Song of Solomon

Song of Solomon is more than just a story about a boy's life and his oddball family. It is a story that demonstrates the social rift that existed between black and whites during this period of time in the United States. Guitar, one of the more outspoken supporters of equal rights in the book, describes white people as "unnatural". I find this description a little ironic in that this is the same attitude that many racist whites had at the time. The whole idea of slavery was based on the assumption that Africans were below those of European descent and not human. Guitar believes that all blacks should work together and try to overcome the power of the whites in society. This just shows the hypocritical nature of racists and activist groups such as the Seven Days. Guitar is so firm in his beliefs that killing innocent people is justified as long as they are white. Guitar is just the opposite of Macon Dead who desperately tries to earn the social status of a white male. Macon's selfishness and greed drives him to crave the power to control others. Macon wants the kind of respect and influence that whites have in society. This is the very thing that Guitar wishes to disable and desires a restructuring of the social hierarchy. I find it interesting that Guitar seems to be the only character in novel that is concerned with the problems of racism. Growing up in a time when the racial tension in the United States is nowhere near what is was during the time period in the book, I cannot truly understand the idea of a segregated society. However, I always figured that racism was always the biggest problems for all blacks living in the United States and yet this book shows that this was not the truth. Morrison writes the story in a way that at times it is not even notable that the majority of the characters are blacks during a time of great oppression and adversity. I feel as though this was intentional in order allow the readers to focus on the individual struggles of the characters and prevent the readers from being caught up and in a battle between black and white.

Final Blog

"Look how Mohammed claws/ and mangles himself, torn open down the breast!/ Look how I tear myself!" (XXVIII. 30-32)



This depicts the scene from the eighth circle of Hell in which the schismatics are tortured by being continuously split in half by a demon with a sword. Dante then becomes aware of the fact that among the tortured souls is Mohammed the prophet and cornerstone of the Islamic religion. The fact that Muslim, one of the most important figures in human civilization, is condemned to Hell really bothers me. However, in all truth I am not surprised by the prophet's inclusion in Dante's personal Hell. After all, he did live in a time when the war between Christianity and the Muslims was still quite violent. Dante feels that since Mohammed took part in the creation of an alternative religion he deserves to burn in Hell. I would not be so bothered by this if the Islamic ideology felt the same way about Christians and followers of other faiths. Muslims believe that all people who believe in God and who live a good life shall be saved from eternal punishment after death. Once again the finality of Dante's interpretation of the Christian religion is evident. Dante's reaction to this torture show how he has transformed throughout his journey to Hell. at the beginning of his journey he felt sorry and sympathetic for the souls being tortured, but as his journey comes to an end he seems to have become less sympathetic.

Reflection

I must say that I have mix feelings when it comes to Dante's Inferno. I enjoyed Dante's description of his view of Hell and he uses clever figurative language to curve the severity of the situations. "As the man I saw split open from his chin/ Down to the farting-place" (XXVIII.24-25). The playful language makes situations that would otherwise be too gruesome to describe easier to read. Dante is effective in his portrayal of his personal Hell in that he makes the reader believe that he truly did travel to the "bottom of the universe" (XXXII. 8). One thing that bothered me throughout the demonic tale is the judgment that Dante passed on others. Since it his own personal Hell, Dante had the power to put who he like in Hell and make them suffer how he saw fit. Based some of the individuals who placed in Hell, it is clear that he was a strict follower of the Christian religion and the rules laid out in the Bible. This is where I have another problem with Dante's writing. I believe that there are many gray areas in religion and not as concrete and defined as Dante makes it appear. That fact that the likes of Homer and the other poets of Antiquity would be in Hell just because they existed before Christianity is a little absurd to me. I can see why so many people have read this book and overall it was pretty interesting and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to take the journey to the bowels of Hell, without having to actually go there.

Why Dante?

Since its creation in the late 14th century millions have been captivated by the demonic tale of Dante's journey through the very depths of hell. This rises the question, of why are people so eager to read of the gruesome tortures and horrific scenes of hell? The truth is that it is in human nature to want to know the unknown and and to explore the world of the afterlife without actually dying.
"You living soul, stand clear if these who are dead" (III.73). No living man knows what Hell is actually like, or if there even is a Heaven or Hell, but Dante does offer his own personal description of what he believes Hell to be. Here lies part of the attraction for readers of Dante's work. People are interested to see as to what kind of people go to hell and the tortures that they must endure. When I think Hell, I do not imagine a place full of the world's greatest thinkers such as Socrates, Plato and Homer. But Virgil explains, "They did not sin;/ If they have merit, It can't suffice without/ baptism." (IV.25-27). Dante explains why he places certain people in Hell, although others might not agree with his judgement, it doesn't matter. Dante's Inferno is about one man's own prediction of the depths of Hell and his interpretation is as good as anyone's .
Dante describes a Hell that comes off as very concrete and the rules of Heaven and Hell are clearly defined. An example of this concreteness can be seen in the line, "Through me you enter into the city of woes" (III. 1). Dante describes Hell as a city and as any city, it is laid out in different zones or i this case circles. Each different circle is reserved for the punishments of different sinners, with the deeper circles having more severe punishments. Dante goes even further to describe the geographical location of Hell. "In the middle of the sea/ Lies a waste land called Crete" (XIV. 77-78). Virgil goes on to tell of a mountain from which water goes on to flow down to the depths of Hell. When Hell comes to mind, one thinks of a fiery waste land full of pain of suffering, but there is never a specific location which is actually designated as the home of the Devil. Today the word of religion and its components, including Heaven and Hell, is a very grey area. However, Dante is so clear and precise in the presentation of Hell and this perhaps is a result of the different religious state of mind at the time of his journey. Dante is so specific in his description of Hell, that the readers begin to believe as if he has actually traveled there.
"Who could find the words, even in free-running prose/ For the blood and wounds I saw, in all their horror-/ Telling it over as often as you choose" (XXVIII. 1-3). These three lines sums up what Dante's Inferno is all about and why it is so appealing to readers. Dante talks about events and scenes so obscene that gruesome at times the reader has trouble reading on. He describes the severity of the punishments of Hell and goes where only a few writers would dare go. It goes without saying that Dante did not travel to the depths of Hell and yet the reader gets such a detailed description of the Inferno. In providing such a specific account of Hell, Dante makes the reader being to question and dwell on their own religious thoughts and what the afterlife, whether it be in Heaven or Hell is actually like.

Cantos XXI-XXIII

"Do you, O Malacoda, think I could get/ Through all of your defences safely as this/ Except by Heaven's will and happy fate?/ Now let us pass- for Heaven also decrees/ That I should show another this savage road." (XXI. 79-83)

This passage shows the relationship that exists between the realms of Heaven and Hell. I have always thought that Hell and Heaven were natural enemies, god versus evil. However, Virgil uses "Heaven's will" as good reason that the demon Malacoda should not attack the traveling pair. I find it interesting that there are established rules between the two realms of the after life. What does Hell and its inhabitants have to fear from Heaven and its angels? Seeing as how they are already in Hell, the place of true torment and suffering, what would be the consequences if a servant of Hell were to break the rules of the apparent truce. Is there any greater punishment than banishment to the depths of Hell? Apparently there is something worse than the suffering of Hell, as can be seen in Malacoda's reaction when he immediately calls off the other demons. It is quite ironic that Heaven, the place of paradise and peace, has the power to inflect a torture worse than that of Hell. I also feel as though the relationship is a little one sided. Surely a spirit from Heaven would not be allowed to bring a sinner from Hell on a journey through the spheres of Heaven. Why is it that Virgil commands so much respect from the treacherous beings that have been sent to Hell? I am spectacle that Beatrice and others in Heaven would be truly concerned for Virgil's spirit, seeing as how he was denied the chance to get into heaven and banished to Hell.

'The one impaled there you are looking at/ Is he who counseled the Pharisees to bend/ The expedient way, by letting one be put to torture for the people. You see him stretch/ Naked across the path to feel the weight." (XXIII. 110-114)

This passage describes a soul that Dante and Virgil have come upon who is being punished in the Sixth Pouch of the Eighth circle of Hell. This is where the Hypocrites serve their punishment and the punishment for this particular soul has been to be "stretched out vilely crosswise" or crucifixion. The tortured soul must "feel the weight" as the other sinners walk over his crucified form. Once again Dante makes a religious allusion to the bible as the shade once counseled with Pharisees, the group of thinkers and religious group that rejected the teachings of Jesus and his claims as being the messiah. Jesus is the "one" who was "put to torture for the people" and it is the soul's sins that aided in the Crucifixion of Jesus. As in all the other rings of Hell, the punishment of those who are confined there match the sins that they have committed. The soul was sent to Hell for his hypocrisy and aiding in the the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and as his punishment he is the one that becomes crucified. This story is the written by Dante himself and because it is his vision of Hell he can put whoever he feels deserves to go to the fiery depths. Why then does Dante continually show sympathy and compassion for those who are left to suffer? If a person is willing to put someone into Hell, why be concerned for what tortures they may suffer. It seems a little naive to me for Dante to continue to show compassion for those who he has sentenced to suffer in Hell for all eternity.

Cantos XIII-XX

"In life I was of the city that chose to leave/ Mars, her first patron, and take the Baptist: for which/ The art of Mars will always make her grieve." (XII. 134-136)

In this passage, Dante are listening to the story of a man whose soul has been turned in a bush. The soul tells the two journeyers that he is from a city that abandoned the faith in the god Mars. Mars is the Roman god of War and was considered as one of the most powerful of the gods. The bush goes on to say that his city changed allegiances to the Baptist, also known as John the Baptist. It is this change of patrons that will always make her(the city) grieve from the art of Mars. It is implied that since Mars was the God of War then his "art" that plagued the city was war and violence. I believe that this is a reference to the troubled violence that has plagued the city of Florence during this time in history. This is not the first time that Dante draws allusions to Florence, the city he has been banished from. More often than not, the allusions refer to the troubles and problems of the city. The soul of the bush seems to feel that there is no hope to be had for the city of Florence and this compounded the stress which led him to hang himself in his own home.

"Since first we entered through that open gate/ Whose threshold on one is denied,/ Nothing your eyes have seen is so worth note./.....They form Cocytus- and about that pool/ I shall say nothing, for you will see it soon" (XIV.70-102)

Virgil draws special attention to the river before them and describes the origins of the water in Hell. Virgil explains that the water comes from the leaking tears of a statue of an old man from the land of Crete, which was once the epicenter of the world at its purist form. The fact that the leaking statue originates from a city of great purity is very interesting. One would not think to find water in Hell at all, only flames and treacherous monsters, but it is ironic that the only source of water comes from a place without sin. Why does Virgil feel that the origin and the river itself is so important? Perhaps Virgil wishes to show to Dante that there is some relief form all of the cruel torture and torment that occurs in the depths of hell in the the form of the water from the outside world. Then again, the water that gathers in the pool of Cocytus is from the "tears" from the old man statue. The water may be a way of showing that even what one would think to be refreshing, is in fact full of sorrow and lament. The source of the water also offers some possibility as to where Hell actually is. Normally Hell is thought of as some after life world which is everywhere beneath the world we live in, but at the same time it has no definite location. Dante indicates that Hell is somewhere below the land that was once claimed by Crete.

Cantos VI-XII

"You who are led/ Through this Hell-recognize me if you can:/ You who were made before I was unmade."/...."The anguish you(Ciacco) endure/ Perhaps effaces whatever memory I(Dante) had",... "The name I took/ Among you citizens was Ciacco; the sin/ Of gluttony brought me here. You see me soak/ To ruin in battering rain-but not alone. (Cantos VI. 35-49)

I found the this line curious because I am not familiar with the name Ciacco. Explains that he was brought to hell because of the sin of gluttony and he his forever "soaked" in the suffering that has resulted from his sins. He notes that he is not alone in suffering noting that there are many other people who have come to hell for the same exact reason. The "among you citizens" implies that perhaps he was a member of the same city or country as Dante. It is possible that Ciacco was a man from the city of Florence, the same city from which Dante has been Banished form. "You were made before I was unmade." This line hints that Ciacco at one time was in a position of power or was an important person in society and it was his gluttonous sin that caused him to fall from power. This passage also illustrates the fear that Dante has throughout his journey. This raises the question as to what keeps Dante going forward? Throughout the different Cantos Dante continually shows fear and trepidation in proceeding with his journey deeper into hell and yet he continues on. Dante openly expresses his fear and therefore it seems as though he continues on only for the curiosity that lurks within him.

"Master these torments- tell me, will they increase/ After the Judgment, or lessen, or merely endure,/ Burning as much as now?" He said, "In this/ Go back to your science, which teaches that the more/ A creature is perfect, the more it perceives the good-/ And likewise, pain. The Accursed people here/ Can nevver come to true perfection; instead,/ They can expect to come closer then than now." (VI. 94-101)

In this passage Dante asks Virgil of how the torture of the souls in Hell will change once the "Judgement" comes. The capitalization of the word Judgement indicates that it is significant event and perhaps it is referring to the final final day of judgement in the Bible in which God once again returns to earth and he passes judgement upon the living and dead. Dante wants to know what will happen to those already in hell once God second coming takes place. Virgil response by saying that as Simone becomes more perfect the good they have in their soul and it is the opposite for those with an evil essence. Once the day of judgement comes, the torture of the souls that are tormented in hell will come close to perfected. The idea of the perfect torment is seen in the line, "Then can expect to come closer then than than now." Meaning that they will come closer to the perfected state of torture once God passes judgment on the souls and sins of everyone. But Virgil admits there is no such thing as perfection in the line, "People here/ Can never come to true perfection." This passage also demonstrates Dante's concern for the souls that have been condemned to hell. It seems unusual that someone would offer concern for someone in hell, as most would assume that their punishment was just for whatever sins they had committed. This may be a signal of Dante's animosity towards the the Roman Catholic Church at the time of his exile.

Cantos I-V

"Midway on our life's journey, I found myself/In dark woods, the right road lost." -(Canto I. 1-2 )

These two lines are the opening to the play and it is in these two line in which Dante begins to introduce the audience to the journey to come. There are two very significant phrases within these two lines. The first being, "on our life's journey". The use of the word our indicates that the journey applies to all people and hell remains a possibility for any person. The phrase, "the right road lost," is particularly significant. Not only has Dante lost his way on the road he had meant to travel, but the phrase foreshadows the journey to hell that is about to take place. The "right road" represents the road towards heaven and all that is just and as Dante wanders from the righteous path, he walks down the path to hell and sin. The dark woods are a common symbol throughout literature and represents foreboding gloom or danger and they also foreshadow the danger that awaits Dante. The journey to hell is not the only one that Dante has set on. He seems to be on a journey to perhaps find the love that he once felt when Beatrice, the woman who sets Virgil out to aide Dante, was still alive. The opening with "midway" perhaps indicates that Dante is having a mid-life crisis or he is trying to say that one's trip to the afterlife might not always wait for the end of your life. I find interest in the fact that Dante does not try to turn back and find the true path once again. This reveals a little about the character of Dante. On one hand he might seem daring or courageous and on the other it may be that at this point of his life he has nothing to lose. Dante seems to seek some kind of adventure or change in his life to deter him from the worries of his present life.

"And suddenly- a leopard, near the place/...A lion came at me, his head high as he ran/...Then, a grim she- wolf- whose leanness seemed to compress/ All the world's cravings, that made miserable." (Canto I. 25-38)

Found the author's choice of these three beasts interesting and I am unsure as to what his intentions were in these wretched monsters. I feel that perhaps the three beasts represent the evil and sin in the world that cause individuals to veer off of the road to Heaven. The lion with "his head high" represents pride and hubris, which often blinds a person's ability to see the truth. The she-wolf who "seemed to compress all the world's cravings" represents greed. Greed is often the drive behind many unjust actions and causes people to be selfish and self centered. Lastly, the leopard who is "lithe and quick of foot" represents the deception that often corrupts the ability to make sensible decisions. Just as Dante was turned from the "right road" by the three monsters, the sins that the monsters represent cause people to lead a life of sin. It is these sins which may cause a person to go to hell. I find it interesting that it was the she-wolf in particular that chased Dante from the hill. Perhaps Dante feels that the sin that the wolf represents is the most threatening or powerful in tempting others. I would think that a leopard or lion would be more dangerous than just a female wolf, so there must be some significance behind the monsters and the wolf in particular. Dante later goes on to find out that the wolf actually came from the spawns of hell. Now common sense would warn the normal individual that you would not want to travel to the place that was the home of the beast that you were trying to avoid. Here again, Dante seems willing to accept the adventure or challenge of taking the wrong path. Perhaps Dante actually wants to go to hell for the experience.