The Great Dictator

In doing research to try and figure out what this last blog should be about, I came across and unlikely (at least in my mind) film that seemed to break the mold. I am sure that not many of us think of Charlie Chaplin as the type to create a stir, in fact, all I remembered about him was the soundless movies with his funny mustache and silly dancing around. Low and behold in 1940 Charlie Chaplin wrote, produced, directed, and starred (as several characters) in The Great Dictator.

 

The Great Dictator was not only silent movie, but portrayed many scenes with sound.(I learned that Chaplin made not only silent movies but movies with sound as well). At the time that the movie was created and released, the United States was not yet at war with Germany or Japan. The war was well underway in Europe and the Jews were suffering at the hands of the Nazis. Like many movies today, The Great Dictator was created to expose what was going on overseas to the people. By the time this movie was created, the extent of the brutality that the Nazis were inflicting on the Jews was not yet publicly know (Chaplin would later state that had that suffering been widely know his movie would have never made it to the screen). Chaplin used his comedic skills to create a “spoof” of the situation, but it was obvious that his fictional characters were based real people, specifically Hitler (I did notice that Chaplin and Hitler shared some physical similarities).

Chaplin challenged the norm with this movie. He portrayed Jewish characters and their situation, which was still a very touchy subject. In America the movie was well received, but most countries in Europe banned the film. The owner of a theater in England premiered the movie, but was allegedly fined for it. In 1997 the movie was selected to be preserved by the Library of Congress stating that the film was “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”.

While I was watching the film, I felt a little guilty laughing at Charlie Chaplin. It seems that we should not laugh about such a serious matter, but his talent to expose things for what they are through his comedy is really amazing. Chaplin used his talent to make a very political stand, and in doing so left his mark on history.



Religion vs. Darwinism

I was really not sure where to do with this last concept blog, so I decided to step outside of my comfort zone.  Let me explain. My mother was a Catholic and my father a protestant. Their children were baptized as Catholics and attended all of the Catholic rights. By the time they adopted me (I am the eldest child of their son) my mother had left the Catholic Church and she and my father had joined a local Southern Baptist church. They were zealous to say the least. Growing up there were very clear belief systems set up for me. I never had to think about what I believed, I just accepted it. I never (even as a teenager) questioned anything, I blindly accepted everything as fact and would defend it to a fault. When I was 23 I met my husband, who is Catholic but would never blindly believe anything. He began to challenge my beliefs, not in an effort to change them, but in an effort to help me feel and think on my own, to create a defense for those beliefs that wasn’t memorized.

So, this blog because another challenge for me. I decided to explore Charles Darwin (I hear my mother from 150 miles away snarling). Since the last several years have been dedicated to my journey of self discovery, I thought this would be an opportunity to explore one of “Christians’” the most despised scientists Charles Darwin.

I could not believe what I was reading. He was good man. Charles Darwin was smart and wise. His parents, although with church ties, encouraged him to be a free thinker (imagine that).  He grew up in the church and going to Anglican schools. When Charles Darwin went on the Beagle, he often quoted the bible and told his comrades that a God was the lawmaker and the authority on morality. Through most of his life he believed that God used the principle of evolution for continued creationism. As he grew older and researched religion and science, his view began to change. He never denied that God was the ultimate lawmaker, but did not see evidence of “design” in the world around him. In his later days his family attended church and he took long walks, but remained close friends with the vicar. The Church of England did not always agree with Darwin’s theories or findings, but never accused him of any form of heresy. There were more liberal members of the clergy that found validity in his research and thought that his ideas and the Christian beliefs systems could complement each other.

After a life dedicated to research and discovery of the truth, Darwin struggled with the suffering he say amongst he species and began to question God as a deity (most of us can relate with the question “Why would an all powerful God allow such suffering?”).He never claimed himself as an atheist but wrote in 1879 “I have never been an atheist in the sense of denying the existence of a God. – I think that generally ... an agnostic would be the most correct description of my state of mind.”

Today the world stands divided on the ideas and theories of Charles Darwin. Scientists hold him as influential, groundbreaking, and setting into motion modern science. The church (specifically Christian Churches) preaches that he was wrong, and encourages their congregation to dismiss his ideas as false. Some scoff at his name and hold tight to creationism.

I think there is room for both. I think that God is the creator and evolution/natural selection the vessel. I am learning that not everything is “black and white”, there is a lot of gray. Charles Darwin was an amazing man, good friend, loving husband, and very dedicated father. His children grew up to be free thinking and education. England honored him by burying him next to Issac Newton in Westminster Abby (a church).

In the great and eternal debate of evolution versus creationism there is no clear winner. Science and religion have the capacity to greatly complement each other.  This is not a battle for “survival of the fittest”.  (Another snarl from my mother)

This trailer is for a movie not released in the US, yet is shows a very human side of Darwin, likable.

Annabel Lee

Twelve years ago my mother gave me a book. The book was black with gold embossing. On the cover was written “The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe”.

I remember the book was heavy and cumbersome. My mother told me that she wanted me to read some of the stories and poems in the collection and chose one to memorize. Whatever poem I chose to memorize I had to recite in front of our family on Thanksgiving Day (two weeks away). I remember being irritated at her and thinking that I had enough homework to do for school, the last thing I needed was for her to be giving me assignments at home. My mother was not one to be argued with, so I began flipping through the book. Within a few days I had read most of the stories and poems and was completely enthralled by the writings of Edgar Allan Poe. I choose to memorize Annabel Lee (mostly because it was short and the rhyming convention made it easy to memorize). What I didn’t know was that twelve years later I would have the poem memorized and be captivated by (and jealous of) the epic love that it describes.

Annabel Lee

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

This reading of Annabell Lee really captivated me and made me imagine that was Poe himself reading it.

Edgar Allen Poe wrote Annabel Lee in 1849. It is believed that it was written in May, but was not publicly printed until October 9, 1849, two days after his death. Although the poem is not technically a ballad, Poe defined it as one. Annabel Lee tells the story of a grief stricken man who has lost his soul mate. The man is young, but feels strongly about the love that he and his maiden shared. He speaks of the heavens being jealous of the transcendence of his love. When she taken from him, he blames the angels and their jealousy, and worships her memory. He also vows to love her despite their separation of death.

Many have assumed that Edgar Allan Poe was writing about his wife, whom he had lost two years prior. Others suggest that Annabel Lee is a symbol for all of the women that he lost in his life, including his wife, mother, and foster mother. No matter who Annabel Lee represents, the ideas and imagery of this poem are romantic and haunting. The reader feels his grief and movement through anger to pain and longing. In the fourth stanza, the man lashes out in anger:

 “The angels, not half so happy in heaven, Went envying her and me-Yes!- that was the reason.”

And then in the in final stanza sings a song of eternal remembrance to his love “For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;.”

All those years ago, I absorbed Poe’s short stories and other poems. I enjoyed their mystery and was horrified by their dark subjects. Yet, the poem I chose to memorize was just a poem. Now this poem means so much more. Poe was stricken with hardship and loss throughout most of his life. This poem serves as a collimation of this loss and his ability love eternally. We can all only hope that we are able to find love this transcendent.

Concept Blog #2 The Journey of Freedom

Last week the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church. The vote sat 8-1. As Chief Justice John Roberts read the ruling of the court, he was clear that, while he felt what the church was doing was hurtful; the Constitution protects them under freedom of speech.  The Westboro Baptist Church has become known for picketing the funerals of soldiers that died in Iraq. The signs they carry say things like “God Hates America” as the picketers claim that the deaths are God’s punishment for homosexuality.  It hurts, especially the families that are trying to mourn, but in America we are free. Free to express our opinion and beliefs. Had the Supreme Court ruled that the Westboro Baptist Church had no right to picket or state their beliefs, the fabric of our nation would begin to crumble. The centuries of work and countless wars would be for nothing. We would return the life our fore fathers fought against. Revolution and Freedom would become afterthoughts, distant memories.

It is undeniable that the Enlightenment and Revolution periods changed the world. The French Revolution, even though it didn’t end well, sparked a fire that could not be squelched. Among the list of amazing philosophers that shaped our world was John Locke.

John Locke was known as the “Father or Liberalism”. His ideas and writings influenced almost every aspect of our modern society. Locke presented the argument for religious tolerance in a manner that most of us take for granted and regard as common thought. He argued that belief cannot be compelled by violence and that religious diversity would create balance in society. From his ideas on religious tolerance came his belief and support of separation of church and state, suggesting that the state cannot stand judgment over the soul.

Locke did not stop there. He continued to write about basic human rights and toleration. His political views shaped the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.  Locke put on paper and spoke out what so many of his day were thinking. He trusted that humanity could handle freedom and ability to make decisions. Locke knew that who we are is a compilation of what we see and the experiences and education that we have had.  Our characters are built by the influences that have surrounded us throughout our life.

Perhaps even on a more personal level, I have often told my children that everyone is equal and encouraging them to be kind to people no matter where they come from. When my husband and I argue, we are so cautious to make sure that we don’t say anything hurtful, lest our children hear it. It was Locke who first suggested that what we say in front of our children and to our children will leave lasting impressions no matter how small or insignificant we think it is.

With John Locke it is hard to pick one concept of his that impacted our modern world when his life was filled with amazing writings and theories.  I feel his most important was freedom. The idea that we have rights to life and liberty. It was the forward and “enlightened” thinking of John Locke that laid the all important framework for our country. Because people believed in his ideas, they fought and died so that the generations that followed could say what they wanted and believe what they felt. Because of him we can say “God Bless America”.  

Concept Blog #1

I can only image what life must have been like five hundred years ago. Looking up at the sky in wonderment, with no idea what was up there or how vast it was. Watching life happen all around without any knowledge of how it all works together. Truly, modern society takes advantage of knowledge. We are truly blessed by concept that anything we want to know is only as far away as a click of a mouse or tap of a screen. There are endless possibilities, and no limit to education. We are only bound by our own curiosity.

While raising two children, I never stopped and thought “Who was the first person to ask ‘why’?” Instead I try to dodge the endless series of “Why”s.  “Mommy, why are there stars?”, “Mommy, how fast will it fall?” etc. Thanks the brilliant mind of Galileo and others of his time, I am able to answer those questions.

Galileo Galilei lived and died during the Renaissance Period.  During his life the world was in chaos. Times were changing and people were beginning to challenge the rigid teachings of the Catholic Church. In an effort to maintain power and control, the Church began the Inquisition which set out to quiet heretics, and silence all those that questioned the teachings of the Church. Galileo was among them.  His brilliant mind struggled with the ancient beliefs in science and astronomy.

Rather than sit silent, Galileo urged the Church to consider another point of view. Perhaps his colleagues were right and the earth revolved around the sun and not the other way around. Despite his attempts the Church called him a heretic citing scripture such as Psalms 104:5 and Ecclesiastes 1:5. Galileo opposed their argument suggesting that perhaps not all scripture was literal. Although official resistance to Galileo’s ideas and theories was lifted in 1835, it was not until 1992 that the Church finally absolved Galileo of his sins.

Galileo’s contributions were not limited to the skies. His influence spanned from astronomy to mathematics, physics, and technology.

In 1593, Galileo constructed a thermometer which can still be found today. In 1624, Galileo expanded and created an improved compound microscope. There are even stories told about Galileo dropping two balls of different weights from the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa to prove that they would fall at the same speed.

The more I researched Galileo, the more I felt that, even today, we don’t give him enough credit for his contributions.  Even though people like Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking credit him as being the “father of modern science”, his impact on our day to day life often is overlooked.

How many times have taken for granted the thermometer outside when I decided what to wear for the day? Never stopping to thing about the great mind behind the earliest thermometers. How often have I had my blood drawn, only for it to be analyzed under a microscope?

Even with all of his scientific contributions, I feel that Galileo’s most important lesson and legacy comes in the way he lived his life. I am able to tell my children to dream big, question often, and find the answers, because Galileo sought and found answers despite threats of death and years of imprisonment. His contributions enabled intellect to be set free, and for curiosity to know no bounds.

Art Encounter #1

For centuries people have turned toward the theater to offer an escape. Theater has offered society chance to watch a story unfold on stage (or on the movie screen) and escape from the reality of everyday life. Every society, throughout history, has developed its own version of the theater. From puppets that retell historical events and valuable fables to plays that had no words, only dance and music. In the middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church used theater for liturgical dramas and then public displays of Old Testament and New Testament stories. Each play had a “lesson” to be taught. It would seem that, like every other form of art, the Church was maintaining control.

By the Renaissance period, theater began to transform. The theater became a combination of ancient Greek tragedies, the Church’s liturgical dramas, and Italian masked theater Commedia dell'Arte.

The world was changing. The Elizabethan idea of theater was born. Professional companies of players emerged and England had a surge in the building of theater houses.  

From all of this emerged Shakespeare. Today his works are commonly read in high schools and colleges around the world. His plays have been created into movies, a different version for every decade. We read his work and see a talented man, but often overlook the struggles he must have endured. While theater was breaking from the Church and becoming a secular form of entertainment, Shakespeare’s ideas were still very unorthodox.

 

Shakespeare wrote what he saw and what he felt. No person or situation was out of reach of his quill. Royalty was humanized.  Nobility exposed for the very corrupt nature that he saw. I can only image that if we had a modern day version of “Shakespeare” the government would lock him up and throw away the key. His plays brought to life the deception, murder and lust that permeate every level of society. Until Shakespeare, nobility and royalty were protected and (at least at the surface) revered as untouchable. They were socially, economically, ethically, and religiously higher than everyone else. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, he displays a prince who finds himself in the middle of a web of corruption and murder. In Macbeth, he exposed weakness in nobility. Shakespeare suggested that no matter the station there are always secrets.

Today, we watch his plays brought to the movie screen. So many versions of these stories have been told. Shakespeare’s words have become timeless. The more I read and the more I research, perhaps the meanings of his plays have been lost. We shrug them off as Renaissance romanticism, but then I begin to reflect on our own forms of government. Not just in America, but around the world. We have not changed. We still revere those in government as “protected” from our everyday struggle. The current recession is a perfect example. Yes, most of us are struggling, praying for the next paycheck and to keep our homes, but those in governments around the world are ignorant to the burden. They make the decisions, but in the end will lay their heads on expensive pillows in expensive homes.  Perhaps we need a modern day Shakespeare-to shake things up a bit.

Hamlet said “To be honest as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand”. How true for all of us.

Week One

So week one is done and week two is off to a running start. The articles that we were required to read last week really got me thinking (I have a feeling that is going to happen a lot). My son thought it was funny that I was working on homework, but decided that he liked it and sat next to me with his homework. He would ask me what I was working on and when I tried to explain it he responded with "That sounds harder than fractions." Ha, out of the mouths of babes!!!