The Heart Tells More Than You Think

This is going to be a character analysis post of a character in Virgina Woolf's book titled "Mrs. Dalloway." Should be interesting.

Come back in a bit...

Dieing to Live

There were several texts this week that I absolutely loved and I had the hardest time deciding what text to analyze this week. But, after putting aside T.S. Eliot and W.B. Yeats, I decided to look into a short story written by James Joyce entitled "The Dead."

Here is a link to the text: http://www.online-literature.com/james_joyce/958/

The funny thing about titles to books or poems is that we automatically assume that the title will be a give away as to what the story is about immediately at the beginning. This story doesn't proove the value of its title until the last few paragraphs of the story. That information does not mean you are allowed to skip to the end of the story and see how it turn out...hold out - it's really good!

"The Dead" is based around different types of people but it's main character is Gabrielle Conroy. He is an influential man in his circle of friends...one that has gained much prestige by traveling around, having good family connections and being academically smart. Each of these characteristics of Gabrielle are emphasized throughout the novel. He had it all! He had a beautiful wife, money, family, friends and an overall great life. He should be happy...and he is happy, to an extent.
The extent that he is happy, seems to be a dim shadow compared to the larger picture of how Gabrielle longs to be found and noticed. Different incidents brings this awareness to light. One is with the servant Lily - he is disturbed by her brutish attitude about marriage and is rattled by it, so he decides to give her money to relieve his heart cry to understand her. Another encounter is his preparation for the speech he is to give at the dinner, he is nothing but nerves because he is analyzing how everyone is going to judge the way he talks and says things...all of this being based on his "better education." He can't seem to put this reality out of his mind throughout the evening. A third encounter is when he is talking about his traveling habits, how he wants to be in other places and see new people; whereas those around him at the ball don't seem to understand his point of view. He also has a ringing conscious about Miss Ivors and how she sees things in her older generation versus how he sees things in his younger generation.
Each of these encounters are like building blocks for the reader to see how insecure this affluent man really is and he is doing everything to be something to everyone and yet, he really isn't getting anywhere.
At the end, his wife throws on him this story about a young man she used to love named, Michael Furey. Michael died for Gretta, his wife. She can't seem to put this scene out of her mind and as she graphicly describes it to Gabrielle...we see his demeanor change. Gabrielle realized that dying for someone and loving them fully is actually something worth being and something worth understanding. He sees how he has done nothing but pretend all his life..."better pass boldy into that other world, in the full glory of some passion, than fade and wither dismal with age." He no longer wants just a great name that his mother named him...but rather he wants to boldly pass on saying that "he did not wish to live" all because of love. Gabrielle has not experienced this and it seems is puzzled as to what he should do by the end of the story. Should he forget the someone he "used-to-be" and throw his life into one passion and purpose? To die?

This story relates alot to me and it should to everyone else who reads it. Gabrielle is a figure of a man searching for meaning and answers to life. And once the "story" has been told about a man dieing all for love for his wife, he no longer sees things the same. He wants to understand the love Michael had and he also wants to understand why his wife, Gretta, is so enraptured with this passion the young man had.
It connects so easily with my life because I too was searching for answers and meaning to life. Who isn't? But,, I was told a story once about a Man, Jesus Christ, who died for me. All because He loved me and wanted me to be with Him for all eternity. I embraced the story - I accepted what Jesus Christ did on the cross for my sins and he rose again in three days to prove that death did not have dominion over Him! Jesus conquered death for me and you! Once I accepted this truth, I had to come to the conclusions that only Jesus Christ matters now...my desires, my passions, all who I am is found in Christ alone. "I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galations 2:20
There is dieing in order to really live...Gabrielle is grappling with this truth and hasn't made a decision, but we see that just as the snow falls everywhere around him, "upon all the living and the dead," we have an imagery of purifying and cleansing with the snow falling outside. Perhaps Gabrielle has embraced the fact that this life is not worth living unless we have a purpose. And we all were created for a purpose...to KNOW GOD. Thus the snow falling about him gives a "cleansing" affect and reminds me that I was lost in my mirky, dark and cloudy sins until I let Jesus Christ cleanse me from my sins.
Just as Gabrielle comes to face the fact that dieing is really living...
I too must face the fact that "for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21

WEBSITE!!!

I am SO So so proud of myself : )

At the moment, it is 11:30pm. But I have spent the past 5 hours, since 6:30pm on the computer creating my very own website for my English Literature since 1800's class. And...I feel like I just climbed a mountain! I will give you all the link, but I have to let everyone know that this website isn't something super amazing and the graphics are pretty lame. But for spending only 5 hours studying html codes and building a website - I think I did a pretty good job! : )

http://mschiete.tripod.com/

One other thing, this website is all about that wonderful book by Mary Shelley titled "Frankenstein." Of course, everyone who thinks "Frankenstein" these days assumes it is the name of a monster. Well, it is technically a story about Dr. Victor Frankenstein, who happens to be the creator of The Creature in "Frankenstein." My part of the bargain is to build a home page with links to everyone's sites and information about our project. I also have to write an overview of what our plans are for the webiste on the homepage. Everyone elses job on my team is to create a webpage and hand it over to me so I can then publish it onto the lovely webpage that I worked on. Let me tell you all - designing a webpage is HARD work!!!

Enjoy the fruits of my website : )

(and now I need to rest my eyes...they feel abit strained)

Plethora of Quotes

Charles Dickens is one of the most influental and powerful writers of London during his time. He accurately portrays orphan life and the down-side's to London's "greatness" and aristocracy. In his book "Great Expectations," which we had to read this week, I enjoyed looking at how Dicken's portrays different people and his descriptions about different events, people and places.
Sooo - I have taken it upon myself to find funny, humourous and/or beautiful quotes from "Great Expectations," write them down and then share them with you all. The imagery, the similes and Dickens wording is picteresque of how Pip, the narrator of this long tale, would sound.

Looking towards the window,

I saw light wreaths from Joe's pip floating there,

and I fancied it was like blessing from Joe -

not obtruded on me or paraded before me,

but pervading the air we shared together.

---

All this time I was getting on towards the river;

but however fast I went, I couldn't warm my feet,

to which the damp cold seemed riveted,

as the iron was riveted to the leg of the man I was running to meet.

---

Cleanliness is next to Godliness,

and some people do the same by their religion.

---

I think the Romans must have aggravated one another very much, with their noses. Perhaps, they became the restless people they were, in consequences. Anyhow Mr. Wopsle's Roman nose to aggravated me, during the recital of my misdemeanours, that I should have liked to pull it until he howled.

---

"If you bring the boy back with his head blown to bits by a musket,

don't look to me to put it together again."

---

There I was, on Joe's back, and there was Joe beneath me,

charging at the ditches like a hunter,

and stimulating Mr. Wopsle not to tumble on his Roman nose,

and to keep up with us.

---

I saw reawakening appetite in the Roman nostrils of Mr. Wopsle...

"Enough of this parsley," said the sergeant.

Created Equal

This is one of many poems we studied this week in class and I really enjoyed reading this one... so here it is in full length. After you read it, I'll discuss my thoughts on some of it's metaphors and similes below the poem. This particular poem is originally part of a longer series titled "The Princess." This work was what made him famous and some have even called him to be the Poet and Prophet of the Victorian Era (website).

The Woman's Cause is Man's
by Alfred Tennyson

'Blame not thyself too much,' I said, 'nor blame

Too much the sons of men and barbarous laws;

These were the rough ways of the world till now.

Henceforth thou hast a helper, me, that know

The woman's cause is man's: they rise or sink

Together, dwarfed or godlike, bond or free:

For she that out of Lethe scales with man

The shining steps of Nature, shares with man

His nights, his days, moves with him to one goal,

Stays all the fair young planet in her hands--

If she be small, slight-natured, miserable,

How shall men grow? but work no more alone!

Our place is much: as far as in us lies

We two will serve them both in aiding her--

Will clear away the parasitic forms

That seem to keep her up but drag her down--

Will leave her space to burgeon out of all

Within her--let her make herself her own

To give or keep, to live and learn and be

All that not harms distinctive womanhood.

For woman is not undevelopt man,

But diverse: could we make her as the man,

Sweet Love were slain: his dearest bond is this,

Not like to like, but like in difference.

Yet in the long years liker must they grow;

The man be more of woman, she of man;

He gain in sweetness and in moral height,

Nor lose the wrestling thews that throw the world;

She mental breadth, nor fail in childward care,

Nor lose the childlike in the larger mind;

Till at the last she set herself to man,

Like perfect music unto noble words;

And so these twain, upon the skirts of Time,

Sit side by side, full-summed in all their powers,

Dispensing harvest, sowing the To-be,

Self-reverent each and reverencing each,

Distinct in individualities,

But like each other even as those who love.

Then comes the statelier Eden back to men:

Then reign the world's great bridals, chaste and calm:

Then springs the crowning race of humankind.

May these things be!

'Sighing she spoke 'I fear

They will not.''

Dear, but let us type them now

In our own lives, and this proud watchword rest

Of equal; seeing either sex alone

Is half itself, and in true marriage lies

Nor equal, nor unequal: each fullfils

Defect in each, and always thought in thought,

Purpose in purpose, will in will, they grow,

The single pure and perfect animal,

The two-celled heart beating, with one full stroke, Life.'

And again sighing she spoke: 'A dream

That once was mind! what woman taught you this?'

This poem is absolutely beautiful. From my interpretation of it, it seems as if he is describing the benefits of marriage, the beauty of growing old with someone and how marriage is to build up and strengthen; not bring down and corrupt.

One of the first things Tennyson points out is that a woman joining a man is basically moving "with him to one goal." Their lives are ones that are categorized as serving together ... marriage is a relationship, a fun friendship, a companionship and a life-long partnership. Tennyson says "his dearest bond is this, not like to like, but like in difference. Yet in the long years the liker must they grow, the man be more of woman, she of man." Marriage is a journey one takes where you learn about someone and grow to love someone in a deep way. It is also very important to point out that marriage is about two people complementing each other, not controling.

I love how Tennyson brings in that women have differences and men have differences, and yet we need each other!

From my point of view, marriage is a wonderful symbol of Christ and His Chuch (the body of Christ). Thus the man's role in marriage is going to be different than the woman's role, but no less important. Marriage is a joining of two lives,two people and I Corinthians 7:3-4 has some vital truths to share: "Let the husband render to his wife the affection due to her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does." One is not greater than the other, but they do have different jobs in a marriage.

About the picture of Christ and His Church, Ephesians 5 expounds more on this topic. "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord." We woman don't submit in a marriage because we are forced too, we submit because it is an example of order. Remember, submission is order not retribution. And Christ Himself submitted to the death of the cross...all the more reason we women should be willing to showforth that Christ-like characteristic. 'For the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is the head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their husbands, in every thing." Paul is just getting into more detail as for the reason of submission. Submission is pleasing to the Lord, and isn't it our goal to be "well pleasing to Him?" Perhaps a woman is more "spiritual" than the man (it does happen! I Peter 3)...but we should still encourage him and allow him to take the place of headship, not us. Eve decided to take the place of headship, and look what happened with that!

As I read this poem, I just thought in terms of a woman. Our submissive qualities are things that can help men...they can make them stronger and allow them to take initiative. We can be along side them and serving by their side. Not above them, nor under them...rather beside them. And when we submit, we are giving the men the respect they so hunger after. And when you see a wife who respects her husband - you also see a husband who loves his wife. Marriage displays this attitude as Tennyson says, "each fulfills defect in each, and always thought in thought, purpose in purpose, will in will, they grow."

"For this reason a man shall

leave his father and mother

and be joined to his wife,

and the two shall become one flesh."

Genesis 2:24

The Harsh Reality of Frankenstein

My younger sister Sarah is currently reading "Frankenstein" as a reading for school...and lo' and behold, I get that exact same assignment as well! We both have had a chance to discuss the book with each other and bounce back different ideas - so here are some thoughts I have had throughout the reading of "Frankenstein." It was interesting looking at Shelley's point of view on topics, in relationship to the Bible's point of view. Especially since this was set in the Romantic period, where people were thinking of new ideas and new ways to experience ideas. And many people were using science as a means to blot out religion, proving it to be wrong according to man's standards of understanding.
*Just a reminder: "Frankenstein" is not a monster, rather a doctor. The monster you often seen so poorly depicted in today's pop-culture scene is known as the Monster in the book, and Hollywood's image of him is quite inaccurate.

Mary Shelly's Ideas about God in "Frankenstein"
First thing is first, who did Shelley portray God as? None other than Dr. Frankenstein. But Victor Frankenstein is not like the God portrayed in the Bible.
The God of the Bible is:
Immanent - near to the ones He created
Compassionate - loved those that He created, even if they did bad
Omnipresent - everywhere at the same time
Omniscient - unlimited knowledge, all-knowing
Omnipotent - all-powerful
Transcendent - above all
Eternal - timeless

Whereas, Victor is:
Distant - he is not immanent, not at all near to the Monster he created
Hates the Monster that he created - no compassion
Not omnipresent
Not Omniscient
Not Omnipotent
He is not above anything - he ends up being just the same as the Monster he created
Not eternal - he is mortal and dies.

The first glimpse we have in the Bible about God and man is when God creates man and He says, "It is good." We also see how God is instructing Adam of things not to touch, He gives Adam a sense of right and wrong; a choice. Then, God so lovingly gives Adam a helper, known as Eve. This story is nice, something we have heard growing up...even people who don't believe in God have heard this story.
But the first glimpse we have with Dr. Victor and the Monster together is sad and uninviting. The creator completeing disowns his creation, there is nothing good found in the Monster he has created. Instead of running to his creation, Victor runs away from it. The Monster reaches out to the only object it knows...and it received with rejection. This spurs the Monsters actions and Victors actions as well.
God is able to offer the love we humans so desperately need, if we only let Him. But Victor is unwilling to offer the love his creation needs.

Because sin has separated us from God, humans desire to understand God. We don't know, but we want to understand. So we search and search. Ecclesiastes says "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from the beginning to the end." The interesting thing about this is that God has placed in us a desire to know Him and understand things beyond this physical earth we see. Of course, our knowledge is not like God's...so we can't fully understand Him, but we can see glimpses of Him.
The aspect that man wants to know God is similar to how the Monster is in "Frankenstein." He wants to know who he is and where he came from and why he is the way he is. But Victor can't answer - mainly because Victor can't even answer those questions for himself. This role of man trying to play God is dangerous and it just shows the ramifications it causes on people. Not just the signified, but the signifier!

There are so many other comparisons about God/Man and Frankenstein/Monster. These were a few that jumped out at me. It is such a vain endeavor to try and be God - and Shelley does a good job or pointing out how science can never take the place of religion.
Victor is a contradictory god-like-wanne-be. Completely flawed by human depravity and his own desire of fame, fortune, and pride. Pride blinded him from the truth. Perhaps when Victor created the Monster and he came alive did he suddenly realize that he wasn't God...but then Victor tried to cover up everything, as if he was God all over again! But he wasn't.
The God of the Bible does not contradict Himself - many people say He does. But the knowledge we have of God is very little compared to how great and vast God really is. "Such knowledget it soo wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it." Ps.139
Romans 1 also shows us how God is shown in creation, His Handiwork is on everything. And yet, we have replaced God with man and so we do not see God anymore. But we are without excuse, we know that we have belittled God. I speak to myself here!
"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were they thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man - and birds amd four-footed animals and creeping things."
Victor was futile in his thoughts...his foolish heart darkened the truth. He also professed to be wise, god-like...and instead became a fool in the end.
Let's get back to the heart of the issue. God created us! We can't create anything like us! And we were created with a purpose, to know our Creator. Unlike the Monster who never knew and could never know his creator --- we have every right to know our Creator! Let's not limit our thinking to this small sphere of physics and science...there is more beyond this circle man wants to stay inside. There is a God, who is compassionate, who does care, who wants to know us!

Guess I could go on and on about this : )
But it was really neat looking at the differences of creator/creation relationships in "Frankenstein" and in the Bible.

Hymn to Intellectual Beauty

The title of this entry is definitly not something I made up, rather it is the title of a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley. It's a poem that I had a chance to read this past week and had a fun time investigating some of its wording and the big picture behind the poem.
Shelley writes this poem in response to the feelings, power, and emotions he has encounted in beauty. Beauty isn't a defined object in Shelley's poem, instead it "floats...it visits with inconstant glance each human heart and countenance." Something that is tangible, yet "spiritual" as well. This beauty can be understood by everyone, but it has an inconstant glance which could mean that not everyone will actually look at it and want to understand it.
Throughout the poem, Shelley is trying to discover some form of "realness." He doesn't think that God or anyone has been able to understand the secrets of the deep...as if they are all mysteries. So he decides to search for something meaningful, and takes the reader on a journey into his past. "While yet a boy...I called on poisonous names...I was not heard...suddenly, thy shadow fell on me; I shrieked, and clasped my hands in exstasy!" Shelley finds his Beauty, his meaning in an experience he had as a child. His memory of a past event fails to leave him. Instead of the incident as a boy being just another story - it becomes his life story.

"Thus let thy power, which like the truth

Of Nature on my passive youth

Descended, to my onward life supply

Its calm - to one who worships thee,

And every form containing thee,

Whom, SPIRIT fair, thy spells did bind

To fear himself, and love all humankind."

I really liked this last line, because it sounds like a hymn. A hymn is something that is made for edifying of the person being sung to. In our meetings on Sunday, we sing hymns to God and His Son Jesus Christ. They hymns are centered around Him - no one else. And we praise Him because we are sinners in need of a Savior, and only Jesus Christ could be our Savior. So we sing hymns to Him! But this hymn that Shelley wrote isn't to God - it's to Intellectual Beauty (which might also be Nature). It just really strikes me as interesting how Shelley uses this experience as a boy to shape who he is and what he thinks about the world. Thus he writes a hymn to share his experience and praise the one who allowed him to discover this. It's similar to my own story - I sing hymns (and have written some "lyrical" pieces) to Jesus. Why? Because I too had a time in my life where I was searching for meaning and truth. And I finally realized, all on my own, that I can't be good enought to get into heaven or try my best to make things right in this world. No - I discovered in the Bible that my sins deserved death. But Jesus died for my sins so I didn't have to die. But what is so neat and life changing is that Jesus didn't die and stay dead - He conquered death. I put my trust in Him. Jesus is real - so I sing hymns to Him, giving Him the glory He deserves. But it was at my "passive youth" of state that I experienced Jesus and took Him as my own. This is where Shelley found Beauty as well, in his "passive youth." Interestingly, Shelley's poem is a neat hymn sharing how he came to see Beauty as something amazing. He didn't find God - he actually didn't think God could answer his problems. But he did find Beauty (which God created) and wrote a poem describing his experience with Intellectual Beauty. "O awful LOVELINESS."

Welcome

Here begins a new semester with new classes and a new blog!

This blog is an assignment for my English Literature since 1800's class and I hope everyone who reads and comments on this blog finds the words written here to be interesting, enlightning and something refreshingly new.


This weeks reading schedule is filled with William Blake, William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge. All are early 1800's poets and were founders of the Romantic Movement in England.

p.s. Mr. Coleridge was born in one of my favorite British towns... Devonshire!

Keep coming back this week for more details and writings on these men!