The Butterfly Effect Griffin Summary
The author’s purpose in this work was to convey a message to the reader that we are not as in control of our own lives as it may seem. Griffin makes the argument that people’s lives our extremely intertwined with one another's and that many of our actions have unforeseen consequences, many of which we choose to ignore. The author’s audience appears to be any of the general public who seek to question the world around them. I find this writing particularly interesting because I have always been fascinated by the concept of the butterfly effect, and how the slightest action can have tremendous consequences.
These ideas of the unseen ramifications of our actions, and how connected lives of two unrelated people can be are what drew me into Griffin’s
work and they were the ideas I organized the story around. Although there were several other ideas discussed in the story, every time I was compelled to make a note it always seemed to be about this concept. Everything from the stories of Heinrich Himmler to the constant references to missile also seemed to be focused on this idea. Himmer being shaped by the ideas of his fathers, and a missile being subject to the forces around it. There was one quote in particular that I thought perfectly summed up these ideas as well as encompassed all the main ideas of the story. “Is there any one of us who can count ourselves outside the circle circumscribed by our common past” (380). This quote seem to sum up the idea that so much of our own life and our own story is made up of things we had no control over. Whether the influences be those around us or those who came before us. It becomes clear that the research that Griffin conducted had opened her eyes to previously unseen connections. In return, this had even forced me to ponder a few questions. How much of my life has been influenced by people I have never met, or even heard of? The answer is likely staggering. In addition, it made me wonder what effect my actions have made on people I have never met? The answer to this is less clear to me.
These ideas of the unseen ramifications of our actions, and how connected lives of two unrelated people can be are what drew me into Griffin’s
work and they were the ideas I organized the story around. Although there were several other ideas discussed in the story, every time I was compelled to make a note it always seemed to be about this concept. Everything from the stories of Heinrich Himmler to the constant references to missile also seemed to be focused on this idea. Himmer being shaped by the ideas of his fathers, and a missile being subject to the forces around it. There was one quote in particular that I thought perfectly summed up these ideas as well as encompassed all the main ideas of the story. “Is there any one of us who can count ourselves outside the circle circumscribed by our common past” (380). This quote seem to sum up the idea that so much of our own life and our own story is made up of things we had no control over. Whether the influences be those around us or those who came before us. It becomes clear that the research that Griffin conducted had opened her eyes to previously unseen connections. In return, this had even forced me to ponder a few questions. How much of my life has been influenced by people I have never met, or even heard of? The answer is likely staggering. In addition, it made me wonder what effect my actions have made on people I have never met? The answer to this is less clear to me.