While reading Impossible chapters 4, 5, and 21, I was struck by how different it seemed to other articles we have read over the course of the semester, yet I really enjoyed the reading. The chapters covered a large assortment of themes that I found to be interesting and even emotional. However, I was most struck by the chapters by Howard Zinn and Tony Kushner.

Zinn’s article particularly stood out to me because it focused on how each individual can make a difference and is important. Zinn explains that power is fragile and that rebellion has the ability to destroy the power balance. He also touches on the importance of unpredictability and how historically (in instances such as Rosa Parks refusing to get up from her seat on the bus) unpredictability has lead to revolutionary occurrences.  I also liked that Zinn spoke about how everywhere he goes, he finds people wanting to make change and that they should not despair because of “long-term change.”

I also particularly liked Kushner’s chapter as he was able to get his point across in such a straightforward and blunt manner. Kushner’s whole chapter, focused on everyone’s ability to make a change, ends in a perfect way. Kushner completes his chapter with, “we’d like to declare that we have tried our best and worked hard to make a good and just and free and peaceful world, a world that is better for our having been here, at least we believe it is.”