Where you come from....

My small group discussion in class was about St. Clare and his discussion with Ophelia and what type of family she came from. This really got me thinking. Even today, people are defined by where they grew up, who their family is, etc. It is something that is very difficult to escape. It is important to note that two people can be exactly the same, but they appear to be different based on the differences between where they came from. St. Clare points this out to Ophelia. In reality, their families were the same, but they acted different because of where they were.

Reputation is something else that begins basically at birth. Whether it is a good thing or not, I think people's initial reputation stems from the people in their family. I always felt like I had to be like my brother growing up. In school, teachers looked at me to be like him. I also can't forget that I was a "teacher's kid." Because my dad taught at my high school, I was always expected to act a certain way. Sometimes I enjoyed resisting that reputation. I was respectful but definitely not afraid to speak my mind. For some people, this came as a surprise. It was expected that I would never disagree with things happening in the school. I was not even close to living up to that expectation.

Sometimes this whole notion of not being able to break away from where you came from is a good thing. No matter where I am, I always feel like a small town kid. The morals and goals I have for myself come from this. I think anyone who is from a small town has dreams of going out in the world and doing something big and different. However, at some point in my life I want to end up back where I started.

This all may be a little different than the conversation of St. Clare, but I think it is just as important.

Never forget where you came from!!

Aha Moment!

I had the biggest Aha moment in class when we were talking about how the Bible is used to justify slavery in Uncle Tom's Cabin. Sadly, I believe people use the Bible for evil more often than what we would like to admit. A common phrase I hear at USF is, "well in the Bible....." The second I hear that, I shut down. At that point, I usually tune people out. Fair? Probably not. I do this because I have had a great number of experiences where people are twisting what the Bible has said to fit what they believe or want to others to believe. This is where I think a lot of people go wrong. Interpreting the Bible is something that Christians are faced with. That's a fact. However, some people tend to interpret it to suit them.

And, I can't forget to mention those people who go around quoting the Bible all day (and quite possibly in their sleep) but forget to live by what they say. Don't just say it, do it! For example, I can't even count the number of times I have heard these types of people placing judgement on others. Some have even gone as far as to say that they don't think a certain person will go to heaven. Really???? This is where I get frustrated. It is so hypocritical to preach all day but then judge someone else. Isn't that God's job? If you ask those people, they will usually respond that it is. Confusing!

This is why I usually choose to leave the Bible out of it. I don't want to be that person who uses the Bible the wrong way. I don't want to be that person that comes off as being hypocritical. Maybe I am not acting as one should in regards to faith, but the second I start saying "well in the Bible...." I am in what could be a sticky situation.

By no means do I mean to belittle anyone or even put myself at a higher level. I sin and make all the mistakes that everyone else does. I judge people too. The only difference is I leave my faith and what I believe out of it. I'm not sure what I even believe in most of the time. Do I believe in the Bible? Sometimes yes and sometimes no. What I do know is, I never justify how I act based on the Bible. If I do something sinful it is because I am flawed. The opposite is also true. If I make a good decision, it is because I wanted to.

This may appear to be a rant. In fact, it is. Sometimes we all need a little time to let it all out. Well, my time is up.....

Uncle Tom's Cabin

As quickly as page two, I was reminded of The Adventures of Huck Finn. It was one of my favorite books I read last year and might even rank in my top 20 of all time favorites. Because of my love of Huck Finn, I have high hopes for Uncle Tom's Cabin. Hopefully Harriet Beecher Stowe will not disappoint. I can't imagine that such a well known book would be disappointing, but one never knows.

Slavery is a topic that just boggles my mind. I can't imagine being on either side of it: the slaveholder or the slave. The distorted beliefs one must have in order to have a slave is outrageous. When I was a kid my brother and I used to make bets and whoever lost the best had to be the other person's "slave." Even then I felt bad bossing my brother around. Shocker, I know! I would usually just have him do stupid little things, but he took a much different approach. When I was the "slave," I had to do all sorts of ridiculous things. And, I usually wasn't very happy about it. I didn't understand how he could ask me to do things when he was supposed to love me as his sister. Maybe I was just a little oversensitive, but I think it was a fair feeling.

Even though the situations are totally different, I was able to get a little taste of what it would be like having someone determine my every move. What is even harder for me to imagine is what it would be like to be traded. Slaves would be taken away from their families. I gather this would make being a slave 100 times worse. It is one things to be enduring something horrific, and it is another to be enduring it without your loved ones.

After this first section of reading, I have a pretty good feeling that I will be satisfied in terms of how it compares to Huck Finn.

My Friend, Edgar Allen Poe

Let me just start by saying how much I love Poe. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE him! I remember reading "The Raven" although I don't remember exactly when it was. My impression of it was changed drastically in part due to the reading in class. I have never heard a reading quite like that in a classroom; maybe she would like to read every day! :) Anyway, my understanding of poetry is that the poem only really comes to life when someone reads it aloud. Visualizing it is much easier when the text is taken off the page and projected in an artful way.

Despite the length of "The Raven," I thought that Poe did an excellent job with audience engagement. Sometimes the use of repetition can turn me away, but I felt it was done in a different way than how other writers have done.

One aspect of "The Raven" that I never thought about before or honestly even noticed was the fact that the narrator is asking questions of the bird when he already knows the answer. I'm not sure how I missed this because it became so obvious to me after it being pointed out in class.

I love a good poem that incorporates sorrow and uncertainty. Maybe this is why I resonate with Poe so much. I only wish we would have read/discussed more of Poe's work.....

Pearl

The first time I read The Scarlet Letter Pearl was my favorite character. After reading it this second time, Pearl is even more so my favorite character in the book. I wish I could take a look inside Pearl's mind because I think it would be unlike that of anyone else. Pearl is smart, inquisitive, thought provoking, and independent. There is no doubt that she is her own person.

I have always felt that Pearl is the type of person that pushes people's buttons not to cause problems but to further her investigation of life. She is characterized as being "devilish," and I think this comes from the fact that she scares the adults around her. They don't know how to understand a child like her. Pearl is different. She is a thinker and a doer. For adults, this may be intimidating.

I have a cousin named Pearl, and when I read The Scarlet Letter I couldn't help but think of her. Both Pearls have similar personalities and act in similar ways. More than once, I laughed out loud because I could picture my cousin doing as Peal in the book was doing. I don't think my aunt and uncle could have picked a better name.

Sin

Sin is a strong theme in The Scarlet Letter. For some reason, the notion of sin has always been a fascination of mine. Maybe because it is sometimes subjective. What one person may view as being sinful, another person may not. This is something that I have seen come up throughout my life. When judgment is being placed on someone for doing something "wrong" is it fair judgement?? Usually not.

I admire Hester and her ability to stand strong in what would be a difficult situation. When looking at all of the other characters and townspeople, I believe Hester is the least sinful. She may appear to be the most sinful because of the fact that she is damned to wear the letter A. Her "sin" is viewable. A stranger can meet Hester and know right away what she has done.

The same cannot be said for Dimmesdale and other characters. His sin is not pinned on his shirt. Dimmesdale can hide what he has done. For that reason alone, I put him in the "more sinful" category. Why? Well, Hester didn't try and hide what happened. In fact, she embraced it as well as anyone could have. Dimmesdale did the opposite. In my opinion, this makes him worse off.

The Scarlet Letter says a lot about the nature of sin. What I have taken away from it may or may not be the same as what other's have taken away. For me, hidden sin is much more dangerous than a visible sin. Hester and Dimmesdale are perfect examples of this. While Hester receives ridicule from those around her, Dimmesdale must suffer on the inside. If he would have demonstrated honesty, he could have changed what happened to Hester. Hester should be a role model to all people. She embraced the A and worked to change what it meant in regards to her sin.

I think we can all learn a little something from Hester Prynne.....

The Scarlet Letter: Part 1

FINALLY! The introduction is done and we are heading into one of my favorite books of all time.

Coming from a small town has given me a connection with Hester Prynne. Much like what she experiences, being in a community that knows everything about everyone is less than enjoyable. In fact, it can be very stressful. Whether you like it or not, you are constantly being judged by people you may not even have a relationship with. If you have just one fault, everyone seems to notice and many even condemn you for it. This is the case with Hester. She has to suffer the criticism of those around her.

What I love most about Hester is her ability to remain strong and individualized. She has the strength that I think most people would only be able to dream of in this situation. I would like to think that I could do as Hester did, but chances of that are very slim.

One of my favorite quotes comes from the beginning of Part V. I love Hawthorne's attention to detail and description. He leaves nothing out and nothing to the imagination. As the reader, I can picture what Hawthorne must have been imagining while writing the story. That is just one of the many reasons while I love him and this novel. Here is the part I am specifically talking about (there are many more examples that can be found on nearly every page):

"Hester Prynne's term of confinement was now at an end. Her prison door was thrown open, and she came forth into the sunshine, which, falling on all alike, seemed, to her sick and morbid heart, as if meant for no other purpose than to reveal the scarlet letter on her breast."

That certainly sounds a lot better than simply saying Hester walked out of the prison with the sun beating down on her scarlet letter. I could show many more examples of where I think Hawthorne's attention to detail has made the story significantly more impactful, but this blog would never end. I don't really need to expand on the passage about the rosebush as we already talked a great deal about it in class, but I will say that this is another one of the passages I vividly remember from high school.

Well, that's it. Until next time......

The Beginnings of The Scarlet Letter

Let me start by saying I was very excited when I saw this novel on the list of books to purchase for the class. I first read The Scarlet Letter as a senior in high school. With a disappointing instructor the first time around, I was excited to get another chance to discuss the novel. I absolutely LOVED The Scarlet Letter when I first read it. I have no doubt that this feeling will continue if not even expand upon reading it for the second time.

Despite my love of the book, I was quickly reminded of how BORING the introduction is. I'm not exactly sure why Hawthorne chose to include it. When I first read it as a senior, I remember being terrified that this was going to be how the whole novel was laid out. I was able to comprehend very little of what Hawthorne had to say. I will admit, I had some of the same problems this time as well. While there were some parts that I was able to understand better, the majority of it went straight over my head. I was able to appreciate the references to Thoreau and Chaucer. Back in high school I'm not sure I had ever heard of either of the two authors.

When we talked in class, there appeared to be an agreement that the only part of the introduction that served any real purpose was the section where Hawthorne told of how he discovered the story of Hester. I would have been satisfied if this would have been all Hawthorne included. The whole first part of the intro felt like many of the other readings we have done in the class thus far. Honestly, I don't respond very well to the style. It had the same feeling as some of the sermons, autobiographies, etc. I am much more of a narrative/fiction type of person. While I appreciate all types, I respond much better to the latter style of Hawthorne. 

With that being said, it is time to really dig into The Scarlet Letter.......