Just a Boy who Lived

History repeats itself in an endless cycle. From the "forced marches to uninhabitable reservations", the "stench and starvation of middle passage" and the "ghettos of Europe", Nikki Giovanni explains in "Sanctuary: For Harry Potter the Movie" the link that all of mankind has in common: we all have stories to tell, and we have all lived to tell the story. Giovanni relates that it is in our nature to be faced with onerous situations, some which may seem impossible to overcome. Perhaps due to the influence of her ancestors and African American activists, Giovanni pursues a perspective different from the magical view of many: she understates the fact that "Harry Potter was just a boy who lived. Like all of us" (37). She highlights that Harry's story is ultimately no different from ours, so why must his receive so much glam and fame? However, Giovanni does praise his story for having a distinct quality that some of our own stories don't have-- the ability to "live and tell the story" (33-34). The only way for people to overcome their struggles is by grasping tightly to the will to live. Furthermore, it is through the "noise of the whirlwind" that individuals blossom to their full potential. Harry defeats Voldemort after struggling through years of pain, a task deemed impossible by many. African Americans have overcome slavery, after decades of torture. Woman have gained a substantial amount of equality, after decades of setbacks. None of these groups have been wiped out; in fact, their descendants grow far stronger. Giovanni teaches us that through the pain and misfortune in our lives, we must find be the last man standing, and live to "sing the song of [our] people".

Remember: He is JUST a boy who lived.

#R@|\|+ 0|\| PU|\|(TU@+!0|\|

     
             In terms of literary expression, writing has expanded from ink to pencil to keyboard, from documentaries to prose to blogs. Writing is constantly enhanced to suit the tastes of the world, much like how we adorn a simple outfit with different jackets, scarfs or jewelry. Both allow us the freedom of expression, and we communicate our ideas through the accessories we choose: in the case of writing, punctuation.

             As society has shifted towards technological advancements, much of our lives have been consumed by social media, including the way we express ourselves through writing. As a result, shouldn't punctuation (our accessories) also be fashioned to our new way of expression ? Hitchings believes that "language evolves in conjunction with culture, and change is not always a bad thing". In fact, social media and technology have "produced new opportunities" (Source A). Indeed, the "best tweeters demonstrate a keen awareness of their audience" (Source F). If a teenager is tweeting to their peers, he will use the trendy hashtag to express himself. If a poet, such as Andrea Gibson, is updating her fans, she will use the traditional punctuation to "try out fragments of thought". The punctuation one uses depends on who he is, whom he is addressing, and how he wants to express his thoughts.

         Although punctuation should be used freely to express our ideas, the privilege should not be abused, much like how one should not accessorize himself with a rice hat, a biker jacket, and a pearl necklace. Punctuation should be used "sparingly, and with affection" or else the reader will "lose the essential flavor of language" (Source D). In the poem "I dwell in Possibility", by Emily Dickinson, a hasty glance reveals Dickinson's sole usage of dashes; however, there are two lines of the poem in which she does not end with a dash. Dickinson's skillful use of punctuation is reflected in the lines of the poem. "The spreading wide my narrow Hands" does not end with a dash to demonstrate her point that poetry allows for a broad spread to gather paradise. Ironically, if she included a dash, the restriction would contradict her words "spreading wide" (Source C).

        The 2010 poem "On Punctuation" by Elizabeth Austen also reiterates the point that punctuation, when used effectively, allows for "a trail of possibilities".  Tradition must be maintained, but that doesn't mean there is no freedom. In fact, the "most irritating" exclamation point, the question mark filled with "voluptuous uncertainty, and the semi-colon, with its "feeling of delicious responsibility" all fulfill the role of setting the tone of the sentence (Source B,D,E). Many times, punctuation is subtle and "you cannot hear them, but they are there, laying out the connections between the images and the ideas" (Source D). Similarily, jewelry and hats can be layered for a classy, flirty or trashy appeal.


"In music, the punctuation is absolutely strict, the bars and rests are absolutely defined. But our punctuation cannot be quite strict, because we have to relate it to the audience. In other words we are continually changing the score." -- Ralph Richardson

I for Ignorance: When Ignorance is NOT a Bliss

It's true. As a society, we are all incredibly ignorant. Although no human can possibly learn everything about the world, there is a limit to how ignorant a person can be. Hawthorne reinforces the hypocrisy of ignorant Puritan society in the last few pages of the book when he states that "certain persons, who were spectators of the whole scene, and professed never once to have removed their eyes from the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale, denied that there was any mark whatever on his breast, more than one a new-born infant's" (253). We only believe what we want to believe, and if the truth doesn't satisfy our feelings, we blind ourselves from the enigma and fabricate a new truth. Perhaps everyone in the world should just stitch an I for Ignorance upon their chests. Or maybe the "tooth of unenlightment" will just chew us out eventually. Ironically, the wearer of the scarlet letter who is scorned by society is the individual who is able to view the world through a different lens. Through her ignominious A, Hester rises above the ignorant and expands her thoughts to a state of open-mindedness, a striking difference to the "iron spikes" of Puritan society.

We mock the Puritans for being unaware and find it difficult to empathize with their inability to accept others. But we are no different. After the Holocaust, a group called the Holocaust deniers came out stating that the Holocaust was a hoax arising out of a deliberate Jewish conspiracy to advance the interest of Jews. In order to forget the  real, historical evidence of the horrific genocide, they resorted to denying it ever happened, just as how the townspeople denied that Dimmesdale ever slept with Hester. The inability to cope with the truth and instead glaze over it reveals that society today has not changed drastically from Puritan times.

Ignorance is a bliss-- only for children, that is. In "The Scarlet Letter", Pearl represents ignorant innocence. Because she is unable express her observations with the correct words, she is seen as "ignorant". In her case, it is a bliss, because she is able to skip through life without a care in the world. However, as she grows older, she gains more responsibility for her actions. Furthermore, she loses the right to be ignorant, for she is older and wiser. Similarly, a young and budding country could be forgiven for their actions. They have the right to be ignorant, for the country has yet to experience tragedies and sorrows (Although the Puritans were not a "new" country--basically, they were another England). However, as a country grows older, they lose the right to be ignorant. There comes a point in time where the citizens must mature and grasp for the immense plethora of knowledge around them. Thus, as a country ages, the people must become more open-minded and accept responsibilities.

Healing through Confession

Confession: a formal statement admitting that one is guilty of a crime

But to who are we confessing to? Many would respond that they confess their sins to God, but none have ever answered that they would confess to others. It seems that exposing our black souls to God is much easier because in a way, God is almost like a fairy tale, void of any concrete touch. There is no face-to-face, no eye-to-eye contact that makes most individuals uncomfortable. As a result, we trick ourselves into believing that confessing our sins to God is enough to clear the charges, so there is no need to confess to others. When we don't confess to others, we usually fool people into thinking we're better than them, and our hidden sin digs deeper into our broken hearts. Arthur Dimmesdale is a prime example of a sinner who exposes his darkest secrets to God each night through physical and mental torture, but never gathers the courage to confess to the world. As a result, his health visibly deteriorates as his secrets burrow deeper, and sooner or later, will consume his entire being.

That being said, the obvious answer to his "sickness" would be a public confession, even to one or two people. Take a look at what Tenth Avenue North has to say about confession.

So you thought you had to keep this up
All the work that you do
So we think that you're good

Dimmesdale is intent on maintaining a clean reputation--he preaches powerful sermons about sin and helps others come to terms with themselves and their relationship with God (when he himself can't!). Although he physically abuses himself because he cannot gather the courage to confess, he has already become a symbol in the town, a model of Puritan excellence that cannot be easily erased.

And you can't believe it's not enough
All the walls you built up
Are just glass on the outside
Although Dimmedale has built layer upon layer around his broken soul, it seems that Hester and Chillingworth especially can see right through his walls for who he truly is.

So let 'em fall down
There's freedom waiting in the sound
When you let your walls fall to the ground
We're here now
The only path to freedom, whether literal or figurative, is if Dimmesdale exposes his inner secrets. Even if the public is not forgiving of his sins, Dimmesdale himself will find redemption in the Lord and himself.

This is where the healing begins, oh
This is where the healing starts
When you come to where you're broken within
The light meets the dark
The light meets the dark

In order to heal his tainted heart, Dimmesdale must find the power himself to come to terms with his guilt. As a result, the "light" will be able to flash through his thoughts and purify his soul.

Afraid to let your secrets out
Everything that you hide
Can come crashing through the door now
But too scared to face all your fear
So you hide but you find
That the shame won't disappear

No matter how deep Dimmesdale shuts his secrets, they won't ever disappear. In fact, because he is too scared to expose himself, his sin begins to command his life, consuming his physical and mental health.

Many are scared of confessing publicly because they fear to lose their reputation in society. However, the only way to truly release the chains of sin is through confession to God and to others. No matter what the consequence, there will be freedom in our own minds that allows us to finally live the way God teaches us to live.

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.