IRJ-QR #8

Confidence

“I’m glad you’ve found out. It makes you ever so much more of a hero. Don’t you see that? Now you know that it was you who killed all these dragons and not that foolish little word” (p.6) this is the Headmaster’s response to Gawaine’s discovery of the fact that his “magic word” held no power. The Headmaster had meant for this to give him confidence, but the knowledge that it was he all along who killed the dragons actually served to make Gawaine doubtful and fearful, two emotions not present when he believed in the magic word Rumplesnitz.

This quote hints at an interesting thought in the story; how Gawaine putting all his expectations and worries would have made it easier for him to accept failure than if he had only himself to blame for his mistakes. Though one would think that after killing a dragon without the use of the magic word, Gawaine would regain some confidence of his own. But the whole experience made him realize his vulnerability, something that frightened him greatly. As was hinted at in the beginning- when the author says that Gawaine does not hold promise- when the headmaster forces him to return to the forest to battle a much smaller dragon, his wits and confidence fail him, and he is eaten.

CONCLUSION: this story shows the fragility of peoples self-images; people have more confidence someone or thing is responsible, rather than being sure enough of themselves to succeed.

IRJ-OP#7

George Banks: A Father Without Control

The character George Banks is heavy with irony. The fact that Mr. Banks idealizes his life by saying, or rather singing, about his well run household and well-behaved children, and taking responsibility for all this efficiency while in reality his children are missing and his household is in chaos over the losses of countless nannies. This all shows how unobservant George Banks is.

The path of Mr. Banks throughout the film in many ways follows along the lines of a hero’s journey. We first encounter Mr. Banks when he walks into his home singing about how glad he is to be a successful man. This is the director’s way of showing us how detached he is from his family, and how he seems to like it that way, unfortunately for them. At the beginning of the film the most important things to him are that his wife be subservient and docile, his children are obedient and polite, his home be well run and that the family and home impress his colleagues. Well, his family doesn’t quite share his opinions on what a perfect life is, and they show him so. Jane and Michael run away frequently, and Mrs. Banks is holding secret Sister Suffragette meetings when her husband is out. It is arguable that his family does these things he is so clearly against in order to gain his attention. When Jane and Michael present to their father a list of characteristics they would like in a nanny, it is difficult not to notice that a lot of those characteristics are what most children would like to see in their parents. One day Mary Poppins brings the children to the bank where their father works, and they cause him to lose his job. This is where the hero enters the belly of the whale. After Mr, Banks loses his job, he is disconsolate. After Mary Poppins has accomplished her goal of bringing the family closer, he emerges on the other side of his former self as the hero, bestowing boons upon others- in other words, he emerges as a better father.

Conclusion: Difficult times in ones life are often the times when the most positive developments are undergone.

The Life I Lead- George Banks (Sing Along Version!!)—Our first impression of Mr. Banks, a good display of his character (song actually starts around second 25)

Character Summary- Mr. Banks—As well as other main characters

IRJ-CP #6

Purloining the Professor

The night was dark and still when I snuck back to the professor’s house. I tried not to be intimidated by its sober, formidable façade, reminding myself that the inside of the home was far less intimidating. Though I had been prepared for this night for months, I knew still it would not be easy on me to purloin the professor. His trust was what made my job so easy, but it was also what made it so hard. The professor was proficient and erudite. He taught a history class at a nearby university. He loved history, and was an obsessive collector. Most importantly, he was by no means gullible. The man was slow to trust, and reserved, making it difficult for me to be sure how much he knew or didn’t know. It also made it hard to throw his valued trust in his face. Under the guise of an officer, I set my cap askew upon my head and spun my club like they do in movies. I knew I needed to act purposeless so as not to appear conspicuous, But the truth was I was in no hurry to reach the door.

IRJ-OP #5

The Power of Perspective

Today in Human Development class, we did an activity about stereotypes in our society. The activity involved a list of ethnicities and religions and the class was instructed to write anything that came to mind about those groups, as uncensored as possible.

Everyone tried hard not to react to comments made about the groups, though it became difficult at times. It was awkward to take off the filters that many of the less politically correct thoughts we think of each day cannot make it through. Though we put those filters up to prevent conflict or offense, it is definitely a healthy thing to be able to speak without worrying who will be insulted by what you say, if only periodically. This activity was interesting in its representation of the greater world today, where customs and mannerisms don’t always translate well between societies. Even within our own society, political groups have much difficulty seeing issues from a different perspective, concerned only with their own opinions. The skill we developed today of patience and open mindedness is one that if used more often would resolve issues more efficiently.

Proposition: If people in power acted civilly and took the time to understand all sides of a problem, we wouldn’t need to kill each other to find the right answer.

Iraq War– summary of the war in Iraq

Peace in the Middle East– a website dedicated to the end of violence in the Middle East

IRJ-CP #4

The Beast

I am ugly. I am fur and fear. Sometimes I pause and look back on who I used to be, and what happened to me. The term ‘no good deed goes unpunished’ comes to mind. It’s not an easy thing, hate. How can someone despise me from one glance? That I shall never comprehend. I keep Belle hostage here, for what reason I am not quite sure. Maybe its because when I watch her wander through the thorny, impenetrable undergrowth, I’m reminded of what I’ve become; sober, wild, a beast. Just seeing her wander through what used to be a lush, vibrant garden as beautiful as she…well, she makes me reminiscent of who I was. It is too late to go back, I’m afraid. Once there is only dark, it is impossible to imagine there could be light again.

IRJ-CP#3

The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe

Once, when I was younger, I read a book called The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, aptly named, since the wardrobe discovered by the children in the story serves as a portal from a mundane, ordinary world, to a surreal, fantastic one. The story really begins with Edmund, a brooding, ill-tempered character lacking ingenuity and perceptivity. He is lured into the clutches of the evil White Witch (a fitting epithet, as her face was pale and she wore only white) who indulges Edmund with candies and kidnaps him. This wicked debauchery launches Edmund’s siblings, and eventually the timorous and shy faun named Mr. Tumnus, on an adventure to rescue him from harm. Eventually, they come across a grim castle. Juxtaposed with its lush green surroundings, the children infer that the icy stone castle belongs to the terrible white witch, and bravely enter the castle to save him.

IRJ-QR #2

Warriors Don’t Cry: The Power of Faith

IRJ-QR #1

The Things They Carried: The Power of Weapons