Final estimate of the book: << I have taught you everything but a word>>

Το βιβλίο του Δημήτρη Μπουραντά  << Όλα σου τα ‘μαθα μα ξέχασα μια λέξη>> , βασίζεται κυρίως στην προσπάθεια του συγγραφέα να περάσει στο κοινό δίδαγμα για τη ζωή.

Στο μυθιστόρημα αυτό, πλανάται στο πέρασμα της ανάγνωσης των κεφαλαίων ένας προβληματισμός του Νίκου Αλεξίου, ο οποίος πίστευε ότι με τη διδασκαλία του θα αφήσει ερεθίσματα στους μαθητές του, προσπαθεί να καταλάβει, μέσα στη ιστορία της μαθήτριάς του Άννας, ποιο ήταν το λάθος του το οποίο την αποπροσανατόλιζε πολλές φορές από το στόχο της. Την εμψυχώνει, τη συμβουλεύει συνεχώς, τη βοηθάει να ξεκλειδώσει νέες πόρτες του μυαλού της για να δώσει απαντήσεις στα ερωτήματά της, την ενθαρρύνει και λειτουργεί σαν οδηγός της ζωής της.

Της εκθέτει τις εμπειρίες του , είτε προσωπικές είτε επαγγελματικές, τους στόχους του, τους αγώνες του για να πετύχει και τη θέληση  που είχε για να ζήσει αξιοπρεπώς. Βέβαια της δίνει και ένα κείμενο, μέσα από το οποίο μαθαίνουμε έμμεσα και για τη δική του ζωή παρ’ όλο που ο ίδιος αργεί να το αποκαλύψει.

Υπάρχει όμως και το συναίσθημα του ερωτισμού ανάμεσα στους δύο ήρωες, εκτός από το συναδελφικό και το φιλικό. Βέβαια, παρόλο που μετά από χρόνια έφτασαν στην ίδια θέση επαγγελματικά, ο ερωτισμός ανάμεσά τους ήταν έντονος από την πρώτη στιγμή των συζητήσεών τους.

 Χρησιμοποιούνται απλοί χαρακτηρισμοί για τους ήρωες , για να μας γίνεται το κείμενο πιο κατανοητό.  Υπάρχουν μαθήματα ζωής και άλλα μηνύματα, με τα οποία μας βοηθά να ανακαλύψουμε καινούριους δρόμους στις προσωπικές μας αναζητήσεις. Μας οδηγεί στο να αναγνωρίσουμε καλύτερα τον εαυτό μας, να διευρύνουμε τους πνευματικούς μας ορίζοντες και να μάθουμε να παλεύουμε για το μέλλον μας.

Chapters 10-11-12: << Final outcome of the relationship “ Nick-Anna”>>

In these 3 last chapters, we see the various paths that the relationship between the two heroes passed, as well as the obstacles they found until they finally come together.

In chapter 10, Anna appears very upset in Nick’s  office as she was in  a dilemma because she doesn’t know what to do with her life. Nick, who is trying to help her, urges her to communicate with a friend of his, Kleanthis, who had helped him in the past. But then, he shows quite anxious if Anna will eventually go with him to Athens. So, he decides to meet her in her room, where there is a generally comforting climate. In his attempt to console her, he describes his personal story, when he had been depressed for a long period of time. He even confessed his heart problem, but that, made Anna to be more concerned and to want to protect him. But however, Nick seems to take care of her more like her father. At the stage of development of events, there follows their common journey. During their flight there were strong emotions, but the characters didn’t follow their manifest. Later, during the preparation of Anna’s presentation, the odds of meeting alone were continuously decreasing. However, at the presentation, Nick admired her and slowly started being stunned by her and as a matter of fact her got closer to her. During the period they spent together, people thought that they were a couple, but they didn’t admit it. There were some romantic dinners, which had a pretty charged atmosphere. At one point, Anna started touching his hand and Nick did the same, although at first he was somehow reluctant. After that, even though Anna confessed her feeling about him, Nick sunned her indirectly and continued the conversation by talking generally. But although he tried to deny what he felt, now he realized that it was too late. The climax came with a sudden and brutal change in their relationship, when they both eventually admitted the passion that united them. Finally, they postponed their trip in order to be able to live their love free.

In chapter 11, Anna is presented to live her first years in America working on a new project. There she meets a new colleague, Dimitris, where through his appearance she recalls Nicks’ image. That means that she replaces him in her head indirectly with Nick. Although her relations with Dimitris ended up to be vey close, eventually Anna on her trip back  to Greece, was thinking  of them both and she realized that she couldn’t overcome Nick.

In chapter 12, while Nick was reading the letter that Anna had sent to him with all the things that had happened, he didn’t know if he should react positively or negatively at all that she described and he was trying to find answers to his questions. At his meeting with Anna, although they where discussing Nicks’ plans and ideas on the creation of the new laboratory, they were avoiding with embarrassment about Anna’s letter and focused in their work. Of course, despite all the work, Nick’s question was still torturing him, but he didn’t want to talk about it. Later, Anna had to fly with him on a professional issue. But Anna was frightened and she had misgivings about the flight, because she had a bad feeling. Instead, Nick wanted to convince her in every way to come, but he respected her decision and agreed to cover her at the meeting. But when Anna took the decision, went to the meeting and appeared suddenly, she and Nick where quite embarrassed. There followed some business dinners where they were not together and even though they wanted to stay alone, they couldn’t. But finally they found the opportunity to communicate. At the end of all the meetings and the upcoming trip to return, they didn’t follow the others, but they stayed behind alone. After that, they went for a dinner in a restaurant just for the two of them. At first, Nick started talking and he asked her why she wrote that letter. In their discussion, Anna explained that she understood that eventually Dimitris, the character of the story, wasn’t a real character but behind him was hiding Nick’s real life story. Simultaneously, she noted that she wrote it in order to help him overcome the grief he felt. Furthermore, in the intense atmosphere that prevails among them, Anna confessed without fear her love for him and she argues ever word, but again, Nick tries to prevent her from what she feels. In the end, they result approaching closely, remain together and their story seems to end calmly and that their feelings will last a lifetime.

Through a comprehensive look at the history, we conclude that the main purpose of the book is to teach us that true love between two people can’t be prevented neither by the passage of time nor by the social positions and constraints that exist in the world. At the same time, it shows us that true love doesn’t understand neither the mental borders nor the age. But although, through the relationship that the two characters built up and their strong emotions, we also realize that even though Anna told him many times that she loved him, he never said it clearly, because he’s stuck to the social perceptions that existed for a teacher and a student, and we can end up logically that from the title <<I’ve taught you everything, but a word>>, the author means that from everything Nick learned to Anna, he finally forgot to tell her the most important word, “I love you.”

Chapter 7: "A report of persons, relationships, conflicts, resolutions"

In Chapter 7 we will meet a new face, Alexis Andriopoulos, who is CEO at a known company store and asks for the help of Professor Nikos Alexiou, in order to help him reorganize and save his business. Through the course of this meeting events will unfold capital, and through this effort he will bring to the fore and the main character, Anna, who will be forced to make serious decisions about her future, but we will also meet new characters that will play an important role in the course of the history.

Alexis Andriopoulos is CEO at a company store. But the company is beginning slowly to decline, leading himself to resort to Professor Nikos Alexiou, in order to help upgrade the company's stores. While on 'aspect he seems to be quite introverted, he is actually likeable, smiling, polite and very jovial. In their discussion, he sets of views and ideas about the necessary changes need to be made, he has visions, he’s innovative, radical and straight and he seems to be fully aware of the disappointing situation regarding sales. That’s why he considers as essential the replacement of several employees.

Nick Alexiou, while initially had misgivings about this partnership, later when he talked to Alexis Andrianopoulos, he estimated him enough and wanted to help him. He is receptive to suggestions and he wants to change some of the old staff members. Of course, there we have from the first clash Alexis emotions and he created the first reply, as are issues such as the delivery of some employees. But Nick later will propose Anna as the appropriate employee of this business.

Anna, in Nick’s opinion, is the  "ideal model strain." When he makes the proposal for the job, she reluctantly listens to him and does not decide immediately, but first she tells him of her concerns. She has enough fear of the risk she should take on her decision, she is concerned about the choice she makes regarding the people with whom she will work in order to achieve the company, she believes she doesn’t have the right age to do it because she can’t impose in such a job. At the same time, she’s  concerned about the long hours and of the little professional training. She seems pessimistic and almost ready to refuse.

So, then the professor tries to refute the arguments in order to convince her to accept, saying that this work will be a step to build her career, he’s trying to encourage her and boost the morale, as he emphases that she will be able to gain experience from it. So, Anna attained with the moral decides to accept the job, because as she says it will be her first personal business bet. But, indirectly, through all this encouraging atmosphere that prevailed, there suddenly began to emerge also some strong feelings of both characters. Initially, Anna bewitched by Nicks’ speech, finally decided to take the role of Head and wanted to call Nick out for dinner in order to thank him. Although between them intimacy is big enough, he wanted to guide and encourage her and because he did not want to reveal his feelings and to stray, he decided to refuse. At their next meeting, of course, Anna has sparks in words and emotions are well lit.

Then the story continues with Anna’s anger and confusion at work, as she hasn’t properly understood the expectations that Mr Vaggelis had from her, and that’s how a new character reveals. Mr Vaggelis is the director of the store. He is shown a little bit arrogant and the expectations that he has from Anna are only speculative and utilitarian. He’s not interested in the collective good and he points that she should be imposing to several employees in order to properly operate the business. But because she wanted to be collegial spirit, she decided to organize a meeting with the other workers so that they will know each other better.

Through this meeting, the argument seems strong between Anna and Angela, an old servant who was arrogant and cheek constantly. This resulted as time passed, Anna started looking for replacement for Angela’s position and finally managed to promote Christina as a surrogate CEO and fire Angela.

But the time that Anna would stay at the job slavery ended and Anna was confronted with her choices. In a new conversation with Nick, she was trying to decide if she ultimately chooses to stay in this job or to go to university to get a scholarship. In this dilemma, she did not hesitate to ask the help of her good friend, Costas, whom she trusts. Finally, she decided to go to university to pursue better opportunities. But she knew he had left a hand, which was to spend more time with the professor, but now as a man with a woman. He, of course chooses to communicate with her through letters. Nevertheless, his actions and the pictures of Anna on his mind , are manifesting the love for her.

Chapter 5: "Who are the people that help Anna in achieving her targets and who are preventing her?"

Anna, who is the main character of the book, is very insecure and when she has to make a tough decision, she doesn't know if she is going to decide either by her feelings or by logic. Although she trusts people who are close to her and most of them want her to succeed, some of them want to deter her from her targets indirectly, because they think that her success will affect their lives.

+Kostas, is a friend that she first met when she went out with friends.Through  his behavior and his words, she realized that he was a man with many dreams like her and always wanted to achieve his goals. From their discussions, Anna found her inner peace and took courage and strength to continue fighting for her dreams, and although she sometimes found herself in a moment of weakness, Kostas was trying to convince her not to give up and to remember how it is to aim high.

-George, who is Anna’s boyfriend, works at the tax department and with the money that he makes from his job, he wants to fulfill many of his dreams. He likes nightlife and he likes  having always a good time. He has a high opinion of Anna and he wants to marry her and have a family. Anna not only loves him, but she also trusts his opinion very much. But when she told him her thoughts about the things that she wants to do (such as going to university), then George does not seem very pleased with this decision. He is trying to discourage her, by telling her that she doesn’t have the necessary education to get into the university. He believes that she’s having hallucinations and he is trying to show her what's the right thing to do. He thinks that she should focus only on him and their family, because although she has little education, with  she will eventually find a decent job more dishonestly. However, from his words he shows that he's feeling inferior, because Anna wants to study and she will eventually become superior than him.

+Nikos Alexiou, who is Anna’s professor, has a very important role in her guidance. Through his speech, the topics that they discuss and his teaching, he helps her to discover other aspects of herself, to explore her inner world and learn her capabilities. But in order to make his teaching more comprehensible, he wrote a story in which the main hero is a child, and from that story he’s trying to show the impasse that she is in right now, the importance of the decisions that she’s going to make and at the same time he wants to help her achieve her goals and get high. But, he wants to point out that she must not be pessimistic, but always try for the best.

My Self Reflection

Dear friends,

I’ve been asked to write my first “Self Reflection” article.

My name is Lia, I’m 17 years old and I am a student in the 2^nd Grade of the 3^rd Lyceum in Larissa. I’m writing this article, in order to share my thoughts with you about my future, so that you will know me better and probably you could understand my feelings and my internal world.

  My goal is to study English literature in Cyprus, because I believe that it will provide me better quality in studies and more remarkable degrees, in order to ensure more chances for work in the future. In case that I don't achieve this target, I would also like to succeed in Theater studies, because I think that I would be very good at it, as I believe that it is wonderful to be able to impersonate different characters in theater each time.

My priority at the moment is to gain as much knowledge as I can, which will give me not only good marks at school and in the tutorial, but also they will increase my confidence that I will be able to get a step closer to the university.

Unfortunately, we are experiencing difficult days because of the economic crisis, that lead us all young people to ensure a permanent career, so that we could have the monthly income that could provide us a comfortable life. So, my career, either I want it or not, will come first in my priorities and the family definitely will follow...

I find it a bit difficult to make my dreams and my goals come true. My fears many times come in my mind. What if ....? :

... I won't write well in the exams for the university?

... my parents won't be able to support me financially with my studies?

... my family won't agree with my choices and they press me to choose another way? 

Well, I hope all these thoughts to give me the strength to be an active member in this group in order to succeed in our assignment.