So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from Hell,
Blue skys from pain.
Can you tell a green field
From a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?
And did they get you to trade
Your heros for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange
A walk on part in the war
For a lead role in a cage?
How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl,
Year after year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have we found?
The same old fears.
Wish you were here.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Kingship
One central theme displayed in “Oedipus the King” is the idea of kingship and what it means in terms of the story and Oedipus himself. Oedipus is raised by the people to become the king after he saves them from the Sphinx. They are so grateful to be free of the Sphinx and to be released from all that they were forced to do under her that they immediately turned to Oedipus as their savior and guardian. As king, Oedipus provides his people with security and protection. He also stands as a hero figure for his people to look up to, respect, and obey. Oedipus is the man that his country turns to in a time of crisis because he has positioned himself in their minds as the only man capable of such a challenge.
Oedipus is put to the test when a true crisis does evolve in his country. He is faced with saving his people from the plague that is spreading through his country as well as all over the continent. Oedipus immediately takes a stand to fulfill his role as king and thinks ahead even before his countrymen come to him in seek of help. He sends his brother-in-law as a messenger to visit an oracle to gain help and understanding for his great problem. Oedipus intends on remaining a powerful and respected ruler of his country. The messenger finds the oracle at Delphi, in the Temple of Apollo. The oracle informs the messenger that the gods will stop holding the plague over the people when they find the killer of their old king Laios. The people must kill the murderer or send him into exile. Oedipus acts as a good king in response to the news and promises to take action right away. Oedipus takes his kingship seriously in this instance because he tries to take the pain and suffering away from his people and put it onto himself by taking responsibility in finding Laios’s murderer. However, Oedipus is unaware of what this duty really means in regards to himself. In truth, Oedipus is King Laios’s killer he is just unaware of this fact. Consequently, even though Oedipus is showing great kingship by working to find the murderer, he in fact cannot fulfill this challenge without realizing the truth of him being the killer.
The whole short story is centered around the notion of kingship because Oedipus rose to the position of King by demonstrating king-like qualities and then continued to serve in the same manner. Oedipus works to demonstrate good kingship over his people by taking the responsibility of finding the murderer of King Laios even though it forces him to come to terms with the day of King Laios’s death. The success of a country was based on its king because Kings were the center of every countries survival. Oedipus was smart enough to realize how important his role was in his country and to his people, leading him to take the matter of the plague seriously. His people should be thankful of his dedication even though in a sense his killing of King Laios caused problems and pain for his people. (531)
Oedipus is put to the test when a true crisis does evolve in his country. He is faced with saving his people from the plague that is spreading through his country as well as all over the continent. Oedipus immediately takes a stand to fulfill his role as king and thinks ahead even before his countrymen come to him in seek of help. He sends his brother-in-law as a messenger to visit an oracle to gain help and understanding for his great problem. Oedipus intends on remaining a powerful and respected ruler of his country. The messenger finds the oracle at Delphi, in the Temple of Apollo. The oracle informs the messenger that the gods will stop holding the plague over the people when they find the killer of their old king Laios. The people must kill the murderer or send him into exile. Oedipus acts as a good king in response to the news and promises to take action right away. Oedipus takes his kingship seriously in this instance because he tries to take the pain and suffering away from his people and put it onto himself by taking responsibility in finding Laios’s murderer. However, Oedipus is unaware of what this duty really means in regards to himself. In truth, Oedipus is King Laios’s killer he is just unaware of this fact. Consequently, even though Oedipus is showing great kingship by working to find the murderer, he in fact cannot fulfill this challenge without realizing the truth of him being the killer.
The whole short story is centered around the notion of kingship because Oedipus rose to the position of King by demonstrating king-like qualities and then continued to serve in the same manner. Oedipus works to demonstrate good kingship over his people by taking the responsibility of finding the murderer of King Laios even though it forces him to come to terms with the day of King Laios’s death. The success of a country was based on its king because Kings were the center of every countries survival. Oedipus was smart enough to realize how important his role was in his country and to his people, leading him to take the matter of the plague seriously. His people should be thankful of his dedication even though in a sense his killing of King Laios caused problems and pain for his people. (531)
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
"It's A Wonderful Life"
I believe that the character Ivan Ilych is a tragic literary character because he is an unhappy person who does not give anything positive back to society. He does not appear to believe in anything other than money and advancing himself in society to be above other people in his life. This is no way to live a happy and fulfilling life. Ivan does not realize this until the end of his life. This becomes one of the biggest messages of the short story; the author stresses not wasting your life and to not living it in greed. Ivan does not have enough appreciation for people and anything or anyone other than himself. That is why his life can be deemed as terrible.
Ivan does not know or believe in himself let alone other people. He thinks of himself only in terms in success and does not take on the responsibility of other people, not even his family. Therefore, I do think he is a tragic character. He leads a terrible life because I believe that the greatest joy, the kindest service, and the most worth in life can be found through relationships with other people. People are what matter in life and being selfless is the most profound gesture anyone can make to oneself, to other people, and to any higher power that one believes in. Ivan does nothing remotely selfless and consequently he leads what I find to be a lonely life. Some might not view his life as terrible, but if no worth can be found in his life and all that he has done in his time on earth then to me it is clear that it is terrible.
When I think about Ivan I cannot help but think about the character George Bailey from the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” because he embodies everything that Ivan is not. Although George struggles quite a bit throughout his life and is never fully financially successful he ends up being the happiest, most loved, and rewarded man in town. George Bailey lived anything but a terrible life because he made such a difference in the lives around him and was so very appreciated. Ivan clearly did not have this affect on anyone because his supposed friends found his funeral to be a burden they had to deal with. His death did not bring sadness and despair but rather annoyance and inconvenience. In “It’s a Wonderful Life” the world without the existence of George Bailey is a sadder, darker place. His lack of existence or his death would bring anything but annoyance and inconvenience. George Bailey is a polar opposite of Ivan Ilych, which serves to further stress the wrong in the way Ivan conducted his life and shows the reader how much more there is to life. (489).
Ivan does not know or believe in himself let alone other people. He thinks of himself only in terms in success and does not take on the responsibility of other people, not even his family. Therefore, I do think he is a tragic character. He leads a terrible life because I believe that the greatest joy, the kindest service, and the most worth in life can be found through relationships with other people. People are what matter in life and being selfless is the most profound gesture anyone can make to oneself, to other people, and to any higher power that one believes in. Ivan does nothing remotely selfless and consequently he leads what I find to be a lonely life. Some might not view his life as terrible, but if no worth can be found in his life and all that he has done in his time on earth then to me it is clear that it is terrible.
When I think about Ivan I cannot help but think about the character George Bailey from the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” because he embodies everything that Ivan is not. Although George struggles quite a bit throughout his life and is never fully financially successful he ends up being the happiest, most loved, and rewarded man in town. George Bailey lived anything but a terrible life because he made such a difference in the lives around him and was so very appreciated. Ivan clearly did not have this affect on anyone because his supposed friends found his funeral to be a burden they had to deal with. His death did not bring sadness and despair but rather annoyance and inconvenience. In “It’s a Wonderful Life” the world without the existence of George Bailey is a sadder, darker place. His lack of existence or his death would bring anything but annoyance and inconvenience. George Bailey is a polar opposite of Ivan Ilych, which serves to further stress the wrong in the way Ivan conducted his life and shows the reader how much more there is to life. (489).
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