An Active Choice

What is poetry? I think poetry is what you make of it. Yes, there are certain literary devices found in poetry and you can't just make up any crazy meaning you want for a poem, but a lot of what poetry is comes from within. Unlike all prose, all poetry is supposed to make you feel something. When you're done reading a poem you shouldn't feel neutral. Of course sometimes you do and that's simply a sign of a bad connection with the speaker. People read poetry for numerous reasons. It can be calming, it can be happy, it can even be tragic. All of these are emotions. People want to feel when they read. Sometimes people are forced to read poetry and this is when you're least likely to actually gain anything from the works. It is an active decision to read poetry. You cannot passively read a poem and expect for you to receive anything in return. You have to give something back. You have to let your walls down and hand over a vulnerable side of yourself. Poetry touches on raw emotions. You need to be open to these emotions, good or bad, for poetry to have a lasting impact on you. This is what makes poetry so valuable. In today's society, we too often find ourselves loosing our emotions to social networking. You can tweet "so so so excited" while sitting there and feeling nothing at all. We reply to texts with an "lol" or "hahahaha" when expected not when we actually find it funny, the world is slowly losing real, raw emotion. Poetry, when a reader allows it to, gives it back to us. 

Satirical Tools

Candide has a very whimsical and lighthearted feeling to it. However, this feeling and mood is starkly different than the actual happenings in the novel. Candide is very dark and twisted when you look only at the events that occur throughout the story. I think that Voltaire uses a lighthearted approach to discuss terrible things as a satirical tool. It makes the writing almost more sarcastic and makes it clearer he is mocking something. Voltaire also uses exaggeration and incongruity throughout the novel. I believe that exaggeration is the most effective of the three. It is obvious that Candide should be dead and a few of the characters have already died and then found a way to come back to life. The exaggeration of everyone's life story makes it obvious to readers that this is a satirical piece. The exaggeration forces reader to re-examine the philosophy of optimism presented by Panglossian and Candide. It makes you question how reasonable it actually is

For Better or for Worse

Candide has grown up his entire life being told that everything happens for a reason in this best possible of all worlds. To be completely honest I find that there is some truth to this statement, at least in my own opinion. However, there is one major difference that sets my belief aside from Candide’s and his tutor Pangloss’s. I believe that everything happens for a reason, but that not all those reasons are for the best. The human life is filled with actions and consequences. While the word “consequence” usually carries a negative connotation with it, I use it in this case simply to describe a result that has occurred from a previous action. The novel Candide is a series of actions and consequences. Candide does a series of questionable actions, like killing a man or two (or really three), and each of these actions are met with some sort of result. The most common consequence is that Candide is forced to run around the entire world away from someone or something. It’s an important lesson in anyone’s life: if you kill a man, you will be chased down. Or if we are looking at the overall picture here: If you do something wrong, there will be repercussions. Pangloss always told Candide that everything that happens has a positive side to it. While this would be a nice philosophy in an entirely utopian society, I can’t seem to entirely wrap my head around it. Yes, things happen for a reason, but sometimes they happen for the worse, not the better.

Closure

The ending of Cry, the Beloved Country is eloquently written and very moving. With almost all books, readers are left wanting more. There's always one last question, one last thought. In this novel I can't help but wonder what was said in Absolom's last letter. What were a guilty son's last words. Was he sorry? I think we already established he was, but was there some better insight into what happened. I wander if he grew angry at his cousin and Johannes. They were let off free. I know if I was in his position I would be furious. For some reason, I don't think he was angry. I believe that Absolom's last letter was one of comfort for his father and mother. It would be the last thing he could give them. He may have told them that his actions were not due to a poor upbringing by his parents. However, readers will never know. I think that Paton did this on purpose. It gave closure to Absolom's character, yet didn't do so fully. Kumalo and his wife will never fully have closure. Their only son murdered another man and lost his life as the consequence. Readers aren't given full closure. We are able to understand his parents just a little better now. 

Movie vs. Book

Cry, the Beloved Country the novel and it's movie form have many similarities. Overall, I would say that the book is much better than the movie. I feel that the film version strayed away from the original intentions of the book too much. I understand that literature is open to many interpretations, but one of the main themes of the novel was not touched upon at all. The land dying, just as the tribal culture is, was never talked about. I also think that the movie was made to be more politically minded than the book. They focused more on the racial discrimination and less on the new generation entering the modern world and leaving behind simpler times. I really liked Jarvis's character in the novel. However, I strongly disliked him in the movie. He was angrier, ruder, and more racist in the film. The film also missed small nuances that had bigger meanings behind them. Jarvis helps Kumalo up in the movie, something that was not done in the book. As insignificant as this sounds, it was a key part of the book. It showed the subtle tensions between races. For a movie that was made to show these political issues, it ruined an important scene. In my opinion, the books Cry, the Beloved Country was much better than it's movie version. 

Absalom's Sentence

Absalom Kumalo was sentenced to death for killing Arthur Jarvis. I think this is unfair. The criminal justice system is meant to help people not only punish. He committed an awful crime, one that one can never take back. Still, he is human. Killing one man for the death of another does not fix the original problem. Arthur is dead. There is nothing you can do about that. Killing Absalom will not help the situation. I fully believe he deserves to be locked up for the rest of his life, but I don’t believe he should be sentenced to death. How will that help? What will that do? He clearly is very remorseful about his actions. He didn’t lie to the court. He should be given the opportunity to live and make up for his terrible deed. I am not saying that what Absalom did was right by any means. I am only stating that he shouldn’t be killed for it. He was a scared young man who got caught up in the wrong crowd. He murdered a man. There is no denying that and there is no excuse for that either. However, without the influence of his cousin he may have never been in the situation. I think some blame needs to be put on Johannes and Matthew. They were there when the crime occurred. They were accomplices. They should not have been let go with no sentence. Absalom does not deserve to be the only one to pay for this mistake. 

A Good Man

James Jarvis and Stephen Kumalo lives in the novel Cry the Beloved Country are parallel. Both have sons that they haven’t entirely connected with.  Absalom and Arthur were involved with politics in a way that their fathers never would have been. Most importantly, both Jarvis and Kumalo lost their sons. Absalom killed Arthur and for this deed Absalom was sentenced to death. Still, Mr. Jarvis was civil with Stephen Kumalo when they met each other. It would have been very easy for James to blame Stephen for Absalom’s actions. He could have gotten angry and aggressive. Instead he was reserved but not harsh. I think this tells a lot of his character. He is a good man. His political beliefs prior to his son’s death may have indicated otherwise, but those I believe were formed out of ignorance. He was not fully aware of the situation. Like Stephen Kumalo, he was happy with the quiet life of the countryside. He liked the way things were. People fear change. They fear the unknown, and you cannot blame people for their thoughts born from this fear. James Jarvis is a good man.  

Faith

Faith plays a large role in Cry, the Beloved Country. For Father Kumalo and Father Msimangu, it is the one path they chose in life. However, the world is changing throughout the novel. In a way, faith is a symbol of people's views on South Africa. The more radical, political minded people tend to have lost their faith. This can be seen in Father Kumalo's brother John. He is very active in rallying against the unfair treatment of certain races. However, when Stephen asks him about his faith, he responds that he has none. Others, like Father Kumalo, who seem to be content with the way things are, have a string grip on their faith. Father Kumalo also has been living far away from Johannesburg. He has not had to live with the blatant inequality that others have. When people are faced with adversary they either turn to their faith or run from it. I think it will be very interesting to see how Father Kumalo's faith evolves throughout the novel. I think it will be tested, but not waver. 

Fear, Fear, Fear

Throughout Cry the Beloved Country fear is present in almost every character's life. In fact, it seems as though fear has plagued all of South Africa. However, I feel as though many rely too heavily on fear. They use it as an excuse. If they lie, they blame it on fear. If they are rude to someone, they blame it on fear. People break the law because they fear being hungry and homeless. There is an ever-present fear of the unknown. Father Kumalo fears for his son. He also fears what he did wrong. He feels personally responsible for his son’s wrongs. I feel as though this is a common theme with parents all around the world in all eras. Parents fear for their children’s safety, health, happiness, and overall wellbeing. Sometimes they need to take a step and realize that there is only so much they can control. When you let fear consume you, you let it dictate your life, and when you live in fear, you aren't really living at all. 

Learn From Your Mistakes

Throughout life, we are faced with many defeats. Wether it is failing a test or losing your job, things don't always work out. This is just part of life. Even though we wish we would, humans can't control everything. Some things are just out of our hands. It's incredibly important to acknowledge this. Yes, something may go wrong for you, but you cannot be defeated. Everything in life is a lesson to be learned. So what you failed that math quiz freshmen year? Maybe it is what you needed to kick start your motivation or it helped you find a new way to study for assessments. Life is going to have its challenges, but it's important to step back and realize a lot of what you think is big a deal actually is quite insignificant. Sometimes you just have to dust yourself off and move on. The world isn't going to end because you missed the final penalty kick and lost the game. You learn from what you did wrong and next time hopefully the same thing won't happen. Defeat is a mindset you cannot let yourself succumb to because as soon as you do, that is when you rally have failed. 

Insignificant Joy

Sometimes the happiest moments can be the the most insignificant. For me, memories are more about who you were with than what you were doing. Sitting and talking cane be the best thing in the world. When I get to see old friends and catch up, that's when I'm truly filled with joy. No matter how long it's been, it always seems we end up with stomachs that hurt from laughing too hard. Today was on of those really great days. My childhood best friend and I got to see each other. She lives in Florida so keeping in touch is sometimes hard. However, we always are able to pick right back up from where we left off. We've know each other since we were four and have always been super close. She's the kind of friend who knows what you're thinking before you even really know it yourself. Getting to see her today made me incredibly happy. So even though we did absolutely nothing of real importance today, it still was one of the best days I've had in a while. 

It's a Man's World

Winnie has suffered a lot of neglect in her life. As a child all her physical needs were met, but her emotional ones were often forgotten. Still after all of this she still craves her father's approval. When Wen Fu and Winnie return to Shanghai, Winnie hopes her father will be glad to see her. In China during this time period, women were always told to never blame men. These beliefs were still rooted deep inside of Winnie. She doesn't blame her father. He knew that Wen Fu wasn't a good man. He still let his daughter marry into a life of abuse. Still, Winnie doesn't become angry about this. Instead of admitting that her father may be at fault, she uses bad luck as her excuse for why her life turned out to be so awful. In many ways, Winnie's life is turning into her mother's. Her mother wasn't happy in her marriage. She fell in love with another man and then disappeared. We know that Winnie eventually disappears too. She ends up in America without her husband. As much as she hated Wen Fu, she never blames him for being an absolutely terrible person. She does, however, blame his mother. Her culture never allowed the men in her life to take responsibility for their awful behavior.

The Ever-Present Symbol of Food

Throughout The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan, food is constantly mentioned. I think for Winnie the tastes and smells of her old country are the last few good memories she has of home. Her life in China was terrible. Readers hear horror story after horror story. Meals she enjoyed are sometimes the only positive things talked about in a chapter. These are the little things people need to latch onto. I don't want to make something bigger than it is, but I believe these insignificant memories are what helped Winnie get through all the awful atrocities she had to endure. Subconsciously, these are the things she turned to. They were and still are her little moments of bliss she can remember. Sometimes people need to forgets the big picture and recall the little details. It may only numb the pain for a few seconds, but these tiny moments make all the difference.

One Love

Winnie had only ever been loved by her mother. Wen Fu obviously didn't truly care about her and her father was estranged from her for over ten years. So one cannot blame Winnie for falling for a man who seemed to get her. Gan treated Winnie very well. He was polite and kind to her. He understood her superstitions. I, personally, am really impressed that Winnie was able to keep it together after Gan's death. It must have been incredibly hard for her. I think this is part of the reason why she never fully allowed herself to fall for Jimmy Louis. Losing a loved one changes people. Winnie never even allowed herself to fully fall in love with Gan when he was alive. She waited until after he had died. She was already guarded. She let herself fall one time and she ended up hurt in the process. It's hard to love when you're afraid. 

An Odd Friendship

What makes someone a friend? Is it kindness, common ground, or something else? For Winnie and Helen it's secrets. Originally, this could have been considered loyalty. However, Helen threatens Winnie and forces her to tell Pearl about her past. I would argue that this doesn't mean Helen and Winnie aren't friends. They knew each other during a time that there wasn't that many other people to know. They bonded because there was no one else. Some bond are too strong to break. Had the circumstances been different, there is no doubt in my mind that Winnie would have tried to avoid Helen at all costs. Life is sometimes lonely though. Helen was there when no one else was. So for that, you have to give her a little credit. Winnie needed someone and Helen was there to fill that role, even if she didn't do a great job. 

An Unusual Safety Blanket

Throughout The Kitchen God's Wife the idea of luck plays a major role in some of the characters' lives. Like Winnie, I believe in the idea of luck. I am not nearly as extreme with my ideas though. I think everything happens for a reason. However, in my opinion these reason are sometimes out of our hands. Winnie doesn't share this view. She finds things that she or someone else has done to explain every occurrence in her life. Winnie blames everything and everyone except herself. She says it's something she has done not necessarily just herself. She thinks it's small things that lead to big issues. She uses luck as am excuse to not get into deeper issues. It's a way of her avoiding her issues and her mistakes. Luck is her safety blanket. 

Mother-Daughter Complications

Pearl and Winnie from The Kitchen God's Wife have a very strained relationship. I think that sometimes mother-daughter relationships can be more complicated than father-daughter relationships. Even though he died when she was only a teenager, for the most part it seems as though Pearl and her father were on relatively good terms. Mothers tend to have high expectations of their daughters. It may be because moms can identify themselves with their daughters more easily. The project their unfulfilled hopes and dreams on their daughters. Winnie had a hard life. I think she just wants Pearl to be happy and successful. The only issue is that what Winnie thinks is the best isn't necessarily what Pearl thinks is the best. Pearl may have been able to sense her mother's unhappiness. Winnie herself said that she could never be happy just grateful. Pearl could be pushing her mother away because she wants to have a different kind of life. However, Pearl really doesn't seem all that content with her life. 

Argumentative Essay

My research project so far has been very interesting. Gender inequality in society is a topic I find extremely fascinating. However, this interest is making research a little difficult. I find myself occasionally being biased as I read through articles. I have strong opinions about my topic and it is hard to read articles that contradict my personal views. I was expecting there to be a pay gap between males and females, but the significant difference still surprised me. I find it shocking that gender inequality in the workplace is still a thing. I feel as though it shouldn't be an issue at all. Overall I'm really enjoying this paper. Researching can be tedious and it's hard to sort through relevant and irrelevant sources. The over all project is very rewarding though. I am very happy that we are having a chance to write an argumentative essay.