tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7224494176459280922024-02-08T10:26:24.703-08:00Something MoreLooking for it, hoping for it, working for it, sharing it.Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-43927083085581082482013-11-14T09:41:00.002-08:002013-11-14T09:41:27.336-08:00Qualities of the Secular Saint<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
Simone Weil, Martin Luther
King and Mother Teresa resided in three distinct and different places not only
in their physical being but in their specific concerns as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first glance these differences would
appear to create a definitive rift in comparisons between the three but at a
second glance, these differences become small and the overall message of each
of their lives becomes nearly inseparable as one way of being that defines the
secular saint.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>According to Dr. Ambrosio, the secular saint is a person
who lives the question of meaning fully while at the same time they are
committed to searching for meaning along both the paths of hero and saint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is common for the secular saint to work
toward mastering their vision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
case of Simone Weil, she not only lived but also died her life in search of
meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She died of tuberculosis that
was aggravated by lack of food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
lack of food was self imposed as she was avoiding food in an effort to show
solidarity with her countrymen in Nazi occupied France.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This act alone provides us with insight into
what makes Simone Weil and how she defines the secular saint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As someone who is trying to live a life that
is meaningful at least to themselves, to die by this meaning would be to
fulfill the meaning in its entirety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Simone Weil, in her spiritual zeal, felt it was necessary to show
solidarity with her countrymen as a way of finding meaning for herself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had lived her short life in such a way
that this death comes as little surprise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She had tried to identify with others through the course of her life, in
other ways as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had taken a year
off from teaching to live as a factory worker, a way to better understand the
challenges of such a life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through these
examples from the life of Simone Weil, we can see how she did toe the line
between the path of the saint and the path of the hero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through her spirituality and love of humanity
as a whole, she exemplified the life of the saint while her commitment to
living her life out in such a way as to find herself at death’s door while in
the midst of living out the meaning of her life, she exemplified the life of
the hero.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Much of the same can be said for Martin Luther King as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He died as a result of following
and living out the life he believed was necessary in order to bring justice to
African Americans during the civil rights movement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mother Teresa, on the other hand, died a
natural death without a direct correlation to the life of justice she required
for herself and those around her, however, she did die in the midst of living
out the example of the type of justice she fought for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is, for both Martin Luther King as well as
Mother Teresa, this idea of justice that resounds so deeply within the heart of
the hero that it becomes obvious that both, despite their religious
affiliations, were living the life of the hero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yet, it is precisely because of their religious affiliations, with King
being a reverend and Mother Teresa being a nun that the life of the saint for
each of them is evident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as Simone
Weil had done as well, they lived out their vision of life fully, to the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Mother
Teresa ached for the recognition of the human being as well as the recognition
of their suffering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though one may not
be able to alleviate said suffering, one must try to be respectful of the whole
human person and at least acknowledge it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Martin Luther King believed that everyone deserved the same rights,
despite the differences in skin color.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Simone Weil believed that while people may not be able to alleviate all
suffering, no harm should be done either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>People should attempt, in Weil’s opinion, to alleviate any suffering
they can, at any cost but if this cannot be done, one must at least live their
life in a way that sees to it that all avoidable harm is, in fact,
avoided.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In these stances in their
lives, there is an overwhelming sense of the justice they were each seeking
while an obvious love of humanity is also evident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Weil, it is in her sense of justice where
we can see the life of the Greek citizen hero has been of particular influence
on her; the way that she focuses her vision on all, not just some.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
In this
modern age, we have many examples of the secular saint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These examples are a backbone of our society
that people may not always recognize or consciously see as a “secular saint”
but they do exist as a model for many.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Secular saints, whether real or imagined, such as in the movies are
everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether looking on the news
and seeing Mother Teresa serving the poor so diligently or watching the main
character George in the holiday movie, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It’s
a Wonderful Life</i>, there are examples of people who are trying to live their
life not only in the spiritual realm but also in the very human realm, trying
to find for themselves as well as others, a life of meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p>
</o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
REFERENCES<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series).<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Lecture
30. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series).<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Lecture 31</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series).<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Lecture 32. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series).<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Lecture 33.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</div>
</div>
Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-39117279389475320472013-11-04T07:05:00.004-08:002013-11-04T07:06:36.579-08:00The Experience of Meaning: Through the Eyes of Buber, Levinas, Wiesel and Frankl<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
When evil abounds and
challenges to the individual are at their utmost, is it possible to still find
meaning in life and is it even a time to consider such a question?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Buber, Levinas, Wiesel and Frankl, this
question was not only a reality but also the precise place where the answer can
and would be found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After World War II
and specifically after the Holocaust, Jewish philosophers had a new framework
to work within.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Questions of God, man
and humanity as a whole cannot help but come to the forefront of the mind after
such events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For these men, there was a
need to look for some sort of answer and meaning within the answer to the
questions that arose after having seen, and for some lived, through such
horror. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In a time when the question of God’s covenant
relationship to the individual as well as humanity as a whole was necessary for
those with faith, particularly the Jewish faith, Buber saw a specific need; the
need to rediscover this relationship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
his view, there was only one place where this rediscovery and reawakening could
take place, in the center of the relationship itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Buber’s teachings in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I and Thou</i>, it is only in the midst of such a relationship between
two persons or one person and nature, that the depth of experiencing meaning is
possible.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Emmanuel Levinas, a Russian born philosopher, taught that
one’s responsibility is not solely in the midst of relationship but that which precedes
the relationship as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He believed
that meaning was not found in the way of the hero or self knowledge but within
the love that exists between people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Within this mutual love relationship one can find true wisdom, as
opposed to the wisdom of the heroic tradition, which centers on the self.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Levinas, it is the responsibility that we
have toward one another that precedes the relationship and it is at this point
where meaning can be found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Buber’s
view it is within the relationship that meaning is found, within the dialogue
and communication that takes place therein.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In Levinas’s view, such meaning does not need the face to face encounter
that Buber’s view requires.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Elie Wiesel, having survived the Holocaust in a concentration
camp, raised the question of God’s covenant relationship with the Jewish
people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is certainly understandable
that such questioning would take place when God’s chosen people were so
violently and inexplicably being exterminated as if they were nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Elie first arrived in the camp, his own
mother and sister were immediately shipped off to die while he and his father
were permitted to live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This type of
trauma, along with the countless other atrocities that took place within the
camp, helped shape Wiesel’s viewpoint on the nature of the covenant
relationship that he had been taught he and his people had with God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The very questioning of where God was when a
young boy was left hanging, unable to die quickly because of his light weight,
was raised by another in the camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
only response was that He was hanging there with the boy, which begs the
further inquiry of whether or not there is a God at all and if so, where is the
responsibility being lived up to that such a relationship inherently brings
with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is within this second
follow-up question that Wiesel rejects the notion of the I and thou dialog with
God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wiesel therefore, according to
Professor Ambrosio, began his quest to find a more humanly proportioned
responsibility than the total responsibility that Levinas found to be necessary
in his teachings about the search for meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Viktor Frankl, in his search for meaning, which would
become one of the most important books in modern times, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Man’s Search for Meaning,</i> takes into account three elements:
freedom, responsibility and suffering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For Frankl, as opposed to Buber, Levinas and Wiesel, who believed that
meaning was found in relationship, freedom is where meaning is found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each person, despite their circumstances,
always has at least some form of freedom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Frankl, like Wiesel, survived a concentration camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, Frankl found that within the
confines of such a terrible situation, he still had freedom enough to determine
how he would react to the situation at hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His reaction, whether negative or ultimately positive, depended largely
upon himself, as it does for all people in whatever situation they find
themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One’s values and who the
person decides to be in the midst of their struggle is a decision made by the
individual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within this type of freedom
is where the real responsibility and its function exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For each individual, the suffering or
struggle that the person faces is unique and cannot be replicated because each
individual and their reactions to their given situation are also unique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Frankl, the individual is responsible for
finding their suffering, also spoken of as passion, and to make what they will
of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is within this suffering and
finding personal meaning as such that man has the opportunity to find meaning
at all.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Looking at the experiences of Frankl and Wiesel, it is
hard to imagine what they not only faced but lived through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is in these experiences that the depth of
who they were when they came out the other side, resonates deeply within their
teachings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the individual who faces
their suffering in such a way that they find meaning in asking whether or not
there can be meaning found in such awful circumstances, there is a strength to
the argument that may not be as easily found in those who have not faced such a
direct challenge to who they are and their beliefs. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<o:p>
</o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px; text-align: center;">
REFERENCES</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series).<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Lecture 27. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series).<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Lecture 29. </div>
</div>
Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-73258214437288581352013-03-13T10:22:00.003-07:002013-03-13T10:22:52.027-07:00Journey Toward Totalization: A Comparison of Saul of Tarsus, Augustine and Mohammed<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
In the three religious
figures of Saul of Tarsus, Augustine and Mohammed we have similarities not only
in their individual conversions to their respective faiths but also in their
attempted conversion of a worldview that takes on the challenge of combining
one or more elements of the cultures that have come before and led the way to
answer the question of how to live a meaningful life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Saul of Tarsus and Augustine the end
result is nearly the same in that they both looked to create a world in which
Christianity is the primary, if not only, way of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mohammed, on the other hand, looked to create
a world in which a more complete and corrected version of Christianity, the
worship of Allah known as Islam, would become the dominate worldview.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Moses wrote of Him: this He says, who is Truth.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Augustine 2006)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All three figures whole heartedly believed in
this statement, in all respects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
all came from a religious standpoint, once their personal conversions had taken
place, that the text of the Hebrew scriptures revealed the belief that God is
Truth, that there is no other truth but the one and only God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this way, all three of the men are in
agreement on the basis for the worldview they believed to not only be right but
also the truth that should be spread in order to create one worldview, one
total worldview that could be and should be espoused by all people.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Saul of Tarsus, according to Professor Ambrosio, lived a
life that reflected the bidirectional nature of one identity, the Greek
identity, influencing and transforming <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a
second identity, that of Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In this, the heroic ideal changes the Christian ideal and vice
versa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saul of Tarsus had been well
educated in Greek language and culture before his conversion to Christianity
took place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After Saul’s conversion, he
spent the rest of his life preaching as an apostle of Christ to Gentiles,
instead of Jews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once Rome got wind of
this preaching, he was brought up on charges of creating unrest in the Roman
dominion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a direct reflection of
citizenship in the Greek tradition, Saul is aware of his rights to be heard by
the secular authority and to face a trial as such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saul, by then known as Paul, died for his
beliefs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He lived out his life as a
Greek hero would.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the heroic
standard in the Greek tradition would not have been focused on spreading
Christianity, it would focus on the living out of one’s fate, one’s destiny to
the end, to the death, if necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Paul did exactly this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as
Socrates before him, he did not bow down to the powers that be in civil
judgment for fear of losing his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He, instead, battled back with the knowledge that he was doing what must
be done in order to live a life of personal integrity.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Augustine lived at a time of relative peace in
Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would have no need for
martyrdom as Saul did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Augustine’s
reflection of the Greek ideal came with his personal struggle, just as the
Greeks believed that life was a struggle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>During the course of his life, Augustine took on many different roles,
eventually becoming a leader and teacher in a culture that was shifting from
Roman imperialism to Christianity as the dominant force.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to Professor Ambrosio, the theme of
searching for God and self is prevalent in Augustine’s most renowned work “Confessions”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to Augustine, it is human pride
that thwarts the search for God and self.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is in this thwarting that the struggle of life takes place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One must work to overcome their pride in order
to know God and by extension, know themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the Greek tradition, knowing oneself and living that knowing out was
of utmost importance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as Saul of
Tarsus had been before him, he was well educated in Greek and Roman tradition
and this influence is seen in his writings as well as how he lived his life
after his personal conversion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
believed as Socrates believed, that personal responsibility was a key to a
meaningful life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his own words, which
very nearly echo the voice of Socrates in Apology, “I would much rather say ‘I
don’t know,’ when I don’t, than hold one up to ridicule who had asked a
profound question and win applause for a worthless answer.” (Augustine 2006)</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mohammed, had he been living at the time of the Greeks,
would have been a man living as the heroic ideal, almost to the point of
perfection aside from the obvious fundamental belief in the worldview of the
saint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the model for all believers in
Islam, the “living Quran”, according to Professor Ambrosio’s lecture, he is
living the parallel to that of Socrates, who lived out the question of the meaning
of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also lived as a parallel to
the heroic concept of agon, the idea that life is a struggle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Mohammed, this struggle is known as
jihad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the Prophet for his followers,
he struggles in order to bring back truth and revelation to his people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His teachings have a strong root in the idea
of justice, just as the Greek tradition did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He takes a journey in his jihad, committing to a way of life that is
known as Islam, the submission of the people and self to Allah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This living out of his truth reflects
directly the spirit of the Greek heroic ideal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>All three of these men, living out their beliefs as a
whole and entire way of being as well as their conversion of self and others, provide
examples, if not perfect models (as in Mohammed’s case) for the people who
would eventually become their followers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While none of them claimed to be a god or anything more than man living
the way of truth as they saw it, the people they influenced in the way of this truth
spread out far and wide and in many ways, it was successful though none of them
would reach the dream state of totalitarian belief, one world view during their
lifetimes or even in the generations that have come after. While what the
future holds remains to be seen, the influence of these men on the west is
undeniable and in all three of their lives some of their example either
parallels or outright lives the heroic ideal of the Greek tradition.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px; text-align: center;">
REFERENCES</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series).<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Lecture 12. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio,
F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy, Religion, and the Meaning
of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series).<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Lecture
13. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series).<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Lecture 14. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
Augustine (2006).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Confessions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Classics of Western Philosophy,
</span>7th ed, 374.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>377.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
</div>
Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-5357300133472343442013-03-11T14:12:00.000-07:002013-03-11T14:12:10.215-07:00Incommensurable: A New View of Hero and Saint<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
As has been seen through the course of history, trying to rectify the
image of the hero with the image of the saint has been not only difficult but
evidently impossible for most, with only a brilliant few coming forth with
nearly satisfactory but still incomplete attempts at doing so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In no small way, the way of the saint and the
way of the hero seems to have an ever widening gap in the time of what Thomas
Kuhn would classify as the scientific revolution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gap can visibly be seen in the trenches
of World War I where Wilfrid Owen wrote his poem, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dulce et Decorum Est</i>, asserting to the hero’s journey within the
context of that which is pointless even when fighting for something greater
than oneself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Leading up to the first
half of the twentieth century, in which both World War I and II took place,
there was an undeniable shift in the worldview of many.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The influential writings and inquiry of Marx,
Darwin and Freud typify the beginnings of this new worldview, one in which
force is recognized as being of primary importance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
For Karl Marx, the new worldview was determined by
economics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The force of economics is
what drives the individual toward a search for meaning through the derivation
of their human capacity for labor and the ability to transform nature by way of
said labor in productive and meaningful ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Marx also believed that the industrial revolution brought with it
alienation for humanity in terms of the fact that people were no longer as
directly connected to the labor in which they found meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People had quite literally been replaced by
machinery in their ability to transform nature and therefore, they had lost
their ability to find meaning as they once had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Through the production of commodities, in Marx’s view, a person finds
meaning and value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, if a
person no longer produces as they once had, as an individual; it is a linear line
of thinking to believe that the human being will lose their grasp of what gives
their life meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This view of the
loss of meaning being tied so directly to the loss of human production within
the force of economics gives way to a reinterpretation, according to Professor
Ambrosio, to the struggle of the hero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That is, the struggle of the individual in the face of the need for
commodities and the loss of personal production of such commodities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Charles Darwin, though not concerned with economics but
rather with the biological character of the human being and the world the human
being inhabits, offered to the worldview of creationism, which is often
associated with the idea of the saint, evolution in the form of natural
selection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Intelligent design and
evolution appear to be two sides of an ongoing debate, dating back to Darwin
and his theory of natural selection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
many, this debate is hard pressed to find a middle ground and therefore, it
widens the gap between hero and saint that much further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Believers in intelligent design often do not
see the human being as a byproduct of functional traits that have prolonged the
ability to survive but, rather, as a person created precisely for meaning and
in many cases, the glorification of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the context of the hero, the idea of evolution is impersonal and
ruled by necessity. The drive of adaptation is the force by which humanity has
evolved. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Sigmund Freud also viewed the world in the light of
necessity and struggle as is common in the heroic ideal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his case, however, the necessity was
anything but impersonal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the
individual, according to Freud, it is necessary for the human being to struggle
against the drives of the id, which are repressed by the superego.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to Professor Ambrosio, it is precisely
this that lends itself to the viewpoint of the tragic hero by way of finding
meaning in the struggle and therefore giving meaning to an individual’s life.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
While the views of these extraordinary minds leaves
little in the way of the saintly ideal, there came a writer by the name of
Fyodor Dostoevsky, who returns us to the worldview of the saint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coming from the Russian Orthodox perspective
of Christianity, Dostoevsky returns us to the roots of faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dostoevsky appears to have taken on the
problem of evil in a direct affront in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brothers
Karamazov</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He not only introduces us
to a character, Father Zossima, who is an idealized version of the saint but
also to a young man by the name of Ivan who rejects the meaning of God and is
therefore a direct threat to the Russian Orthodox way of life, which in
Dostoevsky’s view appears to be nothing short of the way of the saint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within the context of these stories, both
included in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brothers Karamazov</i>,
one can find the identity of Dostoevsky and his perspective that all are
responsible for all, to all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The force
of the problem of evil, asks the individual to fight back by way of accepting
their freedom and face up to their responsibilities as such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This perspective takes on deeper meaning when
contrasted to Friedrich Nietzsche, who held the view that no one is responsible
to anyone for anything.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Nietzsche’s outlook on life, revealed in his story, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thus Spoke Zarathustra</i>, is heroic in
nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He believed in the will to self
mastery and that everyone obeys someone whether it is self or an outside
source.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, he did not find that anyone
was responsible for this for any definitive reason, as one who abides by the
way of the saint would.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did, however,
reason that necessity will bring about what needs to take place in order to
ensure survival and that this will come internally from the individual and
their participation in reality as it truly is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
As previously mentioned, there are forces at work in
humanity. These forces, such as the force of the economy, will push until
another force pushes back, determining the path in which humanity takes over
the long haul, if there will be a long haul at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In light of the progress of science and the
culmination of the industrial revolution ensuing into the arms race in the
first half of the twentieth century, the world saw the mass destruction of both
world wars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could appear that the
ever expanding view of the heroic ideal, even in modern terms is quietly and
quickly drowning out the ideal of the saint. While this may be simply the
nature of things and the necessity that the heroic ideal finds essential, it
may be something to contemplate that the world appears to grow colder as the
gap widens between the hero and the saint at a time when the destruction of
those that the saint finds inherently valuable is undeniably possible. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to Thomas Kuhn, incommensurability
is the inability to translate two rival theories into each other’s terms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though he meant this to relate to scientific
theories, it can easily be seen here that in the broad spectrum of human
knowledge and the search for meaning, the ideals of hero and saint are very
much incommensurable in more ways than originally believed to be understood. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
REFERENCES</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series).<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Lecture 19. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series).<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Lecture 20. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series).<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Lecture 21. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series).<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Lecture 22.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series).<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Lecture 23.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
</div>
Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-32155797411809106612012-12-12T07:26:00.002-08:002012-12-12T07:26:58.922-08:00Changes Within Heroic Citizenship: From the Greeks to the Romans<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
One must have courage,
they must overcome, they must achieve and they must be willing to do these things
or be these things with an end result that will benefit others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To do so is to fulfill one’s own fate; to
know that all is done that can be done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These things, according to Professor Ambrosio, are the characteristics of
a hero in the Greek cultural tradition.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Even Zeus was limited by necessity, that is, he was
limited by ananke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the Greek
mythopoetic tradition, ananke is only one of the central concepts: ananke,
moira and arête.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ananke creates moira
and by accepting moira people have arête.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Necessity creates one’s fate and by accepting that fate people can reach
heroic excellence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An example of moira
was, for Zeus, accepting that his son must die, that he can not intervene
because by necessity he needed to act as a god first, a father second.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though this acceptance was painful, he did
reach heroic excellence, or arête, by doing so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He had to live out the destiny before him in such a way that only he
could do.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the historical development of the heroic ideal, the
meaning of human existence surrounds the idea that fate is the primary goal,
the thing that will provide the human with a chance at self fulfillment and an
opportunity to fulfill their personal goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While reaching one’s goal does not depend on a god or on the hereafter
in any way, it is religious based on the fact that it is bound by a type of vow
or commitment, as religion is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
working toward staying true to this vow, this fulfillment of one’s fate, there is
a struggle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This struggle is the main
point of it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In order to be the
heroic ideal, the struggle must be pursued to the end with the hero doing
everything that he can in order to reach the goal, everything that is possible,
and everything that he is capable of doing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>During the time when the Greek city-state was emerging,
there was a change of focus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Individualism was no longer the primary goal as it had been in the time
of tribal organization, when there was a class structure within Greek society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this time, the Oresteia was introduced and
there began tragic drama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
Oresteia, there was the playing out of the first trial by jury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These tragic dramas were a new way of
honoring the gods, as well as entertaining the people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For these dramas, just like the Olympic
games, there was a competition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in
this competition the chance did exist to fulfill arête.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is, through competition with others, one
had to compete with their own self in order to produce the best work possible.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>According to Aristotle, the best of the tragic hero would
be art that should imitate life, in that people should be able to identify with
the hero character in a play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People, as
well as the gods, should be excited by either fear or pity or both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aristotle did not feel that a true tragic
hero was neither all good nor all bad; he felt that the average citizen had to
be able to see themselves in such a person in order to be able to identify with
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Looking at Plato’s work, he delves more deeply into root
of what makes a heroic citizen tick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
asks and attempts to answer the question of whether or not citizenship itself
gives meaning to one’s life, does it provide hope?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the Apology, Plato recognized and
portrayed Socrates on trial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Socrates is
well known, according to Professor Ambrosio’s lectures, as the father of
questioning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the Apology, we get to
see Socrates and the ideal of the citizen hero play out from its beginning to its
end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Socrates was the living answer to
his own questioning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I shall give you
proofs of this, not words but what you esteem, deeds.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Plato, 2006) and in the Apology we get to
see what a living answer is, how he traveled about asking this question and
having dialog with others in order to find out his place in the world and what
it all means.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Socrates famously died for
this, he died for living out the question of what his arête would be, and as he
accepted this fate, he became the ideal.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>By the time the Roman empire took over, the questions
that Socrates, Plato as well as Aristotle had presented had been mulled over
and discussed within text and in the classroom of life for many years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The differences between Plato and his pupil,
Aristotle, were profound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plato believed
in Socratic existence as the primary way to reach the heroic ideal, theory was
secondary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aristotle believed theory
should come first and then one could live out the heroic ideal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For both, however, contemplation was the
highest level of human fulfillment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Then
came Marcus Aurelis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next to Socrates,
according to Professor Ambrosio, he most likely has the strongest claim to
living out the heroic ideal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, by
the time of Roman stoicism, which was the time when Marcus Aurelis lived, the
rules of the game had begun to change quite a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People no longer had their focus on nature or
how they would draw their fate from it; they rather had their focus on the rule
of human law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Marcus Aurelis tried to
keep the idea of heroic ideal alive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Through his beautiful meditations, he attempted to make it live on but
instead it appeared to be the last hoorah of the living out of fate that can
only come from a citizenship that existed in a world that was falling by the
wayside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
REFERENCES</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series).<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Lecture 3. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series), <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lecture 4. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series), <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lecture 5. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series), <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lecture 6. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series),<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span> Lecture 7. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
Plato. (2006).
Apology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Classics of Western Philosophy, </span>7th ed, 36.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
</div>
Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-76107957164712563952012-12-09T07:44:00.000-08:002012-12-09T07:51:11.397-08:00Attempted Convergence: From St. Francis to Kierkegaard<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Over the course of
history, marriage had long been thought of as a societal contract, arrangements
based on that which benefited families and society as a whole rather than the
fulfillment of individuals who desired to be together based primarily on
attraction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arranged marriage, until the
emergence of romanticism, was the norm and it was not only condoned but
expected by church, state and within individual families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>St. Francis of Assisi brought this idea to
the forefront, changing what had been seen as a possible heresy, erotic love,
into something that could be used for the overall greater good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a close follower of the Franciscan way of
life though only a layman, Dante promoted this idea and attempted to live it
out to the best of his ability through his writing by expanding on the
inclusion of the feminine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Having been exposed to courtly love at an early age, St.
Francis had the seed that eventually blossomed into the idea that romantic love
could be a pathway to praising God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
believed that instead of taking love from God, which would be heresy, such love
could compliment and give opportunity to individuals to worship through
service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to Professor
Ambrosio, bringing this idea to light was St. Francis’s greatest achievement
and legacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fruition of this idea
marked a significant change in philosophical thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scholar Joseph Campbell classified this
change as a movement that marks the emergence of the modern conception of
individuality in the west.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dante expanded on the idea set forth from St. Francis,
through his poetry, most notably in the Comedia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Comedia was Dante’s personal testimony
about his conversion from sin to love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For Dante, the embodiment of this love was given to him by the grace of
God in the woman Beatrice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time
he wrote the Comedia, Beatrice had long since passed away but in the epic poem,
she is the last person he sees before seeing God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this, it is as if he is stating that his
love for her is the closest pathway to God, the one who draws him to the close
of his journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This inclusion of the
feminine, according to Professor Ambrosio, was what could have been seen as the
real heresy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Both St. Francis as well as Dante engage in Christian
humanism, which can be seen as the blending of both ideals of hero and
saint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>St. Francis dreamed of becoming a
knight when he was young and lived this out to the best of his ability through
the relationship he had with his companion, St. Clare of Assisi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He used this relationship as a means to
express his devotion to Lady Poverty, an imagined heavenly lady who portrays
the feminine of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was through this
service, that St. Francis found his fulfillment though he had not found this
calling until he went through a deep depression in the midst of being a
prisoner of war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dante, in writing his
epic poem, presented his vision of the convergence of the hero’s journey
through the lens of a saintly worldview.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>By placing himself in the poem he reveals that he believed he was on the
hero’s journey in life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Just as St. Francis and Dante had done before him,
Michelangelo had the hero’s drive to self fulfillment and the saint’s impulse
to serve a cause greater than oneself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Michelangelo dreamed of harmonizing the two callings of hero and
saint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Michelangelo, according to his
contemporary, Giorgio Vasari, was the foremost authority on Dante and had also
been inspired by the Franciscan romantic ideal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Through Michelangelo’s work, a struggle can be seen between his ecstasy,
which came at an early age and his agony, which remained with him until his
death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the David, Michelangelo aimed
to show the magnificence of the heroic soul in the heroic body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By using David, from the Biblical story of
David and Goliath, he attempted to meld the physically perfect heroic body with
the Christian worldview.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
contemplative nature, which is an important characteristic of the heroic ideal,
exemplified his own internal struggle toward reaching this ideal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His creations, known as the Pietas, reveal to
us this internal struggle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Roman
Pieta, a sculpture of absolute beauty drawn from the terrible moment of mother
losing child, displays Mary as the hero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Larger than life, she sits as a throne for her dead son’s body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is the hero embodied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Christian symbolism of Mary and Jesus
invite the viewer in to look for the deeper meaning, lending the artwork itself
to the option of contemplation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After these works, the Roman Pieta and the David,
Michelangelo falls into darkness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
work no longer carries for him the significance it once did because the
commissions placed upon him take his view away from the contemplation that his
earlier works had so evidently shown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
could be understood that Michelangelo felt he could not work within the heroic ideal
and that he could no longer contemplate as he once did within the framework of
his art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the second Pieta,
Michelangelo places himself in place of Mary, holding Jesus up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This appears to be a statement that he could
no longer reconcile himself with his vocation or his God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He attempted to destroy this work and by
doing so, he revealed his inner turmoil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For all living the heroic ideal, there must be a struggle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He very nearly destroyed the third Pieta to
the point that it is hard to decide if the statue is hopeful or a work of
despair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The viewer cannot tell which
way the bodies in the sculpture are headed, whether upward or downward, which
can signify to those looking for the depth of the work, whether the bodies are
leaning toward a life of meaning or giving into the absurdity of it all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“He believed by virtue of the absurd; for there could be
no question of human calculation, and it was indeed the absurd that God
required it of him should the next instant recall the requirement.”
(Kierkegaard, 2009)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kierkegaard’s words,
speaking of Abraham’s potential sacrifice of his son to God, echo the longing
for the reemergence of the saintly ideal at a time when the world was changing
by leaps and bounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The church was no
longer one large entity, as Luther had created the first great schism long
before and the rise of capitalism, liberalism and the nation-state had taken
over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Kierkegaard wrote these
words, he was battling back the idea of rationality being the primary thought
of his day as opposed to the idea of faith in the absurd as the pathway to
fulfillment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through Luther’s teachings
of believing in faith alone as the means of salvation, Kierkegaard attempted to
assert that believing in the absurd is the only way one can have faith. He
believed and made argument to his conviction that one must have faith and
abandon oneself to it or one must cling to something else and by clinging to
some other thing, one becomes trapped by it, taking away the freedom that such
a lack of belief initially appears to give.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He believed that clinging to God and the awareness of the absurdity of
doing so was the only path to becoming self-aware, which is the ultimate ideal
in the Greek heroic tradition, knowledge of oneself.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Each
of these men suffered through their own internal struggles, lending each of
them to the idea of the heroic ideal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yet, they all embodied in some form the saintly ideal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each of them in their deeply contemplative
ways battled back against the powers that be of their day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While no one has been able to firmly rectify
the blending of hero and saint, all four of these men could be held up as contenders
in the fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of them lent to those
who are seeking a pathway to meaning a worldview where the convergence of the
two ideals appears possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each of
them, in their own way, gave an avenue in which contemplation in and of itself
is possible, as the hero needs while remaining devoted to that which is larger
than oneself as the saint requires.</span> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 1em 0px; text-align: center;">
REFERENCES</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series).<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Lecture 15. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series).<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Lecture 16. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series).<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Lecture 17. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Ambrosio, F.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Philosophy,
Religion, and the Meaning of Life </span>(The Great Courses Series).<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>Lecture 18.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
Kierkegaard, S.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(2009).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fear and Trembling</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Charleston, SC: Feather Trail Press. 30.</div>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-33634851410616355182012-06-28T06:54:00.002-07:002012-06-28T06:54:24.397-07:00Gourmet Grilled Cheese<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Butter flavored cooking spray</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Whole wheat bread</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Deli sliced American cheese</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Plum tomatoes, sliced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Garlic powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Spicy brown mustard</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Spray frying pan with butter flavored cooking spray. Turn on heat to about low medium. Spray one side of one piece of the bread with the spray and place down in pan. Place sliced pieces (one or two, depending on size of bread) of cheese on bread and then cover with sliced plum tomatoes. Sprinkle on garlic powder and cover with another layer of cheese. Coat inside of other piece of bread lightly with mustard. Place on top of sandwich, mustard side down. Spray outside of sandwich with cooking spray. Cook until browned on each side and serve.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-51298786421328279322012-05-25T07:22:00.001-07:002012-05-25T07:22:10.823-07:00Bistecca Pizzaiola<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 tbsp olive oil (I was a little more liberal with it than 2 tbsp)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">4 small steaks</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 cloves garlic, thinly chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Salt and pepper</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">28 oz can peeled tomatoes, chopped and drained</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 tsp oregano</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pinch of crushed red pepper</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat and add steaks. Brown on both sides and then put aside on a plate, sprinkling with pepper. Add garlic to the leftover oil and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and seasonings including another sprinkle of pepper and salt. Cook for about 20 minutes, lowering the heat just a little until everything thickens just a bit. Place steaks back on the tomatoes, cook until desired doneness, flipping once or twice.</span></div>
</div>Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-71912981566049729862012-05-16T15:12:00.000-07:002012-05-17T09:50:07.223-07:00The Writing Hurdle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the beginning, all I wanted to do was write.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, as a child it wasn’t quite put into words that way – I wasn’t aware it was something that I wanted to do, I just did it. I wrote really bad lyrics with no music <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for songs that would absolutely never get made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, they did get sung from time to time much to the chagrin of my dog – the only one I would ever allow to hear me sing them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My musical ability is and always has been completely null and void since I had no interest in practicing the guitar, the drums or the trumpet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of which I attempted at some point and time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made it through my one and only recital playing my drum by watching the child next to me and following along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was told I did really well, somehow I doubt any of us were truly on-beat anyway.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I reached sixth grade, I wrote a poem which received a wonderful reception when I read it in front of the class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may have been the only time in my middle school years that a wonderful reception was given to me about anything at all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the years following I wrote several movie scripts but, again, nothing worth pursuing in even the slightest way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was also a poem for which I won an Honorable Mention by the New Jersey Poetry Society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After that, my writing fell off the map.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It became nothing more than wishful thinking and for a time it barely registered in my thinking at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For nearly a decade, it took a backseat besides the minor one night attempts here and there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The attempts were so “here and there” that I would venture to say that the space in between those attempts was probably years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were many reasons for this, none worth mentioning right now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The only accomplishment I had during those years was the publication (online) on an opinion page of the Philadelphia Inquirer, which can be seen online at philly.com.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other than that, I tried my hand at restaurant reviews with no success at all, mostly because I needed to have a following for that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was spending WAY more than I would have ever brought in just trying the places out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There was also my last blog, in which I spent many, many hours producing all sorts of different posts, mostly about me, myself and I. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some were good, some were bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some were planned out and carefully written, many of them were very stream of consciousness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oh – and did I mention the book I turned out in 4 or 5 months?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, I’m reworking that now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put it down for nearly two years and decided to pull it out from the bottom of a drawer just recently to start the editing process all over again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was also that short story that I loved but now when I read it I feel pretty disappointed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few of my friends loved it but when I read it, I think there’s something good there but I don’t think the story itself is well-written, I think it just sounds bland.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Meanwhile, I’ve written several papers for school, which have made me happy enough since they involved both reading and writing. Meanwhile, I’m simply working on a few ideas, none of which I feel confident enough in as of yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so, this leads me to the point I’m working on getting to.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If Malcolm Gladwell’s assertion that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to reach mastery in a particular subject is true then I still have a long way to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, for the first time in my adult life I feel truly up to the challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve started reading more again and I’m working toward putting more time into actually working on my writing overall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve scaled back my going out time and started spending more time at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I let Mio Amante know that I’ll need more time to read and write.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s happy to comply – especially since he’s hoping I’ll have a bestseller somewhere along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Though he was a little unsure of why reading is a necessary ingredient to a writer’s success – oh how I love thee.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m working on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s all I can do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With any luck I’ll have something worth reading in the next year or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right now I’m struggling with the feeling that my writing is even halfway decent but from what I understand this is a very important mental step in a writer’s success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trouble is breaking through it and continuing on anyway… we’ll just have to see about that one but I am pretty sure I’m up for jumping the hurdle.</span></div>
</div>Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-12463343124038382582012-05-15T13:58:00.001-07:002012-05-15T13:58:23.214-07:00All-Season Grilled Chicken<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So - I haven't posted anything in just about forever so here it goes... another recipe. Tomorrow I intend (or will try, at least) to post a real post. Something about my writing.<br />
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<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All-Season Grilled Chicken</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">12 oz chili sauce</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">¾ cup red wine vinegar</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 & ½ tbsp prepared horseradish</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 & 1/2 tsp minced garlic</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1 tsp salt</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4 chicken breasts (or chicken of your choice, of course)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mix together all ingredients besides the chicken in a bowl then add the chicken, cover and refrigerate for 5 minutes. Grill or broil the chicken, basting frequently with the remaining marinade until chicken is done, about 30 minutes. Heat remaining marinade in a small saucepan and serve hot along with the chicken.</span></span></div>
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</div>Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-73792540468482079552012-03-05T10:46:00.002-08:002012-03-05T10:46:07.237-08:00Zesty Italian Crescent Casserole<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">1 lb. ground beef</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">1/3 cup chopped onion</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">1 cup tomato sauce</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">1½ cups shredded mozzarella</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">½ cup sour cream</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">1 container crescent rolls</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">2 tbsp butter</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">1/3 cup parmesan cheese</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">Preheat oven to 375.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">Brown ground beef and chopped onion, drain and place back in pan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">Add tomato sauce to ground beef and mix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heat through.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">Meanwhile, mix cheese and sour cream together in bowl.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">In an ungreased 13x7 (or deep pie dish) baking pan, pour ground beef.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">Coat with cheese and sour cream mixture.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">On top of that, spread out crescent rolls to make a crust on top of the casserole.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">Melt butter in small pan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once melted, add parm cheese to butter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">Spread butter and parm cheese over top of crust and bake for 17 - 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.</span></div>
</div>Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-80270556742786746222012-02-28T12:14:00.000-08:002012-02-28T12:14:12.114-08:00Honey Mustard Chicken<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">1/3 cup Dijon mustard</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">1/3 cup honey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">2 tbsp fresh dill (or 1 tbsp dried)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">1 tsp grated orange peel</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">Chicken of your choice (chicken breasts, thighs, etc.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Consolas;">Heat oven to 400.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Line a baking sheet with foil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lay chicken out on baking sheet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mix mustard, honey, dill and orange peel in small bowl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brush chicken with mixture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flip chicken over and brush the other side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(If you're using chicken with skin on it, you'll want to do this underneath the skin.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bake for 30 minutes or until done.</span></div>
</div>Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-63442506071553321912012-02-25T14:03:00.000-08:002012-02-25T14:04:18.189-08:00If I Should Have a Daughter by Sarah Kay<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/0snNB1yS3IE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I really do love this... and with weeks that are tough and strange and everything in between, these are the kinds of talks that will keep the head up, on and moving along.</div>Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-43559673300723097292011-12-18T12:53:00.000-08:002011-12-18T12:53:23.441-08:00Sober Sam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">It's honestly one of the best businesses around and I recommend it to anyone. I hope they are eventually able to expand... we used them last night to get everyone home safely.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://sobersam.com/">http://sobersam.com/</a><br />
<br />
Put their number in your phone, if you're in the South Jersey area. You never know when you may or may not need them. Unless, of course, you really don't drink.<br />
<br />
856-520-5679 </div>Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-67121088766684014152011-12-16T05:44:00.001-08:002012-09-26T08:49:11.309-07:00Christianity and Literature: As It is Understood<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Throughout history, religion has been a strong force in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The works of “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beowulf</i>”, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Inferno</i>” and “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Everyman</i>” reflect the importance of Christian values in the times in which they were written.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beowulf</i>” is a particularly interesting piece in light of this being that the story is actually based around pagans yet it is flavored with a Christian world-view as it was passed down and then formerly written.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Inferno</i>” and “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Everyman</i>” would simply not exist if it were not for the religious beliefs that were held in high regard at the time in which they were created.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout all three of these works, religious belief is not so much reflected upon or explained as it is understood to be common knowledge and is expected to be accepted as such.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beowulf</i>”, the first of the three monsters that Beowulf encounters in Grendel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is described as a “fiend out of hell” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beowulf </i>1634) and we are told that he had lived “among the banished monsters, Cain’s clan”. (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beowulf</i> 1634).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While this portion does give a little explanation as to who Cain is “For the killing of Abel the Eternal Lord had exacted a price”, there is still a lack of explanation as to who Abel is to the “Eternal Lord”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is expected, of the reader, to understand the context of the murder without further explanation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout the rest of the epic, references to the Christian God are made as they were common at that time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Beowulf, in particular, it appears that God ultimately makes the decisions as to what occurs “Almighty God rules over mankind and always has” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beowulf</i> 1647).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story has been so strewn with these types of references that it becomes increasingly obvious that the writer did not want to misstep in the work and speak of the pagan gods in a way that would give them credit, regardless of context or placement of the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The literary masterpiece “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Inferno</i>” draws heavily and exclusively on Christian belief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dante provides the reader with a vivid picture of hell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the idea of hell is not an exclusively Christian belief in and of itself, in the context of a place of never-ending torment and punishment, Christianity, especially at the time of this writing, overwhelmingly holds it in high esteem of something to fear and avoid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dante paints us a landscape that no one would truly like to look upon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Abandon every hope, who enter here” (Alighieri 1843)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Dante travels through the many levels, he addresses many of the issues and political beliefs that he holds in disdain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His Christian beliefs as well as his political beliefs coincide on a grand scale, making his arguments of how they both compliment one another within his mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout each Canto, sins are mentioned by name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not all of the sins are common knowledge unless the reader is schooled in Christianity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, “the Simonists”, by secular standards, is not something the average Joe would know about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The selling of sacred items means nothing without the knowledge of what a “sacred item” is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why this would lead to such a punishment “who take the things of God, that ought to be the brides of Righteousness, and make them fornicate for gold and silver!” (Alighieri 1891) would be of an even greater mystery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Everyman</i>” is a lesson for those who believe in Christianity and the beliefs that come with it. “You think sin in the beginning full sweet, Which in the end causeth the soul to weep” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Everyman</i> 2121). While this can be looked upon as an explanation of Christian belief, the story itself resides and thrives on the fact that people already held Christianity as their belief system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This story goes on to explain, to those who agree, why some things are bad for you and some things are not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end, all the soul truly has is God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Death comes first to explain what’s going on to Everyman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Everyman begins to ponder his own impending death and what it really means, he does an inventory of his life’s worth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All aspects of the life he has lived eventually abandon him except for Good Deeds “All fleeth save Good Deeds” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Everyman</i> 2140).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the Christian belief system, good deeds are part of the soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Goods, strength, beauty, discretion, friends and even family can disregard a person as easily as they came to be a part of his (or her) life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the time comes to meet one’s maker, there will be little to speak of without the good deeds that have been done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“And he that hath his account whole and sound, High in heaven he shall be crowned” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Everyman</i> 2141)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Christianity is still a very powerful force in the world today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it has since split many, many times over since the time that these writings took place, there is still a wide-held though not necessarily dominant following of the central teachings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many of the followers of this religion, these tenets are still alive and well, making the reading of these works comparably easier to understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time of these writings, however, the Christian religion was the dominant force on the planet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had, at the time, held an influence that not only concerned itself with the soul but also for the concerns of politics and power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dante addresses this continually and almost flawlessly when he mentions his well-known political enemies repeatedly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These men are of little renown now but at the time it was important, it was necessary to align religious belief with political belief in order to be understood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beowulf</i>”, the dominant influence of Christianity is seen when the author adds in Christian phrases in order to make the story an ultimately Christian tale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Everyman</i>” there is simply an assumption, well placed due to the audience who would have seen it, that everyone is on the same page in their belief system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The profound influence that the Christian church had on not these writings is overwhelming once it is understood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the time of these works the theme of Christianity has been largely understood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a curious thing to wonder if in future generations these works will continue to be understood as clearly as they were then and still are today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, if like many of the works in times before these, the Christian God’s many names will begin to be understood as something else. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Works Cited</span></h2>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Beowulf</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lawall, </span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">S</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">arah and Maynard Mack, eds. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Norton Anthology of World Literature</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Second Edition. Volumes A, B and C. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2002. 1632-1702. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Print.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Alighieri, Dante.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Inferno”. Lawall, </span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">S</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">arah and Maynard Mack, eds. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Norton Anthology of </i></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">World Literature</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">. Second Edition. Volumes A, B and C. New York: W. W. Norton & </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Company, 2002. 1836-1942. Print.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Everyman. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Lawall, </span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">S</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">arah and Maynard Mack, eds. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Norton Anthology of World Literature</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Second Edition. Volumes A, B and C. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2002. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2121-41. Print.</span></div>
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Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-16475154348588322902011-12-14T07:06:00.000-08:002011-12-14T07:06:58.421-08:00The Power of a Woman: An Examination of Women Characters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoHeader" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The power of women in “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beowulf</i>”, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale</i>” and in “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Miller’s Tale</i>” varies but still remains a prominent part of not only the text but the subtext as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beowulf</i>”, we have the power of a woman regarded as a monster but also the power of a mother wanting to avenge her son’s death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the tale that the wife of Bath tells, we have an old woman who’s power resides in her knowledge and wisdom and in “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Miller’s Tale</i>” we have an ultimately clueless young woman who’s main power is merely her sexuality. Her sexuality is something that she uses to get what she wants but also what leads her into trouble, hurting those who love her and ultimately herself as well.</span></span></div><div class="MsoHeader" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In the story of “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beowulf</i>”, we meet a man named Beowulf who is a legend in his own time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The toughest man that ever was, he can beat out any other man in any type of physical triumph that is needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Between swimming, fighting and saving those around him, he has proven himself time and time again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the people of Heorot need a hero, they receive one in Beowulf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He comes and conquers their foe, Grendel, in a fight that leaves them in awe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“But you have made yourself immortal by your glorious action” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beowulf</i> 1652).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This awe, however, is short-lived by the rise of Grendel’s mother from the deep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She comes charging in to make them pay for the wrong that she feels has been done to her son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Grendel’s mother, monstrous hell-bride, brooded on her wrongs” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beowulf</i> 1661).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She attacks those in Heorot’s hall ferociously. “Her onslaught was less only by as much as an amazon warrior’s strength is less than an armed man’s” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beowulf</i> 1661).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the people of Heorot thought their troubles were over, they had unleashed a mother’s rage on themselves, “now this powerful other one arrives, this force for evil driven to avenge her kinsman’s death” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beowulf</i> 1662).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end, Grendel’s mother does lose the fight but not without putting up a good one and taking others with her when she goes.</span></span></div><div class="MsoHeader" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wife of Bath’s Tale”</i>, we are introduced first to a knight who has raped a woman along the side of the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In doing so he has gotten himself in a world of trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His life is spared but only insofar as he can come to a proper answer to one question: “what is the thing most of all that women desire?” (Chaucer 2100).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wanders for some time, trying to find the answer to this question, for surely a man who rapes a woman by the side of the road would not be able to find the answer within himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He receives many answers but none quite as good as that of an old woman he happens upon in the woods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She lets him know immediately that she can give him an answer for that which he seeks, with an outright declaration of the knowledge that old age brings. “We old folk know a lot of things” (Chaucer 2102).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In order to save his own life, in desperation, he agrees to give her anything he can if she will provide him with the answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this agreement, she holds the utmost power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has what he wants and he will do as she wishes in order to get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She holds his life in her hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For anyone, man or woman, the ability to save or end a life is one of the most – if not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the</i> most - powerful forces possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By her wisdom, she does, in the end, save his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answer to the question: “Women desire to have the sovereignty and sit in rule and government above their husbands, and to have their way in love” (Chaucer 2102).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The truth of this statement is shown, not only when the old woman outwits the young knight at the end, demanding that he choose either the old woman or the young woman to marry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of these choices having their benefits, both having their disadvantages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The truth of this statement is also shown when the queen, the one seeking the answer to the question, has the power of giving or taking the life of the young man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoHeader" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Miller’s Tale</i>”, we meet a completely different type of woman than in the two previously mentioned stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her power is not so strong in that it is not made up of a mother’s love nor is it made up of a woman’s mind but, rather, it is made up of pure sexuality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The power here does not only reside in the fact that this woman is attractive to many men “She was a prettier sight to see by far than the blossoms of the early pear tree are” (Chaucer 2070) but that she also knows she is attractive to these men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This tale is not as serious as the others but the young woman, Alison, still holds a certain power in her hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is the young man Nicholas, whom she wants and he wants her, there is the carpenter who is her husband and then there is Absolom, the man who pines for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Till jolly Absolom was woebegone for wooing her, awake all night and day” (Chaucer 2073).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This power that she has leads all three men down a troublesome road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bringing them all to a different end, including herself when she abuses the power that she has over them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She ends up with a husband, more jealous than ever, who is now looked upon by their town as absolutely crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nicholas ends up with “his bottom roasted well” (Chaucer 2082) and Absolom ends up having “kissed her nether eye” (Chaucer 2082).</span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">In all three of these works, women hold a very powerful place in the storyline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grendel’s mother is forlorn, as nearly any mother would be about her son’s death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In pain, she attempts to avenge the taking of her son’s life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some ways, she does what she embarks upon even if she does not “win” in the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the tale told by the wife of Bath, the old woman and the queen both show that what the old woman says is true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In essence, women want to rule over men in all matters – including love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of these women have the power to end the young knight’s life in their own way and both of these women appear to enjoy the power of doing so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the final tale mentioned, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Miller’s Tale</i>”, Alison does not hold the power to take or give life in the way the other women examined here do but she does hold a power over them nonetheless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She does not give anyone their life back but she does destroy parts of their lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The poor carpenter in the story is now looked upon as a joke in his town, Absolom has lost his dignity and Nicholas simply learned that it is best to avoid playing with fire so one does not get burned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of these women held a certain type of fire and power inside themselves, all in different ways. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><h2 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Works Cited</span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Beowulf</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lawall, <span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">S</span></span>arah and Maynard Mack, eds. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Norton Anthology of World Literature</i>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Second Edition. Volumes A, B and C. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2002. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1632-1702. Print.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Chaucer, Geoffrey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Canterbury Tales: The Wife of Bath’s Tale</i>”. Lawall, <span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">S</span></span>arah and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Maynard Mack, eds. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Norton Anthology of World Literature</i>. Second Edition. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Volumes A, B and C. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2002. 2099-2106. Print.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Chaucer, Geoffrey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Canterbury Tales: The Miller’s Tale”. </i>Lawall, <span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">S</span></span>arah </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">and Maynard Mack, eds. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Norton Anthology of World Literature</i>. Second Edition. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Volumes A, B and C. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2002. 2067-82. Print.</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </div>Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-7151965557501290762011-12-07T08:52:00.000-08:002011-12-07T08:52:52.396-08:00Jalapeno Glazed Steaks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Glaze: 1/4 cup jalapeno pepper jelly and 1/4 cup ketchup - mix together in small bowl and set aside.<br />
<br />
Relish: <br />
<br />
2 tbsp pepper jelly<br />
1 tbsp lime juice<br />
1/2 tsp chili powder<br />
1/4 tsp cumin<br />
10 oz frozen corn - thawed<br />
3/4 cup chopped red pepper<br />
1 seeded jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional)<br />
<br />
Cook and stir jelly and seasonings in saucepan until jelly is melted and bubbly. Add corn and pepper, heat through and stir occasionally, season w/ salt to taste.<br />
<br />
Broil or grill steaks to taste. Covering with glaze before cooking and before flipping.<br />
<br />
Serve with relish covering steaks.<br />
</div>Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-65865470487675213512011-12-06T12:49:00.001-08:002011-12-06T12:51:15.335-08:00Overwhelming Emotions: Examining the Role of Death in Greek Literature<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Only one thing in all of life is absolutely certain – even more so than taxes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That certainty would be death itself, the end of this life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a fact that people are aware of, yet, understanding it is not only difficult but it is an idea that few can easily get used to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For this reason, the subject matter of death should be presented not only with the respect it is due but also with the reverence that great loss deserves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In “Oedipus the King”, “Antigone” and “The Odyssey”, we are presented with a variety of deaths within the context of various relationships – most of which are handled either with care by those feeling the loss or with the wrath that dishonor can bring out in someone consumed with the need for justice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the multitude of deaths in these tales, death is not seen as something that means nothing but, rather, something that means nearly everything to the characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the passion of their emotions that drive them in each of these stories – even leading many characters to death’s door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In “Oedipus the King”, the death that does not occur appears to be the one that would have meant the most in saving so many from future pains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, it is precisely because Oedipus’s death as a baby does not occur that the grief of death meets Oedipus so cruelly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His wife’s suicide, once all comes out into the open, is not taken lightly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I am agony.” (Sophocles 652)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This agony he feels is for a variety of reasons but it is overwhelmingly because he sees his wife hanging from a noose – all they had has been lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The joy they had so lately, the fortune of their old ancestral house was deep joy indeed”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Sophocles 651)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is because they loved one another that both of them end up in a place of pain and darkness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To see his wife’s body hanging, dead is too much for him to bare – along with the many other pains of that day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was going to kill her himself, in this scene, but the reality of it hits him hard and he is simply unable to take the sight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With her pins, he makes it clear that he does not want to see the truth of it yet he cannot escape the pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In “Antigone”, the death of Antigone’s brother begins a domino effect – with several of the characters being dead before the play is complete, all of which stems from the grief of a sister who has lost her brothers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“But if I had allowed my own mother’s son to rot, an unburied corpse – that would have been agony.” (Sophocles 670).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Antigone has been sentenced to death herself for burying her brother so he may be accepted into the underworld by the gods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without this burial, the belief of the time was that he could not go on in life after death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Antigone is put to death, which leads to the death of her fiance – in his grief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The death of Haemon by suicide causes his mother to then commit suicide also.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For all of these characters, it was the intensity of the emotional pain that drove them to want to die as well as to follow through with such actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In “The Odyssey”, it is Odysseus’s rage and need for what he perceives as justice that brings about the largest loss of life throughout the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though it is the unknown status of Odysseus’s life that actively drives the story, his death is assumed by most – including the suitors - though not accepted by Penelope or Telemakhos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Odysseus returns home and takes his anger out on the suitors, it is a punishment for their disrespect not only of him but also of his household and his wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“They respected no one, good or bad, who came their way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For this, and folly, a bad end befell them.” (Homer 505)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Had they not assumed him to be dead but waited for an answer to the question, they would not have met such an end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Telemakhos takes out his anger on the harlots for being disrespectful of his mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I would not give the clean death of a beat to trulls who made a mockery of my mother and of me too.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Homer 506)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Though there are many deaths in each of these stories, none of them are handled lightly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each of them is handled with an intense burst of emotion – whether in grief or in anger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Particularly in “Oedipus the King” and “Antigone” does the reader feel a connection, an understanding and a sense of what has been lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Men and women both have a profound reaction to the death of their loved ones.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In “The Odyssey”, it is a feeling of what has been found instead – a sense of justice for a family that has suffered deeply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By today’s standards these deaths would be seen as extreme, yet, in “The Odyssey”, it seems to be what is owed to Odysseus and his family for all they have withstood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be so blatantly disrespectful of a king and his queen at this time in history would have meant death and death is what was given out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before Penelope recognizes Odysseus as her husband, she states that this type of behavior was punished by the gods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Some god has killed the suitors, a god, sick of their arrogance and brutal malice.” (Homer 509)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They all believe, to the core, that these deaths are justified – not only in their eyes but also in the eyes of the gods. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Each of these works present us with a dramatic look at death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though, at the time, death was not considered the absolute end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is an afterlife for those who die.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Antigone makes this clear when she defies her king and buries her brother openly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In “The Odyssey”, there is not only mention of an afterlife but a full description as to what happens to those who have died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Meanwhile the suitors’ ghosts were called away by Hermes of Kyllene.” (Homer 516)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In “Oedipus the King” the afterlife does not play as large a part as in “The Odyssey” or “Antigone”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oedipus asks Creon to bury his wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“the woman inside, bury her as you see fit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the only decent thing, to give your own the last rites.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Homer 655).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He does not go into much more about the afterlife as he is too consumed with grief at that moment – it seems he simply cannot go that distance in his thoughts. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">In all three of these stories, death is seen as something very serious – regardless of how often it happens or how it happens. The gravity of the situations that lead to death is fully explored by the characters left behind – whether the characters are in pain or grateful for the death of their enemies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<h2 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Works Cited</span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Lawall, Sarah and Maynard Mack, eds. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Norton Anthology of World Literature</i>. Second Edition. Volumes A, B and C. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2002.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Print.</span></div></div></div>Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-74540239391126803532011-12-05T09:08:00.001-08:002011-12-06T12:50:51.201-08:00Parent-Child Relationships in Greek Literature: The Human Bond<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The intensity and passion of parent-child relationships in “The Odyssey”, “Oedipus the King” and “Antigone” greet the reader with a sense of family devotion and the importance of family legacy that either grows stronger over time or dissolves quickly before the reader’s eyes. Within these texts much time is focused on familial relationships. The love and admiration that the family members have for one another is undeniable though as will be seen in “Antigone”, the bonds that child rearing has developed can be broken within no time at all. “And you will never see me, never set eyes on my face again. Rage your heart out, rage with friends who can stand the sight of you.” (Sophocles 678)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In “The Odyssey” the love is cherished and in “Oedipus the King”, it is twisted and turned, eventually breaking under the pressure.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">In “The Odyssey” a son leaves home quickly slipping away into the night to find his father – a man who has been missing for ten years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He does so not only because he is motivated by the gods but also because his future and his father’s honor are at stake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His father, meanwhile, longs for nothing more than to see his wife and child again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The two men are now attempting to meet in the middle without the knowledge that either one is even trying to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Odysseus’s son, Telemakhos, leaves behind a mother who now grieves his disappearance from her life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her crying, day and night, turns into tears for both her husband and her child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Telemakhos has left her quietly, attempting to keep her from worry any longer than need be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When both of them return home, Telemakhos is empty-handed and his father is hidden in a disguise. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Odysseus reveals himself to Telemakhos, the bond that would have appeared broken to outsiders is clearly seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Odysseus trusts his son without question, handing over to him the knowledge that he has returned in secret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Telemakhos keeps this secret for his father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trust and care that goes into all of these interactions reflects greatly how much they mean to one another; both between Odysseus and his son as well as between Telemakhos and Penelope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Toward the end of “The Odyssey”, there is one more parent-child relationship that is examined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The one between Odysseus and his own father, Laertes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his joy, Laertes – who had grown increasingly feeble over time is suddenly rejuvenated in both body and spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is directly linked to the love between all of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Ah, what a day for me, dear gods!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To see my son and grandson vie in courage!” (Homer 529)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The respect and admiration among them is not only impressive but truly beautiful.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Oedipus the King” takes a much different turn though the love within their family is also very profound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oedipus was essentially abandoned as a child – his mother fearing that he would kill her in time due to a prophecy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was slated to die but in one man’s mercy he was saved from this fate, only to come upon what he would consider a much worse fate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, the realization that this prophecy has or is becoming true takes over what could have been seen as a wonderful life for Oedipus, his wife and children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jocasta, his mother and wife, is so distraught when the turn of events is revealed that she hangs herself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The revelation that her child did not die, that he now knows she attempted to kill him as a baby and that she has now mothered her own son’s children appears to be too much for her to take – it is also too much for Oedipus as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gouges out his eyes in the rage that follows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of the play, he feels terrible remorse for the daughters he loves and whom he now feels are disgraced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“How I weep for you – I cannot see you now… just thinking of all the days to come, the bitterness, the life that rough mankind will thrust upon you.” (Sophocles 656)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This turn of events destroys every parental bond in this play yet it is not through anger but simply grief that this bond is broken – and grief will not come unless there is a loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This loss, for Oedipus and his family, is simply the loss of love.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">In Antigone, the focus of the play is one of Oedipus’s daughters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, the parent-child relationship that this play examines most thoroughly would be the relationship between Antigone’s fiance, Haemon and his father, Creon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a relationship that starts out full of respect and admiration but quickly turns to anger and then a fast break of the bond they shared altogether.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though it does not seem to occur to Creon that his son may stand behind the woman he loves over his own father until the time is at hand – not only because this would not have been customary at the time - but his father is a king, not just an average man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>King’s are not defied by anyone, not even one’s son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In their heated argument, however, Creon’s words focus mainly on the disappointment he feels as a father whose son does not stand behind him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What wound cuts deeper than a loved one turned against you?” (Sophocles 675)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end, Haemon ends up dead due to the reason for their disagreement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His father, too late, discovers his own mistakes in what he has done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“not through your stupidity, no, my own.” (Sophocles 691)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his wife’s grief she takes her own life, having lost a child she truly loved.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">In all of these works, there is a nearly undeniable and deep understanding of parents and children alike and how much their love can either destroy them or make them stronger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In “The Odyssey” the love they feel is an obvious source of strength – right down to the very end with Odysseus’s father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Oedipus, there is much love between them – though the true love of Jocasta for her child might be considered questionable since she had attempted to have him killed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was her love for him as a wife that appeared stronger than the mother-child bond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oedipus’s love for his own daughters, however, is apparent through his pain for what has unwittingly happened to them in their innocence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In “Antigone”, it is the pain of a disagreement and pride that does the family in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The disagreement, while based on very real and necessary issues that needed confronting, did not have to go the way it did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The father did not truly consider what his son was saying but only saw himself as the true source of wisdom – something that a man of wisdom should know is not a sign of wisdom at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You’d do well, my lord, if he’s speaking to the point, to learn from him, and you, my boy, from him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You both are talking sense.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Sophocles 677)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All respect, by the end of the argument had disappeared and this loss cost them all what was most dear – as can happen in any parent-child relationship, if one is not careful to take the very essence of such a strong yet delicate relationship into consideration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<h2 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Works Cited</span></h2><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Lawall, Sarah and Maynard Mack, eds. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Norton Anthology of World Literature</i>. Second Edition. Volumes A, B and C. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2002.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Print.</span></div></div></div>Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-12610418524403026562011-10-06T05:07:00.000-07:002011-10-06T05:08:24.667-07:00Stuff Nobody Tells To Beginners<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="quoteText">“Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.” <br />
― <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/113989.Ira_Glass">Ira Glass</a> <br />
<br />
***The Odyssey, Book XX***</div><div class="quoteFooter"></div><div class="right"><br />
</div><br class="clear" /></div>Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-65014321644132820362011-09-27T05:22:00.000-07:002011-09-27T05:24:15.857-07:00Nachos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Tortilla chips<br />
Cheddar cheese<br />
Monterey Jack cheese<br />
4 oz can chopped chili peppers<br />
Sour cream<br />
Salsa<br />
Jalapeno pepper rings<br />
Green onion, chopped<br />
<br />
Preheat broiler. Cover a metal baking tray with tortilla chips - an overlap is fine. Shred enough cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese to coat chips. Coat the chips with the cheese. Spread some of the chili peppers over the cheese, do so to taste. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese is melted. After cheese is melted, coat with sour cream, salsa and sprinkle with the green onion. Serve with the pepper rings for those who enjoy the kick.<br />
<br />
*** Working on the Odyssey. Can barely take it. Had to order the Cliff Notes. On Book IV. ***</div>Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-61329587414727051552011-09-09T16:10:00.000-07:002011-09-09T16:10:13.031-07:00Hemingway: External Turned Internal<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ernest Hemingway has long been regarded as one of the greatest American authors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His brilliance, which is demonstrated so clearly in his most well known novels, “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, “A Farewell to Arms” and “The Old Man and the Sea”, trickles down to even his shortest works. In the short stories, “Indian Camp”, “Hills Like White Elephants” and “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place”, he reaches his audience with all of the gusto a reader can hope for from a piece of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>his work – long or short.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His writing uses modernism in such a way as to teach the reader about human beings and the external situations that they turn internal – even if he was unable to internalize the same lessons in his own life.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Hemingway faced many battles of his own during his life; including war, alcoholism, multiple marriages, bipolar disorder and eventually his life ending in tragedy – by his own hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For someone who had dealt with so many challenges along the way, it should be no surprise to readers that his wit and wisdom becomes radiant in his words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In “Hills Like White Elephants”, he takes on the tough issue of abortion without an obvious statement as to the nature of the character’s argument.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The girl in the story does not appear to want to go through with it while the man in the story would prefer that she would.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We’ll be fine afterwards. Just like we were before” (Hemingway 3).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While she remains unconvinced that she will, in fact, be “fine” afterwards, it is interesting to note that both characters are so vividly drawn within the context of the disagreement – without ever being overt or ugly about such a sensitive issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is an example of modernism at its finest, focusing on the individual and what is stirring within.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Modernists concern themselves with the sub-conscious” (Lorcher 2009).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While Jig does not state outright that she does not want to go through with it, she does not want to speak of it either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Would you please please please please please please please stop talking?” (Hemingway 5)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of coming to a definitive answer to the issue at hand, she chooses instead to ignore the problem while the man in the story wants to face it head-on and come up with the solution – the solution he wants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One interesting thing to note about this piece is the use of the words “girl” and “man” as opposed to “woman” and “man”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The woman’s way of dealing with the problem at hand could be perceived as childish</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> – in her attempts to ignore it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Drinking and changing the subject being two of her tactics, both of which do not deter the man she is with.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In “Indian Camp”, we again see interpersonal turmoil – though not as blatant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time it is between a father and son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The son, Nick, who may have begun the evening with interest becomes disheartened by the extreme nature of what he witnesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">He was looking away so as not to see what his father was doing” (Hemingway 2).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The father then proceeds to boast about the fantastic job he has done in delivering the Indian woman’s child – though a suicide in the same room causes him to reconsider his boasting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In “A Clean Well-Lighted Place”, the interpersonal turmoil is between co-workers – coming from two different angles on aging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While aging is not the only component to the story, it is interesting to note the two viewpoints of people who hold the same job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One wants to go to bed while the other has no desire or interest in doing so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>During the reading of all three of these stories, there is a sense of seniority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A father over a son, a man over a woman and an older co-worker disagreeing with the actions of a younger co-worker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, in each of these stories – in the end – the character who appears more naïve ultimately shows their own brand of wisdom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In “A Clean Well-Lighted Place”, the younger waiter wants to return home to his wife and go to bed – and so he does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In “Indian Camp”, the son finds the trauma of watching a troubled birth and a suicide a decidedly difficult thing to bear and makes a wrong assumption based on the close proximity of these two events – “he felt quite sure that he would never die” (Hemingway</span><b><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif";"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">4).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In “Hills Like White Elephants”, it is very possible, at second glance, that it is not that Jig wants to remain in denial or continue to use avoidant behavior but she is carefully considering the consequences her actions may have on her – as well as on her relationship with the man with whom she speaks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In Hemingway’s life and subsequent death, there is a pervasive sense that he may have been or become disillusioned himself – and ultimately became a bit unsure of anything at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many who have been through many trials and tribulations in life, this is a natural reaction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things do not always work out the way one may hope and growing older and “wiser” may not hold the answers one is expecting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Situations between people will always come from two different angles and worldviews, regardless of the closeness of the relationship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“</span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Modernists believe the world is created in the act of perceiving it; that is, the world is what we say it is” (Lorcher 2009).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ultimately, Hemingway’s wisdom comes in the form of understanding human nature to the point of understanding the differences between individuals and looking into this with grace and tact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In understanding modernism, it helps to understand that most modernists do not prescribe to one line of thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They do not side with one thought process or worldview.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ernest Hemingway mastered this in his career – as is evident in the stories mentioned herein.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one person is the champion of the story but merely human, no one person is in the right or in the wrong – they just are who they are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a direct reflection of who Hemingway was in his own life; a unique and seemingly larger than life soul from whom countless readers have reaped the benefits and rewards. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Works Cited</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lorcher, Trent.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>“</span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Lesson Plans: Modernism in Literature”. 26 Dec 2009.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brighthub.com. </i>Web. 18 June 2011.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hemingway, Ernest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Indian Camp”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.nbu.bg/">http://www.nbu.bg/</a></i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Web.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>19 June 2011.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hemingway, Ernest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“A Clean, Well-Lighted Place”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mrbauld.com</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Web.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>19 June 2011.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hemingway, Ernest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Hills Like White Elephants”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gummyprint.com</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Web.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>19 June 2011.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-20901046958007587932011-08-11T05:16:00.000-07:002011-08-11T05:16:35.012-07:00“Beloved”: At the Mercy of the Past<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">According to Dr. doCarmo’s notes on Realism and Naturalism, “Naturalism’s central belief, in fact, is that individual human beings are at the mercy of uncontrollable larger forces that originate both inside and outside them.” In “Beloved”, nearly all of the characters show in one way or another that they are at the mercy of their feelings about the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the obvious sense, Sethe is at the mercy of her dead daughter – while in a more profound sense; she is at the mercy of all she has been through; circumstances and memories that haunted her to the point of killing her child and beyond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“How if I hadn’t killed her she would have died and that is something I could not bear to happen to her” (Morrison 236), in Sethe’s mind, Beloved’s death by her mother’s hand was simply the better choice than a slow death under the keeping of the schoolteacher.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When Sethe is first introduced in the novel, there are three occupants in her home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She shares it with both her daughter, Denver, who is very much alive and her dead daughter – Beloved - who haunts the house with not only a sadness but with “outrageous behavior”. (Morrison 4).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has lost the admiration and love of those around her, including her other children as well as their neighbors and friends due to the “baby’s venom” that lives within 124. (Morrison 3).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However – it is not so much the actual spirit of her daughter that scares those around them away, it is the actions that lead to her dead daughter’s death to begin with, namely the fact that she murdered her daughter with a handsaw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the novel progresses, a man from her past becomes part of her present and begins to share their home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This fourth person in the house is too much for Beloved to bear, so she comes from beyond the grave to reveal herself in human form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first, she appears to be a lost and sick visitor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By novel’s end she is a true terror to all those around her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Beloved ate up her life, took it, swelled up with it, grew taller on it.” (Morrison 295)</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>During their lives Sethe, Paul D, Baby Suggs and Stamp have lived an endless mire of oppression by whites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They all feel it, they all know it; “what Baby Suggs died of, what Ella knew, what Stamp saw and what made Paul D tremble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That anybody white could take your whole self for anything that came to mind.” (Morrison 295)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Sethe, however, her own past has eaten her alive and has begun to eat away at her child Denver as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sethe is unable to let go of her memories and it has not only deadened her eyes but also the whole of who she is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Paul D comes to stay, a part of her is awakened not only as a woman but simply as a human being. “She knew Paul D added something to her life – something she wanted to count on but was scared to.” (Morrison 112)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This awakening uproots not only Sethe’s established household (including both Denver and Beloved) but Paul as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a wandering man, afraid to stay in any one place for too long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The past they shared while both slaves, bonds them in a way that nothing else could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Trauma and its lasting effects are felt throughout this intense novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of the characters show in their own ways that some scars do not heal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether brought on by others or by oneself, some things just appear too much of a strain to be able to get over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A life in captivity, whether it is by a ghost or by plantation owners – is barely a life worth living.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, if someone is pushed hard enough it is possible to overcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Denver shows this when she grows the courage to reach out for help. “So it was she who had to step off the edge of the world and die because if she didn’t, they all would.” (Morrison 281)</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What haunted Sethe most turned out to be not her daughter’s ghost coming to tangible life but the guilt, victimization and condemnation she lived with for so many years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She received condemnation from the surrounding community – as well as herself, she was victimized from her various keepers – both human and inhuman and she felt tremendous guilt about a child she loved right into the grave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her life so desperately wanted the freedom she was both unwilling and unable to give it and what proved to be necessary was the eventual depletion of these emotions that came from Beloved feeding off her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Now she is running into the faces of the people out there, joining them and leaving Beloved behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alone. Again.” (Morrison 309)</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Many times, it is just this – moving beyond all of what one has known and leaving the past as it is that leads to the greater freedom that most people truly long for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Freeing yourself was one thing; claiming ownership of that freed self was another.” (Morrison 111)</span></div><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Works Cited</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">doCarmo, Dr. “Dr. doCarmo’s Notes on Realism and Naturalism”. BCCC Faculty Web Server. Web. 31 May 2011</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Morrison, Toni.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beloved. New York: Vintage Books. Print.</span></div>Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-55204248546905537232011-07-21T12:01:00.000-07:002011-07-21T12:01:50.928-07:00Chicken Parm4 large chicken breasts, skinless, boneless<br />
6 egg whites<br />
1 cup grated parmesan<br />
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs<br />
2 tsp Italian seasoning<br />
Olive oil<br />
shredded mozzarella<br />
<br />
Place egg whites in a shallow bowl, beat slightly. Combine parmesan, bread crumbs and Italian seasoning in seperate bowl. Cover bottom of frying pan with olive oil and begin heating at medium heat. Chop each chicken breast into 3 or 4 equal(ish) pieces. Dip each piece of chicken into egg whites and then coat with bread crumb mixture. Place into hot oil. Cook chicken for about 6 minutes on each side. After the second side is cooked, cover each piece of chicken with a spoonful of sauce and top with mozzarella. Cover dish and lower heat to a simmer. Allow to cook, covered for 3 minutes, until cheese is melted. Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722449417645928092.post-64933755995694372832011-06-13T11:12:00.000-07:002011-06-13T11:15:08.403-07:00One Aspect of Naturalism in “Daisy Miller”<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“Daisy Miller” presents readers with a relationship between two Americans abroad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One, Miss Daisy Miller, is new to the American upper class society in Europe, while the other, Frederick Winterbourne has been in Europe for quite some time – in the realm and under the influence of high society all the while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He understands the “rules” of such a social circle and sees what everyone around him sees. When those around both Daisy and Winterbourne disapprove of her conduct, it seems that he is a young man with a conscience that will not allow him to discriminate against her. Winterbourne's unwillingness to do so is fueled by a hopeful yet undefined romantic interest in Miss Miller. “Winterbourne was impatient to see her again, and he was vexed with himself that, by instinct, he should not appreciate her justly”. (James 11) While this story offers the reader several different examples of naturalism, one example can most easily be found within the context of various different reactions to her throughout the story, ending ultimately with Winterbourne’s lack of change at the end of the story.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Miss Miller is declared from the beginning of the story as not only uncultivated but also unfit to be accepted by Mrs. Costello, Winterbourne’s aunt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“They are the sort of Americans that one does one’s duty by not – not accepting”. (James 9)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It appears, once in Rome, that others are not as quickly unwilling to simply not accept Miss Miller as she and her mother are invited to a party given by Mrs. Walker, another within the social circle that they all find themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, by the time of the party, Mrs. Walker’s open mindedness has faded as she openly disgraces the young girl to everyone at the party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“She turned her back straight upon Miss Miller and left her to depart with what grace she might”. (James 13)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story culminates with everyone having turned their back on Miss Miller for her wild and unsavory behavior with a particular man from Rome, Mr. Giovanelli when they are alone at midnight in the Colosseum – a night that ultimately leads to Miss Miller’s death via “Roman fever”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">According to Dr. doCarmo’s Notes on Realism and Naturalism, naturalist writers “don’t think it’s the individual’s place to change the world, and whatever moral struggle s/he goes through may very well add up to little or nothing”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout the story, Frederick often admits that Miss Miller does not live up to the caliber that their social circle is accustomed, “they helped him to make up his mind about Miss Daisy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Evidently she was rather wild.” (James 9) “She seemed to him, in all this, an extraordinary mixture of innocence and crudity”. (James 18) “She was a young lady whom a gentleman need no longer be at pains to respect”. (James 19)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While he admits this both verbally and internally, he is still at a tug of war with himself due to his admiration for the young lady.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After her death, he confronts Mr. Giovanelli about the detrimental behavior from the night when they were found in the Colosseum together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had taken Miss Daisy to a “nest of malaria” (James 19) and a native should have known better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Giovanelli’s response to him is weak, at best and leaves Winterbourne thinking of Daisy’s “mystifying manners” (James 21) over the next several months. In all of this time of thinking about her, he concludes little except that his aunt was right from the beginning “You were right in that remark that you made last summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was booked to make a mistake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have lived too long in foreign parts.” (James 22)</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The story ends with a description of Winterbourne that is identical to the one found at the beginning of the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a clear example of what doCarmo is explaining in his notes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Winterbourne went through this experience – attempting, albeit without much conviction, to change other’s minds but failing to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end, the entire experience does nothing to change anyone’s mind, not even his own.</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Works Cited</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">James, Henry. “Daisy Miller”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library. Web. 31 May 2011.</span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">doCarmo, Dr. “Dr. doCarmo’s Notes on Realism and Naturalism”. BCCC Faculty Web Server. Web. 31 May 2011 </span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">*** Got an A on this one. Which makes me smile. Not a high A but an A nonetheless. Still working on Beloved... pg 243. Gotta finish the last bit tonight.***</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></div>Gem2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/11725375990907509008noreply@blogger.com0