The Imaginary Invalid

The Imaginary Invalid was written by John Baptiste Moliere (This was actually the last play Moliere wrote) This comedy is about a hypochondriac who is trying to marry his daughter, Angelique, to a doctor. He figures if his daughter marries a doctor, he will be taken care of any time one of his health issues flair up. Conflict arises as Angelique tells her father that she is secretly in love with Cleante. Her father gives her two choices, she will either marry the doctor he has selected for her or she is going to be sent to a convent. "Antics ensue as various characters attempt to influence the fathers decision." Despite all of the drama, this story has a happy ending. Angelique and Cleante end up together and the father becomes his own weird kind of doctor.

Professor Nickolas Dixon did a fantastic job directing, choreographing, and designing the costumes and makeup for this play. The story line was very humorous and was quite entertaining...it kept your attention throughout the entire play. The world that was painted by the characters, outfits , and set was very off the wall, flamboyant, exotic, and fantasy like. It made me feel as though I was in a movie like Big Fish. It truly was an "imaginary" world. The stage was set up as the outside of a big house. It was closed originally but as the opening scene ended they opened it up to show the inside of the house...this is where most of the show took place.

Going into this, I was not sure what to expect, all I knew was that it was a play at Southeastern University that I was required to attend. I am glad I saw this. It was funny, entertaining and definitely worth the $5 it cost to see it.

Painting =)

I chose to paint a scene from When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd. As one reads through the story, he or she would read about many of the things painted in this picture. Despite the sadness of President Lincolns death, Walt Whitman described the beautiful day in which the funeral was held. I wanted to somewhat capture this day.

Blogging

I am not going to lie, when I first found out that we were required to write a blog for an Intro to Lit class, I was a little skeptical. It was an assignment unlike anything I had ever had to do and I did not quite understand its purpose. As time has gone on, the reasons for this blog have become very clear. It is not only an opportunity to reflect upon the assigned readings we have done, but it is an opportunity to make a little literature of our own. Although this blog is really insignificant (in relation to all the things going on in this world), it really excites me to write it. This blog allows me to share my feelings and thoughts; it makes me feel like I have a voice.

In class on friday, Professor Corrigan handed out a paper with three different blog posts on it. He gave the class time to read them over and then give both our opinions and what we thought his opinion would be about them. After reviewing some of my peers blogs and reading over the guide to blogging again, I now have a clearer idea of how to make my blog the best it can be. It was extremely helpful to read three completely different styles of writing. I saw what a really good blog looks like and I saw what a really bad blog looks like.

I do not want people to read my blog and think that that I only did it because it was a homework assignment; I want them to read it and know that I put thought, time and effort into it. I want people to sort of get to know me a little better through my writings. It will be exciting to see the progress of everyones blogs at the end of the semester.

Walt Whitman's Poem

When I first read "When the Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" I can honestly say, that I had no idea what in the world Walt Whitman was talking about. After discussing with my peers and talking about the different ways in which one should look at this poem, (e.g. historically, biographical, structural, and death and poetry) I began to understand it a little better. It is a very interesting story. It discusses both grief for those who had lost friends and family members in the war, and was written as a memorial for President Lincoln.

Not all literature is clear right away. Sometimes it takes re-reading something over and over again to fully grasp the meaning of the text. "This is the basic premise of modern day literature study-never in this life will we see the text face to face but always as through a glass darkly so that we can only read and re-read to the best of our ability." (Professor Corrigan)

Cemetary

"I went to the Lakeview, Roselawn and Tiger Flowers cemetery complex for this fieldtrip, and I stayed there for at least 40 minutes."

It was interesting to sit in the cemetery and read the poem. It was nice. It kind of brought the story to life.

Ohhh Onions

The Traveling Onion by Naomi Shihab Nye was a very interesting poem. After I first read it, I began asking myself: Why in the world did Naomi write a story about onions? Is this story actually about onions, or is there more to it? If there is more to it, then what did she mean? I was confused when she said things like, "I could kneel and praise all small forgotten miracles", "a history revealed", and "for the sake of others, disappear"; it was not until we had group discussions that I truly began to understand what she meant by those phrases. I thought that I was missing something because I did not fully understand what the poem was about. It was not until after we completed the "experiment" that I found that it is okay to ask questions and to be a little confused even after reading and re-reading the story again.

After discussing this story with my peers, I have come to the conclusion that The Traveling Onion is about taking time a recognizing the "small" or insignificant things in life...whether it is as small and significant as an onion or as serious as a person. This life we live would not be the same if it were not for the little things in life. Stew would not be the same if it did not have the onion in it..this world would be incomplete if it were not for each and every one of us..no matter how small or insignificant we may feel.

Jeremiah 29:11 "'For I know the plans I have for you', declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" & Psalm 139:13-14 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

Joel

Monday’s class was very interesting. I have never done anything quite like what we did. Who would have thought that reading to a bunch of plants, water, birds and cars would be so invigorating? I felt somewhat freed after reading the book of Joel aloud. Despite the fact that a large part of the book of Joel is about the judgment of God...I was reminded of how awesome God really is. While looking out onto the water, I was reminded of how beautifully intricate and amazing the earth really is. It truly testifies to his authorship, creativeness and power.

The section of Joel that really got my attention was the section titled "Deliverance Promised". In the middle of all of this judgment, drought, famine and death, God promises deliverance. He talks about the vastness and power of His army....and how he will repay the people for their vindication. He promises an abundance of all of the good things one would desire. It was through Joel’s use of similes and imagery that the stories really came to life. As you read throughout the entire book, there is a picture that is painted for you.

The most important thing that impacted me from this reading is that no matter what happens in this world, no matter what the enemy throws your way, there is hope in Christ. Whether we realize it or not, Christ is coming back. We must keep our minds and hearts pure...He is coming back for a spotless bride, a bride who is patiently yet eagerly awaiting his return. We must keep our eyes fixed upon his face. I do not want to miss out on all that God has for me in this day and age. Do you? It is time not to prepare for the return of Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Overview of A Grief Observed

A Grief Observed, really taught me a lot about myself and about the grieving process. The major things that I will take away from this book are 1) suffering is a normal part of life...whether we want to or not, we will all experience grief in some form or fashion. C.S. Lewis showed different ways in which one can grieve. 2) Lewis showed that it is okay to be vulnerable and transparent. We so often like to deny or ignore our feelings and try to push them to the side in fear of what others may think. He has inspired me and showed me that it is okay to to be weak at times 3) With his metaphor of the "card castles" I more clearly realize the importance of the foundation upon which we build our lives on. It is important that we check and make sure that our relationships with God and others are legit. 3) and finally it is important to remember that despite how aweful our lives may be....there is always hope. Times may get dark and you may feel lonely, but God is always there. It is okay to be real with God and ask him questions...it is in those times of asking questions and seeking him that we truly find him.