Peter Mills
10/3/11
Billy Budd
Billy Budd, written by Herman Melville over a period of five years, was left unfinished at his death in 1891. The version that I read was published by the Penguin Group with permission from the University of Chicago. The book explores the theme of justice, centering on the punishment Captain Vere gave to Billy for killing the master-at-arms. This is a very descriptive book, and since the book isn’t all that long, not much happens to Billy on the boat before the central event occurs.
In the beginning of the book, Billy is taken from a merchant ship, the Rights-Of-Man, and impressed into the service of the Bellipotent, a British warship in need of soldiers. Billy is the sort of sailor one might call handsome, and he is tall and strong. Throughout the book, Billy is shown to be liked by almost everybody. Although young, Billy has been at sea all his life and he knows how to do his job. Unfortunately, there is one who doesn’t like Billy, and his name is Claggart, the ship’s master-at-arms. Claggart hates Billy, although it is unknown why he does. What the narrator does state in the book is that Claggart has, “the mania of an evil nature, not engendered by vicious training or corrupting books or licentious living, but born with him and innate, in short ‘a depravity according to nature.’” (326) So it is not at all surprising when Claggart falsely accuses Billy of being involved in mutiny. Another thing to note is that Billy Budd has a speech impediment, and when he is falsely accused, he is so astonished he can’t talk. So instead of speaking, he lets his actions speak, and strikes Claggart full on the head, killing him. A raging debate ensues between the captain and his other officers, trying to determine what justice to bring to Billy. Eventually, Billy is sentenced to be hung, and Billy Budd dies on the Bellipotent.
I believe the justice Billy Budd received was incorrect. “In certain matters, some sailors even in mature life remain unsophisticated enough. But a young seafarer of the disposition of our athletic foretopman is much of a child-man. And yet a child’s utter innocence is but its bland ignorance, and the innocence more or less wanes as intelligence waxes. But in Billy Budd, intelligence, such as it was, had advance while yet his simple-mindedness remained for the most part unaffected.”(336) Billy Budd was like a child, and is it correct to hang a child? The book also states, “Besides, he had none of that intuitive knowledge of the bad which in natures not good or incompletely so foreruns experience, and therefore may pertain, as in some instances it too clearly does pertain, even to youth.” (336) Billy’s nature was so genuinely good that he didn’t really understand the nature of evil in other people. Billy’s impulsive response was motivated by his sense of right and wrong. He had been unfairly accused, and his natural reaction was to defend his honor and protest the injustice of the accusation. The officers should not have hung Billy Budd, for Billy was wronged first, and it was not his intention to kill Claggart.
Overall, Billy Budd lengthened my vocabulary and spured my thinking to a deeper level. Although difficult to read, it was worth it to read about the complex problem the captain had to face and how he worked it out.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Peter Mills
10/31/11
The Pit and the Pendulum
The Pit and the Pendulum, written by Edgar Allan Poe and published in 1842, is an intriguing story of a man enduring torture. Poe himself had a very difficult life. Abandoned by his father before he was even born, Poe suffered the loss of his mother when he was three years old. Sent to live with a foster family, he loved his foster mother, but hated his foster father. He began gambling in college to sustain his education, and his foster father eventually withdrew him from school. He then joined the military, but was court marshaled because he did not attend drills. He then married his 13 year old cousin, Virginia, claiming that she was twenty one. Unfortunately, his wife later died of consumption. This may be the reason that in many of his books there was a, “death of a significant woman in the narrator’s life.”(http://www.exampleessays.com) The purpose of this paper is to discuss Poe’s themes, and analyze what they mean.
Many people believe that Edgar Allan Poe had some sort of mental issue. An example of this is “In The Tell-Tale Heart, the narrator confesses a love for an old man whom he then violently murders and dismembers. The narrator reveals his madness by attempting to separate the person of the old man, whom he loves, from the old man’s supposedly evil eye, which triggers the narrator’s hatred. This delusional separation enables the narrator to remain unaware of the paradox of claiming to have loved his victim.” (http://www.sparknotes.com) Poe’s own unhappy life was probably the source of his depression. He became addicted to opium, he drank, and he gambled. He believed this was the only way to find happiness from his miserable existence. This caused him to pursue themes that were dark and horror-filled.
Another theme commonly mentioned in his poems was the “unjust death of a woman that the narrator loved.” (http://www.exampleessays.com) One of Poe’s most famous poems reveals this. “In The Raven, the narrator’s lost love, Lenore, died of a mystery illness (possibly tuberculosis.). The narrator spends most of the poem grieving for Lenore and hoping, praying, and wishing that she would come back. He is in so much grief that he even thinks that a raven was sent to tell him that he was never going to see her again.” (http://www.exampleessays.com) This theme is believed to come from the death of Virginia, Poe’s wife.
The three websites from which I acquired source information each had bits of truth in them. http://www.exampleessays.com stated that the most common theme was the “unjust death of a woman that the narrator loved.” while (http://www.sparknotes.com) said that the most common theme was love, hate, and horror. Many of his writings show both. In the Pit and the Pendulum, however, there is another theme. Poe seems to be looking for someone; someone who can help him get out of his mess of a life. “Even in the grave all was not lost. Else there is no immortality for man.” His story was mostly all horror-filled, with death at every turn, but there was a glimmer of hope and light since the beginning of his story. Perhaps he is seeking to fill that void which has been with him since the beginning. Perhaps his ultimate search is to find the source of life. Perhaps his ultimate search is for God.
10/31/11
The Pit and the Pendulum
The Pit and the Pendulum, written by Edgar Allan Poe and published in 1842, is an intriguing story of a man enduring torture. Poe himself had a very difficult life. Abandoned by his father before he was even born, Poe suffered the loss of his mother when he was three years old. Sent to live with a foster family, he loved his foster mother, but hated his foster father. He began gambling in college to sustain his education, and his foster father eventually withdrew him from school. He then joined the military, but was court marshaled because he did not attend drills. He then married his 13 year old cousin, Virginia, claiming that she was twenty one. Unfortunately, his wife later died of consumption. This may be the reason that in many of his books there was a, “death of a significant woman in the narrator’s life.”(http://www.exampleessays.com) The purpose of this paper is to discuss Poe’s themes, and analyze what they mean.
Many people believe that Edgar Allan Poe had some sort of mental issue. An example of this is “In The Tell-Tale Heart, the narrator confesses a love for an old man whom he then violently murders and dismembers. The narrator reveals his madness by attempting to separate the person of the old man, whom he loves, from the old man’s supposedly evil eye, which triggers the narrator’s hatred. This delusional separation enables the narrator to remain unaware of the paradox of claiming to have loved his victim.” (http://www.sparknotes.com) Poe’s own unhappy life was probably the source of his depression. He became addicted to opium, he drank, and he gambled. He believed this was the only way to find happiness from his miserable existence. This caused him to pursue themes that were dark and horror-filled.
Another theme commonly mentioned in his poems was the “unjust death of a woman that the narrator loved.” (http://www.exampleessays.com) One of Poe’s most famous poems reveals this. “In The Raven, the narrator’s lost love, Lenore, died of a mystery illness (possibly tuberculosis.). The narrator spends most of the poem grieving for Lenore and hoping, praying, and wishing that she would come back. He is in so much grief that he even thinks that a raven was sent to tell him that he was never going to see her again.” (http://www.exampleessays.com) This theme is believed to come from the death of Virginia, Poe’s wife.
The three websites from which I acquired source information each had bits of truth in them. http://www.exampleessays.com stated that the most common theme was the “unjust death of a woman that the narrator loved.” while (http://www.sparknotes.com) said that the most common theme was love, hate, and horror. Many of his writings show both. In the Pit and the Pendulum, however, there is another theme. Poe seems to be looking for someone; someone who can help him get out of his mess of a life. “Even in the grave all was not lost. Else there is no immortality for man.” His story was mostly all horror-filled, with death at every turn, but there was a glimmer of hope and light since the beginning of his story. Perhaps he is seeking to fill that void which has been with him since the beginning. Perhaps his ultimate search is to find the source of life. Perhaps his ultimate search is for God.
Peter Mills
10/17/11
The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and published by the Penguin Group, is a well known classic with an enthralling storyline. This book shows how sin can wreak havoc in people’s lives if they do not ask the Lord for forgiveness. In the beginning, the book’s first character is Hester, a newcomer to the community, who has committed adultery with an unknown person. Her husband, who has not yet moved to the town, finally arrives, only to discover what Hester has done. Assuming a false identity, he goes under the guise of Roger Chillingsworth and attaches himself to Arthur Dimmesdale, the beloved minister of the town. It is later revealed that Dimmesdale is the other adulterer, and that Chillingsworth is torturing Dimmesdale’s conscience. Dimmesdale whips himself in the closet, and grows paler and weaker. Eventually, Dimmesdale proclaims at the end of the book that he is the other adulterer, and then dies with a free conscience. Chillingsworth dies soon after, since he has no one left to torture and take revenge on. In this paper, I will examine of each characters sin (Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingsworth) and explain the effect it had on them.
Hester committed adultery with Arthur Dimmesdale. The effect of this sin greatly altered her personality. “the young and pure would be taught to look at her, with the scarlet letter flaming on her breast, - at her, the child of honorable parents,- at her, the mother of a babe, that would hereafter be a woman,- at her, who had once been innocent,- as the figure, the body, the reality of sin. And over her grave, the infamy that she must carry thither would be her only monument.” (72 Hawthorne) Hester became almost completely devoid of any emotion.
Arthur Dimmesdale committed adultery with Hester. The effect of this sin practically killed him. “How feeble and pale he looked... The glow, which they had just before beheld burning on his cheek, was extinguished, like a flam that sinks down hopelessly among the late-decaying embers. It seemed hardly the face of a man alive, with such a deathlike hue; it was hardly a man with life in him...” (231, 232 Hawthorne) He died after his proclamation of his sin, but he died forgiven and happy.
Chillingsworth’s sin was different from the sins of the other characters. He was called the “leech”, because once Dimmesdale died, he lost his purpose in life. Once he discovered that Dimmesdale committed adultery with his wife, he went crazy and the only thing on his mind was revenge. “Old Roger Chillingsworth, throughout life, had been calm in temperament, kindly, though not of warm affections, but ever, and in all his relations with the world, a pure and upright man. He had begun an investigation, as he imagined, with the severe and equal integrity of a judge, desirous only of truth... But, as he proceeded, a terrible fascination, a kind of fierce,, though still calm, necessity seized the old man within its gripe, and never set him free again until he had done all its bidding. He now dug into the poor clergyman’s heart, like a miner searching for gold; or, rather, like a sexton delving into a grave...” (117 Hawthorn) The devil took over Chillingsworth, and drove him to the brink of insanity, trying to torture Dimmesdale.
I believe that Chillingsworth committed the greatest sin. Although a sin is a sin, his did the most evil. As it says in the Bible, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”(Romans12:19) Chillingsworth allowed evil to corrupt him, “All his strength and energy - all his vital and intellectual force - seemed at once to desert him; insomuch that he positively withered up, shrivelled away, and almost vanished from mortal sight, like an uprooted weed that lies wilting in the sun. This unhappy man had made the very principle of his life to consist in the pursuit and systematic exercise of revenge; and when, by its completest triumph and consummation, that evil principle was left with no further material to support it, - when, in short, there was no more devil’s work on earth for him to do, it only remained for the unhumanized mortal to betake himself whither his master would find him tasks enough, and pay him his wages duly.” So when there was no more devil’s work to do, he shrivelled up and died. Overall, I believe this is more than enough evidence to prove that Chillingsworth’s sin was the worst. This book candidly shows how one sin can have a chain effect that disrupts and ultimately destroys the lives of many people.
10/17/11
The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and published by the Penguin Group, is a well known classic with an enthralling storyline. This book shows how sin can wreak havoc in people’s lives if they do not ask the Lord for forgiveness. In the beginning, the book’s first character is Hester, a newcomer to the community, who has committed adultery with an unknown person. Her husband, who has not yet moved to the town, finally arrives, only to discover what Hester has done. Assuming a false identity, he goes under the guise of Roger Chillingsworth and attaches himself to Arthur Dimmesdale, the beloved minister of the town. It is later revealed that Dimmesdale is the other adulterer, and that Chillingsworth is torturing Dimmesdale’s conscience. Dimmesdale whips himself in the closet, and grows paler and weaker. Eventually, Dimmesdale proclaims at the end of the book that he is the other adulterer, and then dies with a free conscience. Chillingsworth dies soon after, since he has no one left to torture and take revenge on. In this paper, I will examine of each characters sin (Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingsworth) and explain the effect it had on them.
Hester committed adultery with Arthur Dimmesdale. The effect of this sin greatly altered her personality. “the young and pure would be taught to look at her, with the scarlet letter flaming on her breast, - at her, the child of honorable parents,- at her, the mother of a babe, that would hereafter be a woman,- at her, who had once been innocent,- as the figure, the body, the reality of sin. And over her grave, the infamy that she must carry thither would be her only monument.” (72 Hawthorne) Hester became almost completely devoid of any emotion.
Arthur Dimmesdale committed adultery with Hester. The effect of this sin practically killed him. “How feeble and pale he looked... The glow, which they had just before beheld burning on his cheek, was extinguished, like a flam that sinks down hopelessly among the late-decaying embers. It seemed hardly the face of a man alive, with such a deathlike hue; it was hardly a man with life in him...” (231, 232 Hawthorne) He died after his proclamation of his sin, but he died forgiven and happy.
Chillingsworth’s sin was different from the sins of the other characters. He was called the “leech”, because once Dimmesdale died, he lost his purpose in life. Once he discovered that Dimmesdale committed adultery with his wife, he went crazy and the only thing on his mind was revenge. “Old Roger Chillingsworth, throughout life, had been calm in temperament, kindly, though not of warm affections, but ever, and in all his relations with the world, a pure and upright man. He had begun an investigation, as he imagined, with the severe and equal integrity of a judge, desirous only of truth... But, as he proceeded, a terrible fascination, a kind of fierce,, though still calm, necessity seized the old man within its gripe, and never set him free again until he had done all its bidding. He now dug into the poor clergyman’s heart, like a miner searching for gold; or, rather, like a sexton delving into a grave...” (117 Hawthorn) The devil took over Chillingsworth, and drove him to the brink of insanity, trying to torture Dimmesdale.
I believe that Chillingsworth committed the greatest sin. Although a sin is a sin, his did the most evil. As it says in the Bible, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”(Romans12:19) Chillingsworth allowed evil to corrupt him, “All his strength and energy - all his vital and intellectual force - seemed at once to desert him; insomuch that he positively withered up, shrivelled away, and almost vanished from mortal sight, like an uprooted weed that lies wilting in the sun. This unhappy man had made the very principle of his life to consist in the pursuit and systematic exercise of revenge; and when, by its completest triumph and consummation, that evil principle was left with no further material to support it, - when, in short, there was no more devil’s work on earth for him to do, it only remained for the unhumanized mortal to betake himself whither his master would find him tasks enough, and pay him his wages duly.” So when there was no more devil’s work to do, he shrivelled up and died. Overall, I believe this is more than enough evidence to prove that Chillingsworth’s sin was the worst. This book candidly shows how one sin can have a chain effect that disrupts and ultimately destroys the lives of many people.
11/14/11
Peter Mills
Through Gates of Splendor
Throughout the New Testiment, there are many references of Jesus giving instructions to the disciples. “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20) Through Gates of Splendor, written by Elisabeth Elliot and published by Living Books, is an awe-inspiring book about five missionaries trying to preach the gospel to a hostile group of Indians called the Aucas. Just like Jesus said to the disciples, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,” (Mark 16:15) these missionaries go deep into the jungle of Ecuador so they can preach to the Aucas living there. This group of Indians has killed many people, but that doesn’t stop the missionaries from doing the Lord’s work. The Apostle Paul said, “I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” (Acts 20:23-24)These missionaries know it might cost them their lives, but that’s a risk worth taking to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Throughout the book, the missionaries were as careful as they could be. Before they tried to talk to the Indians, they dropped gifts from their plane and shouted friendly phrases in the Auca language. After they had dropped gifts for weeks, they then planned to land and try to communicate with the Aucas. Something went terribly wrong, for they were all brutally murdered. It could have been that their mistake lay in one of their gifts. It could have been that they grew nervous from the missionaries pointing their cameras at them and taking pictures. We will never know why the Aucas thought the missionaries were dangerous. But later on, one of the missionaries’ wives worked with the Aucas and they told her that they had killed the missionaries because they thought they were cannibals.
I myself haven’t gotten the chance to go on a mission trip yet, but I have done many service projects in Boy Scouts, such as helping a couple move, working with friends on a conservation project, and acquiring food for the needy. My troop and I once helped a family move. First, we went to their old house and transferred their belongings into the truck we were using. We then drove a couple hours to their new house and set up all of their stuff. I have also helped many of my fellow Scouts complete the requirements for eagle, the final rank in Scouts. One of the requirements is to do a large service project. I’ve helped built a fence, benches, install water logs, and a few other things. Finally, there is a Scout program called, “Scouting for food”. We drive around neighborhoods putting plastic bags on doorhandles, with instructions of what to do. We then return a week later and pick up the plastic bags, now filled up with food. We then give the food to the church that charters our troop, and they give the food to the needy.
We are called to be the hands and feet of Christ. To do this, we must preach the gospel to people who are lost. We must also help those who are in need of practical things, such as food, and be an example for them. In this way we can point a lost, dying world to our Savior.
Peter Mills
Through Gates of Splendor
Throughout the New Testiment, there are many references of Jesus giving instructions to the disciples. “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20) Through Gates of Splendor, written by Elisabeth Elliot and published by Living Books, is an awe-inspiring book about five missionaries trying to preach the gospel to a hostile group of Indians called the Aucas. Just like Jesus said to the disciples, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature,” (Mark 16:15) these missionaries go deep into the jungle of Ecuador so they can preach to the Aucas living there. This group of Indians has killed many people, but that doesn’t stop the missionaries from doing the Lord’s work. The Apostle Paul said, “I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” (Acts 20:23-24)These missionaries know it might cost them their lives, but that’s a risk worth taking to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Throughout the book, the missionaries were as careful as they could be. Before they tried to talk to the Indians, they dropped gifts from their plane and shouted friendly phrases in the Auca language. After they had dropped gifts for weeks, they then planned to land and try to communicate with the Aucas. Something went terribly wrong, for they were all brutally murdered. It could have been that their mistake lay in one of their gifts. It could have been that they grew nervous from the missionaries pointing their cameras at them and taking pictures. We will never know why the Aucas thought the missionaries were dangerous. But later on, one of the missionaries’ wives worked with the Aucas and they told her that they had killed the missionaries because they thought they were cannibals.
I myself haven’t gotten the chance to go on a mission trip yet, but I have done many service projects in Boy Scouts, such as helping a couple move, working with friends on a conservation project, and acquiring food for the needy. My troop and I once helped a family move. First, we went to their old house and transferred their belongings into the truck we were using. We then drove a couple hours to their new house and set up all of their stuff. I have also helped many of my fellow Scouts complete the requirements for eagle, the final rank in Scouts. One of the requirements is to do a large service project. I’ve helped built a fence, benches, install water logs, and a few other things. Finally, there is a Scout program called, “Scouting for food”. We drive around neighborhoods putting plastic bags on doorhandles, with instructions of what to do. We then return a week later and pick up the plastic bags, now filled up with food. We then give the food to the church that charters our troop, and they give the food to the needy.
We are called to be the hands and feet of Christ. To do this, we must preach the gospel to people who are lost. We must also help those who are in need of practical things, such as food, and be an example for them. In this way we can point a lost, dying world to our Savior.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
The Bronze Bow
Peter Mills
1/19/2011
In the book, The Bronze Bow, written by Elizabeth Speare, the protagonist is a young man named Daniel. Daniel faced three great challenges. The first was to stop hating the Romans, even though they killed his parents. The second was to overcome his headstrong nature and trust in Jesus. His third challenge was to be patient with his sister who was afraid of everything. How can Daniel overcome the obstacles in his life? Taking place in Galilee during the life of Jesus, the Bronze Bow is a riveting story of a young man making some life-changing decisions.
To stop hating the Romans was Daniel’s first challenge. After the Romans killed his parents, Daniel, slowly, surely, and stealthily, determined to wreak vengeance against them. Patiently, Jesus of Nazareth told him that hating the Romans would do no good; Daniel refused to listen. When his friends tried to help, he rebuked them, and continued fighting. His hatred of the Romans knew limitless bounds.
Daniel’s second challenge was to trust in Jesus. At first Daniel thought that Jesus was a Zealot, and would fight against the Romans, but he was dead wrong. Jesus told him to stop hating the Romans, because the only thing stronger than hate is love. Extremely confused by the turn of events, Daniel stopped trusting everyone, and made himself miserable. Only when he could bring himself to trust Jesus could he find the peace he deeply and desperately desired.
Daniel’s third challenge was to exercise patience with his sister. When her parents died, Leah, Daniel’s sister, lingered at the site where they had been killed. When she returned home, she was partially possessed by demons. She became afraid of everyone, except Daniel and her friend Malthace. Accidentally, Daniel discovered that she had been talking to a Roman, and he lost his temper. Leah became dreadfully afraid of him. Realizing what he had done and that Leah was dying, Daniel became miserable. What could Daniel do to help her? When Jesus came to heal her, Daniel knew that if he wanted Leah to live, he would have to stop hating the Romans and be more patient with his sister.
Eventually these challenges led Daniel to encounter Christ. Once Daniel stopped hating the Romans, Jesus healed Leah, and Daniel invited Leah’s Roman friend to stay with them. Daniel’s first challenge to stop hating the Romans would have been impossible if Jesus had not helped him. His second and most important challenge, to trust in Jesus, was accomplished as he let go of his hatred for the Romans. Trusting Christ allowed him to replace hatred with love and gave him greater compassion. Daniel was able to accomplish his third challenge, to be more patient with his sister, once he had the love of Christ in his heart. Compared to Daniel’s challenges, mine are insignificant, and I should practice more patience and love toward the people that I deal with daily. Love one another. Trust Christ. Show compassion. In The Bronze Bow, Elizabeth Speare paints a realistic portrait of a young man who faced great challenges and overcame them by a genuine encounter with Christ.
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