Little children are born innocent, and most parents try to keep that innocence. For example, if a young child's grandfather dies, their parents wouldn't say, "Oh yeah, Grandaddy's dead. You'll never see him again." Their parents would probably say something like, "Grandaddy went to be with Grammy forever, don't worry though, he's happy now and in a better place."
This weekend, we had to read "The History Teacher" by Billy Collins. In the poem, the history teacher is describing historical events by what it sounds like happened in very mild and kind terms. Some people believe that he was flat out lying to the kids, some believe that he was just protecting their innocence. I side with the people that believe he was protecting their innocence because I tend to see the good in people. I think that because his intentions were good, he shouldn't be criticized. He was just trying to keep the kids innocent for as long as possible because its so easy in this day and age to become very cynical or to go down "the wrong path."
However, the history teacher not telling the kids the whole truth is kind of like growing up not knowing about your past or ancestors; what if you didn't know something about your family's history but everyone around you did? What if it was something important, like the fact that the Enola Gay didn't just drop a tiny atom. How freaky would it be if everyone knew something about you that you didn't?
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Guilt
Everyone has felt guilty at some point in their life; whether it was sneaking a cookie from the cookie jar or hurting a friend , everyone has felt the horrible feeling of guilt.
In The Scarlet Letter, Hester and Dimmesdale commit adultery together and each have their own punishment and guilt. Hester's punishment is more public than Dimmesdale's and is just to wear a scarlet "A" on all of her clothes, though her guilt is more towards Dimmesdale's self-punishment. Dimmesdale feels immense guilt and internally punishes himself for his crime. Because he hasn't told anyone and doesn't feel absolved for his sins, Dimmesdale beings to die inside and later his own mark appears on his chest; Dimmesdale eventually dies because he hasn't told anyone about his sins.
** In the Harry Potter series, Regulus Arcturus Black (Sirius' brother) half-heartedly joins the Death Eaters and lets Voldemort use his house elf and friend Kreacher as a guinea pig for his hidden horcrux. Kreacher is put through hell testing out how well Voldemort's horcrux is hidden and how the defenses affect people. Once he returns, Kreacher tells Black all about it and Regulus feels extremely guilty for joining the Death Eaters and letting Kreacher be tortured. Because he is so guilty, Black goes to the cave where the horcrux is hidden, knowing he is going to die, and drinks the poisonous potion himself; steals the horcrux; and has Kreacher go back without him and destroy it while he is left to die. Guilt really can eat away at your soul, and really can cause people to die.
**In case you don't know, I love Harry Potter and can relate almost anything to it. So I apologize if you don't like Harry Potter or don't get the reference. If you don't get it and haven't read the books or seen the movies, either ask me about it or go read/watch it. Seriously. Best series ever. [:
In The Scarlet Letter, Hester and Dimmesdale commit adultery together and each have their own punishment and guilt. Hester's punishment is more public than Dimmesdale's and is just to wear a scarlet "A" on all of her clothes, though her guilt is more towards Dimmesdale's self-punishment. Dimmesdale feels immense guilt and internally punishes himself for his crime. Because he hasn't told anyone and doesn't feel absolved for his sins, Dimmesdale beings to die inside and later his own mark appears on his chest; Dimmesdale eventually dies because he hasn't told anyone about his sins.
** In the Harry Potter series, Regulus Arcturus Black (Sirius' brother) half-heartedly joins the Death Eaters and lets Voldemort use his house elf and friend Kreacher as a guinea pig for his hidden horcrux. Kreacher is put through hell testing out how well Voldemort's horcrux is hidden and how the defenses affect people. Once he returns, Kreacher tells Black all about it and Regulus feels extremely guilty for joining the Death Eaters and letting Kreacher be tortured. Because he is so guilty, Black goes to the cave where the horcrux is hidden, knowing he is going to die, and drinks the poisonous potion himself; steals the horcrux; and has Kreacher go back without him and destroy it while he is left to die. Guilt really can eat away at your soul, and really can cause people to die.**In case you don't know, I love Harry Potter and can relate almost anything to it. So I apologize if you don't like Harry Potter or don't get the reference. If you don't get it and haven't read the books or seen the movies, either ask me about it or go read/watch it. Seriously. Best series ever. [:
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Men vs. Women
Almost no matter where you go, there is going to be a difference in the way men and women are treated. Whether it's just assuming dinner was cooked by the woman and the computer fixed by the man, or the woman getting a lesser pay for the same job a man does, men and women are not treated equally.
In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne has committed adultery with Reverend Dimmesdale, and though no one knows that he was involved, they would be treated differently if he was revealed as the adulterer. Hester is a woman, a poor, cheating woman, and Dimmesdale is a priest and a respected man; although they would both be punished for their crime, Hester's punishment would most likely be harsher, and Dimmesdale would probably be let off easier than Hester. Because of gender as well as social standings, Hester would continue to be shunned whereas Dimmesdale would be removed from the church and would lose some respect, but would be forgiven MUCH sooner than Hester.
We see this inequality in today's society in the extremely common stereotype of how women should stay in the kitchen, cook, clean and take care of the kids while men are being taken care of or at work making money. Another example of unequal treatment is that a man and woman can have the exact same level of education and exact same job, but the woman would make up to 30% less than the man. Men and women should be treated the same, as they are the same; men and women are both human beings.
In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne has committed adultery with Reverend Dimmesdale, and though no one knows that he was involved, they would be treated differently if he was revealed as the adulterer. Hester is a woman, a poor, cheating woman, and Dimmesdale is a priest and a respected man; although they would both be punished for their crime, Hester's punishment would most likely be harsher, and Dimmesdale would probably be let off easier than Hester. Because of gender as well as social standings, Hester would continue to be shunned whereas Dimmesdale would be removed from the church and would lose some respect, but would be forgiven MUCH sooner than Hester.
We see this inequality in today's society in the extremely common stereotype of how women should stay in the kitchen, cook, clean and take care of the kids while men are being taken care of or at work making money. Another example of unequal treatment is that a man and woman can have the exact same level of education and exact same job, but the woman would make up to 30% less than the man. Men and women should be treated the same, as they are the same; men and women are both human beings.
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