Happy Endings

As I was reading Persepolis, the following panel popped out at me:

I couldn't help but chortle my amusement at the comedic abuse. I think this single panel is so hilarious just because the whole book is so tense. While Persepolis and its dark tone was really hard for me to read, this frame makes me laugh every time.

Persepolis just felt like a shroud of gloom dampening my spirits each time I opened the book. I know that there are people suffering and there is pain, and I can't ignore that, but isn't there hope, too?

Maybe I'm just a Disney-spoilt happy-ending idealist. Maybe the real world isn't the exciting place I'd like to make it out to be. Yet I think of one of my favorite quotes, one from The Chronicles of Narnia, about that:

"Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things - trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself....in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one....I’m going to stand by the play-world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it."

~C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair

I truly believe that there is hope, that there will be a happy ending to all this, as Ms. Charlotte did: "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"

Red is the Rose

As I prepared for announcements tomorrow (on the spectacular Saint Patrick's Day), I came across a song called "Red is the Rose," an Irish folklore song that is branched from the Scottish "Loch Lomond."

This song has caused me to ponder some about Jane Eyre. What sort of folklore and music did they have back then, if any? Since Saint Patrick died in 493 and Jane's story is set in the early 1800s, did she know about or celebrate his Day?

It's sad to me how little tradition Jane was afforded. Her broken family seemed not able to have anything that connected them: traditions would have been too bonding for them.

It makes me grateful for our special days, even if they're decked in flamboyant colors and bedazzled in sequins as they prance down streets. It makes me happy to realize all the fun things we Americans share that Jane couldn't--Christmas, Easter, and of course tomorrow's green celebration.

So even though I may not like the big fake leprechauns and awful hats, I'm so glad we have something that we can all do together as a country--as a world, even. May your porridge ne'er be lumpy and your pots be full 'o gold!

Wrongs of Passage

1. I think she's wrong: she's forgotten all the Catholic rites of passage--including baptism, first Communion, and conformation. Besides these spiritual ceremonies, half of Americans still value their marriage and hold on to the vows they take.

2. I believe that the biggest rite of passage I ever underwent was on January 8th, 2010. I had been struggling for years under depression and self-pity: that night, I believe God tore me from the mire of my wallowing in unhappiness and lifted me onto hopeful ground. Ever since that day, I have felt an unexplicable sense of hope despite the heartaches I've undergone. Even in my darkest hours this past year, I believe He has brought me through it to appreciate the good things in life, like joy: I laugh more now than I ever used to. I am thankful so much that the hardest part is over.

Howl's Moving Castle

A connection I found to our theme of coming of age is the book Howl's Moving Castle. In this book, the main character is transformed from her youth into the personage of a creaky old lady who must break her spell by cleaning up the grotesque castle of the Wizard Howl.

I see many similarities to Jane Eyre in this fun book: the main character is a strong-willed, less-than-attractive lady put into situations with few people in a big, bilious mansion. In both, there is a strange and unnerving secret behind the male character.

There is also an old lady in both named Mrs. Fairfax--strange coincidence, I'd say--and both were written by British ladies. Both are heartwarming stories that feature suspense and an exciting climax and romance; both the main characters are called witches.

With this evidence, I have concluded (as I'm sure you have, reader) that Ms. Diana Wynne Jones, author of Howl's Moving Castle, is actually a psuedonym for Charlotte Bronte.

Jane, Jane

Jane Eyre, a remarkable classic for centuries, caught my heart in so many ways: I shall be sad to part with it.

I had already seen the movie and so was not surprised at the shocking twist of--gasp!--Rochester's first wife. Still it was an enjoyable read and a thrilling experience.

1. If I were Jane, I would probably move on for better prospects. While he says he loves her, clearly neither bigamy nor divorce was not an option in those days. In my mind, he betrayed her, injured her, and lied to her. Their relationship would be in limbo and probably frowned upon if she stayed. As big a romantic as I am, her staying would only have ended in awkward confusion.

2. Jane's personality was extremely relatable for me: she has a big imagination and a desire to create things, and she constantly feels torn between logic and emotion. I still feel torn about her decision, and I wish somehow they could help the wife. The feelings, for me, worked very well and weighed a good deal on my heart; however, the decision and somber departure didn't work for me as well.

3. I think this story should be taught: it's clever, interesting, and educated-sounding. She uses a lot of big words that I didn't know and switches to strange viewpoints in a few places, but otherwise I thought it was very educational and epitomic of coming of age.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and think it should continue to be taught in College Literature.

Grace Poole: A Mystery

Grace Poole: a woman of many mysteries.

Grace apparently injures Mr. Mason, a seemingly fair man, in the twentieth chapter. The doctor remarks that " 'there have been teeth here!' " while Mr. Mason cries that she claimed she would " 'drain my heart.' " She might be a vampire, as was discussed in class, but my personal belief is that she is really a rabid Orc in disguise out for vengeance. Mason probably smelt of unmaggoty flesh; therefore, Grace had great yearning for fresh meat. She was probably tired of receiving stale bread for her lack of work. It is just like an Orc to burn humans that are tiresome and unhelpful.

This would cause Jane to be quite fearful: Mr. Rochester believes she is an elf (evidence on pages 277 and 280), and as everyone knows, Orcs were once Elves. In her quest for revenge, Grace will probably come after Jane and try to slaughter her.

Mrs. Poole always has a sort of eerie countenance, her eyes cold and her expression unreadable. Her frightening laughs late at night startles Jane with its volume in the fifteenth chapter; one chapter later she mentions that Jane's bolting her door " 'will be a wise thing to do' " on page 164. My speculations on that are as following: Mrs. Poole knows of a ring of lesser goblins that hang about--" 'any mischief that may be about,' " as she puts it--that would threaten to steal her vengeance should Jane leave her door unlocked.

Clearly, Mrs. Poole wants to eat Jane alive. Mark my words, there will be bloodshed and wizardy before the story ends.

The Good Old Days

Do you remember the days when we didn't have to worry about bills, work, and broken appliances? Remember the times the only thing we needed to fuss over was who had the newest beanie baby? Remember the years when the cleverest, most rebellious thing we thought of was splashing in the mud puddles and then lying to our mothers about it?

In Economics, we are doing a project on what it will be like in ten years: where we will live, what cars we will drive, and the like. It near brings a tear to my eye to look back and remember how easy we once had it. It's so difficult coming into adulthood.

Jane clearly feels this when she has no idea what her future holds or how to reach it: thankfully, her only care once she finds a job is carrying it out well--her lodging and utilities are all taken care of for her.

Is it worth it? Are the privileges worth the responsibilities? Are the opportunities worth the stress? If you had the choice, which would you choose, a life of simple ease, or a life of tense freedom?

The Six Stages of Coffee (Adolescence)

Stage 1: Satisfaction

Mary takes a long, thoughtful sip of her coffee from her favorite mug.

The warm, tingling coffee pours down her throat in a dose of sugary, creamy goodness: caffeine in liquid form.

She lets out a long, contented sigh and feels fortified for the day.

This is so like the preteen stage of growing up--that day you realize it might change soon, and you can drink of the enjoyment in knowing that you'll get to be an adult soon.

Stage 2: Energy

The caffeine is bursting out of Mary's veins. While everyone else is dreary, their dark eyes half-shut, Mary is bouncing off the walls, her brain flooded with great ideas and crazy plans and cheese and SO MUCH EXCITEMENT!!!

This is usually the funnest part of the day (to watch and experience, like toppling lunch trays loaded with mac and cheese from gesticulatingly wild arm movements) and may come in waves throughout the day.

This is like the first time you get to stay out late with friends, watch that scary movie, or pierce your ears: it's the embodiment of excitement and the reason you wanted to grow up in the first place.

Stage 3: Jitters

Mary tries to take notes, but her hand won't stop shaking. Her feet start tingling because they're falling asleep. She has to tap her toes, skip, run, leap, anything!

This is the stage in which Mary cannot concentrate. Her constant need for movement sometimes overlaps the Energy Stage, but the Jitters State is distinctively shaky and frightening.

This is when you realize growing up might be hard work, and you get nervous; there's college, a job, and relationships to worry about that you didn't have to fuss over before.

Stage 4: Emotional Instability

Much like a dramatic novel, this is the post-happiness part in which everything seems to go terribly wrong. Mary feels rejected, idiotic, confused, and burdensome. She cries or breaks into wild rage often in this stage, creating an almost bi-polar fluctuation between elation and utter despair. "I'm so sorry I am a burden on your life!" "I'm gonna break his neck and then eat his dogs!" and "I've never been so happy!" are exchanged in moments. Withdrawal is probably the case.

This is the stage in which most young adults lose their minds. The pressure is just too much: homework is spewing out your ears, the bills are rolling in faster than the paychecks, and that one loser you dated just dumped you for your best friend.

Stage 5: Regaining Head

Mary can breathe again, her combination of tears and the stitch in her side from laughter eased.

This is the stage in which Mary is most likely to pass out.

Finally, this is the part where your mother comes and offers you cookies; you are slowly coaxed from the fetal position in your paralyzed state and remember that life still goes on.

Stage 6: More!

Mary drops by the McFarland House Café and orders a cappuccino. The cycle starts again...

And another young child has to start the crazy metamorphosis all over.

Catcher

From Chapter 2 of the Catcher in the Rye:

"Old Spencer started...picking his nose. He made out like he was only pinching it, but he was really getting the old thumb right in there...I didn't care, except that it's pretty disgusting to watch somebody pick their nose [page 9]."

"I was thinking about the lagoon in Central Park...if it would be frozen when I got home and if it was, where did the ducks go...I could shoot the old bull to old Spencer and think about those ducks at the same time [page 13]."

I selected this scene because I find it amusing: the old man is unashamedly picking his nose, and the teenager is zoning out while he's talking about some garbage he made up. I also enjoyed it because it is so relatable. Old people really do seem to lose their inhibitions, and many young people space out easily, myself being one of them.

The other reason I chose this scene is because it shows the huge gap between the elderly and Holden, how far away he feels from their league. It also mentions the ducks in the park. I at first took this to be a tangent that made little difference, but the ducks also come up again when he returns home--perhaps this turn into a vital plot point. Now I am left to wonder, Where will the ducks strike next?

Distant Horizons

I'm M.J. and I like to write a lot about my family--my best friend, my brothers, and my sisters are my most common topics. One time, my brother came with me on a canoe-ride. We used oars to pedal ourselves under this big bridge, and boy, were we surprised when we saw this baby duckling! It patted across the water as though it did not weigh a thing even though we chased it down and tried to sneak up on it. That made me smile a lot because I like ducklings. This one time I saw a duck on the side of the road, but it would not let me pet it. I also wrote about a goose one time that had a broken wing and was named Giraffe. Giraffes are very tall, and this one time--

Stop!

Now you may feel berserk at how quickly my topic changed pace. This is how I felt when I was reading The Catcher in the Rye. He goes on so many tangents that I find it hard to keep track of and be interested in the main plot. Let's just hope it gets a bit more concise further into the book.

Visions

The interesting differences I found within the stories are the wide array of characters: a naive girl, a broken Native American, a street-wise packrat, and an indecisive farmer. The similarity I found was very clear for them all: they all had distressing stories about being abducted or drunk or robbed. I think that the adults forget something when they lose their childhood--I don't think childhood is as stressful as the grown-ups made it out to be. I found childhood much easier, but adolescence is perhaps more filled with responsibilities.

One of my favorite stories is that of Anne of Green Gables, a girl who never makes the same mistake twice. She has to trudge through the difficulties of orphanhood and responsibilities as she grows up, but still she keeps her childlike mischievousness and clever ideas. It really captures the innocence and fun that childhood can be even with its changing priviledges. I think it is most similar to For Esme because the main female character is very witty and very well-learned for her age.

Childhood

When I was a young child around the age of eight, my family and I went to a horse-riding camp for a week.

The "fun trail rides" they featured were less than thrilling, and I had no choice but to scheme a rebellious escape.

My guide, who must have underestimated my strong will, let go of the reins with which the horse was controlled.

So there I sat on that gleaming horse, a burning desire to run free with it boiling in my veins.

The guide started talking to someone else, distracted. Here was my chance! I took off on that auburn stallion, bursting at full speed over the short distance of the camp. The wind blew my hair across my face, the thrill of the flight sending my heart racing. The horse's flawless steps thudded against the grass as we flew past my camper and past my shrieking mother. In that moment, I was free.

A Brief Introduction

Good morning!

I'm M.J.

What am I interested in? Coffee, camels, rainy days, and a good book.

If I were an ostrich, I would want to be spotted like a giraffe.

Someday I would like to become a novelist, but I know that the real world is harder than I'd like to imagine it is. Perhaps I'll fall back on being a coffee-maker or perhaps a flight attendant.

I really enjoy The Chronicles of Narnia because of the realistic characters and bright, colorful descriptions that C.S. Lewis uses and how, even when their magical adventures are over, they have only just begun the real journey.

~M.J.