John Steinbecks Turtle

One of the most prolific portrayals of the “little people” in society to me would be John Steinbeck’s turtle depicted in “The Grapes of Wrath”. The humble land turtle (Steinbeck 160), while being such an insignificant creature, stands for something much greater and is a symbol for common man and his place in society. The slow, drudging pace with which he plods on gives the reader a view of the determination and refusal to turn aside possessed by the farmers and the working class Americans of the 1930’s, and brings a vivid picture of the changing times that eluded these humble peons. This “change” that was falling so harshly on the time gave little rest to the dusty beaten people trapped in “honest day’s wage” class that broke their backs for pennies and suffered poor conditions in the means of just making enough to feed their families. For these turtles of society there were no options or choices, there was only one path and no matter how hot the road was or how hard the upper class tried to squash them while crossing the destination was still as clear as the sun shining in the sky, failure to succeed meant failure to survive.

Although set in the past during times of depression and dust, Steinbeck’s writing still rings true and can be applied to the proletariat; the simple man driving on day after day and struggling to feed and shelter those depending on him. While the form has changed the ultimate theory remains the same and the little people are still today fighting to keep up with the worthy foe named change that beckons one to board or be knocked down and dragged through the dirt and dust. When Steinbeck writes, “And now a light truck approached, and as it came near, the driver saw the turtle and swerved to hit it.”, (Steinbeck 161) it gives the audience an idea of the magnitude and force being thrown in the direction of the average man, and defines the main struggle in modern survival. The primal Darwinist theory that the strongest will survive still reigns true to this very day but as always change is cruel and the physical strength that made one superior in the past has given way to intellectual strength, and those that are physically strong have been recycled by society and are now trampled underfoot or run over by the intellectual giants who have taken the podium. The constant turnover that builds empires and revered figures is the same that will eventually overthrow the very beings it aided in creating, and the systems and processes it raised will become memories of yesterday and will transform, like in a stage magic show, the figures that stood so proud and tall into the mere belly crawling, slow swaggering land turtles wandering across roads and having attempts made on their lives by those in the position they once held.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Viking, 1939. Book.

http://www.zazzle.com/turtle_crossing_poster-228338443534825938

http://www.lomasdesign.com/thebrotherslomas/?p=563

http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2009/09/23/richard-hawley%E2%80%99s-notes-from-sheffield-john-steinbeck/

The battle of the alamo

Once in a while life throws us a situation that we never forget and changes who and how we are. In my own personal experience its always been not so much the situation but the person involved in it with you. In the cas of the battle of the alamo, the narrator has a run in with a "tough guy" that actualy befriended him and showed kindness when in any other sitution the narrator would expect to get beat up or humiliated in some way. The "pachuco" boy Berga seems to fill the spot of someone the narrator looks up to and stands almost as an idol or a beacon off triumph in an otherwise bad time and bad area. I believe this appears a lot in todays age in tv and movies but rarely translates into real life. Characters like Berga who are strong and tough while still being friendly and kind to the smaller weaker individuals is something to be hoped for but the fact that he made such an impact on the narrator is what really makes him stand out.

Another thing that set him apart was the fact that while being a class clown he managed to find a way to unite all the students and rally them into one voice. It may have just been for something small like getting a dig at an upopular teacher but the details are small compared to the piecing together the social puzzle that was the time. He managed to, for that moment, close up all the social fizures and divides that had split the and he smoothed over the cracks in the broken social system.


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Homeric heros in comic books



Homeric heroes appear in western literature as a symbol of hope and deliverance from danger and as a protector of the weak, and are still used in literature, films and movies still but thats not all. When asked, nearly everyone knows what comic books are and can name off several superheroes but without thinking they are actually making a list of Homeric heroes and characters created with the inspiration of western literature. Just as Ethan Edwards in "The Searchers" (Ford) followed the path of a wandering hero on a quest for justice, so does Hal Jordan as he transforms from a nothing party boy into someone that would fight for humanity’s survival. Also in the same way that Lassiter swoops in fight for Jane Withersteen (Gray) so does Bruce Wayne as he becomes Batman and swoops in to protect the city of Gotham and its inhabitants.

The evidence of these accusations are everywhere for example the grail quest would refer to Clark Kent as Superman as he protects his love Lois Lane, the quest to rid the land of danger could be that of the Green Lantern fighting off the evil and protecting humanity, and the warrior journey to save his people would be Batman defending the poor beaten down city of Gotham. The use of these archetypes could be stacked up like blocks in a game of jenga such as the hero encountering monstrous me would refer to villains which every hero faces or the mystery of origin and being raised by a wise teacher such as Alfred who is the butler to Batman. In the case of Daredevil, the hero suffers an unhealable wound and goes through a change when he loses his sight and must rely on his other senses to fight off the evil Kingpin corrupting the city. The list goes on and on for example the use of a hero that is special or one of a kind, or the hero that is supernatural, or in some cases the hero has a loyal band of companions which could refer to Robin as Batman’s sidekick, or the falcon Hawkeye keeps always and uses as his scout, or Aqua man and the sea creatures that aid him in his fight for good. All in all the heroes that keep appearing in pop culture all originate in the same place and from the same material, it’s just the different interpretations or spins of them that make them unique and appealing to individuals.

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http://offmybirdchest.blogspot.com/2011/06/going-green.html

http://designyoutrust.com/2011/03/10/exceptional-comic-book-art-work-for-your-inspiration/

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Coyote

The character of Coyote throughout Native American literature is one of low stature combined with a cunning mind and accented with a slightly twisted moral compass. Coyote makes an appearance in myths from nearly every Native American tribe and even though the basis of each is similar the details vary just a slight degree which in some cases bends the audience’s view of Coyote. In some stories such as the Karok tribe fables Coyote can use his cunning tricks to help those in need, and in others such as one from the Winnebago tribe he uses his tricks merely for self-preservation, but the most common are those in which Coyote makes an appearance as an evil and malicious character that seeks to kill and use his prowess for wrongful gain.

I cannot speculate on which is "correct" because the truth is they are all correct, and all incorrect.

In my mind I see Coyote not as definition of good or bad but simply of a little piece of humanity that manifests itself in the minds of the people. It’s almost as if there were a tiny Coyote in every human’s mind that sometimes interjects and gives the “Coyote” solution to problems and situations. I can only speculate as to why the Native Americans passed these tales along from generation to generation but I believe their motives were the same as those fables told to the young to teach lessons and help prepare them for situations in which such knowledge become useful and necessary in something as small as making a good moral decision or something as large as saving their life. Although these motives could be discussed and argued about for ages that is not the topic of discussion at this time. I mean to merely inform of such uses of the trickster identity or Coyote as he is known in many pieces of verbal and nonverbal folk tales.

Although Coyote is the most widely known “trickster” throughout Native American folk tales there are actually quite a few other animals used to represent an ill-bringer or “trickster”. For example Coyote appears in tales mostly from California, Southwest, Plateau, and Plains tribes, whereas Raven and occasionally Blue Jay are depicted as the sneaky or tricky being in the tales from the Northwest Coastal tribes. In many cases these creatures are personified and almost made to represent people given animal’s names. In several tales or fabled tricksters, such as the tale of Nanabozho, this perceived trickster actually plays a musical instrument to fool his prey. I believe that this style of portrayal gives the reader a feeling of fear and realism in the terms that it in a way transcends the idea of being outsmarted by a wily animal and gives a feeling of being manipulated by a creature far more clever than one’s self.

 

"trickster tale." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Web. 07 Oct. 2011. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/605010/trickster-tale.

http://teach.fcps.net/trt17/stewart%20webpages/native%20american%20webpage/ali%20&%20rabrell.htm

http://bharune.deviantart.com/art/Native-American-Coyote-Design-85232991