Peering Inside The Doorway: Growth of a Scholar

During this fall semsester, I have learned a lot. Looking back on my earlier writing, although I had already developed some critical thinking skills, I really learned to analyze different views and philosophies as a whole. From inequality, to oppression, to idealism, there is always more to learn. As a scholar, I feel that we should constantly strive to expand our knowledge in all aspects of life. We should not be content reading the news, but rather reading into the news, and see the entire picture of the story, not just one side of it. This English 102 class has taught me to value the opinions of others, because we will never learn about each other without first understanding how others think and perceive the world.

I really enjoyed the fishbowl aspect of this class. Although it seemed somewhat uncomfortable to some people at first, it gave us all a chance to speak our opinions. Everyone seemed to open up, and by the end I felt like we were all a bit like a family. It showed me how a group of people can all come together and learn the same concepts but have extremely varied versions and representations of that concept. It helped me appreciate as a person the sheer variety in which different people can think. As a dreamer, a scholar, and thinker, I loved being able to interact with my peers in this way.

This class has sharpened me as a person. I feel more aware of the words I say and the inflection in which I present them. I will use this perspective for the rest of my life, and constantly monitor how I interact with others. In addition, I will now have a stronger appreciation for people's differing opinions. It is the differences we have that makes us so interesting. I would just like to thank Professor Brady for this class, and giving us the tools to construct a better world, academically and socially. I expect I will have a stronger love for literature now and will be able to apply it as a writer in school and beyond. Thank you colleagues for your opinions. I know I talk a lot but please believe me when I say that each and every one of you is a genuinely intelligent person, and without your thoughts and ideas, I wouldn't have learned nearly as much.

Looking Back at the Door Behind: Gender Inequality

In one of our lectures we discussed gender inequality in depth. This challenged us early on as students to look into the different ways in which gender inequality has appeared in history, and how it still shows it's face from time to time in today's society. Using Antigone, we saw that in the ancient Greek culture women were viewed as lesser than men, and their voices and opinion were not very important. However, the protagonist Antigone stood and fought for what is right and in turn the author pointed out the view that maybe women weren't lesser beings than men, which was a very controversial opinion at the time. What I took away from this lecture is that we must continue to scrutinize the societal norms of gender equality, because there seems to always be room for improvement.

Looking Back at the Door Behind: Egalitarianism

The egalitarianism lecture we had was excellent. We delved into the inner aspects of this ideology and used modern day examples. Reading White Woman of Color by Julia Alvarez was a perfect way to get us to understand this concept. This lecture made me really think about how I view other people naturally, and how it is altered based on societal norms. Egalitarianism is the idea of fair treatment for all, and it is a hard idea to achieve. I believe Professor Brady gave us this lecture to instill this mindset in us, not that we will ever be able to have total egalitarianism, but that we will always work towards a better and more cohesive future.

Looking Back at the Door Behind: Oppression

In one of our classes, we learned about oppression, and how it can be prevalent in so many different aspects. I really enjoyed this topic, because I thought it was very interesting to see what people's views on the subject were. When we wrote about it in our publications, my classmates all came up with wonderful examples of oppression. I think this was an important topic to discuss, because oppression happens around us all the time, and the worst oppression is the one that silently infiltrates our society and makes us glance past it so that it will remain. Professor Brady did an excellent job of getting all of us to think critically about the society we live in, as well as analyze how history has recorded oppression.

Doorway to Tenacity

The definition of tenacity is the quality of continuing to exist, to say that it is persistence. It is sheer determination, like a strong grip that won't let go. It is this essence that defines who you are as a person, what you will achieve in life. Much of our lives we deal with conflicts and struggles. It is the tenacity inside a person that drives them to continue the good fight and attain their dreams. This essay will discuss this theme that runs throughout famous poetry and music.

In the poem Invictus, written in 1875 by William Ernest Henry, never surrendering is the main theme. In the first stanza he writes, “Out of the night that covers me, black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be, for my unconquerable soul”. Henry knew that one extremely important characteristic in life was having an unconquerable soul, because with that attribute, we can never permanently fail. Invictus describes a person who refuses to give up, a person who may become beaten but never falters (“Bloodied, but unbowed”, line 8, Invictus). He even goes further to say that the 'menace of the years' shall find him unafraid. He writes about the mindset that only he can control his fate, and no one else.

The poem Ulysses by Alfred Tennyson describes a similar tale. In the beginning, he talks about how there is little point staying home, performing the same menial tasks and living a dreary repetitive lifestyle. He goes on to talk about how he longs to travel again, like he did when he was a sailor. He speaks out that it is a dull thing to stay in one place, “To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!” (line 23, Ulysses). In the end he proclaims that he will continue to travel even in his old age until death. Nothing can destroy his resolve, and nothing can make him yield.

Much like when William Shakespeare said “All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players;”, Freddy Mercury of Queen sings about the same setting in The Show Must Go On. This song portrays the attitude that we must continue on with our part. He says “Inside my heart is breaking, my make-up may be flaking, but my smile stays on”, meaning that although your world may feel like it's crumbling down around you, we must carry on with our part, and look in the beaming positive light. He says we must face our hurdles with a grin on our face, and find the will to carry on.

There are many ways to describe strength in the grim face of adversity, these are simply a few selections that highlight that theme. Throughout history we look to the people who never give up and take courage as heroes. But heroes aren't just the ones that a public servants, like soldiers, police, and firefighters. These are the people who never give in, who do what is right, and can laugh and love even in times of hardships. The hardy attitude that the world will never break you.

If there is one thing to take away from this invincible state of mind, it is that the only one that can let you fail, is yourself. Though there will be setbacks, and not everything will turn out perfectly as planned, you can always pick yourself up and start back on the trail again. You must control your life, and stand back up every time you get knocked down. The essence of life is “to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield”, and your constant struggles “finds, and shall find you unafraid”, because “the show must go on.”

Invictus