Essay on Maya Angelou ‘New Directions’

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When people undertake a mission, there are many dangerous and unpredictable risks. Goals are statements in peoples lives and what they want to achieve. For example, Annie Johnson established a store to support her children while starting with nothing. Ernesto Galarza came to America to try and learn English. Cap accepted the risk of traveling down a long and dangerous path to cremate Sam McGee. All these people accomplished several things that impacted the other people. There are different types of missions that people do by being inspired by something. Her kids encouraged Annie, Ernesto wanted to learn something that would help him find new friends, and Cap did something that made him seem like a good friend. These remarkable three people inspired several different people to set goals for themselves. All three characters Annie, Ernesto, and Cap all had specific traits that made them successful with their goals. Their goals all shared something similar having the ability to accomplish their goals

In New Directions the author Maya Angelou talks about her grandma Annie Johnson who struggled while being a single mom. Instead of accepting a simple job with average pay, she stepped out of her comfort zone and established her own business. She started by selling chicken and fried ham with a cart, but after a while, people couldnt resist buying her hot meat pies. Annie would never disappoint her customers. While even trying to develop a business she was equally good at satisfying her customers with her delicious food. Annie  cut a new path that most women didnt, which was extremely difficult. Even though the process was long, she didnt stop until she accomplished this goal. It was her night job, and it brought a burden on Annie, so she was determined to make as much money to help her kids live a good life, She placed stones into two five-gallon pails and carried them three miles to the cotton gin. She walked in the darkness to the sawmill five miles farther along the dirt road. (Angelou 4) Annie was probably so tired of doing this every day and especially walking at night time was dangerous during this period. Without any doubt, Annie Johnson completed her goal with hard work and determination.

Like Annie Johnson, Ernesto Galarza undertook a mission. In Barrio Boy Ernesto talks about what its like to be in an American school. Ernesto Galarza immigrated from Mexico to California to be in the public school system. It was hard for him at first, but when he met other kids who also didnt know much English, it was easier for him. For those who were alien become good Americans; for those who were so born, to accept the rest of us. ( Galarza 16) It put less pressure on Ernesto, so he could focus on trying to learn the English language. Miss Hopley herself had a way of expressing wonder over these matters before a class, her eyes wide open until they popped slightly. (Galarza 17) It explains that even the teacher was in awe of their progress with Ernesto and that he was doing an outstanding job in school. He was a hard worker and tried to learn all the words he could to talk to his teacher and friends. Overall, every day that passed Ernesto was determined to pursue a specific skill every day in the English language, which helped him complete his goal of learning a new language.

Like Annie Johnson and Ernesto Galarza, Cap had a goal. In The Cremation of Sam McGee by Robert Service, a poem describing what it is like to keep a promise to a friend, Cap has to cremate his friend Sam. He accepted this mission, which was promising his friend Sam that when he died, he would cremate him. The route to the Crematorium was a far journey, but he couldnt let down his friend Sam. It was the place in Canada and Alaska during the Klondike Rush. Then Here, said I, with a sudden cry, is my crema-tor-eum. (Service 10) He has finally gotten to the crematorium. He was patient and worked hard to get there, and thats why he cried with joy. And there sat Sam cool and calm, in the heart of the furnace roar. (Service 14) It means that Cap has completed cremating Sam; he felt a sigh of relief and was satisfied with completing this task. This goal remained a hard task to complete, but when Cap finished it there was nothing that felt better to him.

Undertaking a mission has to do with making an overall statement of what someone can do. A task or goal could have harsh times, but no matter what if you are determined to succeed you will complete it. Its like a turning point or change in how someone could live. Annie, Ernesto, and Cap all achieved their goals while being determined, patient, and not giving up, especially during the harsh times. They all took their goals very seriously and made progress day by day. Annie stayed calm and worked even harder during the rough patches of starting her business. Ernesto worked hard to learn a new language that he didnt know about. Cap did something that no other person would do for their friend. There is no better feeling than completing a mission, and that is how Annie, Ernesto, and Cap felt. All of these fantastic and completed missions, change their lives.

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