Author: Noah Lieberman

Of things I have learned in ENGL 203 reader and text, my overall knowledge of classic literature has been improved. However, this is not the truly novel aspect of what my time in this course has taught me. The real value I have obtained from my time spent in course has been from my new peers who have exposed me to new a variety of ideas and perspectives I had not previously been immersed in. Crucial elements of our coursework being identity and the reader, I have been shown a good deal of alternative points of view and outlooks different from my own. The ability to understand text and information from the different backgrounds and lives of others is characteristic which cannot be understated in its importance to me as I pursue a career in federal law enforcement. Conflict resolution and compassion for others as a law enforcement agent requires to no little degree, the willingness to hear others out on their perceptions and understand the motivations of others. As such, I have been glad to share a classroom with people who are from vastly differing backgrounds, ideologies, and cultures than my own. Continue reading “The Importance of Dialogue and Teamwork – Reflections on ENGL 203”

Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll is a story which poses many questions with its strange and nonsensical world. As young Alice Little encounters fantastical and odd characters in Wonderland, her notions of what makes sense are challenged. Alice attempts to apply her experience to this new world and finds at every turn that Wonderland operates by a different set of rules. These new experiences call into question many of the things Alice believes, among them, her very own identity. One passage in particular stands out on the topic of Alice’s identity and what role it plays in her behavior:

“She generally gave herself very good advice (though she very seldom followed it), and sometimes she scolded herself so severely as to bring tears to her eyes; and once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself, for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people.”

As shown, Alice is a girl whose personal identity is not yet fully formed. This is understandable as she is quite young and an identity is something which takes time and experience to develop. This passage poses a question, just how greatly are our own identities influenced by the values, goals and actions of those around us? This question is one which fits well with the themes of madness and nonsense which are so prolific in Wonderland. The story suggests some complications as well as an answer in the way characters behave towards Alice when she tries to apply her logic to the things they say and do. Because Alice comes from a reality with a different set of rules, her expectations of things to come and how other characters will behave are not realized. In stark contrast to the seemingly unintelligible chaos of Wonderland, Alice has grown up in a rigid and orderly world with guidelines in place to regulate her behavior to fit it. In order to match these standards, Alice molds her identity in an abnormal way by playing the role of a harsh caretaker towards herself. From this, Alice finds herself a lawful and organized character trapped in a world of chaos and disarray.

Because of the upbringing she received in the world she has lived in, a part of Alice recognizes that she doesn’t want her identity to be that of someone who deserves scolding or cheats in games. Alice takes measures to correct negative behaviors in herself due to the expectations of those around her. In our youth, the way we are treated by others helps to form our identity, as do our own values and goals with our time in life.  Because we do not exist in a vacuum, we as individuals are amalgamations of our experiences and interactions with others. If we could know how many minds of others have influenced us and see how many lives have touched our own, we might realize how much we share with those around us.

Alice’s role as a sane and reasonable character causes her to stand out from the rest of Wonderland. This is how the story answers our question of how greatly we are influenced by our world and the people who surround us. What would be defined as nonsense to her in her world, makes sense to those who live in this world and vice versa. The world around us is what defines how we are labeled. Our identities as sane or insane, right or wrong, good or evil, vary depending on the company we keep. A world like Wonderland, which is by our set of standards abnormal, would label a young girl like Alice insane. It’s no different from how our societies would view the Mad Hatter if he lived in our world. Our identities as people and how we are labeled are not static. People adapt and change to fit their world when the rules and the people who make them are different.

In Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden, the author details his life in the wilderness in a narrative way which is meant to evoke thought and reasoning in the reader. Thoreau’s purpose in doing so is to attempt to convince the reader that his lifestyle has merit and value over that of ordinary city life for a number of reasons. Thoreau approaches this task not by disparaging the people who choose to lead traditional and common lives, but by pointing out the many injustices done to those people by the system they willingly make themselves a part of. Throughout his book, the transcendentalist utilizes a variety of techniques and methods to make his points to the reader. Notably, Thoreau makes the shift from his experiences to theory. By using his time at Walden Pond as anecdotal evidence, Thoreau makes a compelling argument for his lifestyle based off of his experiences. One example of this which stands out above others is in paragraph thirteen of Walden’s Conclusion.

Here, Thoreau’s sum argument is well encapsulated in a single paragraph. His appeal to the reader comes not as a demand or cries for change, but simply a request to view their world through his perspective. Thoreau cannot force anyone to share his unusual world view, but he can show others its value based on what he and they have mutually experienced. Thoreau argues that we should not hate our lives no matter how meager, dirty, or uncomfortable they may become. He proposes instead that we live our lives to the best of our abilities and appreciate the gift of life itself. He points out that no matter how amazing, wealthy, and luxurious a life can be, someone will always be able to find faults in it if they are to look for them. Having used his own life as proof, Thoreau tells us that we may find good times and fond memories to be made even in the darkest of places. As he writes:

“It is life near the bone where it is sweetest. You are defended from being a trifler. No man loses ever on a lower level by magnanimity on a higher. Superfluous wealth can buy superfluities only. Money is not required to buy one necessary of the soul.”

This is where the move to theory is made. Thoreau uses the example of the poorest townspeople and the freedom that they enjoy to show the reader what is possible if they cast aside their desires for wealth and excess. In doing so, he shows his readers the transcendental value of separation from traditional society and its trappings. An interesting if difficult way to view success and happiness.

Thoreau uses his observations on what we value and what he has voluntarily lived without to make a necessary and powerful statement about what people should seek out in their lives. Pursuit of vanity, wealth, power, and money have no limits. To set one’s life around the acquisition of these things means they will never succeed because they will never have enough. When we die having spent our life in pursuit of the superficial, we die unfulfilled. According to Henry David Thoreau, there is more to living than can be measured in stuff and things. This is Thoreau’s message. That true happiness and appreciation of life is a state of mind which is bound to no aspect of society. Be it class, amount of holdings, or station, all can achieve that state of mind we want if we look past its typical requisites and realize what an amazing thing it is to be truly happy with what we have.