In a Jail Cell

To think that a man convicted of manslaughter could possibly be capable of salvation from God may seem impossible to some; Dostoesky's Crime and Punishment strives to break that common assumption. Raskolnikov, the protagonist, proves to be a man of selfish and egotistical ways with the murder of two innocent women. He also believes that there is no God, and worships nothings except his own pride. By the end of the novel, however, the plot takes a different path than one would expect. From the title of the novel, we assume that the character involved in the Crime will eventually experience the Punishment. Raskolnikov doesn't run from the crime; he even turns himself in and accepts his time in prison peacefully. In his jail cell, he picks up the New Testament that his love Sonia had brought his on his own accord. Though Raskolnikov has committed two terrible crimes, he still has the capacity to change his ways and accept a higher power. Sonia is also an important part of Raskolnikov's conversion. Without her presence and deep love for her religion, Raskolnikov would never have seen God at all through her. However, it was Raskolnikov's ultimate decision change his ways and convert. Through this entire plot, I believe Dostoevsky's ultimate purpose was to illustrate that it is never too late for anyone to change their ways and accept a belief into their lives for the greater good. Better late than never.

The Storm Within

For most people in this world, the beliefs we hold when we are young change by the time we have matured. Influences on those people's thoughts become less intense as they come to think for themselves. It could even be a catastrophic event that causes someone to change his mind. As for Lear in Shakespeare's King Lear, he had all of these things going for him. Not only has he become pompous and arrogant with age, the daughters that he trusted the most betray him and leave him in a storm to rage at his bad fortune. He yells, "Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow! You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout Till you have drench'd our steeples, drown'd the cocks! You sulph'rous and thought-executing fires, Vaunt-couriers to oak-cleaving thunderbolts, Singe my white head! And thou, all-shaking thunder, Strike flat the thick rotundity o' th' world, Crack Nature's moulds, all germains spill at once, That makes ingrateful man!" (3, 2, 1-11). After this huge moment in Lear's life, though, he comes to change his views and ways. He realizes what true love really means, and there is no way to quantify that love.

Shakespeare poses an important message with Lear's insanity. He proves that in order to overcome despair, one must meet it face to face. A person's belief may change as they come to realize what was inside them all long.

Believing in Fate vs. Oedipus Cont.

This picture reminded me of how Oedipus's view of his beliefs/religion changed so drastically from the beginning of the play to the end. When he could see, he was a completely different person compared to when he couldn't see. When he could see, he was blind to his imperfections; when he was blinded, he could see them clearly. Oedipus's eyes are very symbolic, so I thought this image was fitting.

Believing in Fate vs. Oedipus

When I initially thought of the character Oedipus before reading the play by Sophocles, I thought he was just one severely unlucky guy (killing his father and marrying his mother)! Little did I know that these unfortunate moments where not mere coincidence. They were the makings of fate that ultimately led Oedipus to view what he refers to as "god" differently from the beginning to the end.

At the beginning of the play, Oedipus comes off as very proud and arrogant towards the gods. He slanders the gods in his response to Teiresias, an elderly, blind man who is reffered to as "the holy prophet" for his psychic abilities. Teiresias tells Oedipus that he holds the blame for the murder of his father. Oedipus refuses to believe him and says, "Has your mystic mummery ever approached the truth?...or the gods, for the matter of that?" (Sophocles, 375-382). At this point in the play, Oedipus believes that his fate is in his own hands no matter what.

The tragedy progesses and Oedipus eventually figures out he never avoids his fate all along, his mother/wife hangs herself, etc. Oedipus blinds himself and in his blindness finds the truth. Before isolating himself due of his crimes, he gives one final blessing to his children: "But as it is, I have only this prayer for you: Live hwere you can, be as happy as you can - Happier, please God, than God has made your father" (Sophocles, 1456-1458). As Oedipus's character changed, so did his view of the gods and control of his own fate. He realizes that the gods really do matter.

Ultimately, Oedipus's beliefs change as his perspective on life changes. Before he was blinded, he believed that the gods don't matter and he is in control. All of this changes after he blinds himself and "sees" how he ultimately has no control over his fate. In the end, Almighty Fate won the tragic showdown against the Headstrong King.

One Day in the Hallway

As a senior in high school, I believe I have the privilege of announcing whole-heartedly what I have learned over the past few years as a student. Not only have I been tested academically and had my talents pushed to their limits in this journey, I also met and befriended my peers along the way. One particular day as I walked through the hallway minding my own business, I noticed a crucial aspect of my school; though the diversity of the school ethnically is not as varied as one would expect, the beliefs each person carries with them through the hallways measure quite differently. People of every religion, virtue, spirituality, and value pass everyday at transition; it's funny to think of how people with such similar backgrounds may dedicate their lives to completely different ideas...

At that moment, I realized how our beliefs, whether they express a set definition or not, plays such an important role in the lives of youth today. It provides a sense of self-worth while giving life meaning simulataneously. There appears to be no reason to live without a way in which to do so. Having thought this, I began to wonder even more. How does a person define religion, and what causes one person to believe something different from the others? For many people, it may grow, wither, or completely change over time. If it does change, what causes this change? Perspective? Maturity?

Barbara Kingsolver strives to answer these questions in her novel, The Poisonwood Bible, with Leah, the character she introduces at the beginning as a strong believer in her father's Baptist ways; after various events in the Congo that tested her original beliefs including her own father's disrespect, her values lay in the heart of Africa itself by the end. She takes a common Christian prayer and makes it her own by praying, "Forgive me, Africa, according to the multitude of thy mercies"(Kingsolver, 525). As Africa became a part of Leah, it grew to be her way of life.