Omelas=Guilt

It sounds like Ursula K. Le Guin does not believe in fairy tales. Throughout the whole story she is describing a beautiful city and beautiful people but at the end it all changes. These people who walk away from Omelas are the ones who realize that fairy tales exist, but it is at the expense of others' well being. This is the message that Le Guin is trying to portray. No matter how perfect the society is, or how docile the people are, there is always something behind the scene or in this case cooped up in a small room that detracts from the utopia. "The terms are strict." This tells me that there was some sort of deal between this utopian society and another being. This surely tells us about how politics runs this society. The part of the story that puzzles me is when the author says, "One thing I know there is none of in Omelas is guilt." But later on it tells me that when people see this locked up child for the first time "they may brood over it for weeks or years." This certainly sounds like guilt to me, or at least a side effect of guilt. Then the people make excuses and say, "Indeed after so long it would probably be wretched without walls about it to protect it, and darkness for its eyes, and its own excrement to sit in." I do not know if the statement by Le Guin is sarcasm when she says the guilt is absent in Omelas because this whole society seems guilty and excuses are rampant. Indeed there are no fairy tale societies but if enough people believe and adore in a perverted way of living than sure fairy tales exist but only at the expense of another’s conscious. The conscious of the few who walk away have been troubled, thus destroying the very thing they hoped and dreamed was a reality. The only ones to admit their guilt and want to do something about it are the ones who leave Omelas and never return. Where are they going, the ones who walk away? They just know that Omelas is not where they are going.

Figurative Language

    Metaphors/Figurative language:
"among whom you appear as lights in the world"
"But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrafice and service of your faith"
"whose god is their appetite"
"who set their minds on earthly things"
"taking the form of a bond servant"
"fruit of righteousness"

The language Paul uses in his letter to the Philippian Church does contain some figurative images and phrases. For instance he uses the phrase "Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision." This phrase highlights all the corrupt people and ideas that have been circulating around the church at this time. It serves as a warning from a friend of this church. One's perception of the meaning of this letter to the church might change from a shallow letter of trying to get a gift from the church to a letter of real concern for the well being of the church because it is a part of the Body of Christ. Paul considers these people brothers in his faith because they share the same passion for the gospel. This point is further reinstated when Paul tells the church he wants to send Timothy to them. "But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father." This metaphor "like a child serving his father" is a crucial point to understand. One's perception could change from thinking that this letter is a far-fetched demand of the church, to a plea for its benefit and the benefit to others. Children don't do work for their father's because they have to, they work for their fathers to please them, and because they know a noble cause is the underlying motivation. Paul uses the figurative phrase "the cause of Christ" when referring to his imprisonment. One needs to understand that seemingly bad things happen to good people because most of the time the good people want the "bad" things to happen to them. Paul is not angry with God or the church for putting this on him, he rejoices in this bad circumstance because it was a great thing. His will and God's will were lined up and because of that, the gospel was preached and boldness was given to the brethren who were also spreading the gospel. 

Pass

USING MY 2nd PASS!

Oranges

     The way Gary Soto uses symbolism in his poem Oranges is genius. He does a great job of taking an object and giving it meaning. Although this meaning could have been applied in different ways, it is necessary for him to write about the orange's meaning to him. It is an interesting gift to be able to take an object that has no meaning to anyone else except oneself and reveal the significance of that object to an audience. Some examples of this in today's society can include many commercials like Brett Favre's Wrangler commercials. He takes a brand of jeans, an arbitrary object, and basically tells the audience that these jeans have been a part of his life forever. Another example could be in Gatorade's commercials of the letter "G." The meaning behind this letter includes athletes’ ability to outperform their competitors because they have the electrolytes needed for energy. Finally, symbolism is used by Jesus in a lot of parables. Jesus tells the people that he is like the groom and his followers or church is like the bride. Although this symbol easier to understand, Jesus uses this to explain his love for them and the devotion of his followers to him. Symbolism is all around us, and it is true that effective symbolism is created by an effective "turn." This turn is either done consciously or unconsciously and moves from something familiar or established to something fresh. An example of an unconsciously making of a symbol would be something that is made fresh throughout the course of time that others pick up on. We see this happen all the time in sports. A young kid grows up playing his sport and is unaware that he is a prodigy. Others may be able to see the potential of greatness in him like a coach or parent. These coaches and parents are the only ones who see the kid's unconscious efforts at becoming a franchise symbol quarter back or pitcher. On the other hand conscience "turns" at creating symbolism usually do not require as much time to develop as unconscious turns do. Anyone can place significance or fond memories on a random object and boom, there's your symbol. The trick is to convey the meaning of the symbol in an effective way. Gary Soto does this beautifully in his poem Oranges.

The Man who Came to Dinner

     I attended and watched the play The Man who Came to Dinner on Friday night, November 12. This play was a great experience. To me it evoked the nature of the well known novel by Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. Since Christmas is just around the corner, I thought this play would end with Mr. Whiteside finally coming to the realization that he was a selfish and cynical man, just like Scrooge. I thought this was going to happen when, by the end of the play, everybody was turning against Mr. Whiteside and it looked like he was going to lose his secretary (Maggie). I thought for sure he was going to help the Doctor with his book, apologize to the nurse and Stanley's kids, let Maggie marry Burt, and drop the suit against Mr. Stanley. But that would have been easy to predict and would fall under Corrigan's idea of "fast food literature." This play was a fine dining experience, after all it was 10 bucks! I have learned throughout this literature course, some works of literature are not made to solely convey morals. This play was mostly about the development of Mr. Whiteside's character. When Mr. Stanley gave Whiteside the fifteen minute count to get out of the house, I thought he would change his attitude but he did not. Maybe an underlying theme here is how a little bit of wealth and fame can cause one to want more wealth and fame. I think Mr. Whiteside would have been embarrassed to admit to all of his friends in high places that he accidentally fell and broke his hip, but instead he wanted to suit the Stanley’s for 150,000$ to make it look like it was their fault for his mistake, or just out of pure greed. I cannot help but think of the verse in James 2:6 "Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?" The actors in this play were very talented; Mr. Whiteside's character played a great role. The one thing that astonishes me is how these actors can stay in character for that long of time, and especially after those 10 minute intermissions. Bravo to the actors and the theatre department for choosing a work that was not ordinary and especially not ordinary for this time of year.

Those were the Days...

So in the boys next door, one might feel sorry for the characters. One might never wish the mental disabilities that Norman, Lucien, Arnold, and Barry have on their worst enemies. I have thought, and maybe this is a general conclusion that most ignorant people think about the mentally disabled, that they are trapped in a cage and are helpless. Although what I am about to state may be controversial, I have given it some thought.
    Maybe the boys next door do have it "made." Maybe all of their dreams do come true for them. Because they are not in touch with reality, they can make their own reality; and if someone tried to tell them otherwise then that person was not in touch with reality. I can definitely see how this could be the case with Barry. From his conversation with Mr. Hedges, or "Hodges", Barry truly believes that he is the Class A teaching professional who can fix his clients golf game. Heck, he even runs a business off of this premise. Obviously this is his reality and he has made a living out of it. The summary on the back of the book states, "Barry, a brilliant schizophrenic who is devastated by the unfeeling rejection of his brutal father, fantasizes that he is a golf pro."
     Look at Lucien P. Smith for a second. He has the mind of a five year old. He cannot read and can barely say coherent sentences. But Jesus states in Matthew 18:3 "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Children are dependent on their parents to look out for their welfare and for their needs. I think Jesus is telling his disciples here that to enter the kingdom you have to give up your independence and become dependent on him. In the same way Lucien depends on Government funding and a social worker to live. All I am getting at is that maybe Lucien feels safe and taken care of at his current state. So maybe he really doesn't have it as bad as we might think...maybe we do because we all strive for our independence.
     Norman and Shelia's love seems so elementary and genuine. I can remember my first love, although I won’t share it with you I can definitely say that I did forget the words of Taylor Swift in her song Fifteen, "don't forget to look before you fall". I fell, and so do Norman and Shelia. Man, what a beautiful feeling. Truly, I think Norman has it better than if I was dating the finest women on earth (Miley Cyrus), because he doesn't have any baggage from the past that we know of. He displays the same juvenile mindset as a love-struck fifteen year old would when he predicts Shelia and his marriage and children.
     So maybe the mentally handicapped do not have it as bad as we make it out to be. After all I would not know what it would be like to be mentally handicapped. But I do know what it felt like to be 5 years old imaging I was Michael Jordan, or 14 years old and falling like a sack of potatoes for my first love. Those were the days...

Barry and his Giant

    
     The Boys Next Door is a great piece of work where a lot of solid themes can be extracted and applied to real life. I want to focus on one aspect of this play where Barry and his father, Mr. Klemper reunite after not seeing each other for 9 years. What I am hoping to learn from this scene and from Barry, is how to not shy away from the giants in my life that I face and affect me every day of my life. Barry thinks that he needs to be superstar golf pro for his father to accept him. I pick up on the fact that Barry was probably abused as a child by his father, from the scene where they reunite. Once Mr. Kempler hits Barry across the face, Barry seems to go into this shell of fear from back when he was a kid. He made himself something he is not, partly because of his disorder and probably because of his child hood abuse situation. Now I know that Barry suffers from schizophrenia, but I do not know what the causes of it are. Here is some research that I found on schizophrenia....

"Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that affects the way a person acts, thinks, and sees the world. People with schizophrenia have an altered perception of reality, often a significant loss of contact with reality. They may see or hear things that don’t exist, speak in strange or confusing ways, believe that others are trying to harm them, or feel like they’re being constantly watched. With such a blurred line between the real and the imaginary, schizophrenia makes it difficult—even frightening—to negotiate the activities of daily life. In response, people with schizophrenia may withdraw from the outside world or act out in confusion and fear."

    
     This passage states that a schizophrenic may believe that others are trying to harm them. In this same article where I found this passage it states that, "most cases of schizophrenia usually appear in the late teens or early adulthood." With this information I can guess that Barry's case of schizo was probably affected by his father. Again this conclusion is made from the fact that Barry seemed to immediately curl up into a child-like state of mind once his father harmed him. So maybe in this case, Barry's disorder could have been prevented if he had just "faced his giant" and confronted his father's actions. It is a difficult and daring task (one that I have failed to own many of times) but, avoiding a situation might make one feel comfortable for the moment, but have devastating effects on one's life the more the giant is allowed to grow.




http://www.helpguide.org/mental/schizophrenia_symptom.htm

Response to "Walking Home from Oak-Head"

I sit in the hall of a school or in the seat in the library
wandering about time. "How have I spent this time and
for what reason have I spent this time?" I ask myself.
I spend this time because I want to make good times later in life and ultimately in eternal life.

In these halls and in these chairs is where time seems to stand still.
Half of the time I don't know what time it actually is.
I do believe that time is meant to be spent observing its qualities.
This happens when one thinks back on all the good times he has had

or all the past failures that have affected his life. To think back on the good
and on the bad, is what brings my heart elation.
The funny thing is, is that these reminiscent moments are spent in nature
where like Oliver describes, it "brings out the lovely meaningless of time."

Why does time spent in nature have to be different than times spent in a library
or in a school hall, or in music, words, in the fires of the heart?
These times are all the same. Learning, watching, praying, listening are all ways that time is spent.
They all contribute to the walk home from Oak-Head, where home is the final destination of who we really are.

So the times, good and bad spent here on earth, on this long walk home
will seem like the world is falling apart
but no need to worry because waiting by the door
inside that warm log cabin

will be the lover a man who has been draggin'
draggin' with times on his back and in his head that have weighed him down
and still other times that have made his arrival worthwhile.
But it is kind of funny how all these memories might vanish

Because once I reach that warm place
and worship the one who made my face
new memories of streets of gold, angelic beings, and pearly gates
will replace all the times spent that I thought could never be erased.

Adam :/

I wonder what it was like..
How did the grass feel between your toes?
Did mosquitoes ever bother you?
I bet you were never frightened
because you had Him with you.
What was the temperature like?
Was it all you had hoped and imagined?
I bet you never went hungry,
I bet you never had a boring moment.

How could you have messed up so badly?
The grass cuts my feet.
The mosquitoes bite at my flesh!
I am frightened because I know things are out there to get me in the dark.
I am hungry and cannot eat the wild fruits because they are poisonous.
All this happened because you fell.

But there is still beauty in this fallen world.
I can still find satisfaction through the pain I endure.
I can still recognize the beauty of this world.
But I can only imagine what it looked like back in your time.
The withered trees and the oily waters seem to tell me of their glory days
when their leaves were vibrant and waters were crystal clear.

I have to listen so intently though to hear nature
I bet in your days before your fall, the trees and waters shared in your joy.
But now, now they moan and talk about "back then."
And sense I am your son, I am disconnected with this world just as you were.
It runs in the family.
The only difference is, is that you lived in a time where you saw true beauty.
So what I see is true beauty in a fallen world.



I went to Lake Bonny Park for this field trip, and I stayed there for at least 45 minutes.
My time spent at Lake Bonny park was a very eventful visit. I will do it more often. The thing that got me was the fact that it was Halloween night, around 7 o’clock, when I went for my visit, alone. I was startled a bit when I heard things in the dark. It sounded like something was being eaten. The mosquitoes were very annoying and I must have run into at least 30 spider webs as I walked along the 1.3 mile long walking trail. My head was filled with many different types of thoughts. Some of the thoughts took me back to past memories of my childhood. The trees along the trail reminded me of the trees that bordered my Nana's house out in the North Carolina country. The smells of fresh pine, dirt, and flowers helped me escape the real world for a second. For a short period of time I felt like I was not even in Lakeland. I did not know where I was. I even had the sensation of being watched by nature. I imagined what nature would say to me. Would it say, "Look at that human, what is he doing here? His race destroys us! Go away!" I was mesmerized by the beauty of the setting sun over the trees and the faint wind that sent the scents of the fresh vegetation to my nostrils was very welcomed. I thought back to how this earth must have been when Adam and Eve lived together in the garden. My mind was captured by the beauty around me that imagining what it was back then made me sick. It also made me mad at Adam! I felt like he messed it up for me. Then this reminded me of all the bad things I was capable of. I found that being in nature probably brought out the true nature of my being. Here I am, a person in this big world that has intricate systems and layers. Being in nature made me realize that I am much more intricate than a single tree or bush. But nature relies on each other for so many things, and in this way it was a good reminder for me that I need to be in community with others in my "ecosystem" and with the maker of it all. So yes, nature did bring out my flaws and also brought me joy. It provided a much needed escape and awakening for my being.