Both Greene's whiskey priest and O'Connor's preacher Asa Hawks have illegitmate daughters, recalling another famous literary minister with an illegitmate daughter--Arthur Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter. There seem to be many similarities between the realtionships of Dimmesdale and Pearl and the whiskey priest and his daughter Briggita. The whiskey priest wants to escape to a safe place so he can confess his sin to another priest, but he wonders what good is in confessing when you love the result of your sin. Dimmesdale experiences the same feelings of guilt and love for his child. Their feelings about their daughters really shape their actions for the entire story. While the whiskey priest is driven to confess, Dimmesdale resists confessing until the moment of his death. Dimmesdale gets to confess to everyone, while the whiskey priest dies without confessing. I think Hawthorne and Greene are both asking important questions about religion by using ministers set in a societyin which religion is very important. What is the effect of their sin on the men's eternal souls? Is there something about their love for their daughters that has a redemptive power? In Hawthorne, we see that although Dimmesdale dies, his confession changes his daughter, and she is able to live a happy life. We get no such assurance in Greene, who provides a less hopeful ending. The fate of the whiskey priest's soul is uncertain, and we are left to wonder if the love he had for his daughter left the same kind of redemptive mark for Brigitta. In contrast, Asa Hawks appears to not care about his illegitimate daughter at all, finally abandoning her in hopes that she will live with Hazel Motes. Asa Hawks' faith is ruined. His ability to believe, to be honest, to love is probably gone as well. It is interesting to think about how these Christian authors use the character of the illegitimate daughter to develop the character of the minister father.

Satan in Milton and Lewis

In the article we read by Dr. Stutz, he argues that Milton's Satan is not a grotesque, diabolical Satan, something that C.S. Lewis corrected in his retelling of Paradise Lost. A long-standing critique of Milton's Satan is that he is too heroic, too easy to sympathize with--he is to some an admirable rebel. Lewis found fault with this portrayal of the devil and fashioned his "Unman" accordingly. However, I would suggest that Milton's Satan, although he is eloquent and beautiful at first, does in fact undergo a slow transformation through the epic until he does end as the sort of grotesque monster that Stutz thinks is not really present in Milton. In the poem, Satan takes on the forms of different animals, and he feels degraded. By the end of the epic, Satan returns to Pandemonium to tell the demons about his victory, and instead of cheers, he hears a collective "hiss." All the demons, including Satan, have turned into snakes. While Stutz writes that Milton does not emply grotesque images of the diabolical, Milton chooses for Satan to end as a grotesque monster. If you look carefully for the slow transformation, you will see that the Satan of Paradise Lost is not so heroic after all.

Pretending to be an Athiest to Catch an Athiest who is not an Athiest

The men of the week are pretending to be someone they are not to catch someone they don't understand. The jist of what they are doing sounds pretty simple, going undercover to capture the criminal, but it is because they assume it's that simple that they do not understand the 'criminal', who is no criminal at all but the fulfiller of their purpose. So by having the someone they don't understand tell them to be someone they are not so they can catch the person they don't understand, they then finally find who they really are.

I love Random Characters named after days of the week...

In Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday, the characters are wonderful. I love how ridiculously the "anarchists" are described. They have such distorted features and some seem almost freakish looking. The men have crazy habits, nervous jitters and most appear to be in constant state paranoia. The group lacks any notion of sanity, and agrees to crazy plans. At one point the plan to blow up an important official, just because. The men are constantly suspicious that one of the group is a spy, but in reality, they are all spies... I love the irony that Chesterton uses in his work. The "mastermind", Sunday, keeps things in a constant state of confusion, and quite seems to enjoy his game. One of the funniest parts of this story is the scene in which Thursday is being followed by Friday. Isn't Chesterton great? Friday is described as a feeble old man that everyone is expecting to die any day, yet he follows and then chases Thursday all over the city. I truly think that this was my favorite piece of literature from this semester.

1420 in the Shire

To give a quick recap of the ending of The Return of the King, they return, find out Solomon has taken over, the hobbits form a little hobbit army and battle and kick him and his men out. However, Solomon has already done his damage by destroying all the trees and such. At this point, and this is what I want to talk about, Sam takes the soil that the Lady of the Woods had given him as a gift to restore the Shire back to its original state. Sam put a little here and a little there and tossed the rest into the air and let it do its work. He also planted the seed that was given to him of one of the elven trees to replace the big tree in the party field. The effect of this was astounding. Not only was the Shire restored, but was better, more beautiful than before with a gorgeous elven tree in the middle, which brough visitors to it from far away. It has given the Shire a beginning of a golden age, a new beginning, not only a restoration but better. This is the first visual sign that I can think of of the actual proof of the success and growth of the new ruling under man, but not just under man but under man with an alliance and friendship of the elves and dwarves and others. The whole thing just caps off the good ending with the notion that more good things and more growth and beauty will come with the defeat of Sauron and the King Aragorn.

Biblical Names in Wise Blood

Just two that I know of.

Enoch Emery - Enoch, father of Methuselah

Genesis 5:4 - Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

Asa Hawks - King Asa of Judah

1 Kings 15:9 - In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah.

Creating His Own Wise Blood

Enoch Emery claims that he has wise blood, a sort of feeling or something that tells him or lets him know when something is about to happen and such. His wise blood tells him that he is going to find the person that day to who he can show the little mummy thing to. And sure enough, Hazel Motes comes on by and that is the answer that the wise blood was giving him. But it could simply be that Enoch wanted it to be that day and that anyone he recognized he would take to be that person, such as Haze. But we can't really say this or that about the wise blood at that point. However, there is one big problem with the wise blood of Enoch which is that it told him something huge, something big, something that would make him important would come out of him giving the little mummy thing to Haze for his new Jesus. The problem comes in when the mummy is just tossed around and thrown out. Nothing comes out of what the wise blood says, so is the wise blood really wise, is it dumb, or is it simply non-existent? But I guess, I'm just wondering why does he think he has wise blood? In the past there must have been things like the day at the zoo when Hazel Motes came to the zoo just when Enoch was expecting someone to come. But it doesn't have to be anything supernatural. It could be just that the other days when Enoch was really wanting to show somebody and nobody came, he just shrugged it off and forgot it. Or maybe he finally really wanted to show somebody because he finally had someone to show it to and it just so happened when he was itching to show it and had Hazel in his mind, that Hazel did come and credit was given to the wise blood. Similar things might have happened in the past. He subconsciously creates situations that are likely to happen, but he consciously doesn't realize it, and when the situations come to pass, credit is given to his wise blood. Enoch may have always thought, even if just as a small, reoccurring though, that if he was to give someone the mummy, that he would naturally be rewarded. This thought slowly grew in the back of his mind, getting bigger and bigger, and when he finally had someone to give it to, his subconscious thought came to his mind, he expected to recieve a reward, but by this time the reward had grown to an uplifting of himself to some great importance, not even directly by the man he gave it to, but by just happening, and again giving credit to the wise blood.

In Case You Were Wondering

Jewish population in North Carolina: 26,345

And in the words of the genius that is Walker Percy

"What? said the dog."

Will and Allie Sitting in a Tree

This may be obvious, but I figured I'd write about it anyway. It seems in most aspects if not all that Will Barrett and Allie compliment each other in a way that fits the context of marriage very well, but in a bizarre way. They even recognize these things and talk about them at the end of the book. They compliment each other in memory; he remembers minute details about the past that he normally would never think of again, she can't remember anything but the present, or not much anyway. He has the past, she the present, both the future. He has a tendency to fall down, she has the ability to hoist. He falls, she hoists. She can't seem to speak in a way that most people understand, but Will does, and he also says that she says more and what she says is said better than most people. The thing is though, that they only complete each other when both are 'mentally unstable.' The medicated Will would not continue to remember the small memories of the past, or fall down, or probably find her language understandable, and therefore is not perfect for her in his most 'healthy' state. But for them the unmedicated, the crazy state, is the healthy state because in that state they are perfect for each other, in that they fully complete each other.

Merry Christmas

On the first day of Christmas Tolkien gave to me --
A Dark Lord to rule over thee.

On the second day of Christmas Tolkien gave to me --
Two Graying Wizards, and a Dark Lord to rule over thee.

On the third day of Christmas Tolkien gave to me --
Three stone-cold trolls, two graying wizards, and a Dark Lord to rule over thee.

On the forth day of Christmas Tolkien gave to me --
Four happy hobbits, three stone cold trolls, two graying wizards, and a Dark Lord to rule over thee.

On the fifth day of Christmas Tolkien gave to me --
Five Pippin blunders, four happy hobbits, three stone-cold trolls, two graying wizards, and a Dark Lord to rule over thee.

On the sixth day of Christmas Tolkien gave to me --
Six names for Strider, five Pippin blunders, four happy hobbits...

On the seventh day of Christmas Tolkien gave to me --
Seven swords a swiping, six names for Strider...

On the eighth day of Christmas Tolkien gave to me --
Eight Elven cloaks, seven swords a swiping...

On the ninth day of Christmas Tolkien gave to me --
Nine Ringwraiths riding, eight Elven cloaks...

On the tenth day of Christmas Tolkien gave to me --
Ten orcs to fight, nine Ringwraiths riding...

On the eleventh day of Christmas Tolkien gave to me --
Elven braids on Gimli, ten orcs to fight...

On the twelfth day of Christmas Tolkien gave to me --
Twelve Rohan Guards, elven braids on Gimli, ten orcs to fight, nine Ringwraiths riding, eight Elven cloaks, seven swords a swiping, six names for Strider, five Pippin blunders, four happy hobbits, three stone-cold trolls, two graying Wizards... and a Dark Lord to rule over thee!

Good to See

that I am not the only one waiting until the last minute for the blogs. Just sayin'.

Learn Tengwar (Elvish)

If you follow this link you will find information about Tolkien's elvish languages, that when written are known as Tengwar.

Here it is:

http://www.omniglot.com/writing/tengwar.htm

Tolkien's knowledge of languages never ceases to impress me!

Frodo = Jesus?

So everyone likes to talk about the fact that Aragorn is a Christ figure except Megan who would rather view Gandalf is a picture of Christ. Here is a curveball for you: Frodo is a Christ figure. Yep, I said it. The little hobbit of the Shire is a type of Christ. Personally, I find it to be a little obvious. Think about it. He bears the burden of evil for everyone else. The task of carrying the ring to Mordor is his. Granted, he does have friends to help him, but it is his specific assignment. The fate of Middle Earth hangs around his neck for the greater part of the trilogy. Just as Christ carries the guilt and punishment for evil and sin on behalf of the world, so did Frodo do for Middle Earth. Just as Christ defeated evil and conquered Satan, so Frodo unmade the ring and conquered Sauron.

In the Bible Christ describes himself as gentle and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29). Let’s face it, in Middle Earth you don’t get more lowly that a Hobbit of the Shire. Christ is the unexpected redeemer (most Jews expected a conqueror upon His first coming). I’m willing to bet that if you told any human in Middle Earth that it would be the job of a hobbit to unmake the ring of power and destroy Sauron, he would have laughed hysterically. It is the unexpected things that so often benefit us the most.

A Different Take on Descent into Hell

So apparently there are other books floating out there with titles similar to that of Williams' novel. This one is called A Descent into Hell.

Here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0061230871/?tag=mh0b-20&hvadid=151219807&ref=pd_sl_6644pey66h_e

Maybe one of you would like to buy it. As for me, I've done enough descending into hell for one semester.

Fantastic Williams

I don’t think I can stress enough how painful it was for me to make my way through Charles Williams’ Descent into Hell. Granted, I was reading over Labor Day weekend and would have much preferred to relax rather than read anything. I still found the novel to be too slow-moving for me. In fact, I felt as though I was descending farther and farther into hell the closer I got to the end.

Because Williams so often swings back and forth from the mundane and everyday to the surreal and fantastic, I was having trouble keeping up. There were moments when I though I knew what was going on, only to have that shattered by some sudden change from normalcy to supernatural.

Interestingly enough however, I actually began to appreciate what Williams did once I read the article I was assigned to present in class. Once I read it, I discovered that the idea of the fantastic is exactly what Williams is driving at in the book. He wants his stories to seem believable like they could in fact happen to you or me.

This is quite different from the rest of his inkling counterparts, especially Tolkien who establishes a realm entirely different from our own that leaves us wanting to play a part but knowing ultimately that we can’t. Williams, on the other hand, leaves the possibility of the fantastic occurring in reality open. It makes his story seem more believable, whether the reader wants it to be or not.

Name Your Band after O'Connor Characters?

That's what these guys did. They call themselves "Hazel Motes". They have an interesting folk-gospel feel to them. Unfortunately, it seems like they abandoned their online presence almost a year ago...oh, well. Their music is still up at least. I recommend listening to their song "I Got Good Religion".

Follow this link:

http://www.myspace.com/hazelmotesband

Character Parallels in O'Connor

If there is one thing that I’ve noticed about Flannery O’Connor through reading Wise Blood, it’s that she does a great job of paralleling characters in her novels. Honestly, I’m not sure if it is intentional, but it seems to be at least.

Consider the two female characters that in a way bookend the novel. At the beginning of the novel, Mrs. Wally Bee Hitchcock is portrayed as a southerner of the old-school that doesn’t quite seem to be in tune with reality. Now compare Mrs. Hitchcock to Hazel’s landlady at the end of the novel who when met with the fact that Hazel is punishing himself, exclaims that no one does that these days and insists to him that there is only one kind of clean.

Then there is the cab driver in the second chapter of Wise Blood. Though a minor character in the story, he does point out something interesting about Hazel. When Hazel asserts that his hat does not mean that he is a preacher, the cab driver quickly retorts that it’s not so much the hat but the look in his face. When we flash forward towards the end of the novel, we see Hazel’s dialogue with the patrolman. When Hazel asks why he pulled him over, the only reason he gives is that he doesn’t like his face. Maybe this is a stretch, but I think O’Connor is saying something with these comments about Hazel’s face. It makes me wonder if the patrolman saw the same thing that the cab driver saw or if by that point in the novel something in Haze’s face had changed so that he wasn’t quite the preacher he was in the middle.

The more I think about it, the more I think that some sort of connection can be drawn between Mrs. Leora Watts and Lily Sabbath. Perhaps I’m reading too much into this relationship as well, but it is interesting that Hazel loses his virginity to Mrs. Watts and Lily desires to lose her virginity to Hazel.

Second Coming of Golf

Here is an article about a second coming of a world famous golfer. Something about Second Comings and Golf.

http://www.cybergolf.com/golf_news/the_second_coming

Golf Courses?

Why would you start a book with golf courses, that has nothing to do with golf and then spend thirty pages after talking about golf, when the book has nothing to do with golf. Ask Walker Percy, because I have no idea.

I really did not enjoy this book and have not spent a whole lot of time thinking about it, with it being the end of the semester and all that, but what would be the benefit of beginning a book called The Second Coming at a golf course?

The only thing that I have been able to come up with is that it is the perfect place to begin having flashbacks. Golf is a boring game, regardless of what my husband thinks, and there is nothing to do while golfing but think and trip over bunkers. Will Barrett has every right to trip over his own feet and have flashbacks, golf is something that is meant to be played by the individual. This book is so much a thing that takes place in the mind that it only makes sense that you would have this book begin at a golf course. When playing golf you are not even supposed to talk if anyone is about to swing to hit the ball. Of course! Golf is the perfect game to be playing at the beginning of this very individual centered book. It all makes perfect sense now...sort of.

Strawberries

I was just reading back over my post about O'Connor's Wise Blood and realized that I really liked it and I am not sure why. Apart from my affection for the child likeness Emery, the characters are really weird. Hazel Motes is basically a child molester who likes to walk on rocks, The preacher is a big fat liar, Emery is a creeper, The preacher's daughter is a child temptress....who knows.