Tuesday, January 22, 2013

The Power of Negativity


Author’s Note: I am part of a new literature group with three gentlemen in my class reading the novel The Power and the Glory.  However, I am finding that reading the novel is a real struggle for me. The first three chapters continually made me frustrated at the negative viewpoints of society and their own life.  My goals for this piece are to share my frustration and to give a glimpse of how I view life.

“…that he really felt the correct emotions of love and joy and grief and hate.  He had always been a good man at zero hour.” In Captain Fellows’ eyes, life is not all about what’s wrong in society.  Instead, he sees life through a positive lens believing that each person can find can find good in their individual circumstances. In my life, I do not live a life of sadness assuming the worst in every situation. I do not exhibit a sense of negativity through the interactions of life.  I do not have a dystopic vision of the world where everyone lives in constant fear.  The belief that life serves no purpose other than to adhere to the failures of our human race is morally wrong.

Every person suffers through trials and tribulations; it is up to the individual to determine how to grow and develop to serve a greater purpose.  Why would someone continue to live a life if they are unhappy?  Each person has control over the direction of their life, and if a character is unhappy and is unable to change, it is no fault but their own.  The author exemplifies the struggles of the time while setting the background on Padre Jose with how unhappy he is by selling out and following the policy of the government, on the lieutenant and how he is consistently petulant and irritable, or on the whiskey priest battling the internal fight of good and evil.

Living a life of such negativity is the antithesis of my viewpoint on the world.  In my vision, everyone has power to succeed, to change, and to improve their life.  No matter the circumstances or the struggles, believing that everything can be viewed as an opportunity for change makes life more fulfilling.  Perseverating on the failures or the problems that society delivers will only weaken one’s conviction. 

While I understand that some, including the characters in this story, would see my vision as a form of utopia, I cannot fathom living such a dark, dreary life.  Each person has control over their existential experiences.  By consistently focusing on maintaining a positive aura, even through the difficult times, life’s vision will come to fruition.  

12 comments:

  1. I agree that the idea is we are left to deal with those difficult moments, or trials which life presents. I also believe Greene is trying to say very much the same thing. There are ways to deal with struggles, even profound ones like the one played out in the novel, and come out a better person than we were before facing the struggle. Part of what I see Greene doing is letting us see that even this priest, who strangely enough is a hero, can do the right thing when faced with decisions, and just because we aren't perfect doesn't mean we can't do well. I am not so sure it is about enjoying life or not.

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    1. I see where you're coming from when you state that you are not so sure if it is about enjoying life or not. However, I struggle comprehending why enjoyment while still maintaining a positive inner truth can't go hand in hand. If you keep standards high and aim for a positive outlook, the inner truth will follow suit.

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  2. Although looking through a positive lens is good for life, sometimes looking at things negatively can help. If you look at something negatively, you can put that into your own life of something you try to avoid doing, although sometimes it is hard to control the outcome of things that weren't meant to be. If you always look through a positive lens, your life may be to happy, and you will have nothing to dwell on for the future, thus making the future less interesting.

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    1. What you bring up here is the exact point of reading tragedy; we examine someone who makes mistakes, and learn from their errors instead of making them ourselves.

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  3. You piece has an interesting point. I don't necessarily believe that it is the right way to live, but I usually look at the negative side of situations. I think part of whether you have a positive or negative view point is you expectations of life. If you have high standards and expect that life is fair, when things go wrong, you become upset with the outcome.

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    1. I completely agree with you Seth. Looking at life to positively can sometimes bring your downfall.

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    2. By again, I disagree with Mr. J's assessment. While looking at life through a positive lens may potentially lead to your downfall, looking at life through a negative lens will lead to inner struggles.

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  4. I agree Seth. There is an inherent danger of being unrealistic about our expectations from life, and this can lead to unhappiness. At the same time, perhaps trials in life aren't a bad thing, but simply opportunities to clarify who I am.

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  5. I found this piece rather interesting. Most people think about the negative side or what could go wrong but this piece allowed me to understand the positive side of every situation. I think that is the better way to look at life.

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  6. Do you think most people use either a positive or negative lens exclusively? Is that an inherent trait in humankind, or a handy tool for fictional creations? (You've thrown me into a whirlwind analysis of my friends, family, and self, searching for evidence of an exclusively negative lens!)

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  7. I feel as though your thesis, or rather your argument, is quite general, and because of that aspect, it is easier for the reader to not become very opinionated right away. So, I think it is fair to say that I agree with the general idea of your response. I do believe everyone has the power to succeed, change, and improve their life. However, the notion of suppressing negativity is not something I particularly side with. I believe that society often lives on a cloud and avoids any sense of confrontation with negativity which is simply not right. We mustn't always sugar coat everything, but rather face what is actually presented to us -- negative or not.

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  8. I really enjoyed reading this piece as I like how you just put your ideas and thoughts out there for all to see. Your writing always comes across as genuine and from the heart, which is what good writing is all about. You really should write more often, as I think you have a lot more to write about than you think. As for the content of this piece, everyone that has posted has a good point in regards to what your position is on this topic, and no one is right or wrong. The important thing is that we attend to our lives in a way that works for us, that feels right, and that ultimately makes us happy, or at least comfortable with the world around us. Finding a balance between the positive and negative where we feel we belong is what is truly important.

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