Discuss amongst yourselves...

What makes a novel "a classic"? Discuss.

Often times I've wondered why we read the books we do in our English classes. I mean, most of them are just books written by people who only wrote one book and then went and did something weird, like shoving their head in a hot oven or isolating themselves from the rest of the world. So, okay, does this mean that if I write a book and then disappear into the Bermuda triangle, my book will become a "classic"? Probably not. However, what I've noticed is the following:

In each book we read, there is a thread that connects all of the books to each other. The thread is called controversy. No matter if it was the Catcher in the Rye, Wuthering Heights, or Malcolm X, we learned about controversial people and controversial ideas. Maybe we do this because it provokes discussion. Or maybe the curriculum is this way to challenge us and make us pour out our deepest thoughts about life and society as we know it today. Or maybe they just really want to piss us off...either way--

controversy is what makes a novel a "classic".

My Comments to Others Part II

I don't know whether I'm supposed to do this or not but these are the comments I left to others:

TO ELLEN!
Wow, Ellen, nice 1-2 paragraphs...haha, jk!Well, the program you were watching sounds really fascinating (possibly a little creepy, but fascinating nonetheless). The soul marriages part I never realized existed! Weird, I guess people's subconscious can be so strong that they feel a great need to fix things that weren't fixed in a past lifetime!! Great post but there's just one thing I want to know: do you actually believe in all that spirit stuff you described?!

TO ASHLEY!
Nice comparison to Smallville! Anyway, I totally agree with you on this topic. I think that if a family wants to adopt a child, they should by all means treat that child like nothing less than one of their own! Good post, btw. :]]

TO MAJA!
OMG. NICE PIC. okay, anyway...it sure does sound like you are conflicted. However, I agree with Allison; what if the parents did not raise the children!? The children would not have been "infected" [shall we say] by the parents bad morals! There would be no use in punishing the child because the child would have nothing at all to do with the bad deed! This is like the whole debate with the new generation of young people in Germany and how they might be educated by anti-semitic grandparents...but what if they were separated from their grandparents?!well, nice blog, again, and nice pic!

Ghosts do not exist

The supernatural has never ceded to interest me. The strange mishaps and coincidences that I have heard on TV shows and from scary stories fascinate me. However, are they real? 

Personally, I'm afraid of the dark. I remember the first time I realized I didn't like my room when I couldn't see it. I was sitting in my bed. No one else was in my room and I might have had a slight fever. It was the middle of the night and I started to see pictures in the dark. I only remember one picture I saw but it was the most frightening thing to a little kid: a clown. A clown in a red car. And as soon as I saw that, you could bet that my heart was beating at 100 mph as I ran into my mom's room.

This was the perfect example of my eyes "playing tricks on me." 

And this brings us back to the supernatural. Usually when you watch these supernatural shows, there are only re-enactments of what took place. And the actual experiences usually happen at night. Very rarely is there an instance (except UFOs) where a strange, unexplainable event happens during broad daylight. Now, I believe all "supernatural" happenings are due to "tired" eyes. Maybe I'm wrong but the proof that I experienced with "night-pictures" definitely proved to me why people see strange things. 

Anyway, when I actually see a supernatural event that's not at night and if it's when I'm with people and NOT tired, maybe I'll believe in ghosts. But for now, I'm blaming our human fears on our human flaws.

MY COMMENTS TO OTHERS!

I

wow, that was smart to research! I think it does make people feel closer if you call them brother and sister...maybe it's because in America, no one does that, but I think it is a great thing that Muslims do, habit or not. 
Also, it's important to retain tradition, as long as it retains it's meaning...like in the Jewish religion, males (and some females) cover their head in respect for G-d--I assume you know this. Even though the covering is small, it is symbolic and Jews must remember what the purpose of the covering is...

just thought I'd make the connection :D

March 10, 2009 5:47 AM

II

That's quite interesting...the part about the modern Christian monk...

The most interesting part is that, even though you said he's an extremist, he doesn't try to push his views on others--you said he doesn't expect people to live the way he does. Most extremists try to influence others. What Mr. Claiborne does is quite different; it's respectable.

March 10, 2009 5:43 AM

 

III

WoAh. Horseback riding. GREAT story! That sure is a different take on "life-changing" experiences. Although Malcolm's life-changing experience was a religious one, you related it to a fear that was created when you were little. That's obscure, fascinating, and downright clever! Man, Malcolm traveling thousands of miles to Mecca seems like nothing now...umm, maybe not. But great post! Interesting article too! :D

March 10, 2009 7:47 PM

IV

Cool. Mosques seem like very peaceful places but from what you described, the rules were very strict. You explained very well how a lot of new experiences that many people do not have can affect you personally. That is a pretty neat thing to do, especially because you had images in your head already of Muslims who were praying. It turned out that everything was different... I guess exploring things for yourself is the best (or only) way to learn things!
Great post!

March 10, 2009 7:52 PM

**hypocrisy is a band**

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypocrisy_(band)

JUST FOR FUNSIES!

Does the belief that knocking on wood will prevent bad luck come from Christian practices? If not, what's up with the whole superstition!?

MALCOLM V: Taking a Different Approach

As I make my way through the final chapters of Malcolm X, I realize something very peculiar. Malcolm X, although relieved to be out of America, notices that even people in Mecca tend to associate themselves with people of the same color. Although the race and color doesn't matter so much to people in Mecca, he notices that on the trip to Mecca (the Hajj), people were subconsciously grouping together because they have the same color. However, Malcolm seems to look the other way when this happens. Some would call this hypocrisy. 

But: 

http://www.charisfoundation.com/hypocris.html

Read this article^. Mr. Barber seems to take a very different approach on hypocrisy. He basically says (and still read the article because I am merely paraphrasing) that hypocrisy is when someone acts out something they should believe in instead of completely devoting their whole heart and soul to it. I believe, from personal experiences, that hypocrisy is just that. However, Malcolm's heart and soul are into his black race so much that, when he finds justice for his race, he looks the other way and acts like Mecca is a release. What do you think the definition of hypocrisy is--the "new" definition the article and Luke 12:1-5 states? Or do you think it is the standard definition mentioned right below those quotes from Luke 12:1-5?  I'm sorry if this article makes things confusing but it puts out a different viewpoint.

Please respond back! Let me know what you think...

MALCOLM IV: A New Light!

FINALLY. Malcolm X has opened up his eyes to the world! 

The fact of the matter is that the way one perceives others and what type of thoughts are cultivated in one's mind relies greatly on what types of experiences you live through. Throughout his life, Malcolm X hated the white race and thought they were devils. BUT this was only because he grew up surrounded by racist whites who told him he couldn't achieve his goals in life. Naturally, if one is brought up around people who hate him, he will learn to hate them back. 

For example, in the American society, we take for granted how much we are sheltered from the outside world. There is free speech and restrictions on how many "bad things", per say, one can say about a community or race or religion. Especially in the town we all live in, there is very little discrimination. Therefore, even though I was raised by Jews and surrounded by a very Jewish environment, I know that Christians or Indians or Muslims are not mean and do not have anything against me personally or, most of the time, my religion. Whenever I walk into a church, I am faced with a good first impression: there are food drives, there are social events welcoming all races and creeds, there are other community events. Obviously churches must be a place of selflessness and goodness! Take the church right by the middle school in our town for example; I went there for girl scouts and for parties. I was always welcome!

The bottom line is that the experiences I had (especially the ones I had in churches) made me realize that Christians are a friendly people and that I should not fear them or be angered by them. 

Malcolm X finally realizes this. Even though he was brought up to think that the white people were a horrible people [because they mistreated him], he realizes later that not all whites are racist and that some are indeed very friendly. 

He says when he was being led by a white man in Mecca and around Mecca **AND I QUOTE**: "That morning was the start of a radical alteration in my whole outlook about "white" men."

A new Malcolm X has awoken!

MALCOLM III: Betrayal, False Justification, and Hypocrisy

Um, I'm confused.

I'm in the middle of chapter 16 and something very shocking has happened. Elijah Muhammad committed adultery not once, but twice. Mr. Muhammad, the epitome of morality and justification, has betrayed everyone who has ever followed him. Especially Malcolm. Okay, I get that Elijah Muhammad is "silencing" Malcolm for disobeying him and telling the newspapers something that backfired on him: "Black Muslims' Malcolm X: 'Chickens Come Home to Roost'". What I don't get is how Elijah Muhammad justified his immorality...

When Mr. Muhammad meets with Malcolm he says: "I'm David. When you read about how David took another man's wife, I'm that David. You read about Noah, who got drunk--that's me. You read about Log, who went and laid up with his own daughters. I have to fulfill all of those things."

LKAJDLFASDJSLF?!?!

WHAT?! 

Are you trying to tell Mr. X that you must mock anything that our biblical ancestors have done?Even if it was morally wrong?! That goes against everything he has ever stood for! This doesn't make any sense! What is even more appalling is that Malcolm ACCEPTS this fact. He ACCEPTS the fact that Muhammad is a copycat who disobeys the laws he himself made! 

And theeeeen, when Muhammad "silences" Malcolm, Malcolm accepts this. 

I know it is good to be an activist. And I know it is good to be passionate about your religion. But at a certain point, you are blind to the things around you. Maybe Malcolm knows this because he writes that he realized what Mr. Muhammad did was wrong, but even so; when this incident did happen with adultery, Malcolm's mind refused to believe what his sub-conscience already knew... 

There will be more things in the next post and a link :] stay tuned!

MALCOLM II: I am a Jew.

IMPORTANT ANALYTICAL AND RELATION-TO-MY-LIFE INFORMATION IS AT THE BOTTOM.

In writing about the March at Washington D.C. led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X comments, "'Talk about integrated!' It was like salt and pepper. And, by now, there wasn't a single logistics aspect uncontrolled." 

Malcolm goes on to say that everything was organized; there were first aid stations, people were told when to march and where and what route to take. When they were instructed to leave early, they did...

HOWEVER. Malcolm says all of this in a very negative tone. He claims this was a perfect example of integration. He says integration is bad, which was a radically different--almost opposite--approach than the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

"Why is integration bad!?" the reader might ask, puzzled at even the suggestion of this. Well, Malcolm claims it is because the black man is doing exactly what the white man wants him to do: by integrating the blacks are bowing down to the whites.

Therefore, Malcolm believes that to remain steadfast in ones culture, even if it is not the black culture, rebellion and separation is necessary and that, in fact, the only right way to reverse assimilation. Although radical, this makes sense, correct?

On the contrary, most people who read chapter 15 think Malcolm is crazy. They think that him wanting nothing to do with the white race is a horrible thing. Or at least, that's what I first thought of when I read this chapter. 

But then, he goes on to explain the reasoning behind this...

Malcolm goes on to say that blacks deserve more than the white race because they have been slaves for the white race for over 400 years. He says that blacks have just as much of a right [he even goes one to say that blacks have MORE of a right] to the country they live in as whites do--more strong pro-black ideas.

Although whites who read the Autobiography of Malcolm X find this book offending, and sometimes believe Malcolm is blind to his very anti-any-other-race-but-black attitude and views, we have to remember to read as if we were in Malcolm thoughts--respectively. 

What I'm getting at here is that Malcolm was so pro-black that he was not only anti-white but also anti any other race even before the NOI members even contacted him. 

This means he was also anti-semitic. He claims he isn't and that the Jews are "hyper-sensitive"...

[I should mention that although I read books as if I did not have any culture, religion, race, or beliefs, and although I take one's opinion as non-offensively as I can, I felt I had to speak up for any Jew who has read this book.]

... this came up when he claimed that whenever he speaks about the Jews taking the black's money in the ghettos, he is accused of being anti-semitic. However, he had just said before that the Jew thinks of himself FIRST as a Jew and THEN as a German or a doctor or a husband or etc. He says this is a bad thing because he is always being accused of being an anti-semitic. BUT just before he had said that the Jews assimilated. This makes his arguments COMPLETELY CONTRADICTORY! And what is wrong with the Jews thinking of themselves as Jews first before anything else? This is called having pride for who you are and what your religion/culture/belief is! What is wrong about that? As I recall, Mr. X, YOU are the one who is the black activist here! So why are you so anti Jewish activism!? You should be proud of the Jewish activists who think of themselves as Jews first--I know I am proud to be a Jew and that I think of myself as having a strong Jewish identity. Why can't you accept other religions and races? Assimilation doesn't have to be bad.

Although I can respect his opinion and although I am reading this book, as I said before,  as if I am a "nobody", I felt this was appropriate material for a blog...

Comment if you'd like :]

MORE:

So this link just reinforces what I was just saying:

http://judaism.about.com/od/abcsofjudaism/a/beingjewish.htm

BEING JEWISH IS AN IDENTITY. IT IS A PART OF you.