Emotions vs Ignorance
Jesse Bass
Comp Lit 2, 6 p.m.
Prof. Ehleben
June 13, 2013
A World with Collisions In life, one’s own ignorance can trump any truth presented to them, if, and only if they choose to not keep an open mind. The key to avoiding these tragic and usually unnecessary casualties of the self is to understand when these truths are about to, or already have appeared onto a person’s path as they go through life. Once the truth is noticed then it is up to the person to verify and accept it, this is where the inner battle of the human mind begins. Most people would love to be able to identify what is true and what is false as simply as saying what’s black and what is white. The issue is that once they see the truth this battle between emotion and intellect occurs and whilst it happens, the person goes through a period where they must decide which side to take; the emotion, which is pure human instinct and raw, or the intellect, which is more factual and precise. It is these properties that many leading characters face in comedies and tragedies. One example is the character of Harold in “ ‘Master Harold’…and the Boys” by Athol Fugard. Harold is just a 17 year old boy blessed to be of the fairer skin complexion in Apartheid ruled South Africa. Another example such an idea occurs is in “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles. Oedipus is a hero to the people of Thebes and has been given the throne in the absence of its former holder Laius. Both stories have the leading character travel through a roller coaster of knowledge and emotions that eventually shows them the truth and it is through these two concepts colliding, that they each begin to understand what has been idling by waiting to be exposed. Before we uncover what revelations each character finds we must first understand who they think they are prior. Oedipus is strong, compassionate King of Thebes, who like any ruler wants what is best for his people and land. He represents what everybody wishes to be and cannot show signs of
Comp Lit 2, 6 p.m.
Prof. Ehleben
June 13, 2013
A World with Collisions In life, one’s own ignorance can trump any truth presented to them, if, and only if they choose to not keep an open mind. The key to avoiding these tragic and usually unnecessary casualties of the self is to understand when these truths are about to, or already have appeared onto a person’s path as they go through life. Once the truth is noticed then it is up to the person to verify and accept it, this is where the inner battle of the human mind begins. Most people would love to be able to identify what is true and what is false as simply as saying what’s black and what is white. The issue is that once they see the truth this battle between emotion and intellect occurs and whilst it happens, the person goes through a period where they must decide which side to take; the emotion, which is pure human instinct and raw, or the intellect, which is more factual and precise. It is these properties that many leading characters face in comedies and tragedies. One example is the character of Harold in “ ‘Master Harold’…and the Boys” by Athol Fugard. Harold is just a 17 year old boy blessed to be of the fairer skin complexion in Apartheid ruled South Africa. Another example such an idea occurs is in “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles. Oedipus is a hero to the people of Thebes and has been given the throne in the absence of its former holder Laius. Both stories have the leading character travel through a roller coaster of knowledge and emotions that eventually shows them the truth and it is through these two concepts colliding, that they each begin to understand what has been idling by waiting to be exposed. Before we uncover what revelations each character finds we must first understand who they think they are prior. Oedipus is strong, compassionate King of Thebes, who like any ruler wants what is best for his people and land. He represents what everybody wishes to be and cannot show signs of
Cited: Fugard, Athol. “Master Holland’ and the Boys.” Responding to Literature. Ed. Judith A Stanford. 5th ed. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2006. 474-511 Sophocles. “Oedipus Rex.” Trans. Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. Responding to Literature. Ed. Judith A. Stanford. 5th ed. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2006. 748-781