Following the theme of "What is ultimate reality?" I believe these parables give a little insight of how people follow the belief of God to grow a closer relationship with him and how society incorporates the teachings of God into their lives. ... The first parable contains a story of a shepherd who has a hundred sheep but one wanders off. ... And I admit it gets to me sometimes, just as the older brother in this parable. ... The passages relate to the theme I have chosen in which they both offer an insight of how society's foundation and cultural beliefs may have been built ...

• Word Count: 1091
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

It was a story that intrigued me and Mary definitely piqued my interest. So, while walking around the LA County Museum of Art, when I first saw a Baroque painting of Mary, it made me stop in my tracks. ... The sooty flame gives out identical trails of smoke and is the only source of illumination in the painting. ... The eye is drawn in a diagonal over the line of Mary's form, which recedes into the space, and then through her gaze, onto the intense flame, which for me forms the focal point of the image. ... Mary is a symbol of hope and forgiveness, a recurring theme in the Gospels. ...

• Word Count: 1168
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

One of the themes in "Ellen Foster" and "White Oleander" is sometimes our surroundings can change your identity. ... When Astrid was on the brink of getting kicked out the house by Starr she stated to her that "Jesus would give me a chance He might be mad.. if he knew you sent me away because you were jealous. " Without Astrid mentioning Jesus Christ in the conversation she had with Starr, she would have been out of the house a lot sooner and would have ended up in a new foster home. ... Later on in the story Astrid is getting older and starts to develop a darker personality due t...

• Word Count: 932
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School