The Book of Job is one of the sections from a Bible’ Old Testament. Job is a rich and successful man “greatest of all people of the east,” who has everything that can make someone happy and thankful (A 126). He owns “seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred she-asses” (A 126). Also, he has a big family with “seven sons and three daughters” (A 126). He fully trusts God and never does anything against his rules. One day Satan argues with God about Job’s honesty. In addition, he convinces God to give Job some test to prove his point. Then, in one night Job loses his goods and children. However, he still believes in God and his honesty. Even though he becomes seriously sick, his faith stays as strong as before. Because of all experiences, Job curses the day when he was born “Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth;” however, he doesn’t curse God (A 126). His wife and friends are not powerful enough to change his belief in God. Finally, after many days of suffering God blesses him again and returns all goods and previously lost family members. God “gave Job twice as much as he had before” (A, 139). Also, because of Job’s deep faith God doesn’t punish his friends who stop trusting him. In addition, God gives them a lesson that he is the only one authority who has absolute power and has the right to create things in his own will. No one should seek for a reason about the creation of the world the way it is. In addition, no one should rise against him.
The article “Recalling a Simple Life in Brooklyn” by Dale Russakoff is about an old lady Jessie Singer Sylvester who died about 20 years ago. One of her family member finds a diary where she describes her daily activities. The diary is out of excitements and emotions but it seems to be very interesting because all days are described pretty well. As her family member said “It was this extremely spare, unemotional, very functional, daily record of her life, but I was mesmerized and I saw a real poetry in it. It was precious to me to know that even after all the losses; she continued to find her life meaningful.” Finally, the diary becomes the source of making a movie about ordinary life of the old lady. The film won few awards and become relish word widely.
As I was reading both pieces of writing I found few similarities. Firstly, both literary works are about huge loss. Job loses his seven sons and three daughters. In addition, he loses his all goods including domestic animals. Besides, he suffers from painful sickness. Satan “afflicted Job with loath-some sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head” (A 127). Similarly, Ms. Sylvester experienced many losses. She was “absorbing one loss after the next — her job of 59 years, her beloved sister, her friends, her sense of security, her sharp mind.”
Secondly, Job and Ms.Sylvester both accept their fortunes silently. Job doesn’t see his bad luck as a punishment. He knows that God gives everything and he can take it away whenever he wants. That’s why even if he curses the day he was born, he never curses to God. Job is a man who loses many things in his life and suffers as a result of it. As a mortal creature he accepts his destiny without a question. Similarly, Ms. Sylvester is a person who doesn’t blame anybody for her loses. She accepts it as a part of her life and a normal event in human life. “It really drives home the point that life is not made up of great big events. It’s an accumulation of little things that happen every day that can make or break you.”
Finally, Job and Ms. Sylvester both receive a great gift after their experiences. God decides to return everything what he took away from Job “…and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses” (A 139-140). Therefore, he becomes a rich man again. His family is completed with “…seven sons and three daughters” (A 140). Moreover, his animals are back in the fields. Also, “Ms. Sylvester, 22 years after her death, is experiencing a rebirth.” In fact, a movie named “Beautiful Hills of Brooklyn” is made from the story taken from her diary.
