Sundiata as amazing. Both as a character and as a piece of writing.

The Griot is the best character in my honest opinion. I love a good narrator. The Griot sounds like a wise and bitter older sibling. The way that he describes humans, as primitive and sheep-like entities that constantly need a leader.

There are several accounts of the Griot referring to human kind as idiots or words synonymous with childlike, similar to how an older siblings refers to a younger sibling, defining how much they dislike them simply due to their sense of superiority due to their intellect and knowledge of history.

In addition to this, which is an interesting perspective, the Griot also speaks on destiny. That no one can undo their fate or defy what the gods have planned for them. I have always reflected on this idea. How can everything be controlled by an undefinable source? If you make an unorthodox decision, was it fated or did you change your path? Its a dilemma.

Sundiata is one of my favorite reads of the semester. I enjoy when I can connect to a text (although it is not necessary for me to connect to a text in order to enjoy it), and I had none of that all semester. I am not Christian, I am not Catholic, I do not believe in multiple gods or any gods for that matter.

I can, however, relate to Africa.

In America we do not always have the option to read African texts if we are not directly from the continent. African religion is frowned upon, and sine 400 years of slavery erased my heritage, I cannot have a very personal connection with my homeland.

Reading this however?

I was able to relate to the text. The Griot is telling a story to the younger people within his village, but I feel like he’s looking straight me, teaching me about a long legacy long forgotten.

As I mentioned in previous posts, I very much enjoyed Dante’s The Inferno along side analyzing it with modern recreations or work that was inspired by it.

In Canto 15, Dante meets Brunetto Latini and Ser Brunetto, individuals whom of which were sources of inspiration for Dante. What is interesting is how Dante chooses to put these people, these men that he respects and holds at a high regard, in his hell.

Naturally, you would think that a man in exile would have his muses be a sort of savior within his novel, but this is not the case. Dante shows the world that bad people are bad, no matter how you feel about them or hoe much you feel for them.

In the game, Latini is an enemy. Convicted of sodomy (something not necessarily confirmed but theorized), Latini is an enemy. In the game, you also have the option to punish or save an individual after defeating them, which is where they put the most of the text into play. They tell you the story of the character and I now imagine what the real Dante would have done, which was most likely condemn them all.

Reading the inferno was a very interesting experience, as I had played the PS4 game, Dante’s Inferno, where you play as the crusader who is on a journey to rescue his lover in paradise.

I have also watched several anime that focus on the idea of the deadly sins, the firs was  Fullmetal Alchemist, a story of alchemist who learn more and more truths as the story progresses. They are constantly facing the seven deadly sins that they battle physically and morally, as they question themselves and the journey they are on.

The second more recent anime is that of The Seven Deadly Sins. As the title suggests, the anime is about the seven deadly sins, who are people who have sinned, committing one of the deadly sins and, turns out, use the abilities they have to stop others from sinning. We then see the ten commandments, who are the actual villains within the story.

Reading, I constantly drew parallels between the four different works. I saw the liberty that each creator took in order to portray different messages, and encapsulate the interest of the viewer.

In all four works, there is always a driving force: love. In Fullmetal Alchemist, the protagonists commit the taboo, trying to bring back the dead. The lives they live after this are remnant of a living hell. They go throughout the rings of hell, but not in a physical sense. They simply fight each sin one by one. the first sin is actually lust, the first sin we meet in Dante’s Inferno.

The other two, the game and the other anime, were driven by a romantic love, love similar to that of Dante Alighieri. From these we can see how literary works influence much of modern entertainment.

In the Inferno, we see that one can actually be condemned for love. Dante is actually overwhelmed when hearing the story of Francesca, which is very important. He feels pity for this sole, who was unhappy and then fell in love, yet it was that of which was her undoing. It gives us a small glimpse into the psyche of Dante, as he may see certain sins differently.

As mentioned in my last entry,the witches are agents that spur Macbeth into action.

Lady Macbeth, is interesting. While primarily viewed as an agent for encouraging Macbeth to kill the king, she plays a definite larger overarching role in the tragedy of Macbeth.

By playing on the aspect of manhood, it is Lady Macbeth who transformed Macbeth into the literary monster that he becomes. In order to become king, it is a plausible action to kill the king, i understand.

However, by Lady Macbeth constant irking and borderline nagging Macbeth on the topic of his actions and morals, she constantly pushes him over the edge. As a result, Macbeth begins to take out any and everyone who would ever pose a threat to his and his bloodlines role. His growing desire for the throne is amplified by Lady Macbeth acting as an agent.

I do feel, however, that if Lady Macbeth never would have killed herself, that she still would not have survived. Macbeth most likely, if he did not perish either, would have slain her. Towards the end of the play, Macbeth becomes an emotionless, monotonous individual. Love is not something that effected him, as he barely batted an eye at the news of her death.

Lady Macbeth, if Macbeth was not found out, would have been the only soul who new the sins of Macbeth. In addition, she is extremely manipulative, and could have attempted to coax something out of him now that he was king.

Furthermore, she iterated and reiterated several times that she would want to relinquish her role as a female, and kill babies, her own babies, if she could. If Macbeth had a son, and the son were to become kind, and lady Macbeth bashed its skull in like she wished? She would not have lived to see her son become a king. Not if Macbeth had anything to say about it.

I have always loved Shakespeare. growing up, I had watched and read several renditions of his works. Naturally, I was excited to read Macbeth, a play I had never got the chance to get my prepubescent hands on.

Macbeth is the tale of an army general, who is told by the supernatural beings, witches, that he is going to become the new king of him land. He then carries out several debatable actions in order to solidify his fate.

This tragedy is all about desire and agency. Macbeth, link any human, desired to be at the top of society. It is not unnormal to wish to be in that position. Especially for Macbeth, an individual who actually physically fights for his home, it is not a wild thought that he would want to rule and have control of a place he risks his life for as his occupation. Its within human nature to want, to want more, within moderation.

However, Macbeth had never acted upon his inner desires and stayed in his place. That is, until the witches tell him that his greatest desire was going to come true. Once he is told that he is to become king, he carries put any and every action he feels will get him and his bloodline the throne.

In the end,be becomes king, as mentioned, but is slain because of all the actions he executed to get in this position. It is just another case of a character acting preemptively and condemning themselves to an unfortunate future.

I did not enjoy Oedipus the kind very much.Although i am both a self proclaimed writer (poetry mainly) and an avid reader, I do not like the olden styles of writing. This almost ancient story and writing style detaches me from the story as it almost seems to drag on for me, although the piece was short.

In addition, the aspect of fate is not one I believe in. I don’t follow any religion really. But to say that no matter what you want or choose to do that your life outcome is preordained is preposterous to me. I feel hat we are the masters of our own fate and that no one can determine it but us, which means that fate is not a real concept. You control how you move forward.

With that being said, its upsetting how much characters go through for fate. It is almost a plot device to make characters do absurd things for entertainment. In Oedipus the king, he was fated to kill his father and marry his mother.

His parents then, out of fear, they choose to try and kill their son. Out of their own free will. Oedipus kills them, fulfilling his fate, but only because his parents tried to change what wouldn’t have happened if they chose not to act. It is a paradox, a cliche that is overused in my opinion.

In the Odyssey, women play a completely different role than is commonly seen in literature. Although this was written at a time where women were seen as objects and means of sex. They were dominated and held to the standards that they account for men’s need.  

However, in the writing of Homer, women are depicted as the opposite. They are in positions of power, and have the authority to make decisions that impact others. They have unique relationships with men, that are not mirrored in real life. Without several of the women in Odyssey, Odysseus wouldn’t be able to have made it home. The earliest example is Athena praying to Zeus to make Kalypso to let Odysseus go. Kalypso held Odysseus captive for 7 years. Odysseus could not over power her, which was one example of a women determining someone’s life, and Athena was the only person who changed his fate. She convinced Zeus to release him, which is another position of power that a woman held. 

In the first few books of the Odyssey, it is clear the that Gods are more like intelligent meddlers. The God’s depict the future of humans as well as how their lives will play out. Gods have the ability to affect a human’s fate. They intervene in their lives, either positively or negatively. 

This is made clear in the case of Odysseus. Athena herself prays to Zeus to let Odysseus free, and as a result Kalypso lets him go. She does not even hesitate, despite her holding him hostage for a long period of time on the island. This is a positive outcome of the gods favor.  

When Odysseus is given the bag of wind from, Aeolus, he opens the bag of winds out of greed. He winds up back in Aeolus’ presence. Because of this, he falls out of Aeolus’ favor. Aeolus refuses to help them, which causes Odysseus strife. This elongates their journey, a negative outcome of the God’s actions. 

John the Baptist, as his name depicts, is a Baptist. He preaches in the wilderness of Judea (Matt. 3:1) and speaks the word of the kingdom of heaven. He travels around Jerusalem, baptisting people as they confess their sins. He told the people of Jesus, and his predetermined arrival. When Jesus did arrive, John the Baptist was the person who baptized him. 

John the Baptist was held in great regard by Jesus as well. Jesus actually took him up to the mountain with Peter and James to watch their transformation.