"Spring in the Classroom": An Extended Metaphor~

One aspect that I found to be most intriguing about Mary Oliver's 'Spring in the Classroom', was her use of figurative language, particularity through an extended metaphor of portraying her teacher as a tree. This is an exert of my essay that I wrote on this poem, but as I read more in depth in the poem, the way that Oliver worked in imagery and various dimensions to her metaphor was very interesting, very well done, and allowed the reader to visualize very clearly what she felt like during the years she had to sit in a classroom, instead of going outside to play in the spring.

"One of the most noticeable uses of figurative language in the poem is conveyed through an extended metaphor. By describing her teacher as having, “...two stone [eyes] behind glass, her legs thick...” (lines 13-14), the reader sees the teacher as the opposite of Spring. The opposite of spring is fall or winter, and since spring represents ‘new life’, fall or winter would represent ‘old life’. Therefore, by describing her teacher as having, ‘thick legs’, Oliver is equating her teacher to that of a solid, old tree. Oliver’s teacher’s name, Ms. Willow Bangs, is also a reference to a tall and sturdy tree, thus extending the metaphor of the teacher resembling the opposite of spring. The fact that Ms. Willow Bangs has eyes like ‘two stones behind glass’ makes it seem that she is removed from the students, and therefore not swayed by their hatred of her classroom. Her removed attitude and her unshakable demeanor also equates her to a strong and steadfast tree. Finally, the usage of the jackknives by the students resembles their desire to no longer have to be with their teacher in the classroom. Thus, the jackknives are used as a way to subtly hurt their teacher, much as they might be used to subtly cut down a tree."

Becoming a Lady~

In chapter 7 of Wuthering Heights, Catherine, after being bitten by the Linton's dog, stays at Thrushcross Grange for five weeks. During her stay, Mrs. Linton teaches her how to act and behave like a lady. Catherine is transformed so much so, that when she returns home, she is nearly unrecognizable. While this is not necessarily a dominate theme in the novel, it caught my attention because this is a theme that I have seen in my own life. Like Catherine, when I was younger, I liked to run around outside and cause problems. Also like Catherine, it was expected of me to become 'a lady'. Overall, I believe that this is a problem in today's world. Many young girls grow up surrounded by expectations. For me, I was told that if  I did not become a proper, soft-spoken, well-mannered young lady, I would never amount to anything. Some girls are told that if they do not become successful and independent they will always be walked over and disregarded. No matter the expectations, while reading Wuthering Heights, I realized that little girls and young ladies have, and seemingly always will, grow up surrounded by expectations placed on them by society and their families. The process of becoming a lady, while in some regards has changed over the decades, is still (unfortunately) very alive in today's world. 

Epiphany~

Epiphany. What is an Epiphany? According to dictionary.reference.com, an epiphany is: “a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.” The main character in John Updike’s short story “A&P”, follows a day in the life of the main character, Sammy, and his epiphany.

Sammy is a young man working in a grocery store. He finds his life as an employee at the store less than exciting. One day, a group of three young women enter the store, dressed in their bathing suits, and Sammy’s boss asks them to leave, as they ‘are not at the beach’, and their attire is simply inappropriate for that environment. Sammy stands up for the girls (perhaps some of his reasoning for this is that he found one of the girls in particular, Queenie, attractive). Sammy quits his job, much to the disappointment of t hs manager and the alluded disappointment of his parents, in an effort to act as a ‘brave knight’ on behalf of the girls who, as he believes, were unjustly asked to leave the store. As he leaves his former place of work, he can not find the girls. The story concludes with Sammy coming to the realization of how hard is life will be after what he did.

In terms of epiphany, it can be argued that Sammy had one after he left the store and realized the weight of his decisions and how life would be moving forward. While this was the concluding moment of his epiphany, it was not all of it. Sammy’s epiphany started when he witnessed his boss asking the three girls to leave. He concluded by viewing the situation that, 1.) The girls should have the right to stay, 2.) Something had to be done, and 3.) A bold statement needed to be made. In this sense and based off of this event, Sammy has “a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.”-- an epiphany. By the end of the story, the reader more clearly can see the end of his epiphany, in that life will be harder for him now that he walked out and quit his job. However, though not always seen, an epiphany can be gradual and not sudden. “A&P” is a great example of this gradual epiphany, in that Sammy’s occurred over a good portion of the story, yet only the end of it was clearly obvious.

Happily Ever After~

Since there's no help, come let us kiss and part.

Nay, I have done, you get no more of me.

And I am glad, yea glad with all my heart

That thus so cleanly I myself can free.

Shake hands forever, cancel all our vows,

And when we meet at any time again,

Be it not seen in either of our brows.

That we one jot of former love retain.

Now at the last gasp of Love's latest breath,

When, his pulse failing, Passion speechless lies,

When Faith is kneeling by his bed of death,

And Innocence is closing up his eyes--

Now, if thou wouldst, when all have given him over,

From death to life thou mightst him yet recover.

Everyone pictures the 'picture perfect, fairy tale' romance story. The over-used 'happily ever after' dream is hugely sought after, not only in this day and age, but also in those of the past. Here is where many people find the disappointing difference between fantasy and reality, however. A relationship always flourishes on the foundation of hope- hope that there will be eternal love, eternal happiness, eternal bliss, eternal lust, eternal whatever. The whole concept of 'eternal' is relatively impossible. No one will ever be eternally happy with someone, no one will ever have eternal bliss, no one will be eternally captivated in and in the deepest sense of lustful love with another, it's not achievable. This poem captivates the essence of this. When reality sets in and the eternal fairy-tale turns into an unsolvable relationship based off of unachievable expectations and unrealistic foundations, most people choose to, "...kiss and part." Fleeting affairs and scattered love stories are born out of these 'fall outs', yet no matter what, there hope still remains- for better or for worse, "From death to life thou mightst him yet recover."- and hope is often paired with regret, begging the question, how did anyone even create the notion of "happily ever after"?

Angels, Spider-girls, and Faith~

Faith: firm belief in something for which there is no proof

In "A Very Old Man, with Enormous Wings", the theme of loosing ones faith is a very subtle, yet central point in the story. When the news that an 'angel' had come to earth spread, masses and masses of people filled the owners court yards. They came to watch the angel preform great miracles. However, when the angel failed to preform miracles to the grand extent that the spectators had hoped for, they went about looking for something else that was unique and supernatural and fulfilling, which came about in the form of the  spider girl.

This scene is a great representation of the way people look at faith today-- in a faith, one begins to look for a tangible way to prove that their faith is real (the angel) or justify it (the expected miracles). However, when the proof of the faith does not come in the exact way that one seeks, that person grows tired and unsure (people beginning to question whether the angel really was an angel). Often, they turn away from their faith an go seek something else that is more concrete and tangible to place their faith it (leaving the angel to go and look at the spider girl).

Overall, the ability to wholly trust something that is unable to be seen or proven is an ability that is becoming less and less coming among people. Humans would rather place their faith in something that they can see, or something that is predictable and relates to them, then something that 'does not listen' or makes no logical sense or cannot not physically be seen. "A Very Old Man, with Enormous Wings" illustrates this concept very well.

Pink Ribbons~

“So they parted; and the young man pursued his way, until, being about to turn the corner by the meeting-house, he looked back, and saw the head of Faith peeping after him, with a melancholy air, in spite of her pink ribbons.”

Pink Ribbons. Often seen worn in the hair of little girls. Pink is the color of princesses, the color of the cheeks of little children, the color of every wall of every one of my rooms growing up. Ribbons are cute, they are frivolous and flouncy. Together they are a symbol of childhood of innocence and of purity. This is why Faith, Goodman Brown’s wife, has them laced through her hair in the beginning of the story. Faith, already an early symbol of goodness, kindness, gaiety and purity, is depicted wearing these so that the reader may envision her as the ultimate symbol of the puritan lifestyle, she embodies purity almost in an Angelic way.

When Goodman Brown leaves Faith to begin his journey into the forest towards a demonic gathering, the pink ribbons do not disappear.  They reappear in the story, but within a much different context. While Goodman Brown is deep into his journey, he encounters a man who is presumed to be the devil, and throughout the conversation held between Brown and the devil, Brown continuously claims that he will return home... “for Faith’s sake.” However, once the devil leaves, he hears voices of various people that he knows from his village-- one of the voices he recognizes belongs to Faith. Goodman Brown screams her name in a state of total brokenness, and as he does this, pink ribbons flutter down from the sky. Here the pink ribbons take on a new meaning- as they have literally fallen from the sky, they represent the fall of innocence, as even the most beautiful and pure object has now fallen from its place of glory, and into sin. Additionally, in this case the color pink also represents the mixing of both good and evil. White represents everything good and pure, red represents everything stained and evil. A mixture of these two colors creates the color pink.

Finally, the pink ribbons make their final appearance at the end of the story, when Goodman Brown returns to his home and sees Faith. She has pink ribbons still in her hair, which represents the illusion of innocence- a facade- that masks reality and evil and deception. Pink ribbons represent everything pure and innocent and lovely, yet the also represent the fall from grace and entrance into sin. This awkward understanding of both symbolic meanings forces one to wonder what truly is pure, what really is innocent, what can truly be defined as lovely and untouched by evil? If not even Faith could resist the pull of evil, and if pink ribbons really cannot symbolize innocence in its truest form, then what can?

Deep, Selfless Love~

"A Worn Path" is a deeply moving short story by Eudora Welty. The story follows and aging woman named Phoenix, as she travels to the town of Natchez in order to obtain medicine for her grandson, who swallowed lye. The story is captivating, because it depicts an elderly woman who encounters many difficulties, obstacles, and trials as she treks her way through the forest and into the town-- all for the love of her grandson. That love is what makes the story so beautiful. "A Worn Path" captivates the theme that, deep love for another enables a person to defy age, struggle, danger and morals.

For the majority of the short story, Phoenix battles many obstacles. In the beginning of the story, she struggles with a thorn bush that snags her dress, a barbed wire fence that she must crawl under, and the chance of being stopped and hurt by a wild animal. Through all of this, she remains positive, and continues on her way. Another major difficulty that Phoenix encounters is that of herself. She often momentarily loses her memory, and must force herself to continue forward by remembering where she is going and why she is going there- bringing her back to the love she has for her grandson. As her journey continues, Phoenix meets a scarecrow, who she fears is a ghost. Her fear is not long standing, however, and she ends her 'visit' with the scarecrow with a dance. Soon after, a wild dog knocks Phoenix off of her feet, and unable to raise. A young hunter helps her up, but when he drops a nickel, Phoenix quickly snags it without his knowledge. Though she feels guilty, this is an example of how deep love can enable to a person to defy their morals. In this case, even though Phoenix is guilty for stealing the nickel from the hunter, she does it for her grandson. When Phoenix finally reaches the town, and receives the medicine for her grandson from the clinic, the woman that assisted her offers her a couple of pennies. Phoenix instead asks her for a nickel, noting that she already has a nickle, and that another would give her ten cents. As she leaves the clinic, Phoenix decides to buy her grandson a pin-wheel as a present, “He going to find it hard to believe there such a thing in the world. I’ll march myself back where he waiting, holding it straight up in this hand.”

In conclusion, even though Phoenix is old and worn, even though she faces many struggles along her path and that at times her journey proved to be quite dangerous, even though her memory struggles to remain with her, even though she is a poor, and even though her good-natured morals tell her not to steal, the deep and selfless love that Phoenix has for her grandson goes beyond all of these factors, and ultimately, allows her to complete her journey.

Araby~

This week in literature class, we read the short story 'Araby' by James Joyce. When I first read the story, I did not understand the complexity behind it- I did not understand why it was so great. However, after I read it again (and after we discussed it in class), I began to realize how true and beautiful the story was.

'Araby', being a 'coming of age' story, has at first glance a very basic and predictable story line. There's initial innocence, innocent love, desire, disappointment and a realization of the triviality of ones actions, which concludes with a jump to maturity. Typical. However, 'Araby' is not just your average coming of age story, such as 'Hercules' or the 'The Lion King', which possesse happy endings despite all of the trials the protagonist encountered in order to achieve maturity in the end. 'Araby' looks at a young boy, so mentally captivated by his infatuation with a girl, that every waking moment he spends thinking of her or trying to catch a glimpse of her. When she states that she will not be attending the local fair, Araby, but asks the boy if he will be going, he declares that if he does, he will buy her something. The idea of being able to give the low of his life a gift from an exotic event weighs so heavy on his mind that he is unable to focus on anything else. The night of the fair, however, his Uncle comes home late (drunk) which means the boy will arrive at the festival late. The train he must catch to go to Araby is then late also, and by the time he arrives, most places are closing. He stops at one stand, but the lady running it is in the middle of a conversation with two men. The three others at the booth are British- killing for the boy the sense of 'exoticness' that Araby was supposed to have. The boy walks away, utterly defeted, realising that he had been solely a creature of vanity.

The significance of this story lies in the way the main character reaches maturity. Instead of overcoming many difficult task and the rewarded and instantly matured (like we see in many coming of age Disney movies), this boy had no happy ending. He realized that not only had all his efforts to please this girl been absolutely idle, but he also realized that he had been a person living only out of their vanity. He does not get rewarded for this realization, and he will never get to go back to being an 'innocent kid in love' ever again. Rather, a fog has been lifted from his eyes, and for better or worse, he will never be the same.

Shame~

Shame is a fear that is ever present in our lives. Whether it is the shame we feel when we do poorly on a test, the fear we have of disappointing our parents, of not making a sports team, of not being accepted into the school of dreams. No matter what, the fear of being a failure, a disappointment, or in other words, shameful, is always there. When we experience the feeling of shaming ourselves, families or friends, we often are consumed with guilt and regret. However, that shame passes and we are able to continue our lives without a huge cloud of guilt hovering over us. In cultures that differ from that of the United States, shame is dealt with in a much different and in extreme way.

In the short story, 'A Family Supper', author Ishiguro describes how shame is dealt with in the Japanese culture. He begins with a brief overview on the fish called fugu- a Japanese delicacy that is extremely risky to prepare as it contains two 'poison sacks' that need to be gutted specifically and so that the deadly poison does not kill the fish's consumer. In proceeding with the story, it is important to understand that in many Asian cultures in particular, a person's entire life is consumed with the intense drive to bring honor to the family name, but also and equally intense fear to bring shame to it- this way of life is part of the Japanese culture. In the beginning of the story the narrator refers to his father as 'being very proud of his Samarai blood'. Back in the day when Japanese Samarai soldiers were 'active' and highly regarded, shame brought about by a Samaria was worse than death. Because of this, the shameful Samaria would slice his stomach open (much like slicing open the stomach of the fungi fish to remove its poison), letting all of his insides fall out as he bled to death. This fact is important to know because the narrator's father had a business that closed down, and his 'very honorable' business partner killed his whole family, and then himself by slicing open his stomach. It is clear by reading the story that shame is the worst thing you can cast upon yourself and your family in the Japanese culture, and that shame is so untolerated, that it drives people to the point of suicide.

As the story draws to an end, the narrator and his Father and sister conclude their family supper with a delicious fish. When asked what the fish was, the Father replies, 'just fish'. The story ends with the narrator and his Father sitting and talking, and the sister in the kitchen making tea. The reader never finds out if the Father was also so overcome by shame that he decided to kill himself and his family by feeding them the poisonus fugu.

Dauntless~

“Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.” 

~Winston Churchill

Through out life, trials and hardships are inevitable. These trials instill in us a fear of failure, because with any trial comes the potential to fail and become worse off then you were before. Trials in life can include the loss of a job, moving across the country or world, loosing a loved one, becoming ill, etc., but the choices that are made within times of trials are cornerstones to shaping a person into who they will become. Furthermore, the overcoming of a trail strengthens a persons emotional and mental strength, and, while not completely negating their fears, helps them to conquer future trials less hesitantly. Winston Churchill's words ring true, in that each decision that is made (especially those that are made within times of trail) has the potential to become a choice that deeply benefits and enriches a person, and will keep them on a steady forward-facing trajectory while they journey through life.

On February 28, 1944, in Amsterdam, the Dutch Nazi-police arrested Corrie ten Boom and her entire family for housing and helping numerous Jewish people escape. She was taken to a concentration camp and was able to stay with her sister. Before her sister died, she told Corrie, "There is no pit that so deep that God is not deeper still." In her life, Corrie ten Boom faced many trials. Her mother died when she was young, she risked her life helping and hiding Jews from the Nazis, she was arrested and placed in a concentration camp and several members of her family died while in the camp. It was, however, her decisions during these times that assisted her in her survival. First, Corrie ten Boom chose to help her family hide and help the Jews. However, her most important and hingent decision was to remain faithful in God. She had hope in him, she believed that he had a plan. She therefore chose to keep strength and did not drown herself in sorrows. When she was released from the concentration camp, she chose to move back to the Netherlands and set up houses for concentration camp survivors and jobless Dutch. Through her trials, Corrie ten Boom made decisions that shaped who she would end up becoming in the future.

Trials will come no matter where a person is, no matter how old they are and no matter how dejected and downtrodden they feel. Within these trials, that person is given opportunities to make decisions that will work towards pulling them out of their trials, or keep them in it. Choosing perseverance and HARD WORK, it is possible to overcome these trials and live in the fruitfulness and joy of a hard-earned and endured life. 

Popular Entertainment: Is It Good, or Is It Evil?~

Pop culture. It is easy to look at it as solely negative. It is what lamenting parents blame when there child rebels, procrastinates or falls behind. It is merely a distraction, some might say- it is the reason this generation is unable to focus in both school and everyday life. However, popular entertainment is not 'all bad'. Today, popular culture can be used for communication with relatives or friends who live across the country or across the globe, listening to relaxing music, or as a way to relax and unwind. However, like all things, when something (in this case, popular entertainment), becomes the obsession of an individual, that is where it becomes a problem.

Today, we use popular culture to our benefit in numerous ways. For example, the ability to listen to any genre of music that we desire, at any instance, is extremely beneficial for some people. Some cannot study, focus or sleep with out a little bit of sound, and popular culture enables such persons to have the access to the whole world of music at their fingertips. Furthermore, popular culture provides a way for friends and relatives to instantaneously communicate with one another, no matter the distance between them. This aspect of popular entertainment enables relationships from becoming withered and broken, as it gives people the opportunity to continuously converse (instantly and for free) with any one, at any time. Another beneficial aspect of popular entertainment is that it gives the individual time to relax.  In many aspects of the modern day world, we praise the 'go-go-go' attitude. This is lived out through constant moving, doing and working-- which eventually becomes exhausting. Popular culture provides a a way for the individual to come home and unwind and 're-charge'.  Many believe that using popular entertainment as a form of relaxation distances one from the family, however popular entertainment also provides a fun, easy, and yes- relaxing way to sit and be with the family. This is seen in family movie nights, fun family shows, etc..  When used outside of the realm of 'addiction', popular entertainment can be very beneficial. 

When used in moderation, popular entertainment can be very beneficial. However, when taken out of control- such as when one plays video games for ten hours straight, or watches three seasons of one show in one day- that is when it becomes a detriment to our society. Popular entertainment can be used for good, when used to relax, re-charge or keep relationships alive. It is however, the addictive aspect of it that is harmful. 

Popular entertainment can be used both for the good and for the bad of society. When used in moderation and in positive and non-addictive ways, it does not pose an issue. It is, however, when it is abused and becomes an addiction, that it becomes harmful and damaging. 

The Faith of Abraham~

Faith.  A virtue that was without a doubt is present in the life of Abraham.  He spoke and walked intimately with God, and God considered him his friend.  He was visited by God in his home. Abraham had found a deep love for God, and with that love came obedience, and out of obedience, there was trust. Abraham trusted God so much, he was willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac, to prove his faith.  Abraham’s faith is recorded not only in the Old Testament, but also is brought up repeatedly in various passages in the New Testament because of the intense trust that kept him near to God.

During his life, Abraham evolved into a man that "believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness" (Genesis 15:6).  However, in his earlier years, Abraham was not a man who walked closely with God.  In fact, his father was an idol maker, and Abraham had grown up selling his fathers idols in marketplaces. When Abraham reached the age of, 75 years old, God told him to take himself and his family (including his nephew Lot) out of their homeland and travel to a place that God would later reveal. This is the first major act of faith or “trust fall” Abraham took with God. Abraham set out "even though he did not know where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8).

Eventually, Abraham and his nephew Lot parted ways.  Abraham allowed Lot to choose which direction he wanted to go, and Lot choose the land the he thought was better and would amount to more than the land in the direction he left Abraham to go.  While this is not commonly seen as a great act of faith, Abraham allowed Lot to choose his choice of land, knowing that he would probably take the land that looked the best.  Abraham trusted that God would take care of him, which enabled him to let his nephew take advantage of his generosity and go forth knowing that God would provide.

When they arrived in the land that God had intended for them to settle, God made a promise to Abraham. He promised Abraham that his descents would outnumber the stars in the sky.  However, Abraham was skeptical. His wife was barren, and Abraham had reached an age in which he could no longer have children.  Abraham tried to make God understand this in Genesis 15:1-3, but God said that he would keep his promise.  

Even though Abraham was a man of great faith, he lost patience with God, and tried to take matters on by himself.  With the encouragement from his wife, Abraham slept with Sarah’s Egyptian maid, Hagar.  Because of this, Hagar gave birth to a son named Ishmael.  God forgave Abraham of this, but as a result, he and Sarah had to wait many more years before God fulfilled his promise.

At the age of 100, Abraham and his 90 year old wife, Sarah gave birth to a son.  The book of Hebrews says that: "By faith Abraham, even though he was past age – and Sarah herself was barren – was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise" (Hebrews 11:11).  They named the baby Isaac.

Abraham loved Isaac; he was a reminder of how God does keep and follow through on his promises.  However, years later, God called on Abraham to test his faith more than he had ever tested it before.  God told Abraham to travel to a distant mountain and offer his son as a holy sacrifice. Isaac- Abraham's promised heir. He had waited his life for a child, and now the God that had given him one, was asking him to give him up.

Abraham knew that God could raise Isaac from the dead.  God had given a child to barren parents, surely he could raise the child from the dead too. God had said the promises would be satisfied through Isaac, so Abraham choose once again to place his faith completely in God. (Paul later tells that ‘...he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.")

Abraham prepared for the journey.  He took Isaac, telling him that they were going to make a sacrifice to the Lord.  When they arrived, Abraham had to make an altar, tie up his son and lay him down on altar.  Right as Abraham was about to kill his son, the voice of God intervened and said: "Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son" (Genesis 22:12).

We are told through Hebrews that "without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe, that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (Hebrews 11:6).  To live according to the ways of God requires daily acts of faith.  Sometimes God will ask us to do something scary, a situation in which we cannot see the end. Sometimes he will ask us to put others well beings above our own, knowing that he will take care of us.  Sometimes he will ask us to give up something that we love.  No matter what God asks, following him is what he desires most of us; to learn to trust in God, to allow him to shepherd our steps.

A Father's Love: Grapes of Wrath Photo Blog~

A theme that is littered through the novel Grapes of Wrath, is that of selfishness. It is shown through the way the banks take the lands of the struggling farmers. It is shown through the California farmers that would stop at nothing to crush the migrant farmers. It is shown in the way that Connie leaves Rose of Sharon. However, a contradictory theme (sadly, perhaps less prevalent) is love. Love is shown through Jim Casey's sacrifice. Love is shown through the Joad's loyalty to one another. Love is shown when Rose of Sharon nurses a starving man and prevents him from dying. However, perhaps the most raw form of love is that between a father and his son.  In the final part of The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck describes a father who gave up all of his food so that his son would be fed, even though he is now starving and nearly dead because of that decision. This image depicts the epitome of love because it shows a person, choosing to be completely selfless, for the sake of someone else. This example of the love that this father has for his child is made even more extraordinary because of how much selfishness and greediness there was at this point in time. It is used to show that their is still 'hope for humanity', and that there are still people who choose to take care of others, before they take care of themselves.

The picture above symbolizes this type of love. The cracked and seemingly old heart symbolizes the ability that some people have to hold onto love for one another even when that love is tested to its limits during the very hardest of times. Additionally, the heart has been placed on a pedestal, symbolizing that no matter what (whether it is facing starvation, lack of money, being forced to move, having to sell all of your belongings, having anything of value being taken from you, going through the pain of loosing loved ones to death, or being rejected and looked down upon by everyone), the love that someone holds for their family will endure through all tribulations.

I chose this theme because of the levels of depth that it contains. On the surface, it is easy to assume that, of course the father would do that for is son, because that is what parents are supposed to do. However, it became clear through reading this book, that when placed into the most physically, mentally and emotionally disruptive environments, even parents succumb to placing their own well being above that of their children's. This knowledge makes what the starving father did for his little boy even more heart-breaking. As the reader looks deeper, they begin to understand that, even though this man is starving to the point of death, his love for his son is stronger than his hunger and pain. This type of love is equivalent to the Hebrew word chesed, meaning unfailing and unbounded love, a love that covers all and will hold fast no matter what situation that it is placed into. I chose this theme for the raw beauty and simple wonder that it contains, and for the hope that it brings, both during the period it was written in, and today.

When Children are Traded: An op-ed Blog~

~ This blog is based off of the article ' When Children are Traded ', written by the New York Times ~

What happens in many international orphanages? Often times, children are extremely neglected. They are denied the immediate attention necessary for a developing child. They are often malnourished, some orphanages only serve one main meal a day. They are psychologically trained to grab what they want, otherwise it will not be given to them. Children are treated, in many cases, like animals. They have very little supervision, they have to fight for themselves, and they experience no love. All of this happens at a very early age for these children, and it has a profound impact on their psychological development.  When 'western' families adopt from impoverished countries, they are taking a child who has been trained to not cry and to fight and to grab, and try to assimilate them into the 'normal family'. Many families fail to comprehend that the child they bring home could (and will most likely) have a very different psychological mindset then the rest of the family. For this reason, it has become more and more common for families to 'un-adopt' their adopted child. When the adopted child is brought home, or grows up a bit, they begin to lash out violently, act differently from the other children, shut down emotionally, and yell and scream when they do not obtain what they want. Parents of these children become frightened for the emotional and physical safety of their families, and they become exhausted at trying to care for the needy child.  Frustration sets in as to why this child, who has been given love, a home and a family, will not 'behave'. Hate stems from that, and many families who 'un-adopt' state that they no longer want to see the child ever again. The legal process of renouncing of international adoption, is long, laborious and expensive. Foster care is usually not an option, as the foster care system usually will not allow internationally adopted children to enter to program. For this reason, 'trading' these children is becoming more and more common. Families will, in essence, use the internet to sell or give away their adopted child. Since this is not a legal practice, the children are traded in parking lots, garages or secluded areas. This adopted child trade is becoming an even larger issue as more families choose this as their 'way out', and as this network often attracts very abusive and perverted 'parents'. 'Child recycling' is a problem that is very rarely addressed or looked at, which has enabled it to begin to grow larger and larger as a network within the United States, a network that needs to be shut down.

Child trading is a very secret, very 'hush-hush' operation, almost as if these children were objects on the black market.

market.

"This is “private re-homing,” something that once meant finding a new home for a dog that barked too much. Now it refers to families recycling their adopted children, often through Internet postings.

There are commonly no courts involved, no lawyers, no social service agencies and no vetting of the new parents. There’s less formality than the transfer of a car." (when children are traded)

These children are being sold like objects. One of the websites that had some of the most 'child relocation' adds, was Yahoo. Parents would post descriptions, nationalities and other personal information on message boards, in hopes of attracting an interested buyer. Once a response was given to the parents, the trade would happen quickly and quietly, and the child would never again see their original adopted family. Most of the children being traded were between the ages of 6 and 14.  Attracted to these troubled children most are abusive and perverted adults. Some will take these children for sexual reasons, others will trap them and abuse them. With this process being outside of legal knowledge, the people that take these children are not inspected or investigated, so abuse can happen much more easily.

"A Chinese girl crippled by polio ended up in a home where a woman with an explosive temper was eventually overseeing 18 children. The girl says that the woman confiscated her leg brace, which she needed to walk. And, according to court records, the woman, as a form of punishment, once ordered her to dig a hole in the backyard — for her own grave.  'You die here and no one will know,' the Chinese girl quoted the woman as saying. 'No one will find you.'" (when children are traded)

This injustice done to these children is horrific and heart-breaking and must be stopped. Not only does this process violate laws regarding international adoption, it also violates these children’s rights and safety. Without a wide scale intervention, this already swelling network will continue to grow. The United States must not be willing to tolerate this type of practice within the borders of their nation, and thus the calling for the destruction of child recycling must be heeded.

It must be acknowledged, however, that the families who choose to participate in this adopted child trade, often use it as a last resort.  

“The families handing over the children are at wit’s end. They typically adopted children with serious emotional troubles who, they say, brought fear, chaos and sometimes violence to their homes. Parents of one adopted boy said they felt they had to lock him in his room every night for the safety of everyone else.” (when children are traded)

Even though this practice is cruel and often extremely damaging to the child, the families who give their child up often feel like they have nowhere else to go, that for the emotional and physical safety of the rest of their family, this is the decision they must make. So while this practice is horrible, the families often do not see another way out.

It is estimated that between 10-25% (approximately 20,000 children) of international adoptions do not work out. Statistically, this means that up to half of these ‘non-working adoptions’ are terminated illegally. With the number of international adoptions always increasing, the number of adopted children being traded rises in correspondence. Without a legal clamp-down on adoptions and child re-locations, this issue will continue to grow, and the number of children being exploited and abused, within the United States, will sky-rocket.

Source:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/21/opinion/kristof-when-children-are-traded.html?_r=1&

Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 19, Not the hope we were searching for~

In chapter 19 of The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck utilizes the rhetorical strategies of pathos, sentence structure and evidence to establish the connection between California’s past and present. This chapter discusses how California originally belonged to Mexico. However, American squatters began to settle the land, feeling that they had the right to own and farm it. Now, with the migrants from the dustbowl moving west, these Californians are fearful that what they did to the Mexicans (take Mexico’s land as their own), will be what the migrant do to them.  

This chapter is littered with the accounts of migrant families whose children grew extremely hungry due to lack of food (stemming from their families lack of money).  Steinback evokes pathos in the reader as he vibrantly depicts how the families attempted (and often failed) to provide for their children. He illustrates this when he says: "They streamed the mountains, hungry and restless-restless as ants, scurrying to find work to do-to lift, to push, to pull, to pick to cut-anything, any burden to bear, for food" (chapter 19, pg 233). The migrants worked in whatever way they could, not for luxurious objects or the most recent model of a car, but for a basic human necessity: food. This chapter accounts how some of the migrant families would attempt to grow a small garden on the lands of the wealthy Californian farmers, but the greedy and suspicious land owners would hire surveillance to eliminate any families attempting to do such. This all evoked pathos in the reader as when the chapter concludes, the reader is left feeling sorry for the poor starving migrants, and angered at the greed of the Californian farmers.

Steinbeck also utilizes the rhetorical technique of small and quick sentences. The application of this form of sentence structures arouses a sense of desperation in the reader. Much like the migrant families are frantic to find food, Steinbeck composes this chapter in a such a way that makes the chapter read very quickly, almost as if in a rush.  This effective strategy assists the reader in feeling the sheer desperation felt by the migrants, which aids in the reader developing a sympathetic relationship with the families. Steinbeck engages and fascinates his audience through the utilization of a short-sentence structure.

Finally, chapter 19 presents the application of factual evidence as a rhetorical strategy. Steinbeck’s writing is unique in this book, as The Grapes of Wrath is a work of historical fiction. However, every other chapter (on the odd chapters), Steinbeck transitions out of the fictional life held by the Joad family, and reverts into describing the scene in the actuality of the time period. For example, in chapter 5, Steinbeck writes about ‘the monster that is the bank’, not through the perspective of the Joad’s, but rather through the perspective of the general population living at that time (in essence, these chapters are non-fiction).  Steinbeck accounts how the migrant families searched for work out of their desperate need for food. He describes how the Californian farmers would obliterate any attempt to harvest anything off of their lands. He depicts starving children and rapacious Californians. He describes the hope that the families obtained during their journey to California, and the crushing reality that they witnessed upon their arrival.

Grapes Of Wrath, Chapter 5, The Monster~

"It's the Monster. Men made it, but they can't control it." (pg. 33)

One of the key themes in chapter five of “The Grapes of Wrath”, includes that which is referred to as ‘the Monster’. In this chapter, the term ‘Monster’ is used as a label for the bank.  The bank forcefully exerts its control over the struggling farmers and their families, as they force the struggling people to pay back the debts that they owe. The bank is referred to as a Monster because, as the ‘thing’ that holds power, it is easy for it to make the people do its bidding, or else it threatens to confiscate homes and other pieces of property.  Because of the ‘Monster’ breathing down the farmers necks, they are reduced to beginning, stealing and taking whatever scraps they can find to allow them and their families to get by.  There are many families who were forced to let go of their precious land due to the ever looming shadow of the ‘Monster’, either because their land had been confiscated from them, or because they had no chance of survival and moving west seemed to hold more of a promising future to them. This ‘Monster’ successfully took away all control from the farmers and their families, and trapped them into an abstract form of slavery (meaning that while the farmers were not literally ‘slaves’, the bank owned them and everything that they owned, leaving the farmers with few ways out).

In a detailed continuation of the ‘Monster’ metaphor, Steinbeck goes on to describe the ‘Monster’s monster’-- The cats (or tractors).  Steinbeck discusses how, like the banks, the tractors had no regard for the land or for those who inhabited it.  For three simple dollars a day, men were hired to destroy their neighbors lands by plowing over them.  Another similarity these tractors and the bank was the fact that these tractors exerted control. The poor farmers whose lands were being bulldozed had absolutely no power to stop the tractors, thus the farmers lost all control, and with that, all hope. Through all of this, the farmers (even though they had much anger and much hatred towards the ‘Monster’ and it’s tractors) were utterly powerless to stop this greedy, wealth seeking machine that was the bank.