Love?

What is Christopher’s definition of love? Do you agree with it? What is your definition of love? How do people experience love, for example between parents and their children? Given Christopher's aversion to being touched, can he experience his parents' love for him, or can he only understand it as a fact, because they tell him they love him? Is there any evidence in the novel that he experiences a sense of attachment to other people?

In the novel, Christopher gives his definition of what love is on page 87 - "...loving is someone helping them when they get into trouble, and looking after then, and telling them the truth..." Though this definition is not necessarily a bad definition, I feel that Christopher's definition is too shallow and realistic, and not thoughtful enough. By definition love is probably too broad to be explained in mere words, as there are many stages and feelings of love, all ranging differently in terms of emotional depth, and (in my opinion) can only be experienced. I learned a few  in last year's Bible course; for example, infatuation is the immature "puppy love" teenagers usually obsess over, eros is the passionate love that usually forms from sexual desires, agape is a "brotherly/paternal love," and unconditional and conditional love.

A specific definition of love, though - I would have to refer to the love of God and the love of Jesus (religion kicking in again). It is an unconditional love, where you care for someone enough to where you would sacrifice your own life in order to save theirs, as according to the Bible Jesus did to save us from death.

Love is complex, however. There is the rational and realistic side of it, which is to care for someone immensely, but there is also a more emotional and spiritual aspect of it - a connection does form between you and that person, and the care you have for the person may be irrational, but is a deep sense of connectivity. Love can be experienced through different actions (also depending on which form, of course). Between parents and children, there exist a deep bond that is formed ever since the child meets eyes with their mother and father. For me personally, I know how much my parents have worked to support me and build me up, and they did this our of their paternal love (and tough love, I guess), and I love my parents with a sense of respect and gratefulness that cannot be totally expressed in words, because it has been building up ever since I was an infant. Because of my personality, and I guess partly because of my culture, I feel very awkward displaying love through actions - as long as people know that I am respectful and attentive to them, that is enough. This love is mutual - I know I can trust my parents, and my parents prepare me for the outside world with care.

Christopher, though. I believe that Christopher thinks of love in the rational, fact-based sense. However, I think he still feels an emotional connection only to those he cares immensely about - but he cannot explain or comprehend it, and therefore goes right by him without a second thought. This is despite the fact that, realistically, he cannot form social contracts with others.

I believe this because despite the fact that his mother has not given him the respect or care she should have (I still cannot believe she did what she did. In  my opinion it breaks the "contract" between mother and son and cannot be forgiven easily), Christopher still decides to seek his mother and, in essence, loves her. This is very controversial and ambiguous, though, and I won't be quick to pass judgment on him, even though he is purely fictional (at least, I think).

A World With No People

In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Christopher likes the idea of a world with no people in it (p. 2); he contemplates the end of the world when the universe collapses (pp. 10–11); he dreams of being an astronaut, alone in space (pp. 50–51), and that a virus has carried off everyone and the only people left are "special people like me" (pp. 198–200). Christopher often fantasizes about being the only person left in the world. What is comforting about fantasizing about being the only person left in the world? Have you ever thought about being alone in the world? If you were alone in the world, what would you do?

Christopher often fantasizes about being "alone in the universe" - that is, being the only person left in the world. Because of his autistic nature, he cannot empathize with others and has severe social difficulties. Because of this, interacting with other people is difficult and stressful for Christopher, and as a result he hates crowds, group interaction, and invasion of privacy. This is probably why he finds comfort in being alone - free to think and go as he pleases.

I don't know about being the only one left in the world. In all honesty I do not prefer a large group - I prefer a smaller, closer knit group to be with. However, after being in Taipei for so long, I have become comfortable in a crowd - to an extent, of course.

It depends on my mood - sometimes you have the need to be around friends and socialize, other times you do wish you were able to be alone in the universe.

If, by some freakish incident, I were to become the last man on Earth, I guess there wouldn't be much to do but to think, read, steal food (and DVD's!) from stores and homes.... ? I never really thought about it. But if I were the only man left, I would probably be too busy surviving and running from the zombies to do too much. It also wouldn't be long before I would snap and start talking to mannequins as though they were real people. For a while though, just living alone, surviving alone... I can't express in words why it sounds appealing to me, but it just would be.

Each Other’s Business

In the article “We Are Each Other’s Business,” Eboo Patel illustrates his ideas with references to art and literature. What point does he make about the Norman Rockwell painting? How does he use a Gwendolyn Brooks poem to support his ideas? Do a Google search for these two works and see what they mean to you.

In the article "We Are Each Other's Business," Eboo Patel expresses his ideals about pluralism. In the article, he mentions the painting Freedom of Worship by Norman Rockwell. For Patel, he views the painting as an illustration of a world where people have the same goals and pursuits and as a result find comfort in the presence of one another - yet, they are apart because of their difference in their beliefs. For him, it is a "vivid depiction of a group living in peace with its diversity, yet not exploring it." This is an illustration of his earlier childhood, where he was friends with people from diverse backgrounds; yet, their topics never touched the ambiguity and hazard of the difference in their culture and religion.

He also cites literature to back up a story he told about intolerance. He quotes a Gwendolyn Brooks poem, which says "We are each other's business; we are each other's harvest; we are each other's magnitude." This is to portray his belief that if someone has the power to stop an injustice, then that person should do so. It is also a support to a story he told about when he failed to protect his friend from an unjust act against him.

Both of these references instigate at least a small response in me. For the most part, I agree with Patel's point of Norman Rockwell's painting. It is as I have mentioned in previous journals - people need to have a sense of mutual respect for one another between those of different cultures. However, his belief that people can live in peace with diversity, yet never exploring it, is somewhat idealistic and quite impossible - it wouldn't be long before disagreements would occur because of a disparity in beliefs. To understand means to explore, and this is where Patel has a minor mistake in his beliefs.

In addition, I agree with Gwendolyn Brooks to an extent. The truth is that yes, if one has the power to stop injustice, then that one person should utilize his power to try and stop it. However, this often borders on arrogance and nosiness. On an individual basis, this principle can be kept fairly reasonably. But this has its limitations - if a person is being hurt or manipulated, then reporting the offenders to the authorities is necessary; but if your neighbor's dog has died, you shouldn't go searching for the killer when it isn't your job to. In addition, on a global or international scale, it really isn't wise to stop "injustice" in the world just because you have the power to.

In conclusion, I think that Patel is, unfortunately, occupying the far left of a scale. These ideals can be taken for truth, BUT there needs to be moderation and self-judgment to see when the ideals apply.

Self-Definition

In the article “Islam in America,” one of the interviewees says that she can define herself in one word: Muslim. Think about yourself. Can you define yourself in one word? If so, what is it, and why do you think that it captures the essence of who you are? If not, why not? Are there several words that you think define you? Do you think it is a good thing to define oneself narrowly, with only one word, or is it better to base one’s self-concept on a wider range of ideas?

Defining a person with one word is sometimes hard. People often like simplifying and breaking things down, and  with describing oneself someone will break their personality apart to find a specific word that will describe their personality and their beliefs. It's not a bad thing; the term that people come up with is usually their center of their life and what they live for - essentially what their entire life is based around of. Based on my experience, if the person is religious, this word usually turns out to be their religion, or related to their religion. The interviewee deemed herself "Muslim", and I would bet that all devout Christians would call themselves "Christians" as well.

I don't think that using one word to describe yourself is altogether a good thing. As mentioned earlier, it simplifies the personality of a person and attempts to make sense out of yourself. A human being is complex (this is why I hate a lot of movies; they portray characters as very simple people who change in a very unrealistic way), and the emotions and personalities of a person tends to be ambiguous and contradicting. A person's personality is usually very broad-ranged. For example, one may be a realist, but is interested in idealist philosophies, or one may support a progressive party for one country, but be conservative in nature.

For religion, though, this tends to be different. If you are truly devout to your religion, then you have already set yourself out to seek a particular goal, and as you have accepted a certain doctrine that you are bound to, then a basic structure for your life is complete. Because my head hurts too much to continue staring at a computer, I will make the ending brief: this still may change, however.

For me, though, I can't call myself a Christian, so to speak, although I accept Jesus's doctrines. I would call myself more of a Christ Follower, as that term does not associate itself with the negative connotation of the term "Christian". It also means that I am more open minded to the world, but I still attain a certain level of spirituality. I feel very reluctant and hesitant to type this, however, because recently my spirituality has hit an all-time low. I guess I still follow Christ, though, despite the fact that recently things have been different. As I said, things change.

Author’s Attitude

In the article “Islam in America,” what does the author assume about readers’ knowledge? What is the author’s attitude toward the subject? What is the author’s attitude toward the readers? Who would be interested in this topic?

First off, the author assumes that the reader doesn't know much about Islam. Her audience is most likely directed towards non-Islamic American citizens. This is because the title it called "Islam in America", and the text addresses the "American" perspective of Islams as well as the Islamic perspective of their own world, and thus the author's purpose is to inform the readers about the subject at hand.

The author's tone is straightforward, as she gives us the facts and supporting statistics, but she is also rather tentative in her writing. Nothing in her writing labels specific groups of people, and she does not use much generalization towards the people she mentions. She gives two sides of the issue - how Americans perceive the subject, and how Islams view it. Granted, as she is informing Americans about the ongoing situation, her perspective tends to talk about the Islamic culture more, probably to raise awareness amongst the readers about Islamic culture in America, and to suppress the stereotypic generalizations that often occur amongst American citizens, especially in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

The author also gives us the voices of the Islamic-American with direct quotes and real-life situations. This further helps raise awareness about the culture of the Islamic Americans. She also tells us how Islamic culture and American culture are slowly merging in a unique process. This may be the attitude the author has towards the reader. As many Americans do not know much about Islam, they feel as though they are "different" and harder to get along with. As a result stereotypes are assumed and isolation occurs. However, the author informs the reader that Islam is steadily growing in America, and that Islamic culture is also merging with American culture. As the essay is directed towards Americans, I think that just by including the idea of assimilation, that Islams are becoming more American, may cause some to gain a new approval of Islam.

Probably those interested in this article would be those who are 1) people with little knowledge about Islam, 2) people who believe in pluralism.

Living Together

Think about the people you know in school or in your neighborhood who have diverse backgrounds and beliefs. Do you think cultural differences can enrich a community? Why or why not? If so, how do they enrich the community? How do people from different cultures learn to live together?

Cultural differences do enrich a community, yes; it provides a mix of different and unique cultures under the imprint of one community, and it encourages people to develop inter-cultural relationships. Unfortunately, though,  cultural differences tend to lead to serious clashes and problems, and the ultimate idealistic goal of all people regardless of nation getting along together is close to impossible.

From what I learned from a brief (14 page) introduction to the Psychology of War, people tend to choose to be with others who are like them; hence, cultural segregation exists naturally. This is prominent in different situations, but the most unbiased and common situation is the cliques that usually form in High Schools. This social phenomenon occurs, to my belief, because as people our nature holds a certain contempt towards those who are "different".

There are a variety of factors that are involved in this, however, such as historical context; the different cultures of Jews and Palestinians have never, and probably will never, live together in harmony because of their controversial history. In addition, the African Americans have been prejudiced for centuries, and many of them still need to work hard to make themselves respected among others.. This point is even more illustrated when the white settlers forced the Native Americans off their land.

Ultimately, it is because of the fact that we cannot totally accept another culture that living together will never be easy. When you do not view the other culture with respect, they will become isolationist and in turn shut themselves off from you. This "stalemate" of two or more secluded groups viewing the others in contempt is probably the most tense situation you can get, for it only takes a spark to light the fuse (as illustrated in the film  "The Freedom Writers", where the students are split between individual gangs formed from those of different nationalities). The isolation of a particular group in response to prejudice is also worth thinking about; they sometimes rear up against the bigots, when in reality they themselves are also being intolerant of them.

Because people cannot accept the culture or beliefs of another, this makes politics very tiresome and irksome as well. There is such a clear divide between the beliefs that a democracy is almost impossible. This is the case in Taiwan; I personally support the KMT, who are mostly descended from those who followed Chiang-Kai  Shek to Taiwan, whereas the opposition DPP party are affirmed with the Taiwanese locals. Due to the history of Taiwan, the two groups have always been quite wary of the other, and their clear distinctions has rendered a bipartisan agreement impossible (for this reason I seriously doubt the promises of democracy in Taiwan).

Another example I want to bring up is inter-racial marriage. To place it lightly, they usually don't turn out well. This is because there is one person of the two who cannot totally accept the culture of the other (a clear example would be the young couple who almost divorced in the movie "The Joy-Luck Club").

But does this mean I am against a multicultural community? Not at all. In my philosophy, people of different cultures need to be able to live together in harmony. I myself have nothing against different cultures, but I respect them all the same. The main problem though, is the psychology of man; the tendency to push people who are different away and stick with those who are the same. To live together though, one thing needs to be achieved (as idealistic as it is). People need to learn to respect the beliefs of others and understand their culture, while at the same time retaining their own cultural beliefs. It is possible. When everyone has their own cultures, but realizes at the same time that everyone else is still human and worthy of respect, then we can bes seen as a race that is united, but individually unique.

Another Point of View

In “Evacuation Order No. 19” the narrator focuses on Mrs. Hayahsi’s experiences and her responses to the family’s situation. What different experiences and reactions might another character have had in a similar situation? Write a version of a scene from the story from the point of view of another character, such as Mrs. Hayashi’s son or daughter, or even Joe Lundy or Mrs. Greer.

The matter of perspective and beliefs is important when it comes to point of view. For instance, someone with authoritarian political beliefs may believe that the internment order is logical, rational, and necessary, while someone with more libertarian beliefs may view the internment as unjust and irrational. In addition, some people would hold all Japanese accountable for the war; this is the most prominently seen perspective that is displayed in many war films. Other more rational and open-minded folk would perceive and realize that not all the Japanese are to be blamed for the war; only some.

Within the story, this is also important when focusing in on the experiences and reactions of different characters. Because their lives and their situations are different, their perspectives will be as well. Mrs. Greer may not have a strong opinion regarding the internment order, whereas Joe Lundy may feel the tinge of sympathy and guilt towards Mrs. Hayashi.

The story told from the perspective of Mrs. Hayashi's son is as follows.

School was out, and the boy and his sister were walking home. The boy stepped carefully along the sidewalk, playing a game as he went; you could only step on the squared tiles, but could not step on the rectangular ones. He skipped from tile to tile, eyes glued to the sidewalk, backpack thumping against his back with every jump. The girl paid no attention to him. She look to the left and the right of the street. "People are staring at us," she announced.

The boy did not look up. "Maybe there's something wrong with your face," he suggested. The girl did not reply to this, but walked on thoughtfully. She stopped in front of a local shop, where a sign had caught her eye. She read over it quickly. "We are leaving," she announced.

The boy stopped. "Leaving to where?"

"Doesn't say. I think a camp of some sort."

The boy thought for a minute before deciding that it would be a trip, like a vacation. He leapt to the next square tile, with a new spring in his step.

As his sister talked with his mother, the boy walked across the hall to open the door. "White dog! White dog!" He hollered down the street.

Although White Dog was old, skinny, ailing, and very small, he liked him very much. The dog was like a pet to him, though he could not keep it indoors. But he enjoyed his company, and the dog enjoyed his. In addition to becoming blind in one eye, lately the boy had noticed a new symptom to add to the already long list of medical problems with the dog: reduced hearing. It would take a while of calling before the dog would run over, tail wagging happily. This time, though, the dog did not come.

"White dog!" He yelled. When the dog did not come, he turned and went back into the house, slightly disappointed.

"That dog gets deafer and deafer every day," he remarked to his mother. She did not reply, but continued to do her kitchen work; however, he noticed that her mouth tightened slightly as he mentioned White Dog. He stood there and hesitated for a second. He then shrugged, and went to the dining table. "It's hot," he complained.

"Take off your hat, then," his mother replied.

He did not. The hat was from his father, and he had not seen him for ages. That fedora was the closest he could get to his father, and he was not going to take it off and lose him. It made him feel braver and more adventurous.

He turned on the radio. He twisted the dial, and after minutes of searching for a sports program, he gave up and turned to the classical music program. He did not particularly like it, but there was nothing else good on, and he had nothing better to do either. He listened to the loud applauses ("Bravo! Bravo!") and reached for another persimmon fruit.

Write a Letter

Imagine you were friends with the Hayashis, the family in “Evacuation Order No. 19.” Write a letter to them in which you express your thoughts on their situation. Also in your letter, give news from “home” and attempt to soothe and bolster your friends’ spirits.

Dear Mrs. Hayashi,

It is with utmost respect and dignity that I write this letter to you. First, let me extend my sympathies towards you and your family. I know that leaving an established life can be potentially difficult, and I doubt you needed me to say so. Things back in the town have changed slightly since your leave. Joe's hardware store, the one you usually go to, closed a week ago due to "personal reasons", and the town just seems emptier - only now do I realize the number of Japanese-American citizens who had resided in Berkeley. This is even seen in the schools - quite a sum of the student population is absent due to the Evacuation Order.

Personally I believe the Order lacks resolute authority and organization. I myself have studied the Order, and I find that a large amount of things that should be covered, aren't. This is very concerning for me, and as a result I am concerned for you and your family. I do not know how the conditions are over there, and I know I wouldn't be able to understand even if I did. However, I implore you to not think of all white Americans badly because of this incident. It is not everybody who supports the act; many here oppose President Roosevelt's order, and have openly voiced our discontent. I myself do not set myself against other races, no matter what the circumstances. However due to the current state of affairs, it would seem logical to some to enact the order; but you and I both know that Roosevelt probably should have thought it thoroughly first. The order is based purely on racial injustice, war hysteria, and bad political leadership.

I have no real idea as to how you are doing, and I believe the conditions must be pretty bad. All I can say is, if Roosevelt drops dead one day, then we will know the reason why - punishment for his injustice. I know your letter will probably be censored by the time I receive it, but how are you doing? Give my regards to your children. I wish you all the best.

Sincerely,

Toby Mac