January 16

ARRTI – Literary Exploration

Question: What is your opinion on the idea that an individual’s life can be altered by a particular experience?

Life Altering Experiences

 

          An individual’s life can be changed through a certain experience. This experience could be the one that we have never encountered before, which could affect your decisions or attitude. When individuals encounter first time experiences, they find it difficult to react, doing nothing to affect or change the experiences. This situation should be able to teach us lessons on what to do, as for the next time something similar happens, the individual will be prepared to face and deal with the situation properly. From learning specific experiences, the individuals will be able to properly commit a decision. In the story, “A River Runs Through It”, Robert Redford reveals a character that does not know how to react to a certain situation, causing him to commit an action that he can only think of that works in different situations. The same character as well also uses these actions which soon affect his behaviour towards others. This has also affected me in a way to commit similar actions towards specific people for specific reasons. An individual’s life is changed through experiences that they have never faced before, as these experiences teach lessons that people can possibly use in the future.

 

          In “A River Runs Through It”, the character Norman Maclean reacts to his brother Paul Maclean, who acts rebellious in secret ways. For example, Paul and Norman had taken a boat and decided to “shoot the chutes” through a waterfall, and after that experience, it is seen that Norman separates from his friends and Paul. Later through the film, the audience can witness how Norman explodes with anger towards Paul about a sandwich, which is really not the reason for his anger. Although Norman decides to act as a brother’s keeper and rides with Paul down the waterfall, he has never experienced being in danger, which causes him to separate from his group of friends, as well as get in trouble with his parents.This experience had changed his mood, as Paul’s recklessness continues when nobody is watching except for his brother. This reaches a point that Norman had exploded in anger, which ends up in a fight scene. On this point onwards, Norman’s life is changed, and sometimes affected through Paul’s attitude. From this experience, he has no choice but to commit an action that is known to work towards others.

 

          Through the same film, Norman and Paul had decided to celebrate his success with winning over Jessie, and as Norman becomes drunk, Paul had taken him to a known illegal poker place called Lolo’s. From going inside, Norman later witnesses what happens to Paul and he attempts to play in a poker table, and sobers up. Through this experience, like other experiences he faced before, he knew that him and his brother were not welcome into the area, and causes him to leave, although his brother wanted to stay. Norman had decided to ignore Paul’s invitation to join him for poker, as his anger also caused him to drive Paul’s car back home. His reaction to this scenario shows how he used the exact same action to earlier situations as it is known to work with previous times. Considering their promises to never fight again, Norman had no other choice but to leave in anger towards Paul, who had kept his reckless behaviour towards maturing. Ever since the change in Paul’s behaviour, Norman has had some situations where he had to deal with it himself towards his own brother. Without being Paul’s brothers keeper, Norman would not learn how to deal with situations that have a negative outcome. I may not have a brother myself that I have a responsibility of, but I have a similar reaction to experiences such as Normans.

 

          When I was in Grade 9, only had I faced situations of bullying or fighting between others in the school, and that has affected my views towards others, as well as a bit of a change in attitude. I was in a class to which I barely knew anyone and overheard somebody judging me already to others. They have also attempted to made fun of me through their own languages, which I found it frustrating. From this experience though, it  taught me how to ignore sentences that I find disturbing when said verbally, and learned how to react to it. Another was nearby summer when I was hanging out with friends when all of the sudden two friends started fighting each other through an argument they had made. I reacted to this a bit in a fearful way, as this was the first time I ever found people that I know were physically hurting each other. All of these situations had forced me to commit actions similar to Norman’s, which is just to walk away and ignore any hurtful comments that may affect you. My life still consists of some bullying, whether its to me or others, but I am still able to commit actions that work, but has changed my lifestyle throughout highschool. If I haven’t faced these situations back then, I would find it hard to react to similar experiences in the future.

 

          Lessons that are learned from previous experiences, can help change an individual’s life in the future, as they would learn how to react. Norman first experienced dangerous acts through his brother and learned that his brother would still continue these acts. Norman had learned lessons from these experiences to just walk away from negative experiences that Paul had faced. This had always affected me when I first learned that life is not always perfect, as it made me more pessimistic than optimistic, although it has taught me lessons. Without these experiences, how would people react to new situations?

January 12

Literary Exploration

The Influence From Fidelities

What is your opinion of the idea that our beliefs are influenced by the actions of others?

There are so many things that individuals encounter during their lifetime that can either change their beliefs or make them stronger. A person’s beliefs are a part of their identity. When individuals face trauma in their lives, it allows them to reflect on their beliefs and the influence provided by others in order to find a purpose and move forward in life. This was strongly evident in the novel Night where Elie Weisel talks about him being a survivor from the Holocaust, the excerpt from The Last Lecture where Randy Pausch shares his importance on dreaming, and how the loss of a loved one can influence beliefs and bring about realization about the importance of life. 

 

In desperate situations, the actions of others can both destroy one’s beliefs, while the compassion and care of others – like a parent – can restore some of one’s belief.  The novel, Night, is a memoir written by Elie Weisel where he talks about the struggles that he faced in the concentration camp. Elie went through many hardships which made him question his beliefs. Elie had a huge amount of trust in his faith which was influenced by Moishe the Beadle who was a very wise and religious person. He played the role of a mentor in Elie’s life as he taught him to seek faith. Elie grew his passion for learning more about his religious faith and was eager in studying the Kabbalah, which was a religious Jewish book. Elie was only fifteen years old, which indicates that he was innocent and not aware of the real truth behind reality. The real torture began when Elie was separated from his mother and sisters. He and his father got sent to a concentration camp. When Elie saw innocent Jews getting beaten and killed, he was confused and started to question his faith. He was essentially trapped in a battle within himself about delusion and reality. The others still had a deep faith and were thinking that this is perhaps a test from God that will soon be over. On the other hand, Elie was in the process of contemplating his thoughts. There is a point in the novel were Elie gets betrayed by his faith. There would be people being hanged and burned every day and what disturbed Elie the most is watching them die. There was an innocent boy whom Elie described him as a person with an “angelic face”. Elie had to watch him get hanged by the Germans and he had a very slow death. This could be a disturbing thing to watch as you are watching humanity fade before your eyes. What troubled Elie the most was this contagious silence that was seen amongst the people in the concentration camp. Nobody had the courage to speak up about it and all that Elie felt was guilt. Elie was very upset at God because He seemed to take no action. This is what triggered him to lose his faith. The loss of Elie’s faith was influenced by the Germans and Elie mentions to the other Jewish people that he seems to have more faith in Hitler instead of God solely because of the fact that he can keep his promises. Even though Elie had lost his faith in religion, he still received a sense of hope from his father. Elie’s father saved his faith from dying. This father and son connection was a source of influence for Elie as it allowed him to seek perseverance and to keep going no matter what kinds of adversities arise.  

Beliefs are fragile in children, and the actions of adults can either make or break a child’s beliefs very easily.  In The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch seemed to have a strong connection with the concept of believing in something no matter what challenges arise because people who cared about him ensured his beliefs were maintained. He talks about his childhood where he believed in dreaming and seeking inspiration. This belief was influenced by his father as he had a photo of Neil Armstrong that was captured in the hope that his son will have a goal in pursuing dreams. Even though he faced negative influence from the members at his summer camp that would tell him to go to sleep, he was still reluctant because he knew that his faith in dreaming and believing was so strongly engraved in his mind that nobody can take his thoughts away from him. The inspiration that he sought from his father avoided him from faltering and turned him into a stronger individual who stayed determined in believing in dreams. This is a kind of situation that can often lead an individual to contemplate their thoughts and actions.  

Although we may lose people we love, their influence on our lives, on our beliefs, can be ever strong. There was a time in my life where I had to face such a loss of someone who profoundly impacted my beliefs. Two years ago, I lost my uncle due to a sudden accident that had happened. When my father gave me the news that night, I was in shock. That shock felt like a bullet that pierced my soul. Everything in my mind just froze and I broke into tears. I felt hopeless and this was a point in my life where I truly felt a loss. Our family thread, which was so strong, snapped. My uncle was an individual who really pursued his dream of becoming a doctor and had faith in himself. My uncle did not lose hope even though he left Africa as a refugee with little to no resources. Even though my uncle is no longer in this world, I still feel his presence in my heart. I often think about him during my ups and downs and I know that he will forever be protecting our family from heaven. My uncle was a huge inspiration in my life. He taught me to think positive and to put effort into anything that I do. My uncle would tell me to keep my faith strong because if I lose this connection with my faith, I lose my purpose in life. 

 

Individuals have to get charged by an outlet to gain energy. That outlet of energy is composed of beliefs and strengths that save an individual when they are on the verge of giving up. From Elie losing faith in God and later gaining it through his father to my uncle’s influence. These act as sparks of energy that empower an individual to proceed in life by applying their virtues and beliefs that were strengthened by oneself and others to battles that they face with their adversities.

January 10

Literary Exploration

Aafreen Bhanji

ELA 30-2

Lit Exploration- CCPU

December 19, 2019

The Actions of Others can Influence the Beliefs of Individuals

What is your opinion of the idea that our beliefs are influenced by the actions of others?

An individual has different beliefs than others around them. Other people’s actions may change what a person believes in and it may alter how they view the world. This can be seen in the novel, Night by Elie Wiesel, which is a memoir that describes Elie’s experience in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. It describes how after he was taken into the concentration camp, his beliefs and views on the world changed. This idea can also be found in the excerpt from The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch which talks about the experience he had at camp during the first Apollo moon landing. I experienced this when my grandma passed away.  When an individual has to go through an obstacle in life that is based on other people’s actions, they may change their beliefs, resulting in them overcoming the obstacle and feeling lost or regaining their beliefs in the world. 

In the novel, Night by Elie Wiesel, it describes how the main character, Elie, changes his beliefs when he gets taken into a concentration camp during the holocaust. In the beginning of the novel, Elie has a very strong relationship with his faith and beliefs. His beliefs are influenced by Moishe the Beadle, a citizen that escapes from the concentration camps and comes back to warn everyone about what is to come. Moishe the Beadle teaches Elie about the Jewish faith and helps Elie gain trust in his faith. When individuals find a mentor, they can strengthen their beliefs with the help of that individual. Near the middle of the novel, when Elie and his father are in the concentration camp, Elie starts to lose his faith and belief in God. He blames God for not helping him in this time of need and contradicts his actions. Individuals that go through tragic experiences, can alter their faith and what they believe in. At the end of the novel, Elie manages to survive going through the concentration camp but through that, he lost his faith in God and his beliefs changed because of the actions of the Nazis. This shows that throughout the novel, Elie went from having faith and positive beliefs in God, to starting to lose faith, and finally he lost all faith in God and his beliefs changed drastically. When an individual that has beliefs and faith that get changed or diminished because of the actions of others, it can result in individuals losing their identity due to the loss of their faith and the alteration of their beliefs.

In the excerpt from The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, it explains how when Randy was younger, the actions of his camp directors and his father shaped his beliefs. During the first Apollo moon landing, he was at camp and just before they were going to step onto the moon, the camp directors turned off the television and sent everyone to bed. The thought that rushed in his head was, “my species has gotten off of our planet and landed in a new world for the first time, and you think bedtime matters?” He was not pleased with what his camp directors did. When he got home a few weeks later though, he found out that his father had taken a photo of their television as soon as Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. His father preserved the memory in order to fuel his child’s dreams. This shows that by his father taking that photo, it inspired Randy to not give up on his dreams and made him believe in hard work and dedication. After that experience, he also believes in fueling his kids dreams and not putting them down when they wanted to dream. The actions of his father influenced him to do the same to his children. When individuals get influenced by others to do good, they can pass on those beliefs onto their children. 

I experienced a questioning of my beliefs when my grandmother passed away three years ago. It was a very sudden and tragic experience and made me think about what my beliefs actually were. My grandmother was not sick, she was perfectly fine. She just fell down at home one night, and that was it. I couldn’t understand why this happened and how it happened. I began to lose faith and question God as to why he took an innocent soul away from the world. Obviously it was no one’s fault that she passed away but I didn’t understand that at the time and I really detached from my faith and beliefs. Then my dad told me and explained to me that, “God takes away people for a reason and no one knows the reason except God. He knows what he is doing and you should have faith in him because maybe he needed Nani for a reason. Maybe he had another purpose for her in heaven. She will always be here to watch over you. You have nothing to worry about.” These words helped me regain my faith and beliefs in God and made me realize what I was so confused about earlier. Because of my father’s actions, I was able to regain my beliefs and make sense of the sudden event that had just occurred. When individuals go through an event where they question their faith, they may turn to someone they trust and use their advice to regain their beliefs and faith. 

When individuals experience an event that makes them question their beliefs, they may lose their beliefs completely, or regain their beliefs after the experience is over. Elie lost his beliefs and faith in God and didn’t regain them after staying in a concentration camp. Randy Pausch’s beliefs were influenced by his father and made him understand that having dreams is good and we shouldn’t restrict anyone. I regained my beliefs in God when my father helped me understand why my grandma suddenly passed away. Having beliefs is good, but when they get tampered with and altered, it can lead an individual to feel lost or to feel stronger in their faith and beliefs.  

January 18

Influences

Alymohamed Jetha

Lit Exploration

October,23,2018

Title: Influences

Prompt:  What is your opinion of the idea that our beliefs are influenced by the actions of others

Beliefs are what we believe in and what we think is the right thing to do in a situation. It is up to you to make a good decision based off of what you think is right; if you are influenced in to making your decision then you should think if it the right thing or not. You can choose whether to be influenced in to making a decision or you can make your own decisions yourself, it can turn out to be good or bad either way you choose to go.

In the movie A River Runs Through It  by Norman MaClean it shows this through Norms life because he is influenced by his little brother Paul on more than one occasion and it ends up being bad for him because he just gets in trouble every time. He lets Paul influence him because he is being his brothers keeper and he is not going to let him get hurt or in trouble alone at least at the beginning of the movie. One particular example is when they go over the water falls in a boat  they “borrowed” from someone. All of their friends said let’s do it but when they got there they said no and didn’t go; Paul however was still going to do it anyways and Norm had no other option but to do it with him. He was first influenced by his friends and then by his brother, knowing if anything happens to him then his parents would be very made with him.

Paul is not as easily influenced into doing things like his brother but he can still be influenced. He got a job writing for the papers and through that he started to drink and gamble more which ended badly for him. He was usually the one who influenced others like his brother. He would make his own decisions despite what other people said like when they went to the back street bar together with their girlfriends and Paul had a first nations girl with him the person who ran the bar said she wasn’t allowed but he still brought her in and after they had there drinks they started to dance in front of everyone in a way that made them stand out more from everybody else just so that he could prove a point that he does what he wants. Paul didn’t let the fact that first nations were not allowed in the bar stop him from dating one and going out with her. This shows that there are lots of types of people in this world.

I am the type of person that is in the middle I make my own decisions most of the time and sometimes I let others influence me to make a decision I would not otherwise make. I mainly influence my friend into doing things they don’t necessarily want to do, but it is never anything they can get into big trouble for. I don’t let people who I know are bad, influence my decisions, when I am influenced I know the risk and what can happen if I do it.  I don’t like to follow people because the last time I did I got in a lot of trouble doing something kind of bad.

In the end it is up to the person making the decision if they want to listen to someone else, or if they want to do what they believe is right and play it safe.

January 18

Lit Exploration- hope

What is your opinion on the idea that hope is an important quality?

Hope is an emotion that we hold onto during difficult times, it allows us to move and grow as people it makes people believe in something that is not really there sometimes it’s for the best and sometimes for the worse. The theme of hope is shown through Jeannette Walls when she is exposed to the idea of the glass castle by her dad, Rex Walls. She sees the best in him and in the idea which results in her to realize the truth. A innocent individual who is given something to hold onto during difficult times results in the reality of what is best for them.

As a innocent individual comes across hope, they will make it a intentional choice of recognizing and taking it as a feeling that will be mistake for reality. It allows them to see the good in everyone and everything. In the memoir of Jeannette Walls we see this when Jeannette is first shown the blueprints of the Glass Castle by her father. Having the blueprints shown to her has allowed her to see the best in her father in that he is trying to provide some sort of stability in there situation of not having a stable home.This means that her father is creating an ideal home so that Jeannette is able to hope for a better future. This is important it shows how Jeannette is innocent and vunrable and this allows herself and her father to be each others hope for a better more stable future. She believes her father is the light in dark times. As we see this we see that hope is something that individuals hold on to in order to help move on in our lives even at difficult times and also allows us to believe that there is always going to be someone or something that will be there for us. Sometimes this can lead to the beginning something new as an attachment to an emotion that helps us believe in all things.

When individuals are exposed to something new that could help them and try to do things in order for new changes it sometimes can be an influential aspect to realize what’s actually there which allows us to see hope as an escape into something that we want to believe will be there in the end of our stuggles. We see this through Jeannette when they move into a new house and start building the foundation for the Glass Castle but as they finish the foundation it is slowly filled with trash. This shows us for the hope we belive in is quickly brought back up and allows for her trust and belief in her fathers abilities to resurface again and see the best in him, but also be taken away because of the fact that it is something that she can see the truth in. This means that as quickly as hope is brought up by the foundation it can be broken by the truth of what the foundation turns out to be, a pile of trash. This is important to Jennette because it is when she first realizes the truth of her situation of homelessness but also that hope is something that for her is not ideal and she should move on from the idea of that hope that is going to save her from her difficult times. When an individual allows for the start of something new it can be finished by the reality and truth that hope brings. It allows us to see the truth of our situations and the things we thought would help us during these times.

As individual develop and grow, it can cause to see the reality what is actually there verses what is not. It allows us to see that hope is just a feeling we use as a defensive mechanism to help us to go through things that need actions that we are willing to take to be able to see change. This can result in the individual to take reality of there situation and change it it into something they know will benefit them in the future they see themselves. We can see this when Jeannette is leaving to go to New York and Rex brings up the idea of the the Glass Castle and Jeannette talks about how it was just a promise that has always been there but never fulfilled. When she talks to her dad she realized that she has let go of the hope she had kept the whole way through and is now realizing the potential she has of doing something that will help herself. This is important to Jeannette because is shows that she is developing the idea thof the truth that is best for her and this allows her to change her reality of the situation she is in. As individuals realize the truth they had not seen realized when they were younger, allowed them to take action for what they believe will help and be a new part of them.

When we hold onto hope for the betterment of the people and things around us can result in the realization of the truth that is right for ourselves. Hope can change an individual into seeing the good in everything else, but can also change that good into something that we can take for the benefit of ourselves. First we see how hope allows us to have as we are innocent but as we grow and mature we see the reality of hope and use that to our advantage and step up for ourselves.

January 17

It Runs In The Family (A River Runs Through It Lit Exploration)

An individual’s values are shaped by the people around them and help influence their decisions.

 

Family is something in life that you can never avoid. Ever since you were born, your parents and siblings have been helping you learn lessons on life and how to grow up. Most of the time, the things that your family has taught you will stay with you and become your core values and beliefs in life. Even when you are grown, you are subconsciously following the values that you had been influenced by since you were young. This is because an individual’s values are shaped by the people around them, and help influence their actions and decisions.  

In A River Runs Through It, it can be seen from the very start of the film that Reverend Maclean plays a huge part in his children’s lives – mainly Norman’s, whose own values and life decisions are influenced by his father’s expectations and values. He had learned a lot from his father in his childhood that can be seen throughout the rest of the film. Some of his main character traits are parallel to the foundations of fly-fishing, a lesson taught by his father: fly-fishing was an art that required structure, discipline, and grace to be done properly, and it is reflected in the way that Norman is as a person. By the father teaching his sons how to fish, he helped to foster their core values not only when they were fishing, but also in their life. The activities, where we connect most with our parents, can impact our own interests and values acquired through sharing and learning from these activities.  Norman’s father also homeschooled Norman from a young age, making sure that all of his work was perfect and there were no errors in it – holding him to a high standard. Reverend Maclean would correct Norman’s writing with a red pen that would later be used to symbolize how the father was still correcting Norman in his adult life. This was shown in a later scene between adult Norman and the father are in the father’s study where he used to be homeschooled. Norman is explaining to his father he wants to work in forestry and the father – with the red pen in hand – is instantly correcting him, telling Norman that it is not a good idea. The father picking up the red pen at this time parallels from when Norman was just a boy. The father only puts down the pen when Norman says that he wants to become a professor, pleasing the father enough. Norman’s profession has always been influenced by the father. Even when he was a child, he said that he wanted to be a minister because he assumed that was expected of him. He was thinking realistically until he was asked if he could be anything, what would he choose to be? He quickly changed his answer to a boxer. He chose to say minister first because he thought that it was just what was expected of him to do and that he had to do it, but deep down, he wanted to follow his dreams and become a boxer. When Norman gets a job offered a job from the University of Chicago as a and English professor, pleasing the father, Norman is still happy because it is something that he wants to do as literature and writing are another value and interest in his life. He had become his father in a way, teaching people and correcting them when they made a mistake, the same way the father did to Norman when he was being homeschooled.  For many people, like Norman, they follow in either the footsteps of their parents, or work towards a future that is expected of them by their family because it brings a sense of achievement and pride in their life – finding success for them and honour for their family.  Norman accepted the interests and beliefs of his father, allowing them to influence his professional career, his own family’s values, and his hobby for fly-fishing.  The Reverend Maclean’s influence over Norman led to both his success and happiness.

Although Paul was younger than Norman, he still had a lot of influence in his brother’s life. He played the role of Norman’s brother’s keeper and influenced some of his actions greatly when they were children. Paul was the idealistic one out of the two of them; when thinking about what he wanted to do when he grew up, he decided he wanted to be a fly fisherman. When told that it wasn’t a real job, he changed his answer to a boxer as a more ‘realistic’ answer but it was still idealistic. By changing his answer, Norman is prompted to do the same, changing his answer to the boxer as well, thinking more idealistically. This scene was shown to see the differing beliefs that the boys had- Paul always thinking more ideally while Norman thought realistically. Although they thought very differently, Paul was usually able to influence Norman to think more like him. An example of this is in the scene where Norman, Paul, and their friends all steal a boat to go down a waterfall. Their friends back out, thinking realistically of the consequences. Paul, on the other hand, wants to do it and persuaded Norman to join him. Paul was in the front of the boat, leading, while Norman was in the back. This shows how Paul is guiding Norman’s ideas and influencing him to be more like Paul, thinking more idealistically. It can also show how Paul is more reckless, irresponsible, and passionate while normal is thoughtful, cautious and responsible, but can still be persuaded to be reckless like Paul. Once their boat crashes, Norman is seen isolated from the rest of his friends and shifted in personality. He is more solemn and quiet because he realizes the consequences of his actions and how it could have gone badly, unlike Paul who is just focussing on how much fun the experience was. Norman is later seen making a sandwich, still shaken up by what happened during the boat scene. Paul comes in as his usual cheery self and begins to ‘fix’ Norman’s sandwich. The whole time, Norman is saying that he doesn’t want Paul to fix it, that it was fine how it was. This was to symbolize Norman rejecting Paul’s influence in Norman’s life. The sandwich reflected Norman’s ideologies and when Paul came to fix it, he was trying to impede his way of thinking onto Norman. But, Norman rejected this, not allowing Norman to influence his values and beliefs. This is why when they are grown up, there is such a contrast between their characters. Norman is more affected by his father’s influence while Paul is living life his own way. It could be examined that by Paul not being influenced by his father’s beliefs, his actions that he decided to do throughout his adult life could have caused his death. He was violent and hot-headed, unlike Norman, and eventually died from his actions.

I have also been heavily influenced by my family. All throughout my childhood, I was told that I wanted to be a vet. My parents would constantly tell me that being a vet would be the best course of actions for me when I was an adult because it paid well and I got to help animals. I believed them and throughout my whole childhood, my actions were influenced by the idea of me becoming a vet. I would read only animal and vet books and pretend to be doing surgery on my stuffed animals all so that I could make my parents proud of me. Helping animals became one of my values growing up and it affected the way that I handled situations, like taking care of my own pets. But as I began to get older and the animals that I had had since birth began dying, I started to realize that I wouldn’t be able to handle the idea of some of my animal patients dying. I loved animals too much to watch them in pain, and I realized that I didn’t want to be the reason that an animal was in pain as I was trying to help them, so I needed to find another profession. I started noticing that I liked to make people feel good- I liked making them happy and being the reason that they smiled. My friends would come to me with problems that they had and I was excited to help them work through it. I had found a new purpose in life, to help people instead of animals. I would still hold my core value of helping something, but I could direct it to people instead and not have to worry about hurting them physically. By my parents influencing me at such a young age to help something in need, I was able to find something that I really want to do while still following their wishes. Helping is one of my core values in life and I try to help at least one person a day because that’s what my parents have taught me to do.

Family is one of the biggest factors in shaping an individual’s values and beliefs that will influence their actions and choices in life. Even if you do not have the strongest relationships with your family, what they had taught you in your childhood remains with you as you grow old. The memories that you share with them, the experiences that are taught will guide you through life, for better or for worse. But, you are still able to become your own person, you can learn from your family’s mistakes and become someone completely different than them, later teaching your own children your personal values and beliefs.

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January 11

Development Of Character Through Adversities

 

 Adversity, a simple yet complex term; is used to describe the struggles and tribulations an individual faces as a mechanism to ultimately develop their self-identity through the process of facing the challenges and hardships that they are accompanied with. The response to how an individual deals with the adversities present, reveals their character and pursuit in life. In the memoir, The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls, Jeanette explores the concept of character development and the impact of adversities through the loss of innocence, denial, and ultimately, the acceptance of her true form. As an individual encounter adversities in their life, most, if not often, will reject the tribulations; when they decide to face their problems, the adversities present becomes a development for resilience and self-growth–present in the character of Jeanette Walls.

 

 When an individual is exposed to limited environments and situations, their character is impacted in a way where they will begin to absorb and follow the lifestyle that is present in their surroundings. Established in the beginning of the novel, the scene begins with Jeanette cooking hotdogs by herself in her trailer-van, at the age of three. Accustomed to the lifestyle that her parents have influenced upon her, she deems her actions as normal as she later on curses, and lights objects on fire as well. Having been exposed to little, Jeanette relies on her parents and the environment she is placed in in order to develop her identity. In the beginning, her parents symbolize the sanctity within Jeanette, as they play critical role models in her life–guiding her to what they believe is the normal standard of living. Ironically enough, though her parents will later reveal the beginnings of Jeanette’s adversities through the inclination of poverty, alcoholism, and neglect–Jeanette sees through this, and finds solace with her current way of living.

 

   As an individual develops maturity and exposure to more significant bodies and surroundings of influence, they will be forced to challenge their adversities–ultimately, leading them to critically analyze their identity through methods of denial or struggle, extensively. Jeanette, who has grown to form and integrate into bigger opportunities and settings, begins to develop a deeper sense of denial and struggle, as she is forced to question her true character as a person. Evident in the scene where she hides from her mother, Rose Walls, in the taxi, she observes Rose digging through garbage sites in New York. At this point of her life, Jeanette has matured to reach success as she is surrounded by luxuries present in her life. Ashamed of being identified, Jeanette’s initial response to her adversities is seen as avoidance–later on developing as a sense of guilt; evident when she meets up with her mother at a restaurant, where she confesses her doings the previous night, her mother forces her to re-evaluate her conscience as an individual who has been brought up in a state of poverty. The luxuries and success that surrounds Jeanette  symbolize a place in which she finds solace–an idyllic lifestyle and background for which she wants to be known for. As the story progresses, her adversities subconsciously form into avoidance and denial as she is afraid of people knowing who she really is: a person who is ashamed of being vulnerable and exposed for something she is not– which ultimately leads her to hide her true self, not only to others, but herself, as her lifestyle becomes a sanctuary for her, again, a place of solace. The author establishes the themes of struggle and adversities in that, an individual response as denial to hide from their identity, will lack the motive and courage to find acceptance in themselves, a critical plot that has become Jeanette’s tribulation throughout the novel.

 

 Through reasoning and the right form of impact, an individual’s character can be shifted, which influences them to become a betterment for themselves. Often found when an individual is ready to wholly accept themselves through the means of being exposed to impactful adversities, and individual will ameliorate their life through focussing and prioritizing themselves. Transitioning their focus from the judgements of others. As Jeanette Walls describes her circumstances and the difficulty of accepting who she is–what once was something she found solace in, becomes a burden in many ways. No longer does she find her newly-sewed lifestyle a place of comfort as she is challenged once again to critically question who she really wants to be and the people around her. As she analyzes her situation, she begins to prioritize and accept herself as the person she was, and the person she is now. Symbolizing a significant plot in Jeanette’s adolescence–the Joshua Tree, acts on her initial instinct, as she was motivated was to dig up the sapling and place it somewhere where wind and water could not disturb it’s growth–a meaningful symbol in Jeanette’s adulthood as she is characterized as a person who wants to shield herself from vulnerableness. As a response to Jeanette’s plan for keeping the Joshua tree sapling from being harmed, her mother, Rose, plays a critical role as her response is to reject Jeanette’s plan, quoting, “It’s the Joshua Tree’s struggles that make it unique.” a significant part which later foreshadows Jeanette’s identity as a whole. The Joshua tree not only resembles the significance of growth in Jeanette, but also the fact that the adversities that Jeanette  is faced with, reflects the beauty of it all; to her background in poverty, and her father’s alcoholic habits–she begins to accept and establish her identity through the means of re-establishing her values in life; redesigning herself as a person who is capable to find happiness, through finding herself as a person once more. As an individual becomes aware of their needs, they develop a deeper sense of understanding of themselves–only when they are ready to proceed, will they find genuine happiness in themselves and their decisions.

 

Established within the memoir, The Glass Castle, Jeanette Walls presents and explores the ideas that the adversities and struggles and individual goes through, becomes a motive for an individual’s character shift–a process of revelation as an individual is exposed to the struggles of acceptance and denial. Only when an individual is ready to wholly accept themselves will they find great strength and happiness, through a process of resilience.  

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January 11

The Power of Influence

What is your opinion of the idea that our beliefs are influenced by the actions of others?

Numerous people have expectations for others that are too grand, that the individual is motivated to be better. Which in turn creates their passion. This is illustrated through the character of Paul MacLean in director Robert Redford’s film, A River Runs Through It. Paul is a stubborn young boy who desires to become a professional fly-fisherman when he grows up. He is primarily influenced by his father’s intelligence and his brother’s works. When an individual is influenced to be perceived as inadequate in the eyes of the people they love, they struggle to “be good at something” when their source of passion is idyllic.

In the beginning, the family is the primary source of an individual’s character in regards to the actions that they take. Paul submerges himself deeper into the waters, not only catch more fish but to connect to nature as well. Through his father’s teaching; how to properly fish, with a certain stance and rhythm, Paul begins to believe that fly-fishing is not only a means of leisure but an art. As he grows older, we begin to identify a change in Paul’s character, he begins to follow his own rhythm, as Norman says, “ For the first time, Paul broke free of our father’s instruction into a rhythm all his own”, and that makes fly-fishing his true passion, a mastery. His father does not correct him, and instead, he acknowledges him. Fly-fishing overshadows Paul’s weaknesses, however. A comfort zone for Paul, when he feels he has hurt someone he loves. To connect and to strengthen the bonds between himself and the MacLean men. In reality, however, his stubbornness leads him to feel reluctant to accept anyone’s help. Consequently, when an individual finds their true passion, they embrace it, even though it may be a source of escape from realities miseries.

The source of influence and inspiration begin to have difficulty in leading the individual to a favorable outcome, especially when their means of success is an escape. Paul, in reality, is a famous reporter for a small newspaper. During the first part of the day, Paul spends his time working and at night, he makes his way to the bar to drink. His brother, Norman Maclean, learns from this behavior and tries to influence Paul to do the opposite, avoiding drinking and fist-fights. Despite his popularity as a reporter and a penchant for gambling. Norman fails to do so. Paul seeks to find “coping mechanisms” to distract himself from the once strong bond between his brother and himself, because of Norman’s absence during most of his life. Consequently leading Paul to a series of unfortunate events; going to jail countless times, eventually making the decision to face his family without feeling uncomfortable and inadequate. The lack of primal influence can affect the individual who once depended on it, eventually creating more distance between the two groups.

When an individual can no longer depend on someone, they are lead to believe that they had no purpose in life. Paul is troubled because of the means he uses for his own success. We see that he is late for fishing one day, though the MacLean men believe that, “ In Montana, you are never late for church, work, and fishing.” It is here then that Paul begins to lose control of his life. He begins to realize that his success was only temporary and that he is inadequate compared to his brother. Because of the lack of direction, he begins to indirectly ask for help from the people that changed him. Again, Norman fails to help his brother. Norman, in the other hand, is successful, he will be a professor and a married man. At times like this, Paul’s passion could not mask his weakness. He goes to his only source of success, the bar, to gamble. This leads to Paul’s demise. He is beaten to death with the butt of a gun, with the bones on his right hand all broken. Norman’s narration tells us that if Paul were to survive he would have no sense of purpose, and it would be best if he were dead. For fly-fishing was Paul’s greatest characteristic. Without it, he may never find comfort and a sense of belonging. Because of his death, Norman writes a story to understand his brother. Now that he has come into the realization of the anonymity of his brother’s life. He believes that he only understood his brother to be a fine fly-fisherman. But he was more than that. As Norman believes that fly-fishing is what defines Paul, even in death.

When an individual feels inadequate, they will find their own source of success, even if it may be immoral. Because of this, to influence the individual is difficult, but it has its limits. And sometimes, all we need is to listen to others to help them define their purpose in their lives.

January 10

Hope Triumphs Broken Promises – Literary Exploration

Hope Triumphs Broken Promises

What is your opinion of the idea that hope is an important quality?

Hope is what allows individuals to remain determined through times of hardships, so that they are able to continue on with their lives, even though at times they may feel that it is impossible to overcome the obstacles. When individuals are able to carry the hope that, one day, they will be fortunate enough to receive what they are striving for, they will be content with their journey. This theme is presented in the memoir, The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls, where it shows how Jeannette Walls, along with her siblings, has lived in poor conditions due to the decisions that her parents have made; she has been urging her parents to realize their responsibility towards her and her siblings, so that she is able to come out of the poverty life. Throughout the memoir, it shows how Jeannette Walls remains determined in hoping that her words or actions may actually influence or impact her parents in some way, which would cause them to be responsible and more considerate towards their children. However, when this does not happen, she holds onto the hope, believing that she herself is capable of bringing about positive change in her life. In this text, Jeannette Walls explores the idea that when innocent individuals hold the hope to stabilize their lives with support from their loved ones, they remain determined through hardships; however, from the suffering of broken promises, they learn to become independent and achieve stability on their own.

When innocent individuals are reassured by elders that their life will be stabilized, they will have the hope that their words do actually come true; this will allow these individuals to continue to work through the hardship, despite their unfortunate lives. This is shown in the text, when Jeannette’s father, Rex Walls, promises her that he is going to build the Glass Castle, which would be made out of glass; this was going to be their first ever true home, as they have never lived in a house longer than a couple of months. Rex Walls  even showed Jeannette the blueprints with all the mathematical calculations that he had done on his own. Through this experience, Jeannette Walls believed that her father will solve their unfortunate circumstances: they would no longer have to rummage through the garbage can at school to find a lunch to eat, they would not need to be embarrassed by others due to their homelessness lives. Jeannette’s trust in her father is what allowed her to carry the hope that her life will be stabilized and prosperous like other students at her school and neighborhood. This shows how Jeannette needed the support from her father in order to believe that their past will not mask their future. She knew that having the trust and hope will allow her to move on in life, rather than being held back from her past. This shows how during childhood, when innocent individuals are provided with the reassurance that their life will improve, they will continue to be confident in believing the words of their elders to drive them to the future. Although at times, they will be uncertain of whether their elders words are worth trusting, hope is what would allow them to continue to move forward.

Through experiences, when individual’s realize that their elders have made false hopes, they will still remain determined in believing that they are independent enough to change their lives to being fortunate; in other words, these individuals will feel the need for carrying out the actions themselves when they come to terms with realizing that their elders are not going to make any effort to create difference in their lives. This is shown in the text, when Jeannette Walls is ready to leave for New York, as she knew that her parents are not going to pay heed to her sensible words. She decides to be independent so that she is able to strive for what she truly desires. When Jeannette Walls is ready to leave for New York, Rex Walls shows her the blueprints of the Glass Castle, and asks her, “Have I ever let you down?” This shows how even though Rex Walls knew that Jeannette had already made the decision to move to New York, her father showed her his broken promise to attempt to make her stay. Jeannette already realized that her father just makes false promises, to make her believe that their hardships will not last for long; she realized that she had false hope from the beginning: that everything would soon be settled. Jeannette Walls did always answer yes to the question that Rex Walls asked her, because she had the hope that he would do what he says he would do; little did she know that her father made false claims to maintain Jeannette’s trust and hope. Jeannette had the hope that her parents would realize their responsibility and actually make a positive difference in their live, rather than claiming with false words of reassurance. This shows how individuals will not lose the hope that they had from the beginning, to soon live in good living conditions, even though they have had false hopes from the beginning. Realizing that their hopes are false will encourage these individuals to take accountability themselves in order to live a better life.

Finally, when individuals have carried the hope that their life would be stabilized, they would be content with the successful life they have achieved through the confidence in their abilities. With their achievement, they will attempt to restore the love and acceptance with their elders. This is shown in the text, when Jeannette Walls has settled in with her husband in New York, John Taylor, and has become part of a huge magazine company. She has been successful in pursuing her dreams of becoming a writer, and doing something for a living. This shows how Jeannette is independent, and having the hope that her life would be prosperous is what drove her to New York. She did not let her hope erase away, and remained confident in whatever action or decision she made. Even though Jeannette Wall’s parents never owned responsibility towards her and her siblings by working or providing a stabilized life to them, Jeannette herself made it possible to achieve what she was yearning for. She also carried the hope that her parents would change themselves for the good. When Rex Walls is so close to death, he does tell Jeannette that he is proud of his daughter in what she has accomplished. This shows how individuals even with the broken promises and false hopes, can remain confident through their journey of hardship. Individuals will need to remain confident in the decisions or actions they choose to make, for a better lifestyle. They will also carry the hope with them, thinking that hope will allow the broken relationships to be reconciled.

In the memoir, The Glass Castle, it is demonstrated that it is important for individuals to have hope, so that they are able to believe that their lives will be stabilized; however, when the reassurances of an elder turn out to be false, they will be compelled to remain determined and confident in believing that they can achieve stability on their own. Initially, Jeannette was innocent, and always believed what her father told her, without any doubt. As she grew up, she realized that her father had made false promises and false hopes to her, to make her believe that their hardships will not continue for long. This is when she decided to move to New York, so that she herself is able to receive the opportunities of being successful, and of no longer living in poverty. Along with that, she has carried the hope that her parents would realize their responsibility towards her, and even in the end, she keeps that hope alive. This shows how hope is important, to drive individuals to the future; hope is what allows individuals to believe in the positive outlooks of life by believing that the result will be positive. Hope is like a tool that pushes individual’s to remain determined in the journey that they are experiencing. Without hope, individual’s will not believe in their abilities, and will not be able to move forward in life to the desired path.

January 10

One’s Beliefs May be Influenced by Others Actions ( Literary Exploration)

 

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The idea that the way one thinks will alter by being surrounded with those that play a great role in their life, is likely because they will be influenced by the other individual’s actions. In the film, A River Runs Through It, director Robert Redford, clearly shows this idea vividly through the characters Norman, the minister, and Paul. The idea that is greatly emphasized is that one may have their beliefs impacted by the influence others have in their life. Throughout this paper I will be talking about the way the Minister’s actions impacted Norman, how by the teachings of his father, Norman gave a sense of grace to Paul, and lastly, I will talk about how going to a holy shrine and seeing others meditate impacted the way I perceive the world. It can be seen that when a devoted individual stays close by an authoritative soul they will be greatly influenced by their actions and form their beliefs accordingly by the way they’ve been impacted by their presence.

In the film, A River Runs Through it, director Robert Redford, explores the idea that the influence of others actions has a great impact on one’s beliefs. This can be seen by how the Minister emphasizes the importance of fly fishing in his son’s life. The idea of guidance and following through with the actions that others lead are two prevalent ideas throughout this film. As of being a young boy, fly Fishing has always been a major part in Norman’s life as his father used to take him and his younger brother every so often to the Blackfoot river for fishing. It can be seen how much of an impact fly fishing has had on Norman, that when times were tough for him or when he needed a sense of making his mind clear he could rely on going fishing. His beliefs were formed from the basis that there was something always in his life that he could go to, to get his mind clear and that was fly fishing. Throughout the film Robert Redford shows his audience that Norman followed the guidance his father gave him, either being it in his career or being how he spent his free time. The minister really emphasized on the idea of grace and how with it one can pursue happiness. Fly fishing has showed Norman a way to which he can connect with his loved ones that no longer exist. Being impacted with what his father most strongly believed, Norman was able to find the legacy his father left for him and through that he was able to understand the life of his brother Paul.

Norman was a man who was greatly impacted by his father’s actions. That through any rough time one can hold onto the thread of grace and will be able to be pulled back up out of the dark well. Seeing how his father gave grace to Paul when he didn’t finish his bowl of oatmeal, or when the two Maclean brothers went for shoot the chutes and came back home, their father granted grace in the sense that he told them to go redeem their sins by going to church and asking for forgiveness from God. Norman was influenced by the actions of his father and carried on to hold the thread of grace when Paul was put into jail, after he beat somebody up for mistreating his friend, Mabel. Norman got up late at night and got his brother out, showing not only grace but the idea of, brother’s keeper.

In my own life I have experienced being impacted greatly by others actions. This one experience that truly changed my worldview and ideologies about life was when I was about 7 years old and went to Punjab, India. I went to a Gurdwara sahib, a holy shrine. I was greatly amazed on how peaceful the area was, everyone was meditating in their own form, either through saying “Waheguru”, “The lord who shows the way from darkness to light” out loud, or by sitting down and meditating. I really loved how this one old man, who looked like a saint, was chanting “Waheguru” out loud. I decided to follow along and as my family and I were walking I decided to chant aloud too like the old man. I believe this was the action I had to take which transformed the way I saw the world and on how I saw my purpose in life. From then on, I started meditating everyday and knew that old man wasn’t any regular individual but a soul that was truly connected with God. By the influence of that great old man, i have attached on to a belief that there is a God that exists. Through meditation I have been able to connect more with my Sikh roots and understand what my meaning in life is: to meditate and experience the one Lord who resides within each and every one of our souls.

In the journey of life, we connect with others and share ideas, but one may truly be influenced by the actions of others and have their beliefs impacted if one is invested to pursue something. The actions of others play a great role in one’s life, as through surrounding ourselves with like minded people we tend to create a belief system by the impact their actions have on us. Sharing my own experience and seeing the events that played throughout the movie directed by Robert Redford, it can be seen that when an individual is impacted by one’s actions their beliefs can truly be influenced.

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The People who influence you are the people who believe in you

Henry Drummond