Betrayal
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| When looking at the Story Cycles and considering Archetypes, one is more apt to lean towards the Her(o) / ine, than a story filled with betrayal, and yet, interestingly enough, where one finds heroes, there is often an under-belly of betrayal in which the Hero of the story figures. The Her(o) / inof mythology were made to seem beyond human frailty. How does Betrayal work into the Story Cycle and Archetype? This betrayal is what helps to give the Her(o) / ine its humanity, allowing the reader to feel an emotional tie to the characters within the story. In a sense it is what helps to knock a Her(o) / ine off their pedestal, in order to show they still have the same human frailties as everyone else. The prior week we discussed Creation, its varied myths depending on the culture and how that myth has evolved through time, helping to influence pop culture over the ages, including the modern age. The Story Cycle always begins with Creation; where it goes from creation depends on the story itself. Throughout the Story Cycle, just as there will always be a Creator/Creation, there will always be Betrayal. If the story should take the place of someone's life, you may begin with their conception. This is the Creation. Family is the next step. Somewhere along this life cycle there will be a betrayal, whether it is heartbreak, a letdown at a job, a lie told, or something stolen; whatever the betrayal that is felt in this Story Cycle it will happen and the emotional reaction is natural. Medea felt such a reaction due to Jason's betrayal of her, as shown by Euripides in his play Medea. This enchantress had given up everything she had ever known for the hero of Iolcus, in order to help him obtain his Golden Fleece. Not only had she defied her father, supplying Jason with the means to defeat her father's tasks in order to obtain the Fleece, but she became his wife and bore him two sons, only to have him spurn her ten years later for a very spoiled princess. (Jason) You know the princess's personality in how she reacted to Medea's children when she is presented with the gifts. Her demeanor is one of disgust and anger at the sight of the children, though Jason tries to change her mood by pointing out the gifts, laying bare her selfish nature. Unfortunately, Medea is unable to bare the betrayal, which is made twice as difficult when Creon visits and proclaims her an exile. Now Medea is an exile from her father's lands, in which she originated, to which she can never return, having chosen Jason over her own family, a betrayal of itself in the eyes of her father, but King Creon, in whose lands she has lived for the past ten years; throws her out with no further thought, simply because he is afraid of what she may /may not do. Not what she has done, but of the possibility of what she could do. Interestingly enough, this, I believe, is the turning point for Medea. Creon had a chance to change things; to choose another path for this story to take. In a way he set in motion, himself, and everything that takes place in the rest of the story, more so than the betrayal of Jason. Yes, Jason chose to align himself with the princess, but Jason truly felt he was doing what was noble and right for Medea's future and his children. He saw this as a way to ensure a better life for all. Was it egotistical and chauvinistic? Most assuredly, no one can question that Jason was not considering how his actions would affect those around him. Creon, on the other hand, held no forethought with his actions, except what might happen. With his possibilities driving his motives, he in truth caused them to become reality. There is nothing to say Medea was even contemplating them as a means to an end. All we know for sure is that Medea was feeling lost and ripped apart. Everything she was for the past ten years, simply gone. Who is to say she would not simply have cried for a day or two and simply picked herself up, yelled at Jason, thrown a vase or two at his head and raised their sons in peace, if NOT for Creon's interfering and antagonizing the situation further? MEDEA Ah, me! now is utter destruction come upon me, unhappy that I am! For my enemies are bearing down on me full sail, nor have I any landing-place to come at in my trouble. Yet for all my wretched plight I will ask thee, Creon, wherefore dost thou drive me from the land? CREON I fear thee,-no longer need I veil my dread 'neath words,-lest thou devise against my child some cureless ill. Many things contribute to this fear of mine; thou art a witch by nature, expert in countless sorceries, and thou art chafing for the loss of thy husband's affection. I hear, too, so they tell me, that thou dost threaten the father of the bride, her husband, and herself with some mischief; wherefore I will take precautions ere our troubles come. For 'tis better for me to incur thy hatred now, lady, than to soften my heart and bitterly repent it hereafter. The same feelings could be applied to the stories / myths of Malinche and La Llorona. In each of these tales women have been betrayed by the opposite sex and their reactions to this betrayal is so profound that it becomes spiritual. It rips their very essence apart to the point their physical forms are trapped, even beyond death. Hence the legend of the wailing woman was born. Two more recent films based on the myth of La Llorona in today's popular culture is "The Cry"from 2007 based in NYC and "The Woman in Black" from 2012. Is the woman who wanders Mexico City crying O-h-h, my children, the time for our departure draws near? O-h-h-h, my children! Where shall I take you, Malinche? (Inside Mexico) The tales of Malinche and La Llorona have helped to create and expand pop culture in our Modern Age. Was Malinche a traitor to her people for loving Cortes, or was it her mother who first enacted a betrayal upon her by selling her into slavery through simple greed. Should not a mother love her child? Did not Malinche show loyalty towards her people by wanting peace instead of bloodshed; loyalty towards a family that threw her away? Loyalty towards a man, whom in the end, married another and kept her simply as a whore; and yet she bore him a son, no different than Medea and Jason.
The reason these stories have such longevity is Betrayal is real. It is not something we can just simply create and fantasize about. Instead it is a concept of humanity that helps to show how real we can be. Even the characters in a story can still be attainable. Take for example Eros and Psyche from Greek Mythology. Eros (otherwise known as Cupid) was the son of Aphrodite, Goddess of Love. Psyche was considered the most beautiful of women in her time. Aphrodite hated that she was considered more beautiful than her. Eros had accidentally pierced her with one of his arrows, falling in love with her himself. She experiences her own betrayal due to Psyche not trusting in their love and her own self-doubt, and Eros leaves Psyche. Aphrodite refuses to help Psyche win her son back, instead setting her to 3 nearly impossible tasks. Eros hearing what his mother has done to his wife escapes the palace and rescues her, forgiving the betrayal. Zeus has also heard of Psyche's heroic journeys to win back her husband; therefore he lets her eat ambrosia turning her from mortal to Immortal. (Eros and Psyche)
There are many stories of betrayal throughout mythology. War is built upon betrayal. Societies are built upon betrayal. It is how we came up with such terms as “Trade Secrets.†When Nixon was brought up on charges for Watergate, the feeling of betrayal which swept an entire nation was all encompassing. This is why these ancient stories last. The emotional impact never fades; for we can still feel within today, looking at pictures of 9/11, what it did to us. The shock, the anger, the hurt, and the loss; it is all there. Remembering rushing for the phone to check and see if our loved ones were ok. The story will always continue, but for that day it felt like it came to a shocking stand still.Cite: The myth of Psyche and Eros (Greek Myths Greek Mythology) http://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/psyche-and-eros-myth/ Encyclopedia of Greek Mythology: Jason http://www.mythweb.com/encyc/entries/jason.html The Internet Classics Archive | Medea by Euripides http://classics.mit.edu/Euripides/medea.html Galicia, Angelica. "La Llorona One Woman, Many Stories." Inside Mexico. Inside Mexico, 13 Oct. 2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. http://www.inside-mexico.com/la-llorona-one-woman-many-stories-by-angelica-galicia/>. |
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Betrayal
Creation Part 1
Creation:
Part 1
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When one looks up the definition of creation one discovers two separate, yet similar definitions on google: "The action or process of bringing something into existence; and the bringing into of existence of the universe, especially when regarded as an act of God." (Google) The common factor in both of these definitions is existence. Where before there was nothing, suddenly, miraculously, something occurs, in which man cannot explain, but seeks answers to do so. This has been an area Mankind where man has been seeking answers for thousands of years, no matter the culture; the ideologies can find similarities in the paths they cross. To exist is to live, but how did we come to live. Who, or what, granted us mere mortals’ life? Durham wrote in his essay "Rudolf Otto's The Idea of the Holy" that "religious growth has occurred not because of any development in human capacities, but because of a predisposition towards religious experience that was always present but only gradually awakened. The writer emphasizes that this predisposition is a characteristic not just of some individuals, but of the whole human species." He goes on to further state that "to identify and discuss a series of phenomena he associates with the earliest expressions of the human predisposition for religion. His eight phenomena are not part of religion as he understands it, but of pre-religion. He begins with: magic, worship of the dead, ideas regarding souls and spirits, belief that natural objects have powers that can be manipulated by spells etc., belief that natural objects like mountains and the sun and the moon are actually alive, fairy stories (and myths). A little more advanced are: belief in daemons (pre-deities, so to speak), notions of pure and impure." (Durham, pp. 3) As one begins to look at the comparisons between these weeks creation selections, one can spot various similarities in themes within the texts: Each text attacks time in its own manner. Yoruba does not specify exactly how long it took to create the heavens and earth, only that it took Odumare several thousand years to create Earth; and so The Heavenly Bodies came into being: Who was the first to speak? Ela was the first to speak Who was the first to communicate? Ela was the first to communicate? Who is this Ela? It was the Hoo which descended That we call Ela.(Verbal and Visual pp. 126) The "He Pule Hoolaa Alii" (The Hawaiian Creation Myth) is similar and yet dissimilar in its telling to both the Christian and Yoruba Creation Myth. Evolution or rather time tells its own story, in truth begins this prayer in a very similar way to that as the "Genesis": At the time that turned the heat of the earth, At the time when the heavens turned and changed, At the time when the light of the sun was subdued To cause light to break forth, At the time of the night of Makalii (winter) Then began the slime of which established the earth, The source of deepest darkness. (The Kumulipo) The Christian path reads of darkness also: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God move upon the face of the waters." Whether it is Darwinism, Scientology, Wicca, belief in the Norse Gods, Judaism, all beliefs in religion evolved from a basic understanding principle that man came from somewhere. Though each of these myths has its own ideologies, in which allows contrasts based upon individual cultures and societies, not to mention governments, outside influences within todays' modern age helps to allow for a more mixed influence. Where one society may have been less able or unwilling to associate with the outside world, the modern age and future will not enable such progress, nor will religion. Take for example the various forms of religious service one sees on television and internet. Imagine 20 years from now what will be available? Cite: Abiodun, Rowland. "Verbal and Visual Metaphors: Mythical Allusions in Yoruba Ritualistic Art of Ori." Mythology and Modern Life - Selected Readings. SUNY Empire State College, 2011. 123-141. Print. http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Genesis-Chapter-1/ Durham, John. "Rudolf Otto's The Idea of The Holy." Bytrentsacred. 28 Jan. 2012. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. The Kumulipo (, (Liliuokalanai tr.) Index) http://www.sacred-texts.com/pac/lku/index.htm |
Creation Part 2
Creation Part 2 Reflexivity
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February 10, 2015
After thinking and pondering this question for quite some, I found that I kept coming back to the same passage of Genesis, whether intentional or unintentional. The passage was not chapter one or two but rather chapter 4, when Cain slew his brother and felt such an immense amount of guilt, it became unbearable. This was how I felt the day I had to leave my brother behind to suffer my mother and stepfather. I felt a coward.
If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
True this story, if it could speak, would tell me I was but a child. I cannot control the actions of adults who were there to protect me and teach me, and yet it does not stop me from feeling like I failed him. Cain, himself, would point out, he was an adult when he slew his brother, and he was envious of his brother, where as I had no choice. I could not take my brother with me when I left. I know all this in my logical mind. I understand it, and have gone over the scenario a thousand times, but there will always be a "what if" laying there like the trickster silently whispering in my ear.
In the end, like Cain, the guilt outweighs the good, making it hard to not isolate from others. "Beware my soul for it bares the mark of Caine." - Self-fulfilling prophecy
Cite:
Genesis Chapter 4 (GENESIS CHAPTER 4)
http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Genesis-Chapter-4/
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Shakespeare's Othello
Shakespeare’s Othello 2.1.242-270
Modern
Translation:
Iago “Be
silent and listen as I speak. Remember
when she fell crazy in love with the Moor as he told her made-up, insane
stories? Do you expect her to love him
for merely talking? You’re too
intelligent to think that. She needs
someone young and good looking. How can
she enjoy being with Othello, who is ugly and old. Sex gets tiresome after a while without
something to stimulate the appetite. She
needs a young stud her age, which has the sexual urges of the young, handsome,
and acts as she does. Othello lacks all
the qualities she needs. Since he is
lacking, she will soon grow bored and sick of his advances. Looking upon him in disgust and hate as she
turns from Othello, she will begin to look for a replacement. Now if this is true – well obviously this is
true – who better to replace the old goat than Cassio? He is charismatic, handsome, and he hides his
intentions through proper manners. A sly
villain he is. He is exactly the kind of
man all the young women lose their heads over.
A true bad boy and Desdemona have chosen him as her replacement.”
With the
above speech Iago is setting the bait needed to draw Roderigo, who it should be
noted is a patsy for Iago throughout the play,
further into his plan, to rid Cassio of his newly acquired rank and also
get revenge upon Othello. Iago is a master manipulator without considering or
even seeming to care for the feelings of others around him. In fact he seems to relish in his very
detailed plans and the chaos that erupts from them. These are all classic signs of a
psychopath. According to the website
Psychologytoday.com: “psychopaths are unable to form emotional
attachments, or feel real empathy with others, although, they often
have disarming or even charming personalities. Psychopaths are very
manipulative and can easily gain people’s trust. They learn to mimic emotions,
despite their inability to actually feel them, and will appear normal to unsuspecting
people. Psychopaths are often well educated and hold steady jobs. Some are so
good at manipulation and mimicry that they have families and other long-term
relationships without those around them ever suspecting their true nature. When committing crimes, psychopaths carefully plan out every
detail in advance and often have contingency plans in place. Unlike their
sociopathic counterparts, psychopathic criminals are cool, calm, and
meticulous. Their crimes, whether violent or non-violent, will be highly
organized and generally offer few clues for authorities to pursue. Intelligent psychopaths make excellent
white-collar criminals and "con artists" due to their calm and charismatic natures.” (psychology para
5)
Iago consistently shows this frame of mind throughout the
play, from the opening sequence when he is manipulating Roderigo into shouting
fire so as to wake Brabantio and inform him of the elopement between his
daughter, Desdemona and the Moor, Othello; to the very end of the play when
instead of accepting fault where fault lies at his feet, he sought to blame
anyone but himself for his own actions.
It was Emilia’s fault, for she is a liar. It is Cassio’s fault, for he stole his rank. It was Othello’s fault, for he did not give
him what he deserved. It was Desdemona’s
fault, for she chose another. It was
Roderigo’s fault for being too weak, and not a real man. In Iago’s mind nothing is ever his
fault.
Iago in this specific scene shows the charisma of a classic
psychopath in his ability to manipulate Roderigo with simple words. He doesn’t use flowery, extravagant
speech. Instead he plays on the man’s
weakness. His, Roderigo’s, lack of
self-confidence in his knowledge that Desdemona chose another; and even though
she had the chance to choose him, she still did not. Iago does this earlier in the play, just
before they are to leave for Cyprus, when Roderigo is depressed, feeling as if
all his chances to once more win Desdemona is lost. Iago, playing at being his confidant and
friend, comes up with a solution to benefit all. “Sell your lands and turn them into
money. Become a soldier and follow us to
Cyprus, where you will be able to be near Desdemona, in order to help drive a
wedge between Othello and her. Surely
once we prove she is cheating with Cassio, Othello will toss her aside and you
will be there to pick up her broken heart.”
(Act 1, Scene 3)
Iago continues to use the same tactics upon Roderigo
throughout the play, showing that Roderigo is easily manipulated. Even when later in the play Roderigo begins
to doubt in Iago, Iago is able to sway him back to his way of thinking. This shows not only does Iago have the
charismatic of a psychopath but also the manipulation needed for tactical
thinking in order to control those around him.
It is for these same reasons that he is able to control Othello and
Cassio, two men, whom under any other normal circumstances, should have been
viewed as both logical and practical minded men. In fact, Othello chose Cassio for his
extremely high intelligence, while a man like Othello to have survived wars and
slavery in order to obtain the rank of General within the Roman Military is
nothing to ignore, and yet Iago is able to manipulate both of these men with
cunning and charisma. He consistently
has a backup plan and has the ability to think quickly in order to adapt in the
situation. Even at the end of the play,
when one would think Iago has lost, he has not.
Iago “I bleed sir, but not killed” (5.2.339)
Those around him believe they have won, but in fact, in
Iago’s mind they have won nothing. Othello
has fallen. Roderigo has harmed Cassio;
he will never be a soldier again.
Othello has killed Desdemona.
Iago has rid himself of his shrew wife.
Othello did elevate Iago to second in command. All of Iago’s plans came to fruit. Whether or not Iago lives matters not. What is important is that in the end, Iago
won. The game of chess is complete. The final has been made. The queen has fallen. Checkmate.
Research Notes:
Burns, Scott. "How to
Tell a Sociopath from a Psychopath."Https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wicked-deeds/201401/how-tell-sociopath-psychopath.
Sussex Publishers, 14 Jan. 2014. Web. 31 Jan. 2015.
Onions, C.T. A Shakespeare Glossary. Oxford:
Oxford at the Clarendon, 2013. Print.
Shakespeare, William.
"Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 242-270." The
Tragedy of Othello The Moor of Venice. Simon & Schuster Paperbacks -
FOLGER Shakespeare Library, 2009. Print.
Shakespeare's Sonnets and Chaos
Shakespeare’s
Sonnets and Chaos
Shakespeare’s Sonnets
were a way for Shakespeare to express a more personal expression in a more
intimate setting, without ever calling attention to perhaps a single direct
person. Over the ages there has been
many arguments over whether or not they were in truth “autobiographical or
literary exercises, they read like the thoughts of someone on the rack,
tortured by conflicting emotions, their nerve ends exposed as they painfully
explore their most intimate feelings.” (The Sonnets, pg. 4)
Arguably, Shakespeare
used all of his ability to create and form various literary masterworks as a
way to exercise his inner demons.
Whether we are reflecting upon the patriarchal relationships within
Henry IV and how various characters are resembling of Shakespeare’s own
relationships with the men of note, such as his father, Marlow, or Greene,
impacted and influenced his life, or we examine more closely at his use of the
Sonnets with their depth and breathe of emotional turmoil and conflict, as
Shakespeare not only seems to argue with whom he speaks to but with the world
as a whole. His sonnets appear to give
voice to an almost desperation to convince and release that which is built up
within him, as if he begs to be heard, truly heard.
Shakespeare’s Sonnet’s
18 and 21 tend to remind me of Benedict, of Much Ado About Nothing. These two sonnets also seem to be able to
stand side by side. What better
character to speak both of these. For
Benedict, with his sarcastic wit and dry view of love, and yet he was shy and
cautious of Beatrice, almost desperate for her attention, thereby using that
same over-the-top, to the point of being hurtful, sarcasm in order to garner
the said attention from her. One could
simply see him standing there in front of her hand on his sword, leaning
slightly against a tree, and smirk upon his lips as he asks in an overly amused
voice “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” From there he stands and waves
his hand about with great flourish, gesturing towards the various items of
nature as speaks, becoming more and more outlandish as he continues:
“Thou art more lovely
and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake
the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath
all to short a date;
Sometime too hot the
eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold
complexion dimmed;
And every fair from
fair sometimes declines,
By chance or nature’s
changing course untrimmed:
But thy eternal summer
shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of
that fair thou ow’st,
Nor shall Death brag
thou wand’rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines
to time thou grow’st.
So long as men can
breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and
this gives life to thee.”(The Sonnets, 18)
Sonnet 18 is a perfect
example in tone of conversation between Benedict and Beatrice; whereas
Shakespeare’s Sonnet 21 almost seems defensive and pushy. The imagery incited by 21 makes me feel as if
one is defending, not necessarily love, but rather one’s views. Benedict often thought his compatriots were
excessive and to “frilly,” lost in the passions of love, which in part was one
of the reasons Claudio, Hero, and Don Pedro come up with the plan to have
Benedict “fall” in love with Beatrice. With
Sonnet 21 the reader can almost picture Claudio, Don Pedro, and Benedict
standing about arguing merits of what is love.
Benedict, being the realist and more cynical of the trio, mocks the
other two with these words:
“So it is not with me
with that Muse,
Stirred by a painted
beauty to his verse,
Who heaven itself for
ornament doth use,
And every fair with his
fair doth rehearse,
Making a couplement of
proud compare
With sun and moon, with
earth and sea’s rich gems,
With April’s first-born
flowers, and all things rare
That heaven’s air in
this huge rondure hems.
O let me, true in love,
but truly write,
And then believe me, my
love is as fair
As any mother’s child,
though not so bright
As those gold candles
fixed in heaven’s air:
Let them say more that
like of hearsay well,
I will not praise that
purpose not to sell.” (Sonnets, 21)
Benedict was a complex
man who used sarcasm and his wit in order to defend his inner thoughts against
the outside world. Both of these sonnets
seem to fit this character ideally, for their over-exaggerating and yet
defensive tone in approaching the person intended.
When I myself was
considering Shakespeare’s Sonnets, the thing that spoke to me was the raw
emotion pouring from them. How, even if
they spoke from simple literary exercises and were never intended for one
person, they still were able to reach millions of people and make them feel as
if he, Shakespeare, was speaking to him/her/them centuries later in a personal
and intimate manner. When it came time
for me to create my sonnet it was this factor I considered. To be able to reach deep within one’s very
soul and express the raw emotion; this is not an easy task, nor is it something
I easily risk.
Chaos is a two-fold
sonnet. It was created to express the
darkness and pain of being an abused child, with no one paying attention. Living and surviving as a child in that
lifestyle, before escaping to grow up as a teenager in the NYS Foster Care
System, lead to me developing Disassociation Identity Disorder and PTSD, along
with my Epilepsy. According to WebMd’s
website, they describe DID as following “Dissociative identity disorder is thought to stem from trauma
experienced by the person with the disorder. The dissociative aspect is thought
to be a coping mechanism -- the person literally dissociates himself from a
situation or experience that's too violent, traumatic, or painful to assimilate
with his conscious self.” (WebMD) My Epilepsy I was diagnosed with when I was
12, having gone into a gram mal seizure at the dinner table of my foster
parents. It was only in the past ten
years they realized I was having seizures all my life, and that I have a rare
form of genetic epilepsy.
Chaos, for me, is only
a fragment of being able to cope with this is like on a daily basis. Therapy has helped me to learn to live a much
healthier life style and how to function with these issues. The journey itself is never easy, but it is
one of turmoil and loneliness, hence I can understand Shakespeare’s Sonnets on
an emotional level, though I appreciate the imagery of nature. I tend to surround myself with nature in
order to give myself a sense of peace.
Chaos
Standing
upon the precipice
Eyes
held captive by the unending mist;
How
will I find my way?
When
will silence bring an end to the storm,
Through
the rampant voices running wild?
Where
in the shadows am I hidden,
Never
knowing which way to turn?
Can
you feel me shaking?
Can
you hear me screaming?
Who
will help me to guide me through
The
waves crashing against the walls?
Everyone around me, yet
still so alone…
Why can you not hear
me!
Chaos,
my constant companion.
Cite:
Gibson, Rex. "Sonnet 18, Sonnet 21." Shakespeare: The
Sonnets. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1996. Print.
Shakespeare, William. "Much Ado About
Nothing." Folger Digital Texts. Folger Shakespeare Library. 2015. Web 26
Feb 2015.
"No Shit There I Was" - A Fairy-tale for Reality
"No Shit There I Was": A Fairy-tale for Reality
“Ancient societies had anthropomorphic
gods: a huge pantheon expanding into centuries of dynastic drama; fathers and
sons, martyred heroes, star-crossed lovers, the deaths of kings - stories that
taught us of the danger of hubris and the primacy of humility.” – Tom Hiddleston
Once upon a time, in a land not so
far away, there lived a young girl. Now,
in most stories in which “Once upon a time” begins the tale you might suppose
this story would pertain a princess, or that this girl would be extra special
in some extraordinary way; but, truthfully, she was just an ordinary young girl
attempting to survive anything but ordinary circumstances. One day the young girl, having finished her
choirs of which there were many, heard the phone ring. Looking both left and right, but seeing
neither her mother nor her grandmother she approached the phone with
hesitation, for trepidation filled the girl should her mother discover that she
had answered the phone without her consent.
With a shaking hand the girl lifted
the receiver and answered with a cautious greeting, only to discover, much to
her surprise, the voice on the other end was none other than her father. The young girl had not spoken to her father
in many years, in fact, she could barely recall his face within her memory, but
due to the violent circumstances of her life she now lived in, the young girl
had placed him upon a pedestal of almost hero worship. To her, the man she could barely remember as
her father, had to be better than the man who lived with her mother presently,
causing the girl to feel as if this story was a never ending nightmare.
The wicked witch of this
fairy-tale, otherwise known as the girl’s mother, heard the girl upon the
phone. Rushing forward, she snatched the
phone from her hands, while backhanding the girl into the nearby wall. The young girl slowly lifted herself up off
the floor in order to face her mother, whom she only wanted to love, and yet
she could not seem to get her to love her.
The wicked witched dragged the young girl forward, across the floor by
her hair, making her already painful scalp more tender, before pushing her
downwards in front of her grandmother on the living room floor. The woman dropped a pen and paper at the
girl’s feet, demanding she write “I hate my father and wish he was dead” on
ever line of both sides of the college ruled paper. The girl, afraid of both of these women, did
as she was commanded.
Finishing with her assignment she
looked up with hope that this was all they would require of her, but this was
not to be. The two women looked down at
this young girl, who was only about eleven years of age, whose eyes were old
even though her body was young. “Now say
Rob is your father,” her mother demanded of the young girl. Something rose up in the young girl. Anger and a courage she hadn’t known she
possessed flared within her very soul as she said as single word “No.” Her head snapped back as the first strike
across her face came along with the demand a second time and still she simply
stood there, looking towards the woman who gave her life. “No.” she said with quite conviction. She didn’t shout this word, nor did she say
it with anger. There was strength in the
simple word that seemed to scare the women in front of her. “Go to your room! Your father will deal with you when he comes
home!”
For the next several hours the
young girl sat huddled on her bed, with no lights, no food, and no company to
make her feel safe. She had no way to
tell how long she sat there, and yet she knew it was hours, for eventually her
brothers had long been sent to bed.
Eventually she heard the dreaded thumps up the stairs that herald the
monster as he made his way towards her bedroom.
Her punishment for defiance was at hand.
Walking into her room, the man looked to the young girl and in his eyes
she could see enjoyment for what he was about to do. “Stand and strip.” He commanded as he took
off his belt. The next hour was one that
would be branded into her memory, and also the flesh of her back with
scars. Yet the young did not give in and
call this monster “Father.”
The next morning upon waking up for
school, the young girl was filled with the same strength and courage that gave
her the need to defy her mother. Leaving
with her youngest brother for school, she came to a decision, one she informed
her brother of. They would not be returning
home that day. The young girl and her
brother spent the afternoon at the public library, reading and enjoying the
precious freedom from the nightmare they had been living, until closing. Once the Library closed, the young girl, with
her brother’s hand firmly gripped in hers, walked the many blocks, to a
neighbor’s house, three doors down from where she lived with the wicked witch
and the monster. There was one thing
that plagued the young girl as she looked up the street. This would be a guilt that would live with
her for the rest of her life. She had
another brother, one her mother never sent to school, whom she had to leave
behind in the nightmare. Him, she could
not rescue. Turning back to the
neighbor’s house, the young girl went inside and called the Police and Social
Services. The young girl was rescued,
never having to return to the wicked witch, but the nightmare lives on in her
memory.
To return to the question at hand,
“Am I a Hero/Heroine?” I do not
know. I survived. I cared for my brothers and protected them
the best I knew. The best any child up
to 11 years of age could. I lived for
years with the guilt of leaving my middle brother, Shaun behind. It was only recently, in the past 5 years,
when I was finally ready to enter therapy in order to deal with all that
happened to me as a child, that I have come to accept, in the end, it was never
my responsibility. I was a child made to
behave as an adult. To care for adults
because the adults could not, and would not, care for themselves. There is a story my one foster mother tells
of how she woke up to hear my infant brother crying in the middle of the
night. Minutes later my brother had
stopped crying. Worried she left her bed
to check on Shane to make sure all was o.k.
Entering the nursery she was shocked to discover me in a rocking chair,
at age 6, rocking Shane and feeding him a bottle. His diaper had been changed and he was
content. She said this was one of the
scariest things in her life to have seen, as my bedroom had been downstairs and
the nursery was upstairs, and yet I reacted as a mother to my child needing
me. He was my responsibility; this was
how I saw things.
Looking at the challenge of what
“hero” I find myself more aptly to associate with, I believe I would have to
choose the war hero. This is through
life experience, not through choice. If
it was my choice, I would wish to choose the Aiyaiyesh Girl and have the
opportunity to be a part of a community, instead of feeling separated and
disassociated from the commonwealth.
With the True War Stories there is a truth: “A true war story is never moral.
It does not instruct, nor encourage virtue, nor suggest models of proper
human behavior, nor restrain men from doing the things men have always
done. If a story seems moral, do not
believe it. If at the end of a war story
you feel uplifted, or if you feel that some small bit of rectitude has been
salvaged from the larger waste, then you have been made the victim of a very
old and terrible lie. There is no
rectitude whatsoever. There is no
virtue. As a first rule of thumb,
therefore, you can tell a true war story by its absolute and uncompromising
allegiance to obscenity and evil.” (True War para 7) Life can be a bitch. It can
be a living nightmare. An eleven year
old girl can survive hell in ways that only a man who is out there in the
trenches of Iraq would understand. Both
come away with eyes ancient and weary.
Joe Campbell showed in his story of
the two sons of the Sun, within Navaho mythology, strength and courage. The two sons sought to protect their mother
from the monsters, only they did not have the weapons or power in order to
accomplish such a feat. In order to
obtain what was needed to defeat the monsters.
This legend was depicted in pollen paintings by an elder. This series of Navajo creation songs depict
the journey of these two brothers, their trials and tribulations, showing their
strengths and courage. Eventually, they
acquire the weapons and power from their father, only to have to defeat the
monster of all monsters, who happened to also be a son of the Sun. In a way they must defeat that which they fear
the most, in order to become what they are destined to be. (Mythos 1)
This is typical of a heroic myth or quest as Joe explains. “This is standard stuff. They have gone past the known world. Magical help comes in the form of the fairy
god-mother. Ways of the journey are
predicted and overcome.” (Mythos 1, video 2)
Unfortunately, life does not play out as typical hero quest or a fairy-tale. If it did everyone would have a happily ever
after, and the trickster would need not seep into our thoughts.
So in the end what does make a
hero? I do not know. The patterns of my life have shown that since
that event, I have been running from my nightmare, attempting to escape the horrors
behind my eyes. There is no happily ever
after to this fairy-tale, nor a prince charming to come rescue the
princess. The lesson learned was
monsters are everywhere, but the strength and courage has to come from within
and yet in the end, even when there seems like there is no hope, life does go
on, because you will survive. Am I a
hero? Yes, because I lived. This is my True War Story. Perhaps next time I will start it with “No
shit there I was…”
Cite:
Campbell, Joseph “Mythos 1” http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MXHU2U/ref=avod_yvl_watch_now
O'Brien,
Tim. ""How to Tell a True War Story" The Things They
Carried." Mythology
and Modern Life - Selected Readings. SUNY Empire State College, 2015. 1-8.
Print.
Books and Censorship in the Modern Age: To Ban or Not to Ban?
Books and Censorship in the Modern Age: To Ban or Not to Ban?
“It’s not just the books under fire
now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The books that
will never be read.”
–Judy Blume
The year was 1933, Joseph Goebbels,
the Nazi Minister for Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda, along with the
National Socialist German Student Association, strove to bring the Nazi
movement through synchronizing and censorship of the literary community. They began with Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, a
burning that took place on May 10th of that year. In 1988, Salman Rushdie released his thought
provoking “Satanic Verses” and what followed would be havoc, with his book
banned in India, the UK attempting to have his novel banned, a fatwa
(execution) declared upon his life, and simply because he wrote a fictional
novel that others interpreted as immoral and blasphemes. India continues to have the Satanic Verses
banned in today’s modern age. J.K.
Rowling’s ever popular series “Harry Potter” has found its way on the banned
& challenged list since 2001 when it was first introduced to the public, as
it was discovered to introduce witchcraft and wizardry to today’s youth, of the
same type that had two classics, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter”
written in 1850, and Elizabeth George
Spears’ “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” written in 1958, a century later; and yet
both having found themselves on the ban lists for their subject matter being
seen as improper, immoral and too violent, not to mention witchcraft, the same
that J.K. Rowling found her own work scrutinized and challenged. The practice of censorship is neither a new
concept nor one that seems to be losing ground as we move forward into the
future.
The first amendment, often referred
to as the Freedom of Expression, is one that is also one of the most
controversial: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of
speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and
to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” (Amendment 1) Though in 1789, the clause concerning speech
and press would be placed before the senate and put into effect, so as to make
clear for the law that it was separate from religion. ''That Congress shall make no law abridging
the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to
assemble and consult for their common good, and to petition the government for
a redress of grievances.” (Amendment 1)This Amendment would later become the
center for several U.S. Supreme Court Cases, most notable: Board of Education,
Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 vs. Pico. Within this particular case the students were
found to be denied their first amendment rights by the school board of Island
Trees “Whether
petitioners' removal of books from the libraries denied respondents their First
Amendment rights depends upon the motivation behind petitioners' actions. Local
school boards may not remove books from school libraries simply because they
dislike the ideas contained in those books and seek by their removal to
"prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or
other matters of opinion." West Virginia Board of Education v.
Barnette, 319 U.S. 624, 642. If such an intention was the decisive factor
in petitioners' decision, then petitioners have exercised their discretion in
violation of the Constitution.” (Island Trees sec. C)
“In this age
of censorship, I mourn the loss of books that will never be written, I mourn
the voices that will be silenced-writers' voices, teachers' voices, students'
voices-and all because of fear.”
― Judy Blume
― Judy Blume
Imagine a world where imagination was censored
and books were monitored constantly for proper content. Where the ideals that helped to form the
foundation of American Society were no longer about “We the People…” but a
society in which people lived knowing the government controlled what content
was allowed to be published and distributed.
This type of black and white “utopian” society is what organizations
such as American Library Association (ALA) is working to prevent. For the past 30 years the ALA has gathered
and provided to the public a list of banned & challenged books from across
the nation. Their sources have come from School Districts, Journals, Magazines,
Newspapers, Libraries and Online Publications.
Through this organization dedication and hard work, now available on the
web, each year Banned Book Week is celebrated in Libraries and School Districts
nation-wide, with the hope of bringing awareness of what censorship and
depriving our youth the freedom of expression will do to our future as a
country. “The ALA promotes the freedom to choose or the freedom
to express one's opinions even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox
or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those
viewpoints to all who wish to read them.
A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon
the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those
materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of
view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or
library, thereby restricting the access of others. As such, they are a threat
to freedom of speech and choice.” (ALA para 1)
In 1839 Edward George Bulwer-Lytton would make famous a quote
from his play “The Conspiracy”. This
particular quote, “The pen is mightier than the sword…”, holds truth,
especially when one is speaking of book banning and censorship; for why ban and
challenge books if one does not fear the influence of the written word between
the pages of those particular books? The
following is a list of the top ten books reported on the banned and challenged
list, including the reason for them being on the list, as reported by the
Office of Intellectual Freedom (OIF) at ALA. (ALA banned book list) This list can be accessed along with other
resources concerning challenged and banned books in the past 21st
century on the ALA website:
Top 10 Challenged Books of 2013
1.
Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey
Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited for age group, violence
Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited for age group, violence
2.
The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence
Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence
3.
The Absolutely True Diary of a
Part-Time Indian, by
Sherman Alexie
Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
4.
Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James
Reasons: Nudity, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Reasons: Nudity, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
5.
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group
Reasons: Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group
6.
A Bad Boy Can Be Good for A Girl, by Tanya Lee Stone
Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit
Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit
7.
Looking for Alaska, by John Green
Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
8.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
9.
Bless Me Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
Reasons: Occult/Satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit
Reasons: Occult/Satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit
. Bone (series),
by Jeff Smith
Reasons: Political viewpoint, racism, violence
Reasons: Political viewpoint, racism, violence
A few of the reasons for banning of
books as described above include Racism, violence, sexual conduct, political
issues, witchcraft, blasphemous language, religious overtones. The list is an extensive one, although the
Butler University website gives an in-depth description of some of these
issues, for example:
1.
Racial Issues: About
and/or encouraging racism towards one or more group of people.
2.
Encouragement of "Damaging" Lifestyles: Content of book encourages lifestyle
choices that are not of the norm or could be considered dangerous or damaging.
This could include drug use, co-habitation without marriage, or homosexuality.
3.
Blasphemous Dialog: The author of the book uses words such as "God" or
"Jesus" as profanity. This could also include any use of profanity or
swear words within the text that any reader might find offensive.
4.
Sexual Situations or Dialog: Many books with content that include sexual situations
or dialog are banned or censored.
5.
Violence or Negativity: Books with content that include violence are often banned or
censored. Some books have also been deemed too negative or depressing and have
been banned or censored as well.
6.
Presence of Witchcraft: Books that include magic or witchcraft themes. A common
example of these types of books are J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Series.
7.
Religious Affiliations (unpopular religions): Books have been banned or censored
due to an unpopular religious views or opinions in the content of the book.
This is most commonly related to satanic or witchcraft themes found in the
book. Although, many books have also been banned or censored for any religious
views in general that might not coincide with the public view.
8.
Political Bias: Most Commonly occurs when books support or examine extreme political
parties/philosophies such as: fascism, communism, anarchism, etc.
9.
Age Inappropriate: These books have been banned or censored due to their content and
the age level at which they are aimed. In some cases children's books are viewed
to have "inappropriate" themes for the age level at which they
are written for. (Butler web)
Some of the books one might find on
the banned list would not surprise many, for how many readers truly wish
children to read the contents of Fifty Shades of Grey? At the same time, it is the responsibility of
parents to help the youth of America to understand what Freedom of Expression
is and that each writer expressing their imagination within the written page is
not to necessarily to be taken literally as factual, or a life choice. Others would be surprised to know that books
such as Huckleberry Finn, and other classics have consistently been on the
banned lists throughout American Society, for writing fiction that depicts a
reality that is too close to a truth than what some feel is politically and
morally correct for the youth of America to be able to “handle.”
At the end of the day, it becomes the
people’s choice what they will and will not allow for the children to read for
the fight for intellectual freedom begins at home. Will the youth of today grow to see monsters
around every corner, or will they truly understand the ideals of Freedom of
Expression and what the forefathers of America hoped for in establishing “We
the People…” Banning books in American Society is not something that can be
shrugged away as insignificant, for all it takes is one person to stand up and
raise and alarm to set the cycle in motion.
Knowledge is power, but to turn a blind eye from this issue is to deny
knowledge, and therefore people are sacrificing their intellectual freedom of
expression. In the words of the late
John F. Kennedy “If this nation is
to be wise as well as strong, if we are to achieve our destiny, then we need
more new ideas for more wise men reading more good books in more public
libraries. These libraries should be open to all—except the censor. We must
know all the facts and hear all the alternatives and listen to all the
criticisms. Let us welcome controversial books and controversial authors. For
the Bill of Rights is the guardian of our security as well as our liberty.”
Pick up a book and turn on your imaginations… one never knows where it will
take you.
Resources:
1. “Book Burning." Holocaust
Encyclopedia. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 20 June
2014. Web. 9 Dec. 2014. <http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005852>.
2.
Brenyo,
Michael. "[Censored]: Book Banning In The US Education System." Journal
Of Law & Education 40.3 (2011): 541-549. Education
Source. Web. 9 Dec. 2014.
3.
"Censorship: It's Real and a Real Threat." Levittown Tribune. Anton Community
Newspapers, 19 Sept. 2014. Web. 9 Dec. 2014.
.
4.
"Frequently Challenged Books of the 21st Century." Missing: Find a
Banned Book. American Library Association, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 9 Dec.
2014. .
5.
http://libguides.butler.edu/c.php?g=34189&p=217686 Reasons for Banning Books
Source: "Common Reasons for Banning Books," Fort
Lewis College, John F. Reed Library. Banned Books, Censorship & Free
Speech. November 15, 2013. Web. March 19, 2014.
6.
Milovanovich, Zoran. "Freedom of Speech and Freedom of
Press." HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE. Department of
Sociology and Anthropology. Web. 9 Dec. 2014. .
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