On Personal Statements

I tried to fix my UC personal statement to be more interesting...

"Perhaps we can scare away the ghost of so many years ago with a little illumination, gentlemen!" Then it started: the first haunting chord that enthralled audiences everywhere, the chord that stole my breath away and lit a flame within my heart. It was my first time watching Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera and it immediately caught my attention. All the different motifs combined and created a musical masterpiece that truly inspired me. From the “Overture” to “The Final Lair”, the wonderful music never ceased to leave me in awe. After the music, the characters really brought that same feeling of music alive. The Phantom’s obsession with music, Christine’s dedication to it and Raoul’s love for it all combined into a feeling that I could really deeply understand. I connected to the Phantom’s need to have music. Music is like a constant in an ever-changing world. To me, it was just that, the notes will always be there no matter what and I could rely on it to express different feelings and relax. Christine’s dedication to music was much like mine. Then through her, I learned that even dedication needed limits in order to really enjoy music. Without music Raoul would not have been able to recognize Christine. I related to the his pure-hearted love towards music and Christine who embodied the soul of music. Although it was only one performance, one show, it is a memory that I really treasure.

In the end, my love for music will always be a constant. My love is not in a way that I wish to study music, but rather a way that music will always hold a special place within me. I would like to say that the reason for this was due to my parents pushing me to pursue music, but that is not the truth. It is the simple things that make me love music: movie backgrounds, musicals, and songs I listen to day to day. It was The Phantom of the Opera that reminded me of that. To be honest, I thought I had lost my muse after years of mindless practicing but it had rushed back to me the moment I saw the musical. It also reminded me that music was something to be enjoyed and whether I was practicing or listening or performing did not matter.

This could really be applied to anything and not just music. I believe that life is meant to be enjoyed. When there is something out there that I find I really enjoy, passion, love, and dedication towards it is really important. I find that the most important thing is to never let whatever you enjoy go without a fight. No matter what, I am willing to put my everything into things i enjoy and really treasure the experiences it gives.

On The Stranger

Throughout the whole book, Meursault has always appeared nonchalant. I think the moment he gave his existence essence was when that unconcerned attitude was broken. It started after the trial when he clearly did not want to die. However, the moment that he decided to give his existence essence was he snapped and started yelling at the chaplain. Before that he just took everything as it was. But at that moment, he confessed that he wanted a life where he could remember the the one he was currently living. He said that in the end, the blind rage had washed him clean. This shows how he wanted to live a new life. He determined himself to be indifferent like the world. I think this is the point where he becomes a person. All the other times he was always going with the flow without thinking. This time, although he is still going with the flow, he reflected and thought of the past and future. It was the first time he had explained his actions. He said that no one had the right to cry over his mother because she had been happy and free to live once more which is the reason he did not cry over her. He also found the world like himself. This shows how he now knows what his self was like. It was his identity. In the end, he was happy again. He was happy that he was indifferent and with death his life would be complete.