Being human is an extraordinary thing. We all have an abundance of emotions that we use as a result of certain situations. Such as, love towards someone, the sadness of a breakup, or the joy from being around the people we love. As humans, we are constantly learning, not only from things around us and the teachers at school, but from the mistakes we make on a daily basis. Although, every person has their own definition on what it means to be human. Edward Hoagland is an award winning novelist that was born with a speech impediment. He is faced with an obstacle he must overcome each and everyday, stuttering; for instance, he must ignore all humiliation and fear just to say a few words. Hoagland says, “you can stutter till your tongue bleeds and your chest is sore from heaving, but so what, if you haven’t anything to say that’s worth the humiliation.” By saying this Hoagland illuminates knocking down the barrier that restrains us from being ourselves is part of what makes people human. Reading Hoagland’s story made me realize how important it is to accept yourself and remain confident in who you truly are. Elie Wiesel is a Jewish-American writer who lived through the Holocaust. In his writing Eight Simple, Short Words he explains the tragedy and devastation the Jews went through during the time of the…show more content… Hoagland’s writing impacted me by showing me how to be brave, confident, and to accept myself like he did. He had to accept his disability and cope with it. Wiesel’s essay gave me a glance of life as a jew going through the Holocaust. Reading about how the Jews came together as humans and not giving up on their freedom makes me want to help people who are going through tough times. It also impacted me by showing me that, as humans, we all go through tough times: the Holocaust, a tragedy, or a natural
