As I grow and evolve as a person, my idea of what is right is constantly shifting and changing. Trying to pinpoint who I am and what my own moral laws are leaves me feeling lost and bewildered. Therefore, in order to avoid the fate of the narrator in "Before the Law" I must not strive to attain perfection and attempt to get past the gatekeeper I create in my mind, instead I should accept the ambiguous nature of the Law and make decisions as they are presented to me. I am the ultimate decider of what is wrong and right in my mind, and although societal laws influence my decision-making process, I must ultimately look to myself for the answer. My quest of truth and what is right will last my entire life, just like the narrator in the parable, however I hope I will not be as alone and insatiable as he.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
An Eternal Search
This week focused on Law, and featured an attempt to define and relate law to society and ourselves. With moral, civil, and religious law all existing at once, it proved impossible to come up with a single set or definition of the law. After reading "Before the Law", I realized that it is impossible to truly know what is right. One can follow law to the letter, and still not be sure of the morality of their actions. Do United States interrogators feel immoral water boarding prisoners, even though our government deems it legal?

As I grow and evolve as a person, my idea of what is right is constantly shifting and changing. Trying to pinpoint who I am and what my own moral laws are leaves me feeling lost and bewildered. Therefore, in order to avoid the fate of the narrator in "Before the Law" I must not strive to attain perfection and attempt to get past the gatekeeper I create in my mind, instead I should accept the ambiguous nature of the Law and make decisions as they are presented to me. I am the ultimate decider of what is wrong and right in my mind, and although societal laws influence my decision-making process, I must ultimately look to myself for the answer. My quest of truth and what is right will last my entire life, just like the narrator in the parable, however I hope I will not be as alone and insatiable as he.
As I grow and evolve as a person, my idea of what is right is constantly shifting and changing. Trying to pinpoint who I am and what my own moral laws are leaves me feeling lost and bewildered. Therefore, in order to avoid the fate of the narrator in "Before the Law" I must not strive to attain perfection and attempt to get past the gatekeeper I create in my mind, instead I should accept the ambiguous nature of the Law and make decisions as they are presented to me. I am the ultimate decider of what is wrong and right in my mind, and although societal laws influence my decision-making process, I must ultimately look to myself for the answer. My quest of truth and what is right will last my entire life, just like the narrator in the parable, however I hope I will not be as alone and insatiable as he.
Friday, September 18, 2009
You Can't Fight Fate
There are those who believe a person's destiny is set in stone, that their fate has been predestined by some higher power. Despite this beliefs preserverance throughout history and different societies, it is truly just an ideology created by man to let himself have an excuse for the way his life turns out. If there was a fate, and it is carved in stone, it is not carved by a God, but rather by men. The combined actions of all people, or all concious beings capable of free will set the course for all future events. In Grapes of Wraith, the Great Depression and the dust bowl were not events that had to happen in some higher power's eyes, however they were caused by acts of man. It was the farmers who drained the life from the topsoil and didn't guard their plantations from the wind who helped lead to the Dust Bowl, and it was the risky lending practices held by bankers and investors that helped lead to the Great Depression. One would like to believe that man has no personable responsibility for those actions, but that is simply not true. Although there are such things as coincidence, a random occuring of events that seem unexplainable, our entire existence is a coincidence.
Now while looking towards my future, I hold my own fate in my hands. My actions this year, and over my entire life, will decide where I go to college, what I major in, where I live, who I marry, and possibly even how I die. Knowing that there is no puppetmaster making decisions for me, I am empowered to make the best use of this year to start engraving the fate of my own choosing in stone. Although I know there will be unpredictable events that will throw my path off course, I know I won't go anywhere unless I point myself in the right direction.
Now while looking towards my future, I hold my own fate in my hands. My actions this year, and over my entire life, will decide where I go to college, what I major in, where I live, who I marry, and possibly even how I die. Knowing that there is no puppetmaster making decisions for me, I am empowered to make the best use of this year to start engraving the fate of my own choosing in stone. Although I know there will be unpredictable events that will throw my path off course, I know I won't go anywhere unless I point myself in the right direction.
Friday, September 11, 2009
My Personal Quest
Thomas C. Foster defines certain rules that pertain to literature in How to Read Literature like a Professor . One of the most important ideas illustrated is that every trip is a quest, no matter how big or how small. While reading Grapes of Wraith, it is obvious that the Jones' expedition on Highway 66 to California is a quest with its own struggles and a goal to achieve. Currently, my family is remodeling our house so we can put in on the market. Due to the forced nature of the situation with litte other options at hand, it has been increasingly difficult and frustrating to deal with. We were able to stay with a generous family friend for a few days while our floors were being redone, and now our house is little more than empty rooms. Although we haven't technically left our house yet, I realize now that this journey is a quest. It has had its own trials and tribulations, with more to come, and our goal sometimes seems farther away every day.
While defining literature this week, I realized it was a study of not just reading and writing, but a study of humanity. I see Grapes of Wraith more than a window into insight about what it means to be human, but as a mirror I see myself in. I can see myself in Granpa, and his attatchment to his land, as I have lived in my house my entire sixteen years of existence, and I hope to be as strong as Al, who rises to the occasion to ensure the Joads' truck makes the journey.With so much on my plate this year, and my own families quest at hand, I hope for the best for the Joad family as I continue my way through the novel, for if they fail it will be difficult to have hope for myself.
While defining literature this week, I realized it was a study of not just reading and writing, but a study of humanity. I see Grapes of Wraith more than a window into insight about what it means to be human, but as a mirror I see myself in. I can see myself in Granpa, and his attatchment to his land, as I have lived in my house my entire sixteen years of existence, and I hope to be as strong as Al, who rises to the occasion to ensure the Joads' truck makes the journey.With so much on my plate this year, and my own families quest at hand, I hope for the best for the Joad family as I continue my way through the novel, for if they fail it will be difficult to have hope for myself.
Friday, September 4, 2009
I'd Prefer Not To
"Theren't no sin and there ain't no virtue. There's just stuff people do. It's all part of the same thing." - Grapes of Wraith
While reading Bartleby, The Scrivener, I remembered a thought I had 9 years ago during the third grade. I felt my teacher was treating me unfairly, and when faced with adversary I immediately felt like giving up. I wondered how my teacher would react if I responded "No." to any request she asked of me. How would she react in the face of a defiant 8 year old? I knew I would be sent to the principals office, but how could she force me to go if I refused? Fortunately, I decided not to follow up on my plan, but I saw a bit of myself in Bartleby as he refused the Lawyers requests. It solidified the vague idea in my mind that no one can make anyone do anything else. Every individual is fully in control of how they react in every situation, and have full control of where they take their lives, even if they choose not to do anything. With my senior year starting up, and college applications steadily approaching, I am taking every opportunity to boost my application to gain a competitive edge over my peers. Fortunately, I have realized my eyes are often bigger than my stomach, and I have limited my activities as there are only 24 hours in a day. However, many of my peers have not yet realized this fact, and have decided to accept every opportunity presented to them, even if they would rather not. So even though Bartleby's phrase ended up being his downfall, I know that it will also be some over-achieving seniors savior as well.
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