Butler, Camron
Now when you read the title I'm sure at least some people immediately think "how is cash a hero in this story?" While I know others already know what I'm about to talk about so there is probably minimal reason for reading this (except that you gotta get those comments done). Now into the thick of it. I would argue that Cash is the only real heroic figure in this novel because Cash is the only one not looking to benefit from the trip, as well as his selfless behavior and shy demeanor.
First we'll discuss Darl. I don't think Darl can operate as one of our heroes because he is somewhat of an outlier to everything. Cash even describes Darl as not being from this world. It's true that, like Cash, Darl doesn't have any real benefit from the trip. However, Darl and Jewel don't even want to go, they want to bury her in the Bundren plot. And even though Darl was our primary narrator he was kind of creepy at times and strangely obssessed with people's private affairs. Even though I like the effort and feeling Darl does put into the trip I don't think he is our hero.
Jewel is a simpler case, not to talk about in general, just in regards to him not being our hero. Jewel does have some "heroic" traits however I think they are over shadowed or not working in his favor here. Jewel is an "illegitimate" child and in many cases that's how hero's or at least protagonist's stories begin. You don't learn about it at the beginning but it comes up later that Clark Kent (you won't believe this) ISN'T actually the son of a couple of farmers from smallville just like Jewel isn't the son of Anse (Jewel is half preacher). Another trait he shares with some classis heroes is his rebellious nature. However, this trait, ends up working against him. That's because Jewel's rebelliousness seems to be rather self serving while well known heroes are often rebelling in order to help OTHERS. Jewel goes against Anse (by existing) when he does anything with his horse. Just getting the horse went against Anse. He got the horse for himself and got a breed that was so stubborn no one else could even ride it, sounds pretty selfish to me. I don't think Jewel is our hero.
Vardaman is a small child, he doesn't do much and his narratives are hard to read. I'm not voting him our hero. Meanwhile Addie's depressing outlook on life and seemingly malicious intent for Anse root her out as a dead heroine for me (even though the title is about her).
Dewey Dell told on Darl and got him sent to a sanitarium. But I liked Darl so I have a prejudice against her. Anyway, she doesn't help the group out really at all, she only wants to go to fix a personal problem, and once again, she got her own brother sent to a sanitarium for staring at her. I know it's creepy but at this time that's basically sending your own brother to be tortured for the rest of his (now probably shortened) life. Finally Dewey Dell just isn't a vary amiable character, I'm not saying you have to like someone for them to be a hero, nor do you have to have their same values or beliefs but she also just doesn't really do anything to deserve the title of hero.
I don't know who thinks of Anse as a hero anymore after the end of the book.
Positives about Anse: He keeps his word
Negatives about Anse: Everything else
Just undertaking an impressive task does not make you a hero, the journey was hard and some may consider impressive but Loki facing the adventures doesn't make him a hero even though it's impressive.
Now, back to Cash. Cash, on this trip, gets absolutely nothing. I think he gets a bannana actually but nevermind that. Cash goes on this trip with no ulterior motive other than to drop a toolbox off at Tull's place for a job he'll do later. His gain would be that he wouldn't have to carry it later, it wouldn't even save him time or anything. Additionally, Cash just seems to want to the trip to go well, he doesn't bring up objections and say they should just bury Addie in the Bundren plot, he's just ready to help out Anse in his quest and tries to make everything go as smooth as possible. He tries to inform people of the best ways to do thinks like ways of keeping Addie's coffin safe while on the wagon. Cash is also the only one we really see working for anyone else when he makes Addie's coffin. Obviously he doesn't charge Anse for the coffin and he makes it as nice as he can. The time we see Jewel hard at work on his own, it's for himself. Cash also makes more than one self sacrifice. There's obviously the river scene where he told Darl to get off the wagon while he could which resulted in Cash being seriously injured while Darl was unharmed. And this injury has pretty much ruined Cash. Being a carpentor with only 1 leg would be extremely challenging. And we never even hear Cash complain about this, he doens't even complain about the pain, Cash doesn't want to be a nuisance for anybody and wants to trip to go as planned. Cash didn't even want to stop and get a cast. I vote cash for As I Lay Dying's hero. Someone else should write about whether or not Cash meets Joseph Campbell's requirements for a hero's journey.
Please comment below any counter evidence or arguments you have with ma stuff because:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsYY5NgSyLQ
Friday, October 14, 2016
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Greece the Horror Comedy
Butler, Camron
Something touched on in class a little but didn't go very much into is the lack of morals amongst the gods in The Odyssey. The example that led us to the topic was the one of Poseidon and the Paeacians. Odysseus had reached their island home and been greeted as a stranger sent from Zeus. They gave him tons of riches, took him home via their fastest ship, and showed Odysseus a great time when he while he was there. This outrageously generous hospitality was a custom throughout all of Greece and the gods are the reason for this. Since they can disguise themselves as humans and even copy people's appearance, you never know who the strangers knocking on your door truly are. Because this is the case, hosts have to be super generous or risk upsetting a god who they've just disrespected. Upsetting a god is a pretty bad idea (unless you're looking to get stranded on an island for 10 years after watching all your friends die from a co-operative incompetence).
Hospitality seems like a pretty big deal in this world right? But we come across exceptions like Polyphemus who eats his guests. However, one could argue since Odysseus was aiming to abuse Polyphemus's hospitality he got what he deserved. I think the host should still try to be the bigger person though. And Polyphemus is bigger, he's just not a person. He's a son of Poseidon. Which leaves him in a position where he generally knows his visitor(s) already or his visitors are just little snacks with legs.
With Polyphemus we see Odysseus punished for trying to abuse hospitality. I think that strengthens the sense we already had that hospitality is something the gods put value in and everyone should oblige by. However, returning to the example of the Phaeacians, they don't seem to care at all about hospitality. The Phaeacians were the most hospitable people of the entire odyssey yet they are all doomed as a result. If we look at the scene where Zeus and Poseidon are deciding how to ruin their lives we can see there is no hesitation. They are a people who are favorites to Zeus and yet Zeus is the one that thinks of a more horrible fate for them than Poseidon, and Poseidon is the one they pissed off.
This scene, to me, shows the gods have absolutely zero morals, at least in regards to humans. Humans just seem to sort of be their playthings. Poseidon and Zeus don't mention that the Phaeacians are Zeus favorite when discussing their demise nor do they bring up how excellent their hospitality was. Instead Zeus says Poseidon can do whatever he wants as long as it makes him happy. To me that sounds just like when a kid asks their parent if they can do something with their toy, and instead of saying no that'll break it or something, they just tell them it's their toy and they can do what they want with it.
Finally our favorite goddess Athena who is gifted with wisdom seems to be the same way. She gets Odysseus set free because she seems to sympathize with him and wants to see him go home. No one even seems to have a problem with the fact that they're totally betraying Poseidon, they just don't want him there when it goes down so he can't complain or try to interfere. Additionally, Athena is siked for the slaughter and loves to trick and lie to people. Athena being so ready for the slaughter just shows that she doesn't really care what happens to people, she just wants some good ol' entertainment.
Living in this Greek world would be absolutely terrifying but reading it from the outside we can thankfully also get a couple laughs. The lack of sentiment the gods have for humans that aren't special to them really shows and tells (insert kindergarten joke here) us a lot about them and where they stand as the deities of this world.
Something touched on in class a little but didn't go very much into is the lack of morals amongst the gods in The Odyssey. The example that led us to the topic was the one of Poseidon and the Paeacians. Odysseus had reached their island home and been greeted as a stranger sent from Zeus. They gave him tons of riches, took him home via their fastest ship, and showed Odysseus a great time when he while he was there. This outrageously generous hospitality was a custom throughout all of Greece and the gods are the reason for this. Since they can disguise themselves as humans and even copy people's appearance, you never know who the strangers knocking on your door truly are. Because this is the case, hosts have to be super generous or risk upsetting a god who they've just disrespected. Upsetting a god is a pretty bad idea (unless you're looking to get stranded on an island for 10 years after watching all your friends die from a co-operative incompetence).
Hospitality seems like a pretty big deal in this world right? But we come across exceptions like Polyphemus who eats his guests. However, one could argue since Odysseus was aiming to abuse Polyphemus's hospitality he got what he deserved. I think the host should still try to be the bigger person though. And Polyphemus is bigger, he's just not a person. He's a son of Poseidon. Which leaves him in a position where he generally knows his visitor(s) already or his visitors are just little snacks with legs.
With Polyphemus we see Odysseus punished for trying to abuse hospitality. I think that strengthens the sense we already had that hospitality is something the gods put value in and everyone should oblige by. However, returning to the example of the Phaeacians, they don't seem to care at all about hospitality. The Phaeacians were the most hospitable people of the entire odyssey yet they are all doomed as a result. If we look at the scene where Zeus and Poseidon are deciding how to ruin their lives we can see there is no hesitation. They are a people who are favorites to Zeus and yet Zeus is the one that thinks of a more horrible fate for them than Poseidon, and Poseidon is the one they pissed off.
This scene, to me, shows the gods have absolutely zero morals, at least in regards to humans. Humans just seem to sort of be their playthings. Poseidon and Zeus don't mention that the Phaeacians are Zeus favorite when discussing their demise nor do they bring up how excellent their hospitality was. Instead Zeus says Poseidon can do whatever he wants as long as it makes him happy. To me that sounds just like when a kid asks their parent if they can do something with their toy, and instead of saying no that'll break it or something, they just tell them it's their toy and they can do what they want with it.
Finally our favorite goddess Athena who is gifted with wisdom seems to be the same way. She gets Odysseus set free because she seems to sympathize with him and wants to see him go home. No one even seems to have a problem with the fact that they're totally betraying Poseidon, they just don't want him there when it goes down so he can't complain or try to interfere. Additionally, Athena is siked for the slaughter and loves to trick and lie to people. Athena being so ready for the slaughter just shows that she doesn't really care what happens to people, she just wants some good ol' entertainment.
Living in this Greek world would be absolutely terrifying but reading it from the outside we can thankfully also get a couple laughs. The lack of sentiment the gods have for humans that aren't special to them really shows and tells (insert kindergarten joke here) us a lot about them and where they stand as the deities of this world.
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