Theme Analysis: Catholic Extremism
Throughout this novel the main character, Stephen Dedalus, struggles with his faith. The school that he he goes to is a Catholic school, of which is conmpletely run based upon Catholic beliefs and ideology. It is this very thing that he struggles with not only throughout his time at school, but throughout life as well.
Stephen's first viewpoint of his religion is one of fear and uncertainty. This is characterized through statements such as: "He had to undress and then kneel and say his own prayers and be in bed before the gas was lowered so that he might not go to hell when he died." He was fearful of the simple prospect of not getting in bed in time in fear of going, to hell. If that is not absurd then I do not know what is. Stephen has been so consumed in religious doxology and principles that he lives in a constant state of fear for his very life. And this fear only intensifies as his time at school lingers on.
Stephen's fear of death and the potential of going to hell is greatly increased when he falls into what he has learned to be "mortal sin." He sexual obsessions have afflicted him with so much guilt that he sees the world in a very different way. He describes everything as dark and dingy and dirty. For example the simple sight of coats hanging he pictures humans being tortured strung up in a cage. This is proof that the pressure to be good put on him by his Catholic upbringing has consumed his mind with guilt over sin which in retrospect is normal for men his age to go through, maybe not as extreme as him, but all guys go through it. After hearing the sermon on hell, in which it ws described as a "boundless fire", a place where "flesh is tortured", and filled with "frightful torment", Stephen is absolutely mortified. The sin that has consumed his life is one that is MORTAL, one that will send him to this place where "The blood seethes and boils in the veins, the brains are bursting, the bowels a redhot mass of buring pulp, the tender eyes flaming like molten balls."
Stephen is now at the point where his only option is to confess his sin in order to avoid his fate of going to an eternal hell. Now he is truly sad and convicted over his sin, not guilty, but convicted for what he did wrong. he confesses his sin and recieved forgiveness from the church and he is renewed and is his words is given "Another life! A life of grace and virtue and happiness!" This now opens another phase of his relationship with his religion.
So, from the beginning of the novel, through chapter 3, every single facet of Stephen's life has been bent and shaped by his religious convictions. After his confession he finally learns to embrace his religion rather then let it control his life and drive him into fear and guilt. he becomes extremely religious and devoted to the church and nearly becomes a priest. From this point on his religious life fades away somewhat to the point where he decides to simply not be very religious anymore.
So Stephen went from being guilty beyond belief over his sin, disgusted with it, and scared to death of going to hell, to content with life without such serious religious conviction. In the end he chooses rather to look at the world through the eyes of an artist, one who sees everything for its beauty, rather then the sin they may be in it of which he would have focused on if he remained religious.
Passage Analysis
"What birds were they? He stood on the steps of the library to look at
them, leaning wearily on his ashplant. They flew round and round the
jutting shoulder of a house in Molesworth Street. The air of the late
March evening made clear their flight, their dark quivering bodies
flying clearly against the sky as against a limp-hung cloth of smoky
tenuous blue. He watched their flight; bird after bird: a dark flash, a swerve, a
flutter of wings. He tried to count them before all their darting
quivering bodies passed: six, ten, eleven: and wondered were they odd
or even in number. Twelve, thirteen: for two came wheeling down from the
upper sky. They were flying high and low but ever round and round in
straight and curving lines and ever flying from left to right, circling
about a temple of air.He listened to the cries: like the squeak of mice behind the wainscot: a shrill twofold note. But the notes were long and shrill and whirring,
unlike the cry of vermin, falling a third or a fourth and trilled as
the flying beaks clove the air. Their cry was shrill and clear and fine
and falling like threads of silken light unwound from whirring spools."
In this passage Stephen contimplates for a long time the movements and of the birds circling overhead. This prolonged study of the bird parallels Stephen's life at the time. The birds cause him to think that the birds are a sign of a flight of his own. In this passage he cannot seem to identify the species of the birds, which is similar to his own life in that he in unsure of his own nature. He simply knows that the birds are slying and that he will be doing the same too. Stephens last name, Dedalus, is an allusion to the Greek myth which involved humans building wings to fly. So his last name is in direct coorelation with flight. The birds also offer Stephen relief, the cries are harsh but the ""inhuman clamour soothed his ears in which his mother's sobs and reproaches murmured insistently." But Stephen is unsure of whether the birds are good or evil. This is similar to his life in that he is unsure that his decisions to leave his family, friends, the university as well as other decisions are just or not. The birds cause Stephen to take a serious step back and question his life decisions.
Personal Reflection
This novel, however difficult to read and at times understand completely, I believe truly encompasses human nature as a whole. The stream of conciousness style of the novel gives the reader an inside look into the initmate mind of Stephen. I have never read a book that had such intricate detail over the simple thoughts and emotions of a human being. This in depth detail made Stephen a very relatable character. Many of the temptations, thoughts, ideas and struggles that Stephen endures I can relate with because I have gone through similar things as him. Overall, I enjoyed reading this novel and liked the style of it.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
"War is Kind" by Stephen Crane, Analysis and Reflection
POEM #2
“War is Kind” by Stephen Crane
Page 352
Analysis
“War is Kind” by Stephen Crane is a piece that is extremely critical on war and questions if war and the death and destructions that results is truly worth it. Through the use of structure and sarcasm, Crane attempts to sway the mind of the reader to be critical towards war and to see it for what it really is.
The structure of the poem is truly brilliant in showing the two contrasting viewpoints on war. The first, third and final stanza are the false view of war, the one that is devised to give meaning for it, an excuse. The theme of these three stanzas is consoling those effected by a death in war. The speaker pleads to them to not be sad in saying: “Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind”, “Do not weep babe for war is kind” and “Mother…/do not weep.” Although the speaker is trying to console these people, he does not paint a pretty picture for them as to how their loved one died. He states plainly the manner of their death in “your lover threw wild hands toward the sky”, “your father tumbled…/gulped and died” and “shroud of your son.” The stereotypical view of someone consoling another who lost a loved one in war is the scene in which they describe how glorious they were and the valiant manner of their death. But Crane knows this, but shows that if one were honest, they could not paint war as glorious or kind at all. The second and fourth stanza provide the reader with the gritty truth of war. It is almost as if the consoling stanzas are like a speech, and the gritty parts are an aside, a secret being revealed to the reader by a whistleblower, denouncing the understating speech of the consoler. The asides portray the true manner in which war is conducted. Men do not simply die as the speech wants you to believe. There is a soul there ripped apart, a body torn and heart shattered. As the aside repeats “These men were born to drill and die”, they were not treated as souls, but as pawns of war, pointed towards “the virtue of slaughter” who were trained to believe in the “excellence of killing”. The structure used by Crane exposes those who release information on war as understating deceivers, portraying war as kind.
When one thinks of war, they oftentimes think of the glory, honor and patriotism expressed during it. But Crane is begging the reader to re-evaluate their view on war by exposing it for what it really is. “War is Kind” follows a specific pattern that is infused with sarcasm. The very title of the poem is a curious choice of words that immediately displays the sarcasm that will come up throughout the piece. The speaker constantly tells individuals to not weep after describing in detail the manner of their loved ones deaths. He says things such as “your lover threw wild hands toward the sky” and “Raged at his breast, gulped and died.” How could the speaker, after describing that, not expect someone to weep? It is a horrible revelation to these people yet he is sarcastic is saying “Do not weep” and reiterating the satirical statement “War is kind.” The second and fourth stanzas (the asides) also possess sarcasm to persuade the reader to not believe the consoler. The sarcastic statement “unexplained glory flies” in line 9 comments on the misconstrued and misunderstood “glory” of war. Soldiers are often told they will achieve glory, honor and respect if they fight and die for their country or cause. But in reality they are only “born to drill and die” and lie in “A field where a thousand corpses lie.” Crane implores them to not fight for their foreseen glory, for all they will achieve is a painful death. The most sarcastic lines of the piece are in lines 21-22 where it says “Point for them the virtue of slaughter,/Make plain for them the excellence of killing.” This is truly a shocking combination of words to form two satirical lines that are used to comment on the absurdity of thinking killing and death is a glorious affair. There is not virtue or excellence in killing, but the consoler would have you to believe there is and that it is worth suffering and dying for. Without these sarcastic statements, the anti-war sentiment of the piece would not have been as strongly evident and would have certainly taken away from the piece.
Reflection
War is a horrible thing. I believe that if war can be averted in any way then it should be. This poem does an excellent job of exposing the war mongering argument that war is always glorious and just, which is not always true. From seeing documentaries on war and having relatives who have lived through war, I am convinced there is no glory in it. The amount of destruction and death war causes, reverberates for centuries. Having said that, I think this poem is too critical of war. It really presents no defense for it, which I believe there is. While I believe there is no glory in war, I do believe there can be virtue and honor. There have been many wars fought for virtuous and honorable causes such as the American Civil War to defeat slavery and WWII fought to crush evil and oppression throughout the world. Crane fails to acknowledge this. But, besides that aspect I found this poem to be very well written and I enjoyed it very much.
"Siren Song" Analysis and Reflection
POEM #1
“Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood
Pages 342-343
Analysis
“Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood, is a concise and cleverly written piece that uses both allusion and diction to convey the meaning of the poem, that women should fend for themselves, and that men should let them fend for themselves, or suffer the consequences.
In Greek mythology there existed three “Sirens”. These individuals were not normal humans like us, but rather, they were half-bird, half-woman beings. There were three Sirens and they would play sweet music to allure ships towards them as cause them to crash on the rocky shore. This is evident in lines 4-9, which say:
“the song that forces men
to leap overboard in squadrons
even though they see beached skulls
the song nobody knows
because anyone who had heard it
is dead, and the others can’t remember.”
The allusion of the Sirens is essential to the entire piece, because if the reader is familiar with these creatures, then from the moment they read the title, they know of the speaker’s (who is a siren) true intentions. The Siren who is the speaker expresses how they lure men in from the sea by how she plays the “damsel in distress” character. She says “…Help me!/Only you, only you can,/you are unique”. In saying this she gives the man worth, meaning, purpose, and that purpose is to save her. While he was passing he saw the “beached skulls” but disregarded them because of the sweet music and cries for help coming from the Siren. This allusion, and the way men fall into the trap, contribute to the meaning of the poem that calls for men to let women save themselves because they are fully capable, and for women to not plead for men’s aid.
The diction of this piece is also key to discovering the meaning. The speaker describes herself and the other two Sirens in a somewhat humorous in phrases such as “bird suit”, “two feathery maniacs”, “fatal and valuable”, “squatting on this island” and “picturesque and mythical”. All of these phrases, no matter how ridiculously sounding they may be, are used by the speaker to sway the mariner into falling into her trap. By describing the other two Sirens as “two feathery maniacs”, she makes herself ou to be the victim and the innocent one, making even more easier for the mariner to be deceived.
Reflection
With knowledge of other works by Atwood, such as “The Handmaid’s Tale”, one can reason that this is written to promotes feminism. The allusion of the Siren represents women, and pleading for women to not always seek the help of men, and to not play the “damsel in distress” character, because you can help yourself. On the other hand, one could also view this piece as purely a comedic one, simply because of the cunningness of the Siren and the humorous diction used. The comedic theme is capped off with the few lines: “…Alas/it is a boring song/but it works every time.” I picture the Siren releasing a big sigh after leading the mariner to his demise, sitting on a rock reflecting on her deception as if it were no big deal, that it happens all the time. I do believe though that this poem is meant to implore women to not be bored and keep asking men to fix all their problems and to fight their own battle. But, the comedic tone takes the deceptive edge off the piece, making it a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Monday, November 1, 2010
The Bible in "The Handmaid's Tale"
The Bible is by far the most alluded to book in history and is also the best-preserved literary work of all antiquity. But, it has probably never been alluded to the way it was by Margaret Atwood in "The Handmaid's Tale." Atwood uses Biblical stories, verses and principles to create an oppressive society, which at first glance may seem as an attempt to demonize the Christian faith. Holding this view on the novel would be an erroneous analysis. I will show you from a Bible reading Christians perspective why that view is false. Atwood's purpose for using Biblical allusions and references is not to demean religion, but to exhonorate it and to plead for those who are Christians to not allow Biblical law and practice smother faith and morality.
The whole system of the handmaids was constructed based upon one single passage of the Bible. This single verse, little slice of the Bible was used by the leadership of Gilead as an excuse to oppress and control a certain part of the population. Without this excuse, many may not have gone along with the system because it would have had no moral base. But, since the verse is used to justify such a practice, it is generally accepted by society because it is viewed as "morally" right. Atwood uses this as a warning to Christians to not simply listen to a sermon or teaching and perceive it as absolute truth simply because those who are delivering it say it is. An active, faithful Christian is one who doesn't simply go to church and go through the motions, robotically absorbing everything they here without question. They are to read and ponder for themselves what they interpret the Bible to be saying, and to pray and meditate on it and reach a clear, rational and personal conclusion. The Bible itself implores believers to test question their beliefs, as explain in 1 John 4:1,"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." This verse is clear, DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR! For it is not all from God! Their are many who set out to deceive people. Atwood is commenting on the fact that there exists in society today, many people who use religion and exploit it for their own personal gain, and that those who have true faith need to watch out for them, for if they are not rebuked, a society like Gilead is not too far fetched anymore.
Whether one believes in God, Jesus or even believes if the Bible is true, they cannot deny that within the Bible exists concrete values that most of mankind would agree with. Things such as being kind to one another, to not value material things, to not commit adultery, murder or steal. These things we can all agree are morally wrong. It is for this reason many Biblical allusions made in the novel are perceived as so ironically extreme. Gilead hangs abortion doctors and homosexuals (murder), allows Commanders to sleep with handmaids (adultery) and focuses itself on the gaining of material possessions. The murder and adultery are obvious in the novel through the killing of rebels, homosexuals and abortion doctors, and the entire handmaid system. But, the fact that the society is focused upon material thing is not as obvious. The whole reason the handmaids exist is for reproduction. That is their sole purpose. They are not to experience the pleasure and intimacy of sex between a married man and woman (as God intended it to be) but rather they are to be emotionless because they are producing a child for the betterment of society. All of these things blatantly contradict with Biblical teaching and can be seen, at genuinely so, as a bash on Christianity. Yet, one must look past the unmistakable irony and must realize the writers true purpose. Atwood knows and has probably observed, as I have, many Christians who "talk the talk" but don't "walk the walk." They know their ten commandments and can recite for you their prayers and ritualistic pledges, but their actions and characters reveal them for the hypocrite they are. The people in Gilead may seem to know what they are talking about and believe what they are doing is just. But through it they miss the sole purpose of the belief they are trying to protect. My favorite passage of the novel reflects that very key missing aspect:
"I go to the window and sit on the window seat, which is too narrow for comfort. There's a hard little cushion on it, with a petit point cover: FAITH, in square print, surrounded by a wreath of lillies. FAITH is a faded blue, the leaves of the lilies a dingy green. This is cushion once used elsewhere, worn but not enough to throw out. Somehow it's been overlooked."
This passage could not display better the missing factor in the society, FAITH!!! The very word "faith" is found in the NIV Bible 422 times! The very foundation of the Christian religion is faith! Faith is there when you first become a Christian, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith."-Ephesians 2:8. Faith is essential while you live the Christian life: "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong."-1 Corinthians 16:13. And at the end of your life you should look back and be able to say you lived by faith: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."-2 Timothy 4:7. The Bible makes it precisely, painfully clear that faith is extremely important and is required to live a fulfilling Christian life. But as this passage from the "The Handmaid's Tale" exposes, faith can be too easily lost. An obsession for law and regulation can eliminate faith from any religion, especially Christianity.
Religion gives people hope, purpose and reason to live for. But the biggest problem truly is religion itself. Religion by definition is a belief system. But people can take this too an extreme and use extreme views of the teachings to justify things that would be commonly viewed as immoral. Thus, faith is lost. Atwood is pleading for those of not only the Christian religion, but any religion, too not forcibly impose their religion on others. Rather, she would have them express themselves through faith, not religious practice, but through faith and faith alone. If this view could take hold in every religion, the perception of religion would drastically change for the better.
My Opinion of the Novel
I found this novel to be one of the most thought provoking, insightful and meaningful novels I have ever read. This book presents so many aspects and issues of modern society and brilliantly comments on all of them and brings to light their faults in order to open the mind of the reader to things they may not have realized. As a Christian I have certainly learned a considerable amountfrom reading this novel. I always knew that there exists Christians who do not follow the core teachings of faith, but i did not realize how serious a cost it could be if the faith is lost. If law takes over, the view of Christianity will be as the book portrays, immoral, unjust and truly evil. This is something as a Christian is honestly frightening. To think that my belief and faith could be twisted to do things so immoral is appalling and has motivated me to insure it does not happen in any way I can. Law and regulation can never be allowed to replace faith, not only in religion but in any facet of life. Whether one realizes it or not, steps of faith are taken on nearly a daily basis. If we simply did not take these steps because of law or teaching, the world would truly be a boring, unfullfilling place, filled with constant regulation. Faith is the basis of religion, individuality and life, and it is our duty as humans to never let it be forgotten.
The whole system of the handmaids was constructed based upon one single passage of the Bible. This single verse, little slice of the Bible was used by the leadership of Gilead as an excuse to oppress and control a certain part of the population. Without this excuse, many may not have gone along with the system because it would have had no moral base. But, since the verse is used to justify such a practice, it is generally accepted by society because it is viewed as "morally" right. Atwood uses this as a warning to Christians to not simply listen to a sermon or teaching and perceive it as absolute truth simply because those who are delivering it say it is. An active, faithful Christian is one who doesn't simply go to church and go through the motions, robotically absorbing everything they here without question. They are to read and ponder for themselves what they interpret the Bible to be saying, and to pray and meditate on it and reach a clear, rational and personal conclusion. The Bible itself implores believers to test question their beliefs, as explain in 1 John 4:1,"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." This verse is clear, DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR! For it is not all from God! Their are many who set out to deceive people. Atwood is commenting on the fact that there exists in society today, many people who use religion and exploit it for their own personal gain, and that those who have true faith need to watch out for them, for if they are not rebuked, a society like Gilead is not too far fetched anymore.
Whether one believes in God, Jesus or even believes if the Bible is true, they cannot deny that within the Bible exists concrete values that most of mankind would agree with. Things such as being kind to one another, to not value material things, to not commit adultery, murder or steal. These things we can all agree are morally wrong. It is for this reason many Biblical allusions made in the novel are perceived as so ironically extreme. Gilead hangs abortion doctors and homosexuals (murder), allows Commanders to sleep with handmaids (adultery) and focuses itself on the gaining of material possessions. The murder and adultery are obvious in the novel through the killing of rebels, homosexuals and abortion doctors, and the entire handmaid system. But, the fact that the society is focused upon material thing is not as obvious. The whole reason the handmaids exist is for reproduction. That is their sole purpose. They are not to experience the pleasure and intimacy of sex between a married man and woman (as God intended it to be) but rather they are to be emotionless because they are producing a child for the betterment of society. All of these things blatantly contradict with Biblical teaching and can be seen, at genuinely so, as a bash on Christianity. Yet, one must look past the unmistakable irony and must realize the writers true purpose. Atwood knows and has probably observed, as I have, many Christians who "talk the talk" but don't "walk the walk." They know their ten commandments and can recite for you their prayers and ritualistic pledges, but their actions and characters reveal them for the hypocrite they are. The people in Gilead may seem to know what they are talking about and believe what they are doing is just. But through it they miss the sole purpose of the belief they are trying to protect. My favorite passage of the novel reflects that very key missing aspect:
"I go to the window and sit on the window seat, which is too narrow for comfort. There's a hard little cushion on it, with a petit point cover: FAITH, in square print, surrounded by a wreath of lillies. FAITH is a faded blue, the leaves of the lilies a dingy green. This is cushion once used elsewhere, worn but not enough to throw out. Somehow it's been overlooked."
This passage could not display better the missing factor in the society, FAITH!!! The very word "faith" is found in the NIV Bible 422 times! The very foundation of the Christian religion is faith! Faith is there when you first become a Christian, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith."-Ephesians 2:8. Faith is essential while you live the Christian life: "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong."-1 Corinthians 16:13. And at the end of your life you should look back and be able to say you lived by faith: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."-2 Timothy 4:7. The Bible makes it precisely, painfully clear that faith is extremely important and is required to live a fulfilling Christian life. But as this passage from the "The Handmaid's Tale" exposes, faith can be too easily lost. An obsession for law and regulation can eliminate faith from any religion, especially Christianity.
Religion gives people hope, purpose and reason to live for. But the biggest problem truly is religion itself. Religion by definition is a belief system. But people can take this too an extreme and use extreme views of the teachings to justify things that would be commonly viewed as immoral. Thus, faith is lost. Atwood is pleading for those of not only the Christian religion, but any religion, too not forcibly impose their religion on others. Rather, she would have them express themselves through faith, not religious practice, but through faith and faith alone. If this view could take hold in every religion, the perception of religion would drastically change for the better.
My Opinion of the Novel
I found this novel to be one of the most thought provoking, insightful and meaningful novels I have ever read. This book presents so many aspects and issues of modern society and brilliantly comments on all of them and brings to light their faults in order to open the mind of the reader to things they may not have realized. As a Christian I have certainly learned a considerable amountfrom reading this novel. I always knew that there exists Christians who do not follow the core teachings of faith, but i did not realize how serious a cost it could be if the faith is lost. If law takes over, the view of Christianity will be as the book portrays, immoral, unjust and truly evil. This is something as a Christian is honestly frightening. To think that my belief and faith could be twisted to do things so immoral is appalling and has motivated me to insure it does not happen in any way I can. Law and regulation can never be allowed to replace faith, not only in religion but in any facet of life. Whether one realizes it or not, steps of faith are taken on nearly a daily basis. If we simply did not take these steps because of law or teaching, the world would truly be a boring, unfullfilling place, filled with constant regulation. Faith is the basis of religion, individuality and life, and it is our duty as humans to never let it be forgotten.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
"We" By Yevgeny Zamyatin
Analysis of Love in "We"
Love as defined by Websters: a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
Most would agree with this worldly definition of love. Love is a very complicated word, a word whose meaning has been pondered over and written about for centuries. It's caring, nuturing, tender persona is generally held by all in our world. Every human soul on this planet has a desire for love. Human beings have been created souls, souls that need to be filled by something or someone. Some look to God or a higher power to fill that hole. While others seek worldly things such as wealth or power. But, there exists one aspect of need in every heart, and that is to be loved by others. Whether it is through friendship between the same sex, or an intimate, personal relationship with the opposite sex, everyone desires love from others. This desire is so strong, so ingrained in human nature that is is impossible to alleviate.
But for the society depicted in "We", there exists no room for love. The entire society is bent on equality. No one has an individual name, only numbers. Expression of any type of emotion towards anyone or anything is forbidden. Thus, love is forbidden. Therefore, the citizens of this heartless society are not familiar with the word love. The word is never spoken, thus it is not known. But the feeling cannot be removed.
This accounts for the reason D-503 is driven into a paranoid meltdown. But was it really a paranoid meltdown as OneState would have you believe? Or was it simply the fact that D-503 was acting upon the pressing need to be loved? No matter how hard D-503 attempted to compute his feelings with OneState logic, he could not solve the "problem" of love. His heart and mind become so conflictd that he cannot decide whether he enjoys or hates this feeling of love, thus causing his normally logical mind to crash into a state of confusion.
Love and conflict it causes shapes the plot of the novel and is the key underlying theme. Zamyatin displays how a utopian society cannot be acheived for several purposes, but the main is the desire to be loved. A society can easily suppress and influence ones actions, beliefs and morals, but human nature is impossible to remove. And once the core of human nature (love) is threatened, man cannot resist the urge to fight back.
Favorite Passage pg.59
"I'm in front of a mirror. And for the first time in my life, I swear it, for the very first time in my life, I get a clear, distinct, conscious look at myself; I see myself and I'm astonished...I am looking at myself, at him, and I am absolutely certain that he, with his ruler-straight eyebrows, is a stranger, somebody else, I just met him for the first time in my life. And I'm the real one. I AM NOT HIM."
This passage encompasses how love is affecting D-503. At the beginning of this passage his tone is almost revalationary, as if he has finally discovered himself. Yet by the end of the passage he is convinced this newly discovered self cannot be his true identity. This is his human nature shining through. His soul is begging him to capture these newly discovered feelings and fill the missing hole. But he is so fixed in his brainwashed OneState mentality that by the end of the passage he is fighting the desires of his very soul! The society has so very successfully crushed his individuality that his very soul is forgotten. This passage perfectly embodies the theme of love and the desire for it in the novel and serves as a crystal clear example of how oppressive the OneState society is.
Novel Review
I found this novel quite enlightening on certain issues, somewhat controversial and at the same time quite disturbing. First off, the disturbing factors. The very fact that in order to have sex with another person you need to get a ticket for them and that you can choose anyone you want, whenever you want is genuinely disturbing.The very regimental nature of the society I also found facinating. They wake up, work, eat, sleep and have sex on set up times, and they never alleviate from their schedules. A parallel can be made to reality in that many aspects of our lives are very regimented as well. We usually wake up at the same time, go from class to class at the same time, sleep at the same general time and eat at the same general time. So one could relate to a regimented day, but the way it was displayed in "We" was so absurd that it caused me to reconsider if my life is truly as regimented as it seems. The most controversial aspect of this novel that struck a sense of dissapointment in my heart was the way God was depicted. In the novel, the Christian God is oftentimes depicted as uncaring, cruel and an "executioner". I honestly laughed when I read the passage that stated that if God was so caring why do those who oppose him burn in hell? Although I was initially angered by the descripitons of God, I realized that Zamyatin is plainfully depicting the common perceptions of God. Many believe that God is this big guy in the sky who is constantly watching, ready to smite us if we commit a wrongdoing. But this could not be farther from the truth. 1 John 4:8 states: "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." God is love! Not hate, or destruction or "executioner"! The God that I know, the one that rules in my life is loving, caring and merciful. Ezekiel 33:11 says: "Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?'" As this verse says, God does not delight the death of the wicked! He loves EVERYONE and wants to see all repent and come to him. This depiction of God in "We" is commonplace, and just down right false. People need to realize that the common dictator-like perception of God is blantanly untrue.
Love as defined by Websters: a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
Most would agree with this worldly definition of love. Love is a very complicated word, a word whose meaning has been pondered over and written about for centuries. It's caring, nuturing, tender persona is generally held by all in our world. Every human soul on this planet has a desire for love. Human beings have been created souls, souls that need to be filled by something or someone. Some look to God or a higher power to fill that hole. While others seek worldly things such as wealth or power. But, there exists one aspect of need in every heart, and that is to be loved by others. Whether it is through friendship between the same sex, or an intimate, personal relationship with the opposite sex, everyone desires love from others. This desire is so strong, so ingrained in human nature that is is impossible to alleviate.
But for the society depicted in "We", there exists no room for love. The entire society is bent on equality. No one has an individual name, only numbers. Expression of any type of emotion towards anyone or anything is forbidden. Thus, love is forbidden. Therefore, the citizens of this heartless society are not familiar with the word love. The word is never spoken, thus it is not known. But the feeling cannot be removed.
This accounts for the reason D-503 is driven into a paranoid meltdown. But was it really a paranoid meltdown as OneState would have you believe? Or was it simply the fact that D-503 was acting upon the pressing need to be loved? No matter how hard D-503 attempted to compute his feelings with OneState logic, he could not solve the "problem" of love. His heart and mind become so conflictd that he cannot decide whether he enjoys or hates this feeling of love, thus causing his normally logical mind to crash into a state of confusion.
Love and conflict it causes shapes the plot of the novel and is the key underlying theme. Zamyatin displays how a utopian society cannot be acheived for several purposes, but the main is the desire to be loved. A society can easily suppress and influence ones actions, beliefs and morals, but human nature is impossible to remove. And once the core of human nature (love) is threatened, man cannot resist the urge to fight back.
Favorite Passage pg.59
"I'm in front of a mirror. And for the first time in my life, I swear it, for the very first time in my life, I get a clear, distinct, conscious look at myself; I see myself and I'm astonished...I am looking at myself, at him, and I am absolutely certain that he, with his ruler-straight eyebrows, is a stranger, somebody else, I just met him for the first time in my life. And I'm the real one. I AM NOT HIM."
This passage encompasses how love is affecting D-503. At the beginning of this passage his tone is almost revalationary, as if he has finally discovered himself. Yet by the end of the passage he is convinced this newly discovered self cannot be his true identity. This is his human nature shining through. His soul is begging him to capture these newly discovered feelings and fill the missing hole. But he is so fixed in his brainwashed OneState mentality that by the end of the passage he is fighting the desires of his very soul! The society has so very successfully crushed his individuality that his very soul is forgotten. This passage perfectly embodies the theme of love and the desire for it in the novel and serves as a crystal clear example of how oppressive the OneState society is.
Novel Review
I found this novel quite enlightening on certain issues, somewhat controversial and at the same time quite disturbing. First off, the disturbing factors. The very fact that in order to have sex with another person you need to get a ticket for them and that you can choose anyone you want, whenever you want is genuinely disturbing.The very regimental nature of the society I also found facinating. They wake up, work, eat, sleep and have sex on set up times, and they never alleviate from their schedules. A parallel can be made to reality in that many aspects of our lives are very regimented as well. We usually wake up at the same time, go from class to class at the same time, sleep at the same general time and eat at the same general time. So one could relate to a regimented day, but the way it was displayed in "We" was so absurd that it caused me to reconsider if my life is truly as regimented as it seems. The most controversial aspect of this novel that struck a sense of dissapointment in my heart was the way God was depicted. In the novel, the Christian God is oftentimes depicted as uncaring, cruel and an "executioner". I honestly laughed when I read the passage that stated that if God was so caring why do those who oppose him burn in hell? Although I was initially angered by the descripitons of God, I realized that Zamyatin is plainfully depicting the common perceptions of God. Many believe that God is this big guy in the sky who is constantly watching, ready to smite us if we commit a wrongdoing. But this could not be farther from the truth. 1 John 4:8 states: "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." God is love! Not hate, or destruction or "executioner"! The God that I know, the one that rules in my life is loving, caring and merciful. Ezekiel 33:11 says: "Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?'" As this verse says, God does not delight the death of the wicked! He loves EVERYONE and wants to see all repent and come to him. This depiction of God in "We" is commonplace, and just down right false. People need to realize that the common dictator-like perception of God is blantanly untrue.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)