You'll notice an odd poll to the right here. Let me explain...
I just got done teaching Fahrenheit 451, which is perhaps one of the greatest novels of all time (if you ask me, which obviously you would had I not just told you). Every time I read/teach F451, I find myself finding more ways in which our society mirror's Montag's society. And it makes me angry. So angry that I feel like I need to join him, to do something violent or opulent for a cause I deem worthy. (Power to the people!)
I'm now teaching The Scarlet Pimpernel, which is about an Englishman (Sir Percy Blakeney) who defies the entire French Revolution by disguising himself and stealing aristos from the grasps of Madame la Guillotine and sweeping them off to merry 'ole England, where they can live with no fear of being offed simply because of a title they were given at birth. He doesn't want the credit, but he is doing what he thinks is right, and it makes a difference.
I am also currently enveloped in Chasing Fire, the sequel to The Hunger Games. (If I'm still reading the book by Saturday, fire me for being a slow reader. I'm serious.) This book, so far, seems to revolve around an uprising against an oppressive government that lives in splendor and excess while the people are beaten and left to starve. Katniss, the heroine, finds herself doubting her ability to enact change, but feeling guilty not doing anything.
(Are we seeing a trend?)
I'm feeling like I need to be involved in some kind of uprising. I don't need a political uprising; Sean Hannity probably has that covered for me. My uprising might, at this moment, be work related. I'm feeling as my good friend Montag felt: powerless to affect the changes that others, who seem to have the power to do something, refuse to make. And, I find myself looking for my alter ego, as Blakeney did, to enact the change through so that my name can remain unstained. Yet, I found myself reflecting on this idea and feeling, as Katniss does, that this makes me a coward? I'm sure I'll come up with something, because I've never been one to take injustices sitting down (I'm an excellent whiner), but in the meantime, rather than exploding with anger and frustration, I'm going to conduct a silly poll.
So let's find out: what should be join together and rise up against?
2 comments:
oh jess. again, how you have put words to my thoughts, and so much more eloquently than i ever could. that feeling of wanting to uprise, to do SOMETHING, anything to make a difference and change the way things are, are the main reasons why i got my degree in political science. alas, now that i see how many problems there are, i feel as insignificant as katniss, unable to say or do anything that would actually make a difference, or, if i do, that my friends, family and loved ones would be scorned. *sigh* i am so glad you and i are friends. we think a lot alike :)
p.s. how are you liking catching fire??
I just finished reading Catching Fire. SO GOOD!
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