Journal # 11

               One major theme I noticed, especially in “As the Lord Lives, He is One of Our Mothers Children”, is bravery.  It can be seen multiple times throughout the story.  When Jones stares into the eyes of an angry mob just before they killed him and didn’t show even the slightest sign of fear.  Or when Rev. Stevens is brave enough to take in a complete stranger, and still trust him even after he finds out he is wanted for murder.  And finally when Gentlemen Jim sacrifices himself to save the lives of all those people on the train.  All these acts of bravery made me wonder; what force is giving these people the ability to be so courageous?

                For Rev. Stevens I think it is obviously his strong faith in god.  It gave him the ability to reach out and help someone he had never met.  It also allowed him to still trust a man even after he had found out he had been lying to him.  Also, it gave him the courage to confront someone one on one that was suspected of murder.  His faith gave him the power to reach out to those in need and see the good in someone even when others would scorn them. 

                Gentlemen Jim I believe was able to be so incredibly heroic because of two things.  First, Rev. Stevens had helped him and believed in him when no one else would.  He was clearly indebted to him, and on top of that he saw himself reflected in Rev. Stevens and his son.   Jim knew what it was to lose a loved one and didn’t want to put others through that pain.  He understood what a waste it was for someone to die at such a young age and sacrificed himself to keep it from happening again.

                Finally, there’s Jim’s partner, Jones.  Even seconds before he was about to be lynched, he showed not even the slightest hint of fear, and this confused me.  I thought it was pretty obvious what allowed Rev. Stevens and gentlemen Jim to be so brave, but I don’t understand how Jones could be so strong even while facing death.  He was surrounded by an angry mob that was going to kill him for a crime he didn’t commit.  I thought he should have been sad, depressed, or at least angry, but instead he seemed totally calm.  I really don’t know what allowed him to stay so stout through his whole ordeal, but it had to be something very strong deep within him to allow him to be that at peace. 

Journal # 10

When first reading the "The Wife of my Youth" I was very confused.  There seemed to be no talk about a wife, and I wasn't sure I was reading the right story.  When the old lady came to talk to Mr. Ryder I became very interested in what she had to say.  Her love and passion for one man was incredible, but still I didn’t see any connection between Mr. Ryder and this women.  I thought maybe he would know of the man she was talking about and be able to reconnect these lost lovers, but he didn’t seem to know of the man she was speaking of.  But when he started repeatedly telling this innocent lady the multiple reasons why she would probably never find the man she lost 25 years ago I became curios.  I didn’t understand why he was so against her attempt to reconnect with someone from her past.  At this point there was a second when I thought that Mr. Ryder was the person she was describing, but she said she didn’t expect him to make much of himself, and that she would recognize him between 100 different men, so I assumed I was wrong.  But then Mr. Ryder, after looking at her faded picture of her lost husband, looked closely at his own features I knew I must be right.  Mr. Ryder had changed from his youth and had grown into a new man, a man that those from his past wouldn’t recognize.  It was at this point that I wondered whether he would reveal himself to the wife of his youth, or keep it to himself.  I honestly thought he would keep it to himself.  He had a thriving career, and was on the verge of settling down with what was described as an amazing woman.  Bringing up these things from the past didn’t seem like a smart thing to do.  But to my surprise he did reveal his secret.  And not just to the old women but to his soon to be wife and his colleagues.  It’s impossible to know how this action would affect both his social and professional life, but either way it shows the impressive character that Mr. Ryder has. 

Journal #8 Response to Mark Kennedy

I like Mark’s statement about the irony present when Chestnut compares the “negroes and Yankees” to the “frogs and locusts that plagued Egypt”.  I don’t really understand why Chestnut would make this comparison when the bible and particularly the story of Moses saving the slaves from Egypt was so popular in this time.  That story is obviously anti-slavery, and with Chestnut being pro-slavery I find it strange that she would draw attention to something that is against her cause.  On top of that I don’t understand why she would make herself the “bad guy” in her own comparison.  If the negroes and Yankees are the frogs and locust, then it seems as though she would be an Egyptian that is being bothered by these pests, an Egyptian that in the bible story is looked upon as an evil tyrant that must be defeated by Moses to free his people from the bondages of slavery.  It’s just a strange statement for her to make, and I like that Mark brought it up because I wouldn’t have noticed it if he hadn't mentioned it.