Course Reflection

I thought the Humanities 1100 class was an alright class. I didn’t find the nature issue unit particularly interesting or mind blowing and I felt that it didn’t make an impact on me. I liked the myth unit though because they were all so interesting to read and it was really fun making our own myth. It gave us a chance to really be creative. I didn’t like the religion section. I thought it would be really interesting to learn about but it wasn’t what I thought it would be. I was expecting to know the ins and outs of a religion, not read the text of it that I couldn’t understand. Needless to say, that unit was a letdown for me. I really liked the love and romance unit and my favorite quote in the entire class still comes from that unit. It goes like this, "Love, like war, is a toss-up. The defeated can recover, while some you might think invincible collapse; So if you’ve got love written off as an easy option you’d better think twice.  Love calls for guts and initiative.” (Ovid, pg. 295) I am a romantic so that’s why I liked this part so much. I didn’t much care for the race and gender section. I just feel like we talk enough about those subjects in history class that it was old material. Overall, I may not have been impressed with the topics we discussed in class, but I was sometimes happy with our discussions. I liked when we had deep, meaningful conversations that the class was actually involved in. I liked hearing new points of view from people that made me change my opinion or I liked finding out something new about someone. On a good day, this was a good class. 

Reflect and Connect: Week 18

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This week we have been talking about race and gender still, trying to wrap it up. We saw a movie clip of The Great Debaters that reminded me of the movie called Freedom Writers. Even though they are set in different time periods, they still deal with the blacks being supressed and outcasted. In one, segregation is still going on but the blacks are still trying to go to school and make something of themselves while in the other, black and white schools have been mixed for awhile but we notice that all black schools still don't have the supplies that the white schools get. In Freedom Writers, no one spends time with the black students so they don't get good grades but when the new teacher comes, she makes them want to learn and she tries to get better books for the kids and she really makes a difference in their lives. The two movies are different, but they remind me of one another.

Reflect and Connect: Week 17

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Hughes is a collection of poems that are about the author being black and the way people treated him. I really liked the poems because he didn't hold back with how he felt and he was funny too. I really liked a part of his poem Crossed when he said he didn't know where he would die since he was neither black nor white. Shocking Story is about the killing of a teenage boy in the south that is shocking because the two men who killed him weren't punished for the murder. It is a sad story, yes, but I don't find it very shocking. As mentioned in class, this kind of thing happened in the south around that time, everyday. I feel like there were much worse things done to black people for even more ridiculous reasons than taunting a white girl. I don't think what the men did was right and I don't think the boy deserved what happened to him but I feel that this story is one of the least shocking. I'm sure we could dig something up from history that is much, much worse than this. You also have to remember that the members of the KKK never got in trouble for hanging blacks in the trees. Is that considered shocking?

Looking For My Prince Charming

This wasn’t a very interesting article but I got some things from it. First, I hate the idea of arranged marriage because like the author says, I believe that love should come before marriage. I don’t like the idea that your parents have someone picked out for you at the age of three or that they keep setting you up on dates with people that you don’t like. I think you should be able to explore who you want and decide that you like someone. I did love the author’s sense of humor though. A perfect example comes from this passage, “Two days later he sent me a long-winded email explaining that he wasn’t ready for a serious commitment- which is a shame because I’d already mailed the invitations, set up the bridal registry and commissioned the cake.” (pg. 543) I think the most positive thing about this article is that her parents aren’t forcing her to pick the first guy she sees or the one that they picked for her. She still has her rights to say no and I think that’s important.

Media Portrayals of Men and Masculinity

The general argument made by the Media Awareness Network in their work Media Portrayals of Men and Masculinity is that recently, the studies of men in the media have increased to show the same, but not equivalent, negative advertising that women receive. More specifically, the M.A.N. suggests that the way media portrays men and their roles are enforcing the ideas of how to be a “real” man in our society. The M.A.N. writes, “In most media portrayals, male characters are rewarded for self-control and the control of others, aggression and violence, financial independence, and physical desirability.” (pg. 538) In this passage, the M.A.N is suggesting that to be a “real” man, you need to control your emotions, you need to be aggressive, you need to make your own money, and you need to be attractive. In conclusion, it is the M.A.N’s belief that the media is enforcing false ideas of how to be a “real” man in our society today.

            In my view, the M.A.N is right because men really are portrayed as these unfeeling money making machines that will cut you down to get to the top. For example, in the movie The Holliday, Jude Law plays a man who falls in love with a woman, Cameron Diaz, and she is getting ready to go back home so she has to leave him and as she drives away he starts to cry and it is a really weird thing to see because you NEVER see men cry in movies. I want to add that a man that can cry is pretty sexy and they should cry and share their feelings more often. Although the M.A.N might object that there are tender scenes in movies, I maintain that you never see tears. Therefore, I conclude that the media does send a message to men about how they are supposed to act when really they don’t need to act like that at all.

The Male Privilege Checklist

The general argument made by (author unknown, original Peggy McIntosh) in their work The Male Privilege Checklist, is that men have privileges that only apply to them. More specifically, unknown suggests that men have privileges that help them through life and they aren’t even aware of it! They write, “In the end, however, it is men and not women who make the most money; men and not women who dominate the government and corporate boards; men and not women who dominate virtually all of the most powerful positions of society.” (pg. 536) In this passage the author is suggesting that men always have a way to come out on top over women because of the privileges thrust upon them. In conclusion, it’s the author’s opinion that men hold a higher position than women due to these unnoticed privileges.

            In my view, the author is totally right because you see examples of the “checklist” all the time. For example, rule # 24 states that, “Even if I sleep with a lot of women, there is no chance that I will be seriously labeled a ‘slut’, nor is there any male counterpart to ‘slutbashing’.” (pg. 537) This is so true because there is a saying going around that being a man that sleeps with a lot of women, you are a master key but if a woman sleeps with a lot of men, she’s just a shitty lock. (The lock and key effect.) You even see this in movies when men are idolized for being with a lot of women. Although the author actually objects in the piece that, “…I never claimed that life for men is all ice cream sundaes,” (pg. 536) that life for men is easy because of these rules, I maintain that men do have it easier than women. Therefore, I conclude that men do have privileges that they don’t even think they have.

Graduation

This was a really hard piece to relate to. She gets so excited for her graduation and being in that process myself, I can’t say that we have the same feelings. It is like the most important day for her and everyone in town goes nuts but nowadays graduations are so common. It’s still important today but we don’t get very excited. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy but I have a sense of dread that comes with it. I have to start my life after this, I have to go to college and figure out how I’m going to live. That’s scary stuff. Times are so different now than they were then. I have all of those worries and she says that after graduation she will be free. She’s graduating from eighth grade, she doesn’t have worries yet. She says that teachers have the same degree as her and they are qualified to impart wisdom. It just is hard to relate to since things have changed so much since then.

            I think it is disappointing, however, that the white man comes and ruins it for everyone. He had no right to crash the graduation and make people feel down. It’s sad that Angelou goes on to say that she wishes she was dead, she wishes everyone were dead. But I’m not going to lie, I like that she says, “As a species, we were an abomination. All of us.” (pg. 616) I have agreed with statements like that for a long time. Humans do cruel things and in our minds we think it’s ok and that it’s right. We may be very smart and advanced, but that doesn’t mean we can go around and act like uncompassionate assholes.

            The best part of this passage is when the speaker gives his speech and then they sing the African American National Anthem and it gives everybody hope again.  It just reminds one how impactful  words can be and what they can mean to one person or to a group of people.

Reflect and Connect: Week 16

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This week we didn't really discuss anything. We talked about our eportfolio's and got on the computer to figure them out. I will say that this week was a transition week between the Love and Romance unit and the Diverstiy: Race unit. We ended love with Tristan and will begin diversity with Hughes and Shocking Story.

Hughes/Shocking Story

Hughes

            First off, I like this section because I decided that I like poetry, the kind that rhymes, and I like that his poetry really makes a statement. The first poem, Dinner Guest: Me, is a good one because obviously he knows that whites are racist so he pretty much throws it in their face in this poem and he basks in it. It’s quite humorous actually. And I like the part when he says, “Solutions to the problem, of course, wait.” (pg. 593) because it’s the typical belief that if a black person is involved they aren’t treated the same. The biggest connection I can make is in the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air when they always say that they are going to go to jail because they are black or “he” is for sure going because he is black. I like the poem Harlem because it’s more toned down and nice to think about. Obviously it has some deeper meaning behind it besides a dream that you dream at night while you are asleep but how I read it made it nice to keep it simple like that and really wonder where deferred dreams go. I love Cross because in history the issue of half black and white kids has been a real problem and he brings that out when he says, “I wonder where I’m gonna die, being neither white nor black?” (pg. 594) I, Too is a good poem as well because he’s really challenging Americans and saying don’t treat me different, I’m an American too. The Ghandhi poem was alright.

Shocking Story

            The general point made by William Bradford Huie in his work The Shocking Story of Approved Killing in Mississippi is that man has a long history of inhumanity towards one another. More specifically, Huie suggests that racial issues have proven the most brutal examples in inhumanity. He writes, “…racial conflict had produced some of the most horrible examples of brutality.” (pg. 602) In this passage the Huie is saying exactly what I already said. In conclusion, it is Huie’s belief that this is one of the many examples of brutality displayed through racism and more broadly, humanity.

            In my view, Huie is right because what the ADULT men did was horrific. For example, I was trying to think of worse things that happened in history between the blacks and the whites but I couldn’t think of anything because this was a child, they shot him in the head, and then they tied the fan to him with barbed wire, around his neck. When they threw him in the water I can only imagine what that did to his neck. Maybe is severed his head! Although Huie might object that this wasn’t the worst act of them all, I maintain that I agree with him because it was a display of a large overreaction. Therefore, I conclude that the case of Emmett Till is in fact a great example in the ways of brutality between humans.

Reflect and Connect: Week 15

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I connect this week to a book I am reading outside of class called Crossed, by Ally Condie. It's a teen novel but I think overall I consider it a romance novel. The only reason I connect it to the love and romance unit is becuase it has love in it and it has a really great quote in it that spoke to me. It stood out to me so much. The quote goes like this, "Everyone has something of beauty about them. In the beginning for me, it was Ky's eyes I noticed, and I love them still. But loving lets you look, and look, and look again. You notice the back of a hand, the turn of a head, the way of a walk. When you first love, you look blind and you see it all as the glorious, beloved whole, or a beautiful sum of beautiful parts. But when you see the one you love as pieces, as whys- why he walks like this, why he closes his eyes like that- you can love those parts, too, and it's a love at once more complicated and more complete." (pg. 346) The reason this stood out to me so much is because this is how I can think of someone but I never quite had the words to describe what was going through my head and this is so true. When you first look at someone, you only see the larger picture but as you keep staring at the picture, the little details start to show themselves and a painting you thought you liked turned into a picture you love because of what you didn't see on the surface. Ah, I think I am in love with this quote...

Cultural Activity: Music

1.      What musical event did you attend?

I went and saw the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in Temple Square, Salt Lake City.

2.      Give a summary or description of the works you heard.

The blend of singing and musical instruments was beautiful. It had a light sound that was so harmonious and delightful. It was happy and uplifting music, even if it was a lot about Jesus and stuff. The choir itself was really refreshing. It was nice to hear people who can actually sing and sound beautiful over the high school and jr.  high performances. In the orchestra there were a lot of instruments. They had a harp that sounded so pretty and a flute that gave it a mischievous sound. It was also the first time I have seen an organ in real life. Even the lyrics were somewhat attractive. They were songs about god of course and they were just nice like all the children gathered around god to hear all of his wisdom. It just painted a good picture in the head, you know? The music was really calming and peaceful and it made it easier to listen to and enjoy.

3.      Would you say that this was a poor/fair/good/high quality performance? Why? Justify your answer. Did you notice any mistakes or other problems that detracted from the performance?

I think I would consider this a good to high quality performance because the quality of the music was fantastic and it was a very professional setting. Like I already mentioned, it was harmonious and sounded really well put together. As for the professional setting, all of the ushers were dressed in their Sunday best and they were really nice and helpful and showed us exactly where to go and they helped put order to the crowd. I personally didn’t notice any mistakes in the performance but I also don’t have a very hypocritical ear for music. According to the conductor, there were a few mistakes. He wanted them to open there mouth more for a more rounded sound and he wasn’t pleased with the pitches that the choir was hitting at some points but I thought they sounded fantastic. I guess there is a reason why I’m not the conductor and he is.

4.      What did you find out about the background of the works, composers, artists, or others connected with this production?

I learned that there are 360 members of the Tabernacle Choir and they are all different but are together based on their faith and their love for singing.  The ages in the choir range from 25 to 60 years old. The choir has appeared in 13 world fairs and events. They have also performed at the inaugurations of five US presidents. They also sing for worldwide telecasts and special events. The recordings of the Choir have reached gold record status, five of them, and two of them have reached platinum record status.  Important people are Mac Christensen, choir president, Mack Wilberg, music director, Ryan Murphy, associate music director, Igor Gruppman, conductor of orchestra, LeAnna Willmore, conductor of bells, Larry Smith, associate conductor of bells, Lloyd Newell, announcer, Richard Elliot, organist, Scott Barrick, general manager, and Barry Anderson, administrative manager.

5.      What was your personal reaction to this performance?

My personal reaction to this performance was that at first I was worried that I was in Temple Square and I felt really out of place. I was worried that we had to look nice and talk to people about our faith and religion and stuff but I was pleased that I wasn’t asked any questions by the obviously religious people. Then when we finally entered the silver topped dome and I calmed down a little bit.  There weren’t many people there so me and my friend could stick to ourselves. Overall, I didn’t really want to see the Tabernacle because of the religious connection but I was pleased that they were very pleasant to listen to. I ended up really liking the performance because it was so nice on the ears. I was excited to hear something so professional and skillful. It was so nice to listen to in fact that I started to get very sleepy and I think I started nodding off. It was like being in sleeping beauty when the fairies make the kingdom sleep. It was some sort of magical reaction that I couldn’t ignore. As I mentioned before, the harp was a nice surprise that I hadn’t expected. I have been in love with harp music since Ari played it in junior high. To be honest, I couldn’t really make out a lot of the lyrics, but I caught the general drift of it. But that was something that was annoying. I feel like when there is a lot of people singing at once it is harder to know what they are saying over a single voice. My friend and I had a conversation about the lyrics to decipher them and towards the end we would always come to an agreement about what they were. I thought it was beautiful but maybe the lyrics could have been easier to hear. I was relaxed and calm when we left.

6.      Would you recommend this performance or musical group to others? Why or why not?

I think I would recommend this to others just because it was a high quality sounding performance but I think I would only recommend it to people who have already seen the choir or believed in it because if I were to recommend it to others that weren’t religious I feel like I would get a lot of negative feedback. I feel that way just because of people who have closed minds that wouldn’t accept the beauty of the choir over their religious affiliation.  I would recommend this to someone if I knew they could appreciate it over judge it.

7.      Would you enjoy attending this type of event again? Why or why not?

I would enjoy attending a type of event like this again just in a different context. For example, I would love to see another musical performance if it wasn’t in Temple Square and if the songs were directed to something else. Like I said, it was really nice on the ears but I felt out of place. It definitely wasn’t my scene so if it was a little more relaxed I would have enjoyed it more I think. It helps that I consider myself one that can see the beauty in things so I could look past the Mormons but there are always bigger and better things out there.

Love Reading Quiz

Her and Him

“Love, like war, is a toss-up. The defeated can recover, while some you might think invincible collapse; So if you’ve got love written off as an easy option you’d better think twice. Love calls for guts and initiative.” (Ovid, pg. 295) This statement has never been truer than in the story of her and him.

            He was the cousin of her boyfriend; she was the girlfriend of his cousin. They met in passing one day but nothing out of the ordinary happened. She thought he was cute but didn’t have the personality to back it up while he thought she was cute but didn’t think about it again. The months passed by, the cousin and she were no longer a couple. One day, she was eating dinner and was shocked to see him in her kitchen. It was awkward and she felt that she needed to resent him. Every time they met, there was hostility from her, and jokes from him.

            They saw each other more and more and she started to think of him as a friend. One night in a friendly gathering, she saw him in a new light. She asked about his tattoos and really noticed his nature as a person. This is the budding of her love for him. This is when she truly noticed him.

            She thought about him often now and was excited to learn that he would be joining a camping excursion with her family and a few other people. She loved the thought of this just to be close to him even though she felt like she couldn’t act on it because he was her brother’s friend after all and a few years older. This however didn’t stop her from admiring him all weekend. Later on, she would find out that he was admiring her too.

            The weeks passed by, she was getting ready to go back to school, he was working. They decided to have an end of the summer party at her house. With the nectar of socializing in them both, they had courage to say how they felt. She made it obvious she was spending the night with him and he laughed. They stayed up well past everybody else, talking about the things they both had in common. It was late. He asked her to go home with him. She gladly accepted, not scared or worried about what would happen, just ready to go. They stayed up even later, talking about nonsense things, getting to know each other better. They drifted off in each other’s arms.

            In the morning, they woke up slow, like in Banana Pancakes. Nothing happened the night before but now she had a question in her head, where was this going? He didn’t even give her time to wonder; he held her hand the whole way home.

            They separated themselves from each other that day, she going to a concert, him running errands, only to be joined that night once more. This time, he was the only one with liquid courage in him and she took care of him. She let him sleep in her bed with her and she let him whisper his sweet nothings to her until he fell asleep, as close to her as he could get.

            After that, it was obvious they liked each other. They spent the next two weeks having fun and hanging out. He taught her new things and she taught him new things. It was very nice. His friends and her brother tried so hard to warn her about what was bound to happen in the end but she didn’t listen. She figured you can tell me but you can’t control him, he will do what he wants.

            This was true. They kept talking and seeing each other. As time went on, things became different. He took longer to text her back, they didn’t hang out as much, and he stopped whispering his sweet nothings. At first she didn’t mind, they could distance themselves. But after a while, she got worried. She didn’t know how he felt anymore and she was wondering if he was being a cheat. She didn’t let this go on for long, maybe a month. Finally, when she could no longer stand to see him, she told him it wasn’t working out. It broke her heart to do it but she respected herself more than she thought he was good for her and she ended it.

            He wanted to talk to her about it so they met up. At that moment, she hated how his arms always calmed her down and made her feel better. He asked if they could still talk and he told her he wanted to be friends. He even planted the hope in her head that, “I’m not going anywhere, maybe we can try again someday.” She wanted to stay friends, there were no hard feelings on her part, so she kept up with it and they continued to text and sometimes hang out. She couldn’t deny how happy she was when she was with him.

            One day it got too much for her and she decided to tell him how she felt about him after a couple of months of being separated. He pretty much ignored her. This is when she knew she NEEDED to get over him and move on.

            Since then it’s been a constant battle. On the random occasion when she sees him, her heart rate increases, her body temperature sky rockets, her hands begin to shake and sometimes she bursts into tears when she makes it safely to her room. She can’t help it that she compares him to sunshine. She hates that he feels so right to her. She loves everything about him. She wishes she knew if these were real feelings or if she is infatuated with him. She thinks she might be crazy and asks herself, “Is this what love is?” She thinks about him at least once a day, every day since she let him go. She has to remind herself that life isn’t a movie, they aren’t going to meet up one day and everything will fall into place, he’s not going to wake up and ask for her back. Would she even take him back?

            The ones thought to be invincible, by others or by themselves, are not. One day they will meet there match and they will fall. What will pull her, the defeated through, is knowing that she can, and will recover one day. With or without her love, she is determined not to let him push her down and keep her there.

Tristan

“He that never had sorrow of love never had joy of it either! In love, joy and sorrow ever went hand in hand!” (pg. 303) I am so happy that this story starts off with this quote because it is right on and it is brilliant.  It is so true and obviously the concept hasn’t changed over hundreds of years. I think that’s what I like most about the concepts of love, everyone agrees on the same things and over time the agreements haven’t changed a bit. “…but there was nothing there but love- and Isolde.” (pg. 303) This just sounds really romantic to me and that’s why I like it so much. It’s like he’s looking for something and he can’t really find anything but one thing and that one thing isn’t even the most important thing, Isolde is the most important thing. “They looked at one another and nourished themselves with that!” (pg. 304) I like that this is saying the lovers didn’t really need anything to live, all they needed was one another.

            I like the overall story, I like the idea of it. At the beginning when Tristan is just supposed to be the messenger boy and it hints that Isolde hates him, I’m assuming because she doesn’t want to marry the King of Kurnewal (which is the standard thing in these kinds of stories), and then they end up taking the love potion that makes them deeply love each other, throwing a twist in the story. It gives it a good feel that they can love each other for awhile on the boat ride but then it leaves you wishing something different had happened in the end. It’s so sad that Tristan ends up moving away to marry a different Isolde when he can’t stop thinking about the Isolde he fell in love with. I have never seen the movie but I hope that it doesn’t end like this story does. I hope it ends happily with Tristan and Isolde being together. Reading this story makes me want to go watch the movie.

To His Coy Mistress; Tonight I Can Write

To His Coy Mistress

            “We would sit down and think which way to walk and pass our long love’s day.” (pg. 310) I like this because the way I read it said that he isn’t with this girl yet but he wants to sit down and figure out how to walk past her or near her everyday so that he can see her. Like when we were talking about walking a different way in the halls at school so we can see our crushes. “My vegetable love should grow vaster than empires, and more slow…” (pg. 310) I just like this because his love is going to grow huge and wide and yet slow and steady over the years. It’s sweet of him to say. I liked this poem because it actually has rhyme and rhythm and he is clever with his metaphors and words.

Tonight I Can Write

            At first, I didn’t think the beginning lines were sad so I was confused as to why he was writing the saddest lines but then as he goes on to say how he held and kissed her on nights like that but now he does not have her, I realized why it was sad. As I read on, I was confused when he says, “I no longer love her, that’s certain, but how I loved her.” (pg. 321) But then I realized that it’s one of those things where he was probably trying to lie to himself and say he doesn’t love her when he really still does. The overall reaction to this was a couple who is that couple, the ones who always are breaking up and getting back together. When he says that he sometimes loved her or she sometimes loved him, I feel like they caused each other a lot of problems but they did love each other and now they are over for good and he misses her, just like she probably misses him.

Refelct and Connect: Week 14

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This week we read the symposium and dealt with it all week. The first thing that popped out to me in this was when Diotima said, “Do not then insist that what is not fair is of necessity foul, or what is not good evil; or infer that because love is not fair and good he is therefore foul and evil; for he is in a mean between them.” (pg 284) I like this because it connects back to the beginning of the year when we were talking about arguments and the general opinion of the authors was that we see issues as black and white, there is no gray area in between but she is saying that just because something isn’t one thing, it doesn’t necessarily make it the other thing. There can be something that is a mix of both black and white. Tying into that, I like that she keeps stressing the fact that there is a mean, or a middle, in things. She uses the example that love is not divine but is not mortal either. Something else I really liked was from The Art of Courtly Love was in the section titled the Rules of Love. The quote is,

“No one can be bound by two lovers.” (pg. 301) This sounds simple enough and I used to think that this is false. I thought yes, you can love more than one person at a time; they both might have qualities that you like (which is still true… kind of). Then I came across a quote by Johnny Depp saying, “If you love two people at the same time, pick the second one. If you really loved the first one, you wouldn’t have fallen for the second.” This quote blew open the doors in my mind and made me see it from a different point of view because I totally agree with this. I connect this with the Symposium where Diotima says that not only your body, but your mind is always changing as well because maybe you did love the first but then you changed a little and the second became more appealing. The quote that ties in with this is rule number 17, “A new love expels an old one.” (pg.  301) It’s weird that I don’t agree with it, because I believe you can hold on to someone, but it fits with choosing the second lover over the first because you must not like the first one as much.

The Art of Courtly Love

The Art of Courtly Love

Andreas Capellanus (c. Late 12^th Century C.E.)

            In the section titled What is Love?, Andreas states what love is by saying it happens when you see someone of the opposite sex and are attracted to them and you want to embrace them and fulfill the commandments of love. From Whence Love is Named is an interesting section because it talks about the origin of love stating that it derives from amar (hook, love- amor) which then indicates captured or being captured which is interesting and he says it best when he states, “For he who loves is caught in the chains of desire and wishes to catch another with his hook.” (pg. 299) In the section What is the Effect of Love, I really like the quote, “…love makes an ugly and rude person shine with beauty…” (pg. 299) I think this is so true because when someone is freshly in love they tend to be all doe eyed when they walk around and they spread the happiness around by being nice to everybody and they can’t help it because they are in love. What Persons are Suited for Love is a very interesting section. Girls can be as old as 12 to be in love? Boys can be 14? I know this is a long time ago when that was custom but in this day and age, that is NOT ok. I don’t think there is an age limit of being in love (how people always say you don’t know what love is because you are too young) but when it comes to long lasting love, kids haven’t grown into themselves yet and that is the ripe age where puberty begins and they haven’t stopped changing and growing and going through stages to find who they are and who they want to be with yet. So I am glad when he goes on to mention that true love is at age 18 and under 60 (even though that part is absurd as well). When he says, “Age, blindness and excessive passion are all bars to true love.” (pg.299) I relate it to all of the discussions in class about people loving someone for their looks only and not personality. I feel like that is a very materialistic list for someone from so long ago. I love humor in these readings, “[he explains that his many years have enabled him to do more noble deeds than would be possible for a young man.]” (pg. 300) I just took this to be dirty and I like having an occasion laugh when I read things from class. In the Third Dialogue, he explains how a lower class man can be with a higher class women if he has great personality qualities about him but the noble lady says no, you have fat thighs and weird feet so you are not worthy of my love and he goes on to say a guy with nice legs isn’t all that great while the other royal has bad legs and yet the kingdom loves and adores him, therefore proving his point that the qualities one possesses within are more important than what the package holds on the outside. The Rules of Love: there are two rules that stand out to me that go hand in hand. The first is, “No one can be bound by two lovers.” (pg. 301) This sounds simple enough and I used to think that this is false. I thought yes, you can love more than one person at a time; they both might have qualities that you like (which is still true… kind of). Then I came across a quote by Johnny Depp saying, “If you love two people at the same time, pick the second one. If you really loved the first one, you wouldn’t have fallen for the second.” This quote blew open the doors in my mind and made me see it from a different point of view because I totally agree with this. I connect this with the Symposium where Diotima says that not only your body, but your mind is always changing as well because maybe you did love the first but then you changed a little and the second became more appealing. The quote that ties in with this is rule number 17, “A new love expels an old one.” (pg.  301) It’s weird that I don’t agree with it, because I believe you can hold on to someone, but it fits with choosing the second lover over the first because you must not like the first one as much.

Symptoms of love

Robert Graves (1895-1985 C.E.)

            The part of the poem that stands out to me the most is the first verse saying, “Love is a universal migraine, a bright stain on the vision blotting out all reason.” (pg.  318) I like this because as we have talked about in class a few times, when people are in love, they tend to do crazy things or they can’t see the whole picture when a lover is involved. I relate this to countless movies about abusive relationships and how the girls always sticks up for the guy until it is too late and he ends up hurting her worse than she can imagine. The girls blot out all reason because of the lover.

Sonnet: Love is Not All

Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950 C.E.)

            I like this because I think she is calling out people who think that they have everything when they are in love and she’s saying, hey, no you don’t. Love doesn’t feed you or clothe you or take care of your other needs. But I also like how she turns the tables and says that being in love is driving her crazy and she could sell his love for some peace but what’s the use of that? She doesn’t want to. It’s a good sonnet.

The Symposium

Sixth Speech- The Speech of Socrates: The Nature and Origin of Love

            The first thing that popped out to me in this section was when Diotima said, “Do not then insist that what is not fair is of necessity foul, or what is not good evil; or infer that because love is not fair and good he is therefore foul and evil; for he is in a mean between them.” (pg 284) I like this because it connects back to the beginning of the year when we were talking about arguments and the general opinion of the authors was that we see issues as black and white, there is no gray area in between but she is saying that just because something isn’t one thing, it doesn’t necessarily make it the other thing. There can be something that is a mix of both black and white. Tying into that, I like that she keeps stressing the fact that there is a mean, or a middle, in things. She uses the example that love is not divine but is not mortal either. In general, I like how Diotima describes the birth of love. His mother Poverty sleeps with a passed out Plenty to create him and I thought it was a very interesting story. I have a question though, if Poverty is such a pitiful, stupid woman, then how does she get the idea to sleep with Plenty to make a baby? I just thought it was clever thinking on the part of Poverty. The last quote I liked in this section was, “For the beloved is the truly beautiful, and delicate, and perfect, and blessed; but the principle of love is of another nature, and is such as I have described.” (pg 286) I like this because in my mind it just makes sense. To me it says yes, the one you love could be perfect but loving them could be very painful. Say you absolutely love someone but they have a drug problem or something. They could be perfect for you but what do you do about the problem? You love them but can’t be with them… that situation describes exactly what the quote says to me.

The Cause and Effect of Love

            This section is the part where they start off talking about beautiful women versus good women. Diotima challenges Socrates saying when you love something beautiful, what does it give you? When he has no answer, she says ok, let me replace the word with good. Now what do you have? And he says that you gain happiness by possessing the good. So beauty isn’t always the same thing as the good; what’s inside doesn’t always match the outside. A quote I liked was, “Yes, and you hear people say that lovers are seeking for their other half; but I say that they are seeking neither for the half of themselves, nor for the whole, unless the half or the whole be also good.” (pg 286) I just could relate to this because I always think of a mate or whatever as “the other half” so I thought it was interesting that it mentions that but it ties back into you are really looking for good on the inside, not necessarily the outside. I also liked, “…for conception and generation are an immortal principle in the mortal creature…” (pg 286) I have never thought of it that way but it’s totally true. Reproducing and passing on your genes is a way to stay alive forever because there will always be a part of you in someone else. So even if you are mortal, you can be a part immortal through recreation.

            I didn’t find anything very interesting in the last section of the Symposium but I will say this, after reading it, I felt like if they were having a debate, which they kind of were, she would have destroyed him. I don’t see this as a debate though and Socrates says so himself that he went to Diotima for knowledge. I see this as more of a teacher and pupil type setting. He knew nothing and she knew it all.

Reflect and Connect: Week 13

Connect:

Reflect:
This week we have been talking about love. We started with the intro and What is Love? In the article, Dr. Helen Fisher says there are three types of love; lust, attachment, and romantic attraction. I totally believe in the lust part, I think we all have experienced that, but I thought the other two were described as too broad of subjects to really make connections with. The second reading was Song of Songs and the Art of Love. I have a strong connection with a quote from the Art of Love. This is what it says, "Love, like war, is a toss-up. The defeated can recover, while some you might think invincible collapse; so if you've got love written off as an easy option you'd better think twice. Love calls for guts and initiative." (pg 295). I connect to this because I have been defeated, but I have also recovered. While at the same time, because of being able to recover quickly, I thought I was invincible. I found out that I wasn't and I collapsed. So yes, this quote rings very true for me.

Song of Songs and The Art of Love

Song of Songs

Anonymous, Hebrew Bible (c. 10^th Century B.C.E.)

            The Song of Songs is a part of the Hebrew Bible used to describe love and lust between a man and a woman. A quote that I liked from this was, “His left arm is under my head, his right embraces me.” (pg. 282) I liked this quote because when I cuddle with someone, I like when they have one arm under me and the other around me, I feel very protected, comfortable, and safe when I am in that position with someone else and I love it the most I think.  Another quote that stood out to me was, “My beloved is mine and I am his.” (pg. 282) I like this because this pretty much explains how I think a married couple should look at one another. They should have this saying to live by and it should be true. They shouldn’t have eyes for anyone else than one another. The last quote I really liked from the Song of Songs was, “Scarcely had I passed them than I found him whom my heart loves. I held him fast, nor would I let him go till I had brought him into my mother’s house…” (pg. 282) I like this because I feel the same way, if I find that person, I always want to be holding onto them and I don’t want to let them go.  There was nothing else that spoke to me and I thought the words were nice, saying how beautiful the beloved was but I didn’t like how they were always compared to things in nature that AREN’T ATTRACTIVE. Like mountain goats and ewes. Maybe back in the day those things represented beauty but not to me.

The Art of Love

Ovid (43 B.C.E. – 18 C.E.)

            The Art of Love is by a man who was hilarious but probably looked down upon in the old days. Well, he was banished to the Black Sea shores in Rumania in 8 C.E. so he was looked down upon. I really liked this story the most because it had more things in it that I could relate to. For example, I really liked this section, “Love, like war, is a toss-up. The defeated can recover, While some you might think invincible collapse; So if you’ve got love written off as an easy option you’d better think twice. Love calls for guts and initiative.” (pg. 295) I LOVE this quote because it is so true. I can relate to almost every part of this quote. I have been defeated before but I have bounced back and been better for it by learning a lesson. While at the same time because of bouncing back every time, I thought I was invincible. This has been proven horribly wrong recently and I think that the great invincible me has finally met her match. So I know perfectly well that you do need to think twice and in order to move on and meet someone new, you need guts to get back out there. Another quote I liked just because I saw the authors true personality was, “(warning to Puritans: This volume is not for you).” (pg. 295) I love this because it reminds me of something I would say. I just think it’s so funny how he put that in there because it got a little graphic. It made me laugh out loud as I read it. The last thing I really liked was the section titled A Hot Afternoon: Siesta-Time. I liked this because I thought it was going to be another section that made sense but I didn’t really understand to the fullest but then it got pretty graphic and was kind of shocking but also a nice cool surprise. I loved it all so I won’t bother quoting it but it was great for a school reading. It even said nipples! I like how he ends it the most though, “But why catalogue details? Nothing came short of perfection, and I clasped her naked body close to mine. Fill in the rest for yourselves! Tired at last, we lay sleeping. May my siestas often turn out that way!” (pg.  296) I like this because I feel like he’s speaking in such a futuristic way. I understand exactly what he is saying and it’s funny. I like that by saying tired at last, he makes it sound like he took a long time. Also, I like that he implies that this happens a lot when he takes “siestas”, if that’s what you want to call it.

What is Love?

The general argument made by Helen Fisher in her work What is Love? is that there is many kinds of love. More specifically, Fisher suggests that there are three main types of love: lust, romantic attraction, and attachment. She writes, “…human beings evolved three basic brain networks for loving as they courted, mated, reproduced and reared their young: lust, romantic attraction, and attachment. And as days turned into centuries and nature weeded out those who failed to reproduce, natural selection hardwired these three distinct systems into the human brain.” (pg. 334) In this passage, Fisher is suggesting that these three concepts are in fact part of our brains because they have evolved that way over the centuries of human existence. In conclusion, it is Fisher’s belief that as humans, we love in three ways: lust, romantic attraction, and attachment.

            In my view, Fisher is neither right nor wrong because I think it is a very interesting theory that she presents in this article. It does make sense that these are the three ways we could love each other and I know for a fact that lust is real, but the other two I think could be explained better. For example, I feel that romantic attraction is too broad of an idea.  Just because you express romantic gestures for someone, doesn’t mean that the two of you love each other. Take Peeta and Katniss for example, at first Katniss has to pretend to love Peeta, she wouldn’t have noticed him if the bread wasn’t involved. Also, I feel that the way she describes attachment isn’t very romantic. It sounds more like a contract someone would make with someone else saying, “Hey, do you think we could raise a kid together for at least eighteen years? After that it doesn’t matter.” Although Fisher might object that these two stages can be romantic situations, I maintain that the second and third ways to love are not convincing. Therefore, I conclude that Helen Fisher is neither right nor wrong, this is her opinion and I agree with it to some extent and it was also very interesting to read about.

Reflect and Connect: Week 12

Connect:

Reflect:
In class this week we discussed the Koran. We had a list of questions to answer regarding the Koran, we were to go around the room and say how we answered the question. The question I answered was compare and contrast the views of god and morality described in the Koran with those found in the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. I said that in the Koran, the way they talk about Allah is very respectful and they are very grateful to him for making the world around them but in the Bible, the people almost fear their god. They make him sound like a being who created the earth and then isn't happy with it so he destroys everything he made. The people don't seem thankful, they seem a bit frightened. You can sense the dictatorship almost, in the way god behaves. You can tell there is fear in the Bible were there is only love and devotion in the Koran.

Koran

In this work, the overall message relating to the relationship between man and Allah is that man is far, far, far inferior to Allah and Allah is portrayed as how a great god should be. “In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds; Most Gracious, Most Merciful; Master of the day of Judgment. Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek. Show us the straight way, The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.” (pg. 231)   He is the all things mighty and he is the rule maker. Mankind’s responsibility to Allah is to be at his beck and call and serve him to their greatest potential.

            Women are to be treated with respect but also they are thought of more like property I think. It says to choose more than one if you wish but if you can’t handle it then choose only one. It talks about the dowry, going back to women being treated like property, because you pretty much buy a woman when you marry her. And then when your daughters grow up you kind of barter with the husband. “If the guardian is well off, let him claim no remuneration, but if he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable.” (pg. 242) I could be totally wrong and off base with that but that’s how I interpreted it.

            I would say that the people from the book are the people who obey every line in the Koran and who are very into the religion. Their relationship to the revelation of Allah and those who accept Islam is that they really know what they are talking about so they can spread the word and be like no, this is how the revelation really happened; it says so in Surah 47 (just an example). They are the people who I would say are really high up in the religion and by spreading the word I just mean that they are the teachers of the revelation to those who accept the Islamic practice.

            The biggest comparison I can make between the Koran and the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, in relation to god, is that the god, whoever it may be, is the ultimate creator of the world. They are the only beings that possess the power to make things, destroy things, and “call the shots” in the world they created. The biggest difference I notice is that in the Koran, they describe the creation of the world to be interpreted as a gift to the people, like Allah made everything for the people and they respect that as long as they respect him. In the Hebrew Bible and New Testament, I feel like god made the world for himself rather than the people he intended to put on it. Like the people who wrote those pieces of work made it seem like the people were ungrateful for what god made them. Because after all, these are just stories, the writer makes the people of the Koran out to be grateful while a different writer makes god seem selfish.

            The overall advice given to the Christians from the Koran is that they should still believe in their god and believe in the last day and do what is right, and if they do, then they will still be rewarded by their god and have nothing to regret or fear and then they can make their way to heaven.

            One should accept this revelation (I’m assuming this is in regards to question 5) because it makes perfect sense. It’s saying that even if you don’t believe in Allah, you still believe in a god and if you do everything that your god tells you to do and you live your life to the god’s standards, then you still have a place in heaven alongside your god. This makes sense because isn’t this the overall message from every god in every religion?

            The role of the prophets in general is to relay messages to the participants of a religion from god, in this case Allah. The prophets are special people who are chosen to bear this precious gift, when Allah has a message he wants relayed to his people, he tells the profits through a dream like vision, then the prophets relay the message to the people. The role of Muhammad specifically is that he is considered to be the founder of the Islamic religion, he is a prophet of god, but he is also believed to be the last prophet of god which is taught in the Koran.

            I think the evidence given for this being at work of revelation is the fact that they love Allah so much. I don’t know how to make my point other than this, “Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.” (pg. 265) They just believe in him so much that I think this is the evidence for revelation.