Golden Age

Here is my essay from Writing on the wild side (wows) class with Ms.Love. Dated the 19th of November, 2010... 80/100

   "It is the image of an original perfect world which is the basic imaginative pattern" (jewkes14). This is the meaning of Golden Age Archetype, the very first kind of a place which had peace and solemnity. Golden Age Archetype serves as the escaping place from stress and anxieties in everyday life. Conflicts, wars, disasters, corruptions and violence are some of the things which definitely contributes or rather cause distress in life, leaving man to resort in creating imaginations of a place to flee from unwanted situations. Golden age could be imagined because it was once existed, a place that was real and a place that was recorded in the Holy Scriptures. It is a place where life was made. "God then created the great sea beasts and all living creatures that move and swarm in the water, according to their various kind and every kind of birds; and God saw that it was good" (Genesis I). It clearly states that the creation was good, suggesting that animals before were not as wild as they are today. There is no need to be the "fittest" to be able to survive because there is an incredible abundance of food. There is more than enough for all to be able to live together in harmony. And it is more likely the place, the golden age archetype that is imagined of whoever, to escape from the dark realities of this world we are living in. After animals, "Moisture used to well-up out of the earth and water all the surface (Genesis II). Certainly, it is the golden age; it explains that the water supply of the earth was from moisture only. No rain pouring that could cause flood, no blizzard that creates avalanche in the mountains, severe snow which is one of the result of weather imbalance and definitely no catastrophic disasters which was the opposite of what's happening today.
 
     Next to that, "Both were naked, the man and his wife, but they have no feeling of shame" (Genesis II). This brings out that the first human beings did not recognize each other's mistakes and flaws. They couldn't see it as a weakness -  for their enemy to take advantage of, or for them to be an easy target of humiliation - and their downfall. Not focusing from other's life, deeds, and situation. As for the Greek myth, "No one needed soldiers; people were unaggressive and unanxious" (Ovid). This clearly picture how Ovid sees the beauty of golden age. The peace when soldiers do not go out in the field to battle, and when citizens calmly solve misunderstanding that arises from time to time. But happiness didn't last forever, "Only by the sweat of your brow will you win your bread until you return to the earth, for from it you were taken; Dust you are, to dust you will return" (Genesis II). Human race slowly suffered and golden age was not clear anymore. Adam and Eve who were the very first humans didn't thought about the consequences of every actions and decisions they made, forgetting all the blessings that were once given to them abundantly. Golden age archetype was slowly vanishing from its physical existence, a frame that was covered by dust in a period of time turning it into a blurry image and that was now long forgotten. And so as for now, humans needed to sacrifice and suffer to keep on living. Working hard to earn money, to have food, shelter and other necessary things in life. The world turned into a disastrous monster, "The rich earth, Good giver of all the bounty of the harvest was asked for more, they dug into her vitals, Pried out the wealth, all the precious metal the root of evil" (Ovid). He thought about the greediness of man. Nature was indeed abundantly producing, but humans had kept and still keep on asking even though it is not necessary anymore. This is true with the 21st century; the abusive and unstoppable project miners, and other large major group of discoverers towards mother earth. Selfish-minded people haven't thought of the consequences they are going to face on squeezing the land for more gold. - money - which is the very root of evil. Today, it is indeed a worldwide problem on finding ways to keep the balance in nature. Life after the physical golden age was ruined is now totally doomed, full of suffering, madness and cruelty.

   Does it mean that mankind accepted the fact that they have failed to earn and possess that peace which was the image of golden age? "I don't know who I am, but life is for learning" (Mitchell). It is expressed that mankind lost the chance of how beautiful it is living in peace 'the golden age' having no idea on how to find it again and not knowing their real purpose of living without it. Yet the second part shows that men had kept on striving to live because in the race of life, there are always lessons or clues that leads man to having a better life. Mitchell also talks about the war that was happening then and how Mitchell wanted to end it and be back to the garden of Eden which represents, peacefulness. Mitchell then created the image in his mind which was diverting violence into the beauty of nature, "And I dreamed I saw the bombers riding shotgun in the sky, turning into butterflies" (Mitchell). "And we got to get ourselves back to the garden (Mitchell). Proving that there are people who still have that hope to live again in the golden ages. But "little we see in nature that is ours; we have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!" (Wordsworth). Here, he recognized what people are lacking, how man can not see what they actually and already have. People tend to take things for granted, when they thought they still need more. Pushing their selves to their limits and being worn out. And for so many reasons, the nature itself refuses to cooperate with men - this too happened in the golden age. Yet some people find ways to live like they are in the golden age., even thought they live in the darkest times. How? Bye setting their minds to it - mind over matter. "None were left now to be unnamed, and yet how close I felt to them when I saw one of them swim or fly or crawl across my way" (LeGwin). The simplicity of this statement meant so much for her. Men can deal with all creatures that crosses his path so easy by simply seeing pass through the weakness or bad thins about the creature. Shunning those scary and negative thought - in some other cases stereotypes- , men will and can be able to break the barrier of 'fear'.

    Different races, different beliefs and different culture - all kinds of people. They have tried and were still trying to find happiness and peace - the image of golden age archetype. But why? Humans had been living with the cruelty around them, from the beginning till the end of their existence. This bad and old system of things is not an ideal place to live in, is it? That is why people tend to imagine things, either to create physical object or place by inventing technology, or by simply announcing or writing ideas to be an input in human's mentality. Many evidence can be found proving that people today yearns to live in the golden age 'the perfect world'. The advertisements used on the television uses nature to effectively sell their products. A bottled water product is being compared to the clean streams from the mountains which is cover in white snow. A very lovely image. This is one of the hundreds and thousands of t.v commercials proving that man wants to be a part of that perfect world. Although at some time, people think they do not need the golden age, the truth is, unconsciously people have this concept in mind, they always have it deep in their hearts and brains - a place which represents the golden age archetype - where they could find peace and escape from the cruel world they are currently living in.

Hero Essay

Here's an essay from my writing on the wild side (wows) class with Ms. Love. Dated January 5th 2011

    The society around us is the most influential factor on how we view things in life. Even though we look for different qualities of a hero, there are some aspects of our ideas that are affected by the society circling us. Back to the time of Anglo-Saxon, wars and battles was part of their life. With that kind of environment a warrior who is loyal, skilled and courageous has the qualifications of being a hero. But as great amount of time passed, the environment perhaps society has changed and along with it a hero's qualifications has changed as well.. Society reached the enlightenment period in the middle-ages, therefore people valued different kinds of expressing ideas, thought, emotions through arts, literature and music. A person's qualification for a hero in this time were those artists, philosophers and poets. The majority of today's generation thinks of someone famous either from sports or from Hollywood walking on a red carpet and surrounded by bright flashing lights as their hero.  Someone who is wealthy and on the front page of a newspaper or perhaps magazines. But really, a hero could simply be your friend, parents, close relatives or even your dog! They do not have special powers like superman or spider man, but sure enough they've done something which helped you become a better person, therefore continue living life.
    I couldn't say that I am not affected by the technology and multi-media generation today. But I am sure that my values and outlook in life does not revolves in my generation's kind of society. I am just a normal girl with a simple life and my hero is just like me. I do believe that anyone can be a hero depending on what they do for you that would qualify. My hero is a good listener, she absorbs every details of my story patiently before reacting. By doing so, I felt that I am important to her and that my thoughts and opinions are worthy of hearing. She is a responsible daughter, sister and friend. She never confuses those responsibility that she has and she always deal with those with a happy spirit.
   One early morning, I went to her house and saw her doing laundry, while cooking for her family. I wasn't suppose to be there, but I really was bored and decided to hang out with her so early. I have forgotten that she has responsibilities to take care of. But despite all of those, she did not shooed me away, and instead let me in and she continued what she was doing. There I saw how she worked hard on doing her task as a daughter and got it done without a single complain! She dressed her little sister for school after doing her chores and dropped her off to school. Of course I was with her the entire time and she didn't send me away. I appreciated all of her hard work very much. And even though I am younger than her by four years, she listens and accepts all my criticism and tried very hard to change whatever unnecessary things that she has. She become my hero because she made me realize that things going in the world is not an enemy but actually part of life and living. She taught me to approach life with a positive spirit, She is always there inspiring me. Because of what I had seen from her examples, I became a better person with a better outlook in life.
   Ancient times, Middle-Ages and Multi-Media heroes were special people capable of either protecting, helping or inspiring common people. The process of inspiring may vary from saving life with sword through winning sports to glamour and camera lights, still the effect for those people admiring them will be the same. My hero is completely different from those heroes mentioned earlier but they are similar in a way.My hero affects me in the same way those hero affected the common people. They've been admired for their achievements. But we could never ever force someone to admire the person whom we think is a hero to be theirs too. Because each and everyone of us have different perspective, morals and values in life. We don't see eye-to-eye. They don't feel the way we feel and they do not have the same attachment to that person the way we do. No one could see our hero the way ourselves do. But everybody has their own hero.