Gay marriage in America Essay Example for Free

Gay marriage in America Essay America was built on the foundation of equality for all men; however, not until recently have gay and lesbian individuals inherited such civil rights. One of the largest and most pressing issues effecting the gay population is the issue of gay marriage. Marriage is defined as â€Å"the relationship that exists between a husband and wife or a similar relationship between people of the same sex† (Websters). Within the past ten years fifteen states have legalized gay marriage. â€Å"As of Nov. 13, 2013, gay marriage has been legalized in 15 US states (CA, CT, DE, HI, IA, MA, MD, ME, MN, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT, and WA) and the District of Columbia. 34 states have gay marriage bans through either laws or constitutional amendments or both.† (Procon) Fifteen states legalizing gay marriage in ten years is a strong the accomplishment however, it is still, and continues to be, a very polarizing issue within the country. The passage and acceptance of gay marriage effects many different diversity categories including but not limited to age, religion, and ethnicity and race, and economic status. Age There is a direct correlation between age and the opinion of same sex marriage in America. According to The Pew Research Center, younger Americans are much more accepting and favor same sex unions over older Americans (PewResearchgroup). â€Å"Individuals, born after 1980, favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally by a 53%-to-39% margin, while there is less support for same-sex marriage among Baby Boomers those born 1946 to 1964 than among younger age groups. Currently, 38% favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally while 52% are opposed† (Pew Research) These recent poling numbers would suggest a continuing trend from generation to generation; each new generation is more in favor of same sex marriage than the previous. With more Americans favoring same sex marriage than ever before, one would believe this trend of acceptance of gay marriage will continue over the next generations to come. Religion There is a strong relationship between how religious you see yourself and your views and attitudes toward gay marriage. This idea is not very surprising although very important as it contributes to an understanding of the religious factors that influence opinions about issues directly impacting the gay population. â€Å"Religious attendance is associated with negative attitudes towards gay and lesbians and less support to gay and lesbian civil rights.† (Todd and Ong, 1) There is a positive link between high religious attendance and negative attitudes towards gay marriage; religious attendance is a constant predictor of attitudes towards gay marriage. Within subgroups of religion such as Christian Orthodoxy and conservative Protestant, â€Å"with such an identification, therefore reducing the odds of supporting gay marriage.† (Todd and Ong, 1) Findings suggest the more one identifies and strictly follows their religious views has a direct link to their views on gay marri age. Ethnicity and Race Views and opinions, whether they be negative or positive regarding gay marriage changes and varies within ethnicities and race. African-Americans are generally more opposed to gay marriage versus their white counterparts. â€Å"African-American religiosity is primarily responsible for their conservative views about homosexuality and same-sex marriage.† (Sherkat, Mattias de Vries, and Creek, 81) The factors of race and religion closely relate to each other in this aspect and help to influence each other. As stated above religion has great influence on ones views of same-sex marriage and â€Å"African-Americans have the highest rates of religious participation of any subgroup of the U.S. population† (Sherkat, Mattias de Vries, and Creek 81) â€Å"Between 1998 and 2004, white opposition to same-sex marriage declined to under 54 percent, and it dipped to under 46 percent by 2008. Opposition to same-sex marriage also declined substantially for those of â€Å"other† races, decreasing to under 40 percent in the 2004 survey, and fluctuating between 45percent in 2006 and 43 percent in 2008. Yet, African-American opposition did not decline substantially between 1988 and 2006.† (Sherkat, Mattias de Vries, and Creek 81) Within different races the opinions of gay marriage seem to be changing with the times except for the African-American race. Again, whether it is due to outside factors of religion, culture, or tradition, the African-American race seems to be lagging in the forward movement of gay marriage. Summary As Americans we are guaranteed certain inalienable civil rights and liberties, however as we have seen and know that is not always true. Based on an individual’s sexual preference the ability to marry is not always assured. Factors such as age, religion, ethnicity and race, and economic status greatly influence ones opinion on same sex marriage. Those who are older and more religious oppose gay marriage more than their counterparts who are younger and less religious. Is this to say every older religious individual does not believe in same sex marriage? The answer is no; however, these factors such as age and religiousness tend to follow these trends. There is also variation in opinions within races and ethnicities. White Americans seem to be the most accepting of gay marriage over African-Americans and other races. Discussion The decision on choosing gay marriage legalization and views in America today comes from the realization that there are more gay couples seeking marriage in today’s society than ever before. Gay marriage is no different than heterosexual marriage between a man and a woman with the one obvious exception of gay marriage being between two individuals of the same-sex. Often times, gay marriages are not granted the same civil rights and civil liberties as their heterosexual counterparts. Age, religion, ethnicity and race, and economic status greatly factor into ones positive or negative  views on gay marriage. Throughout this course I have learned that some individuals or even groups of people, such as the gay population, have a very difficult time obtaining the same advantages as their peers. In the past, homosexuality was something to be feared, however, today the public opinion of gay marriage is changing for the better. Stereotypes and prejudices still exist today however they are slowly being phased out by an understanding and more positive attitude towards gay marriage. As of today fifteen states have legalized gay marriage with many other states predicated to soon follow suit. This research has helped me better understand the struggle and plight that the gay community often faces for basic civil rights. Liberties and benefits that I take for granted that come along with marriage are not often extended to the gay community based solely on sexual orientation. I have gained a new appreciation of marriage because I know it is not something that is equal for everyone as well as not obtainable for every individual at this present time. Marriage is not something to be taken for granted because there are those that still cannot share in its wealth. American was built on the foundation of freedom for all regardless of differing diversities; I believe this should hold true for all regardless of sexual orientation. Work Cited â€Å"Gay MarriageProCon.org.† ProConorg Headlines. ProConorg, 11 Nov.2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. Kohut, Andrew. â€Å"Less Opposition to Gay Marriage, Adoption and Military Service.† Pew Research Center for the People and the Press RSS. People Press, 22 Mar. 2006. Web. 06 Nov. 2013 â€Å"Marriage.† Marriage. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. Sherkat, Darren, Kylan Mattais De Vrias, and Stacia Creek. Race, Religion, and Opposition to Same-. Social Science Quarterly (2010): 80-100. EBSCO. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. . Todd, Nathan R., and Katherine S. Ong. Political and Theological Orientation as Moderators for the Association between Religious Attendance and Attitudes toward Gay Marriage for White Christians. Psychology of Religion and Spirtuality 4.1 (2011): 56-70. EBSCO. Web. 2013. .

Elaine Showalters Representing Ophelia :: GCSE Coursework Shakespeare Hamlet

Elaine Showalter's Representing Ophelia  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elaine Showalter defines Ophelia in many typical ways in her essay "Representing Ophelia: Women, Madness, and the Responsibilities of Feminist Criticism." She discusses her significance in reference to how she reveals Hamlet's characteristics. Showalter touches upon the idea that Ophelia's character is one that is symbolic of the psychiatric theories of Freud. Showalter also attributes the characterization of Ophelia to not only the audience, but also to the actress that plays the part. Never does she suggest that Ophelia could be just that, "Ophelia." Her entire article is devoted to individual interpretation of the play in its entirety, focusing primarily on Ophelia. Showalter presents her own ideas by bringing together the ideas of many others such as Jacques Lacan, Susan Mountfort, Ellen Terry, and more. Showalter provides suffice evidence in addressing each argument, but in doing so, she never takes into account the possibilities of Shakespeare's reasoning. In the discussion of Ophelia's character, her madness is almost always at the center of controversy. Showalter recognizes and explains many interpretations of her madness. Ophelia's madness is, by some, attributed to "a predictable outcome of erotomania" (225). This term "erotomania" was what the Elizabethans referred to as "female love-melancholy." Yet another interpretation is that of the "Romantic Ophelia," in which she is referred to as "a young girl passionately and visibly driven to picturesque madness" (228). Later, it is explained what is meant by this definition when Showalter writes about how people viewed Ophelia as a woman who "felt" too much and somehow allowed these feelings to overcome her. This type of action would drive a person to madness, just as Ophelia is driven into her madness. This conclusion would seem to suggest that her madness stemmed from some sort of erotic passion between herself and Hamlet. This is the type of interpretation that is given to the audien ce in many movie versioesult of erotomania. Elaine Showalter creates an argument that is predominantly based on the idea that Ophelia's madness is one that comes from her "female love-melancholy." Showalter cites many actresses, critics, doctors, and such that completely support this idea, and have actually expressed this idea to others in many ways. If it is not true that Hamlet and Ophelia had sexual encounters, then this interpretation of the character and its effect on the entire play can be understood on a completely different level.

‘Macbeth’ was one of the first plays written during the reign of James I Essay

‘Macbeth’ was one of the first plays written during the reign of James I. Shakespeare intended to honour the King by glorifying Banquo, the legendary founder of the Stuart line. Hence the play also serves as a mirror for magistrates, a dramatization of the theme of kingship. James I strongly believed in the Divine Right of kings. He believed that the lord of the heavens had placed kings to rule over people in the world, thus Kings had a god-given right to rule and treachery was like turning away from God and not only the king. In actually fact, if you went against your own king, you were indeed challenging God. James I had ruled the Scottish Parliament more or less how he liked using the concept of Divine Right but when he came to rule over England, he found the English parliament far less easy to handle, insisting that the king could only rule by its consent. In ‘Macbeth’ the common theme is based on the natural order of things. Macbeth’s lawless act destroys all law: it occasions confusion and disorder in the world of men and animals as well as in the heavens above. Everywhere there is upheaval: on the night when the murder is done, chimneys are blown down, lamentations and strange screams of death are heard in the air, and some say the earth was â€Å"feverous and did shake† (2,3,53-59). All this confirms the interdependency of man and nature. The natural elements, following the death of Duncan, are in strange disorder and there is the further recounting of other amazing violations of nature, the unnatural behaviour of animals no longer acting according to their ways. ‘A falcon towering in her pride of place was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed’ (2,4,13). As you can probably guess the owl is supposed to represent King Duncan, on top of the chain, and mousing owl is supposed to be Macbeth, the person who broke this chain and disordered everything, to the tiniest atom. ‘Macbeth,’ at the time would have been exceptionally, politically advantageous to James because it would have greatly increased the public’s view that James I was God’s so-called Sergeant on earth, and so had the right to do or change whatever he pleased. The easiest way to attack a political rival was to accuse him of treachery and the easiest way to prove his treachery was to link him with one of the proscribed religious groups. In 1605 James dealt with some troublesome rivals by claiming to have detected a Catholic plot to blow up the parliament. In Scotland, even more than in England at the time, political troublemakers were accused of witchcraft and heresy. James himself was an authority on witchcraft and the London edition of his Demonology was published in 1603, the year of his accession to the throne of Great Britain. Certainly most people believed in the existence and power of witches, devils and ghosts and the religiously orthodox stressed that the devil could take many shapes. According to the teaching of the Church, Heaven and Hell were actual places and the central teaching of Christianity was the sinful (fallen) nature of man and the necessity of a sense of guilt to bring the sinner to accept the salvation from sinfulness offered by Christ. The reason of man was not foolproof and the Church urged the faithful to be on their guard against any suggestion of communication with the Devil. In Act I, Scene 3 of ‘Macbeth’ Baquo expresses similar fears concerning the witches: Were such things here as we do speak about? Or have we eaten on the insane root That takes the reason prisoner? (Lines 82-84) And And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths; Win us with honest trifles, to betray’s In deepest consequence (Lines 122-125 At the start of the play there surrounds two conflicting views of the hero, Macbeth. In scene 1, when the audience have already found out that the witches have met in order to meet Macbeth, a big question mark surrounds Macbeth. The audience is forced to ask themselves who is this Macbeth and what business does he have with these foul witches. In scene 2 the audience finds out the true identity of Macbeth. He is indeed a Hero! We learn that a battle between King Duncan’s army and the rebels is raging nearby. The scene starts of with King Duncan being given the latest news of the rebellion by the sergeant. The sergeant reports, with great enthusiasm, how the battle was at first, in balance. That is until, gallant and brave Macbeth, ignoring all the odds, slashing in and out with his bloody sword reached the traitor Macdowald and with no pity, ripped the traitor from head to toe. After hearing how the battle went, King Duncan has nothing but praise for the heroic deed of Macbeth and announces that Macbeth is to be given the title of Thane of Cawdor and the treacherous Cawdor is to be executed immediately. The battle is given a size and importance that magnify the qualities of Macbeth and our curiosity and anticipation are aroused to meet this might champion so praised by all who have seen him. But our memories still hold the mention of his name by the witches and the finale line of the scene (‘What he hath lost noble Macbeth hath won’) reminds us of line 4 in scene 1 (‘When the battle’s lost and one’) and this connexion is consolidated in Scene 3. Macbeth’s first words echo the witches ‘so foul is fair a day I have not seen.’ This suggests Macbeth is already in tune with the way the witches think. Banquo believes that these witches are in league with the devil and thus should not be trusted, ‘Can the devil speak truth?’ However Macbeth wants to hear more of this ‘strange intelligence’, ‘upon this blasted heath you stop our way with such prophetic greeting? Speak, I charge you.’ The witches predict two things:- that Macbeth will become the thane of Cawdor, and the king hereafter. They also predict two things for Banquo that he will be lesser than Macbeth, and his children will be the kings after Macbeth. The witches second prediction of Macbeth (‘All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter’) is exactly what Macbeth wants to hear because it is his greatest ambition to be king, the ultimate prize is his for grabs. The soliloquy beginning ‘Two truths are told’ which shows that the witches second prediction has come true about Mabeth earning the title of Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth then begins thinking about the witches’ third prophecy ‘the greatest is behind’ and what he needs to do now to become king. It is at this point that he starts to consider murder but he feels very uneasy about the word even though he is renown around Scotland as a ruthless soldier, ‘why do I yield to that suggestion whose horrid image doth unfix my hair and make my seated heart knock at my ribs’ (1,3,134-136). Macbeth is confused but still very ambitious. Macbeth shows signs of having a good heart and good intentions, but he also shows that he has a weak mind that ignores and disobeys what he knows is right. You can straight away see that Macbeth has got a powerful conscious when Lady Macbeth has a torrid time trying to convince him to kill King Duncan. At first he absolutely refuses to do such a horrible deed to such a noble person. He knows in his heart that to kill Duncan is wrong and deceitful. The reader can tell that Macbeth is trying is utmost best to resist the misgivings of his wife. ‘We will proceed no further. He hath honoured me of late, and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people, Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, Not cast aside so soon’ (1,7,31-35). Although he knows that this deed will have profound consequences he allows Lady Macbeth to persuade him into doing what he knows is wrong. Macbeth knows he has chosen the wrong path when he says, ‘I’ll go no more. I am afraid to think what I have done; Look on’t again, I dare not’ (2,3,46-48). Therefore Macbeth is disobeying what his own heart is telling him. In fact, Macbeth speaks of the distrust he has for his own heart when he says ‘False face must hide what the false heart doth know.’ Lady Macbeth persuades her husband to do the murder by telling him that, all he is doing, is fulfilling his own lofty ambition and that surely he is not a coward. If he is a man, he should act like one. The fact that Macbeth is so easily persuaded to kill a man, proves that he must have considered murder before. It is also the sign of a person who has a weak mind and who does not stand up for himself. Lady Macbeth feeds on this weakness. Macbeth is tempted to do evil and Lady Macbeth is the key human agent – the one Macbeth trusts and loves- who ensures his temptation is through and complete. Lady Macbeth, when we first encounter her is, dominant, determined, powerful, and even perhaps frightening in the intensity of her uncompromising desire for her husband to ascend the throne. Be it, the price of murder. We understand that Macbeth has his own ‘deep desires,’ but this seems tame compared with Lady Macbeth’s unquenchable aspirations (she summons evil itself into her body and soul to unsex her and remove any doubts she might have). Further, we see in her actions, a cool, self-assured person, unlike her husband. When Macbeth falters, she is there and she also has the courage to return the daggers and to faint at the news of King Duncan’s murder, and so distract any attention from her husband. She plans the details of the murder; she has the future worked out. She is also pre-eminently cunning and shows no fear of the supernatural and death itself. That is why she can say, ‘a little water clears us of this deed’ (2,2,67), because there is nothing to fear from God and old-fashioned ideas of retribution. She can happily envisage hypocrisy and falsehood. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth fates are inextricably joined, but her role and character support Macbeth’s destiny. However like Macbeth, Lady Macbeth shows moments of humanity – she would have killed Duncan herself only he reminded her of her own father. It is these small details that perhaps indicate that she is not as cold and inhuman as she makes herself to be. It could actual, all be an act just to persuade Macbeth to do the final deed. This of course makes her breakdown seem the more inevitable as she is bound to blame herself in some way for the murder. Ultimately she finds out that water will not wash away the stain of blood. It is then ironic that Macduff on first meeting Lady Macbeth refers to her as ‘gentle lady’ and one too sensitive to even hear the word ‘murder.’ By the end of the play she is recognized for what she is, a ‘fiend-like queen’ (5,6,108). Macbeth, in the final analysis, is too preoccupied with his own role to give support to her. Once he has done his first major murder he needs no help from her to do the others†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦. Macbeth is a man of action: the play proves this in more ways then others. He is a fearless warrior – and an important lord – who defends his king against treachery. However, ambition is his finale weakness. He allows, first the witches’ prophesy and then his wife’s ambition for him, to undermine his integrity. It is clear that he is not easily won over to evil. His conscience is strong and throws up many objections to his doing the deed. However, he is also too easily influenced in the direction that he secretly desires to go. Once he has decided, he does not deviate, and each step subsequently reaffirms his initial choice. Macbeth, then, is determined, and with this determination turns to a violent and ruthless path, full of chaos. So how does Macbeth ‘a peerless kinsman,’ develops into King Duncan’s murderer? Is Macbeth’s mistake in killing ‘gracious’ king Duncan, his entire fault? Is he to blame for his own doing or were they any other factors that bade him to do this terrible deed? Is Macbeth still the hero at the end of this play and does he deserve what he gets? For these Questions to be answered we need to look at the fundamental theme of the play, Ambition. Partly because it is the driving force of Macbeth’s life. ‘Macbeth’ is a deep sentimental tragedy. ‘Tragedy,’ in Shakespeare usually concerns a great person, the hero, who through some weakness of his character falls from grace, endures intense sufferings (which fascinate the audience), and who inevitable dies a tragic death. In fact, who must die as a consequence of their weakness. Thus if you look at ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’, we find all these ingredients; and if we consider what is the hero’s weakness, it must and can only be ambition. Macbeth says this specifically when he is attempting to resist the murder of Duncan: ‘I have no spur†¦.but only/Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself’ (1,7,25-7).This acknowledgement comes after he has considered all the good reasons for not murdering Duncan. Only ambition is left to overrule his troubled conscience. Furthermore, whilst the influence of both Lady Macbeth and the witches is strong, their power over Macbeth is only possible because the ambition is already there. Macbeth ,then, is a hero but one who is fatally undermined by his ambition, that are the fabric of the play. Put in another way: it is his ambition that leads Macbeth to murder, treason, hypocrisy, corruption and deepest evil.

The Achievement of Desire by Rodriguez Essay - 999 Words

The Achievement of Desire by Rodriguez In Rodriguez’s essay, The Achievement of Desire, Rodriguez illustrates the characteristics of an automaton, thus confirming Freire’s views regarding the banking concept. Despite his classification as a scholarship boy, Rodriguez lacked his own point of view and confidence, which led him to be dominated by his teachers and his books. In the eyes of Paulo Frerie, Rodriguez would be considered a receptacle. He was filled not only with his teacher’s information, but also with knowledge obtained from his reading of important books. Rodriguez is a classic student of the banking system. Early in his essay, Rodriguez shows signs of yielding to the ways of the banking concept. I became the†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦I came to idolize my grammar school teachers. I began by imitating their accents, using their diction, trusting their every direction. The very first facts they dispensed, I grasped with awe. Any book th ey told me to read, I read – then waited for them to tell me which books I enjoyed (Rodriguez 625). Rodriguez allowed his teachers to tell him how to think; he became completely submissive to their every belief. As Freire stated the teacher’s task is, to fill the students with the contents of his narration – contents which are detached from reality, disconnected from the totality that endangered them and could give them significance (Freire 348). Instead of having his own opinion, Rodriguez permitted his instructors the privilege of reasoning for him. Rodriguez became a receptacle in every way possible. He basically left the fate of his education up to his teachers by allowing them to dump information into his mind. However, unlike the banking concept, his teachers did not dispose of knowledge in the form of narrated harangues. Instead, they used narrated literature in place of diatribes. Rodriguez read important books such as The Scarlet Letter and Grea t Expectations. But I was not a good reader, Rodriguez claims, merely bookish, I lacked a point of view when I read. Rather, I read in order to acquire a point of view (633). Rodriguez was a container in a sense that he retained the ideas of the books he read, but Rodriguez did not haveShow MoreRelatedThe Achievement Of Desire By Richard Rodriguez1412 Words   |  6 Pagesof writing- like stories, poems, etc. Literate arts are good for promoting the development of aesthetic sensibility, using sentimental and cognitive responses- which leads to precise critical reasonings. In Richard Rodriguez’s essay, â€Å"The Achievement of Desire,† he informs the readers how education became the essential meaning of his life. He established how remorseful he was for neglecting his parents for education and to the extent of disapproving his lowly-educated parents. â€Å"At home, life wasRead MoreThe Achievement Desire Richard Rodriguez2086 Words   |  9 Pagesrelate closely to Richard Rodriguez in â€Å"The Achievement Desire† because he faced many struggles that I too faced as a young girl. My parents always pressured me to work hard at school, I was always suppose to have my homework for Monday done by Friday night, which made me so mad at my parents. Just like Rodriguez was furious at his parents for forcing him into English classes, which started his separation from his parents. â€Å"The Achievement Desire† written by Richard Rodriguez is a story of a man whoRead MoreThe Achievement Of Desire By Richard Rodriguez1902 Words   |   8 Pages Cristal Bowman Shannon Calder Interdisciplinary Research and Writing September 22nd, 2015 The Achievement of Desire When reading this autobiography it reminded me of my adolescent years; I remember feeling like I knew all there was to being a grown up, I also felt like my parents didn’t know much because they didn’t go to college. I strongly feel like they could have always done more than they were doing. Upon reading this, I felt as though I was reading Richard Rodriguez’s journal and he was aRead MoreThe Achievement Of Desire By Richard Rodriguez1807 Words   |  8 PagesI believe the purpose of education is to give students the necessary skills to reach one’s full potential. 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In reference to the way he reads for the majority of his education, it can be said he reads going with the grain, while he reads a large volume of books, the quality of his reading is lacking. Richard Rodriguez states himself he was an â€Å"imitative and unoriginal pupil† (Rodriguez 516). He takes what he readsRead MoreSummary Of Richard Rodriguez s The Achievement Of Desire Essay708 Words   |  3 PagesAnny Rodriguez English 1A Dr. Hull Taylor February 12th, 2016 Paper 1: Summary and Analysis Based on Personal Experience In Richard Rodriguez s â€Å"The Achievement of Desire† essay, we learn the difficult issues he endured in his educational journey. Rodriguez found himself living in two worlds, life at school and life at home. He expresses how living with immigrant parents was difficult while trying to be a â€Å"Scholarship boy.† Knowing he had to become better than his parents and become this â€Å"ScholarshipRead MoreEssay on Richard Rodriguez, The Achievement of Desire: Analysis1405 Words   |  6 PagesStephanie Li Professor Pines Rhetoric 101 8 October 2011 Word Count: 1394 Rodriguez’s Transformation: Developing a â€Å"Sociological Imagination† In his essay, â€Å"The Achievement of Desire,† Richard Rodriguez informs readers that he was a scholarship boy throughout his educational career. He uses his own personal experiences, as well as Richard Hoggart’s definition of the â€Å"scholarship boy,† to describe himself as someone who constantly struggles with balancing his life between family and educationRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Achievement Of Desire By Richard Rodriguez1330 Words   |  6 PagesProfessor Mary Morley Composition 110 September 6, 2014 In the essay, â€Å"Achievement of Desire†, author Richard Rodriguez, recalls the difficulties of balancing life as a thriving student and the life in a working class family. Growing up, Rodriguez was the exception to the stereotypical student coming from an immigrant/working class family. From an early age, he prospered in academics. He made school his top priority. Rodriguez spent time with his books rather than with family or friends. Initially