What makes a novel "a classic"?

A classic.

A book that has, over time, become a "must read".

It is either of great quality, recognized for its value as a work of art or, the first of its kind, most likely breaking the tradition ways of writing. 

For me, it means I will most likely have to read it while at school. I'm not really sure why most of the books we read are classics. They all seem to contain taboo topics or strange themes. I guess I understand why books are classics, but I don't always agree that they should be.

 

Reading classics do expand your thinking, however. I've always found myself learning things about time periods, or the thoughts of people at the time. It is also very interesting to learn about authors of classics. A lot of them have strange life experiences that are reflected in their stories. 

Hmmm classics. 

My Comments to Others #2

1. MaJ to Alyssa's Blog

WOW DO I AGREE!!! haha
I think that the reason we often float away from friends from our "really young" childhood, is because they are sort of chosen for us, instead of based on interests. We are either in the same classes, our parents are friends, or we happened to sit at the same lunch table. As we grow (hopefully) we learn what we want from a friend and can therefore attempt to make friends that have similar interests, personalities, ect. 
I know that childhood friends don't always grow apart, but the majority of the time its true. 
...And yes, I am not friends with the same people either. Though for me, it wasn't a big dramatic thing like yours. We just grew apart...

2. MaJ to BlogFrog

Nice thoughts, although I don't agree completely. I don't believe in hauntings and I don't believe in a "sort-of-dead" state. I don't think that the supernatural should be completely ruled out, however. Personally, I believe in God, and I believe in the angels and demons described in the bible. I don't really know HOW they affect our world, but I definitely believe they are there. As for "ghosts", or the spiritual side of dead people floating around, my view is different. I don't think that a person can come back and so easily make contact with friends, family, or enemies. I think that is more of what people want to believe (or our minds playing tricks on us, as you put it)...or a conscience getting back at someone.

 3. MaJ to YUM

Hello yuma. 

Good point when you say that it is the job of the parent to lead their child down the right path. I also feel that they have that responsibility to care for and teach their children. However, I also spoke about this topic in my blog, and I feel that children do inherit some sort of responsibility from their parents. I mean, lets say that the parent in a family is unable to take care of his or her children. The oldest child will most likely take up that responsibility. Its a natural action. So wouldn't it be the same thing for a parent's mistake? Although the kid obviously won't be able to do as good of a job as the parent would, don't they have the responsibility to try to fix it?

El Defecto de Los Padres

The question= Are children responsible for their parents mistakes?

The answer= ????

Hhhhhhmmmmm...

Personally, I have always struggled with this question. It is one topic that I don't have a concrete, opinionated answer to. For example, I don't think that if a parent were to murder someone, that the victims family has the right to kill the murderers child in response. I do, however, think that the murderer's child will have to take some responsibility for their parents action--or clean up the mess left over. The kid sort of has a duty to try and fix things to the best of his or her ability. Do I think this is exactly fair? Definitely not, but part of who we are is our parents. We are our parents' heirs--be that for money, traits, attitude, home, or responsibility. We have a duty to take the baggage that comes with being our parent's child. 

I hate to connect this back to Malcom X, but I just can't resist. This issue can also be looked at on a broader scale. Malcom X originally hated the white race because of the actions he had seen demonstrated through history done to the African Americans, by the white race. Generations later, he blamed the enslavement, beating, and raping of the slaves by the white plantation owners, on each individual white person he met. Is this right? Well...he has a point. He has a reason to be angry. He has the right to be angry. Should he "punish" the white descendent for the sins of their forefathers by not accepting them, in the same way they won't accept him? Not necessarily...I guess I am just saying that I don't really have a solid opinion. I just feel that the child does not deserve equal punishment as their parents deserve, but that they do inherit some responsibility and should therefore do their best to try and repay the person who is seeking revenge. Yeah...and revenge is never the answer. Ever. 

And now for a random picture. I was going to put something that relates, but this just amuses me way too much...(I've been taped to a wall before, its a lot of fun...try it sometime) 

My Comments to Others.Malcom X

1. To Blogfrog on "Malcom IV: A New light!"

Hahaha, "a new Malcom X has awoken"...nice way of putting it...haha...

Anyways, experiences definitely afect our outlook on life! That is one of the many lessons I took from reading this book (I actually learned some stuff!). I think that Malcom's transformation of thought is really inspiring. Views CAN change. People CAN change. Lives CAN change--and they change because of relationships with people. Meeting with diverse groups of people is essential to being openminded. 

Yeah, good post.

Your pretty awesome. 

2. To tigggre on "I think I exceeded the 100 word requirement. Just a little bit"

Hey, great idea on using the poem in your post. I really liked that poem as well. I thought the use of sarcasm was really interesting because, well, I haven't really heard many like it.

I also agree that religions can be contorted. Although not when they "are taken too far", but when people following that religion stop following the belief systems set up, and start making their own rules and customs that are not based on the original religion.

I also think, when reading about Malcom, it is important to remember that he does not represent the majority of muslims. He represents a certain sect that taught about the "white devil".

Nice post, and yes I read the whole thing, because my posts are also this long...

3. To Alyssa's Blog on "Malcom X-2"

Hey Alyssa! I'm really glad that you had fun on that retreat!! Anyways, I completely agree with you about how the strength of someone's belief in something will often show up in the way that they live. Actually, I went to church this morning and my pastor happened to be speaking on this topic. He said that what we believe will determine how we behave. So in Christianity, we are meant to dedicate our entire body to God as a "living sacrifice" in an act of worship. I think that Malcom is a perfect example of this type of dedication. He commits himself totally to his God. I also agree with the whole praying thing. It would be great to be able to show love for God that easily in public. 

4. To esqueuch on "Blue Eyed White Devil"

I also identified with the young, white college girl. I feel similar to her in the sense that I often want to be able to help, but I don't know ow. Its hard for me to feel sympathy for Malcom sometimes because he is the one telling people they can't help, that there is no hope for integration. 

People NEED hope.

Anyways, its true that, as whites, we should try our best to try and identify with blacks, as much as is humanly possible. I don't think we will ever fully understand the extent of the pain African Americans have felt, or the brotherhood they feel with each other, but we should do the best we can.

Great insight! 

***I'm done with this book now...it had a good ending...about how Malcom is ready for his violent death.

....man does it feel good to be finished :)

O WAIT! We still have a project to do...gggrrra :(

Malcom X.5.Change.

For a muslim, the Hajj to Mecca can be an incredible learning and connecting experience. 

For Malcom, it was more than that. It was a learning, outlook changing, experience. He found that he was able to forget about race while among the muslims of the east. I think this was first of all, because of the lack of racism among the people he was with and the fact that they all worshipped one God and therefore did the same rituals. For example, they all dressed in the same white clothing in order to get rid of class status that is shown through clothes and jewelry. I never really knew what these

clothes looked like, so above and to the right are pictures of it. I realized they are actually towels! They all walk around wearing white towels! I think the whole idea of trying to become each others equals is really neat.

Anyhoo, Malcom realized that it is not the white race that is evil, but the western "white mind". He says "I have been utterly speechless and spellbound by the graciousness I see displayed all around me by people of all colors" (Haley 346) and, "I have never before seen sincere and true brotherhood practiced by all colors together, irrespective of their color" (Haley 347). I think the story of Malcom's Hajj was a place in the book when white people go, "FINALLY!!! GOSH, I thought he would never get it." That was my initial thought anyways...then I started to think about how his views changed from earlier in the book. 

In one of my posts earlier on, I stated simply that "Malcom hates white people" and it was true in that part of the story. Now, however, he expands his thoughts because of things he experiences. I don't think I have ever experienced this sort of changed thinking to the extent that Malcom did, but I've definitely been affected by new experiences in my life. For example, this last fall, I went to Philadelphia with other teens from my church to do community service and go to different kinds of churches. We don't want to have our "church experience" to only be in one church. On the saturday night, we went to a large church that met in an old movie theatre. It was a different experience just because of the setting, and then Shane Claiborne, a modern, Christian monk, spoke to us as a guest speaker at the church. Shane Claiborne has worked alongside Mother Theresa, who taught him how to make his own clothes, he decided not to marry so that Christ could be number one in his life, and now he lives communally as a poor person in Philadelphia. He calls himself a "professional lover". I was moved to tears as he told stories of how people had judged him for the clothes he wears, the stories about the work he had done, and the love he has for his God. Here is Shane speaking about the church and how it really needs to connect with people. I know he's weird looking, but man is he right and passionate. He knows he is an extremist and he doesn't expect people to live the way he does. I had heard about him before, and so it was like meeting a celebrity for me. I went and spoke to him after the service and I was shocked at how easy he was to speak with, how he listened to every word anyone said to him. 

Hearing him speak changed my views of the emergent church and monasticism. I normally disagree with ideas of the emergent church, but he explained it in a way that made sense to me, so that I could see his view of things. He wasn't as pushy in his beliefs as many other of the sect have seemed to me. I realized that the "many" isn't the "whole". Putting all the members of the emergent church into one group would be stereotyping them--reducing them to the worst example of their kind. 

I learned a similar lesson to Malcom. Experience a variety of different people before creating stereotypes of them. Malcom had only seen the whites of America. It took traveling to another country, experiencing the hospitalities of the white muslims, and feeling as their equal to change his views. 

Malcom X.4.Fraud.

What do you do when the sole focus of your awe, your worship, turns out to be a fraud? When the person you are willing to die for, fails to do what they promised you? When your mentor falls into the same temptations that he had saved you from? 

Malcom X had basically worshipped the man called "the Honorable Elijah Muhammad." Malcom describes the need for Mr. Muhammad when he says, "To us, the Nation of Islam was Mr. Muhammad. What bonded us into the best organization black Americans ever had was every Muslim's devout regard for Mr. Muhammad as black America's moral, mental, and spiritual reformer" (Hale 294). Malcom and other Nation of Islam followers had placed so much faith and hope in Mr. Muhammad. They had raised him up so high that they felt he was either right below or an equal to their God. Its dangerous to move a man up that high. Its dangerous to believe that a man can completely uphold his moral beliefs. Why is this dangerous? Because all men on the earth are only human. Everyone will make some sort of mistake, and the more power and influence you have, the bigger that mistake will seem. 

Elijah Muhammad made an irrefutable mistake when he decided to sleep with two of his secretaries. Both had his children and were therefore isolated from other Muslims on the charge of adultry. Eventually, both of them decided to bring legal suits against Mr. Muhammad, and the scandal was brought forward to the public. Everything that the black Muslims in America believed, rested on the shoulders of Mr. Muhammad, and he betrayed them and the institution he had worked so hard to build up. The Muslims' role model had fallen into temptation, had tried to cover it up, and not taken responsibility or punished himself for the act. How could the rest of the muslims be expected to uphold all the rules when even their leader couldn't do it? Without a perfect example, how can a group of people ever hope to become the people they see themselves becoming. Malcom should have put his god, Allah, first and not rested so much faith in Mr. Muhammad--a human--a human who would eventually make a mistake.  

Unfortunately, leaders in high positions in religious groups are often quick to fall into temptation. They are handed a plate with just too many things they want and their reputations make them believe they can get away with giving in. Their bodies, their human instincts, take over, and they forget what they teach to others. For example, sex scandals are happening in churches all around the country. I use this example, because I can empathize with Malcom because of it. It pains me when I hear these stories, read about these great leaders making mistakes. My church tries to prevent situations like this by having more than one pastor. We have a Sr. Pastor, a Children's Pastor, a Jr. High Pastor, and a worship Pastor. The Sr. Pastor is the head of the church, and the other pastors check up on him, making sure he stays true to what the church believes. We also don't believe that our pastor was divinely chosen by God to be our leader. Pastor Sam, my Sr. Pastor, also says "I am not the Messiah" frequently during church as a joke. He feels it is extremely important that we don't think he can fix all our problems. He is just as human as we are.

People often expect their leaders to uphold their doctrine perfectly, but the fact is, they are human. Also unfortunate, is how the church as a whole, often pays a price for these leaders' actions. Different sects of the church start pointing fingers, saying "They did it!". Unfortunately, stuff like the sex scandals happen every day.

People aren't gods. No one is perfect. If you believe in a God, rest your faith in Him, not the people representing him on earth. Expect mistakes. Expect perfection only from God. 

Malcom X.3.Nothing.

"She demanded, right up in my face, 'Don't you believe there are any good white people?' I didn't want to hurt her feelings. I told her, 'People's deeds I believe in, Miss--not their words.'

'What can I do?' she exclaimed. I told her, 'Nothing.' She burst out crying, and ran out and up Lenox Avenue and caught a taxi.'" (Haley 292) 

So there is this weak, small, white college girl. She was moved so much by one of Malcom's speeches that she catches the next plane to NYC and tracks him down in a Muslim restaurant. She walks up to Malcom X. She asks him "what can I do?", "How can I start living in a way so that I can try and make up my debt to the blacks in America?" This girl is completely ready to turn her life around, to start fighting for the underprivileged Negroes, for Malcom. All Malcom needs to do is speak the word. Instead...he says he doesn't trust her. He tells her straight out that there is nothing for her to do. Nothing. Nothing at all. 

WHAT?!?!? Nothing. What do you mean nothing?

I mean there is absolutely no way for whites to make up the sins of their forefathers to blacks. 

Okay then. Fine.

Sorry, I sound sort of schizophrenic. Anyways, this part of the book really shocked me. I couldn't believe just how deep Malcom's belief of the "devil, white man" really went. This short, less than a page section, however, finally got it into my brain. Malcom X truly hated white people. We white people really do expect other races to like us because we personally didn't do anything besides continue the thoughts of supremacy that our ancestors worked into our brains. I do think, however, that Malcom's statement that we can't do anything was a step too far. Seriously, what a pessimist. 

So I tried to find a video of Malcom speaking along this topic, and I stumbled upon a video of Malcom speaking about how Islam can help erase racism in America.  It was filmed after his trip to Mecca, and after he had spent time with Muslim white men (a time which I haven't gotten to in his autobiography yet, I'm only up to chpt. 15). I find it interesting how he avoids the question of whether or not his opinion of the white man had changed. He just talks about how there was a feeling of "brotherhood" between the white men, no matter their skin color. He feels that Islam is the answer to racism problems in America. Hmmmm...so he met white muslims there that he said "looked upon themselves as part of the human family" and who looked at everyone else in the world, no matter the skin color, also as part of that family. I find it sort of hypocritical that he accepts those white men, but not the american white men, or even the little, white college girl, who was just as willing to accept him as the Arab, Muslim, white men. 

I do think he was right, however, to bring up the idea that maybe if Islam were taught to all Americans, some racism problems would be fixed. I don't agree with this statement, but I see the truth in it. People who are devoted to a religion often have higher moral standards because they have a set of rules written out for them. I think, however, that if Islam continued to spread in the U.S., as it has, then it will eventually get the same hypocritical labels on it that Christianity and Judaism have, which it has. The reason being that no human can uphold and stay completely true to their beliefs. Everyone messes up. Everyone slips sometimes. There are Christians that are racist. There are buddhists that are racist. There are Jews who are racist. There are atheists who are racists. And there are muslims who are racist. 

As a Christian, I have been attacked by people for what they think of the church. They call me a hypocrite or homophobic. These are two stereotypes that I hear about myself over and over and over again. The truth is, I see the hypocrisy of the church every day. I see how they say to love everyone and then deny that love to people that are different from them or who have messed up. Overall, am I a hypocrite and homophobe, like parts of the church? Ummm, I sure hope not! But do I slip up and have thoughts that are either hypocritical or homophobic sometimes? Sure...just like everyone else in the world. The important thing is that I'm trying to change that. I do my best to fully understand what my religion entails so that I know if I am being hypocritical. I try to love all people and just disagree with what they are doing, not who they are as people. I may disagree with a person's actions but I sure try to love them the same way I love the people who have the same moral standards as I do. Unfortunately, many "Christians" don't even know what their religion is truly about and haven't even read through their own scriptures. People like me, are then judged based on what those Christians say or do in the name of God. People should research what the beliefs are of whatever religion they plan to follow before associating themselves with it. A religion isn't inherited, it is adopted. 

So this brings me back to the small, white college girl. It hurt me when Malcom said she couldn't change the stereotype that had been placed on her. It was painful to think of how she was ridden with guilt and yet Malcom was not willing to relieve her of it. People do have the power to make a difference in the way they act towards other people groups. Malcom's answer of "Nothing" just won't cut it for me. People need to try and show that they aren't what people generalize them to be. I need to try and show that I'm not what people generalize me to be.