Kelly Stoll's Journal

Last Post

2005-12-12T23:20:00.000-08:00

It has been a great semester and I have enjoyed reading everyone's journals. Good Luck on Finals everyone and have a great Christmas break!

Mick's paper

2005-12-12T22:49:00.000-08:00

Wow, after reading Mick's final paper in its entirety, I now have a new-found respect for the Matrix Trilogy. My favorite movie has been the Matrix since it came out several years ago and after doing some research, I found some information on the Biblical references and images in the movie. But, wow-Mick did an excellent job of researching this topic, uncovering far more imagery than I even could have imagined. I was intrigued and thoroughly interested by his insight and now I'm going to have to go watch all three movies again and keep his paper close by!

Final Paper

2005-12-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

Memory is the mental faculty of retaining and recalling past experience. Without memory, we, as human beings would not be able to function. Cultures, before writing was invented, were oral. In other words, everything was communicated through speech. In an oral culture, members trained themselves in the art of memory so they could successfully survive in their environment. In an oral culture, a town storyteller, who has committed thousands of lines to memory would be the source of literature and entertainment.
Obviously, memory is a main aspect of human existence. However, in the United States, as members of a written culture, most people do not train themselves so eloquently in the art of memory. In fact, most rely on written literature to communicate stories and many things are remembered through writing.
This semester, in Biblical and Classical Literature this semester, I began thinking about memory and its importance to our subject matter. First, I recalled the Muses from Greek literature. Mnemosyne, whose name means memory, was mother of the famous Greek Muses. From reading Greek literature, we can see the importance of this goddess and her importance, in turn gives illustrates memory as a central theme. Plato recognizes her importance, "... and in addition to the gods you mentioned I must call upon all the rest and especially upon Mnemosyne. For practically all the most important part of our speech depends upon this goddess ..." (Critias to Hermocrates. Plato, Critias 108d). And it is true that memory is the most important part of speech because, without it, we could not function.
The first reference to memory that I think of when recalling the Bible is the “last supper”. Jesus breaks bread and gives it to his disciples, saying, “this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22.14). Remembrance of Jesus, after he died was successful. The writers of the Gospels remembered Jesus’ life for years and eventually wrote his story down on paper. And now, 2000 years later, we still remember a man who lived so long ago. Although written literature played a large part in remembering his life, generations still had to remember that the stories were important, and read them.
There are countless other references to memory throughout Classical and Biblical literature. However, being in class this semester, with “memory” in mind, something sparked my interest. Several people in the class amazed me when they successfully recited passages from the Bible. These feats of memory really got me thinking about why people memorize the Bible and how they do it. I have never memorized a passage from the Bible on my own accord. Of course, hearing verses and prayers in church has instilled lines in my memory. But, I am curious about the people who actually spend great amounts of time memorizing.
In a way, these people are keeping the oral tradition alive by training themselves, through technique and structure for the ultimate goal of memorization. There are several reasons why people memorize the Bible. First of all, people are essentially testifying to the validity of the Bible when they choose to memorize. For many Christians, the whole book was inspired by God, and every word is seen as the word of God. So, therefore, they must memorize God’s word. Second, people say that memorizing the Bible is one of the best ways to integrate the Bible into your life on a daily basis because moments in meditation and memorization will be beneficial to you relationship with God. Third, knowing the bible from memory can help one explain and quote passages to others who do not know scripture. Furthermore, the argument for memorizing whole chapters stems from the fact that Bible verses can be taken out of context if chosen from the middle of a section and “God’s word” could be interpreted incorrectly.
Whatever the reason for memorizing scripture, one must practice certain techniques for accomplishing the feat. One of the first places I searched, I found techniques on memorization using visuals that closely resembled the “Memory Theatre” of Giulio Camillo. Lists are everywhere in the Bible and the ability to memorize a complicated list can be very beneficial to a person. By placing pictures in strategic locations in your mind, one is able to successfully navigate through the visuals, making associations and remembering words or things. Another technique is memorizing through computer programs. I was amazed to find so many different programs solely designed to help a person memorize scripture. A more complicated technique that I came across dealt with a digit-number system. In this system, each letter of the alphabet was assigned a number. Eventually, through this process, one could master the ability to recall page numbers and exact locations of verse. There are countless other techniques for memorizing scripture. However, whatever technique a person uses, he or she must diligently repeat and practice or else the Bible will “fall out of memory”.
No matter what a person’s motivation to memorize the Bible, I cannot help but appreciate the skill and time it takes a person. It is true, that even now, in this age of written and electronic communications, people can still accomplish monumentous tasks of memory if they put their minds to it.

Group 3 presentation script

2005-11-30T23:30:00.000-08:00

David vs. The People

All rise for honorable Judge Debbie (everyone in class)

Judge-
You may be seated. I call for opening statements.

Prosecution-
Today in this courtroom, we will witness an open and shut case. The defense may try to fool you into believing falsehoods and supernatural occurrences. However, do not allow yourself to be fooled. What we have here today is a man who so eloquently trained himself in the art of fighting. A man who honed his skills till the opportune moment arose where he could showcase them. However, although his skills may seem impressive, we cannot forget the real reason we are here today. A man was killed. Now this was not your ordinary man. True, he was tall in stature and big in girth. But appearances can be deceiving. Goliath was in fact a caring loving individual whose life was cut short when he was viciously murdered by this man, David. When you decide today what the outcome should be, keep in mind that this man has free choice and he chose to do evil.

Now, may I direct your attention to a reenactment of this brutal murder.

Defense-
Now, we have heard the prosecution speak of murder and free choice. But I want everyone here today to take a step back and realize this situation in its entirety. Goliath was not a good person. He was ruthless, he was heartless, he was a killer. David, on the other hand is just a simple little shepherd. He is practically harmless to anyone. On the day in question, he was only doing what any of us would have done- defending himself from a tall, frightening individual. So I call on everyone today to realize that people do have free choice and that defending yourself is a choice that David made.

Now, watch the defense’s reenactment.

Prosecution-
The people call David to the stand your honor.
Now, David, may I trouble you for you full name?
So, you have no last name, just David?
Alright then, Mr. David, how old were you at the time of this incident?

Defense
Objection, relevance!

Judge
Overruled- get to the point

Prosecution-
So, would you consider yourself a man, fully capable of deciding between right and wrong?

Is it true that at an early age, as a shepherd, you developed fighting skills by defending your flocks from wild animals including lions and bears, which, if I might add, are two of the fiercest and most threatening animals in these parts?

Is it also true that these skills are now great enough and have developed with age that you could not only fend off wild animals, but that you could possibly kill a man?

Defense-
Objection- how could the witness possibly answer this hypothetical question?

Judge-
Sustained- watch it!

Prosecution-
Is it true that the man you murdered, Goliath, was in fact a man with a family, a wife and 8 children?

David-
Well, I don’t…

Defense-
Objection your honor!

Judge-
Sustained

Prosecution-
Alright, Mr. David, on the day in question, were you present on the hills of Elah?
And, is it also true that although short in stature you readily volunteered to take on a man 9 feet tall?
And, furthermore, after you volunteered to fight this man, Goliath, did you go to a nearby creek and gather five stones which you intended to use for murder?

Your honor, if you will allow it, I have a picture to show everyone.

As you can see, in Exhibit A, this man was killed with precision and skill. The stone did not bounce off him. It in fact went directly through his skull. This shot was not meant to defend a person, it was clearly meant for murder. No further questions your honor.
Defense-
David, when this event occurred, you were in war time, correct?

David-
Yes, this is true.

Defense-
Was Goliath armed?

David-
Most definitely- sword, shield, the works.

Defense-
And did he threaten your life?

David-
Yes.

Defense-
Can you tell us the exact words he used?

David-
“Come to me and I will give thy flesh to the fouls of the air and to the beasts of the field.” I’m gonna kick your trash.

Defense-
I see. And David, how much would you say you weighed at the time of this incident?

David-
Around 125

Defense-
And how much would you say Goliath weighed?

David-
Around 450

Prosecution-
Objection! Speculation

Judge-
Sustained

Defense-
No further questions, your honor.
Judge-
Closing statements please.

Prosecutor-
In closing, I ask the Judge to do what’s right. Send this man to prison.

Defense-
David is innocent, he was clearly defending himself against a man four times his size.

Memory

2005-11-24T22:23:00.000-08:00

I was perusing through Frye's, Words With Power and I stumbled upon a quote that I feel illustrates Frye's title.

"Thus when the god Thoth, at the end of Plato's Phaedrus, proudly displays his invention of writing, he is merely told that he has discovered a means of destroying the human memory"(295).

If you ask me, the people heralding the destruction of human memory could be considered Luddites. There are many people today who still keep the oral tradition alive. Writing hasn't completely destroyed memory. It has just made things a little easier on us!

The Furnace

2005-11-14T21:51:00.000-08:00

Frye gives us a very detailed description of "nothing" on pages 288-289. First he asks the question, "What did God make the world from, or out of?" The orthodox answer is "out of nothing." Frye goes on to write, "A part from the 'no thing' aspect of the word, which is an accident of the English form of it, we are confronted first of all by the double meaning of nothing as meaning both 'not anything' and 'something called nothing.' The ladder is normally spelled with a capital N, to distinguish the non-existent from a negative existent. For something called nothing is something, whatever it is called. So if we say that nothing is co-eternal with God, we make a very innocuous, not to say tautological, statement, but if we say 'Nothing (nothingness, something called nothing) is co-eternal with God' we are making a very different statement, and to many people a most disturbing one. . .

A. There is nothing to be afraid of.

B. Wrong. There is Nothing to be afraid of. . .

Where there is nothing, there is God."

The Furnace Chapter was hard for me to decipher- especially the "nothing" section. I did, however, pick out some key points which I believe Frye was trying to make. First, he states that humans cannot understand the concept of making something out of nothing and for some people, this notion can be quite disturbing. It's kind of like imagining the end of the universe- it just can't be done- our minds cannot fathom it. Second, Instead of there being nothing to be afraid of, there is Nothing to be afraid of. God, could be said to be the Nothing which we are afraid of. I;m not sure if I interpreted this even close to the mark, but I tried! If nothing else, this passage from Frye could be a good topic of conversations for you and your roommates over a couple of beers.

Our group tried to piece together Frye's thoughts into some sort of order. To accomplish this order, we ended up making sockpuppets! I hope the class enjoyed our Furnace of Hell, purgatory, of perhaps, even Nothing.

Answer to an Interesting Question

2005-11-13T16:07:00.000-08:00

On Rae Ann's journal, she posed the question, why weren't Orestes and Electra angry about the death of their sister? This really is a great question and I've wondered the same thing too. It's like Iphigenia didn't mean anything to them. But, obviously, their murdering father did. I have to agree with Rae Ann on this one, this question definitely troubles me.

Lightbulb # 4

2005-10-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

On page 113 of Frye in the Spirit and Symbol chapter, Frye writes, "Sentimental readers say that it will kill a poem to analyze it, but reading, like eating, is a predatory activity, except, of course, that what is read exists both en soi and pour soi, in itself as well as for itself, and, like Robert Graves' white goddess, obligingly renews its virginity for the next reader. In fact, it can, and should, renew it for the next reading by the same reader."

A poem can be analyzed and interpreted in countless ways, depending on the person. Obviously some people do not agree with poetry analysis. However, I like how Frye put it when he said that a poem "renews its virginity for the next reader." I believe this is how poetry should be - interpreted differently from person to person.

I think an interesting question to ask yourself is "If an author of a poem says that a line should be interpreted a certain way, does that make that interpretation fact and close it for future interpretation? After all, the writer of the poem can't be wrong. . . ."

Time as Hell

2005-10-18T22:32:00.000-07:00

I'm telling you, if there was one time I had to say that I experienced time as hell, it was when I went through my tooth surgery. First of all, I was drinking out of a glass bottle when someone I didn't even know elbowed the back of the bottle, breaking my front tooth off at the gum. It really hurt but since it wasn't knocked out, I figured I could wait until I went home from college to get it looked at. Needless to say, 2 months later, after not being able to eat on that side of my mouth, I finally made it to the dentist and he told me that the tooth was indeed broken and actually holding on by a nerve. Well, one surgery and $1800 later, I had a new tooth.

You'd think it would have all stopped there. But, no! Soon after, I got a serious infection and the tooth had to be removed yet again. For the next year, I had to wear a retainer with a tooth on it! Talk about embarrassing! After almost two years with the inability to really enjoy chewing my food, I was finally healed.

Talk about a living Hell!!!

Lightbulb # 3

2005-10-16T21:32:00.000-07:00

On page 104 of Frye in the Spirit and Symbol chapter, Frye writes, "It is a puzzling feature of the New Testament that the Gosples are not historically its earliest documents. Paul's genuine epistles are earlier, and Hebrews and Revelation at least not obviously later. Evidently there seemed to be no pressing need for narrative account of Jesus as a historical figure until he actually became historical, a figure in the past who is now gone and had left only the Messianic vision behind him."

This passage caught my attention because I never really thought of the Bible as this before. Why wasn't Jesus written about earlier? Why is it that the Gospel writers waited years to give the narrative account of Jesus if he was such an influential person? These questions are interesting to think about and definitely make me wonder.

http://www.geocities.com/medea19777/atreus.html

2005-10-14T23:03:00.000-07:00

Go to this site for the story of the House of Atreus and some great pictures. You are sure to be entertained by cannabalism and torture. Enjoy.

Lightbulb #2

2005-10-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

On page 69 of Frye in the Identity and Methaphor chapter, Frye explicates, "The act of reading, or its equivalent, consists of two operations that succeed one another in time. We first follow the narrative, from the first page or line to the last: once this pursuit of narrative through time is complete, we make a second act of response, a kind of Gestalt of simultaneous understanding, where we try to take in the entire significance of what we have read or listened to. The first response is conventionally one of the listening ear, even if we are reading a written text. The association of the second response with visual metaphors is almost inevitable."

I thought about this statement and how it related to me and how I read literature. First, I read for a plot from beginning to end. And then when I'm done, I try to make meaning of the book as a whole. It is impossible to not complete the second operation. However, I think that the second reading operation actually begins when we start reading a book and our mind tries to piece together unified significance. However, it is not until the end of the piece of literature that we can fully come to terms with this unity.

Misprison

2005-10-01T22:40:00.000-07:00

The other day in class, we were talking about misprisons. I hear song lyrics wrong all time and needless to say, I sing them wrong also. My favorite mistake, or misprison, is the Natural Woman song by Aretha Franklin:

Instead of "Your the key to my piece of mind"
I said, "Your the key to my piece of pie"

I'm guessing many of you know this song. Hey-the key to my pie- I just thought it had something to do with key-lime pie! Oh well, you live and learn.

Grapes of Wrath

2005-09-28T18:46:00.000-07:00

I thought a little humor was in order after hearing about the Grapes of Wrath in class. Squishing people under your feet, blood splurting everywhere, trampling things. Better not sin, or you'll be made into blood-wine.

Lightbulb # 1

2005-09-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

On page 31 of Frye in the Concern and Myth chapter, Frye writes, "Myths have thus two contexts. In their structure they resemble other types of story, and so are potentially literary. But, in early socieities they also develop a social function that we have been calling ideological. They play a leading role in defining a society, in giving it a shared possession of knowledge, or what is assumed to be knowledge, peculiar to it. Its proclamation is not so much 'This is true' as 'This is what you much know.' Such a mythology is close to what is meant by the Biblical term torah, essential instruction, including the laws, which no one can be excused from learning."

What struck me about this passage specifically is the statement that there are certain things that a society tells members they must know. However, these important things may not actually be truth, but in fact, a construct that society uses to control. Because knowledge is power whether or not it is truth is really not the issue. For example, a large portion of the world's population believes that Jesus rose from the dead. Whether or not this is truth is beside the point, as long as people believe in it.

Furthermore, on page 33, Frye writes, "Myths that are no longer believed, no longer connected with cult or ritual, become purely literary; myths that retain a special status in society are translated into logos language, and are taught and learned in that form."

Frye states that myth which is no longer believed simply becomes literary. I think this can be related to the Bible. Many people do not believe in the miracles or stories, etc... of the Bible, so for them, the Bible is purely a piece of literature, or a good book to read.

Documentary Hypothesis

2005-09-15T17:18:00.000-07:00

I googled "Documentary Hypothesis" and came up with a little bit of information. The Hypothesis, in a nutshell, is an analysis that shows that the Pentateuch, or first five books of the Bible were written by more than one person. Basically, these books are divided into stories written by four different authors. Among these four, there is the J-writer, or the Jawist; the E-writer, or Elohist; the P-writer, or Priestly source; and the D-writer, or Deuteronimist. The P-writer is systematic and uses the word, "God". The J-writer uses "Lord God". There was also one more source for the Pentateuch which came in the form of the R-writer. This person was basically the editor of the other four writers. I found it interesting that the J-writer may have been a female. I would be intersted to read Harold Bloom's book on this subject. However, my impression as a Biblical/Classical student (not as a scholar) is that the Bible is awfully patriarchal in description and I feel that if the writer was, indeed, a woman, she would have written things differently. But, what do I know?- almost 2000 years is a long time ago and "things" were obviously different.

Still got it. . .kinda

2005-09-08T23:28:00.000-07:00

Amazing- somehow I pulled this out of my head from a year ago in Children's Literature. Unfortunately, I still don't know what any of it means. . .shows what a mind can remember even when a memory is just a collection of random words and non-words.

Enlglish and learn to pray plain
Lean on your Lunch, No cods before me, Practice preaching
Think in your stomach, Import through your nose. By faith alone
Season's weather. Gamorrah, Salong.
Lot's feed from your tidetable
Oil's well in your land
Let earwiggers wiveable teach you the dance
Now their laws assist them and ease their fall
For they met and mated
And bedded and buckled
And got and gave
And reared and raised
And brought Thawland within her danger
And turned them tarrying to the sea
And planted and plundered and pawned our souls
And pillaged the pounds of extramurals

First Entry

2005-09-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

Well, its the start to a brand new semester and I'm excited to be taking another Sexson class. "Biblical and Classical Literature" is the third class I've had with Dr. Sexson and so far, there are already emerging themes which connect the three classes together. One might ask, "what do 'Biblical and Classical Literture,' 'Oral Traditions,' and 'Children's Literature' have in common?" For starters, memory plays a intregral part. The Bible was written by numerous people who passed down stories from generation to generation. In an oral culture, the concept of storytelling was key to the survival of a culture's heritage, tradition, even essense because, without written word, people can only live on in stories. When a people tell stories, they put their own spin on it whether they mean to or not. In Haroun and the Sea of Stories, I learned how important stories are even when they are completely untrue. At the beginning of the class this Fall, Dr. Sexson said we would be studying the Bible as if it were a collection of stories. Whether true or untrue, these stories give the reader a piece of history and tradition which has been successfully passed down from generation to generation. Just re-member, stories are important and they can even save your life!