126 lines
8.3 KiB
Plaintext
126 lines
8.3 KiB
Plaintext
ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜ
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßÛßßßßßÛÛÜ ÜÜßßßßÜÜÜÜ ÜÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÛßß ßÛÛ
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ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÛ ÜÛÛÛÜÛÛÜÜÜ ßÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÛÛÜÜÜÛÛÝ Ûß
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ßßßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÞÝ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßßÛÜÞÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßßÛÛÛÞß
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Mo.iMP ÜÛÛÜ ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÝ ßÛß
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛ
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ß ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛ
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß
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ÜÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÜÜ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛßß
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ÜÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÛÛÛÛÜÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛ ßÛÛÛÛÛ Ü ÛÝÛÛÛÛÛ Ü
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ÜÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ßÛÜ ßÛÛÛÜÜ ÜÜÛÛÛß ÞÛ ÞÛÛÛÝ ÜÜÛÛ
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ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÜ ßßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÜÜÜß ÛÛÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÛÛÛÛÛß
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ßÛÜ ÜÛÛÛß ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßßÜÜ ßßÜÛÛßß ßÛÛÜ ßßßÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßß
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ßßßßß ßßÛÛß ßßßßß ßßßßßßßßßßßßß
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ARRoGANT CoURiERS WiTH ESSaYS
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Grade Level: Type of Work Subject/Topic is on:
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[ ]6-8 [ ]Class Notes [Essay on interpretation ]
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[ ]9-10 [ ]Cliff Notes [of Rushdie and ]
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[ ]11-12 [ ]Essay/Report [Kazantzakis's Stories ]
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[ ]College [ ]Misc [ ]
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Dizzed: 10/94 # of Words:1127 School: ? State: ?
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ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>Chop Here>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
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As I look back now, and begin to appraise the independant novels that I
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have read in the past few weeks, I was both stunned and surprised by the
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psychological effects that they had imposed on my mind. Whether it was
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Rushdie's tale of diabolical consequences or Kazantzakis' story on the
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trial of Christ, I found it increasingly difficult to maintain a coalition
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between the influence of society and the animosity of religion. Both novels
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featured plots centralized around the presence of an unseen mystical force,
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or rather, the significance and power of God. Whether it was the religious
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or saintly detriment of God's influence or society's standardization of
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identifiying God, the time factors of each book did little to alter the
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author's expressions and inclinations about religious beliefs. The Satanic
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Verses featured the modern day society compressing the main characters with
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their positronic rules and restrictions. The Last Temptation of Christ
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focused on the feudalism exhibited by the oppressors of the world at the
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current time (Roman militia).
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Upon the climatic ending of each novel, I would effortlessly
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integrate the author's deluge of spiritual dynamism with my own. This
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produced an ethical conflict in my mind that fought to distinguish what
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prominence God had maintained in my lifetime. I could scarcely believe that
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such literature would not have a profound effect on an individual who
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possessed strong religious background (this assimilates the decision of the
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exodus Rushdie has maintained contrary to the threats of the Islamic
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community) Never have I encountered such literature that treads upon on
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line between celestial religion versus oppresive regime Therefore, in
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analyzing and interpreting each piece of fiction, I was able to understand
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what similarities they held and why such novels can procreate an
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undersirable amount of calamity in the world.
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The supernatural portrayed a dominant role in both texts. Each author
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seemed to enjoy casting these uncanny forces against their main characters
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in order to induce their thoughts across much more clearly. In the Satanic
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Verses, I found the physical metamorphosis of Gibreel Farishta and Saladin
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Chamcha to be terrifiyingly graphic and demeaning. "Looking into the mirror
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at his altered face, Chamcha attempted to remind himself of himself. I am a
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real man, he told the mirror, with a real history and a planned-out future.
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I am a man to whom certain things are of importance: rigour,
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self-discipline, reason, the pursuit of what is noble without recourse to
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that old crutch" (Saladin remarking about his physical appearance). Having
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their physical status altered, they were unable to communicate on a humane
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level with other people in the world. It seemed as though their lack of
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faith and nobility to God had created an ethereal war between them and the
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supernatural spectrum. The angelic Gibreel was now only capable of
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exhibiting feelings of order, peace and love; while the demonic Saladin was
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forced to perform grotesque feats of chaos, hatred and violence. Before
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their transformations into socially unacceptable deviants, Gibreel fought
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long and hard in his prophetic movie career and Saladin enagaged in
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truthful, honest business negotiations. Their emotions and mental status
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was drastically changed by this supernatural intervention. It was not
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until Gibreel and Saladin had visited the various parts of the world in
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order to experience the humanity and benevolence that God had wanted them
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to witness, that they both eventually looked deep into their hearts to
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realise that only they controlled their desires and aspirations with their
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newly granted powers (by this time, Gibreel had conferred with Saladin
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about being a "Pawn in God's game of Life). Both these characters began as
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non-believers, idle worshippers of their religious affiliation, but towards
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the end of the book, they had transformed into faithful advocates of God. I
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can only assume that such decisions were reached due to metamorphosis that
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they endured and the punishment that they had suffered. It was generally
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accepted in their society that the messiah will punish all zealots and
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non-believers to those who follow their designated religion.
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This is relates to The Last Temptation, as Nikos Kanzantzakis guides
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the reader through a detailed portrayal of Christ's journey to Jerusalem in
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order to establish his belief in God. Like the main recipients in the
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Satanic Verses, Christ held a firm decision that God could not exist since
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his people were being tortured and abused by the Romans. His belief that it
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was up to him to survive under the oppression of the Romans and eventually
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to accumulate a substantial amount of financial security in the market
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sector of Nazareth would trigger another metamorphosis brought on by the
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divination of God. Once again, we witness the transmutation of a mortal man
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who is given incredible abilities by a supernatural force. With his newly
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acquired powers that produce miracles, Christ began his soul-seeking
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expedition to find out what faith his people possessed in them as well as
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himself. Ultimately, his crucification was a symbol for his faith in his
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religious conviction. As Gibreel and Saladin met their fate in The Satanic
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Verses (they both perished fighting each other), it seemed to be a
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sacrifice that would change their society forever. The image of the angel
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(order) versus the devil (chaos) would definately generate a profound
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effect on society. As a martyr, Christ was able to exhibit his final, and
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most faithful, act of devotion to God. His people witnessed his persecution
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at the hands of both the government and God, and thus were able to believe
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in a new order and path for the world (Christianity had earned the
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fellowship of the oppressed citizens).
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As I quickly approach adulthood with many regrets for the past and
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plenty of doubts for the future, my ethical fascination with God increases
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with my every move. I find myself desperately clinging to a tradition that
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is incompatible with the laws of today's society. A tradition that is being
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challenged and exonerated by many of my fellow religious worshippers. It is
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with this thought that I am able to fully interpret the works of Rushdie
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and Kazantzakis. Their elaboration and magnification of social oppresion
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intertwined with spiritual divination only acts as a shining beacon lost at
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sea for others to seek out. Are we all pawns of the economic and political
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surrondings that we dwell in, or are we religious servants living in the
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plantation that God has created for us? If both authors believe that we
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must remain faithful to our religion in order to conform to oppression and
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ultimately enjoy freedom, peace and solace, does this include exposure to
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the possible risk of sacrifice or consecration? I believe that such tests
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and trials can only strengthen an individual's faith about God, and benefit
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his own life.
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