Thursday, June 26, 2008

Open Thread


14 comments:

Dillon said...

The constant battle of art and science in this book seems to give some hope on the future of the human race.

Most of the time we hear that our consumerist society tends to think scientifically. The body is a machine. Everything is specialized and the human is losing its grasp of the world. Everything is socially constructed. We are controlled by the media...

However, this book humanizes the body with art. Its not something I ever thought about before, and I think this is such a great epiphany. A lot of times we get lost and I think we need to go back and find our home. (sorry that was really corny)

I think that trying to "be happy" is the thought process of a spoiled child. I don't really know what the true answer is about human emotion but if we lose the material and focus internally we can better access life.

Lala said...

I see Perowne and Baxter as representing the two sides going into the Iraq war. perowne, throughout the book, seems to observe religious feeling as a sort of disease, or at least distantly. so the message of the book if this holds through: the extremists driven by their religious faith are to be pitied - don't go into war, for they will destroy themselves eventually anyway.

Dillon said...

I just have to say that if ya'll have some sort of BBQ I won't be able to go because I'm literally leaving the country for a while. I'm not dissin' the class. I will be in the Amazon being bitten by malaria infested mosquitoes. yay.

But I loved the class. Its much better than my math classes.

Unknown said...

BBQ! Ha...I'm still a bit confused about what if anything the book was saying in relation to the type of education on receives..was it better to only be a doctor and focus on that, or was it better to read poems and have a broad education base like Daisy. Both of the things I feel like saved lives. So is it just a balance we need. That point we sort of discussed in class, but I was confused as to what the answer was, if there was one?

KLamm said...

I think this book did a great job of providing both sides of the story, and I really like the points that have already been made. I wish I could have spent more time on this book to really understand the things it was trying to say.

Sarah- I definitely think that balance is the answer. Personally,that is one of the greatest things I will take from this class. I'm a science major, so I've had my head stuck in a chemistry text book for two years. I could really identify with Perowne's way of thinking logically and matter-of-factly about things. However, this class has taught me to open my eyes and think outside my normal perspectives. I am so motivated now to learn more about world events and to continue reading literature to learn from it. I think both sides of the learning experience are vital to be a knowledgeable and aware individual in our world today. The author compared art and mechanics, science and literature, to show us the importance of both and to show how the ability to intertwine them can help make things better.

Mario said...

so i know this might seem off topic but i saw the new pixar movie wall-e...it was cute...however, i couldnt help but notice how much the movie kinda tied into what we talked about in class especially with the mechanical aspects in Saturday. i wont say anything else because im sure someone wants to go watch it but i invite you all to tell me if im horribly wrong or if u see it also.

Anonymous said...

Hey yall..its the end. Im ready for the BBQ. It could be becuase I have a heavy belly but yum yum. Well this book was not the most captivating for me. I really tried to get into it, but I have somehow failed to grasp the full concept of the novel. What I did recieve was an insight into the creative connections with art. I feel that it all played out in the favor of the family, because are fullfuls the soul. Everyone has a common ground in art regardless of its contents. You may not like it, or you may even love it, but you all know what it is...Art. Music is something that I personlly use to connect my life with others. There are so many things that music can say for me with out speaking a word. Literature and poetry does the same thing by allowing you to see past the literal text and relate the words yourself. That would be why Baxter continued to act in amazement of her reciting the poetry and saying that it reminded him of home. Home is a sensitve spot that will cause any man to break down. It is the core of all your sins, pain, guilt and joy.

Anonymous said...

Oh...I forgot about science. Well the science aspect of this text was helpful as making the connection to art. The science of neurology is an art in itself. The practice and performance of the surgeries served as metaphors and sybolism in relation to art and freeing yourself from the harsh realities of terrorism by overcoming your own iniquities.

meaganlaue said...

As I said in class. I agree with the overall idea of the class that this book was not an "easy" read for the end of summer session 1. However, I feel that it did a great job of tying us back to the unanswerable question of, "what is terrorism" ? And how does this idea of terrorism play into art and media in society today? I find it ironic that we talked about sometimes the best questions are left answered. That in fact is, in my opinion, the best thing I take away from this class. I don't think we ever truly answered the question but by voicing our thoughts and perspectives we opened our minds to new ways of looking at it. We, as a class, made a difference everyday by daring to question ourselves and each other and I would doubt that every one of us did not learn something about ourselves in just a few short weeks. Thanks to everyone for such a great class.

MacCollum said...

I loved this last book (although it was so DETAILED in its analysis of all the freakin minutiae of Perowne's thought process and emotions that I sometimes find myself carrying on a mental narrative of my own actions and feelings...strange).

I have a question, and I hope some of y'all are still interested to reply to this. Perowne was so dismissive and condescending of the idea of the supernatural or even of a human spirit- something beyond the chemical processes that happen in the brain. What I want to ask MacEwan is: how does Perowne reconcile his Darwinist beliefs with his own conscience? Why IS there an ethical decision at the end of the book? His wife (mate) and offspring were threatened! Why did he not only save Baxter's life, but then decide NOT to press charges?!

I don't see how this completely irrational behavior (mercy) ties into our species' supposed evolution. Can anyone help?

Drc said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

How is mercy irrational?

jtjohnson2009 said...

I think Perowne was a very logical person. Logical people don't make rash decisions and so the mercy he showed Baxter was for a reason.

Anonymous said...

I agree, the mercy shown has reasoning. Plus, what is the point of retaliation or vengence? Perowne ended the cycle...thats terrorism being rationalized and demolished.