Beloved, Memories

Hey bloggers, here's another article about memory...remember?
Through chapter nine the novel Beloved highlights the dangers of the past. Each character is affected by their past and each ones past and memories are impacting their future. In this blog we will explore Sethe and issues she has with the past. Up until this point Sethe had been avoiding the past by keeping her mind away from her memories. By the time Paul D. and Beloved came her house she could avoid it no longer and she began to tell about certain memories. She remembered Baby Suggs' sermon and wanted to be back there. As she walked to the spot the sermon was held, she started to remember things about Baby Suggs that she had kept bottled up inside her. For example, "Sethe blamed herself for Baby Suggs' collapse." Remembering the past brought guilt upon Sethe. Normally she tried to avoid the past to avoid the guilt, but in order to come to terms with herself, she had to remember the guilt. Along the way "The old path was a track now..." This is a symbol showing that sometimes things in the past grow stronger than they were as they age. If memories are avoided, they can too become stronger as time goes on. Finally, Sethe decides to remember Halle and imagines his "unmistakably caressing fingers" which later turn into Baby Suggs' fingers moving "harder...around...her windpipe" joking Sethe. Although Denver beleived Beloved choked Sethe, memories lead to imagination which can seem a bit too real. Once imagination gets out of hand, a person can mentally go insane. So what does all this say about memory? To avoid it? To embrace it? Sethe was trying to avoid it for so many years that it was too much to handle to embrace it all at once. The novel shows that we along with Sethe need to gradually remember things and slowly become one with our past self and current self so we can move on to have a strong future self.   

Thanks for reading, leave comments!

Emerson's Thoughts About Society

Hey guys, here are some thoughts about a thinker:

According to Emerson a person should define his/her place in society by being true to themselves. One should contribute to their society, and the biggest contribution one can give is his own thoughts about topics that concern him. Emerson states, "Do your work, and I shall know you. Do your work, and you shall reenforce yourself." (23) It will make one feel better, and have an honerable place in society if they are true to their own ideas. When we are alone and isolated, we are not afraid to say what we feel. However, our voices "grow faint and inaudible as we enter the world." (21) Emerson is saying that when our ideas are judged by the world or the society around us, they go away and we don't speak them. We conform to the people's views around us so that we are not judged by our real views. Ironically, the people around us conform so we don't judge them. This makes a whole population stop speaking their ideas and feelings because they are afraid to be judged by their society. It is dangerous for an entire society to stop speaking of what they feel in order to please others because then one can make the society any better than it already is.

Thanks, and as always, let me know what you think!

9/11 Feelings: Church Quran Burning

Hey guys, get ready for post about a controversial issue!
Religion is a powerful force around the world and sometimes it leads to violence. After the 9/11 attacks, peoples' emotions were stirring. I remember my teachers, not being able to teach because their feelings were taking over. I was not able to go out to recess but was not exactly sure why. An article quickly summarizes what a pastor in Florida wants to do:
"As thousands of Afghans protested a tiny Florida church's plan to burn the Quran, the church's pastor said he wouldn't follow through with the burning if he were able to meet tomorrow with the organizers behind a mosque planned near ground zero in New York."

Burning the most religious book of a people is extremely offensive. Hate breeds hate, and if the Pastor burns the book to get back at the Muslim population, it will cause even more hate against the U.S. in other countries.

The American Constitution says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." This means that  the Pastor has the right to burn the Quran because it is his freedom of religion. Muslims also have the right to build a mosque because that is their right of religion. These are two very conflicting viewpoints, the only difference is the mosque will not be built to get back or threaten anyone.

In my opinion, the Muslims should be allowed to build their mosque because it is their freedom to do so. To burn the Quran will stir up emotion, and cuts into the freedoms that Muslims have whom praise the book.
Just like how 9/11 caused fear and hatred for the American public, the burning of the Quran will cause fear and hatred in the Muslim people and will ultimately end in more distrust, more hate, and ultimately, more war.

Thanks, and I hope you enjoyed it.

American Crisis: Fear Not

Dear fellow bloggers,
Thomas Paine has interesting viewpoints pertaining to what the American people should during the Civil War. He beleives that America's only chance at Independence is by working together. In one section of his writing he says "I call not upon a few, but upon all: not on this state or that state, but on every state; up and help us" (52). America is only powerful as a whole, if certain colonies decide not to go all in then America won't have a chance to become independent. I agree with Paine's main points, but when he says "I see no real cause for fear" (53), I have to disagree. Having a great world power against your country causes fear, it is dangerous but I know that he is only saying it to rally groups of people to come together. His message is to act now and be confident because " by cowardice and submission, the sad choice of a...ravaged country..." (54). By saying the word "choice" really makes it seem like I have an option and choosing the wrong one could result in tragic changes. Paine's writing says its every man's duty to fight, and everyone can "rejoice alike" (52) which is hard for me to agree with. One reason is because the African Americans will not rejoice if they fight a war that they don't beleive in. Overall this was a persuasive article (similar to his first one pg 45-50 AM) with much leadership, and helps to change my viewpoints on the war.

Thanks for reading!