Reading and Writing in a Digital Age

“Life, although it may be an accumulation of anguish, is dear to me, and I will defend it.” (Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, pg. 114) These words are spoken by the monster when Frankenstein encounters him on top of a glacier in the Arveiron. The monster regales his tale of mistreatment and alienation at the hands of society throughout his journey of self – discovery. This quote makes me think of the unfortunate circumstances of my life and how they have shaped me as a citizen and as a individual. To me, anguish means the loss of my grandfather to cancer years before I was even born, the downfall of my great grandmother in my infancy, and the deaths of both of my grandmothers in the summer before last. Such losses cause one to reflect very heavily on the quality and meaning of life. For some, these losses signify the fruitlessness of one’s endeavors that implore them to give up. But for others, like me, this anguish has led me to believe that life is sacred and should never be wasted in terms of time and work for the benefit of society and close friends and relatives. I want to make the most of my life because I don’t know if there are any chances beyond this one. I’ll make use of the monumental opportunity given to me and will defend it to the end of time, space, and humanity,

“And with these words he hastily left the room, and Elizabeth heard him the next moment open the front door and quit the house. The tumult of her mind was now painfully great. She knew not how to support herself, and, from actual weakness, sat down and cried for half an hour. Her astonishment, as she reflected on what had passed, was increased by every review of it. That she should receive an offer of marriage from Mr. Darcy ! that he should have been in love with her for so many months ! so much in love as to wish to marry her in spite of all the objections which had made him prevent his friend’s mar- rying her sister, and which must appear at least with equal force in his own case, was almost incredible ! it was grati- fying to have inspired unconsciously so strong an affection. But his pride, his abominable pride, his shameless avowal of what he had done with respect to Jane, his unpardon- able assurance in acknowledging, though he could not justify it, and the unfeeling manner in which he had mentioned Mr. Wickham, his cruelty towards whom he had not attempted to deny, soon overcame the pity which the consideration of his attachment had for a moment excited.”

– Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Every time I read this book, I never fail to marvel at the way Jane Austen captures so precisely the feelings and emotions of people with words. There are many passages within her works that are just amazing and this is only one of them. Although this excerpt may not seem to be as relate-able as others out of context, It really stands out to me because it packs so much emotion through the wording. Every word used has an impact and adds to the expression as opposed to taking away from it. Here Elizabeth is simply shocked at Mr.Darcy’s proposal but the way Jane Austen managed to describe it made me feel like there was some sort of torrential storm in the characters minds. Her writing is extremely captivating and keeps me on my feet and most importantly makes me feel.

“If nature has made you for a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your heart; and though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart is always full, and you can give things out of that–warm things, kind things, sweet things–help and comfort and laughter–and sometimes gay, kind laughter is the best help of all.”
– Frances Hodgson Burnett, A Little Princess

A Little Princess is practically crawling in sage advice and wisdom. This quote is so honest and true, I can’t help but get teary eyed when I read it. This little girl lost all of her worldly possessions and loved ones in the world, and yet she has an understanding that most people simply dont. If you dont have any money, you are not a less valuable person, and you still have so much to give. Aside from being extremely inspiring, this quote makes me feel like the little kids are the ones who have it right. Bacause they know what really matters. And it isnt money.

“One day Cunegonde, while walking near the castle, in a little wood which they called a park, saw between the bushes, Dr. Pangloss giving a lesson in experimental natural philosophy to her mother’s chamber-maid, a little brown wench, very pretty and very docile. As Miss Cunegonde had a great disposition for the sciences, she breathlessly observed the repeated experiments of which she was a witness; she clearly perceived the force of the Doctor’s reasons, the effects, and the causes; she turned back greatly flurried, quite pensive, and filled with the desire to be learned; dreaming that she might well be asufficient reason for young Candide, and he for her.”

This quote is from Voltaire’s “Candide.”

I love this quote because it is what really pulled me to read the rest of “Candide.” I was afraid that it would be too dry and that the political commentary it made would be incomprehensible. This innuendo for Cunegonde seeing her tutor and her mother’s chambermaid having sex in the woods, and, from seeing it, developing her own desire for Candide, made me laugh out loud in my high school’s library. It wasn’t a very well-used library, so my laughter didn’t affect anyone else, but it gave me sufficient reason to continue reading.

“My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I’m well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He’s always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being. So don’t talk of our separation again: it is impracticable”

– Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

When I first read this passage from Bronte’s book, I was deeply moved by Catherine’s (the speaker) words. Catherine speaks of a connection so deep and profound that it is undeniable that it is true love. Despite her feelings, Catherine is caught in a love triangle between Linton, the man she is married to, and Heathcliff, the man she deeply loves. She compares her love for Heathcliff as “the eternal rocks beneath” showing how she needs him in her life to provide stability and comfort. This simile is contrasted with her love for Linton which is like “the foliage in the woods”, which is ever changing and not as necessary. This passage is surprising in its raw and exposing nature but what us more surprising is that Emily Bronte wrote this story when she was only 16, showing her great ability as a writer.

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself 
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

Who can not help but feel jolly and joyous after reading this passage? I remember as if it were yesterday, my parents tucking me into bed, reading my favorite story to me almost every night. What I love about this Dr. Seuss poem is the sense of optimism and “upbeatness” is evokes. Dr. Seuss’s use of rhyme, whimsicality, and playful wording speaks to everyone; there’s a reason this is still one of my favorite passages at age 19. There’s something about the flow of the words and their simplicity, yet their deep idea that captivates me. I love the juxtaposition of the simple diction employed yet the not so simple underlying and motivating message-decisions in life are up to us, no matter how old we are and what we choose to do. Dr Seuss writes in such a way that the words seem to flow off the page; they are whimsy and playful yet filled with seriousness and meaning. Dr Seuss is one of my favorite authors because his works are memorable and everlasting. His messages are instilled in me due to his specific style of writing which to me is unforgettable and so unique to him.

As soon as I read the prompt, I went straight to my drawer full of books. I opened it up and shuffled around, looking for a good book to write about. Couldn’t find one. So I closed the drawer and bounced a few ideas around my head, then I saw it. On my dresser was a small french children’s book from a few years back. Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

The book is very well-known, translated into plenty of different languages and has been popular internationally. The messages of the book are what makes it so popular. It can be a seemingly simple book, but the themes of the book are some of the most complex ideas that people struggle with. It is not the run of the mill children’s book with a happy ending.

Here is a quote that was translated into English from the book, with a few pictures (everybody likes pictures.)

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/literally-psyched/files/2012/03/ElephantInSnake.jpeg 

**Here are the pictures, the first drawing is meant to be looked at before the passage. The second is meant to be seen after reading the end of the passage.**

I showed my masterpiece to the grown-ups, and asked them whether the drawing frightened them.

But they answered: “Frighten? Why should any one be frightened by a hat?”

My drawing was not a picture of a hat. It was a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. But since the grown-ups were not able to understand it, I made another drawing: I drew the inside of the boa constrictor, so that the grown-ups could see it clearly. They always need to have things explained. My Drawing Number Two looked like this:

 

This quote from the book makes me think. Before we read this scene, the teacher (who was teaching us this book at the time) came around with the first picture. She asked us all what we thought it was. The first person said hat. Second person said the same thing. Third person, same. I think one person said “Perry the Platypus” but that was as creative as it got. I swear, when I first saw the picture, I thought it was a snake eating an elephant. But, everyone else said hat and the one weird kid said Perry the Platypus so there was absolutely no way that I was going to say a snake eating an elephant. So, I said “a hat.”

We read the passage and saw how are previous attempts were the wrong, boring, and safe answer. I was so confused why I censored myself in the first place. The “adult” in me didn’t want to be set apart from the rest of the “adults” in the room. It was only high school and I was already becoming old and boring. I was even starting to get grey hair… (Little fun fact about me) As we get older and are expected to act like the proper young adults, the more we lose ourselves and who we are. College is a time to mature and grow up, but one should never lose all of the “kid” inside us.

I try not to censor myself too much. I do things that make me happy, not always because it looks good on a resumé. Yes, I’m a little weird. But, I think that everyone would be a little weird if they did not censor themselves because of society.

The whole book focuses on ways that alter your perception of the world. The main character is a young boy. The man who discovers him, learns more from the little boy than the little boy can ever learn from him. I highly suggest reading it. The translations are great but if any of you are fluent in french, then I’d spring for that copy.

This is a quote from my favorite play ever, “Our Town, by Thornton Wilder

“We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars . . . everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings. All the greatest people ever lived have been telling us that for five thousand years and yet you’d be surprised how people are always losing hold of it. There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being.”

I like this particular quote so much because it talks about what’s really important, without saying what that one thing is so explicitly. The things we value and teach our kids and they teach their kids and so on, what each individual thinks and believes is what lives on far after us. Not our houses, our buildings, but the education we build and teach our children, that what continues – that is eternal.

After hours of deliberation, I decided to go with my instincts. (Although, I realize some one has already posted a quote from the Bible.)

“4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves. “

– Apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 NIV

What more can I say. The words of the bible, though most times is hard to figure out the meaning of those esoteric terms especially in certain versions, are the most powerful words of all. I chose the the New International Version due to its harmony of conciseness and profundity. Concerning the readers as well as trying to convey the full meaning of the message, the Bible scholars who dedicated their entire lives, I believe, did a pretty awesome job.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 13, apostle Paul stresses the importance of love and gives a great definition of love in his epistle to the early church in Corinth. Not only its definition strikes a chord to the now day readers,who are constantly exposed to the indecent and salacious descriptions in the mass media, but also its rhythmic structure makes it almost feel like reading a poem, or even a lyric to a song. This makes it easier for the readers to remember and ruminate on the words meaning.

* The hyperlink is to a song inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-7, co-written by the piano player himself. If you want to listen to the song with voice (choir ver.) go to this link.

Let’s get right to the point: Frank Wedekind’s Spring Awakening brings me to an emotional state of disparity at least three times a scene. The first time I read through the play, I was left with this unnerving sense of, well, I’m not sure exactly what it should be called. Every time I go back to a scene from this play, the same thing happens no matter how I read it, I just end up with this strange feeling that doesn’t exactly leave me downcast –  but not exactly optimistic either. I’m really starting to believe that it’s the way Wedekind uses dialogue that evokes this feeling, that the words are real, breathing, organisms having these feelings inflicted upon them, and that we, as the audience, are reacting to the way these words are harmed.

One of the many incredibly emotional heights of the play is Mortiz’s suicide, but it’s his words that seem to cause more of a reaction from the reader than the actual action. He’s become the victim of a school system that chooses to fail him because only a certain number of students can move on to the higher class, even though he went to great lengths to pass the final exam. Throughout the beginning of the play we see how important it is for Mortiz to pass this exam: to please his parents and have them finally see that he’s not worthless. When he finds out that he passed, he’s ecstatic, but when he’s told that he still won’t move on to the next grade, his mind immediately goes to escaping. Though suicide isn’t his first attempted solution, a failed request to the mother of his friend, Melchior Gabor, leaves him with no other viable option. He pulls out his gun, and burns the letter from Mrs. Gabor, leaving us with these last words:

“Before I started the fire you could still see the grass and a line of light on the horizon. — Now it’s gotten dark. Now I won’t be going home,” (52).

I’ll pause so you at home can sob for an extended period of time.

The line’s intent is clear: the letter was his last hope of saving himself, and now he’s hopeless and all that depressing jazz. But I’m not talking about intent, I’m talking about words  – and I’m talking about them like I have a clue what I’m trying to say, but I don’t because like I said before, I don’t know what this play does to me. He’s comparing a before and after of mere seconds, and yet in those few seconds his entire life has changed, or better worded: ended.

“Now,” he says, “I won’t be going home.” It’s such a simple, short line, and yet it’s one of the more powerful lines in the entire play – and this is a play that deals with everything from teenage abortion to domestic abuse to, well, go read it and find out. The line, no, the whole monologue is brimming with this pulsing knowledge of sadness and hopelessness. With every word the inevitable is coming closer, like the words are screaming out in fear. Or maybe I’m just crazy and getting way too attached to this play. One of those.