Reading Response Journal : Apply “Inventing Your Argument” to Create Ess.ay 2 Outline

Qu 3

ZhengXiao Qu (Maston)

Daniel Staylor

English 1B

01/23/2023

TOM’S TRAITS

Tom is wandering around aimlessly, looking for a specific room. He is feeling lost and alone. He is looking for a sense of solitude, which he believes he can find with a piano. He is also a music lover, as he likes one of Mozart's Piano Concerto No.9, a fact that is revealed when he hears his name and meets Sunil, who is listening to the same piece of music. The play describes Tom as feeling "depleted" and "disconnected," which might suggest that he is struggling with some form of emotional or mental turmoil (pg. 21). He is looking for something to fill this void, whether it be food, connection with his mother, or finding a piano to play. He is also described as wandering "like a jackass," which might suggest that he feels aimless and directionless. He struggles to find a sense of purpose or meaning in his life.

Tom is a character who is deeply affected by the presence and guidance of Sunil. He deeply reveres and admires Sunil, and he follows him around like a "cat in heat." He sees Sunil as his spirit guide, maestro, first base coach, and brother. This suggests that Tom values friendship and mentorship highly and looks up to those he perceives as wise and knowledgeable. Tom also loves music (pg. 23). He has a deep emotional connection with music and sees it as a way to understand his feelings and that it happens all the time. This suggests that Tom is a person who is highly emotional, and music is a medium for him to express his emotions. He is also a person who can relate to Sunil, despite their apparent differences because Sunil understands his love for music.

Additionally, Tom is a person who grew up feeling alone, and he is only realizing this now that he is in college (pg. 29). He is grateful that he didn't realize how alone he was growing up, which suggests that Tom is a person who is resilient and has a positive outlook on life. He can find positivity under challenging situations.

References

Ziegler, Anna. Actually. Oberon Books Ltd, 2018.