Yep. Another post that had been a homework assignment follows:
It has been some time since I have written a “research paper” as an assignment; I have, however, written several research driven responses over the past year—the latest being one telling of a military incident.
For an EDMG230 forum response/assignment I was given the task of seeking out an example of a military incident for a critique of how the situation had or had not been properly handled. For this task I managed to dig up a few articles on a “broken arrow”—damaged missile—incident that took place in 2003 at a Naval base in Washington. As part of my style of writing—and as this assignment leaned on giving an opinion of the outcome—I located a blogger that wrote of the incident as well in a conspiracy-like fashion; normally this sort of “trick” is unacceptable for collegiate writings, however I believed my audience would be accepting of the maneuver.
In my writing I sourced materials from the Associated Press and the blogger, making every effort to balance the story I was presenting until I reached the point where I was to critique the incident. Once my critique began I strayed from sourcing further material, so as I would not be accused of manipulating source material . At one point, I also placed a separate conspiracy-theory of my own in the midst of my critique; as this could have been seen as being written in at an inappropriate section—well ahead of the conclusion—I chose to place the theory in brackets to designate that the thought was in fact separate and my own.
In reviewing what I had written I found one mistake which could have been easily avoided had I carefully proofread the text before publishing—an error in citation. In the fourth paragraph of my response I had mistakenly placed a citation following the period of a sentence; this mistake was made due to the ways in which I write—I “free-write” all of my work without citations first, and edit afterward.
Aside from that one particular mistake, I did not notice any other errors that could be interpreted as plagiarism—intentional or otherwise. As always, the largest area of concern in writing is proofreading.
[To see the response referenced in this response, visit: http://kg4vma.livejournal.com/526907.ht
Review the material in your text on plagiarism (Chapter 30, pages 474-479).
After reviewing the material in CW, examine one of your recent research papers. In a one to two paragraph posting, answer the following questions:
1. Did you follow the chapter's guidelines?
2. Where do you need to improve? Post your original response in a new thread.
Be sure to respond to at least two of your peers. Original Response is due by midnight Thursday; peer responses are due by midnight Sunday.
Form 10%: Student follows correct format for the assignment, including proper documentation of sources, if applicable, through in-text citations and a bibliography.
Focus/Thesis 15%: Student demonstrates a clear understanding of assignment and assignment goal. If thesis is required in the assignment, it is clearly defined, identifiable, and constructed to help guide the reader throughout the assignment.
Content/Analysis 45%: Student has incorporated all required elements of the assignment. Where applicable, the thesis statement is supported by facts, examples, and statistics. Content is well developed and exhibits evidence of serious analysis and critical thinking.
Style/Organization 20%: Assignment meets the expectations of collegiate writing. The writing exhibits a clear, logical organizational structure and flows smoothly from point to point from general statements to specific details. The writing is engaging, effective, and concise.
Grammar/Mechanics 10%: The assignment contains no grammatical or spelling errors. The student uses punctuation not only for clarity but also for rhetorical purposes.
It has been some time since I have written a “research paper” as an assignment; I have, however, written several research driven responses over the past year—the latest being one telling of a military incident.
For an EDMG230 forum response/assignment I was given the task of seeking out an example of a military incident for a critique of how the situation had or had not been properly handled. For this task I managed to dig up a few articles on a “broken arrow”—damaged missile—incident that took place in 2003 at a Naval base in Washington. As part of my style of writing—and as this assignment leaned on giving an opinion of the outcome—I located a blogger that wrote of the incident as well in a conspiracy-like fashion; normally this sort of “trick” is unacceptable for collegiate writings, however I believed my audience would be accepting of the maneuver.
In my writing I sourced materials from the Associated Press and the blogger, making every effort to balance the story I was presenting until I reached the point where I was to critique the incident. Once my critique began I strayed from sourcing further material, so as I would not be accused of manipulating source material . At one point, I also placed a separate conspiracy-theory of my own in the midst of my critique; as this could have been seen as being written in at an inappropriate section—well ahead of the conclusion—I chose to place the theory in brackets to designate that the thought was in fact separate and my own.
In reviewing what I had written I found one mistake which could have been easily avoided had I carefully proofread the text before publishing—an error in citation. In the fourth paragraph of my response I had mistakenly placed a citation following the period of a sentence; this mistake was made due to the ways in which I write—I “free-write” all of my work without citations first, and edit afterward.
Aside from that one particular mistake, I did not notice any other errors that could be interpreted as plagiarism—intentional or otherwise. As always, the largest area of concern in writing is proofreading.
[To see the response referenced in this response, visit: http://kg4vma.livejournal.com/526907.ht
...rough draft of a short essay i need to turn in tomorrow...
Human emotion, with regard to matters relating to the heart, can be quite an interesting topic for discussion, and one which is brought forth in reading F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Winter Dreams”. Our central character in this short tale is a young man by the name of Dexter Green. Dexter comes from humble beginnings, yet manages to live an American dream of owning and operating a successful business, rewarding him with the ability to stand amongst the same character of men he had once caddied for as a child. Dexter’s fortune has brought him many things in life; love—or the love he had desired for so long—isn’t among the rewards.
On the day Dexter had decided to quit his job as a caddy at age fourteen, Dexter crossed paths with a young lady and her nurse; the child he had recognized from a year or so prior, yet this time she seemed more striking—perhaps because she had grown closer to the age of pubescence, though still “beautifully ugly” at the age of eleven. This spoiled, privileged child—who had been throwing a tantrum of sorts in finding that a game of golf might be out of the question—caught his eye and captured his heart with an innocent yet devilishly mischievous smile.
Years passed, and Dexter went off to college, taking loans against his degree following graduation and purchasing a laundering service. Through the combination of becoming successful and catering to the special laundering needs of golfing attire, Dexter was extended an invitation to the club where he had caddied. While on the links playing among the men he had once followed, Dexter once again crossed paths with little Miss Jones, who was now a much older and “matured” Judy Jones. Later that evening, Dexter and Judy dined together, and spoke of varying topics, with the final being an attraction to another followed by some heavy petting. Though these actions were undeniably based on mere physical attraction, and possible attraction of assumed social status, Dexter fell madly in love, connecting the experience to the first time his eyes were drawn to her smile so many years ago.
Judy was, sadly, a bit of a flirt and strung along many men over the years, and had even continued to do so while her and Dexter were “together”. Understandably, Dexter was upset when he discovered that Judy was so set in having what she wanted—so much so that she extended this selfishness into her love life, and saw no issue with it. Dexter was, however, still deeply infatuated with Judy; Dexter had found himself into many of the elite club and society gatherings just so that he could have opportunity to find time with her. Eventually, Dexter tried to push the thoughts of this first love aside, and sound another interest, Irene, to whom he became engaged. The engagement didn’t last, however, as Judy once again entered his life, and took him away to her boudoir.
Dexter had spent so many years pining over Judy, and it led to nothing but heartache. Roughly ten years had passed, and their paths hadn’t crossed—not a thought had been given—until the day a gentleman, a Devlin character with business in Detroit off-handedly mentioned Judy. The simple mention of her name brought about all of the old feelings Dexter had for this woman. Concern and anger rose in Dexter as Devlin shared how Judy was nothing more than a fairly common housewife now—no special beauty or endearing, mischievous smiles graced her face anymore. A love that enveloped Dexter for so long—a love which had caused him to lose his fiancée—was no more; Judy, though still alive, no longer existed. Dexter, having received this word, has found that a part of himself has died as well. Judy was more than an old-flame, but a “dream” of his—a part of his heart, his mind, his soul—that had helped and caused harm in making him the man he had become.
Human emotion, with regard to matters relating to the heart, can be quite an interesting topic for discussion, and one which is brought forth in reading F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Winter Dreams”. Our central character in this short tale is a young man by the name of Dexter Green. Dexter comes from humble beginnings, yet manages to live an American dream of owning and operating a successful business, rewarding him with the ability to stand amongst the same character of men he had once caddied for as a child. Dexter’s fortune has brought him many things in life; love—or the love he had desired for so long—isn’t among the rewards.
On the day Dexter had decided to quit his job as a caddy at age fourteen, Dexter crossed paths with a young lady and her nurse; the child he had recognized from a year or so prior, yet this time she seemed more striking—perhaps because she had grown closer to the age of pubescence, though still “beautifully ugly” at the age of eleven. This spoiled, privileged child—who had been throwing a tantrum of sorts in finding that a game of golf might be out of the question—caught his eye and captured his heart with an innocent yet devilishly mischievous smile.
Years passed, and Dexter went off to college, taking loans against his degree following graduation and purchasing a laundering service. Through the combination of becoming successful and catering to the special laundering needs of golfing attire, Dexter was extended an invitation to the club where he had caddied. While on the links playing among the men he had once followed, Dexter once again crossed paths with little Miss Jones, who was now a much older and “matured” Judy Jones. Later that evening, Dexter and Judy dined together, and spoke of varying topics, with the final being an attraction to another followed by some heavy petting. Though these actions were undeniably based on mere physical attraction, and possible attraction of assumed social status, Dexter fell madly in love, connecting the experience to the first time his eyes were drawn to her smile so many years ago.
Judy was, sadly, a bit of a flirt and strung along many men over the years, and had even continued to do so while her and Dexter were “together”. Understandably, Dexter was upset when he discovered that Judy was so set in having what she wanted—so much so that she extended this selfishness into her love life, and saw no issue with it. Dexter was, however, still deeply infatuated with Judy; Dexter had found himself into many of the elite club and society gatherings just so that he could have opportunity to find time with her. Eventually, Dexter tried to push the thoughts of this first love aside, and sound another interest, Irene, to whom he became engaged. The engagement didn’t last, however, as Judy once again entered his life, and took him away to her boudoir.
Dexter had spent so many years pining over Judy, and it led to nothing but heartache. Roughly ten years had passed, and their paths hadn’t crossed—not a thought had been given—until the day a gentleman, a Devlin character with business in Detroit off-handedly mentioned Judy. The simple mention of her name brought about all of the old feelings Dexter had for this woman. Concern and anger rose in Dexter as Devlin shared how Judy was nothing more than a fairly common housewife now—no special beauty or endearing, mischievous smiles graced her face anymore. A love that enveloped Dexter for so long—a love which had caused him to lose his fiancée—was no more; Judy, though still alive, no longer existed. Dexter, having received this word, has found that a part of himself has died as well. Judy was more than an old-flame, but a “dream” of his—a part of his heart, his mind, his soul—that had helped and caused harm in making him the man he had become.
- Mood:
blank
I have been staring at a blank computer screen. well, relatively blank. not really blank. there's stuff on the screen. but it might as well be blank. there should be words on the screen--words that are my own; an essay speaking about a short story that I just read. but there is nothing there. I haven't figured out what to say. There isn't really anything that I would like to say. my mind is elsewhere. i am focused on other issues. things that are much more important than a silly essay. and in some weird way, I know that some of what I am feeling can be harnessed for what I just read. Maybe that is part of the issue. I cannot write because the feelings are so similar. I cannot write because the tale speaks of love, betrayal, dreaming for more, losing a heart's desire, desperately grasping for a better knowledge of things that have happened--influences of certain situations, etc.
life sucks.
love sucks.
literature sucks.
people suck.
wouldn't it be nice if we lived in a world where we had no fears? a world where we were all honest to one another? a world where we didn't lie? a world where we didn't cheat? a world where we didn't steal? a world where we respected one another? a world where we were truly conscious of other's feelings? a world where we truly knew the risks and consequences of our actions? a world where there wasn't any jealousy? no inferiority? no esteem issues?
we have no reason to think any higher of our own self in comparison to another, do we? no reason to think any lessor of our own self? then we do we? why do we allow ourselves to beat one another? hurt one another? use one another? what is there to gain from this?
...and what bothers me more is the thought that there are quite a few that do not stop to take the time to think of these things. those who are too busy creating these problems. those who act without fearing consequence. those who are deceitful. those who have no respect for anyone other than themselves. those who believe that they are better. those who believe that they can take advantage of a situation for personal gain, damning everyone else that stands in the way. selfishness. egotism. narcissism.
blah.
life sucks.
love sucks.
literature sucks.
people suck.
wouldn't it be nice if we lived in a world where we had no fears? a world where we were all honest to one another? a world where we didn't lie? a world where we didn't cheat? a world where we didn't steal? a world where we respected one another? a world where we were truly conscious of other's feelings? a world where we truly knew the risks and consequences of our actions? a world where there wasn't any jealousy? no inferiority? no esteem issues?
we have no reason to think any higher of our own self in comparison to another, do we? no reason to think any lessor of our own self? then we do we? why do we allow ourselves to beat one another? hurt one another? use one another? what is there to gain from this?
...and what bothers me more is the thought that there are quite a few that do not stop to take the time to think of these things. those who are too busy creating these problems. those who act without fearing consequence. those who are deceitful. those who have no respect for anyone other than themselves. those who believe that they are better. those who believe that they can take advantage of a situation for personal gain, damning everyone else that stands in the way. selfishness. egotism. narcissism.
blah.
- Mood:
depressed
...once again, I go above and beyond in length for a forum posting. The following was submitted in response to a classwork assignment:
Personally, I believe that O’Brien simply wants to show that the soldiers are as vulnerable to fantasy, dreams and emotion as any other person. Soldiers of war are still very human—their minds shall never stop being creative in dealing with the troubles they face. Through painting this image, O’Brien leads us to ask whether this—being human in such an inhumane setting—is positive or negative.
Throughout this short we’re given multiple examples of the differences of what the men are thinking and how the war and prior lives have helped shape them. Though the military has prescribed a specific list of things the men must carry, each man carries something different with them—though in many ways, they still carry the same things. Comic books, photographs, letters, various “charms”—each man carrying something special to them which keeps them connected to their own world at home; each man carrying something which attempts to keep them connected to sanity.
In the end, our main character, Lt. Cross, sees that his own attempts at keeping sane have drawn his mind away from his duties to his men. I question whether this judgment is fair. Cross may have been miles away in his mind, but was he truly responsible for Lavender’s death? Day-dreaming of a woman that may not truly have “feelings”, imagining, questioning whether this girl was pure of mind, body and spirit—were these things really responsible for Lavender’s demise?
Boom-down. Zapped while zipping.
Cross, just as any other man would, found fault in himself, fault in his emotions, fault in being human, and decided to blame that fault for Lavender’s death. A good Lieutenant may not have been preoccupied with thoughts and visions of college girls playing volleyball, sure; but a good Lieutenant may have had his nose buried so deep in maps and radio communiqués that any number of men could have had their heads blown off.
Is imagination, fantasy, day-dreaming, escaping reality for a single moment—is it dangerous? It can be. Cross saw it as an avoidable danger in the end.
Are these separations from reality positive and helpful? Undoubtedly. One could question whether the men would be sane or even human if they did not take these breaks from the horror that they were living. It is my belief that the main point being driven here is that these feelings and emotions are impossible to escape; that to fantasize is simply a part of being human, and that it can and does happen at any time and in any setting. Whether these fantasies can be controlling—how influential they may be—is entirely up to the individual.
O’Brien delivers this message well amidst this tale of a seemingly small platoon in the Vietnam War. The main concept of the collection of stories is to deliver the experience of the war; what better way to do so, than to write it in such a way as to allow for the reader to connect on a more human—a more emotional—level? In order to accomplish this goal, O’Brien made use of the historical fiction genre, and drew upon the use of fantasy as the connecting element between the characters and the reader. Fantasy also serves as an interesting element in affecting the flow of the story, jerking the reader into and out of the fantasies as well.
Delivering a factual tale of a war can be less than entertaining; telling the reader of the various equipment used creates a sense that the writer simply copied the dry and sterile text of a military publication—an equipment list, a duty roster, or a technical manual on the assembly of some exotic weapon. These facts, as necessary as they may be, do not engage a reader; breaking away and dipping into the souls of the characters involved, however, is very engaging. This is why, I suspect, that O’Brien chose the tactic of drawing us into the character; introducing the “current” fantasy and then breaking away back to the more “mundane” details of the things they carried, cycling back to the other “things” they carried—repeating the cycle.
This method worked quite well to establish an engaging tale and give the reader a truer feeling of how fantasy can creep upon us, draw us in and then boom—back to reality.
---
...just as a side note...
...a really nice reading of the short is available at: http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podshow
In writing the short story, "The Things They Carried," Tim O'Brien explores the realities of the Vietnam War in fictional form rather than as a presentation of precise facts, and focuses on the disjunction between the realities of the Vietnam War and the imagination as represented by the items carried by the soldiers he writes about. In your main discussion board post, briefly sum up your initial reaction to the story, and then address these two sets of questions:Please divide your response into paragraphs for easier reading, and make sure to point to/paraphrase/quote specific passages in the story to support your reading (do cite those passages, too). Your initial response should be 250-300 words and is due by 11:59 pm Wednesday of Week 2. Responses to classmates should be between 150-200 words and are due 11:59 pm Sunday of Week 2
- How, in the end, do you think O'Brien wants his readers to view the role of imagination and fantasy in these characters' lives? Is imagination and fantasy positive and helpful, negative and dangerous, or something else?
- How is this issue of fantasy vs. reality also being explored through O'Brien's choice to examine the Vietnam War in fictional form rather than through the presentation of precise facts? Do you see any connection between the depiction of imagination/fantasy in the story and O'Brien's use of a fictional medium?
Personally, I believe that O’Brien simply wants to show that the soldiers are as vulnerable to fantasy, dreams and emotion as any other person. Soldiers of war are still very human—their minds shall never stop being creative in dealing with the troubles they face. Through painting this image, O’Brien leads us to ask whether this—being human in such an inhumane setting—is positive or negative.
Throughout this short we’re given multiple examples of the differences of what the men are thinking and how the war and prior lives have helped shape them. Though the military has prescribed a specific list of things the men must carry, each man carries something different with them—though in many ways, they still carry the same things. Comic books, photographs, letters, various “charms”—each man carrying something special to them which keeps them connected to their own world at home; each man carrying something which attempts to keep them connected to sanity.
In the end, our main character, Lt. Cross, sees that his own attempts at keeping sane have drawn his mind away from his duties to his men. I question whether this judgment is fair. Cross may have been miles away in his mind, but was he truly responsible for Lavender’s death? Day-dreaming of a woman that may not truly have “feelings”, imagining, questioning whether this girl was pure of mind, body and spirit—were these things really responsible for Lavender’s demise?
Boom-down. Zapped while zipping.
Cross, just as any other man would, found fault in himself, fault in his emotions, fault in being human, and decided to blame that fault for Lavender’s death. A good Lieutenant may not have been preoccupied with thoughts and visions of college girls playing volleyball, sure; but a good Lieutenant may have had his nose buried so deep in maps and radio communiqués that any number of men could have had their heads blown off.
Is imagination, fantasy, day-dreaming, escaping reality for a single moment—is it dangerous? It can be. Cross saw it as an avoidable danger in the end.
Are these separations from reality positive and helpful? Undoubtedly. One could question whether the men would be sane or even human if they did not take these breaks from the horror that they were living. It is my belief that the main point being driven here is that these feelings and emotions are impossible to escape; that to fantasize is simply a part of being human, and that it can and does happen at any time and in any setting. Whether these fantasies can be controlling—how influential they may be—is entirely up to the individual.
O’Brien delivers this message well amidst this tale of a seemingly small platoon in the Vietnam War. The main concept of the collection of stories is to deliver the experience of the war; what better way to do so, than to write it in such a way as to allow for the reader to connect on a more human—a more emotional—level? In order to accomplish this goal, O’Brien made use of the historical fiction genre, and drew upon the use of fantasy as the connecting element between the characters and the reader. Fantasy also serves as an interesting element in affecting the flow of the story, jerking the reader into and out of the fantasies as well.
Delivering a factual tale of a war can be less than entertaining; telling the reader of the various equipment used creates a sense that the writer simply copied the dry and sterile text of a military publication—an equipment list, a duty roster, or a technical manual on the assembly of some exotic weapon. These facts, as necessary as they may be, do not engage a reader; breaking away and dipping into the souls of the characters involved, however, is very engaging. This is why, I suspect, that O’Brien chose the tactic of drawing us into the character; introducing the “current” fantasy and then breaking away back to the more “mundane” details of the things they carried, cycling back to the other “things” they carried—repeating the cycle.
This method worked quite well to establish an engaging tale and give the reader a truer feeling of how fantasy can creep upon us, draw us in and then boom—back to reality.
---
...just as a side note...
...a really nice reading of the short is available at: http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podshow
[edit 3/13/2012: this post was originally set to "diana's eyes only". given the recent changes, there's no need to keep this one private...]
i dunno.
hearing the words "i don't think i'll ever be happy" doesn't necessarily make me feel any better...Diana and I were talking last night about...Our past... I guess...And things that we feel.I think that ask she was meaning was that she would likely never find any man that could ever make her happy... Not that she's looking...not that she is even considering looking...I dunno.It was her trying to say that she recognizes that she would look at anyone and see fault. even if she didn't see fault immediately, she would likely make an issue arise.Still. I dunno. Doesn't make me feel any better.Funny in a way. She says she thinks I settled. But her words... They seem to make it sound like she settled.sighI love her.How can I make her happy?Posted via LiveJournal app for Android.
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...yet another one of those writings I had submitted as homework. This one is a revisit to my reading of and assignment for Paradise Lost. Submission requirements:
...and a preface/note attached to my submission:
...and now the actual writing:
Who or what do we have to thank for making us who we are? Many would answer this question from a more tangible and personal perspective, and reply by answering with the names of their parents, loved ones, peers and educators. Some would answer the question from a scientific perspective and mention their parents and families with an eye toward genetics. Finally, others might answer the question from a spiritual standpoint and give thanks to their deity. But of those answering with religion, would they think of an entity that is associated with evil? Would one of a Judeo-Christian based faith ever give pause to recognize Satan?
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of being introduced to Paradise Lost. While reading this epic tale of man’s fall from grace—and the events which led to that point—I became engrossed, enveloped and intrigued. I went back, rewound and re-read several sections and evaluated what my eyes were seeing and what my ears were hearing [Librivox, 2008] and developed a series of thoughts from my interpretations of the work. Some of the most startling points—yet not quite surprising once given thought—were feelings of sympathy of, relation to, and thankfulness for the Devil (Palmer, 2011).
I carried these thoughts on with me for a few days, and shared the tale as I had read and interpreted it with a few different people—my marriage counselor included.
I began to share my feelings from Paradise with the counselor by stating that I had been given the task for an assignment to state which character I had an affinity for; with only slight hesitance and an odd near evil smile I informed her that I chose Satan (Palmer, 2011). After catching a quick glimpse of the counselor’s confused, almost disgusted face, I explained the tale for it was obvious that she had never read it.
I explained how it seemed that Satan’s emotions were just, in the sense that they were quite similar to feelings that are human in nature. In his life prior in Heaven, Satan—then the angel Lucifer—had learned of God’s Son; the Son was created by God to aid in the reign of Heaven and was to share in all His glory power. Lucifer had become very upset of this, as he felt that having a second master—one which was not entirely separate of the first—was unfair; additionally, Lucifer felt that any seat that was to be created as a second chair of sorts should be allowed the appointment of a being already in existence, such as he or another of his fellow angels. Lucifer gathered a group of angels which shared in his feelings and then proceeded to challenge the Throne. Ultimately the Father and Son prevailed. (Milton, Book IV 615-7, 655-62)
Having been exiled from Heaven and banished to Hell, Lucifer—now Satan—and his cohorts plotted an attempt to retaliate by laying claim to God’s next creation—earth and Man (Milton, Book II 1-389). In his attempt, Satan did fail, yet succeeded in helping to define some of Man’s later characteristics. This failure helped in my expressing how Satan was one who deserved some attention without being given honor or praise—attention somewhat akin to that which is given to important figures in history like Adolf Hitler.
Satan had—through the understanding of “human” emotion—rightfully felt scorned by his Master. As I had stated in my previous writing on Paradise and my retelling to my counselor any number of people here on earth in our current time would view such an act within our society—government, business, and perhaps even familial lives—as egregious; to have a leader create and fill a position with one of close, personal kinship is unquestionably distasteful, unethical and even immoral. Applying this human emotion to Satan’s actions—as Lucifer—thusly makes his response understandable. Likewise, his actions of attempted recruitment of Man and claim of earth in retaliatory vengeance makes certain logical sense under the influence of “human” emotion.
Here is where I began to express slightly in my prior writing and more so in my dialogue with the counselor that the concept of human emotion was not entirely born of Man’s sin against God by eating of the fruit, but through Satan’s infectious influence based on his emotions. Prior to Satan’s contact with Eve, Man had few emotions—if we can call these elements such. Man only knew how to Honor His Grace and show Love and Appreciation to the Father; Man had no concept of lesser feelings of honor, love, appreciation, nor any vertical, diagonal or reverse of these emotions. All of these emotions had, however, existed previously and were known too well by Satan. Through his temptation of Eve, and her temptation of Adam, Man later awoke with these emotions and were rendered less perfect and more human.
I opened this writing asking who or what should be thanked or given attention for making us who we are—the commonality between the answers being some element of our past. I had stated that many of us would mention our parents and varying elements of our upbringing and experiences; from here I dove into an odd point on the topic of religion. I shared how one piece of Judeo-Christian history—portions being considered apocryphal—as dramatized in writing through Milton’s Paradise Lost. In doing so I have presented the reader of this essay an idea which many may at first—like the counselor to whom I mentioned sharing the notion with—think as heretical and insane. To regard Satan as an important influential character on humanity is utter nonsense; or is it? Without this ultimate “embodiment” of evil would we be able to properly contrast good?—we would not be able to contrast good at all; nor would we be capable of knowing such things as sin, anger, jealousy, etc.
More importantly, we would not be capable of the further extended concept of free-will and it’s related free-thinking; without those elements we would not be capable of having authors such as Milton and the ability to discuss, debate and interpret such amazing works.
Librivox. Paradise Lost by John Milton. (2008). Audio/Web. Retrieved 16 Nov. 2011 from http://librivox.org/paradise-lost-by-jo
Milton, John. Paradise Lost. (1667). Retrieved 16 Nov. 2011 from http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/to
Palmer, Jeremiah. Satan = Epic Fail. (2011). Retrieved 8 Dec. 2011 from http://kg4vma.livejournal.com/579673.htm
ESSAY 3: 100 points. Develop an essay of 500 to 750 words minimum/maximum with an introduction, body, and conclusion. Be sure to argue a particular point of view in your essay (your thesis) and cite varied examples from the readings in MLA format in order to support your perspective. Include a works cited page. Whatever you do, DO NOT give me an autobiography of the author or retell a story.
You may choose your topic for this paper from any one of the forums or literary response questions from weeks 10-13 of the course.
Please draw on the texts from this week's reading to support your conclusions.
...and a preface/note attached to my submission:
...I cannot deny that I am knowingly turning this one in late. For some reason, I found this one hard to write...
...I pretty much hit a wall in trying to think of a way of saying more on Paradise without repeating myself. I still end up repeating myself, but not as bad as I thought I would...
...unsurprisingly I went over the max word count again; but I did manage to get it shorter than my first writing on Paradise!
...and now the actual writing:
Satan: The Root of All Emotion
Who or what do we have to thank for making us who we are? Many would answer this question from a more tangible and personal perspective, and reply by answering with the names of their parents, loved ones, peers and educators. Some would answer the question from a scientific perspective and mention their parents and families with an eye toward genetics. Finally, others might answer the question from a spiritual standpoint and give thanks to their deity. But of those answering with religion, would they think of an entity that is associated with evil? Would one of a Judeo-Christian based faith ever give pause to recognize Satan?
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of being introduced to Paradise Lost. While reading this epic tale of man’s fall from grace—and the events which led to that point—I became engrossed, enveloped and intrigued. I went back, rewound and re-read several sections and evaluated what my eyes were seeing and what my ears were hearing [Librivox, 2008] and developed a series of thoughts from my interpretations of the work. Some of the most startling points—yet not quite surprising once given thought—were feelings of sympathy of, relation to, and thankfulness for the Devil (Palmer, 2011).
I carried these thoughts on with me for a few days, and shared the tale as I had read and interpreted it with a few different people—my marriage counselor included.
I began to share my feelings from Paradise with the counselor by stating that I had been given the task for an assignment to state which character I had an affinity for; with only slight hesitance and an odd near evil smile I informed her that I chose Satan (Palmer, 2011). After catching a quick glimpse of the counselor’s confused, almost disgusted face, I explained the tale for it was obvious that she had never read it.
I explained how it seemed that Satan’s emotions were just, in the sense that they were quite similar to feelings that are human in nature. In his life prior in Heaven, Satan—then the angel Lucifer—had learned of God’s Son; the Son was created by God to aid in the reign of Heaven and was to share in all His glory power. Lucifer had become very upset of this, as he felt that having a second master—one which was not entirely separate of the first—was unfair; additionally, Lucifer felt that any seat that was to be created as a second chair of sorts should be allowed the appointment of a being already in existence, such as he or another of his fellow angels. Lucifer gathered a group of angels which shared in his feelings and then proceeded to challenge the Throne. Ultimately the Father and Son prevailed. (Milton, Book IV 615-7, 655-62)
Having been exiled from Heaven and banished to Hell, Lucifer—now Satan—and his cohorts plotted an attempt to retaliate by laying claim to God’s next creation—earth and Man (Milton, Book II 1-389). In his attempt, Satan did fail, yet succeeded in helping to define some of Man’s later characteristics. This failure helped in my expressing how Satan was one who deserved some attention without being given honor or praise—attention somewhat akin to that which is given to important figures in history like Adolf Hitler.
Satan had—through the understanding of “human” emotion—rightfully felt scorned by his Master. As I had stated in my previous writing on Paradise and my retelling to my counselor any number of people here on earth in our current time would view such an act within our society—government, business, and perhaps even familial lives—as egregious; to have a leader create and fill a position with one of close, personal kinship is unquestionably distasteful, unethical and even immoral. Applying this human emotion to Satan’s actions—as Lucifer—thusly makes his response understandable. Likewise, his actions of attempted recruitment of Man and claim of earth in retaliatory vengeance makes certain logical sense under the influence of “human” emotion.
Here is where I began to express slightly in my prior writing and more so in my dialogue with the counselor that the concept of human emotion was not entirely born of Man’s sin against God by eating of the fruit, but through Satan’s infectious influence based on his emotions. Prior to Satan’s contact with Eve, Man had few emotions—if we can call these elements such. Man only knew how to Honor His Grace and show Love and Appreciation to the Father; Man had no concept of lesser feelings of honor, love, appreciation, nor any vertical, diagonal or reverse of these emotions. All of these emotions had, however, existed previously and were known too well by Satan. Through his temptation of Eve, and her temptation of Adam, Man later awoke with these emotions and were rendered less perfect and more human.
I opened this writing asking who or what should be thanked or given attention for making us who we are—the commonality between the answers being some element of our past. I had stated that many of us would mention our parents and varying elements of our upbringing and experiences; from here I dove into an odd point on the topic of religion. I shared how one piece of Judeo-Christian history—portions being considered apocryphal—as dramatized in writing through Milton’s Paradise Lost. In doing so I have presented the reader of this essay an idea which many may at first—like the counselor to whom I mentioned sharing the notion with—think as heretical and insane. To regard Satan as an important influential character on humanity is utter nonsense; or is it? Without this ultimate “embodiment” of evil would we be able to properly contrast good?—we would not be able to contrast good at all; nor would we be capable of knowing such things as sin, anger, jealousy, etc.
More importantly, we would not be capable of the further extended concept of free-will and it’s related free-thinking; without those elements we would not be capable of having authors such as Milton and the ability to discuss, debate and interpret such amazing works.
Works Cited
Librivox. Paradise Lost by John Milton. (2008). Audio/Web. Retrieved 16 Nov. 2011 from http://librivox.org/paradise-lost-by-jo
Milton, John. Paradise Lost. (1667). Retrieved 16 Nov. 2011 from http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/to
Palmer, Jeremiah. Satan = Epic Fail. (2011). Retrieved 8 Dec. 2011 from http://kg4vma.livejournal.com/579673.htm
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