the alchemist, no. 1

Do I behold these steep and lofty cliffs,That on a wild secluded scene impressThoughts of more deep seclusion; and connectThe landscape with the quiet of the sky.The day is come when I again reposeHere, under this dark sycamore…
… the heavy and the weary weightOf all this unintelligible world,
Is lightened: -- that serene and blessed mood,In which the affections gently lead us on, --Until, the breath of this corporeal frameAnd even the motion of our human bloodAlmost suspended, we are laid asleepIn body, and become a living soul:While with an eye made quiet by the powerOf harmony, and the deep power of joy,We see into the life of things.

“Composed a Few Miles above Tinteren Abbey, on Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour.” William Wordsworth



When I began reading The Alchemist for the second time an image that stuck out to me was that of the abandoned church that he sleeps in with his sheep. This image reminded me of Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey” poem. I then began thinking about some of Wordsworth’s romantic beliefs, which I cannot clearly remember, and about Santiago’s connection with nature. He talks about how he could not find God in seminary, but instead finds God roaming fields and climbing hill with his sheep. Santiago does not look for God or for his spiritual beliefs in any traditional manner, instead he looks for omens, talks to sheep, and searching for his personal legend. Much like Pi, Santiago demonstrates the idea that there is no one way to find God. He shows the idea that a person must seek his or her own way of finding God, whether in nature or through three different religious practices, and whatever form that may take, God can be found.

the house on mango street, a bildungsroman

The House on Mango Street is a bildungsroman. After the last few novels we have read this one was much easier to classify as such. Cisneros has Esperanza grow throughout the novel, and this growth can be broken into three stages. Esperanza begins the story moving into the world of Mango Street. She says that her family has moved several times, and this is the first time that her family has owned a house. At the start of the novel Esperanza is completely engrossed in this world, not knowing that anything exists outside of it or ever thinking she would leave it. As the novel continues Esperanza begins to be ashamed of her surroundings and situations. She resolves to escape from Mango Street and basically never look back. At this stage Esperanza makes some growth in seeing that she can rise above her surroundings. Finally, in the last stage of the novel, Esperanza comes to the realization that, yes she will escape from Mango Street, but also that she must never completely leave it behind. She realizes that Mango Street, and the lifestyle it represents, is a vital part of who she is and that she cannot come to complete maturation without it. In choosing to eventually come back to help others on Mango Street Esperanza fully comes-of-age and makes The House on Mango Street a bildungsroman.

the house on mango street, no. 2

I can see Esperanza in several of the characters we have encountered so far. I think the character she has the most in common with may be Lucy Honeychurch. It is important that they are both female and have to face issues confronted nearly all females. First there are the physical issues that Epseranza describes in chapters like “Hips,” issues that for obvious reasons I don’t feel qualified, or even comfortable, to write about. Then, they must also both deal with social issues that face women. Lucy and Esperanza are both concerned with whom they will marry. Both feel the pressure of society and even their family to marry. Each character seemingly comes to the same conclusion about this pressure. Lucy has to face marriage much more directly, and she chooses not to sacrifice her own identity in order to marry the man her family and society would have her marry. Though Esperanza has not yet faced the decision about who she will marry I think she will make the same decision. In the last paragraph of “Beautiful and Cruel” Esperanza says that she has “begun [her] own quiet war,” against society’s pressure to let go of her power and independence. She comment’s on a character in a movie saying, “Her power is her own. She will not give it away” (110). This will become somewhat of a motto for Esperanza, and I believe that Lucy feels the exact same way.

the house on mango street, no. 1

“In the meantime they’ll just have to move a little farther north from Mango Street, a little farther away every time people like us keep moving in” (15).
This line spoken by Esperanza in regards to Cathy, Queen of Cats, caught my attention. As we are about to graduate my wife and are looking for a place to live. I will be in grad school at Baylor and so we will be living in Waco. Our church is located on 18th and Bosque. The church has decided not to move to a “better” area of town and one of its goals is to reach out to the community around it. Several families are “intentional neighbors” and own house in that neighborhood. It looks like my wife and I are going to do the same. During this decision process the idea of a good and bad neighborhood has been heavily on our minds. It is interesting to see the perspective of Esperanza. Her family does not have a choice about where it will live. They are excited that they will own their own house, as rundown as it is. Neighborhoods such as Esperanza lives in our often looked down upon as “bad” and avoided at all costs. However, despite the economic level, these neighborhoods are often the richest. They are full of diversity and warmth, with people who appreciate what they have and are often willing to share it. Clearly Esperanza’s living situation is more difficult that I will probably ever have to endure and I do not want to make light of them. I simply hope to not look down upon it. I’m not exactly sure what I’m trying to say with this blog. I have thought much about this and it is hard to put it all into words…

life of pi, no. 3

As a character, Pi seems to be more mature and self-aware as a young man that many of our other characters ever do. The Life of Pi is a bildungsroman. I think that the key element that classifies this novel as a bildungsroman is how Pi was able to maintain his ideas about God after his journey. Pi’s faith and spirituality were probably the most important things in his life. The fact that these things were tested in the most dramatic of fashions helped Pi to come of age. His difficult journey pushed his faith to its limits and helped to strengthen and mature it in a way nothing else could.

life of pi, chapter 22

I don’t buy Pi’s reasoning in Chapter 22. Saying that atheists are very likely to take a leap of faith towards God on their deathbed, but that, if they stay true to themselves, agnostics won’t is not logical. I do not see why an atheist is any more likely to find God than an agnostic. Throughout the novel Pi defends atheists and puts them akin to religious people because they have a system of beliefs, just like he does. If you continue with his logic about atheists on their deathbed then it seems Pi would also have to say that he could see Christians, Hindus, or Muslims turning to atheists on their deathbeds. Pi just assumes that having a strong set of beliefs in something will lead to a belief in God. I think that this assumption would upset many atheists. He is somewhat condescending towards atheists and making the comment that their ideology is inherently wrong but that they will eventually find the truth. Atheists believe there is no god and Pi’s reasoning that this belief will fade away is illogical. Maybe I am missing something, but I just do not see Pi’s reasoning in this chapter.

religious flight zone

Early in the book Pi says, “I have heard nearly as much nonsense about zoos as I have about God and religion” (15). He goes on to discuss different ideas about zoos and how they are not true. One idea he talks about is how territorial animals are. He says that animals must be in a familiar area in order to get food and avoid enemies, the two most important things in the wild. Reading this and remembering that he began with a reference to religion I wondered how the two connect. I think that Pi and Martel may have been trying to convey that people are territorial about their religions too. The analogy between wild animals and religious practitioners is, unfortunately, very valid. People do not want anyone questioning the safety of their religion and will defend this “territory” fiercely. Far too often religious people so worried about what others say or feel about their religious “territory.” Much like the animals Pi describes, people seem to have a flight zone, and if someone from another religion gets to close they attack, and it seems that this religious flight zone has been and continues to be a key factor in inhibiting any type of tolerance between people of various religions.

going after cacciato, no. 3

In each of the novels we have read so far a character has stuck out to me as the one who grows and comes of age, but this did not happen with Going After Cacciato. Maybe I have missed something, but I do not feel like Paul Berlin represents the type of character and hero needed for a bildungsroman. I also think that because O’Brien does not develop Cacciato’s character very much and leaves so much about him unknown that it is difficult to categorize him as a bildungsroman hero as well. Though I do not feel Going After Cacciato is the best representation of a bildungsroman I am glad that we read it for this class. I think that instead of portraying the entire coming of age process of a character O’Brien gives a very realistic depiction of a juncture in life where coming of age happens. War is an amplified version of the difficulties that many people face throughout their lives. This war specifically challenged those involved in it in extreme ways, mentally, physically, emotionally, and psychologically. O’Brien’s depiction of the war and the way that the soldiers would cope helps me to, one, realize that my personal battles could be much worse, and, two, gain a better understanding of how I cope. In doing this O’Brien illuminates his reader’s individual bildungsroman story and helps them on their way to coming of age.

Dr. O'Brien

I don’t even know what I should say about Dr. O’Brien and his lecture. This is the first time I have heard someone speak of their combat in Vietnam in person. His stories were interesting, challenging, disturbing, and inspiring all at the same time. I have never experienced someone speaking so candidly of their experience of war and it was eye-opening. In regards to the novel, Going After Cacciato, Dr. O’Brien helped by validating that O’Brien new what he was talking about. Dr. O’Brien then shared some personal stories that could have come right out of O’Brien’s work, further verifying it. What I found most inspiring was what Dr. O’Brien said about God. Often I am not a big fan of people saying things such as, “I don’t need drugs or alcohol, I’ve got something better,” in regards to their Christianity. Often times these statements come off as very cheesy and usually do not have any experience behind them, but when Dr. O’Brien said it he meant it and certainly put it to the test. He told us that he genuinely looked to God in his times of fear, and that it worked. The fact that Dr. O’Brien was not on a missionary trip, quite the contrary, he was in one of the most trying situations a person can be in and he was able to hold to his faith was very inspiring as well as affirming.