Knowledge is the Food of the Soul

When we hear the word "knowledge" we generally associate it with intelligence. But is knowledge something that we gain through our studies or is it acquired through our life experiences? There is, of course, different types of knowledge. There is knowledge that comes from the schools we attend, the classes we take, and the textbooks we read. However, there is also knowledge that we take away from our life experiences. I believe it is this knowledge that truly makes a person wise.

Sadly, it is almost impossible to get anywhere in life on knowledge merely taken from life experiences. These days, getting into a good college depends solely on your GPA and test scores. But although "book-smarts" allow you to be able to choose any path, "street-smarts" and common sense provide the proper knowledge of knowing which is the correct path to take.

Psychoanalytic Theory

Psychoanalysis is a method in which we can analyze the mind and the way one thinks. It helps us to better understand human behaviors and the reasoning behind one's actions. The idea of psychology was developed by Sigmund Freud, and his studies have been continued throughout history. Today, there are a variety of psychoanalytical theories such as Topographic theory which describes the concious, pre-concious, and unconcious mind, Structural theory which divides the psyche into the id, the ego and the super-ego, and Interpersonal psychoanalysis which studies how individuals protect themselves from stress and anxiety. All these theories can help us understand why people act the way they do. In Hamlet, we can use psychoanalytic theory to further our understanding of the character's actions and their thought processes behind it all. If we enhance our knowledge of the mind and how it works, it will lead us to better understand the human behavior.



Senior Year...

The first thing that comes to mind when you hear Senior year is, of course, college. It's certainly one of the most stressful and hectic times in one's high school experience. While no doubt everyone is struggling to turn in applications on time and trying to hunt down teachers for recommendations, they are definitely looking forward to the more exciting things that Senior year entails. Such as, the senior quad, the senior parking lot, senior jerseys, and just the overall feeling of being at the top of the totem pole once again. It's a great feeling to be a senior, but at the end of the day all of us know that come this time next year everything will be brand new. For some, just the thought of college is terrifying, and for others, well they couldn't be happier. The most important thing to do right now is to enjoy what we have while we have it. Embrace senior year for all it has to offer us!

The Other Side

Everyday we go about our lives in some sort of pattern. A daily routine that rarely changes. This routine can often seal us inside of our own little world, unable to see what's going on outside of it. It causes us to focus on ourselves more than the big picture. We worry more about our own problems, when in reality those aren't the ones that need the focus. It is a world where the only thing we know and accept is what is normal. Of course, we all know the walls of our own world must come down eventually. It only takes that one disaster, that one catastrophe, that one death to throw off the balance in our lives. Even though we are all expecting it and know that it may be just around the corner, no one is ever fully prepared emotionally or physically for it's aftermath. The aftermath, as terrible as it might be, is when we all come together. It is when we take a moment and escape from our own world, escape from our daily routine, and focus on something outside of ourselves. It's in the human nature to be selfish and be concerned with only our own problems, but it's in times of disaster and loss where we see a different side of human beings. A side in which we are able to join together as one with a greater purpose. A side in which we are able to focus on the community rather than ourselves. This is a side of us that is not often shown, but it's a side that gives us hope for the future.

Quite the Character

Character is an essential part of literature, but then again so is a plot. Both a character and a plot go hand in hand. Without a plot there would be purpose for the character, and without a character there would be no purpose to a plot. The characters are affected by the events of a story, and the events are altered by it's characters. So, without one you can't have the other. A plot is only a set of events and without a character you have no one to go through them. The plot only interests a reader, because they care about what happens to the character. So, not only is character essential, but so is the plot.

Critical Response "Bartleby, the Scrivener"

Herman Melville's "Bartleby the Scrivener" is a story that can be perceived in several different ways. One person may see Bartleby as a hero due to his civil disobedience and the actions that he takes against the narrator. Another may take pity on Bartleby because they feel that he chooses to be detached from society or that he has given up in life. The persceptive that a person chooses usually relates back to their own life. Someone who thinks Bartleby is detached from society may feel that they too are detached from their society, whether it be by choice or not. In "Bartleby the Scrivener", the opinions and thoughts of Bartleby are never revealed, but only the narrators views are expressed to the reader. By only showing the thoughts and backround of the narrator, it is left up to the reader to make up their own mind about Barltbey. With this, Melville was able to generate a variety of different persceptives in "Bartleby the Scrivener" and allow his readers to connect to the story.

Critical Response "Story Of An Hour"

In Kate Chopin's "Story Of An Hour", Chopin tries to convey an underlying message to her readers. On the surface, the readers assume Mrs. Mallard is in mourning for her dead husband, but soon enough the readers uncover that in actuality Mrs. Mallard is rejoicing her husband's death. Specific instances in the story help to reveal this message. For instance, the weather described in the story is spring, and spring usually signifies new life or a sense of freedom. Also, when Mrs. Mallard begins to mutter "free, free, free" it hints to the reader that what they have assumed may not be the case. However, the most important piece of evidence is knowing that in 1894, when the story was written, women did not have the freedoms that a man did and that women were owned by their husbands. Knowing this would be the key to discovering Chopin's underlying message, but even without knowing this there are hints in the story that Chopin provides for her readers.