The Worth of the Soul

What would you sell your soul for? Money, power, intelligence,  immortality? For Dr. Faustus, it was lust for omniscience that tipped the scale. In a novel of the same name, Dr. Faustus’ desire for infinite knowledge leads him to sell his own soul to the devil in what is now archetypically referred to as a “Faustian Bargain.” For the remainder of his time on earth, Faust is more or less content with his decision, embracing worldly pleasures and enjoying his newfound intellect. It is not until his last days that Faust truly comprehends the gravity of the situation and the implications of what he has done. With the myopia of a worldly paradigm, Faust erroneously decided that what would end up being a fleeting moment of euphoria in newfound knowledge outweighed an eternity of torture. His story serves as a painful example of the punishment for straying from the hands of God. 

Everyone has desires. I believe that there is a point when such strong yearning transforms a desire into a personal vice. It doesn’t take a discerning eye to observe these vices manifesting themselves across the globe. Alcoholism, substance abuse, sexual lust, the list goes on and on. Though perhaps people in such situations are not explicitly selling their soul to the devil, I think acting upon dishonorable desires like the ones mentioned above degrades oneself and tarnishes the soul. It is a great irony that living a life of virtue should theoretically be so simple and yet is nigh impossible to accomplish. No one is above the influence of temptation, but there exist degrees in which we succumb to it. Humans are a fallen race, and sinning is our nature. It is how we react to the sin that shows the contents of the soul. Unlike Faustus, who fully embraced his sinful desires, repentance and genuine regret for sinning reveal character and indicate self-worth. Everyone has succumbed and “sold their soul” to some desire, but it is how we move forward that counts. 

The Golden Rule

We all learned it in kindergarten. The golden rule: treat others how you want to be treated. Unfortunately, such a simple maxim is apparently incredibly difficult to grasp for some people. Every human being has an equal, intrinsic worth, regardless of gender. That’s that. No one has any place to look down on someone because they’re a woman, or think someone is inadequate because they’re a man. Yes, males and females are different, but different does not mean unequal. For this reason, maintaining that the two sexes must be segregated and live out their lives in opposite spheres of social influence is ludicrous.

Edna Pontellier from Kate Chopin’s The Awakening suffers firsthand from such antiquated sexist prejudice. Ensnared in a stifling relationship, Edna searches for and ultimately finds a man who she believes will bring the extra dimension that has been missing from her life. Having her hopes raised and subsequently dashed by discovering she has conflicting intentions with her love interest, Edna is forced to make a difficult decision. Because her sex is suppressed by society and not afforded the same freedoms as men, Edna’s life as a wife and mother is dreary, oppressive, and a far cry from the life she intended for herself. Edna drastically reclaims her individual freedom by owning her own life and committing suicide. Though her situation is terrible and tragic, Edna becomes a martyr for women who are forced to alter their personalities and lives to satisfy men.

Though technically fictitious, Edna’s suppressed existence is an all too legitimate reality for far too many women in America and abroad. Though society as a whole is making great strides towards gender equality, perhaps most noticeably evidenced in the #HeforShe movement, we have a long ways to go before the two sexes are honestly treated as equals. But just like the old story about the boy throwing starfish back into the ocean, every person matters. For every individual that takes a stand through HeforShe and declares that man and woman are created equal, society is progressing in the right direction.  Eradicating millenniums of prejudice and discrimination will take time, but I believe it’s possible. I dearly hope that by the time I die, society will recognize that a person’s gender is secondary to the fact that they are first and foremost a human, all of which are equally deserving of respect.

True Love

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini was such an exceptional read that it never for a moment felt like homework. I think part of the reason the novel is so intensely gripping is because it leads the reader to undergo self- evaluation. Many Americans jokingly refer to “first-world” problems, but the concept is legitimate and troubling. How insignificant are our petty inconveniences compared to the struggles of the Afghani people, who daily risk their lives for the sake of their culture and religion? Reading the novel has led me to think introspectively; to be thankful for my numerous blessings and appreciate the privileges that I tend to take for granted.

Though it may not be the theme the typical reader would draw from the novel, I view A Thousand Splendid Suns as a tale of friendship. Two unlikely companions, Mariam and Laila, similar only in their husband and their appalling societal repression, form an unbreakable bond over their mutual status as personal property. The novel does an excellent job at demonstrating that the strongest kinds of love are often not sexual in nature. True love is not the rape that Mariam and Laila endure from their brutish husband Rasheed. It is the unconditional concern for another’s wellbeing that leads you to lay your life on the line.  There is no better example of such a powerful connection than the climax of the novel, when Mariam kills Rasheed. She knowingly accepts that life as she knows it will be over if she follows through with her actions. But, with Laila’s life at stake, Mariam places the life of her friend above her own.  Such a deep relationship is the epitome of love.

Thankfully, I have never been in a situation where I have had to place my life on the line for another. And though I dearly hope such a circumstance never arises, the principal of friendship as the purest form of love is readily applicable to the lives of each and every human being, no matter what their background. A Thousand Splendid Suns has made me appreciate the wonderful friendships I have, the people who you would do anything for, the people who would do anything for you. Though every friendship goes through rough patches, a friend is worth fighting for.

Cease-Fire

In chapter one of Slaughterhouse- Five, Harrison Star remarks: “An anti-war book? Why don’t you write an anti-glacier book instead?” The retort is so stinging because of its accuracy. Just like glaciers, wars have and will always exist, and are supposedly impossible to stop.

The novel proffers the concept that war is inevitable, a necessary evil. I don’t necessarily agree. Neither, I think, would the mother whose son is killed in combat, the father whose daughter is killed in an air raid, the countless children who are orphans of senseless violence. Nothing on this earth is more valuable than human life. What then, is worth fighting for if lives are lost in the process?

I won’t pretend to be educated enough to make an informed statement on the current conflicts in the Middle East (though I wish the media would admit the same), but what I can say is that it is constantly ruining lives. Maybe the war doesn’t affect many Americans, but it affects the lives of others, while Americans stand by in blissful ignorance of the devastation in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, and other countries.

I wish things were like Kindergarten. When you have a problem with someone, you talk it out. You aren’t allowed to swing fists and pick fights. If you do, you get sent to timeout. If only the metaphor could be extended to international relations. It’s just my wishful thinking, but I devoutly hope countries seriously consider the repercussions of the action of declaring war. I can’t say it better than Mean Girls: “I wish that I could bake a cake made out of rainbows and smiles and we could all eat and be happy.”

If wars are impossible to stop, let’s make sure they never get started.

A Collision of Cultures

Are the ways of one society superior, or more morally correct, than another? Who is to decide such things? These are among the issues are presented by James Rachels in The Challenge of Cultural Relativism. In his essay, Rachels ultimately rejects the theory of cultural relativism, that there is no absolute standard of right or wrong outside of societal constructs. However, in his repudiation of the theory, he commends it for its mandate that society keep an open mind to the views of others, and avoid instantly rejecting outside paradigms that contrast with ours.

This issue most notably presents itself in the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. In the story, a tale of cultural decimation unfolds when new European arrivals lead to the deterioration of the Igbo tribe. Achebe skillfully depicts the disastrous results ensuing from the juxtaposition of two opposing cultures. After reading the Rachels' essay, it is easy to see how the theory of Cultural Relativism could have helped prevent the destruction of Igbo society. Even if the theory was not embraced in its entirety, it could have engendered a respect for the indigenous peoples of African that the majority of the Europeans in the novel did not have.

We see the fallacious idea that one group’s beliefs, background, or way of life is superior to another even in the subcultures observed throughout the United States. Whatever your side on the issue, it is clear that the issues in Ferguson, Missouri, are being exacerbated by racial tensions and misunderstandings. These disagreements have lead to resentment, giving way to full out hatred, and exploding in violence. 

History shows us that the notion of cultural superiority has led to the downfall of many a society. Instead of responding to cultural differences with hate and violence, we should remember to keep our minds open and accepting, seeing diverse views for what they are: new (and not inherently incorrect) methods of perceiving the world. It takes a truly intelligent person to recognize that their perspective is not the be-all end-all authoritative paradigm on a subject. We have so much to learn from other cultures, and we should embrace them for all they offer instead of rejecting them in bigotry. 

Recipe For a Hero

The qualities and traits qualifying one as a hero vary greatly between different societies. Certain geographic areas and time periods each have notable and distinct attributes that they espouse as heroic. These different paradigms concerning heroism give valuable insight into the personal attributes most valued in a certain society and help paint a picture of that society’s “ideal individual.”

One example of a classic hero is Beowulf from the poem of the same name. Beowulf is the epitome of the stereotypical, medieval hero: he is valiant, noble, and most glaringly obvious, incomprehensibly and unbelievably strong. Beowulf does indeed perform great deeds: slaying monsters, rescuing kingdoms, etc.  However, his motives are questionable; whether he acts out of love for his country or love for himself is up to the reader’s interpretation. Personally, I see pride as Beowulf’s fatal flaw. Self confidence is beneficial, but believing oneself to be so strong to the point of immortality is ludicrous. No one is immortal, and thinking otherwise is not courageous, but foolhardy.

In my day-to-day life, the people who I see “heroified” most frequently are athletes. *bias disclaimer and rant warning* Sports are all good and well, but a quarterback is no better or worse a person than you or I because he or she can catch a ball and score touchdowns. What determines an athlete’s worth as an individual is the content of their character, not the contents of a scoreboard (or worse, the contents of a bank account). Seeing football, baseball, and basketball players exalted, glorified, and made out to be superhuman because of athletic prowess irks and disheartens me. The fact that our society sees a person’s athletic ability as more important than, say, the fact that they beat their wife is detestable and revolting. This repulsion is exacerbated by the overwhelmingly large paychecks these athletes receive. While some are altruistic and make charitable donations, the majority of these excessively wealthy athletes are not philanthropically inclined in the least. In my humble opinion, this is pure selfishness and greed. No solitary person needs to own such large sums of money; if someone comes into possession of such desirable finances, they should “share the wealth” and seek to pass on the good fortune that has evidently visited them. Granted, there are many athletes who are wonderful, down to earth people who embody admirable traits such as humility, selflessness, and a drive to better the world. However, I fear these respectable athletes are the exception, not the rule.

In my view, the true heroes are the people who don’t want be the heroes. The people who do benevolent deeds without expectation or desire for recompense. This is why I personally do not view Beowulf or athletes as deserving the status of hero. I would venture that 99% of the time, self-proclaimed heroes are not fit for the title. In reality, the legitimate heroes do their work silently, without praise and reward. These venerable, nameless individuals are constantly working to make the world a better place, and I thank them from the bottom of my heart.

The Importance of Music in a Well-Rounded Education

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