Perhaps our superficial features do not match up, but together we fall victim to Poe's assertion that people suffer under the temptations of individual happiness. Yes, I have released my secret to the public. I cannot avoid and I have stayed home more than a few times on Friday nights to experiment with recipes while my peers "hit the town." So, Ms. Serensky, the next time you see me in a reverie in the hallway, you will know the real reason. They call me Shannon Fung, "Life of the Cupcake Aficionado Party."
Sincerely,
I just made (if I do say so myself) an impeccable batch of Cookies 'n' Cream cupcakes.
Just as Dick's zeal to kill the Clutters infiltrates Perry's mind in In Cold Blood, your love of cupcakes managed to seep into my brain. Thus, I relate to the passionate narrator in "The Tell-Tale Heart" as well; however, while reading your entry I found myself resenting this connection. I feel this hesitancy reveals another assertion common to Poe's works: we do not prove much different than the villains we adore to abhor.
ReplyDeletep.s. you better bring me a cupcake
In all honesty, your blog terrifies me, Shannon, due to the assertion you develop within your writing. Yes I agree that people ponder a certain deed until people take necessary actions to enact these thoughts. However, just this morning in Calculus, my friend, Mr. Maas and I all agreed that everyone should have one free-kill in their lifetime. Such a law, which would allow the murder of one human being with no repercussions, would rid the Earth of unwanted people. Now that this deed has developed within the heads of numerous people, will we ever find peace if this deed is not fulfilled?
ReplyDeleteI too love to bake and often find myself in the kitchen baking up a storm with a stack of homework sitting in my room. As I pull a batch of warm gooey cookies from the oven, I cannot help but experience a wave of happiness. I agree that temptations and the desire for personal happiness often push us to do things we regret. However, I believe that constructive activities, such as baking, can curb one's desire to surrender to temptations. In other words, I feel that the murderer in "The Tale-Tale Heart" needs to find a new hobby. Maybe baking would prove more constructive than murder.
ReplyDeleteI also find myself giving to distractions and temptations as opposed to completing a bunch of homework. My favorite temptation remains baking brownies late at night for school the next day. I find satisfaction in making people happy through the chocolately persuasion of my brownies. Like the killer in The Tell-Tale Heart I always have a motive for baking my brownies. For example I layed brownies out on the Prism table during the club fair just to attract people to the table and then give them a brownie only if they joined. I'll admit it was not my finest hour but it worked and Prism now has members! In no way am I condoning murder but sometimes fulfilling temptations may benefit others.
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ReplyDeleteAfter just arriving home from five hours of babysitting, your post unfortunately applies to me. By five hours of babysitting, I mean five hours of watching Cupcake Wars with four girls chanting for who they want to win. Just like you, I have trouble managing my time. For example, I prioritize babysitting and work over my schoolwork sometimes and rush to finish my homework like I did all day today and yesterday. I have worked two full nights this week, which has left me with a lot less time to do my homework. However, I have found that when I have a lot of activity I get my homework done more efficiently because I know I need to get it done rather than saying I have hours to do it.
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