An Inconvenient Truth: Survival

There are a number of upcoming difficulties that will pose challenges to our survival as a race: reliance on non-renewable resources, the disturbing potential of existing nuclear arms, the world's supply of clean water, and (why not?) the Sun exploding. What bothers me about this is that our generation may not necessarily be the one that actually has to deal with these problems. The plastic bag that I throw away today may be part of the gargantuan mass of garbage that will be screwing over the future Earth that my great-granddaughter will live in. The inhabitants of Earth at this very second may never have to face the consequences of human environmental exploitation and manipulation, yet a number of them have created consequences for future generations already. I realize that there are plenty of efforts being made to address almost all of the issues that will and already do plague us, however I also realize that a perfect world will never be achieved. A number of problems will always remain, a heavy burden passed down to the future carriers of our genetic line. Lamenting this is almost completely futile and almost certainly useless, yet thinking about it still bugs me. The saying is right: we don't inherit the land from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. But how do you hold someone accountable for damaging something they borrowed if they're dead already? There's only one option when it comes to our planet: Fix it or die trying.

Dialectics: Hard Work and Talent

The desire to achieve excellence, be it in academics, athletics, arts, or any other area, is something that most of us experience at one point in our lives. We want to be good, we want to gain respect, we want to be at the top.

How do you achieve these goals? You put in whatever work is required. Perseverance pays off. What changes this process a little is the talent factor: All men and women were created equal, from a moral standpoint. One can plainly see that not everyone is the same; there are countless differences and individual qualities that make us unique. In some cases, these differences can provide advantages or disadvantages in certain fields of competition. Maybe it's height, maybe it's brain development, the point is that some people are born with what others have to work for, and in some cases, something that no amount of hard work can give you.

That being said, we can see in athletes, artists, and people in general a balance: the reliance they put on individual talent and the work they put in to make up for their shortcomings. Furthermore it should be noted that no one can run on talent alone: there is always the drive for victory, the motivation to be great. The relationship between these two ideas can create a quasi-spectrum of one's path to achievement. However, there are those who can go beyond these limits: the talented who work just as hard as those less fortunate. It is often these people that you see on the podium at the Olympics, receiving a Nobel Prize, earning scholarships to prestigious schools. Almost everything that we as a race do today has a competitive environment, and we as competitors experience varying degrees of both talent and hard work.

"People livin' in competition, all I want is to have my peace of mind."

Blogging Around

In response to Bill's Best Of Week post:

Bill, I find your observation quite insightful and agree with your statements on Conrad's choice of perspective. Racism is a very prominent theme in the book and the choice of a white man as a narrator gives a very specific viewpoint on it that adds to the story.

In response to Taylor's Best Of Week post:

Taylor, I agree with your opinions on voice in terms of writing stories. Consistency seems to enhance character development by giving a steady, more natural feel. Cathedral was a great example of this.

Best of Week: Connotations of Cathedral

Titles may be so much shorter than the stories they head, but their effects on readers exist nonetheless. In class, a discussion group compiled an extensive list of connotations of the word "cathedral." While some were far-fetched, many made perfect sense and showed themes represented in the story itself.

Although readers may not consciously crank out a bunch of related themes when reading titles, reading a story would still be different without knowing the title. It doesn't necessarily define what the piece of writing is about, but it seems to subtly guide the thinking process behind the reading.

The connotations of "cathedral" themselves were not the best of the week; the idea that they mattered was.

Best of Today: The Horror

When trying to interpret a dense book by myself, I find that I often miss the most important points and connections. Listening to people mull over the text in class is tedious, but pays off in the end when new interpretations are shared.

Something that I completely missed while reading the book was the connection between Kurtz's Intended and his last words. The idea that 'the horror!' was a reference to the fiancee shows a very interesting level of the book; I'm glad that it was a topic of discussion today.

Reading Heart of Darkness is difficult, analyzing it is near traumatic. Having a group of other minds to approach it with (along with two teachers packing previous experience with the novel) is immensely helpful.

Connection: Heart of Darkness and Sigmund Freud

An aspect of Heart of Darkness that really sticks out is Kurtz's descent to savagery. An extended stay in the forests in mad pursuit of ivory seemed to do interesting things to the agent's mentality; the doctor met by Marlow would be intrigued. Severed heads acting as decoration? Rock on. Caring more about elephant tusks than your own health? Cheers.

Freud comes in naturally with the (arguably) mad agent: the repression of internal, base drives that are often considered ammoral or frowned upon. Kurtz's transformation demonstrates the tearing down of the wall that holds back these drives, called the 'id' by Freud. This raises new aspects of the novel: What is it about the Congo that causes these changes? What role does 'civilized' society play in the caging of the 'id'?

Marlow views Kurtz in a very mixed, ambiguous manner. Disgust, exaltation, respect, fear... They all seem to be expressed in his narrating. Is this how 'normal' people view those who have released inner animal urges? Perhaps an experience like that raises such a complex blend of emotions that he simply doesn't know how to react. Would you?

Metacognition: 1st Semester

Academically, sophomore year has seemed to have gone more or less as I planned so far. The daily routine has settled in, the natural flow of things has started up. One word comes to mind when I think of English class this year: different. We've tackled stuff ranging from Shakespeare to philosophy, fictional memoirs to acting. Variety seems to be the driving force behind our studies. Throughout these months, I feel that I've learned some things about my writing that never really would've popped up otherwise: I need to maintain focus when working on essays, my paragraphs don't transition well, etc.

Currently I'm reading Eric Clapton's autobiography. My initial expectations: "The guy's not a writer, he's a blues guitar god. This book will be a good story written in a mediocre manner." I was wrong. While he is no Charles Dickens, he writes with an honesty and reflective attitude that bares his soul for all to see. What allows such linguistic skills to manifest themselves? To be a good writer, one needs creativity and the ability to harness it. I find that I'm severely lacking in both departments.

That being said, perhaps this school year will provide ample opportunities to improve. Gradewise, English this year has been harder. That's a good sign. Only through struggle do we become stronger. Let it be noted that by no means am I saying last year was too easy; that would be arrogant and false.

A discussion this year that stuck with me fairly well was held during our examination of Sophie's World. It concerned some pretty heavy material involving God, the creation of the universe, and Luc waking from his eternal slumber to contribute his knowledge on the topic. Certain subjects that come up during English discussions resonate well with me simply because I've pondered them on my own before. I really like this aspect of our class.

Soon we will enter the second half of the school year. Things to expect: essays, active reading, and... poetry? Things to work on: writing, speaking in addition to listening during discussions. See you on the other side.