Sentimental Novel?

Uncle Tom's Cabin is definitely a sentimental novel, in my eyes. Even by reading the first couple chapters, there words were tugging at my heart. By reading about the painful experiences of the slaves, it can form a catharsis of some kind. A gratefulness for one's own state, or maybe even a reliability in some way can create sentimental feelings. This novel was written in a way to show the sinfulness of slavery, and it created an up rise because of the feelings it stirred from the readers. This "marketing strategy" worked, but it speaks of real-life situations that needed, and still need to, be addressed and stopped. One might take the novel as too dramatically written. If one does think that, they should step into the shoes of a past slave, and see if the novel related. I think they would be surprised at the painful lives some have lived.

Uncle Tom's Cabin and Today

Reading through "Uncle Tom's Cabin" one can wonder if we have anything like this going on in our world today. It scares me to think we do, but I also think it's a smart thing to consider. What are misconceptions that we have about the Bible. It makes me cringe when the Bible is quoted by the white characters in the novel, because most of them think they're in the right. Slavery is in no way right. I can't see anything right about it.
What is something that I do, and might think it's right, but it really is not? I think that's a valid question to ask. Some red-flags I see in our world today are how huge Church buildings are being made and some of them are way over the top in my eyes. In my personal life though, I know that I need a heart check when it comes to spending my money. Most of my money is spent on myself and so the fact that I'm judging the Church isn't right either.
What I'm trying to say is that each one of us should look at our lives personally, and at our world as a whole and try to decipher the misconceptions going on. Positive changes can be made if we work together, and ignoring the changes needed won't get us anywhere.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

This book is really hard to read when knowing it's based on true events. I can't believe this ever happened. I don't see how any race of people could think how they're better than another, and should be waited on hand-and-foot. It sickens me.
Thinking about some of the characters, I appreciate Mrs. Shelby because she stands up for what she believes in. Although, her conscience seems to tell her slavery is wrong she still is letting her husband participate. She makes the "best" of the situation by making friends with them, and she's downtrodden when she finds out her husband was going to trade any of them.
I like the character George Harrison. He is very down in the first part of the book, and I can completely understand why. He worked his way up in a business and was well liked. Just because his owner seemed jealous of him, and didn't want him to have power he made his life miserable. I don't blame him for running to Canada.

What to think of Uncle Tom

In class we debated on whether or not Uncle Tom's character was noble or if he let himself be too controlled. My first opinion of him was that he was noble. I thought of him as one who took the "bullet", even when times got hard, so that others would not be hit. I thought of him as someone who is full of morality, has a humble spirit, and is inspirational.
The more we talked about it in class, I think a lot differently about him. Not that I don't think he's a good guy, but I definitely think he lets himself be too controlled. He is honest, but too submissive. When Eliza left with her son because there were about to be sold, Tom stayed back. The reason seemed to be that he didn't want the whole farm to be sold, and that's noble. Part of me wonders if he stayed back mostly because he was crippled by fear. He hasn't known life much different, rather than being a slave on the Shelby's farm, and I could see how it could be hard to let that go. Another instance he seems too controlled is when he jumps into the water to save the Eva. This is very noble, but it also made me wonder if he did it to serve the white men on the boat. This could be a very harsh statement, but I also think that he was pushed around too much. II don't want to seem like I'm down-looking Tom's character.'m glad he saved Eva, but I just wish (not in this instance though) he would stand up for himself.

The Raven

In this intriguing poem, there is an element of fear and mystery. We talked about in class how the speaker is going through this inner struggle and he's searching for healing. He looks to a bird (the Raven) for the answers, and he munipulates the same answer into what he wants to hear. I didn't realize the word "nevermore" could mean so many different things! I like the part when the speaker is talking about how the bird must have come from an unhappy master. It states in the poem, "Caught form some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster / followed fast and followed faster--so, when Hope he would adjure..." The speaker, at first, seems to focus on the problems of the bird but then starts to think about his own. This poem really keeps one on the fence because you're unsure what is about to happen. 

Chillingworth and Dimmesdale

As a physician, Chillingworth does have a legit excuse to get to know Dimmesdale but not at the level he is trying to. For instance, he could be asking him questions in order to know where his health is going, but his motives are different. Chillingworth and Dimmesdale's "relationship" seems very sketchy and it's only for selfish benefit.

Chillingworth hopes to get an answer from Dimmesdale concerning his wife, but his scheme doesn't seem to be working in his favor early on. Chillingworth starts speaking of an unspoken crime to him and Dimmesdale replies, "The heart, making itself guilty of such secrets, must perforce hold them, until the day when all hidden things shall be revealed." Dimmesdale is planning on keeping his secrets hidden until the day Jesus returns. I'm not sure why he is less afraid of God's judgement rather than man's, because that is definitely a mistake.

Dimmesdale

I can see Dimmesdale's huge pressure to keep a mask on throughout most of this story. He has played this role of being the town's stable man, and one that they look to for direction and morality. Although, he has played this role and doesn't want to let down his town's people he should confess. There are times when one can just confess a sin to the Lord and be forgiven, without telling anyone else, but I don't believe this is one of those cases.

Dimmesdale says, "Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret!" I don't sympathize much for his to feel this inner pain, because he could end this pain by confessing. At the same time, I realize how hard that can be. He is being tormented innerly, but he won't feel freedom unless he lets this go; lets go of what others will think of him. Hawthorne wrote about Hester's character, "She had not known the weight, until she felt the freedom!" I wish this upon Dimmesdale, because life will be easier in the end if he mans-up at this earlier part in the story.

Pearl

What does the character Pearl have to say? She can't defend herself, or her mother, at the beginning of The Scarlet Letter but I know she would if she could. Here, she sees her mother being mocked while she's being held in front of the whole town. Pearl, is also getting part of the blame from the townspeople, even as a precious innocent baby. Even though her mother has sinned, Pearl is not a mistake. Pearl should not be thought of as an error. A very beautiful blessing came out of this situation, and that is not emphasized or looked upon at all by others.

So often children blame themselves for mistakes of their parents in our world today. For instance, when divorces happen kids sometimes blame themselves for it. This is not truth, and children should never have to feel like mistake their parents make are because of them. My heart goes out to her character, because she is almost a clutch for her mother. Her mother has been shunned from the town, and only has her daughter. Her daughter gets to live with a woman that is feeling alone and Pearl could feel the pressure to help her mother feel better. Pearl, eventually marries and moves away from the distress she’s lived with since she was born, but I’m sure it was hard to work through.

Hester

So far in the Scarlet Letter I have been very impressed with the character Hester. I can't imagine having the whole town criticizing me, and not showing me any grace. I also know that I wouldn't be able to not hold my tongue and not try to explain myself. I know that I would care way too much about what people think of me to not want to blame anyone else along with me.

After reading about Hester, I hope that I would act with the same class as she did. I'm still unsure as to why she hasn't told the town who Pearl's father is, but I respect it either way. Hawthorne wrote, “She was patient,--a martyr, indeed, --but she forebore to pray for her enemies…”

What would it take to truly love our enemies, and pray for those who persecute us. My life has never has had as much ridicule as Hester’s, but I still have a problem forgiving those who hurt me. I am encouraged and challenged by her character, and I hope to live out what I’ve learned from her.

Thoreau: Work and Possessions

In the first pages of reading Thoreau, I was intrigued by his ideas of men working. He talks about the struggle of men trying to work and how little the gain is compared to the hardship. He writes, "He has no time to be anything but a machine". He speaks of how one should treat themselves with delicate handling rather than roughing up the body. I've never read a man's perspective on their work, and it made sense to me. I think it's really important for a person to enjoy their work, because it is a part of life. I also think one should take time to rest as well and take care of themselves.

I also really like the idea that he has about how people tend to waste their lives when they have to work so many hours to pay off things that they don't get to enjoy. For instance, if a man boys a big house and has to work all of the time to pay it off he won't get to enjoy it. This subject made me not want to buy as much, and to enjoy what I already have and to be thankful. I would rather live a simple life than have to work all of the time to pay off what I buy. Like Thoreau, I want to enjoy nature and the simple things of life. I don't want possessions to end up owning me, rather than me owning them.