Kesey's Timeline

Whooaa... why are the walls breathing... why do I see purple triangles surrounding my head... why is there an intensification of colors and brightness on the computer screen... why is there an after image-like trail of my finger when I move it in front of my eyes? This is craaaazy! Obviously, I am not under the influence of LSD and this description comes straight from an account on Yahoo Answers (there are some poor souls in the world today); however, author Ken Kesey experimented with the drug more than enough times for all of us in AP English 12. Although, none of us, hopefully, will never experiment with illegal drugs in such a manner as Kesey, I found that our lives in AP English 12 and into our college years to yield many similarities to Kesey’s time on earth. Allow me to explain. 

When we walked into that classroom, secluded from all others, in the farthest corner and on the very top floor of the school, we embarked on a journey that will contrast the rest of our lives immensely. Similarly, Kesey’s life takes a shift that rival the plutonic plates. The man faked an elaborate suicide, and fled to Mexico, only to be arrested by authorities for possession of marijuana eight months later after his reentrance into the US. But after his release from prison, Kesey magically transformed into a new man, quietly raising a family on his farm in Oregon. An anti-climactic ending to say the least. However, it parallels many students’ end to their English careers. The emotional roller coaster with Ms. Serensky at the helm is as exciting to knowledgeable onlookers as Kesey’s drug fiasco. The ride is unforgettable but some move on like Kesey pursue careers in other fields such as mathematics and science. I am assuredly not bashing the importance of English in our everyday lives, I merely state that nothing in the future, of non-english majors, will rival the intense analyzation of the English language that occurs daily in AP English. 

As much as I would like to consider a time when data sheets do not exist, Kesey’s life timeline serves as a reminder that we are still in the drug usage stage (the AP English workload drug) and have not moved into the quiet life on the Oregon farm just yet.