Old Paper I Wrote

Bobby Goodman

English 121

Mr. Casey

29 November 2006

The Idea of Reality

Truth, memory, vision, hearing, touching, smelling, sadness, happiness, and ideas are all combined into one humanistic idea; reality. Most people view reality as where there present day life is taking place. This for many, would include themselves working, studying, or retired. With this comes family, money, and basically all that can be seen around them. Reality in everyday usage means “everything that exists.” The term reality in its widest sense,  includes everything that is, whether it is observable, comprehensible, or self contradictory by science, philosophy, or any other system of analysis. Reality in this sense may include both being and nothingness, where as existence is often restricted to being compared with nature (Wikipedia). 

In Alice Walker's, “Everyday Use,” a scene in the story depicts two sisters ( Maggie and Dee) who are deciding what they should do with a quilt in which there Grandmother carefully made while she was still alive. To Dee, the quilt should not be used as everyday use because it is special and symbolizes sentimental family value. However to Maggie, the quilt should be used and not kept untouched because there would not have been meaning or reason for the Grandmother to make it. This scene illustrates that in Dee's reality of the quilts usage differs from Maggie's. Even though they are both related and live in the same house hold, they view ideas and philosophies differently. This indicated that Maggie is more of the “hard working” individual compared to Dee who was more of the fashionable one. “In real life I am a large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands...I can work outside all day, breaking ice to get water for washing; I can eat pork liver cooked over the open fire minutes after it comes steaming from the hog” (Walker 266). Alice Walker's “Everyday Use” simply depicted how two sisters do not see eye to eye on the world around them. Each sister's view of reality is completely different from each other. 

In Walt Whitman's, “The Death of Abraham Lincoln,” the reality of death is very difficult to grasp. When someone dies, weather it be Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, or close family members, the idea or reality of someone like that actually dieing is so painful; it's  incomprehensible. It's almost like their reality has simply shattered in front of them. “I repeat it-the grand deaths of the race-the dramatic deaths of every nationality-are its most important inheritance-value-in some respects beyond its literature and art-(as the hero is beyond his finest portrait, and the battle itself beyond the choicest song or epic) (Whitman 174). 

In the movie “The Matrix,” the main character, Neo, is taught exactly what is and what isn't reality. His whole life, he had felt things weren't right and the movie depicted how right he was. The film portrays him receiving signs from an unknown source to simply “follow the white rabbit.” When he sees a tattoo of a white rabbit on a woman's shoulder, he then follows it and the secrets are later reveled to him. Neo is thought to be “The One,” so the real world as well as the real reality is shown to him. The reality depicted in the film seems at times so far fetched and made up that most would not believe in this so called reality. 

These three works illustrate one main concept; reality. Although each work show different kinds of reality, it is purely how humans view ideas, concepts, and to many, what appear to be “the real reality.” Dee and Maggie view their Grandmother's quilt as having different meanings. Dee feels the quilt should not be used and should be looked at as a token of Grandmother's hard dedication and effort. While Maggie feels the quilt should be used for everyday necessities. The reality of the quilt to the sisters are completely different. As where as the concept of death is a universal view in which it almost seems unreal and so incomprehensible. To this day, many people are so awe struck by death that it has a universal effect on everyone. “The Matrix” is a film produced in Hollywood in which it is supposed to make one think if what they see is really there or what they touch is really touchable. Perhaps there is more to life then what we see right now, but for the individuals living in this time and on this world, reality is simply how you view ideas and concepts as well as what can be seen, touched, smelled, and hear. Reality is simply all that exists and nothing more. 

Works Cited

Walker, Alice. Everyday Use. 2005 U.S.A.

Whitman, Walt. Death of Abraham Lincoln. 2005 U.S.A.

The Matrix

“Reality.” Wikipedia. 2000. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality>.

Thoughts Toward 'The Slave'

While I was reading 'The Slave' by: Isaac Singer, I noticed the word 'slave' did not appear in the text as much as I had originally thought. When I first started reading the text, I assumed Jacob was going to be treated so badly by who ever held authority. But all of my preconceived thoughts were wrong. In my opinion, Jacob was not treated that unfairly nor was he deprived of freedoms. He slept comfortably in a barn and even established a relationship with the surrounding farm animals. There were several instances in the book when Jacob would talk to the cows. Singer would describe the cows as looking obediently at Jacob and acting as if they understood him. He was to work with the animals and work in the fields. While Jacob was in captivity, he also met the one and only love of his life, Wanda. However after getting deeply involved, the relationship quickly heightens and Jacob commits a sin he vowed never to do. He fornicates. He had sex with Wanda out of passion and love but he broke a major commandment. Perhaps this story represents another episode of the 'fall of mankind'? It's interesting to note that shortly after Jacob breaks his vow, his escape plan finally comes through. Jacob is cast away. According to Wanda, she believed Jacob was taken by devils when he randomly disappeared. From the Christian perspective, especially one similar to the one portrayed in this story, the jews were looked at as representing the 'other'. I would imagine the 'other' was perceived as symbolizing a type of evil. I thought it was interesting how Jacob returns to the village during the night. To me this symbolized a greater meaning which meant Jacob contained aspects of evil. The binary between night and evil is a convention often associated with Hell. Then immediately after the two ditch the village, they enter a cave. After reading Northrop Frye's book, 'Words with Power', he discusses the cave. Discussing the cave as a literary symbol, it connects with the idea of a dreadful abyss. This is also a symbol of Hell. I discussed this in my paper and in class but it is at this point that Wanda morphs into another identity. Perhaps Sarah is the evil representation of Wanda? She assumes the roll of a mute and has to persevere through all the ridicule and rude shit people say to her and behind her back. Unfortunately, Sarah does break her roll. This happens during childbirth. This scene captures two realities of rebirth. One involving the rebirth of Wanda and the second involving her baby's birth. The ending of this story was powerful. Dumb Sarah was not marked in a grave...nor was her actual burial place remembered. Yet Jacob's deceased body is buried next to Wanda's. I view these two as soul mates. But looking deeper, I see this story as a repeated story from the Bible. Jacob even admits this on his death bed that he is a living symbol of the Biblical version of Jacob.

Test Questions for Final

The following are a list of questions that will appear on the final exam (Thursday, December 16 2010)

1.) (Group 1 Mountain): What is the spirit animal?
answer: '7 Horned Buck'

2.) (Group 2 Cave): How does Frye suggest the original Adam was constituted?
answer: both male and female

3.) What does Frye align with destruction and annihilation?
answer: creativity

4.) (Group 2 Mountain): Where did the Grinch have his epiphany?
answer: Mount Crumpet

5.) What is that which makes the descent into the cave worthwhile?

answer: Gnosis-greek word for knowledge that provides transcendence or salvation

6.) According to Frye, nature is symbolic to what?

answer: Maternal

7.) How many mitzvots are in the Old Testament?

answer: 613

8.) What is the name of the first film in the Bergman trilogy?

answer: Through a glass darkly

To Know for Exam:

-The parallels in the Book of Luke

-Book of John....how he spoke to Peter

-The Corinthians-13 looking glass

-Book of Revelations 

-Isaac Singer's 'The Slave' (especially pages 289-279)

-Random Dr. Sexson questions

Northrop Frye Tribute

A group of school children describe a scene in one of Northrop Frye's novel. Is this an accurate portrayal?

Response to a Quote by Brother Dan...

In Dan's presentation today on the role of women in 'The Slave', there was a particular quote that stayed with me. This quote can be found on page 229 in the middle of the page: 

"There was silence and everyone listened to Sarah's groans. Men bowed their heads; women covered their faces as if ashamed of Eve's curse" (Singer 229). 

I really liked this quote because I feel there is a lot of depth. When I analyze this to the best and deepest ability, "Men bowed their heads" symbolizes to me that the men are looking down at their chest...almost as if looking for the rib they used to create woman. If this were true, then it is clear that men are represented as having a higher level of control. But this is obvious...the Bible has always portrayed men having more power and authority over women. 

"women covered their faces as if ashamed of Eve's curse" represents to me that women realize they are the 'lower descendent' of man and they acknowledge their fault. What's interesting is these women don't realize they are accepting this label....but their subconscious is taking over and acting out for them. I also find it interesting the gender roles have not switched that dramatically since the time conveyed in 'The Slave'. It is the women who serve as Sarah's assistants...this is usually the case today. There is a very small amount of men who are involved in nursing and taking care of the women. The men in 'The Slave' were told to wait outside and let the women deal with the child birth. In today's hospitals, men act as the business behind delivering babies. Very few of them serve as nurses and the majority of men in the child birthing section usually deal in the actual physical removal of the baby from mother. 

Jacob's Home on the Mountain

I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Slave'. When I read the chapter from Frye on the mountain, it made me thing about Jacob from Singer's novel. Although Jacob was considered a slave to the local christians, Jacob was able to still have his own faith. This was something he was not deprived from. I remember reading the dialogue in the scenes when Wanda would accompany her crush....Jacob the Jew. There dialogue seemed witty and charismatic. Jacob discussed ideas and concepts that appeared to Wanda as heavenly and divine. The chapter on the mountain in Frye made me think about these scenes in 'The Slave' in a completely different manner. To me, Jacob represents the type of being that would exist in 'The Earthly Paradise' in Frye's table found on pg 169. Jacob was noble and scholarly. The christian people who lived in the village below him acted callous and hateful, even though they considered themselves loving children of God. This grand illustration (if we were to draw a picture) would show Jacob on a higher plane than the rest of the village towns people. For this, I will include Frye's table:

1st level: "Heaven, in the sense of the place of the presence of God, usually symbolized by the physical heaven or sky"

2nd level: The earthly paradise, the natural and original home of man, represented in the Biblical story of the Garden of Eden, which has disappeared as a place but is to a degree recoverable as a state of mind"

3rd level: "The physical environment we are born in, theologically a fallen world of alienation"

4th level: "The demonic world of death and hell and sin below nature"


When we look at 'The Slave' and Frye's table, I'm trying to make the connection that Jacob was located on the second level. I feel this way because he displayed his deep thoughts about God and his purpose in life. It's interesting to note that as soon as he began a physical, sexual relationship, Jacob is cast off the mountain and is set free. The people of the christian polish village represent to me, individuals who would be on the 3rd level. This makes sense considering these people lived by the Bible which would mean they had excepted the 'fall of man'. So they too should be well aware of which Frye level they belong on.

My Spiritual Journey

For this blog, I am going to discuss 'spiritual aspects' of the film that James, Roberto, Zack, Mayan, Ben, and I made. The real weird spiritual stuff happened after we filmed at Mayan's sorority house. At this point James, Roberto, Zack and I decided to visit Specs just off campus and fill our bellies with the phenomenal bozeman bar food before we started our trek up.....The Mountain....(DUN DUN DUN)...When the check arrived, we thought it would be a good idea to leave an offering at the top of the mountain. The four of us grabbed some particularly greasy waffle fries, wrapped them up in a napkin and headed towards The M. As we exited Jame's vehicle, all of the snot in our noses froze (just to give you an idea as to how cold it was ;)). There was also a fresh dusting of snow which added to the beauty of the mountain. I remember once we had ascended the first couple hundred yards, Roberto joked that we should have brought some blood to signify a sacrifice. Everyone chuckled to themselves and continued on...but this joke came back to me when we returned to the car after our journey...I'll get to that later. Just before we reached the top of the mountain, we took a 'water break' and admired the valley. Since it was a such a gorgeous bright blue, cloudless day, the snow seemed to mirror its sparkle in the sky. Meaning the four of us kept seeing sparkles every where we looked. I know we mentioned it in the video but I'm sure it was impossible to see what we were seeing. When we finally ascended the mountain, we decided it would be an appropriate time to leave our offerings. One of us filmed as the three of us laid our fries in the snow. We formed a cross and Zack sprinkled some holy water on the offering. We then took our napkins and lit them all on fire. Once the flame caught we placed the napkins on the fries and marveled as is burned. As soon as the flame went out, the four of us look up and see this MONSTER sized mule deer emerge from the surrounding trees. I have lived in Bozeman my entire life and would safely say I have hiked the M probably 30 times and not once have I seen a deer that big in that area. I'm also a hunter and have never witnessed a deer this size. It had at least four antlers on each side and had a very graceful trot. We tried to capture this on film but we were only able to film the rear end. The camera was put down and we were literally in awe as to what we saw. Its been mentioned in class, but we decided to refer to this instance as our 'spirit animal'. We began our hike back down the mountain when Roberto and James brought it to our attention that the film we captured of the deer was symbolic to the Bible. Them saying this did not spark my recollection...but in Exodus, Moses is summoned by God and is instructed to complete a task of ascending a mountain. Once this has been accomplished, Moses reports that he caught a glimpse of 'God's rear end'. HOW COINCIDENTAL!! This is exactly what our movie capture....the rear end of deer. There is no question to me that this animal is symbolic represents something so much greater. Probably something we as human beings cannot even begin to comprehend. We spent the rest of our descent jogging down the mountain (mostly to stay warm) but we made it to the parking lot in no time. When we walked to Jame's truck, we noticed something peculiar about 15 feet away from the end of the truck. Can you guess? It was the remains of (probably a deer) carcass. There was a large amount of blood while the bones and hide were placed separately under a tree. We all looked at the blood and thought about Roberto's joking statement about bringing a blood as  a sacrifice.

This adventure has stuck with me for some time. I like to think of myself as a spiritualist rather than a believer...but this project symbolized something greater to me. Today in class, Dr. Sexson was discussing how Jacob in the Slave, on his death bed says he feels he is a mirror image of the biblical version of 'Jacob'. The theme of this is that life is a series of reoccurring stories. To me, this journey included a lot of similar tales instances that have occurred in the Bible. The deer's ass/God's rear end, ascending mountains, leaving offerings for God, and blood sacrifices. I will remember this spiritual journey/ class project for a long time.

My Final Paper

*Attached is my final term paper for Lit 240:

Bobby Goodman  

Dr. Sexson

Lit 240-Bible as Lit.

7 December 2010

Jacob’s Descent

            “And the pit was empty, there was no water in it” (Singer 141). Jacob the Jew repeated this passage from the Bible before he made his descent into the cave of Hell. I say Hell, because the dialogue between Jacob and his soul mate, Wanda, proves to the reader that this scene in Isaac Singer’s The Slave could be interpreted as a representation of the two entering an abyss. Up to this point, Jacob has been living the last four years in the custody of a Christian village. Due to his beliefs, he is already alienated from the people of this society, yet he is constantly tempted by sin. Finally, he gives into the temptations of romance and passion. He engages in a physical, sexual relationship with his lover. To Jacob, these sinful acts are projecting him toward a life of wrongdoing and evil. But instead of evil showing itself on Judgment Day, evil strikes Jacob before his death. This occurs when Jacob summons Wanda from her village. It is at this point in the novel that Jacob descends into the depths of Hell and instead of converting Wanda into a Jew, they end up morphing each other into representations of the damned.

            Before we begin analyzing a passage from The Salve, it would be appropriate to define the symbolism and meaning behind the Cave. To literary critic, Northrop Frye, the Cave represents descent themes in literature. “Descent themes, as we have them are simply descents to death and hell” (Frye 230). In Frye’s book, Words with Power, a chapter is dedicated to this theme of a cave symbolizing a passageway or entryway into Hell. Frye argues, “We should think of hell as a human construct on the surface of this earth…hell is the world of the lonely crowd” (Frye 230). From these passages of Frye’s book, Hell can be perceived as man’s manifestation of his wrongdoings. Hell exists for this reason; that if man commits an act he feels wrong about committing, he has already begun the descent into Hell. This theme is certainly apparent with Jacob in The Slave. Before Jacob engaged in sexual acts with his lover, he had already begun his descent by his sinful thoughts and desires to fornicate with Wanda.

When Wanda and Jacob descend into the cave, Jacob is immediately met with discomfort. “When he spoke, his muffled voice sounded far off and unfamiliar to him” (Singer 142). This passage from The Slave depicts Jacob feeling uncomfortable and foreign to this place. He has spent the last four years living in a shack on a mountain and although he was trapped in a Christian society, the mountain to him was a symbol of freedom. Jacob would often feel enlightened and more connected to God, but now he was submerged underground in this dark and eerie cave. The fact that the word ‘unfamiliar’ is used to describe his emotions signifies a level of depth to the reader. Jacob clearly feels disconnected from himself and it is because he is in this strange and unknown environment. This description allows the reader to see that this is the first step an individual makes when he begins his descent into a place similar to Hell.

            After this mention in the text of Jacob feeling ‘unfamiliar and far off’ from himself, it becomes more apparent that this dark cave is a symbol of a hellish atmosphere. Wanda begins the dialogue by telling Jacob, “If you’d waited a little longer, you would have found me dead” (Singer 142). This quote is significant because it emphasizes more to the reader the kind of mindset Wanda has. She states that if Jacob hadn’t of beckoned his beloved, she would have died. Although it is unclear as to how she would have died, this statement is open for interpretation. From the perspective of the cave representing a place of melancholy, it would be fair to say that Wanda in a sense, does die in this cave. Because it is in this place, that the two decide to remain together forever. They decide this with the understanding that Wanda will no longer be referred to as ‘Wanda’. Instead, she must change her name so no one will recognize her conversion to Judaism. During this period of time, it was extremely disrespectful to covert from Christianity to Judaism. The repercussions of this typically involved excommunication from the church or an immediate hanging. But Wanda is willing to make this choice for love. In the cave, Wanda no longer exists. Instead, a morphing of individualism takes place. Wanda becomes Sarah. Sarah is to assume the role of a mute. This is someone who cannot speak nor understand a verbal language. She is to act this way in the new Jewish town they run off to. Jacob is the only person Sarah can speak to and while the towns’ people will believe Sarah to be dumb, Jacob schemes to secretly teach her Yiddish and the ways of the Jew.

            As the conversation continues, Wanda and Jacob discuss why he left her. He tells her how he spoke with a circus proprietor from his homeland while he was held hostage. Fortunately, he was able to establish a ransom ploy so he could return to his family in Josefov. He also tells his lover that he was forced to leave immediately and did not have the chance or the freedom to say goodbye. Her response reflects the environment the two are in. She says, “All they said was that some devils had seized you” (Singer 142). From this quote, it brings more evidence that Sarah thought the cave would be the best place to discuss his disappearing. To Sarah, Jacob had converted to a demonic version of whom she use to know. Perhaps entering the cave would prove to Sarah that Jacob had converted into a symbol of Satan?  Before his disappearance, Wanda would often accompany him on the mountain and he would dazzle her with his witty intellect. She knew that if she led him to a cave, he would probably not enter for fear of lizards, snakes and mud; all symbols of Hell. However since he had mysteriously left, she had assumed he had taken the role of an evil force and entering a cave would no longer bother him.

            When we return to the biblical passage, “And the pit was empty, there was no water in it” (Singer 141) the next statement from Jacob proves to the reader he is entering a demonic abyss. “The Talmud added, ‘There was no water in it, but there were snakes and lizards’” (Singer 141). These statements are strong and depict exactly what Jacob is thinking. He knows he is entering an abyss. It is apparent this cave represents to Jacob the depths and passageway into Hell. From the beginning of this passage that we have analyzed, the dialogue and Jacob’s thought process indicates to the reader that this cave is a literary symbolic illustration of hell. During this time when the two lovers are submerged underground, they seem to have a different type of tone toward one another. Jacob feels ‘unfamiliar’ and ‘far off’ from his normal state of being. When he first enters the cave, he chokes and gags on the air as if he is truly entering a foreign world. Wanda tells Jacob that if he had rescued her any later, there was a good chance she would already be dead. But I am here to argue, that Wanda is dead. Once the two ascend back to Earth, she takes the roll of Sarah who is a mute. She has to completely change her individualism and portray her mannerisms of somebody she is not. Wanda has left the story and Sarah is born.

            When Jacob first disappeared, Wanda heard that devils had taken him away. Is it possible that Wanda actually thought he had suddenly been captured by demons and taken to a far away place? This is definitely what she assumed since she summoned him into a dark and mysterious cave. Before Jacob left Wanda’s village, the two would meet on a mountain and the dialogue between the two seemed imaginative, positive, and heavenly. It is because of this Hell symbol that Jacob and Wanda’s ways were forever altered. Their relationship, their lives, and their faith has radically changed.

Works Cited

Singer, Isaac. The Slave. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1995. 141-42. Print.

Frye, Northrop. Words with Power. London: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1990. 230