Mein Kamph by Adolf Hitler

I was surprised (and yet not surprised) that I had a really hard time believing anything he wrote about.  Not just because of the person we know him to be because of WWII, but because why would he write something bad about himself?  It is really hard for people to be honest and real about their mistakes and their past and it seemed to me that Hitler "buttered" himself up.  Not necessarily his life because he mentions hard things he went through and his frustrations-but he always blamed them on someone else.  Everything was always someone else's fault in his opinion.  Even when his dad died he was bitter and upset that his dad would be so selfish as to leave him and his mother-whom he loved.  His mother later died and he wasn't as bitter about that but because of their deaths he felt like he had to be involved in politics in order to become anything in life.  He really wanted to be an artist...at least that is what he says.

The thing that had me most fascinated was the translation from German into English.  I was constantly thinking "I don't know how someone could translate this kind of writing."  Hitler seemed to go on and on and his sentences were dragging-and then out of no where he would become extremely angry!  The part of the book I liked the best was the translators introduction.  Which can be read here if you would like.  Though the written word is best, you might want to check out that part online if you can't get a hold of the book itself.

Don't be shocked when I say this: I did agree with some things he said.  One example is that he felt that the media had so much negative affect on the youth and that they were introduced to things at such young ages.  He thought that the youth were involved in things that they shouldn't even know existed. So true now.  Even more so now than then.  It was the way he handled everything that I did not agree with.  Very socialistic.  If we just make people do this or that, if we spy on them , if we terminate them....that is the opposite way that God would handle any situation.

There are lots of people who want this book to be unavailable, but I do think it is important that his way of thinking and handling anything needs not be forgotten.  We should learn from history and not forget it!  Though it is sad to learn about the things that happened because of Hitler and the Nazis I do not wish to forget them- i just repeated myself, but I think that is so important.

I admit that I couldn't finish the whole thing, partly because it was during the holidays that I was reading this book and it turned out to be such a downer for me and partly because his writing style was so boring to me and hard to follow with all those sentences running on and on and on and on and on and on....

Crane is good. But so are Shaffer and Barrows and Wilder...

I'm working on Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage. Really, I promise.

However, I've gotten a little side-tracked; The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows is responsible for my side-tracking. (Love it!)

I'm also reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House in the Big Woods with the kids. They're enthralled, especially my 7-year-old boy. This wilderness living seems to be right up his interest alley.

These classics are great. But, please, share any other books that you may be enjoying as well.

Happy reading!

love,

Carrie Beth

Little Oliver: An Example of Purity Inspite of Peril

What is there in a person that makes him or her so uncommon in our world; so untainted by the worlds oppressions, and so unmarred by the force of wickedness thrust upon them? Living in the worst of circumstances, and yet not partaking of the worst of those circumstances; returning goodness for pains. Turning to hope when logically none can be found. Such a child was little Oliver. How much like him are you and I?

We see within the character of Nancy, a soul entrenched in the world she lives in. A misplaced loyalty at an early age that was to be her end; and yet she strives for a morsel of the goodness inspired in her by Oliver.

As for Sikes and Fagan, which is in a worse condition, a man who sinned outright in his angry passion, or the man who harbors, encourages, and teaches it to others?

I am sure Dickens' characters have a great deal to teach us as to the conditions and choices in mortality. Think of Mr. Harry Maylie and his love for Rose. He was willing to choose a vocation that gave her an acceptable society rather than conform to those who would dishonor her.

The nobility of the upright characters is so thoroughly contrasted with the baseness of the worst slime that ever crawled the earth. You can see it is not a fantasy of clear cut division. Dickens shows how some are good who are in the worst of spots, and some are bad who are in the best of places in life. Then there are those who are bad in the worst spots, and others who are good in the best spots. It is also shown how some are transforming themselves to a better spot in life, and some to a better spot in death. Ah, the power of choice; the freedom to enslave or liberate ourselves. This is the God given freedom every human is born with. May we each choose wisely for our happiness and future depends upon it.

The Scarlet Letter

Well, what a sad situation we have here. Hawthorne seems to point to the very personal consequences of sin as the most extreme suffering. Indeed, for all involved it was excruciating pain they endured. Notice how cleverly the author names the characters.

The way each of the three involved handled their pain and hurt seemed so unnecessary. Hester bore her shame openly, yet penitently. The way she held on to her sin and lived for it daily was a way for her to justify herself and enjoy her misery. But to her credit she handled her social circumstances with strength and honor. Her obsession with her sin had an effect on her relationship with Pearl which was a repercussion of her choice to cling to her past. Chillingsworth killed his spirit with revenge. Dimmsdale had the greatest consequence in my opinion. He allowed himself to become slightly insane. I can think of no greater torment than that created by ones own psyche where the adversary was allowed to gain possession of the mind and heart. It may be a type of pain those assigned to anything other than the Celestial Kingdom at the final judgement may experience in varying degrees. The guilt that will not be relieved. It is all by choice. God is waiting to forgive.

There are many other angles to examine in this novel which is probably one of the reasons it has withstood the test of time and remains as a classic. For example; there is far more to discuss on the choices the three made, sin's repercussions on the innocent, the social response to sin, deathbed repentance, revenge, forgiveness, the difference between facilitating God's laws and man's laws, and the religious beliefs of the period verses superstitions, or were they combined?

This is a great book for discussion.

On Pride and Prejudice

I read Pride and Prejudice last week and I really enjoyed it. I loved the vocabulary and the way the characters spoke and thought about things.

When I first started reading this quite a while ago, I couldn't understand what they were saying. The sentances were so long that by the time I finished a sentance, I couldn't remember what the beginning of the sentance was about. But I think the reason I enjoyed it so much this time is that I had practiced reading other books and I was now able to understand a bit more than I had before. Maybe watching the movie helped too.

Don't we all have a bit of Lizzy's prejudice and Mr. Darcy's pride when we first encounter new situations or new people? Concerning Lizzy's prejudice: It isn't until we have all the facts that we can make a true judgment of a circumstance or a person's character. If we try to judge before we have all the facts we will hopefully change our opinions to match up with what is true just as she did. Our perceptions become united with the true reality and our attitudes and beliefs transform. Even though like Lizzy, it may be embarassing or difficult to accept, I believe it is usually a very positive experience if one is open to it. It goes the same for Mr. Darcy: Because he was teachable enough to make the truth of his actions known and then correct them under torture of injured pride, he experienced a very positive outcome.

It is truly amazing how impactful to change feelings and words associated with those feelings are. She was instrumental in changing Mr. Darcy's damaging pride to a sensible humility. He was a character that was willing even in injury to his pride to consider his mistakes and try to make them right. We find that he was a good man all along and just completely misunderstood by those who did not truly know him. I think it was his pride that kept him from allowing himself to be really known by others who he mistakenly thought were beneath him. I am sure there are all types of pride that creep into the mind and then the heart of the unaware christian. (Consider Mr. Collins reaction to Mr. Bennet at the elopement of Lydia.) It's nice when we are blessed enough to be corrected before we seal our fate too terribly in the wrong direction.

It is interesting to note that if Lizzy had not had some prejudice against Mr. Darcy's pride she would have never known of his goodness because she would not have spoken so strongly to him at his request for engagement and he would not have checked his behavior to show her his goodness. Lizzy's prejudice and Mr. Darcy's pride actually worked together for their good as it was resolved in the end. If you think that without Lizzy's negative opinions of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Darcy's snobbish demeanor, they never would have come together in the way they did, and we would not have such a wonderful story to learn from. Thank goodness we do! What a delight!

Response to Don Quixote

I still had this response to Miguel de Cervantes's Don Quixote saved on my computer. I emailed it to you, Wendy and Tia, what, like a year or more ago. I thought that I'd post it anyway, because I can.

I just read the end of Don Quixote.

Miguel de Cervantes has quite the clever humor. I enjoyed many laughs from his characters' "adventures", as well as their temperaments: Don Quixote's quick temper and Sancho's gullibility and naive-ness; Don Quixote's loyalty to chivalry, knight-errantry, and especially to his Lady Dulcinea del Toboso; and Sancho's loyalty as a squire to his master, the Knight of the Rueful Figure (even though he did doubt at times: "Take care, sir. Those over there are not giants but windmills (p36); "I sometimes think all you tell me of knighthood, kingdoms, empires, and islands is all windy blather and lies (p 128)."

I loved reading of Don Quixote's, however mad he was, sense of wisdom and insight. For instance, when he is dining with the goatherd and gives a speech about "happy times and fortunate ages" and that they were called those not because of the gold that they found but "because those who lived then knew not those two words 'Thine' and 'Mine'(p 51)" but worked together and shared and were simple and really enjoyed little things."

I also loved reading of Don Quixote's valor and confidence. In reference to going up against twenty plus men he calls out, "I am equal to a hundred (p 55)." What confidence! And after he made his balsam (and threw it up, was cured, gave it to Sancho who retched and "discharged so swiftly and piously at both ends (p 70)") he was ready to set off on another adventure. "He thought that every moment he delayed there meant depriving the world, and especially those in need, of his strong arm. "With his balsam in hand he felt he could conquer anything."

At the end when Don Quixote gives up his madness I know that you were disappointed Tia. I was, too. It's sad that he came out of his madness just before he died and looked back at everything with regret, that he called his once beloved books of knight-errantry detestable, and referred to his time of adventures as a dark cloud of ignorance. You wish that he could have just died still in his mad state.

It is touching though how, even to the end, Sancho was a loyal squire.

Some observations and points made by Susan Wise Bauer:
-Don Quixote is the innocent in this journey, and the people he meets (there are 669 characters) are generally hardheaded and intolerant of his fantasies.
-On the surface, Don Quixote is a contradiction, an antibook novel. Don Quixote's madness is caused by reading.
-Don Quixote, the knight created by reading and kept alive through writing, lives forever.
-Don Quixote's adventures are entertaining, but the real fascinating of Don Quixote lies in Miguel de Cervantes' constant attention to the ways in which fables become real in the imagination of the reader.

SaLLy FoRth!

(I started Huckleberry Finn over the weekend. So far, I like.)

Book's I've Read

Carrie wanted me to write something about one of the book's I've read. But I can't remember which one she was talking about. So I thought I'd list out the ones I have read since starting this lifelong reading adventure.
We started with Don Quixote. I loved it. I enjoyed the humor. Thats what we need in life; a bit of the crazies to help us get through, and a loyal companion who quotes proverbs to keep us grounded.
Next, we read The Pilgrim's Progress. I enjoyed seeing the symbolisms that reflect true concepts of faith.
Gulliver's Travels was a book I loved to hate. I did not agree with his outlook on the human condition at all. No wonder all the children's versions stop at the little people! I wonder if the term Yahoo came from this book. The connotation has softened over the years. I do not regret reading this book. It is good to read books that show a different view to help you see where you stand on your values.
Uncle Tom's Cabin was hard to get through for some reason. I was disappointed that the couple at the end left the country. I would have liked them to have stayed and assisted in making America a better place.
Huckleberry Finn was so much fun to read. I felt like I was with him in all his adventures! When the book was over I was litterally sad to see it come to an end. I felt I had come to know and love that wiley boy. I actually missed him for a week or two after I finished the book. He had become a mental companion.
The Illiad was so redundant. I'm sure it's because it was a verbal poem, so they had to keep reminding the audiance what had previously happened in the story. However, what struck my funny bone was when the translator used the phrase helter skelter, pell mell. I laughed for 3 days over it and still do now. Here was this ancient document, up to this point all had been proper and grave, and the best the translator could do to describe the actions of the warriors was to say "the Greeks went helter skelter, pell mell into the fray." It was worth reading if only for that!
The Odyssey was a more filled out story in my opinion. I enjoyed reading about the rediculous and horrific experiences of Odysseus on his journey home from battle, the enduring faithfulness of his wife and the courage of his son.
King Richard the Third was a tragic story about one man's rise and fall as king. His greed led him to numerous murders and his pride brought his own destruction.
A Midsummer Night's Dream was absolutely hilarious! I thoroughly enjoyed the entertwining of deliriums which worked out in the end all right. I enjoyed the story of the actors within the story of the lovers. This play actually made me giggle audibly.