As we go through life we are all faced with numerous challenges and choices, and our decisions will shape who we are and how the rest of our life will turn out. The temptation to make a bad decision just because it will bring temporary pleasure is something that everyone faces during their lifetime. Its all about weighing your options: pleasure now and regret later, or persevere now and be better off in the long run. Some people decide on their actions based on if they think they could get away doing something wrong, it all just depends on who you are and how you've lived your life up to this point.
In the story of Doctor Faustus the protagonist, or at least the central character, sells his soul to the devil for 24 years of control over the powers of another demon. His motivation behind this is top gain complete knowledge over everything mankind does not already know, and from this power. Nearing the end of the novel Faustus seemingly regrets his decision to have sold his soul, but when he begins to revoke the contract and pray to God, he is forced to resign the with Lucifer. In the end Faustus's soul is claimed by Lucifer after he wasted his 24 years he had agreed to.
This book brings up the interesting topic of what you would sell your soul for, everyone has to have their price. Now, I'm not going to go into detail about what I would sell my soul for because i don't want to make my blog about my personal life *cough* Jake *cough* However recently in my AP Environmental Science class my friends and i missed a test for a tennis meet, and someone else from the class sent me a picture of the answers. Was i really going to sell out my integrity and self worth just for a cheap grade on a test? The answer was no, i deleted the picture and took the test on my own. (I ended up getting a 75% but at least it was an honest one haha)
So the point of this all is that going through life we will be faced with tough decisions, some will be more important than others, and some will seem insignificant when we look back at them in the future. But every decision we make, and every action we take shapes our character and personality. If we don't watch what we do, we may unknowingly sell ourselves to the devil for some cheap thrills.
Friday, May 1, 2015
Monday, March 2, 2015
Finding Oneself
Every person is different from each every other one; no matter how similar we may seem. However, we may not be as different as seem to be. We're all human; we walk the same Earth, breath the same air, see the same sky. Different people want different things from this world; some want to be equal to everyone else, to just fit in, while others want to blaze their own trail in life and leave their mark as a person.
In Kate Chopin's The Awakening the main character, Edna, decided that she wanted to find more in her life. She went on a spiritual journey, breaking away from social norms to leave her mark and find herself. Edna began to break away from the men in her life, denouncing her marriage and refusing her lover. Edna "awakened" her inner self through a number of methods including her art, renouncing marriage, and eventual suicide. While it is not necessary to go through such great lengths to find oneself, many people do follow a similar path as Edna did in an attempt to find their own way through life.
However, there are some people who would do almost anything to just be able to fit into the crowd, to just be able to do what everyone else can do. For example Afghan women in the middle east last year were able to vote, many showing of the purple ink dabbed on their fingers as proof that they voted. Voting season is coming up again soon and is a reminder of how hard these women had to fight, just to be the same as everyone else. Suffrage is a basic right of all people, yet sadly is not a universal liberty for everyone.
As we move through life we all choose to live in our own personally way, adapting to the society around us and finding our ways through life. I personally choose to live my life trying to leave my own mark, I don't want to be just like everyone else. With the society we live in its becoming increasingly harder to stand out from the crowd; which is disheartening to many people. I personally would rather struggle through and attempt to be my own person, dealing with the conditions I'm giving, than attempt to join in the crowd even if its easier or more convenient.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Making Decisions
In today's advanced society we are confronted with a number of choices every day; what time will i get up at, what should i eat for breakfast, what cloths will i wear, what should i do today? Although to us these choices may seem trivial, they are a coveted freedom that we take for granted all too often now-a-days. Throughout history people have been being oppressed by other humans; their basic rights and liberties taken away and treated as if they were lesser beings than others. Just because we live in a more advanced society does not mean that this oppression has completely gone away; it is still present in Middle Eastern Countries of today, as portrayed in A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.
The first part of Khaled's novel tells about a young girl, Mariam, who lives along with her mother until she passed and her biological father, Jalil, takes her in. Now, Mariam was born out of wedlock and Jalil needed to get rid of her. Lucky for Jalil, It was not only acceptable but encouraged to arrange marriages; so Mariam was set up to marry Rasheed. Mariam of course, had no say in the matter, and was forced into a miserable marriage that was based off of lies and pain. Because of her lack of basic rights Mariam was forced to spend her life with a man whom she had no interest in, and created a marriage that was poorly built because of her lack of freedom.
One important and largely discussed topic going around the US today is that of the legality of abortion. This topic is a driving force behind many elections, and is not just another political question; but a question of freedom. Should it be allowed to make it so women cannot get an abortion? Is this not limiting their basic freedoms? However, if we allow women to get abortions aren't we taking away the baby's right to live? I personally believe that women should be allowed to choose whether or not to keep the child; simply because the kids birth will have the largest effect on them. Having children can be socially and economically demanding, and not all women choose to become pregnant. In conclusion i believe that it should be up to the woman to decide on the future of the child, as it will be a burden upon her the most in the future.
The first part of Khaled's novel tells about a young girl, Mariam, who lives along with her mother until she passed and her biological father, Jalil, takes her in. Now, Mariam was born out of wedlock and Jalil needed to get rid of her. Lucky for Jalil, It was not only acceptable but encouraged to arrange marriages; so Mariam was set up to marry Rasheed. Mariam of course, had no say in the matter, and was forced into a miserable marriage that was based off of lies and pain. Because of her lack of basic rights Mariam was forced to spend her life with a man whom she had no interest in, and created a marriage that was poorly built because of her lack of freedom.
One important and largely discussed topic going around the US today is that of the legality of abortion. This topic is a driving force behind many elections, and is not just another political question; but a question of freedom. Should it be allowed to make it so women cannot get an abortion? Is this not limiting their basic freedoms? However, if we allow women to get abortions aren't we taking away the baby's right to live? I personally believe that women should be allowed to choose whether or not to keep the child; simply because the kids birth will have the largest effect on them. Having children can be socially and economically demanding, and not all women choose to become pregnant. In conclusion i believe that it should be up to the woman to decide on the future of the child, as it will be a burden upon her the most in the future.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
December Monthly Blog
Post Traumatic Stress disorder is a fairly common problem among people who have gone through a traumatizing experience sometime in their past. A common misconception is that the trauma was a recent event, but this is not always how PTSD works. The cause of PTSD can have happened at any point in a persons life, from their childhood all the way up to their present day lives. It is not always an immediate effect, sometimes laying dormant in someone until it is triggered later in their lives. Many people are unaware of how this can affect a person's everyday routine, and change their very way of living.
In the book Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are characterized for the first time. The main character, Billy Pilgrim, experiences a series of unlikely events and hallucinations after returning home from the second world war. Billy begins to believe in a number of insane theories like he has the ability to time travel, he was abducted by aliens, and that every moment ever is happening at the same exact time. In addition to these hallucinations, Billy is also shown several times being deeply affected by reminders of his time spent as a prisoner of war. One of these events was when he heard and saw the barbershop courtet, which reminded him of the guards that were near him during the bombing of Dresden. Kurt's representation of PTSD through Billy and the self narrated chapters where the first of their time. He used them to help strengthen his anti-war campaign as the Vietnam war raged on.
Ever since September Eleventh 2001 the United States has been involved in a "war against terrorism". This war involves send thousands of troops over into the middle east, deploying them into dangerous situations in order to keep the citizens of these other nations safe. There are many people who believe this is a noble cause, but also not one worth risking our soldiers' lives overs. Many soldiers come home with disabilities, both physical and mental, which hobble their ability to perform in everyday life. PTSD can leave these veterans out on the street, delusional and with no chance of forming a professional career. Creating a nationwide awareness of this disorder and creating plans and centers to help not only soldiers but anyone suffering from PTSD or a similar disorder.
My grandfather and his family from my mothers side all have been enlisted into many different branches f the military, from air force to navy to army. I have been lucky in the matte that none of them have personally experienced PTSD, but they do have friends who have gone through it. The thought of my family going through this without being able to receive or afford professional help terrifies me. I believe the nation should put more of an emphasis on PTSD and helping our veterans who risk their lives to keep our nations safe.
In the book Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are characterized for the first time. The main character, Billy Pilgrim, experiences a series of unlikely events and hallucinations after returning home from the second world war. Billy begins to believe in a number of insane theories like he has the ability to time travel, he was abducted by aliens, and that every moment ever is happening at the same exact time. In addition to these hallucinations, Billy is also shown several times being deeply affected by reminders of his time spent as a prisoner of war. One of these events was when he heard and saw the barbershop courtet, which reminded him of the guards that were near him during the bombing of Dresden. Kurt's representation of PTSD through Billy and the self narrated chapters where the first of their time. He used them to help strengthen his anti-war campaign as the Vietnam war raged on.
Ever since September Eleventh 2001 the United States has been involved in a "war against terrorism". This war involves send thousands of troops over into the middle east, deploying them into dangerous situations in order to keep the citizens of these other nations safe. There are many people who believe this is a noble cause, but also not one worth risking our soldiers' lives overs. Many soldiers come home with disabilities, both physical and mental, which hobble their ability to perform in everyday life. PTSD can leave these veterans out on the street, delusional and with no chance of forming a professional career. Creating a nationwide awareness of this disorder and creating plans and centers to help not only soldiers but anyone suffering from PTSD or a similar disorder.
My grandfather and his family from my mothers side all have been enlisted into many different branches f the military, from air force to navy to army. I have been lucky in the matte that none of them have personally experienced PTSD, but they do have friends who have gone through it. The thought of my family going through this without being able to receive or afford professional help terrifies me. I believe the nation should put more of an emphasis on PTSD and helping our veterans who risk their lives to keep our nations safe.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)