"The Guest" was my introduction to existentialist author Albert Camus. Before my reading, I was familiar only with the well-known existentialists: Kafka, Nietzsche, and Dostoyevsky. Camus' story is by far my favorite existentialist work (I don't consider myself a fan of existentialism), as the main character is relatable to me.
The reason I enjoyed "The Guest" was the moral dilemma Daru was forced to face. As an empathetic person, I completely understand the position he was in. Why turn in a man who has done something that somebody else says is wrong when you have no opinion one way or the other? Daru has no obligations to either side in the revolution, making it unfair to ask him to condemn a prisoner or choose to defy the orders given. Either way, Daru is forced to make a decision he absolutely does not want to make. One of the author's themes seems to be the idea that the only decision that can't be made is the choice not to make a decision. As much as Daru tries not decide one way or the other, he essentially chooses to give the prisoner his freedom by allowing the prisoner himself to choose.
As for the reason the prisoner chooses prison over freedom, there are many potential options. Some have suggested that the prisoner himself believed that he deserved his punishment. Others believe that the prisoner wants to ensure the safety of his family and loved ones by turning himself in. After reading "The Guest", it is my belief that the prisoner chose to turn himself in because he didn't want the responsibility of leading an Arab rebellion against the French. Sanducci tells Daru early on that the prisoner's village is beginning to stir and wants him back, which led me to believe that the prisoner was an important figure in the rebellion. However, throughout the story he seems to be voluntarily submissive to both Sanducci and Daru, rather than a rebel as we have been led to believe. In my opinion, the prisoner chooses prison because he thinks that as a free man, he will become a symbol of rebellion throughout Algeria.
"The Guest" was a truly enjoyable read for me. I found it to be an excellent example of the moral dilemmas that arise in times of war and rebellion, although I hope never to be forced to consider such a dilemma firsthand.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
"The Lottery": My Reaction
Wow. I definitely sensed something bad was going to happen throughout my reading of "The Lottery", but I never imagined anything like that. Author Shirley Jackson does a remarkable job in her attack of groupthink and the status quo. Her story has such an effect on people because the gruesome ending causes the reader to question why "Because that's how it's always been done" is a valid excuse for anything.
While reading "The Lottery", I found myself engaged not because of the plot or dialogue, but because of the foreboding atmosphere that Jackson managed to create with her characters. As a reader, the sentences themselves did not interest me; the necessity of knowing what happened in the small town on the twenty-seventh of June each year drove me rapidly towards the conclusion. The foreshadowing was created by Jackson's descriptions of character interactions: tight faces, deliberate head nods, and jokes that yielded only smiles; no laughs. At the conclusion of the first page, I was certain that something bad was happening. However, the story let slip no hints or clues as to the actual event other than the confusing collection of rocks by the young boys in the village.
When the lottery process began to take place, I found myself in the shoes of one of the village members. In a town of three hundred people, there appears to be little chance of my name being chosen. However, the worry of a friend or family member being chosen is much stronger. Living in a village so small, I know almost everybody. Even if somebody I know well isn't chosen, it would still be a jarring experience to stone the girl who I saw in school every day for ten years but was a few grades ahead of me, or the guy who runs the bank that my dad used to work with. Obviously my empathetic experience would be different if I'd been raised in an area where a practice like the lottery took place like the characters in the story, but I can hardly imagine being comfortable killing someone, let alone in such a horrible way.
Funnily enough, I was watching TV with my roommates last weekend when an episode of South Park came on. While South Park is both crude and offensive, I count myself a fan because of the creativity of the writers. This episode was no different, as Britney Spears played the part of Tess Hutchinson. Throughout the episode, all the characters other than Stan, Kyle, and Cartman (the main characters) were attempting to take pictures of Britney Spears, playing the part of paparazzi. When Stan has finally had enough and asks his dad why they won't leave Britney alone, his dad explains that she, like other random celebrities before her, has been chosen to be sacrificed for the harvest (a strange reason in current times, but we'll go along with it). The episode even has an old woman with a camera telling her friend who is running ahead with the others to take pictures of Britney, "You'll have to go ahead and I'll catch up with you." While it may not be the best adaptation, I found it to be interesting and told my friends about the connection. The episode ends with the entire cast endlessly flashing their cameras in a circle around Britney, a perfect comparison to Tessie in "The Lottery."
While reading "The Lottery", I found myself engaged not because of the plot or dialogue, but because of the foreboding atmosphere that Jackson managed to create with her characters. As a reader, the sentences themselves did not interest me; the necessity of knowing what happened in the small town on the twenty-seventh of June each year drove me rapidly towards the conclusion. The foreshadowing was created by Jackson's descriptions of character interactions: tight faces, deliberate head nods, and jokes that yielded only smiles; no laughs. At the conclusion of the first page, I was certain that something bad was happening. However, the story let slip no hints or clues as to the actual event other than the confusing collection of rocks by the young boys in the village.
When the lottery process began to take place, I found myself in the shoes of one of the village members. In a town of three hundred people, there appears to be little chance of my name being chosen. However, the worry of a friend or family member being chosen is much stronger. Living in a village so small, I know almost everybody. Even if somebody I know well isn't chosen, it would still be a jarring experience to stone the girl who I saw in school every day for ten years but was a few grades ahead of me, or the guy who runs the bank that my dad used to work with. Obviously my empathetic experience would be different if I'd been raised in an area where a practice like the lottery took place like the characters in the story, but I can hardly imagine being comfortable killing someone, let alone in such a horrible way.
Funnily enough, I was watching TV with my roommates last weekend when an episode of South Park came on. While South Park is both crude and offensive, I count myself a fan because of the creativity of the writers. This episode was no different, as Britney Spears played the part of Tess Hutchinson. Throughout the episode, all the characters other than Stan, Kyle, and Cartman (the main characters) were attempting to take pictures of Britney Spears, playing the part of paparazzi. When Stan has finally had enough and asks his dad why they won't leave Britney alone, his dad explains that she, like other random celebrities before her, has been chosen to be sacrificed for the harvest (a strange reason in current times, but we'll go along with it). The episode even has an old woman with a camera telling her friend who is running ahead with the others to take pictures of Britney, "You'll have to go ahead and I'll catch up with you." While it may not be the best adaptation, I found it to be interesting and told my friends about the connection. The episode ends with the entire cast endlessly flashing their cameras in a circle around Britney, a perfect comparison to Tessie in "The Lottery."
Musings with Mr. Moreno (Part 4)
We're rapidly coming up on the end of the semester, so expect multiple posts in the next two weeks covering my meetings with Edinson. Thankfully, he is both accomodating and a pleasure to meet with, making life easy for me. Today we met for the fourth time, once again in the BLUU for lunch.
Edinson reminded me moments after sitting down with his lunch that he and the orchestra were performing Thursday night. The TCU orchestra has a concert in Ed Landreth Hall on Thursday night at 7:00, if any of my readers are interested! Free admission for all!
Shameless plug for Edinson's performance aside, today's conversation mostly covered Edinson's english. Edinson's english literacy test is next week, and he seems to be a bit nervous. I assured him that his english is much better than he thinks, and that he's become much more fluent in the past month and a half (Which is true. Rarely did we have a miscommunication over the past two meetings, while the first two were ripe with misunderstandings). He also complained multiple times throughout the meeting at how unfair the test format seems. According to Edinson, the passages from which the questions are drawn are conversations between students that are subject-specific; that is, they cover medicine, or greek mythology, or other subjects that are not common in the everyday english language and are not prevalent in learning the language.
Edinson stayed at TCU over the break, but was not alone on Thanksgiving. He explained that his orchestra conductor, who also happened to be from Columbia, invited he and a few other orchestra members to his house for Thanksgiving dinner. I inquired about the types of food that were present, as Edinson and I had discussed Thanksgiving food at our past meeting. Edinson said that he enjoyed the turkey, but it wasn't his favorite food. He claimed that his favorite food was the sweet potato dish that his host offered up, excitedly telling me that I was right when I told him how delicious it was at our past meeting.
After telling him I was running short on time, Edinson requested that I help him study before his english test next week. I divulged that I was more than happy to help, and we now have a meeting set for tomorrow night. More to come on the english test tomorrow!
Edinson reminded me moments after sitting down with his lunch that he and the orchestra were performing Thursday night. The TCU orchestra has a concert in Ed Landreth Hall on Thursday night at 7:00, if any of my readers are interested! Free admission for all!
Shameless plug for Edinson's performance aside, today's conversation mostly covered Edinson's english. Edinson's english literacy test is next week, and he seems to be a bit nervous. I assured him that his english is much better than he thinks, and that he's become much more fluent in the past month and a half (Which is true. Rarely did we have a miscommunication over the past two meetings, while the first two were ripe with misunderstandings). He also complained multiple times throughout the meeting at how unfair the test format seems. According to Edinson, the passages from which the questions are drawn are conversations between students that are subject-specific; that is, they cover medicine, or greek mythology, or other subjects that are not common in the everyday english language and are not prevalent in learning the language.
Edinson stayed at TCU over the break, but was not alone on Thanksgiving. He explained that his orchestra conductor, who also happened to be from Columbia, invited he and a few other orchestra members to his house for Thanksgiving dinner. I inquired about the types of food that were present, as Edinson and I had discussed Thanksgiving food at our past meeting. Edinson said that he enjoyed the turkey, but it wasn't his favorite food. He claimed that his favorite food was the sweet potato dish that his host offered up, excitedly telling me that I was right when I told him how delicious it was at our past meeting.
After telling him I was running short on time, Edinson requested that I help him study before his english test next week. I divulged that I was more than happy to help, and we now have a meeting set for tomorrow night. More to come on the english test tomorrow!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Musings with Mr. Moreno (Part 3)
Two days after my second meeting with Edinson, I suggested meeting again in the BLUU over lunch. I hoped to continue meeting at least once each week and decided to see if his Saturday afternoon was free. After receiving a confirmation email, I met Edinson for our third discussion.
Edinson and I both agreed to keep the meeting brief, as we both had alot of studying to do. However, we managed to cover a few important topics in our half hour together. Following the usual greetings, I explained to Edinson that I'd researched Nazca's Lines (see Part 2). I informed him that the reason the lines had remained intact for so long was the arid climate in the Nazca desert, where wind and rain play little to no part in the natural cycle. After chatting for a few minutes about that, I asked Edinson what he was doing for Thanksgiving. Surprisingly, he had no clue what Thanksgiving was, leaving me to try to explain it for him. I said that Thanksgiving was a time to gather with family, friends, and other loved ones to spend time together and express gratitude, but that many know it simply as a day to feast. I told him that the sweet potatoes he had on his plate paled in comparison to the ones many families use as a side dish on Thanksgiving and tried to describe other common side dishes (cranberry sauce didn't translate very well...).
As a natural extension of the Thanksgiving discussion, Edinson and I briefly discussed religion. He explained to me that he and nearly everyone he knew in Columbia was Catholic. I exclaimed that I was Presbyterian, which I explained to Edinson as a protestant faith similar to Catholicism, but differing in practice. He seemed confused, so I explained that my faith wasn't as strict in its rituals (for lack of a better word) as Catholocism. Both Edinson and I agreed that while most religions share important differences, their similiarities lie in the fact that each religion stresses harmony and peace over the bickering, anger, and persecution that seem prevalent in today's society.
My third meeting with Edinson was another fantastic experience. His english seems to improve between each meeting, and he seems to actually enjoy the discussions.
Edinson and I both agreed to keep the meeting brief, as we both had alot of studying to do. However, we managed to cover a few important topics in our half hour together. Following the usual greetings, I explained to Edinson that I'd researched Nazca's Lines (see Part 2). I informed him that the reason the lines had remained intact for so long was the arid climate in the Nazca desert, where wind and rain play little to no part in the natural cycle. After chatting for a few minutes about that, I asked Edinson what he was doing for Thanksgiving. Surprisingly, he had no clue what Thanksgiving was, leaving me to try to explain it for him. I said that Thanksgiving was a time to gather with family, friends, and other loved ones to spend time together and express gratitude, but that many know it simply as a day to feast. I told him that the sweet potatoes he had on his plate paled in comparison to the ones many families use as a side dish on Thanksgiving and tried to describe other common side dishes (cranberry sauce didn't translate very well...).
As a natural extension of the Thanksgiving discussion, Edinson and I briefly discussed religion. He explained to me that he and nearly everyone he knew in Columbia was Catholic. I exclaimed that I was Presbyterian, which I explained to Edinson as a protestant faith similar to Catholicism, but differing in practice. He seemed confused, so I explained that my faith wasn't as strict in its rituals (for lack of a better word) as Catholocism. Both Edinson and I agreed that while most religions share important differences, their similiarities lie in the fact that each religion stresses harmony and peace over the bickering, anger, and persecution that seem prevalent in today's society.
My third meeting with Edinson was another fantastic experience. His english seems to improve between each meeting, and he seems to actually enjoy the discussions.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Musings with Mr. Moreno (Part 2)
Last Thursday I had my second meeting with Edinson Moreno, with whom I am meeting a total of eight times this semester to discuss life in general. After learning alot about him in the first meeting, I was interested to have an actual discussion about something that interested both of us, rather than simply talking about our personal lives.
I asked Edinson what kind of things interested him other than his violin. Sports? Movies? Food? He explained that he hadn't found much to like in terms of food here at TCU, but admitted that may be the case because of his frequent visits to Market Square. He also said that many of the foods here are prepared differently than they were in his hometown in Colombia, causing the taste and texture to vary greatly. He told me that he had been unpleasantly surprised multiple times after thinking he'd found something that he'd had before. Edinson also explained that, like many others around the world, he was a fan of futbol (american soccer) and basketball. I explained to Edinson that I'd played both in high school and throughout elementary school, which he found to be pretty interesting.
However, the greatest similarity and talking point we found was our mutual love for the mysterious. Edinson told me that whenever he found free time, he would read about the world's greatest mysteries online. The Loch Ness Monster, the Bermuda Triangle, Stonehendge; he loved immersing himself in their mystique. We talked about the Bermuda Triangle for a long time before moving on to the Easter Islands, followed closely by Nazca's lines (which I'd never heard of). Edinson told me to look them up after our meeting, which I did gladly. Apparently these lines are shallow rows dug in the dirt in the Nazca desert in the shapes of different animals. The shapes are sometimes miles wide and are truly remarkable given the methods available at the time that they were made. The lines were created by the natives of the Nazca desert thousands of years ago, yet show amazing symmetry and scale. The fact that they survive to this day, despite only being a few feet deep, is remarkable.
After meeting a second time, I realized that although we grew up thousands of miles apart, Edinson and I share many similar interests. Clearly the world is a smaller place than I'd imagined.
I asked Edinson what kind of things interested him other than his violin. Sports? Movies? Food? He explained that he hadn't found much to like in terms of food here at TCU, but admitted that may be the case because of his frequent visits to Market Square. He also said that many of the foods here are prepared differently than they were in his hometown in Colombia, causing the taste and texture to vary greatly. He told me that he had been unpleasantly surprised multiple times after thinking he'd found something that he'd had before. Edinson also explained that, like many others around the world, he was a fan of futbol (american soccer) and basketball. I explained to Edinson that I'd played both in high school and throughout elementary school, which he found to be pretty interesting.
However, the greatest similarity and talking point we found was our mutual love for the mysterious. Edinson told me that whenever he found free time, he would read about the world's greatest mysteries online. The Loch Ness Monster, the Bermuda Triangle, Stonehendge; he loved immersing himself in their mystique. We talked about the Bermuda Triangle for a long time before moving on to the Easter Islands, followed closely by Nazca's lines (which I'd never heard of). Edinson told me to look them up after our meeting, which I did gladly. Apparently these lines are shallow rows dug in the dirt in the Nazca desert in the shapes of different animals. The shapes are sometimes miles wide and are truly remarkable given the methods available at the time that they were made. The lines were created by the natives of the Nazca desert thousands of years ago, yet show amazing symmetry and scale. The fact that they survive to this day, despite only being a few feet deep, is remarkable.
After meeting a second time, I realized that although we grew up thousands of miles apart, Edinson and I share many similar interests. Clearly the world is a smaller place than I'd imagined.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Musings with Mr. Moreno (Part 1)
Clearly, I'm a slacker. I met Edinson Moreno in the TCU library for the first time over a month ago. I have now met him on three separate occasions and have yet to blog about our encounters, and for that I apologize.
On to the main point of the blog: my first meeting with Edinson. We nearly got off to an awful start when I walked out of the library doors after twenty minutes of waiting, thinking that he'd forgotten about the meeting. Luckily, I noticed a young man running up the stairs who seemed to be looking for somebody. I called out his name and he responded, our first interaction. We scanned back into the library and finally began to learn about one another.
Edinson is from Columbia. He is an only child and he won't get to see his family again until next summer, unfortunately. When asked what he misses most about Columbia, Edinson told me that he missed the noise. He explained that on his street back home, every home played music that somehow blended perfectly into a wonderful sound for all to hear.
Edinson is also a musician. The biggest portion of his daily schedule is reserved for violin practice, as he plans to perform in an orchestra after college. He seems to be truly dedicated to his craft, and I've since made plans with him to attend one of his performances early in December (time permitting).
The last thing we discussed is his english. He seems to have a solid grasp on the language, but misunderstands a few phrases every now and again. There were only a few instances where we weren't able to clearly communicate an idea or topic of conversation to one another.
All in all, Edinson was a wonderful partner. He was excited to meet me and seemed genuinely interested in carrying a conversation.
On to the main point of the blog: my first meeting with Edinson. We nearly got off to an awful start when I walked out of the library doors after twenty minutes of waiting, thinking that he'd forgotten about the meeting. Luckily, I noticed a young man running up the stairs who seemed to be looking for somebody. I called out his name and he responded, our first interaction. We scanned back into the library and finally began to learn about one another.
Edinson is from Columbia. He is an only child and he won't get to see his family again until next summer, unfortunately. When asked what he misses most about Columbia, Edinson told me that he missed the noise. He explained that on his street back home, every home played music that somehow blended perfectly into a wonderful sound for all to hear.
Edinson is also a musician. The biggest portion of his daily schedule is reserved for violin practice, as he plans to perform in an orchestra after college. He seems to be truly dedicated to his craft, and I've since made plans with him to attend one of his performances early in December (time permitting).
The last thing we discussed is his english. He seems to have a solid grasp on the language, but misunderstands a few phrases every now and again. There were only a few instances where we weren't able to clearly communicate an idea or topic of conversation to one another.
All in all, Edinson was a wonderful partner. He was excited to meet me and seemed genuinely interested in carrying a conversation.
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