Jack Chick's The Prophet
If one were asked to comment on influential and powerful pieces of literature, one would expect the usual suspects to come to mind. There are those time-honored classics found in bound, leather volumes that are on everyone's bookshelves. Many celebrated contemporary works have the distinction of having been awarded a Nobel or Pulitzer Prize. It was not really until Art Spiegelman's Pulitzer Prize winning Maus (Parts I and II) that we could realize the awesome power of literature in a comic form.
Literature in any form is also a double-edged sword. It can incise like a scalpel or detonate like a bomb. The endless rearrangement of twenty-six letters to form words represents both thought and action. Both have the potential to be positive or negative. The Chronicles of the Learned Elders of Zion, an apocryphal and fraudulent anthology, helped stir up anti-Semitic strife in a pre-Holocaust Europe. In a mere thirty-two pages, Jack Chick's comic, The Prophet, conveys much the same attitude as that which dominated the fascist landscape of the Nazi Reich less than six decades ago. The Prophet is nothing more than a disgusting piece of rubbish and propaganda. The assertions made about the origins, history, and motivations of Islam are so ridiculous, that at some point one cannot help but laugh at the stupidity needed to write such trash. This makes Chick's work both comic and tragic. Unfortunately, free speech even applies to the ignorant and those consumed with hatred. On the other hand, freedom of thought allows us to evaluate, criticize, and reject them.
The story begins with the civil war in Beirut, Lebanon in the early 1980's. It is here that a reporter is terrorized by the stereotypical wild-eyed Muslim fundamentalist. Before the reporter's "enlightenment" by the warped Dr. Alberto Rivera, he neatly sums up the situation in the Middle East as most Americans have been trained to do - dismissing everyone there as being crazy and giving up on even an iota of understanding (Chick, Jack T., The Prophet, P. 3-4). Luckily, Dr. Rivera is at the terminal snackbar so he can make sense of all of human history. His story is so convoluted that he manages to solve more mysteries than Matlock and Columbo did I their entire television careers. The only question that remains at the end of his idiotic expose is: Where was he when the Warren Commission needed him?
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Evaluating the quality of an author’s work can often be a topic that sparks argument or debate. What are the elements of writing that elevates an artist’s reputation from forgettable to notable? Is it the overall quality of the writing, or is it another factor entirely? This question is posed within the novel Swann by Carol Shields as the four protagonists display what an enormous influence the obscure Canadian poet Mary Swann has on their lives. Despite the fact that Mary Swann’s poetry never achieves technical perfection, her works can still be considered great due to the sheer impact her writing instills in its readers.
School shootings are preventable. In the months since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT there have been thirty-six school shooting incidents. These represent a clear threat to the nation. Safe schools are imperative for a functioning, thriving democracy. These incidents can be prevented, they are not the inevitable by-products of a free society. Reasonable laws, education, and experienced counselors and educators are key.
Hughs, Richard E. The Lively Image: Four Myths in Literature. Cambridge, MA: Winthrop Publishers, 1975.
It is a book that my child may never be able to read. It seems that the only logical reasoning to aid in what offends people is to completely eliminate the book from the library. A better approach is to understand that this book may help them examine other beliefs, attitudes, values, and traditions and to accept, tolerate, or even reject these ideas without prejudices against people who hold particular views. In the democracy In which we live, where regularly all ideas are debatable. A wide range on all points of view should be available to the public.
In a great essence, John Green changed the way authors are respected in the game of writing. He managed to stabilize his popularity, capture the hearts of fans from every background, and deliver influential works of literature that top standardized goals today. Whether it be helping charities with web projects or swaying minds, Green’s inspiration continually effects the 20th century’s today.
Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. Ed. John Schilb and John Clifford. Boston: Bedford / St. Martin's, 2005.
In his short story, “The Prophet’s Hair,” Salman Rushdie make use of magic realism, symbolization and situational irony to comment on class, religion, and the fragility of human life. The story is brimming with ironic outcomes that add to the lighthearted and slightly fantastic tone. Rushdie’s use of the genre magic realism capitalizes on the absurdity of each situation but makes the events relevant to readers’ lives. In addition, the irony in the story serves as a way to further deepen Rushdie’s commentary on class and religion. Finally, his use of symbolization focuses on the concept of glass, and just how easily it can be broken.
Thespis was a Greek poet who is given credit for being the inventor of tragedy plays. He introduced an “actor” into choral performances, which had been exclusively for the chorus before Thespis. This had many effects such as: the singers were given breaks, and with actors the presentation became more heightened and dramatic. Thespis has written plays such as Contest of Pelias, Phorbas, Hiereis, Hitheoi, and Pentheus. The word Thespians, who are English speaking actors, comes from Thespis.