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The text that contains the commonly held dark side
Literature
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The text that contains the commonly held dark side, the Massachusetts Bay Colony Puritans: Witch-hunts, elitism, intolerance and narrow-minded zealotry is that of Cotton Mather: From the Wonders of the Invisible World. Cotton had various beliefs, and he saw the witches as tools of the devil. According to Cotton, the witches were not possessed by the spirits, but they were the agents of the devil and that they were sent as divine judgment to the sinful people to punish them for their sins. Cotton was of the belief also that sin and witches were to be destroyed before the Puritans could fulfill their destiny as the people of god and help clean the sins out of the people. It was also believed that once the Puritans had got rid of the witches and sins, god would bless them with eternal happiness.
Cotton describes the original Puritan settlers of the New England as pious that they were free of sins. He further states that the settlers were willing to give up civilization for them to live a pure land that was free from all sins. Mather in contrast also noted that the youth were morally corrupt and were prone to evil. Among the quotes by Mather is that of “The New Englanders are people of god settled in those, which were once the devil’s territories.” From the quote, we can see how the Puritans discriminated against the indigenous people.
The issue of ethnocentrism is much evident in that Cotton considered his culture and belief to be more superior and looked down on the indigenous cultures and religion terming it to be evil. In another quote, Mather discussed the plans by the devil to overturn the plantation and the churches with the aid of the witches,”…An army of devils is broke in upon the place which is the center, and after a sort, the first-born of our English settlements…” It is too unfortunate that the Puritan values and ways of lives have been carried over into our generation in that people still believe that witchcraft is associated with evil. Besides, ethnocentrism is more evident in today’s generation with most of the people looking down upon the cultures and religion of others while they consider theirs as superior.
Reference
Mather, C. (1862). The wonders of the invisible world: Being an account of the tryals of several witches lately executed in New-England. Smith.
The text opines that today
Summary of Anthropology and the Abnormal by Ruth Benedict
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The text opines that today modern social anthropology is becoming more about studying common elements and varieties of the cultural environment in relation to the consequences they have on human behavior. The main thesis coming from the text has to do with the fact that modern civilization is not a necessary pillar of achievement in human beings; instead, it is a single entry found among many possible adjustments. The argument presented in the text is that these adjustments, whether presented in major human drives such as sex or mannerisms of joy, anger, brief within a given society, always emerge far more variable than any one culture would imply. In situations of formal marriage arrangements or religion, they are widely known; hence, they can be fairly described while in others, giving a generalized account is not possible.
From the study of cultures, one of the most striking facts is how each of our abnormalities functions in other cultures. Worth noting, the kind of abnormality does not matter, whether it is those which indicate extreme instability or those with characters of persecution, delusions, or sadism, they are well-described cultures whereby the abnormals function at ease (Benedict, 2017). Notably, the abnormals function with a lot of ease and without any difficulty and danger towards society. In our cultures, even a very mild mystic is aberrant. However, most people have regarded extreme psychic manifestations as desirable and normal and characteristic of highly gifted or valued individuals. It is hard for people who have been brought up in a culture that makes no use of the experience to know the importance of its role and how many individuals are capable of it once it is granted an honorable place in society.
References
Benedict, R. (2017). An anthropologist at work. Routledge.
a worn path
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Introduction
Stories and novels have always been written to incorporate a certain message or to inspire certain feelings in people. They combine various elements such as setting, plot, as well as characterization to bring out meaning in them. It goes without saying that stories have different contexts and themes, which may revolve around love, romance, courage, strength or determination. One of the stories that espouse strength and determination is Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path”. This is a story of dedication, perseverance and love, where Phoenix Jackson is used to show determination and strength even in the face of tribulations and hardships (Glen, 47). It is noteworthy that the use of the name Phoenix is appropriate as it borrows from the mythological bird said to live for more than half a millennium, die in flames, as well as rise from the ashes.
Phoenix Jackson, like the mythological bird, takes a treacherous journey through the woods and focuses on getting medication for her grandson. She departs from her home to a city known as Natchez in search of this medication. Phoenix’s perception of the landscape becomes the key focus of the narrative (Warren, 540). It is worth noting that nature is described as an obstacle to her progress, as well as beautiful. Phoenix struggles against poor eyesight and extreme fatigue, as well as impediments such as barbed wire and thorn bushes. The narrative’s symbolism and lyricism are heightened by the combined effects of Phoenix’s poor vision, old age, as well as her poetic perception of the world (Warren, 547). For example, Phoenix mistakes a scarecrow for a ghost until she comes near it and touches its empty sleeve. At one time, Phoenix has a tense episode when she comes across a white hunter who at first appears friendly. He, however, makes an arrogant suggestion that Phoenix is probably going to see Santa Claus. Once he accidentally drops a nickel, Phoenix manages to distract him and pick the nickel even though she feels that she is stealing. Suddenly, the white hunter turns and points his gun at Phoenix. It is unclear what his true motivations are as Phoenix appears unafraid. Eventually, Phoenix manages to go her way unharmed and with the nickel. Finally, she gets to the Shining City of Natchez where she enters what is presumably a hospital. A nurse asks her questions pertaining to her son. Initially, she remains quiet about her son but later apologizes stating that her memory was failing her (Welty, 461). She, however, manages to make a heartfelt description of the grandson who had his throat injured after swallowing lye. Phoenix states that he is still alive and gets medicine for him, as well as another nickel with which she chooses to purchase a little windmill as a Christmas present for the son (Welty, 462).
It is worth noting that the grandson does not appear anywhere in the narrative. In essence, this may be an indication that the grandson has already died. In this case, Phoenix could be making the journey only as a way of deluding herself that the grandson is still alive even when he is dead. This is cemented by the fact that she often sees things that are not there.
Phoenix Jackson, nevertheless, emerges as an enduring character, a symbol of stamina, determination, perseverance and life, even in the face of death or hardships. Scholars have noted that the woman’s sheer fortitude in taking a long journey alone and on foot is testament to these qualities (Schmidt, 59). This bears some mythological significance or resemblance with her bird namesake, the Phoenix bird that symbolizes resurrection. In addition, the narrative gives the picture of Christian symbolism. This is especially considering that the story is set around the Christian season, which has led scholars to opine that the journey that Phoenix took was a symbol of religious or Christian pilgrimage (Howard, 47). In essence, the selfless concern that Phoenix has for her son is symbolic of the true spirit of self-sacrifice and giving. Scholars have also argued for a conflation of Christian and mythological interpretation of this story (Hicks, 39). They argue that the cycles of natural imagery along with Christian motifs of a rebirth revolve around the central theme of Christian faith where life emerges from death (Warren, 47).
As much as a large part of the story is founded on the symbolic and imagistic use of language, it is evident from the action of the entire plot that Phoenix Jackson is in direct conflict or disagreement with the outside world (Black, 45). This is a society that rests on the hands of white people who are seen to have little or no understanding and respect for the situation through which she is going. This is especially evident when Phoenix comes across a white hunter carrying a gun (Welty, 460). This episode underlines the racial undertones that existed in the world and the disdain with which the white people held most of the colored people (Marrs, 34). The White hunter’s disdain and disrespect for her are evident, especially when he arrogantly remarks that Phoenix is heading to town merely to see Santa Claus. This is cemented by the nurse who dismisses Phoenix as a charity case, while offering little sympathy for the old woman or her ailing son (Barilleaux, 19).
In addition, scholars have also stated that the main reason behind the use of a Negro or colored woman is that only an uncivilized and relatively unsophisticated woman is worthy of representing the potent forces that inspire such love (Barilleaux, 20).
Works cited
Barilleaux, René Paul. “The Passionate Eye of Eudora Welty.” Women in the Arts. Fall 2003. Print
Black, Patti Carr. “Back Home in Jackson.” Passionate Observer: Eudora Welty Among Artists of the Thirties. Rene P. Barilleaux, ed. Jackson: Mississippi Museum of Art, 2002
Warren, Robert Penn. “The Love and the Separateness in Miss Welty.” Critical Essays on Miss Welty. Ed W. Craig Turner and Lee Emling Harding. Boston: G.K. Harr & Co. 1989. 42- 51.
Marrs, Suzanne. “Eudora Welty’s Enduring Images: Photography and Fiction.” Passionate Observer: Eudora Welty Among Artists of the Thirties. Rene P. Barilleaux, ed. Jackson: Mississippi Museum of Art, 2002.
Howard, Zelma Turner. The Rhetoric of Eudora Welty’s Short Stories. Jackson, Miss.: University and College Press of Mississippi, 1973.
Hicks, Granville. “Eudora Welty.” Critical Essays on Eudora Welty. Ed. W. Craig Turner and Lee Emling Harding. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1989. 259-67.
Welty, Eudora. One Writer’s Beginnings Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard U. P., 1984.
Welty, Eudora. The Eye of the Story: Selected Essays and Reviews, Vintage Books/Random House, 1979.
Schmidt, Peter The Heart of the Story: Eudora Welty’s Short Fiction, University Press of Mississippi, 1991.
Donlan, Dan ‘”A Worn Path’: Immortality of Stereotype,” in English Journal, Vol 62, No. 4, April, 1973
Warren, Robert Penn. “The Love and the Separateness of Miss Welty,” in Kenyon Review, Volume 6, 1944,
Glenn, Eunice. “Fantasy in the Fiction of Eudora Welty,” in Critiques and Essays on Modern Fiction:Representing the Achievement of Modern America and British Critics, 1920−1951. New York: The Ronald Press Company, 1952