I recently began reading an Agatha Christie mystery novel entitled Ordeal by Innocence.Two years prior to the beginning of the story, a man named Jack Argyle was sentenced to life in prison fo killing his adoptive mother, Rachel Argyle. The evidence against Jack was sure and uncontroversial, despite Jack's insistent protests that he hadn't committed the crime. On the night his mother was murdered, Jack came to her home at about six in the evening and demanded that she give him money to get Jack out of some kind of trouble he had gotten him into. Mrs. Argyle refused. Jack immediately became angry and threatening toward his mother. Jack eventually left the house in a rage. At 7:30 that same evening, Mrs. Argyle was struck and killed with a fireplace poker. The police found Jack's fingerprints on the poker and a large quantity of money missing from Mrs. Argyle's bureau drawer. Jack was later picked up by the police in a town called Drymouth. A great amount of cash was found on his person, which was later traced back to Mrs. Argyle. Jack was charged with wilful murder. Jack claimed he had an alibi for the period of time it was believed his mother had been killed, sometime between seven and seven-thirty. Jack claimed during that time he had been hitchhiking and been picked up by a middle-aged man in a black or dark blue saloon car on the road to Drymouth. The police did everything humanly possible to find the vehicle and its driver, but Jack's alibi couldn't be confirmed. Jack was sentenced to life in prison and died of pneumonia six months later.
Some two years after these events occured, a geophysicist named Dr. Arthur Calgary approached the Argyle family claiming that he had been the middle-aged man who picked up Jack Argyle on the road to Drymouth, literally confirming Jack's alibi for the time period during which Mrs. Argyle was believed to have been murdered. Calgary told the family that after he dropped Jack off at Drymouth he went to London and waited for the train he supposed to catch. However, while crossing a street, he was hit by a streetcar. Although Calgary appeared to be fine during the initial minutes after the accident, by the time his train arrived
he was unconscious and had to be rushed to the hospital. When he regained conscionsness a few days later, Calgary could remember nothing of the last twenty-four or so, including picking Jack up on the road the Drymouth. Having no reason to believe that anything important occured during the missing hours of his life, Calgary was not concerned about this partial amnesia. During his recovery at the hospital, Calgary had no contact with the outside world, and, therefore, did not learn of the Argyle murder. Following his recovery, Calgary left England to prepare for an expedition to the Antarctic, which kept him busy enough he never heard of the Argyle murder. It wasn't until Calgary returned to England about a month prior to the start of the story that he learned of Rachel Argyle's murder and Jack Argyle's conviction of the crime, and remembered the part he unknowingly played in the situation. He saw Jack's photo in a newspaper and thought he looked familiar. After he read the paragraph that detailed the events surrounding the murder, Calgary suddenly remembered that he picked Jack Argyle up on the road Drymouth. After he researched the murder to make sure his recently recovered memory collaborated with the facts of the case, Calgary went to Jack's former attorney, from whom he learned he too late to rescue Jack, who died in prison two years before. However, the case was being laid before the Public Prosecutor and it was likely that in no time at all, Jack's conviction would be overturned. Feeling responsible for unknowingly allowing Jack to go to prison for crime he hadn't committed, Calgary went to the family and explained his role in situation. The Argyle family was hardly pleased or relieved to learn of Jack's innocence. Jack had an awful temper and was mentally unstable. Although this mental unstability wasn't of the kind that could have gotten Jack anything less than a life sentence, it was enough that it allowed the Argyles to believe that, while Jack was guilty, he wasn't responsible for actions. This belief allowed the family to resign themselves to Jack's imprisonment. But now this recent discovery of Jack's innocence stirs up not only the murder case but also turmoil within family; since Mrs. Argyle was killed inside her own home then that means her killer was either a family inside the house at the time or someone she willingly allowed into her home. The ultimate question of Ordeal by Innocence is this: if Jack Argyle didn't kill Rachel Argyle who did?
Monday, May 10, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
My Interpretation of "The Traveling Onion"
This poem by Naomi Shihab Nye is about an onion. The author comtemplates the importance and beauty of the onion and the fact that it is often overlooked and forgotten. Of the onion she says, "crackly paper peeling on the drainboard, pearly layers in smooth agreement, the way knife enters onion and onion falls
apart on the chopping block." In these lines Nye is describing the onion in an admiring, dreamlike fashion,
indicating the fact that she holds great respect for this particular vegetable.
At first, it appears that the only way to interpret this poem is as a praise to the onion. However, The Traveling Onion is a deceptively simple work, or a work that appears simple to understand on the surface but in reality has a deeper meaning that has to be searched out. The poem needs to be seriously interpreted in order to discover even just a single meaning that may be hidden behind the obvious one. The phrase at the end of the first stanza, "and onion falls apart on the chopping block, a history revealed, " doesn't quite make sense. What history is "revealed" and why does the onion coming apart have anything to do with its history? There are other phrases in this poem that are just as complex and, therefore, one needs to make a valiant attempt to interpret the poem.
To me, this poem seems to be communicating the fact that some of the most important things and people of this world frequently go unnoticed. They perform a special or needed work in our society but rarely are acknowledged with the recognition they deserve. I draw this conclusion from the phrase, "I could kneel
and praise all small forgotten miracles." These "miracles" are most likely not the supernatural kind that we're
so familiar with. More than likely these miracles are the everyday things we take for granted: the laughter of
children, a cool summer day, a convicting chapel sermon, the knowledge found in God's Word. All these and
more could be classified as the "small forgotten miracles" that Nye is referring to. They are apart of our everyday existence and add something special to our world, but they frequently go unnoticed or, if noticed, don't receive the appreciation they deserve.
The onion, the central object in this poem, is both a representative of the unnoticed and an unnoticed object itself. Many of us eat onions on a regular basis in some form but rarely, if ever, think about or consider them in any real depth. It adds flavor and a kick to various foods, such as soup, but unless it's an onion dish, most people probably don't pay attention to this vegetable. Nye says, "How at meal, we sit to eat, commenting on
texture of meat or herbal aroma but never on the translucence of onion." Here, she openly acknowledges the fact that while other foods receive the benefit of compliments and recognization, the onion is not discussed.
In the second stanza Nye says "It is right that tears fall for something small and forgotten." Nye is speaking of the onion but it's very possible that she could also mean something more. The pungent smell of onions does cause one's eyes to well, however, the first half of the phrase, "It is right that tears fall," doesn't seem to be conducive with this fact. As forgotten as the onion might be, it isn't so important that someone would shed
tears over it. For it to be "right" for someone to cry over something it has to be something extremely important. Therefore, the tears must be for sadness or grief over the lose of something more important than an onion. The second half of the phrase, "for something small and forgotten," is also speaking of the onion.
However, one can make the conjecture that these lines might have a deeper meaning. Yes, the onion may be small and forgotten, but so are the disabled, so are the sick. The onion, as well as being unnoticed itself, might also be a representative of other unnoticed things.
So, why should any of this matter to you? It matters to you, and to me, because all of us, at one time or another, have experienced the pain of going unnoticed or unappreciated by those around us. We've operated
on the fringes of society while people take little or no notice of us. We've done nice things for other people
and were offered inadequate gratitude, or worse, none at all. What's more, we've acted that way toward other people. We deliberately avoid them or find ways to get out of interacting with them. We see the elderly man at the store who needs help and turn away. A loved one needs talk to us about something important and we refuse to acknowledge them. My interpretation of The Traveling Onion matters because it grabs the essence of the poem: The fact that we oftentimes ignore, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the things and people that should be the most regarded by us. The poem itself is insightful because it uses an ordinary item to explain a great truth. Like I said earlier, most people don't take notice of onions. They add flavor to a
variety of foods but don't receive much recognition because their filmy, transparent substance causes them to almost disappear and be superseded by whatever else is in the dish. Therefore, since we don't see the onion
we can't comphrend its worth in the overall dish.
apart on the chopping block." In these lines Nye is describing the onion in an admiring, dreamlike fashion,
indicating the fact that she holds great respect for this particular vegetable.
At first, it appears that the only way to interpret this poem is as a praise to the onion. However, The Traveling Onion is a deceptively simple work, or a work that appears simple to understand on the surface but in reality has a deeper meaning that has to be searched out. The poem needs to be seriously interpreted in order to discover even just a single meaning that may be hidden behind the obvious one. The phrase at the end of the first stanza, "and onion falls apart on the chopping block, a history revealed, " doesn't quite make sense. What history is "revealed" and why does the onion coming apart have anything to do with its history? There are other phrases in this poem that are just as complex and, therefore, one needs to make a valiant attempt to interpret the poem.
To me, this poem seems to be communicating the fact that some of the most important things and people of this world frequently go unnoticed. They perform a special or needed work in our society but rarely are acknowledged with the recognition they deserve. I draw this conclusion from the phrase, "I could kneel
and praise all small forgotten miracles." These "miracles" are most likely not the supernatural kind that we're
so familiar with. More than likely these miracles are the everyday things we take for granted: the laughter of
children, a cool summer day, a convicting chapel sermon, the knowledge found in God's Word. All these and
more could be classified as the "small forgotten miracles" that Nye is referring to. They are apart of our everyday existence and add something special to our world, but they frequently go unnoticed or, if noticed, don't receive the appreciation they deserve.
The onion, the central object in this poem, is both a representative of the unnoticed and an unnoticed object itself. Many of us eat onions on a regular basis in some form but rarely, if ever, think about or consider them in any real depth. It adds flavor and a kick to various foods, such as soup, but unless it's an onion dish, most people probably don't pay attention to this vegetable. Nye says, "How at meal, we sit to eat, commenting on
texture of meat or herbal aroma but never on the translucence of onion." Here, she openly acknowledges the fact that while other foods receive the benefit of compliments and recognization, the onion is not discussed.
In the second stanza Nye says "It is right that tears fall for something small and forgotten." Nye is speaking of the onion but it's very possible that she could also mean something more. The pungent smell of onions does cause one's eyes to well, however, the first half of the phrase, "It is right that tears fall," doesn't seem to be conducive with this fact. As forgotten as the onion might be, it isn't so important that someone would shed
tears over it. For it to be "right" for someone to cry over something it has to be something extremely important. Therefore, the tears must be for sadness or grief over the lose of something more important than an onion. The second half of the phrase, "for something small and forgotten," is also speaking of the onion.
However, one can make the conjecture that these lines might have a deeper meaning. Yes, the onion may be small and forgotten, but so are the disabled, so are the sick. The onion, as well as being unnoticed itself, might also be a representative of other unnoticed things.
So, why should any of this matter to you? It matters to you, and to me, because all of us, at one time or another, have experienced the pain of going unnoticed or unappreciated by those around us. We've operated
on the fringes of society while people take little or no notice of us. We've done nice things for other people
and were offered inadequate gratitude, or worse, none at all. What's more, we've acted that way toward other people. We deliberately avoid them or find ways to get out of interacting with them. We see the elderly man at the store who needs help and turn away. A loved one needs talk to us about something important and we refuse to acknowledge them. My interpretation of The Traveling Onion matters because it grabs the essence of the poem: The fact that we oftentimes ignore, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the things and people that should be the most regarded by us. The poem itself is insightful because it uses an ordinary item to explain a great truth. Like I said earlier, most people don't take notice of onions. They add flavor to a
variety of foods but don't receive much recognition because their filmy, transparent substance causes them to almost disappear and be superseded by whatever else is in the dish. Therefore, since we don't see the onion
we can't comphrend its worth in the overall dish.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Imago Dei
What does imago dei mean? Well, Imago is the Latin term for image. Dei is Latin for God. Therefore, imago dei literally means the image of God. But what, exactly, does it mean to be in the "image of God?"
Does it simply mean that we physically look like God, having two arms, two legs, a nose, etc? Or does it
mean that we display some of God's personality traits, such as love, gentleness, and creativity? If the second
definition is true then that means that everyone-from the criminals in your local prison to the Good Samaritian worker-are made in the image of God, having displayed some level of the personal attributes of God. However, there is a complication in that belief. We believe that God is loving. So if we are made in His image
then why we do oftentimes act in unloving ways? Is it because we have somehow detracted from or thrown off any plans of acting like we are made in God's image to do our own thing? Or is possible that God is not loving, and therefore could not create beings capable love? But if so, then where did such people as Mother Theresa get their love and compassion for hurting individuals?
In his essay, Steven Fettke deals with this concept of imago dei but from a completely different angle. Instead asking how the image of a loving God can exist in the immoral human race, he asks how the image
of God imprints itself on the human race. In other words, in what way does the image of God appear in everyday life? Eichrodt claims, "For man (sic) to be created in the likeness of God's image can only mean that on him, too, personhood is bestowed as the definitive characteristic of his nature (3)." Fettke relates
this concept to the mentally challenged. It is difficult to pin down exactly how the mentally challenged are made in God's image because we generally can't get past their problems and needs to see the true person. Fettke believes that this is one of the issues within the church community; many of them are stuck in the belief that because the mentally challenged can't contribute to the community or can't overcome their disability the way the community believes they should, they are not worth the time or effort.
Does it simply mean that we physically look like God, having two arms, two legs, a nose, etc? Or does it
mean that we display some of God's personality traits, such as love, gentleness, and creativity? If the second
definition is true then that means that everyone-from the criminals in your local prison to the Good Samaritian worker-are made in the image of God, having displayed some level of the personal attributes of God. However, there is a complication in that belief. We believe that God is loving. So if we are made in His image
then why we do oftentimes act in unloving ways? Is it because we have somehow detracted from or thrown off any plans of acting like we are made in God's image to do our own thing? Or is possible that God is not loving, and therefore could not create beings capable love? But if so, then where did such people as Mother Theresa get their love and compassion for hurting individuals?
In his essay, Steven Fettke deals with this concept of imago dei but from a completely different angle. Instead asking how the image of a loving God can exist in the immoral human race, he asks how the image
of God imprints itself on the human race. In other words, in what way does the image of God appear in everyday life? Eichrodt claims, "For man (sic) to be created in the likeness of God's image can only mean that on him, too, personhood is bestowed as the definitive characteristic of his nature (3)." Fettke relates
this concept to the mentally challenged. It is difficult to pin down exactly how the mentally challenged are made in God's image because we generally can't get past their problems and needs to see the true person. Fettke believes that this is one of the issues within the church community; many of them are stuck in the belief that because the mentally challenged can't contribute to the community or can't overcome their disability the way the community believes they should, they are not worth the time or effort.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
The Boys Next Door
This was an interesting play. It gave a very unbiased glimpse of what mentally challenged individuals have to deal with: day-to-day living in the world while knowing their disability prevents them from doing certain things, interacting with others who are mentally challenged and those who are not, and attempting to find their
niche in a society that doesn't quite understand them. We may consider the mentally challenged as being strange, retarded, and even stupid. But in reality they're ordinary people who have some of the same emotions as we do. Barry experiences sadness and fear when his father, in a fit of rage, hits him on the side of his head. Arnold is hurt when Jack loses his temper and yells at him.Lucien is nervous about going before the State Senate to convince them that he is not ready to leave his group home. Norman is in love with Sheila. All the guys become very upset when Jack informs them that he is leaving them and taking a job as a travel agent. The play ends sadly and poignantly. It's sad not only because Jack is leaving the guys but also because Barry, as a result of the incident with his father, has some type of breakdown and has to be sent to an institution. But the end is also poignant because even though Arnold tells Jack that he "hates" him, the last thing Arnold tells Jack before the play ends is: "Jack, and I emphasize this, you've got better behavior patterns than a lot of, I repeat, people" and the two men laugh (65). Go back to the end of the first act and read the part where Arnold tells Jack that his "behavior patterns are not one bit fun (33), " then read the first quote again, and I think you'll figure out why Arnold's comment to Jack at the end of the play is so important.
niche in a society that doesn't quite understand them. We may consider the mentally challenged as being strange, retarded, and even stupid. But in reality they're ordinary people who have some of the same emotions as we do. Barry experiences sadness and fear when his father, in a fit of rage, hits him on the side of his head. Arnold is hurt when Jack loses his temper and yells at him.Lucien is nervous about going before the State Senate to convince them that he is not ready to leave his group home. Norman is in love with Sheila. All the guys become very upset when Jack informs them that he is leaving them and taking a job as a travel agent. The play ends sadly and poignantly. It's sad not only because Jack is leaving the guys but also because Barry, as a result of the incident with his father, has some type of breakdown and has to be sent to an institution. But the end is also poignant because even though Arnold tells Jack that he "hates" him, the last thing Arnold tells Jack before the play ends is: "Jack, and I emphasize this, you've got better behavior patterns than a lot of, I repeat, people" and the two men laugh (65). Go back to the end of the first act and read the part where Arnold tells Jack that his "behavior patterns are not one bit fun (33), " then read the first quote again, and I think you'll figure out why Arnold's comment to Jack at the end of the play is so important.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
The Polk Museum
The Tampa Orchid
Two orchids. One gray against black,
the other blue against silver.
Constrasts. Like rich and poor,
darkness and light. What does
the contrast mean? I don't know.
Gray might be lifelessness and depression.
Blue might be vitality and life. Black could
represent darkness, silver light. Contrasts,
like black and white, strength and weakness.
Again, what does it mean? I don't know but
contrasts are wonderful things. How boring
the world would be if everything and everyone
were the same? Contrasts and differences give
the world spice and excitement. I believe God
meant it to be this way for He is a God of contrast:
human yet divine; loving but capable of righteous
anger. A God of contrasts, therefore, enjoys a world
of contrasts. But again, the tampa orchid, one gray
on black, the other blue on silver. What was the photographer's
purpose making it so? I am sure I do not know.
I went to the Polk Museum of Art for this assignment and stayed for at least forty minutes. The museum was a very interesting trip. I expected to only see paintings but I was surprised to see other things there as well. I looked at several Japanese kimonos, pieces of pottery, and bonsai trees as well as paintings. On the second floor I saw several photos that kept my attention for several minutes. Each photo depicted a family posing outside with their household items. Each family was from a different part of the world and most were of low economic status. Beside each photo was a plaque which included information about each family, such as how
many hours a week the parents worked and the family's most valuable possession. Reading these plaques made me rather sad. One family's plaque said they had no possessions of value, while another said they had no wishes for the future, probably because their economic situation was so bad the family didn't expect anything to elevate them even slightly. Two plaques stated that the family were their most valuable possession. These photos struck me because it made me realize anew that not everyone is so fortunate as to have a decent home or a nice car constantly at their disposal. It was good to see a glimpse of families who live outside America and to get a bit of history, of sorts, about other cultures. The photo of the tampa orchid, the subject of my "poem," was one of two works that caught my attention and which I kept returning to. The contrasting colors made a good effect on the overall work. The contrasting colors, in fact, was the detail that caused me write the "poem" about that particular work. I would have taken a picture of it and probably posted it on my blog if taking photos inside the museum hadn't been prohibited.
Two orchids. One gray against black,
the other blue against silver.
Constrasts. Like rich and poor,
darkness and light. What does
the contrast mean? I don't know.
Gray might be lifelessness and depression.
Blue might be vitality and life. Black could
represent darkness, silver light. Contrasts,
like black and white, strength and weakness.
Again, what does it mean? I don't know but
contrasts are wonderful things. How boring
the world would be if everything and everyone
were the same? Contrasts and differences give
the world spice and excitement. I believe God
meant it to be this way for He is a God of contrast:
human yet divine; loving but capable of righteous
anger. A God of contrasts, therefore, enjoys a world
of contrasts. But again, the tampa orchid, one gray
on black, the other blue on silver. What was the photographer's
purpose making it so? I am sure I do not know.
I went to the Polk Museum of Art for this assignment and stayed for at least forty minutes. The museum was a very interesting trip. I expected to only see paintings but I was surprised to see other things there as well. I looked at several Japanese kimonos, pieces of pottery, and bonsai trees as well as paintings. On the second floor I saw several photos that kept my attention for several minutes. Each photo depicted a family posing outside with their household items. Each family was from a different part of the world and most were of low economic status. Beside each photo was a plaque which included information about each family, such as how
many hours a week the parents worked and the family's most valuable possession. Reading these plaques made me rather sad. One family's plaque said they had no possessions of value, while another said they had no wishes for the future, probably because their economic situation was so bad the family didn't expect anything to elevate them even slightly. Two plaques stated that the family were their most valuable possession. These photos struck me because it made me realize anew that not everyone is so fortunate as to have a decent home or a nice car constantly at their disposal. It was good to see a glimpse of families who live outside America and to get a bit of history, of sorts, about other cultures. The photo of the tampa orchid, the subject of my "poem," was one of two works that caught my attention and which I kept returning to. The contrasting colors made a good effect on the overall work. The contrasting colors, in fact, was the detail that caused me write the "poem" about that particular work. I would have taken a picture of it and probably posted it on my blog if taking photos inside the museum hadn't been prohibited.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Reading for Transformation through the Poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins
With this essay I took another sojourn into the wonderful world of lectio divina. The auther, Francis X. McAloon, told his inspiring story of using lectio for the poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins, an English Jesuit
priest of the nineteenth century. McAloon explains that during his year-long engagement with Hopkins' poetry he was able, through both lectio divina and other intellectual means, to interact with the texts on a spiritual level. By doing so, McAloon utilized the practice of "reading for transformation," which, according
to Sandra Schneiders goes "beyond simply discovering what the text says to asking if what it says is true, and if so in what sense, and what the personal consequences for the reader and others might be."
This pratice can apply to a number of texts from the Bible to the Qu'ran, from Hopkins' poetry to science fiction. No matter the literary text, reading for transformation is very important. You shouldn't just read the text, you should really think about and consider whether or the not the text is true and if so how, and what you, as the reader, might be required to do about it. This kind of reading can be very difficult. It requires you to step away from your comfort zone and explore thoughts and ideas that you may have never considered before. Those new thoughts and ideas will challenge how you viewed the world previous to uncovering this new knowledge. Then you have to make a decision: Will you accept these concepts as truth and act on them accordingly or will you turn your back on them and go back to the safe and familar worldview?
But "reading for transformation" can also be very exciting. Discovering new ideas or realizing the existence of
ones you were previously unaware is stimulating a event. It expands your understanding of the world around you, compels you to interact with it ways you never did before, and, most importantly, allows you to experience God in ways you could never have imagined.
priest of the nineteenth century. McAloon explains that during his year-long engagement with Hopkins' poetry he was able, through both lectio divina and other intellectual means, to interact with the texts on a spiritual level. By doing so, McAloon utilized the practice of "reading for transformation," which, according
to Sandra Schneiders goes "beyond simply discovering what the text says to asking if what it says is true, and if so in what sense, and what the personal consequences for the reader and others might be."
This pratice can apply to a number of texts from the Bible to the Qu'ran, from Hopkins' poetry to science fiction. No matter the literary text, reading for transformation is very important. You shouldn't just read the text, you should really think about and consider whether or the not the text is true and if so how, and what you, as the reader, might be required to do about it. This kind of reading can be very difficult. It requires you to step away from your comfort zone and explore thoughts and ideas that you may have never considered before. Those new thoughts and ideas will challenge how you viewed the world previous to uncovering this new knowledge. Then you have to make a decision: Will you accept these concepts as truth and act on them accordingly or will you turn your back on them and go back to the safe and familar worldview?
But "reading for transformation" can also be very exciting. Discovering new ideas or realizing the existence of
ones you were previously unaware is stimulating a event. It expands your understanding of the world around you, compels you to interact with it ways you never did before, and, most importantly, allows you to experience God in ways you could never have imagined.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Darkness, Questions, Poetry, and Spiritual Hope
"Religious optimism--denying, ignoring or sidelining darkness--offers us no hope because it isn't even aware of the question." In other words, religious optimism does the suffferer no good because it offers no real hope in the midst of their brokeness. Though individuals who easily declare religious cliches to hurting people mean well, they often don't understand the deep, unbearable suffering the hearers are going through. They don't realize that while what they're saying is true the hearers will walk through their personal deserts before they're able to accept to these truths for themselves. In fact, these people must allow themselves to suffer in order to ultimately deal with their moments of darkness. Sometimes, hurting people will suppress their pain or attempt to move on too quickly, believing that is the best thing for them. But it isn't. The hurting person must, instead, give themselves permission to feel the pain of their situation even as they allow God to walk them step by step through the darkness. This concept of facing the darkness of this world instead of fleeing from it reminds me of what C.S. Lewis did in his book, A Grief Observed. After his wife died, he faced the darkness of his doubts about God and his faith head-on. Cornel West says that, "Despair and hope are inseparable. One can never underand what hope is really about unless one wrestles with despair."
On January 12, 2010, the nation of Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake. Many of us have seen the heartbreaking news images: Injured people in tent cities, dead bodies in the streets, crying children. During a memorial service for Haiti that my university presented, the students watched a video of a young Haitian who told his story of what he experienced that day. He talked about being in one of his classes on the day the earthquake hit. He fell through the floor of the building and another man landed on top of him. This person died just moments later when he was crushed by concrete. The young man who was telling the story was trapped under this person's body and tons of concrete for eleven hours before he was rescued. Yet, after he was brought out, instead of trying to forget this harrowing experience, he used it to reach out to his fellow countrymen.
On January 12, 2010, the nation of Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake. Many of us have seen the heartbreaking news images: Injured people in tent cities, dead bodies in the streets, crying children. During a memorial service for Haiti that my university presented, the students watched a video of a young Haitian who told his story of what he experienced that day. He talked about being in one of his classes on the day the earthquake hit. He fell through the floor of the building and another man landed on top of him. This person died just moments later when he was crushed by concrete. The young man who was telling the story was trapped under this person's body and tons of concrete for eleven hours before he was rescued. Yet, after he was brought out, instead of trying to forget this harrowing experience, he used it to reach out to his fellow countrymen.
Monday, March 29, 2010
I went to Lake Bonny Park for this Assignment and Stayed for at least Forty Minuntes
I went to Lake Bonny Park today.
There are trees all around. Some tall,
others short, while still others are mere
stumps. The woods remind me of the
forest scene from The Scarlet Letter. Now
I'm at the lake. A crane lifts off, flies
over the water, and disappears. It's so peaceful
here. Even with the sound of cars and voices
of children from a nearby playground, it
somehow feels like I'm the only person in
the world. This is a nice place to come when
you want to walk and think without interruptions.
I'm on the walking path now, let's see
where it leads me. The winding pathway
led me to a footbridge from here I can see
across the lake. There are houses on the other
side. From this solitary world they seem
so far away. I wonder, who lives
in these houses and what kind of people they are?
I'm heading back to the car now, but this has been nice. I hope
to do this again.
That wasn't actually a poem. It was just some of my musings about the scenery while I was at the park.
This was a very enjoyable experience. It was great to spend some time in the solitude and quiet of nature.
When I first got to the park I walked along the path for a few minutes, then went down into the woods where
I stood looking at the sky, trees, and lake. Like I said in my so-called poem, the woods reminded me of the forest scene in The Scarlet Letter, especially the way the sun played off of the trees and ground. I didn't try
to think or write deep thoughts about my surroundings. I just let them come and wrote them down as they came to me, kind of like what I'm doing right now. This assignment was beneficial because it helped me remember that it's important to occasionally go off by yourself to dwell in and embrace the silence the world can offer you. And you don't have to go to a place like Lake Bonny Park in order to accomplish this. Bush Chapel is a great place to go to if you feel the need to be alone to pray, to read, or to just revel in the quiet.
In her poem Messenger Mary Oliver stated that her work was "standing still and learning to be astonished."
While I wasn't able to stand still for longer than a few seconds, I certainly was astonished. The sky was so big and wide, filled with white fluffy clouds. The sun sparkled off the water. Everything was so green. I wish
I could have stayed longer but I knew I couldn't hold up my ride and, anyway, I had to get back so I could study. But this assignment was definitely worth forty minutes.
There are trees all around. Some tall,
others short, while still others are mere
stumps. The woods remind me of the
forest scene from The Scarlet Letter. Now
I'm at the lake. A crane lifts off, flies
over the water, and disappears. It's so peaceful
here. Even with the sound of cars and voices
of children from a nearby playground, it
somehow feels like I'm the only person in
the world. This is a nice place to come when
you want to walk and think without interruptions.
I'm on the walking path now, let's see
where it leads me. The winding pathway
led me to a footbridge from here I can see
across the lake. There are houses on the other
side. From this solitary world they seem
so far away. I wonder, who lives
in these houses and what kind of people they are?
I'm heading back to the car now, but this has been nice. I hope
to do this again.
That wasn't actually a poem. It was just some of my musings about the scenery while I was at the park.
This was a very enjoyable experience. It was great to spend some time in the solitude and quiet of nature.
When I first got to the park I walked along the path for a few minutes, then went down into the woods where
I stood looking at the sky, trees, and lake. Like I said in my so-called poem, the woods reminded me of the forest scene in The Scarlet Letter, especially the way the sun played off of the trees and ground. I didn't try
to think or write deep thoughts about my surroundings. I just let them come and wrote them down as they came to me, kind of like what I'm doing right now. This assignment was beneficial because it helped me remember that it's important to occasionally go off by yourself to dwell in and embrace the silence the world can offer you. And you don't have to go to a place like Lake Bonny Park in order to accomplish this. Bush Chapel is a great place to go to if you feel the need to be alone to pray, to read, or to just revel in the quiet.
In her poem Messenger Mary Oliver stated that her work was "standing still and learning to be astonished."
While I wasn't able to stand still for longer than a few seconds, I certainly was astonished. The sky was so big and wide, filled with white fluffy clouds. The sun sparkled off the water. Everything was so green. I wish
I could have stayed longer but I knew I couldn't hold up my ride and, anyway, I had to get back so I could study. But this assignment was definitely worth forty minutes.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Poems of Mary Oliver
"My work is loving the world."
from Messenger by Mary Oliver
I adore that quote from Mary Oliver, a nature poet who beautifully uses words to express what she learns from God's creation. The above quote is representative of Oliver's feelings about the world around her:
She knows that as a human being she is meant to love the beauty of the Earth. She is the"messenger" sent
to tell the world of the "quickening yeast" "blue plums" and "speckled sand" that she admires so the that others can come to admire them also.
"Meanwhile I stand in the same dark peace as any pine tree, or wander on slowly like the still unhurried wind, waiting as for a gift."
from Walking Home from Oak-Head by Mary Oliver
During a previous class period Professor Corrigan asked us if we ever took the time to walk aimlessly around campus, just observing and taking in all that surrounds us. The general consensus of the class
was that no, we don't do that as often as we should. In our busy world we spend alot of time rushing from
one place to the next, always at the mercy of our full schedules and the next big important thing we need to take care of. I think everyone should set aside one day of the month during which they take on the characteristic of the "unhurried wind" and spend a few hours seeing and enjoying the wonders of creation.
"Then I enter the place of not-thinking, not-remebering, not-wanting."
from Six Recognitions of the Lord by Mary Oliver
Oliver, like many of us, desires to escape the chaotic world of everyday life and enter into a state of being where she can meet God unhindered. In doing so, Oliver not only shuts out the world but also shuts out her thoughts and feelings, her fears and expectations, so God can speak to the deepest part of soul.
from Messenger by Mary Oliver
I adore that quote from Mary Oliver, a nature poet who beautifully uses words to express what she learns from God's creation. The above quote is representative of Oliver's feelings about the world around her:
She knows that as a human being she is meant to love the beauty of the Earth. She is the"messenger" sent
to tell the world of the "quickening yeast" "blue plums" and "speckled sand" that she admires so the that others can come to admire them also.
"Meanwhile I stand in the same dark peace as any pine tree, or wander on slowly like the still unhurried wind, waiting as for a gift."
from Walking Home from Oak-Head by Mary Oliver
During a previous class period Professor Corrigan asked us if we ever took the time to walk aimlessly around campus, just observing and taking in all that surrounds us. The general consensus of the class
was that no, we don't do that as often as we should. In our busy world we spend alot of time rushing from
one place to the next, always at the mercy of our full schedules and the next big important thing we need to take care of. I think everyone should set aside one day of the month during which they take on the characteristic of the "unhurried wind" and spend a few hours seeing and enjoying the wonders of creation.
"Then I enter the place of not-thinking, not-remebering, not-wanting."
from Six Recognitions of the Lord by Mary Oliver
Oliver, like many of us, desires to escape the chaotic world of everyday life and enter into a state of being where she can meet God unhindered. In doing so, Oliver not only shuts out the world but also shuts out her thoughts and feelings, her fears and expectations, so God can speak to the deepest part of soul.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
State of the Planet
In his poem, State of the Planet, Robert Hass frequently referenced Lucretius, a Roman poet and philospher who wrote a poem called On the Nature of the Universe. In this poem Lucretius attempted
to debunk what he called "supersition"; that is, the belief that the gods created the world and the universe
and interfered with it in anyway. Lucretius argued against such an idea by presenting evidence that the
existence of the universe and its operations could be completely explained by natural phonomena-"the regular but purposeless motions and interactions of tiny atoms in empty space"-and not by the will of the gods.
Hass seems to believe the things Lucretius presented in his poem. "The book will try to give the child the
wonder of how, in our time, we understand life came to be: Stuff flung off from the sun, the molten core
still pouring sometimes rivers of black basalt across the earth from the old fountains of its origin. A hundred
million years of clouds, sulfurous rain. The long cooling. There is no silence in the world like the silence of rock before life was." The above quote and other things Hass said clearly showed that he was an evolutionist.
This poem was written on the fifieth anniversary of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, a research unit
at Colombia University. One of the things the observatory does is study the natural world in order to discover how to best steward the planet and effeciently use our natural resources. State of the Planet describes several scenes in which the world is being affected by man's often careless use of the earth's
resources. "[The book] will also tell her that the air-it's likely to say "the troposphere-" has trapped emissions
from millions of cars..and is making a greenhouse of the atmosphere..Topsoil: going fast. Rivers: dammed
and fouled...Pacific salmon nosing against dams from Yokoham to Kamchatka to Seattle and Portland, flailing up fish ladders, against turbines..Most of the ancient groves are gone." Hass wrote this poem out
of concern for Earth's well-being, hoping people would take notice and make efforts to change how they
use the resources that are available to us.
to debunk what he called "supersition"; that is, the belief that the gods created the world and the universe
and interfered with it in anyway. Lucretius argued against such an idea by presenting evidence that the
existence of the universe and its operations could be completely explained by natural phonomena-"the regular but purposeless motions and interactions of tiny atoms in empty space"-and not by the will of the gods.
Hass seems to believe the things Lucretius presented in his poem. "The book will try to give the child the
wonder of how, in our time, we understand life came to be: Stuff flung off from the sun, the molten core
still pouring sometimes rivers of black basalt across the earth from the old fountains of its origin. A hundred
million years of clouds, sulfurous rain. The long cooling. There is no silence in the world like the silence of rock before life was." The above quote and other things Hass said clearly showed that he was an evolutionist.
This poem was written on the fifieth anniversary of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, a research unit
at Colombia University. One of the things the observatory does is study the natural world in order to discover how to best steward the planet and effeciently use our natural resources. State of the Planet describes several scenes in which the world is being affected by man's often careless use of the earth's
resources. "[The book] will also tell her that the air-it's likely to say "the troposphere-" has trapped emissions
from millions of cars..and is making a greenhouse of the atmosphere..Topsoil: going fast. Rivers: dammed
and fouled...Pacific salmon nosing against dams from Yokoham to Kamchatka to Seattle and Portland, flailing up fish ladders, against turbines..Most of the ancient groves are gone." Hass wrote this poem out
of concern for Earth's well-being, hoping people would take notice and make efforts to change how they
use the resources that are available to us.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
This Blessed House
"[Sanjeev] studied the items on the mantel. It puzzled him that each was in its own way so silly. Clearly they lacked a sense of sacredness (1066)." This quote comes from This Blessed House, the short story from last week. The items Sanjeev is studying are Christian objects that he and his wife, Twinkle had found all over the house over the past week and which Twinkle insisted upon collecting and displaying on the mantel. Sanjeev's description of the objects as "silly" struck me as interesting because oftentimes many unbelievers view Christianity as being foolish and illogical. After all why would Jesus die to save the world which had treated Him with disdain? Why would He sacrifice Himself for the sake of those whom He knew would blasepheme His name?
Something else I find rather interesting is the great personality gap between Sanjeev and Twinkle. Whereas, Sanjeev is mature and reserved, Twinkle is child-like and lively. During the housewarming party,
Twinkle is talking to the guests, showing them the house, and retelling the story of how they discovered Twinkle's zoo of Christian icons. Meanwhile, Sanjeev stayed busy with replenishing the samosas, getting ice for the guests' drinks, and opening champagne bottles. Sanjeev goes out to work while Twinkle works from home and one day claims to be bored, but Sanjeev mentally notes that she could unpack boxes, sweep the attic, or retouch the paint on the bathroom windowsill.
I believe that Sanjeev might be a little jealous of Twinkle. On page 1068 he notes, "[Twinkle] was like that, excited and delighted by little things...It was a quality he did not understand. It made him feel stupid, as if the world contained hidden wonders he could not anticipate, or see." Sanjeev sees this lively young woman who takes much satisfaction from life's small joys be it a porcelain figure of Jesus or the hat belonging to one of the
party attendees. Then Sanjeev sees himself, an intelligent and resourceful man, but seemingly lacking in imagination and the ability to experience life to the fullest. Even though Sanjeev is oftentimes irritated by his wife's behavior, he could also be wishing he had her zest for the world and all it contains.
Something else I find rather interesting is the great personality gap between Sanjeev and Twinkle. Whereas, Sanjeev is mature and reserved, Twinkle is child-like and lively. During the housewarming party,
Twinkle is talking to the guests, showing them the house, and retelling the story of how they discovered Twinkle's zoo of Christian icons. Meanwhile, Sanjeev stayed busy with replenishing the samosas, getting ice for the guests' drinks, and opening champagne bottles. Sanjeev goes out to work while Twinkle works from home and one day claims to be bored, but Sanjeev mentally notes that she could unpack boxes, sweep the attic, or retouch the paint on the bathroom windowsill.
I believe that Sanjeev might be a little jealous of Twinkle. On page 1068 he notes, "[Twinkle] was like that, excited and delighted by little things...It was a quality he did not understand. It made him feel stupid, as if the world contained hidden wonders he could not anticipate, or see." Sanjeev sees this lively young woman who takes much satisfaction from life's small joys be it a porcelain figure of Jesus or the hat belonging to one of the
party attendees. Then Sanjeev sees himself, an intelligent and resourceful man, but seemingly lacking in imagination and the ability to experience life to the fullest. Even though Sanjeev is oftentimes irritated by his wife's behavior, he could also be wishing he had her zest for the world and all it contains.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Victoria Simons
Victoria Simons is a fourteen year old girl with a 5"6' frame, shoulder length black hair, and
glasses. She enjoys reading fiction novels of all kinds and works regular hours at a local
bookstore/coffeeshop. She's also a teacher's aid for a third grade World History class.
One Saturday morning Victoria woke up, showered, dressed, and walked to her friend Julie's
house.Upon her arrival Victoria said," Just let me use your bathroom real quick, then we can go to your room, maybe watch a movie." As Victoria made her way to the nearest bathroom, Julie went to her father's study to speak with him. "Was that Victoria I heard?," Julie's father, Gavin asked, hearing his daughter come in. "Yeah," Julie replied, "she just got here."
"Tell Victoria I admire the way she handled that situation with Chloe a couple weeks ago," Gavin said.
Furrowing her brow, Julie asked, "What do you mean?" Surprised Gavin said, "You mean she didn't tell you?
Victoria's dad told me Chloe had been spreading all sorts of nasty gossip about Victoria around school for
the last three months or so. Knowing that those who really knew her would never believe such trash, Victoria
never responded to Chloe. But, man, she's certainly had a hard time with it, seeing how kids yelled the
cruelest things at her in the school hallways and even vandalized her locker." Julie said, "I heard that Chloe and some other jerks had been saying things about her, but never knew anything more than that. What happened between Victoria and Chloe two weeks ago?"
"Well," her father replied, "it happened the afternoon I took you out of school for your dentist appointment.
Victoria and some of her other friends were walking back from PE class, when Chloe came up and said
something horrible to her. The girls with Victoria immediately went to her defense. Things heated up quickly and they looked ready to tear Chloe apart. Victoria stepped in and tried to convince them to ignore Chloe and walk away, saying that getting into a fight with her would just make her determined to talk more trash. Eventually, Victoria was able to lead her friends away, but Chloe was screaming and cursing at them as they went. Fortunately, a teacher who had spoken with Victoria a number of times about her problems with Chloe
overheard the whole thing. As soon as the other girls left, the teacher hauled Chloe to the principal's office. Since this wasn't the first time Chloe had been caught cursing or saying other that she shouldn't, she was suspended. Victoria's father told me Chloe's parents won't allow her back in school until she undergoes serious counseling."
"Poor Victoria," Julie said, with a sigh. "I can't imagine what she's been going through the past couple months.
If that had been me I would have strangled Chloe. But I'm proud of her for handling the situation as gracefully as she did. Victoria never once said anything mean about Chloe or talked about getting revenge. When one
of our friends asked Victoria how she was dealing with the situation not too long after the gossip started, she answered honestly. Victoria admitted that she often had awful thoughts about Chloe and wished she could hurt Chloe as much as she was hurting her. Whenever those thoughts came Victoria pushed to them to the back of her mind until later. Then when she had a quiet moment she wrote down all the bad thoughts and gave the situation to God, asking him to change her heart toward Chloe, see her the way Jesus did, and heal whatever pain was causing Chloe to hurt others. Nodding, Gavin said, "Like I said, I really admire Victoria for the way she handled this." At that moment, Victoria emerged from the bathroom and called to Julie. The girls got some food from the kitchen, settled down in Julie's room, and watched The Lion King.
Late that afternoon, Julie walked Victoria home. "Hey, Victoria," Julie asked, "why didn't you tell me about that incident between you and Chloe?" Victoria stiffened but didn't answer. Figuring she didn't want to discuss anything connected with that painful time in her life, Julie didn't repeat the question. Several minutes later, Victoria suddenly said, "I found Chloe later that day in the school parking lot. She was crying." Stunned
at this news, Julie waited to see if Victoria would divulge more information. After awhile, Victoria began to talk, "Even though I had been praying that God would somehow enable me to love Chloe despite everything she's said about me, angry thoughts about her kept invading my mind and I soon realized that my angry at her was coming out in other areas of my life. The day befor that incident with her I screamed at my sister for no reason. And on another day before that I sassed my mom when she asked me to do the dishes. By the time that incident with Chloe happened I was literally ready to break her in two, and almost thought about not intervening when the girls I was with looked ready to do it for me.
But then I realized they would get in trouble so I stepped up and convinced them to leave. As soon as school ended I hid in the bathroom where I railed at Chloe for what she was doing to me and at God for allowing her to do it. Finally I went out to the parking lot and that's when I saw Chloe. She was sitting on a bench crying. I was tempted to just walk away but I felt God urging me to go speak with her and, reluctantly, I did.
At first, Chloe was really mean and several times I almost left, but I just felt God telling me that I needed to stay. Eventually, Chloe started telling me about herself and her life. I won't go into details, but she's had it rough for a very long time. As I listened to her, I began feeling an overwhelming compassion for her that I had never experienced before, not even while I was begging God to create a love in my heart for Chloe.
We cried together. Chloe apologized for the rumors she had spread about me and, believe or not, I felt so much love for her by this point I had no problem forgiving her. We decided to put the past behind us and become friends. We traded cell phone numbers and we've been keeping touch ever since. Astounded, Julie said, "Victoria, that's wonderful. I can't believe you had the strength to face her like that after all she's done to you, and now you're friends. But best of all God answered your prayer. He gave you the ability to love Chloe."
"Yes," Victoria said, "He certainly did."
glasses. She enjoys reading fiction novels of all kinds and works regular hours at a local
bookstore/coffeeshop. She's also a teacher's aid for a third grade World History class.
One Saturday morning Victoria woke up, showered, dressed, and walked to her friend Julie's
house.Upon her arrival Victoria said," Just let me use your bathroom real quick, then we can go to your room, maybe watch a movie." As Victoria made her way to the nearest bathroom, Julie went to her father's study to speak with him. "Was that Victoria I heard?," Julie's father, Gavin asked, hearing his daughter come in. "Yeah," Julie replied, "she just got here."
"Tell Victoria I admire the way she handled that situation with Chloe a couple weeks ago," Gavin said.
Furrowing her brow, Julie asked, "What do you mean?" Surprised Gavin said, "You mean she didn't tell you?
Victoria's dad told me Chloe had been spreading all sorts of nasty gossip about Victoria around school for
the last three months or so. Knowing that those who really knew her would never believe such trash, Victoria
never responded to Chloe. But, man, she's certainly had a hard time with it, seeing how kids yelled the
cruelest things at her in the school hallways and even vandalized her locker." Julie said, "I heard that Chloe and some other jerks had been saying things about her, but never knew anything more than that. What happened between Victoria and Chloe two weeks ago?"
"Well," her father replied, "it happened the afternoon I took you out of school for your dentist appointment.
Victoria and some of her other friends were walking back from PE class, when Chloe came up and said
something horrible to her. The girls with Victoria immediately went to her defense. Things heated up quickly and they looked ready to tear Chloe apart. Victoria stepped in and tried to convince them to ignore Chloe and walk away, saying that getting into a fight with her would just make her determined to talk more trash. Eventually, Victoria was able to lead her friends away, but Chloe was screaming and cursing at them as they went. Fortunately, a teacher who had spoken with Victoria a number of times about her problems with Chloe
overheard the whole thing. As soon as the other girls left, the teacher hauled Chloe to the principal's office. Since this wasn't the first time Chloe had been caught cursing or saying other that she shouldn't, she was suspended. Victoria's father told me Chloe's parents won't allow her back in school until she undergoes serious counseling."
"Poor Victoria," Julie said, with a sigh. "I can't imagine what she's been going through the past couple months.
If that had been me I would have strangled Chloe. But I'm proud of her for handling the situation as gracefully as she did. Victoria never once said anything mean about Chloe or talked about getting revenge. When one
of our friends asked Victoria how she was dealing with the situation not too long after the gossip started, she answered honestly. Victoria admitted that she often had awful thoughts about Chloe and wished she could hurt Chloe as much as she was hurting her. Whenever those thoughts came Victoria pushed to them to the back of her mind until later. Then when she had a quiet moment she wrote down all the bad thoughts and gave the situation to God, asking him to change her heart toward Chloe, see her the way Jesus did, and heal whatever pain was causing Chloe to hurt others. Nodding, Gavin said, "Like I said, I really admire Victoria for the way she handled this." At that moment, Victoria emerged from the bathroom and called to Julie. The girls got some food from the kitchen, settled down in Julie's room, and watched The Lion King.
Late that afternoon, Julie walked Victoria home. "Hey, Victoria," Julie asked, "why didn't you tell me about that incident between you and Chloe?" Victoria stiffened but didn't answer. Figuring she didn't want to discuss anything connected with that painful time in her life, Julie didn't repeat the question. Several minutes later, Victoria suddenly said, "I found Chloe later that day in the school parking lot. She was crying." Stunned
at this news, Julie waited to see if Victoria would divulge more information. After awhile, Victoria began to talk, "Even though I had been praying that God would somehow enable me to love Chloe despite everything she's said about me, angry thoughts about her kept invading my mind and I soon realized that my angry at her was coming out in other areas of my life. The day befor that incident with her I screamed at my sister for no reason. And on another day before that I sassed my mom when she asked me to do the dishes. By the time that incident with Chloe happened I was literally ready to break her in two, and almost thought about not intervening when the girls I was with looked ready to do it for me.
But then I realized they would get in trouble so I stepped up and convinced them to leave. As soon as school ended I hid in the bathroom where I railed at Chloe for what she was doing to me and at God for allowing her to do it. Finally I went out to the parking lot and that's when I saw Chloe. She was sitting on a bench crying. I was tempted to just walk away but I felt God urging me to go speak with her and, reluctantly, I did.
At first, Chloe was really mean and several times I almost left, but I just felt God telling me that I needed to stay. Eventually, Chloe started telling me about herself and her life. I won't go into details, but she's had it rough for a very long time. As I listened to her, I began feeling an overwhelming compassion for her that I had never experienced before, not even while I was begging God to create a love in my heart for Chloe.
We cried together. Chloe apologized for the rumors she had spread about me and, believe or not, I felt so much love for her by this point I had no problem forgiving her. We decided to put the past behind us and become friends. We traded cell phone numbers and we've been keeping touch ever since. Astounded, Julie said, "Victoria, that's wonderful. I can't believe you had the strength to face her like that after all she's done to you, and now you're friends. But best of all God answered your prayer. He gave you the ability to love Chloe."
"Yes," Victoria said, "He certainly did."
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Sonny's Blues
Sonny: "No, there's no way not to suffer. But you try all kinds of ways to keep from drowning in it (404)."
This is a quote from Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin. In this section of the story, Sonny had been out in the
street listening to a woman sing and when he came inside, Sonny commented to his brother that the woman
must have endured alot of suffering in order to sing like that. His brother stated there was no way not to suffer which led Sonny to make the above quote. And I think Sonny is right. People will try all kinds of
things-from drugs, to alcoholism, to religion-to end their personal suffering. They will try almost anything
to prevent further suffering, even if they are very much aware that most of what they try will just cause them
more pain. Usually and unfortunately, itsn't until they reach the brink of self-destruction that they realize how
much they have ruined their lives to achieve the empty consolation of experiencing a few moments when they
are not suffering. However, coming to this realization does not always convince the person to turn their lives
around and get back on the right track. They have been living in depravity for so long that they belive it's
too late to go back, and that even if they tried to they would fail. Sonny: "And there are some who just live...in hell and they kow it and they see what's happeining and they go right on (404)." So many people
believe that money, popularity, and other empty things will end their suffering, but those people are
wrong. Jesus is the only real antidote for whatever anyone may be going through. Even wonderful things like music, which is the focal point of this story, cannot prevent suffering or heal pain, though music can lead to the One who can and will rescue those in need.
This is a quote from Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin. In this section of the story, Sonny had been out in the
street listening to a woman sing and when he came inside, Sonny commented to his brother that the woman
must have endured alot of suffering in order to sing like that. His brother stated there was no way not to suffer which led Sonny to make the above quote. And I think Sonny is right. People will try all kinds of
things-from drugs, to alcoholism, to religion-to end their personal suffering. They will try almost anything
to prevent further suffering, even if they are very much aware that most of what they try will just cause them
more pain. Usually and unfortunately, itsn't until they reach the brink of self-destruction that they realize how
much they have ruined their lives to achieve the empty consolation of experiencing a few moments when they
are not suffering. However, coming to this realization does not always convince the person to turn their lives
around and get back on the right track. They have been living in depravity for so long that they belive it's
too late to go back, and that even if they tried to they would fail. Sonny: "And there are some who just live...in hell and they kow it and they see what's happeining and they go right on (404)." So many people
believe that money, popularity, and other empty things will end their suffering, but those people are
wrong. Jesus is the only real antidote for whatever anyone may be going through. Even wonderful things like music, which is the focal point of this story, cannot prevent suffering or heal pain, though music can lead to the One who can and will rescue those in need.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
The Imaginery Invalid
Last night I attended Southeastern's production of The Imaginery Invalid and watched the entire play. The play told the story of Argan, a hypocondriac, who is convinced he is ill and basically on his deathbed. Argan selfishly attempts to force his daughter Angelique to marry a doctor so he can receive free healthcare. Angelique refuses because she is in love with another man. Her father gives her an ultimatum: if she does not consent to marry the doctor within four days, Argan will send her a convent. Now, it's up to the family maid Toinette and Beralde, Argan's brother, to change the man's mind and allow Angelique to marry the man she chose. Even though this production was a comedy and made use of a number of crazy antics, I noticed some very serious plot themes: greed, manipulation, and deception. Angelique's stepmother, Beline, pretended to be a compassionate wife
who cared for Argan, but near the end she revealed herself to be a shallow individual who only married Argan to get her hands on his money after he died. Argan isn't much better. He heartlessly tries to take advantage of his daughter in order to have his own way. Even though he eventually relents and allows Angelique to marry the man she loves, I doubt he would have done so if the uncle of her would-be fiancee
hadn't withdrawn his blessing of the marriage. Even the "good guys" of the story, Toinette and Beralde,
use trickery to save Angelique from the undesired marriage. However, I believe all these things, as wrong as
they are, made the play entertaining and engaging. When we read, watch tv programs, movies, and plays
and see one or more of the characters engage in some type of sin we shake our heads because we know that these things are not acceptable in stories anymore than they would be in real life. But if deception,
manipulation, and the like were completely removed from all stories, where would the plot be? The excitement? The suspense? How would the characters learn and grow without these unpleasant things?
who cared for Argan, but near the end she revealed herself to be a shallow individual who only married Argan to get her hands on his money after he died. Argan isn't much better. He heartlessly tries to take advantage of his daughter in order to have his own way. Even though he eventually relents and allows Angelique to marry the man she loves, I doubt he would have done so if the uncle of her would-be fiancee
hadn't withdrawn his blessing of the marriage. Even the "good guys" of the story, Toinette and Beralde,
use trickery to save Angelique from the undesired marriage. However, I believe all these things, as wrong as
they are, made the play entertaining and engaging. When we read, watch tv programs, movies, and plays
and see one or more of the characters engage in some type of sin we shake our heads because we know that these things are not acceptable in stories anymore than they would be in real life. But if deception,
manipulation, and the like were completely removed from all stories, where would the plot be? The excitement? The suspense? How would the characters learn and grow without these unpleasant things?
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Guide to Blogging in this Class
The main connection I see between the blogging instructions and the class activities is that in every single class we engage the text in some fashion. While we were reading "A Grief Observed" we built card castles
to demonstrate how fragile our lives and personal belief systems can be. When we read "What We Talk about when We Talk about Love" we separated into our small groups and discussed how different people might view the concept of love and how love can be distorted and made into something it isn't. These activities and many others accomplished the purpose behind this class: learning how to engage texts on
a deeper and more meaningful level. Through this course I have learned that there is more to reading a text than just following the words on the page. True reading of texts also involves getting engaged with the text and attempting to think objectively about what is in front of you. You need to recognize as well as consider and/or discuss any themes, morals, or other important devices used in the text. Professor Corrigan offered us a number of suggestions through which we could do this on the blogging instructions guide. One of these suggestions was to "give an interpretation of the work and give details from the text that make the interpretation plausible." I used this method for at least one of my posts and found it to be very effective. The opportunity to interpret the text allowed me to refine my ideas about what I had read. For me, getting to blog
about the things we've read in class has been a great experience. It helps enhance the reading process because I have the opportunity to broascast my ideas about a text to other people and because I receive honest feedback that allows me to discover what different people think about my writing. Blogging has worked very well for me. At the beginning of the semester I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to write about the topics well or that I would consistently forget to post the next blog. But so far, the blogging has gone really well for me.
to demonstrate how fragile our lives and personal belief systems can be. When we read "What We Talk about when We Talk about Love" we separated into our small groups and discussed how different people might view the concept of love and how love can be distorted and made into something it isn't. These activities and many others accomplished the purpose behind this class: learning how to engage texts on
a deeper and more meaningful level. Through this course I have learned that there is more to reading a text than just following the words on the page. True reading of texts also involves getting engaged with the text and attempting to think objectively about what is in front of you. You need to recognize as well as consider and/or discuss any themes, morals, or other important devices used in the text. Professor Corrigan offered us a number of suggestions through which we could do this on the blogging instructions guide. One of these suggestions was to "give an interpretation of the work and give details from the text that make the interpretation plausible." I used this method for at least one of my posts and found it to be very effective. The opportunity to interpret the text allowed me to refine my ideas about what I had read. For me, getting to blog
about the things we've read in class has been a great experience. It helps enhance the reading process because I have the opportunity to broascast my ideas about a text to other people and because I receive honest feedback that allows me to discover what different people think about my writing. Blogging has worked very well for me. At the beginning of the semester I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to write about the topics well or that I would consistently forget to post the next blog. But so far, the blogging has gone really well for me.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
When Lylacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd
The other day I read this poem by Walt Whitman expressing his feelings in the aftermath of Abraham Lincoln's death. Whitman uses imagery which corporate nature, the horrors of the Civil War, and even
the journey Lincoln's body took from D.C. to its final restingplace in Springfield, Illinois. "Coffin that passes
through lanes and streets, through day and night with the great cloud darkening the land...with the waiting depot, the arriving coffin, and the sombre faces, with dirges through the night, with the thousand voices rising strong and solemn...here, coffin that slowly passes, I give you my sprig of lilac." The perceding quote from the poem truly epitomizes the focus of Whitman's text. He describes the eerie, unsettling scene of Lincoln's
coffin passing through some American city or town on its way to the train depot to be transported to the next
destination on its way to Springfield. Even as processions of mourners follow the coffin that holds the beloved president, Whitman talks poignantly of placing a lilac on the coffin. I enjoyed reading this poem because it used beautiful language and long phrases to speak of what was occuring in the scene. Though the phrasing was difficult to understand at times and I wasn't able to grasp the poem's whole meaning, it was put together in such a songlike manner I didn't mind that I wasn't able to completely comprehend it. Besides, some pieces of literature are just too in-depth to completely understand in one reading. In fact, some pieces of literature, particularly poems, can have a myriad of meanings. Even though the poem focuses on Whitman's grief following Lincoln's death, there are other things we can pull from this work. In section fifteen Whitman talks about the horrors of war and how those who died on the battlefield were the fortunate ones, to have escaped their world of suffering, while their mothers, children, and war comrades were forced to continue the suffering of this world still awhile longer. This seems to connect to the previous section where Whitman seems to be praising death: "Approach strong deliveress, when it is so, when thou hast taken them I joyously sing the dead, lost in the loving floating ocean of thee, laved in the flood of thy bliss O death."
the journey Lincoln's body took from D.C. to its final restingplace in Springfield, Illinois. "Coffin that passes
through lanes and streets, through day and night with the great cloud darkening the land...with the waiting depot, the arriving coffin, and the sombre faces, with dirges through the night, with the thousand voices rising strong and solemn...here, coffin that slowly passes, I give you my sprig of lilac." The perceding quote from the poem truly epitomizes the focus of Whitman's text. He describes the eerie, unsettling scene of Lincoln's
coffin passing through some American city or town on its way to the train depot to be transported to the next
destination on its way to Springfield. Even as processions of mourners follow the coffin that holds the beloved president, Whitman talks poignantly of placing a lilac on the coffin. I enjoyed reading this poem because it used beautiful language and long phrases to speak of what was occuring in the scene. Though the phrasing was difficult to understand at times and I wasn't able to grasp the poem's whole meaning, it was put together in such a songlike manner I didn't mind that I wasn't able to completely comprehend it. Besides, some pieces of literature are just too in-depth to completely understand in one reading. In fact, some pieces of literature, particularly poems, can have a myriad of meanings. Even though the poem focuses on Whitman's grief following Lincoln's death, there are other things we can pull from this work. In section fifteen Whitman talks about the horrors of war and how those who died on the battlefield were the fortunate ones, to have escaped their world of suffering, while their mothers, children, and war comrades were forced to continue the suffering of this world still awhile longer. This seems to connect to the previous section where Whitman seems to be praising death: "Approach strong deliveress, when it is so, when thou hast taken them I joyously sing the dead, lost in the loving floating ocean of thee, laved in the flood of thy bliss O death."
Sunday, February 14, 2010
The Traveling Onion
"The Traveling Onion" is a poem written by Naomi Shihab Nye. On the surface, it appears that the speaker is merely comtemplating on how the onion adds flavor to foods we eat on a regular basis. But a closer look reveals something more. "And I would never scold the onion for causing tears. It is right that tears fall for
something small and forgotten." The preceding quote from the poem would be confusing if we viewed the onion as nothing more than a piece of food, a vegetable that adds flavor to soups and meat, something that is
an important ingredient in most foods, but has no significance outside of that context. But the speaker in the poem uses the onion as a representive for all things "small and forgotten." That is, those things or those people, which play an integral part in everyday life but whose value often goes unnoticed. Let's take your local garbagemen for example. We don't pay attention to them, don't think about them, and usually, don't have an opinion about them one way or another. But garbagemen are just as important in today's society as
doctors and lawyers. Garbagemen take upon themselves to take away and dispose of all the trash and refuse
that have been piling up in our homes all week long. If it weren't for them, we would have to transport our own trash to the local dump every week. There are other examples. Husbands/fathers who work all week providing for their families, knowing they will have to come home to face nagging wives and complaining children. Wives/mothers who cook, clean, and care for the children and are very much aware that they will
receive little or no gratitude in return. I believe all these things and more are illustrate the "small and forgotten"
of Nye's poem.
something small and forgotten." The preceding quote from the poem would be confusing if we viewed the onion as nothing more than a piece of food, a vegetable that adds flavor to soups and meat, something that is
an important ingredient in most foods, but has no significance outside of that context. But the speaker in the poem uses the onion as a representive for all things "small and forgotten." That is, those things or those people, which play an integral part in everyday life but whose value often goes unnoticed. Let's take your local garbagemen for example. We don't pay attention to them, don't think about them, and usually, don't have an opinion about them one way or another. But garbagemen are just as important in today's society as
doctors and lawyers. Garbagemen take upon themselves to take away and dispose of all the trash and refuse
that have been piling up in our homes all week long. If it weren't for them, we would have to transport our own trash to the local dump every week. There are other examples. Husbands/fathers who work all week providing for their families, knowing they will have to come home to face nagging wives and complaining children. Wives/mothers who cook, clean, and care for the children and are very much aware that they will
receive little or no gratitude in return. I believe all these things and more are illustrate the "small and forgotten"
of Nye's poem.
Monday, February 8, 2010
The Book of Joel
The Book of Joel is a very dynamic text that makes use of words to create lifelike images. Chapter one describes the nation of Israel as their land is devastated by locusts and drought. The chapter offers a wealth of visuals as it speaks of the nation's resources, such as its grain and water supply, being overtaken by natural disasters. But the reader can also hear grief and despair in the writing. "Wail like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the bridegroom of her yourth...Be ashamed, O farmers, wail, O vinedressers...rejoicing
dries up from the sons of men." These are the words used to describe Israel's overwhelming lamentation
for their ruined land. In chapter two, the reader senses the fear of an entire city as it is invaded by an enemy army. "When they burst through the defenses, they do not break ranks. They rush on the city, they run on the wall; They enter through the windows like a thief." Then, later in the same chapter, we are given a picture of hope as the Lord promises to provide deliverence for His people. At one spot in the chapter it says, "Then the Lord will be zealous for His land and will have pity on His people. Then later it adds, "And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls."
Though Israel has failed to be faithful to God over the last thousands of years up to this point and though the consequences of their actions are meted out through horrific judgements, He offers them the opportunity to repent of their transgressions and follow Him once more.
dries up from the sons of men." These are the words used to describe Israel's overwhelming lamentation
for their ruined land. In chapter two, the reader senses the fear of an entire city as it is invaded by an enemy army. "When they burst through the defenses, they do not break ranks. They rush on the city, they run on the wall; They enter through the windows like a thief." Then, later in the same chapter, we are given a picture of hope as the Lord promises to provide deliverence for His people. At one spot in the chapter it says, "Then the Lord will be zealous for His land and will have pity on His people. Then later it adds, "And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls."
Though Israel has failed to be faithful to God over the last thousands of years up to this point and though the consequences of their actions are meted out through horrific judgements, He offers them the opportunity to repent of their transgressions and follow Him once more.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
No Moral for "Little Red Riding Hood"
I found the discussion of Little Red Riding Hood from our textbook very interesting. The original version of the story was summed up in this simple moral: That girls and young ladies should be wary of men who come off as charming. But as the author of the chapter states, sometimes attempting to reduce a story to a single moral, theme, or a few cut-and-dried sentences takes away some of the power of the text. Morals, themes,
and the ability to identify them within the breadth of the text is certainly important, but one must remember that there is more to most texts than moral and theme. Let's take Little Red Riding Hood as an example.
Despite the obvious moral, there are other things the reader can draw from the familar story. The author,
Charles Perrault, seems to be comdemning all men as villians preying on defenseless, innocent women.
Of course, the average reader will know that not all men are heartless predators bent on seducing and manipulating women. What's more, not all women will blindly fall into a deceitful man's clutches as Little
Red Riding Hood does. It can be very easy and very convenient to attach a moral or a theme to texts we
read, probably because it gives us an excuse to avoid thinking about the more difficult aspects of the texts.
It would be easy, for example, to say the moral of The Things They Carried is "war is terrible," but we can't
The breadth and enormity of the story is too great to simplify into a single trite statement that means nothing, particularly to someone who has been through a war. As readers we must view any text from various angles
and attempt to pull different things from it, even if the author meant for the text to convey a specific moral or theme.
and the ability to identify them within the breadth of the text is certainly important, but one must remember that there is more to most texts than moral and theme. Let's take Little Red Riding Hood as an example.
Despite the obvious moral, there are other things the reader can draw from the familar story. The author,
Charles Perrault, seems to be comdemning all men as villians preying on defenseless, innocent women.
Of course, the average reader will know that not all men are heartless predators bent on seducing and manipulating women. What's more, not all women will blindly fall into a deceitful man's clutches as Little
Red Riding Hood does. It can be very easy and very convenient to attach a moral or a theme to texts we
read, probably because it gives us an excuse to avoid thinking about the more difficult aspects of the texts.
It would be easy, for example, to say the moral of The Things They Carried is "war is terrible," but we can't
The breadth and enormity of the story is too great to simplify into a single trite statement that means nothing, particularly to someone who has been through a war. As readers we must view any text from various angles
and attempt to pull different things from it, even if the author meant for the text to convey a specific moral or theme.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
"A Grief Observed": Card Castles
"My love for H. was of much the same quality as my faith in God. I won't exaggerate, though. Whether there was anything but imagination in the faith, or anything but egoism in the love, God knows. I don't There may have been a little more; especially in my love for H. But neither was the thing I thought it was. A good deal of the cardcastle about both (41, 42)." This quote is from C.S. Lewis' A Grief Observed. Lewis reveals that he
had realized that his faith in God and his love for his wife were not what he thought they were. Yes, Lewis had faith in God but it was not until after his wife's death he realized that this faith was not strong enough to survive true difficulties. When God tore down his pseudo-faith by allowing H. to die, Lewis was left shocked
and bewildered, without an anchor to cling to. In order to learn what it truly meant to trust God Lewis had to
have everything he knew pulled out from under him so God could use His love and mercy to refine Lewis' faith. I think of the card castles we attempted to build in class on Monday. Everytime my group had the cards upright and beginning to resemble a structure, they fell down. Sometimes it fell because one of us accidently jostled it. Other times it came down of its own accord without any of us doing a thing to it. I think faith can be like that sometimes. The smallest thing can cause it to come crashing down. The slightest incident can cause us to question God and His promises. When ten of the twelve scouts sent to spy out the land of Caanan came back saying the Caananites were giants that they would not be able to defeat, the people immediately despired and became convinced they would not be able to conquer the land. God had promised Israel He would deliver Caanan into their hand and shown He had the ability to do so through the plagues in Egypt. Despite this, Israel didn't have the faith go into battle, trusting God to win them the day. Similarly, sometimes we don't have the faith to continue through our difficulties knowing that God is with us.
had realized that his faith in God and his love for his wife were not what he thought they were. Yes, Lewis had faith in God but it was not until after his wife's death he realized that this faith was not strong enough to survive true difficulties. When God tore down his pseudo-faith by allowing H. to die, Lewis was left shocked
and bewildered, without an anchor to cling to. In order to learn what it truly meant to trust God Lewis had to
have everything he knew pulled out from under him so God could use His love and mercy to refine Lewis' faith. I think of the card castles we attempted to build in class on Monday. Everytime my group had the cards upright and beginning to resemble a structure, they fell down. Sometimes it fell because one of us accidently jostled it. Other times it came down of its own accord without any of us doing a thing to it. I think faith can be like that sometimes. The smallest thing can cause it to come crashing down. The slightest incident can cause us to question God and His promises. When ten of the twelve scouts sent to spy out the land of Caanan came back saying the Caananites were giants that they would not be able to defeat, the people immediately despired and became convinced they would not be able to conquer the land. God had promised Israel He would deliver Caanan into their hand and shown He had the ability to do so through the plagues in Egypt. Despite this, Israel didn't have the faith go into battle, trusting God to win them the day. Similarly, sometimes we don't have the faith to continue through our difficulties knowing that God is with us.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
"A Grief Observed": The Closed Door
"Meanwhile, where is God?..go to Him when your need is desperate, when all other help is vain, and what
do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After
that silence...Why is He so present a commander in our time of prosperity and so very absent a help in time
of trouble?" (pgs. 5,6). The preceding quote came from C.S. Lewis' A Grief Observed, Lewis' honest reflection regarding life, death, and doubt in God as he mourned his wife's death. Later in the book Lewis had expressed his doubts about God, wondering if He had ever truly cared about His creation or if He is a "Cosmic Sadist" who merely watches our suffering and never intervenes on our behalf. Lewis spent quite some time struggling with the concept that perhaps God isn't Who we think He is. What if, Lewis asks, God isn't good or at least not good in the way we would consider goodness? I am enjoying reading this book because Lewis comtemplates very honestly about several ideas regarding death, the afterlife, and God's goodness as he grieves the passing of his wife. It took great courage not only to write down these thoughts
but also to publish them. Who would have thought C.S. Lewis, the great Christian apologist, the man who communicated the idea of a loving God so fluently, would express such honest doubts about the God he served? But Lewis not only expressed such doubts but he also felt them deep in the core of his being. Lewis could have ignored these doubts or pretended they didn't exist. Instead he chose to be honest with himself by writing his true feelings down and to be honest with the world by publishing them. I think that is the greatest test of a Christian-to be honest with God and with others when we are experiencing true feelings of doubt, anger, fear, or sadness over the bad things that occur in our lives. Many Christians believe that to trust God during times of trouble means to suppress these supposedly negative emotions. But in reality trusting God means being completely honest with Him about how we feel and allowing Him to comfort us in the midst of our turmoil.
do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside. After
that silence...Why is He so present a commander in our time of prosperity and so very absent a help in time
of trouble?" (pgs. 5,6). The preceding quote came from C.S. Lewis' A Grief Observed, Lewis' honest reflection regarding life, death, and doubt in God as he mourned his wife's death. Later in the book Lewis had expressed his doubts about God, wondering if He had ever truly cared about His creation or if He is a "Cosmic Sadist" who merely watches our suffering and never intervenes on our behalf. Lewis spent quite some time struggling with the concept that perhaps God isn't Who we think He is. What if, Lewis asks, God isn't good or at least not good in the way we would consider goodness? I am enjoying reading this book because Lewis comtemplates very honestly about several ideas regarding death, the afterlife, and God's goodness as he grieves the passing of his wife. It took great courage not only to write down these thoughts
but also to publish them. Who would have thought C.S. Lewis, the great Christian apologist, the man who communicated the idea of a loving God so fluently, would express such honest doubts about the God he served? But Lewis not only expressed such doubts but he also felt them deep in the core of his being. Lewis could have ignored these doubts or pretended they didn't exist. Instead he chose to be honest with himself by writing his true feelings down and to be honest with the world by publishing them. I think that is the greatest test of a Christian-to be honest with God and with others when we are experiencing true feelings of doubt, anger, fear, or sadness over the bad things that occur in our lives. Many Christians believe that to trust God during times of trouble means to suppress these supposedly negative emotions. But in reality trusting God means being completely honest with Him about how we feel and allowing Him to comfort us in the midst of our turmoil.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Joy of Literary Discussion
On Monday, I gathered with my small group at the restraunt our for Intro to Literature class. We discussed reading and books over breakfast. Among the texts discussed were Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult, and A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner. I believe it is very important for people to talk about the things they read for various reasons. First of all, they can impart interesting information or valuable truths others can reflect on and possibly even somehow use in their own lives. Second of all, readers are always curious about what others are reading because they know they may also enjoy the literature these readers find so interesting. Third, dialoguing about literature can just be plain fun. It is very engaging and enjoyable to sit down with someone and discuss the literature they like to read. Fourth, literary discussion spreads need-to-know information. There all sorts of things being printed about in newspapers, magazines, blogs, etc. that should be discussed. If we discuss news we read in these and other media we can better form and refine what we believe about the events by learning of and considering other viewpoints. However, if we don't dialogue about news events then we aren't getting those other perspectives and will only see the events from one side. Can literary discussion be negative? Literary discussion, or any discussion for that matter, can be made into something negative if one or more of the participants are only talking so they can hear how smart they sound or so they can enjoy having people look at them admiringly. It can also be negative if the discussion turns into an argument in which everyone is so determined to have their own say they refuse to listen to others and are only concerned about being right. Literary discussion is meant for the civil exchange of ideas and information that we learn from texts, not a battleground upon which the participants argue about who is right or who is wrong about how they interpret the text.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Happy Endings
One thing that stuck out to me about Happy Endings was that no matter how the author shaped the plot of the story it always ended in death. It didn't matter what happened between the beginning of the story and the end because the characters would die anyway. That's how some people view life. They believe that it doesn't
matter what we do or don't do between now and death because after we're dead it will be a moot point anyway. But everything we do, every choice we make does matter. If a young person died because
she chose to use drugs, then her choices would result in devastating grief for her family and friends. Though the young person is dead, the consequences of her actions didn't end or become irrelevent following her death. Her loved ones would spend the remainder of their lives griefing their loss. But as much as this family would grieve, God would grieve much more. God gave Jesus, His only son, to pay the price for our sins so we wouldn't have to. Therefore, when we make wrong descisions and get ourselves in trouble, God's heart breaks. In Matthew 23, Jesus griefed over the city of Jersalem, saying, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." I think this verse can apply to today's people as well. Everytime we gossip, lie, steal, insult/mistreat others, we're not just hurting those around us. We're also hurting Jesus. In the same way the Israelites of old killed the prophets, we symbolically kill Jesus all over again every time we sin. And just like during the times of ancient Israel, Jesus desires to gather us
to himself, if we would only allow Him to.
matter what we do or don't do between now and death because after we're dead it will be a moot point anyway. But everything we do, every choice we make does matter. If a young person died because
she chose to use drugs, then her choices would result in devastating grief for her family and friends. Though the young person is dead, the consequences of her actions didn't end or become irrelevent following her death. Her loved ones would spend the remainder of their lives griefing their loss. But as much as this family would grieve, God would grieve much more. God gave Jesus, His only son, to pay the price for our sins so we wouldn't have to. Therefore, when we make wrong descisions and get ourselves in trouble, God's heart breaks. In Matthew 23, Jesus griefed over the city of Jersalem, saying, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." I think this verse can apply to today's people as well. Everytime we gossip, lie, steal, insult/mistreat others, we're not just hurting those around us. We're also hurting Jesus. In the same way the Israelites of old killed the prophets, we symbolically kill Jesus all over again every time we sin. And just like during the times of ancient Israel, Jesus desires to gather us
to himself, if we would only allow Him to.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Frankie and Johnny
One of the things I noticed about the country song Frankie and Johnny was that it seemed to glorify murder. The following lyrics explain it all: "He was her man, but he did her wrong." The implied messege
is that Frankie was justified in killing Johnny for cheating. In fact, even Johnny himself appears to justify
Frankie's attack. Johnny admitted to having "done her wrong" right before he died. Now, obviously,
Johnny should not have been cheating on Frankie; if he wanted to be with someone else, he should have gone to her and civilly ended the relationship. And similarly, Frankie should not have resorted to violence
to resolve the situation. Instead, she should have confronted Johnny and found out the truth. From there, Frankie could have decided whether or not she wanted to continue her relationship with him. But, as we know from the song, that is not what happened, and both Frankie and Johnny had to suffer the consequences of their choices. Despite the song's assertion that the story "has not moral", I think there is at least one important fact everyone needs to take from this song; bad choices always have painful consequences. Johnny decided to cheat on Frankie and was murdered as a result. Frankie chose to murder Johnny and will probably spend the rest of her life in prison. Another moral can be found in the lyrics themselves: "This story only goes to show that there ain't no good in man." I originally assumed this meant men, in general, were evil. But there is another interpretation of these words. In this song, the word man can be interpreted one of two ways. The word can either refer to males specifically or it can refer to the human race in general. I think, based on how the word is used in the song, the latter definition is more accurate. If this is true then the song is really saying "there ain't no good in the human race." Based on the contents of the song, the preceding interpretation seems more applicable.
is that Frankie was justified in killing Johnny for cheating. In fact, even Johnny himself appears to justify
Frankie's attack. Johnny admitted to having "done her wrong" right before he died. Now, obviously,
Johnny should not have been cheating on Frankie; if he wanted to be with someone else, he should have gone to her and civilly ended the relationship. And similarly, Frankie should not have resorted to violence
to resolve the situation. Instead, she should have confronted Johnny and found out the truth. From there, Frankie could have decided whether or not she wanted to continue her relationship with him. But, as we know from the song, that is not what happened, and both Frankie and Johnny had to suffer the consequences of their choices. Despite the song's assertion that the story "has not moral", I think there is at least one important fact everyone needs to take from this song; bad choices always have painful consequences. Johnny decided to cheat on Frankie and was murdered as a result. Frankie chose to murder Johnny and will probably spend the rest of her life in prison. Another moral can be found in the lyrics themselves: "This story only goes to show that there ain't no good in man." I originally assumed this meant men, in general, were evil. But there is another interpretation of these words. In this song, the word man can be interpreted one of two ways. The word can either refer to males specifically or it can refer to the human race in general. I think, based on how the word is used in the song, the latter definition is more accurate. If this is true then the song is really saying "there ain't no good in the human race." Based on the contents of the song, the preceding interpretation seems more applicable.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
My Literary Life
Fiction has always been my main literary venue. My earliest memories involving literature would be reading children's mystery and adventure books from my school's library. A more recent memory was when I began reading Jodi Picoult, one of the latest fiction authors. I enjoy reading her because her plots involve issues that are relevant to society and which use heartbreaking yet poignant plot situations. I have read many texts that I would consider significant. Among those is one entitled Eve's Daughters by Lynn Austin. It is an historical fiction novel that tells the story of four generation of women who come of age in America. This story was significant because it epitomized the essence of God's love and forgiveness. Literature matters in a number of ways. If the world did not have literature, intelligent thought could not be permeanently recorded and passed on to others who could read and learn from them. In the same way, others would not have the opportunity to read the thoughts and ideas of others and take something tangible from that literature. In my opinion, there is no instance in which literature does not matter. Some would say that math has nothing to do with literature and the written word. But how would we know about all these math equations and how they work if someone at some point had not written the equations, along with their explanations, down so others could read them? Can literature be applied to music and science? Certainly. The world would not have even heard of How Great Thou Art if someone had not put pen to paper and written the lyrics. As for science, Thomas Edison's lightbulb could not have been mass-produced if he had not written the formula down so others could have access to it. So you see, literature is all around us, even in the least obvious places.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
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