Monday, May 26, 2008
To the Lighthouse – Virginia Woolf
Sadly, the Problem of Pain had to go back to the library. I suppose due dates are a good thing after all, but there should be exceptions for emergencies. What would be a literary emergency? You tell me.
Virginia Woolf then. Somehow I have managed to escape the stream of consciousness novels up until now in my high school and college classes. In the past, I’ve gotten some mixed reviews about this style of writing, but I thought I’d try it out for myself.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I was expecting a very disjointed conversation, so much so that trying to comprehend what was going on in the novel would be nearly impossible. While the story has been a bit hazy at times as Virginia switches from one perspective to another, I have still really enjoyed the experience. I won’t be reading stream of consciousness novel from now on by any means, but it has been a nice change of pace from the books that I am accustomed to reading. Up to this point in the book, I believe that Woolf has done an excellent job of accomplishing what she set out to do. We should evaluate her work based on her intentions, not in relation to all books.
The first thing that I noticed was that development of plot was not Woolf’s primary focus. Not a lot happens. I’m about halfway through the book, and only a day has passed. Mrs. Ramses, the matriarch of the homestead, has spent some time caring for her children, gone for a walk into town, talked with a couple of friends, talked with her husband and hosted a party. Yep. Not a lot happening.
Yet be not dismayed. There is a lot more going on that will capture your interest. The intention of Virginia Woolf is to model the thought processes of Mrs. Ramses and the other characters in the story. She fluidly slips from one character’s mind to another. It’s almost as if each person’s thoughts are a channel of water rushing before her. She carefully dips her hand into each one, capturing a few drops from each one.
The novel has prompted me to reflect on the way that my own thoughts slip, spin, stagger and stumble. Which is a more authentic way of telling a story? Is the traditional way of telling a story is an honest depiction of the human experience? Are our lives characterized by a distinct and direct flow of events? Would our thoughts be coherent to an outside observer? Are they even coherent to us?
Her language and metaphors are intoxicating. One of the most memorable passages describes the aching desire of Mr. Ramses to gain respect as a philosopher. We hear him develop his own theory about how the road to notoriety is one of A to Z. Some men spend their whole lives and never get past G. Only one man in a generation will reach Z. Mr. Ramses sees himself stuck on Q. He desperately wants to push forward to R, but is trapped by his own self doubt. He tells himself vocally that he will be able to reach R, while simultaneously admitting to himself inwardly that he has reached his peak and is already sinking back into obscurity. It is intensely painful to watch as this man finds himself trapped by his own mind. By using the familiar alphabet as her vehicle, she takes a very complex idea and turns it into an arrestingly beautiful conversation.
There’s a lot more I have to say about Virginia Woolf, but they’re almost done changing the oil in my car and I need to get on to other things. It will have to wait for later. Naturally, I’d expect that you won’t spoil the ending for me, but I would like to hear about your impressions of this and other books written in this style.
Cheers.
Virginia Woolf then. Somehow I have managed to escape the stream of consciousness novels up until now in my high school and college classes. In the past, I’ve gotten some mixed reviews about this style of writing, but I thought I’d try it out for myself.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I was expecting a very disjointed conversation, so much so that trying to comprehend what was going on in the novel would be nearly impossible. While the story has been a bit hazy at times as Virginia switches from one perspective to another, I have still really enjoyed the experience. I won’t be reading stream of consciousness novel from now on by any means, but it has been a nice change of pace from the books that I am accustomed to reading. Up to this point in the book, I believe that Woolf has done an excellent job of accomplishing what she set out to do. We should evaluate her work based on her intentions, not in relation to all books.
The first thing that I noticed was that development of plot was not Woolf’s primary focus. Not a lot happens. I’m about halfway through the book, and only a day has passed. Mrs. Ramses, the matriarch of the homestead, has spent some time caring for her children, gone for a walk into town, talked with a couple of friends, talked with her husband and hosted a party. Yep. Not a lot happening.
Yet be not dismayed. There is a lot more going on that will capture your interest. The intention of Virginia Woolf is to model the thought processes of Mrs. Ramses and the other characters in the story. She fluidly slips from one character’s mind to another. It’s almost as if each person’s thoughts are a channel of water rushing before her. She carefully dips her hand into each one, capturing a few drops from each one.
The novel has prompted me to reflect on the way that my own thoughts slip, spin, stagger and stumble. Which is a more authentic way of telling a story? Is the traditional way of telling a story is an honest depiction of the human experience? Are our lives characterized by a distinct and direct flow of events? Would our thoughts be coherent to an outside observer? Are they even coherent to us?
Her language and metaphors are intoxicating. One of the most memorable passages describes the aching desire of Mr. Ramses to gain respect as a philosopher. We hear him develop his own theory about how the road to notoriety is one of A to Z. Some men spend their whole lives and never get past G. Only one man in a generation will reach Z. Mr. Ramses sees himself stuck on Q. He desperately wants to push forward to R, but is trapped by his own self doubt. He tells himself vocally that he will be able to reach R, while simultaneously admitting to himself inwardly that he has reached his peak and is already sinking back into obscurity. It is intensely painful to watch as this man finds himself trapped by his own mind. By using the familiar alphabet as her vehicle, she takes a very complex idea and turns it into an arrestingly beautiful conversation.
There’s a lot more I have to say about Virginia Woolf, but they’re almost done changing the oil in my car and I need to get on to other things. It will have to wait for later. Naturally, I’d expect that you won’t spoil the ending for me, but I would like to hear about your impressions of this and other books written in this style.
Cheers.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling
Call me stubborn. Call me irrational. I’ve always avoided the books that everyone else was reading. For several years I successfully resisted the onslaught of Harry propaganda. But in the end, it was dinner conversations with the family that got me. Every night they unknowingly whittled down my defenses. I felt incredibly left out as they discussed the latest novel in the series. I faked a smile when they made confusing references to the Dursley’s, Professor Snape and the one whose name I cannot remember…
One night after everyone had gone to bed, I skittered into the living room and scanned the bookcase for the Harry Potter books. I pulled the first book off the shelf and stared at the cover. My will to resist the temptation to start reading wavered. I went back to my bedroom and quietly slipped back under the covers with the book in my hand.
I turned the pages quietly under the gentle glow of the bear lamp nightlight, so as not to wake my brother. Every time he stirred in the bed on the other side of the room, I slid the book under my pillow and lay down as if I were asleep. As soon as the breathing had slowed, I raised myself back onto one arm and continued reading.
Within a couple of hours I had finished Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The next night, I read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in the same manner. And that’s where it stopped. I quickly skimmed through the pages, concentrating primarily on getting the general plot summary so I could follow the family conversations. Seeking pleasure from the reading experience was far down my list of priorities. And, as you might imagine, that’s why I didn’t get very far. I never read book three and a couple of years passed before I even mentioned to my family that I had read the first two.
At least I enjoyed the movies. I contentedly watched while everyone else complained about how they left out that or put that in. The movie was the movie and I was none the wiser.
I vowed that I wouldn’t come back until the series was over and everyone stopped talking about it. I figured that time had come a month or so ago. I got on the library system and put the first few books on CD on hold. I decided I would make a genuine effort to slow down and try and gain some pleasure from reading the series.
Thankfully, it’s been long enough that I couldn’t remember how the first couple of books ended. It was still somewhat of a surprise when Professor Quirrell unraveled his turban or when Tom Riddle revealed his adult name…what was it again? It pains me to say that I did actually enjoy the first couple of books. I shouldn’t have waited so long to start reading them. Even though the plot structure of the first two books is rather predictable, Rowling does a great job of keeping the reader interested. I believe that one of Rowling’s greatest strengths is creating characters that the readers love and those that they love to hate. She devotes careful attention to making each character unique. She has a good feel for dialogue and a delightful sense of subtle humor.
Or…maybe it’s because we are all inescapably drawn to British accents.
What did you most enjoy/hate about the Harry Potter series? What was it that made Harry worldwide sensation?
One night after everyone had gone to bed, I skittered into the living room and scanned the bookcase for the Harry Potter books. I pulled the first book off the shelf and stared at the cover. My will to resist the temptation to start reading wavered. I went back to my bedroom and quietly slipped back under the covers with the book in my hand.
I turned the pages quietly under the gentle glow of the bear lamp nightlight, so as not to wake my brother. Every time he stirred in the bed on the other side of the room, I slid the book under my pillow and lay down as if I were asleep. As soon as the breathing had slowed, I raised myself back onto one arm and continued reading.
Within a couple of hours I had finished Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The next night, I read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in the same manner. And that’s where it stopped. I quickly skimmed through the pages, concentrating primarily on getting the general plot summary so I could follow the family conversations. Seeking pleasure from the reading experience was far down my list of priorities. And, as you might imagine, that’s why I didn’t get very far. I never read book three and a couple of years passed before I even mentioned to my family that I had read the first two.
At least I enjoyed the movies. I contentedly watched while everyone else complained about how they left out that or put that in. The movie was the movie and I was none the wiser.
I vowed that I wouldn’t come back until the series was over and everyone stopped talking about it. I figured that time had come a month or so ago. I got on the library system and put the first few books on CD on hold. I decided I would make a genuine effort to slow down and try and gain some pleasure from reading the series.
Thankfully, it’s been long enough that I couldn’t remember how the first couple of books ended. It was still somewhat of a surprise when Professor Quirrell unraveled his turban or when Tom Riddle revealed his adult name…what was it again? It pains me to say that I did actually enjoy the first couple of books. I shouldn’t have waited so long to start reading them. Even though the plot structure of the first two books is rather predictable, Rowling does a great job of keeping the reader interested. I believe that one of Rowling’s greatest strengths is creating characters that the readers love and those that they love to hate. She devotes careful attention to making each character unique. She has a good feel for dialogue and a delightful sense of subtle humor.
Or…maybe it’s because we are all inescapably drawn to British accents.
What did you most enjoy/hate about the Harry Potter series? What was it that made Harry worldwide sensation?
Sunday, May 18, 2008
What's in a Name?
So...I'm beginning to think that we can come up with a better name for this blog. Best title gets bragging rights. Post your ideas here.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The Problem of Pain – C.S. Lewis
I’ve have been debating what book to discuss first. The book that I just finished was Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, but I will write about this book in the future. I wanted to start this conversation with something a bit more…well, you fill in the blank. Of course, if you want to argue that Harry does in fact deserve a place on the AP English booklist, I wholeheartedly welcome your rebuttal.
I will begin with a short commentary on The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis, which I started this past weekend. I’ve been listening to books in my car for as long as I’ve been able to drive. I have read/listened to many books in this way. While zoning out to the radio after a long day at work can be gratifying, it can also be quite a waste of valuable time. There is a wealth of knowledge out there to discover. An hour in the car each day over the course of a lifetime can really add up.
The only problem with seeking this knowledge at the library is that soon after you start one of these books, the library will inevitably send you an obnoxious notice that it’s time to return it. This is what just happened. I got through about a fourth of the book and then discovered that it was due today. Consequently, I’ll share a couple of insights from the opening chapters now and then continue the discussion once I’ve finished it in a few weeks when the library returns it to me. Maybe that will give me some time to write about Harry…
The book is appropriately titled. The “problem of pain” is a philosophical debate that has been around for many years. It goes as follows. God desires that his children be perfectly happy. However, all his children are not happy, which implies that God is not entirely benevolent, not omnipotent or both. Staunch atheists will use this logic to argue against the common beliefs regarding the nature of God. The purpose of this book is to show that this argument is a bit more complex than atheists make it out to be. C.S. Lewis argues that pain is not necessarily a bad thing. Pain is merely a byproduct of God’s love for us. Pain is produced as he seeks to teach us, to purify us, and make us into beings more like him.
LDS readers will quickly recognize that the words of C.S. Lewis are very similar to the words of ancient and modern prophets. 2 Nephi 2 discusses the plan of salvation at length. This chapter describes both opposition and agency, which are key components of The Problem of Pain. In Alma 14, Alma and Amulek watch as many righteous men, women and children are burned by nonbelievers. Amulek wonders why God doesn’t reach down and stop this injustice. Alma’s answer is that God refuses to take away the agency of the nonbelievers. Even though he promises glory to those burned and punishment at some future date for the offenders, at that moment he allows them to retain their ability to choose. By observing the consequences of our actions, we are hopefully led to make better choices in the future. Over time, we are able to shake off the carnal man and become more like our Father in Heaven.
It is not surprising that the general authorities of the church often quote C.S. Lewis. I believe that this occurs regularly for two reasons. First, the arguments of C.S. Lewis are well constructed and thought provoking. Second, his arguments often coincide with what the LDS community wants to hear. There have been many intelligent philosophers and theologians over the years who have presented arguments just as stunning as those of C.S. Lewis, but not all of them were in favor of God’s existence or supported LDS doctrine. This is why David Hume doesn’t come up all that often in General Conference…
I enjoy reading the works of C.S. Lewis for many reasons. I enjoy his wry sense of humor. He speaks about how men and women have the ability to use a beam however, they choose. “They can use a beam to build things, or they can use it whack their neighbor on the head.” He is often brutally honest.
I enjoy his provocative analogies. He describes life as a game of chess in which rules determine the movement of the pieces. If a player were able to take back a move whenever it became apparent that it had been a mistake or if he was allowed to remove an opponent’s piece whenever it became inconvenient, the game would become meaningless. For this same reason, the number of miracles performed by God, or in other words, the ways in which he deliberately and directly manipulates the laws of the physical world, are limited. “If God were to continuously take away pain and free will, he would in fact take away life itself.” Too many of us do not want a Father in Heaven that is concerned about disciplining us and making us better people. We instead want a Grandfather in Heaven who wants nothing more than to see his children living a life of contentment.
I enjoy the works of C.S. Lewis because they confirm my own beliefs. I am comforted by the fact that an intelligent and thoughtful man was able to come to the same conclusions as a fourteen-year-old boy who was tutored by God. I am not saying that God didn’t guide the thoughts of C.S. Lewis. I believe that he did. I’m just saying that God much more to Joseph Smith directly, while C.S. Lewis was able to cultivate on his own the spark that God had placed in his mind and heart. It shows me that God has enlightened men and women in many faiths outside of our own. It shows that he loves all of his children, no matter what religion they profess. He loves us infinitely. He spends every moment of his existence working to guide us back to his presence.
What has impressed you about the works of C.S. Lewis? What other books by him have you enjoyed? Are there books that you have not enjoyed? What other books by Christian philosophers have you found interesting?
I will begin with a short commentary on The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis, which I started this past weekend. I’ve been listening to books in my car for as long as I’ve been able to drive. I have read/listened to many books in this way. While zoning out to the radio after a long day at work can be gratifying, it can also be quite a waste of valuable time. There is a wealth of knowledge out there to discover. An hour in the car each day over the course of a lifetime can really add up.
The only problem with seeking this knowledge at the library is that soon after you start one of these books, the library will inevitably send you an obnoxious notice that it’s time to return it. This is what just happened. I got through about a fourth of the book and then discovered that it was due today. Consequently, I’ll share a couple of insights from the opening chapters now and then continue the discussion once I’ve finished it in a few weeks when the library returns it to me. Maybe that will give me some time to write about Harry…
The book is appropriately titled. The “problem of pain” is a philosophical debate that has been around for many years. It goes as follows. God desires that his children be perfectly happy. However, all his children are not happy, which implies that God is not entirely benevolent, not omnipotent or both. Staunch atheists will use this logic to argue against the common beliefs regarding the nature of God. The purpose of this book is to show that this argument is a bit more complex than atheists make it out to be. C.S. Lewis argues that pain is not necessarily a bad thing. Pain is merely a byproduct of God’s love for us. Pain is produced as he seeks to teach us, to purify us, and make us into beings more like him.
LDS readers will quickly recognize that the words of C.S. Lewis are very similar to the words of ancient and modern prophets. 2 Nephi 2 discusses the plan of salvation at length. This chapter describes both opposition and agency, which are key components of The Problem of Pain. In Alma 14, Alma and Amulek watch as many righteous men, women and children are burned by nonbelievers. Amulek wonders why God doesn’t reach down and stop this injustice. Alma’s answer is that God refuses to take away the agency of the nonbelievers. Even though he promises glory to those burned and punishment at some future date for the offenders, at that moment he allows them to retain their ability to choose. By observing the consequences of our actions, we are hopefully led to make better choices in the future. Over time, we are able to shake off the carnal man and become more like our Father in Heaven.
It is not surprising that the general authorities of the church often quote C.S. Lewis. I believe that this occurs regularly for two reasons. First, the arguments of C.S. Lewis are well constructed and thought provoking. Second, his arguments often coincide with what the LDS community wants to hear. There have been many intelligent philosophers and theologians over the years who have presented arguments just as stunning as those of C.S. Lewis, but not all of them were in favor of God’s existence or supported LDS doctrine. This is why David Hume doesn’t come up all that often in General Conference…
I enjoy reading the works of C.S. Lewis for many reasons. I enjoy his wry sense of humor. He speaks about how men and women have the ability to use a beam however, they choose. “They can use a beam to build things, or they can use it whack their neighbor on the head.” He is often brutally honest.
I enjoy his provocative analogies. He describes life as a game of chess in which rules determine the movement of the pieces. If a player were able to take back a move whenever it became apparent that it had been a mistake or if he was allowed to remove an opponent’s piece whenever it became inconvenient, the game would become meaningless. For this same reason, the number of miracles performed by God, or in other words, the ways in which he deliberately and directly manipulates the laws of the physical world, are limited. “If God were to continuously take away pain and free will, he would in fact take away life itself.” Too many of us do not want a Father in Heaven that is concerned about disciplining us and making us better people. We instead want a Grandfather in Heaven who wants nothing more than to see his children living a life of contentment.
I enjoy the works of C.S. Lewis because they confirm my own beliefs. I am comforted by the fact that an intelligent and thoughtful man was able to come to the same conclusions as a fourteen-year-old boy who was tutored by God. I am not saying that God didn’t guide the thoughts of C.S. Lewis. I believe that he did. I’m just saying that God much more to Joseph Smith directly, while C.S. Lewis was able to cultivate on his own the spark that God had placed in his mind and heart. It shows me that God has enlightened men and women in many faiths outside of our own. It shows that he loves all of his children, no matter what religion they profess. He loves us infinitely. He spends every moment of his existence working to guide us back to his presence.
What has impressed you about the works of C.S. Lewis? What other books by him have you enjoyed? Are there books that you have not enjoyed? What other books by Christian philosophers have you found interesting?
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Authors Welcome
It appears that Blogspot is going to limit our number of authors to 100 persons. If you want to become one of these dignified writers, send me an email at lindsay.jacob@gmail.com and I'll add you to the list.
Monday, May 12, 2008
The Blogspot Address
I suppose this blog is an effort to revive my spring semester at the University of Utah. I took a medieval literature class from Brian Kubarycz. The structure of the class was simple. Each week we read articles from various authors. We discussed the material in class. Our weekly assignment was to post a 500 word review of something that we found interesting in the readings to an online blog site. We then had to post two short comments about the responses of our classmates. This was the first time that I had had a class of this nature. I naturally felt some discomfort with this vague assignment but I quickly made myself at home.
Rather than just see these posts as another assignment to be completed, I began to perceive that they were an opportunity to think more deeply about any given aspect of a text and then receive constructive feedback. It became a richly fulfilling experience. I hope to take other classes with Professor Kubarycz.
But, finals are over, grades are now available, and I am without a class or a professor to fulfill my need for engaging intellectual conversation. For now at least…this is where you all come in.
In order for this to work, I need four things. First, I need a professor. Second, I need a class. Third, I need a text. Forth, I need a website where we can post our comments.
A professor. It has crossed my mind to talk to Brian about continuing as the administrator for his website and continue providing texts to read. However, he told us repeatedly that he was burned out and desperately needed a break. And well, as much as I love reading things like St. Augustine’s Confessions and Machiavelli’s The Prince, I firmly believe that summer is a time for reading all those books that you wanted to read but couldn’t because you had to spend all your time reading something assigned. I’ve come to the conclusion that I could sit in for Professor Kubarycz for now. Don’t expect my comments to be nearly as impressive. Don’t expect my response time to be as quick. Don’t expect me to write you any letters of recommendation. The only difference between me and you is that it’s my name on the contact info for this website.
A class. It’s hard to teach a course without participation from the students. It’s amazing that several of my professors still seem to think that it’s possible and/or effective. I admire Professor Kubarycz for the value that he placed on the opinions of his students. He was always willing to discuss whatever it was that his student found intriguing. He did his best to cater the course texts to the interests of his students. I hope to do the same. I invite anyone to participate as long as they keep their comments clean and constructive.
A text. I believe that an attempt to have an intellectual discussion without referencing the brilliant thoughts of our predecessors is nearly impossible. There have been relatively few breakthrough discoveries. Literature, technology, medicine, music, art, etc. is one long story of small variations. Any text has holes and hooks. Holes need to be filled with additional information. Hooks allow us to connect our thoughts to those of the greats. I welcome both here. Feel free to comment on Rand or Rowling, Steinbeck or Silverstein. I welcome your book reviews and I welcome your analysis of one particular line from Paradise Lost. I hope that you will provide additional insights to the texts that we have all read several times, while also showing us valuable books that we may never have heard of. This is your sandbox. Play nice and don’t make any messes.
A meeting point. All of the posting for my medieval literature class took place on www.livejournal.com. I considered setting up residence there but they would have charged me a monthly fee to have the same level of control over the website that my professor had. My second choice was the “notes” application on Facebook. The benefit of that locale is that everyone is already there. The downside is that Facebook limits one’s ability to include digital media in posts, the inclusion of which adds significantly to the overall richness of the blog. Blogspot offers us the increased flexibility. What I’ve decided to do is to post my comments in both locations until we can attract a following on Blogspot.
Cheers.
Rather than just see these posts as another assignment to be completed, I began to perceive that they were an opportunity to think more deeply about any given aspect of a text and then receive constructive feedback. It became a richly fulfilling experience. I hope to take other classes with Professor Kubarycz.
But, finals are over, grades are now available, and I am without a class or a professor to fulfill my need for engaging intellectual conversation. For now at least…this is where you all come in.
In order for this to work, I need four things. First, I need a professor. Second, I need a class. Third, I need a text. Forth, I need a website where we can post our comments.
A professor. It has crossed my mind to talk to Brian about continuing as the administrator for his website and continue providing texts to read. However, he told us repeatedly that he was burned out and desperately needed a break. And well, as much as I love reading things like St. Augustine’s Confessions and Machiavelli’s The Prince, I firmly believe that summer is a time for reading all those books that you wanted to read but couldn’t because you had to spend all your time reading something assigned. I’ve come to the conclusion that I could sit in for Professor Kubarycz for now. Don’t expect my comments to be nearly as impressive. Don’t expect my response time to be as quick. Don’t expect me to write you any letters of recommendation. The only difference between me and you is that it’s my name on the contact info for this website.
A class. It’s hard to teach a course without participation from the students. It’s amazing that several of my professors still seem to think that it’s possible and/or effective. I admire Professor Kubarycz for the value that he placed on the opinions of his students. He was always willing to discuss whatever it was that his student found intriguing. He did his best to cater the course texts to the interests of his students. I hope to do the same. I invite anyone to participate as long as they keep their comments clean and constructive.
A text. I believe that an attempt to have an intellectual discussion without referencing the brilliant thoughts of our predecessors is nearly impossible. There have been relatively few breakthrough discoveries. Literature, technology, medicine, music, art, etc. is one long story of small variations. Any text has holes and hooks. Holes need to be filled with additional information. Hooks allow us to connect our thoughts to those of the greats. I welcome both here. Feel free to comment on Rand or Rowling, Steinbeck or Silverstein. I welcome your book reviews and I welcome your analysis of one particular line from Paradise Lost. I hope that you will provide additional insights to the texts that we have all read several times, while also showing us valuable books that we may never have heard of. This is your sandbox. Play nice and don’t make any messes.
A meeting point. All of the posting for my medieval literature class took place on www.livejournal.com. I considered setting up residence there but they would have charged me a monthly fee to have the same level of control over the website that my professor had. My second choice was the “notes” application on Facebook. The benefit of that locale is that everyone is already there. The downside is that Facebook limits one’s ability to include digital media in posts, the inclusion of which adds significantly to the overall richness of the blog. Blogspot offers us the increased flexibility. What I’ve decided to do is to post my comments in both locations until we can attract a following on Blogspot.
Cheers.
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