Destruction of the Indies

Bartolomé de las Casas’ Destruction of the Indies surprised me at first glance with its extremely partial writing and one-sided tone throughout much of the text, but as time went on I soon realized that those very points are what las Casas intended to do when crafting this account to Prince Philip II.  As a typical American student I have always heard about Christopher Columbus’ valiant trip to the New World in 1492 along with countless stories of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving.  While these stories have always been heartwarming, I have often found myself questioning the simplicity and perfection of these accounted events.  It seems impossible that such a perfect story could have taken place from the onset with Columbus and the early settlers coming to the Americas and perfectly assimilating with the native peoples with no conflict or strife.  Las Casas’ first hand account of this pivotal time in history not only confirmed these suspicions but have opened my eyes to the true nature of humanity in early North America.  Obviously, there are two sides to every story, and that is a fact that I have attempted to keep close at hand while reading this text and piecing together the story solely from the pro-Indian point of view that las Casas is defending.  I was starkly astounded at the level of indifference for life and brutality that the Spaniards displayed under Cortez, Pizarro, and Alvarado among others in their conquests from Mexico to Peru.  As a Christian it was hard for me to read and comprehend how people who claim to follow such a faith could rob, murder, rape, and torture people in such an intense and carefree fashion all in the name of the crown of Spain and the religion they have devoted their lives to.  I understand perfectly that religion is a matter of interpretation for many people, but I don’t see how any person who calls himself a Christian could rationalize such heinous action against humanity in the name of such doctrine.  Ultimately, I have come to appreciate the fact that this account helps to demonstrate to present day society lessons in greed and power and how the ideals of imperialism can cause mankind to act in unimaginable ways.  Las Casas looks to portray the Indians as a meek, helpless, and peaceful people that sought no trouble nor asked for any of the atrocities that were committed upon them by the malevolent hand of the Spanish while so many books in present day society are written to demonstrate the savagery and brutality of the Indian people.  I have found it nice and refreshing to read and study a text that solely focuses on one side of a pivotal argument.  So often students are forced to read novels and other stories that pay due diligence to both sides of a conflict while not really delving into either in a deep or meaningful capacity, but this first hand account allows the reader to critically analyze just the Indian perspective in this particular case.  This experience has helped me to compare and contrast this new knowledge with my prior study of the European colonization of North America to form a more sound and unbiased conclusion as to what really happened throughout the 1500s’ in the quest to colonize the New World.  Although every historical account is enhanced or falsified in some fashion, I have enjoyed reading this non-fictional account, and it has opened my eyes to the most evil and incomprehensible consequences that greed can have upon humankind.  

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Zachary Schlouch

9/11/12

       In The Epic of Gilgamesh, I have played close attention to the pervasive influence that friendship and camaraderie have had upon Gilgamesh and Enkidu, and I have observed how their relationship led them to find strength in each other.  From early on in the text when they battled and slayed Humbaba it was evident that the union of these two strong individuals would at the very least have a strong physical impact upon the people of Uruk that Gilgamesh reigned.  It was surprising to see how their partnership grew from similarities in physical brawn to a strong social and mental connection that soon turned to a relationship of reliance and love after Ninsun adopted Enkidu as her son and Gilgamesh’s brother.  Enkidu’s presence clearly changed Gilgamesh’s thoughts of his power and the way he approached his life in general, and I think this is because Gilgamesh continued to gain respect for Enkidu’s strength and determination that paralleled his own.  Gilgamesh had finally found an individual that he could view as an equal and not automatically inferior to himself, and even though this shocked and worried him initially it is evident that he gained an appreciation for the value of companionship in life.  It was interesting to see how Enkidu was able to change Gilgamesh from a tyrannical ruler into a valiant hero all while he was being transformed from a wild beast in to a cultured and more selfless man. I think one of the best examples of this transformation within Gilgamesh occurred when he defiantly denied the sexual advances of Ishtar.  Earlier in the story he would have openly accepted such desires from a woman as his life was characterized by forced sex and rape of married women, and this refusal represents a monumental change in his attitudes towards women and his ability to enact self-control. Despite their individual character development, Gilgamesh and Enkidu even dream about the lives and fates of each other.  This directly demonstrates the presence of a love interest between the two while also foreshadowing the death of Enkidu and the fate of Gilgamesh.  The god’s decision to kill Enkidu marks a substantial moment in the text and one that clearly marks a change in Gilgamesh’s strength and his thoughts concerning mortality.  He clearly had a hard time dealing with the loss of his friend and love, Enkidu, and the moments of mourning and sorrow that follow his death demonstrate to the reader the depth of Gilgamesh’s feelings towards him.  The pride and strength that he had displayed for so long succumbed to the tumult of his emotions over the loss of his friend, and this revelation explicitly shows the human traits that Gilgamesh possesses.  Without his friend and companion Gilgamesh felt lost and alone, and it seemed as if he did not possess the same confidence and strength that characterized the personal dominance he had early in the text. These questions clearly caused Gilgamesh to re-evaluate his own life and its fate, and this renewed awareness shows how the relationship he shared with Enkidu caused him to value life and love on a greater scale even though he had a hard time finding peace in his own heart to deal with questions concerning his own morality. 

Personal Statement and Body Ritual among the Nacirema

For as long as I can remember, I have always been captivated by the study of literature and the processes that an author takes in crafting and perfecting a quality text.  It is for this reason, along with my love of writing, that the study of the English language has always been one of my favorite and most fulfilling areas of investigation throughout grade school.  In coming to Temple as a political science major I hope to continue to foster my love of reading paired with my high level of interest in the American political system and government.  I feel as if I am ready for this challenge because I prepared myself in high school with a competitive roll of classes that have taught me a great deal about the proper skills and work ethic that are necessary to succeed at a higher level of education.  It is my ultimate goal to attend a world-class law school after my undergraduate training and to become the senior partner of a successful law firm.  If I am able to keep my priorities in line and focus on maximizing my own potential, I see no reason why I can not achieve the ambitious goals I have set out for myself.  The values of hard work and a desire for excellence have always been instilled upon me, and that is the primary reason why I am excited for the experiences and challenges that college will afford.  In this course, I merely hope to continue to expand upon my passion for literature and the critical analysis of the texts in which we study in class.  I hope to become better at drawing parallels between real life situations and the events that are taking place in these novels, and I am also excited to research and discover the true identity of literary Philadelphia.  I come from a suburb of the city of Reading, Pennsylvania called Mohnton, and my home is located in a very rural location.  It has been quite exciting to see the diversity and business of a large city even in the short amount of time I have been in Philadelphia so far.  I truly believe this exposure to a completely different culture could prove to be as valuable as the education I am receiving at Temple, and I am very excited and anxious to see what this school year has in store for me. 

            Horace Miner’s Body Ritual among the Nacirema drew my interest from the start, but it was only towards the end of the short story that I began to understand the author’s mystical and cryptic messages about human nature and the biases of the mind that the text was meant to demonstrate.  I can’t lie and say that I caught on to Miner’s enigmatic portrait of American society from the onset of the text, but I can say that I fell in to the exact description that he was trying to portray of a judgmental American.  As soon as I began reading the story I couldn’t help thinking about how weird the customs of this tribe were with all of the painful oral ceremonies and procedures and an incessant obsession with body image and an overall sense of normalcy.  I was immediately casting judgment upon this group of people that I had never heard of before, and it was only very late in the story that I began piecing together Miner’s subtle hints at the human nature of a 20^th century society.  After this revelation I was able to see that the author wrote this story with the intention of demonstrating the bias of humans towards a society and conditions that seem foreign and odd, even though they may parallel something familiar.  This story showed me that in order to truly understand a different culture people must immerse themselves in the facts surrounding that society so they may form a sound and complete portrait of those who are different than them.  I believe this short text will help me to avoid forming an unfair prejudice towards those who are different than me because the remembrance of this text will force me to look at the flaws within my own society before casting judgment upon a people that I do not have full or accurate knowledge to place judgment upon.  When I began to recognize Miner’s code names for the bathroom, hospitals, bedrooms, and other places within the Nacirema society, it made me understand how some people may view the daily habits of 21^st century Americans as outlandish as well.  Just because something may seem odd and out of the normal to one person does not mean that it is necessarily a preposterous concept.  The world at large is diverse and ever changing, and the customs of one culture surely may not match or even be similar to those of a people across the ocean.  Miner writes with the intention of promoting a greater sense of acceptance while also striving to expose the evil nature of a subjective and unaccepting mind.  While this story exposes serious flaws in humanity in a humorous and satirical fashion, its message is sound and clear cut.  Miner calls for the reader to gather the necessary knowledge and facts before allowing the malevolent grasp of ethnocentrism to enter one’s mind and shape his opinions.  It is my hope that this story will help me to read, learn, and live in a more open and accepting manner, and I am thankful this was the first text we studied this semester.  I am a firm believer in the virtue that one must acknowledge his flaws before having any ability to correct them, and I believe Horace Miner’s short story can help a broad audience to view American society in a light that will allow our population to be more receptive of the hand of diversity that is shaping a 21^st century world.