While reading Genesis 25-30 tonight, I noticed the irony in Jacob receiving Abraham’s blessing despite his deceit. He had taken advantage of his less clever brother, stolen his birthright and blessing – and yet was rewarded for it?

Although deceit and trickery generally receive a negative connation, I’ve seen the concept used in a different perspective. For example, in African folklore, the notorious spider Anansi is not merely portrayed as a cunning trickster. He often receives the status of being knowledgeable, if not wise. Also, in literature, the beloved Artemis Fowl of the Artemis Fowl series maintains himself as a likeable character amidst his double-dealings and illegal ventures.

Such blurred definitions of how people perceive things apply not only to deceit and trickery, but to extremely many aspects of life. This, then, poses the question of “which one is right?”

We humans maintain a societal norm of ethics. However, the “normal” does not necessarily denote the meaning of “right.” Sure, what is considered normal usually roots itself from a general consensus, but perhaps the widely accepted “right” is actually “wrong.”

Some of those who the majority of society views as corrupt, insane, or even criminal may have found themselves trapped in an endless circle – thinking too deep into the definition of “right” and losing themselves. The longer I try to reach a substantial conclusion from my stream of thoughts, the more confused I find myself.

Perhaps the human mind – even with those who claim to study its depths – was never meant to be understood, in its intricately woven enigma.

While reading Genesis 19 tonight, one verse particularly caught my eye. Although God has commanded Lot and his family not to look back while he punished the Sodom and Gomorrah, “Lot’s wife…looked back, and she became a pillar of salt” (Gen.19.17-19.26).

God rains down sulfur and fire upon the sinful cities – and ugly sight. For looking back and seeing him commit that ugliness, he punishes Lot’s wife. Although Lot’s wife has disobeyed him, I question his purpose of issuing the order of not looking back. I believe his intentions were to keep them in the dark rather than to “protect” – similar to his actions in the Garden of Eden and with the Tower of Babel.

Often, the motivation to enforce ignorance stems from insecurity – if one was absolutely confident about him/herself, surely he/she wouldn’t need to oppress the awareness of “reality” within others. Thus, the fear of being overtaken through the process of others “learning the truth” results in such drastic measures.

What, then, is the experience of those who are the ignorant? Is it really bliss to remain sheltered and unaware of harsh realities or even punishments? True, leaving the world of the “blind” may cause terrible, if not traumatic, experiences. However, to not see the “ugliness” of the world as well as the beautiful destroys the experience of life itself. To live is to risk, and losing the opportunity to do so ultimately renders one’s life as incomplete.

Only a few pages into Genesis reading, I have already noticed the prevalent dominance of the male figure – females are subtly portrayed as wives, mates, and submissive beings, if mentioned at all. I understand the slight “sexism,” seeing as how the perspective of women having equal footing to men only emerged relatively recently.

Nowadays, many feminist movements have been picking up momentum, such as the wearing of “This is What a Feminist Looks Like” t-shirts. However, a few insist to take the issue to extremes. Ironically, some women hold unreasonable sexist views against men.

Others, more commonly, strongly denounce female-associated aspects such as makeup, clothing, vanity, etc. Some even find offense in the most ridiculous things. Once on a random dating show, an overly feminist woman became extremely irritated at receiving “plant privates and coal” – flowers and a diamond – from her date, ranting about corrupt insinuation and taking advantage of her gender. True, the scene most likely was staged, but it demonstrated an extreme view on sexism.

Like most things in life, usually the more neutral-related ideas holds the best solution. Objectifying women or depreciating men both get nowhere. I myself believe that while sexism is unnecessary, a certain awareness of sex/gender is required to maintain harmony.

Men are men and women are women. Males and females are biologically structured in different ways – a common difference in physical strength is inevitable. Our minds are wired to think differently. These facts we cannot change. However, tying in our common denominator – being humans that deserve the same rights – with a respectful acknowledgement of our differences definitely yields a more positive result as opposed to attacking the other party.

While reading two books simultaneously requires more concentration, doing so offers new insights through their similarities and contrasts. Currently, many interesting ideas have been brought to my attention through reading both A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith and Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan. The intricate complexities of the rich/poor dynamic are emphasized within both books, but the authors portray the latter with a more favorable light.

Too often in our society today, we see the “poor” as faceless mass – dirty, unwashed, uneducated. We form preconceived notions and stereotypes to define “them” as a whole. How does this definition of “poor” really encompass its true meaning? Is it really simply the lack of material objects, money, support, etc?

In agreeing with that description, one seemingly holds a superior attitude – an outsider’s view. Relating to my reading, both stories emphasize the rich experiences derived from the daily struggles of “poor” life. Both protagonists acknowledge their less advantageous situations, but unconsciously refuse to let “poor” define their identities.

Their actions mirror many of those who live within the poor “microcosm” in present day. Ironically, the “rich in mind” quality leaves many tangible interpretations – a possible one being the denial of the acceptance of being poor, which once again brings us to questioning the real definition of the word.

The myriad of differing perspectives on such a broad subject create great difficulties in mulling over and dissecting one’s views on the topic. The abstractness and subjectivity of one simple word leaves the “truth” in the mind of the beholder.

Upon embarking on the sea journey towards the North, Lyra struggles with seasickness. With assistance by a seaman – Jerry – she learns to prevent that seasickness through keeping herself preoccupied. In the process, Lyra comments “…that even a job like scrubbing a deck could be satisfying, if it was done in a seamanlike way” (Pullman 165).

Often, work and play are almost impossible to discern. In Lyra’s case, Jerry most likely convinced her to see the fun in cleaning; in her eyes, the task probably seemed like a game. For usual circumstances, a noble like her would not stoop so low as to do manual labor.

Similarly, young children usually possess a strong curiosity and interest for household chores. As a young child, I remember eagerly puttering around the house with a plastic vacuum. Smearing Windex over mirrors, dusting corners, and even scrubbing toilet bowls held my fascination. Never once did these “games” feel tedious. Of course, as I grew older, the games changed into chores – or rather, it was I who changed.

“Work” and “play” are defined as near opposites – one requires an exerted effort, while the other is generally more enjoyable and carefree. Strangely, though, what defines a task as either simply depends on whether one sees with the “glass half full or half empty.” For example, the ideal job where one “never has to work a day” indicates the willingness factor. However, that job could easily turn into “work” when undesirable factors, such as pressure for money, restrictions, general negativity, etc. come into play. In the end, converting work to play simply requires a change of view.

Proposition: Humans’ perspective plays an active role in determining our positive or negative reactions to given tasks.

My head hurts. The world spins as I open my eyes groggily, trying to regain orientation. A steady “beep—beep—beep” fills the silence. Blinking a few times, I manage to distinguish the fact that I’m in a room – a very, very white room. I realize that my head is tightly bound in gauze. Confusedly, I look down to find my tubes connecting my arms to several devices.

To my right, baskets of fruits, cards, and wedding wishes sit on the window ledge. Funny, I think to myself. Who’s getting married? Brushing that aside, I keep on scanning the room. On my left, I notice a haggard yet attractive man collapsed in a chair. I study his features for a moment, and find myself staring intently at the ring on his left hand. How odd. Where have I seen that before?

He rouses himself from his deep slumber and stares at me staring at him. He violently jumps up, knocking the chair over. I find myself in a firm yet gentle embrace.

“Jesus, Scarlet! Don’t scare me like that. Do you know just how worried I was after I heard silence after your scream over the cell phone? How I could hear the ambulance come during the call you never got to hang up on? After hearing you’d fallen down all those stairs, I nearly lost it. For a moment there, I thought—“

“Who are you?”

For human beings – creatures who are wired to be unsatisfied – the concept of “want” remains ever present. Whether it is for love, money, or materialistic objects, it frequently leads to conflict. The simple yet accurate proverb “want makes strife” summarizes this idea.

Summary: plot of The Pearl

Human Nature Explained: Id, Ego, and Superego

The clashes centered about a priceless pearl in John Steinbeck’s The Pearl reinforce that proverb. When a poor pearl diver named Kino discovers a large and lustrous pearl, chaos and misfortune follow. Greed and “want” from a crooked doctor, pearl buyers and even a priest descend upon him. Then, as Kino’s desires overtake his morale, he beats his wife Juana for trying to throw away the ill-omened pearl. After being forced to flee, Kino is finally left with a burned-down house, a destroyed canoe, and a killed baby son.

The unattainable feeling produced from “want” usually spawns turmoil within oneself first, with emotions such as depression, hate, anguish, jealously, or anger. Here, the overwhelming internal conflict often becomes external. Violence, fraud, and intrigues all can stem from the internal “want” that can no longer be contained. In the end, the proverb basically states that desire, coveting, longing, and craving all create strife – both within and outside a person.

Want holds an enormous power – it can create generations of vendetta or fuel the poorest man on earth to become a billionaire. There are those who will use others, lie, cheat, and utilize dirty methods in order to satisfy their id-ridden impulses. As humans, we cannot change a function programmed into our bodies since the beginning of time. We can, however, decide on the manner in which to satisfy our wants.

Proposition: Although “want” inevitably causes strife for us humans, we ultimately have a choice to keep it in check and proceed carefully.

Rubbing his throbbing cheek, Marcus seethed with anger. He shot daggers at Lady Annabelle, the head of the house, as she sauntered away. How was it his problem that her husband had decided to have an intrigue with a servant? Children didn’t choose their parents. Illegitimate child or not, he never had a say in determining his existence.

Once she left his range of vision, he began pacing around and carefully calculating. He would no longer stand for this abuse. As he walked by the sumptuously decorated dining hall, something clicked in his mind. That evening, Lady Annabelle would be hosting perhaps one of the most important social gatherings of the season. Marcus mentally smacked himself for nearly passing by such a wonderful opportunity.

Racing towards the kitchen, he tried hard not to “count his chickens before they hatched.” He knew the head chef always had a soft spot for him. Innocently, Marcus volunteered himself as the serving boy.

As dusk set, Lady Annabelle – decked out in her ostentatious finery – greeted her guests and invited them to dinner. Meanwhile in the kitchen, Marcus sneakily poured a copious amount of soporific into one soup bowl. Looking around quickly, he discreetly set it aside for a special someone.

At the dinner table, Lady Annabelle stared disdainfully at Marcus and his serving tray, unaware of the excitement raging beneath his composed face. As the seconds ticked by, he almost gave himself away in a fit of childish delight. Now watching from the shadows, Marcus watched as she drank spoonful by spoonful. Within a few minutes, her eyes had become unfocused. And finally, as planned, her head fell directly into the unfinished soup with a loud kersplunk.

Marcus fought to keep a straight face during the silence that followed, but let go when the guest’s titters became roaring laughter.

In the far corner of her room, a simple Ikea four poster sits against two walls. The chocolate Vera Wang sheets and duvet lay wrinkled on the unmade bed. A touch-sensitive floor lamp replaces the usual bedside table and lamp. Next to it, old issues of Vogue Italia, Nylon, and V are strewn almost randomly across the bright wooden floor.

To the right of the bed, the floor becomes noticeably littered. Random pieces of ribbon, buttons, and spools of colored thread scattered around form a trail towards her working table. A medley of different rolls of fabric looms over the desk, jammed messily into the shelves.

The surface of the table is what one would call an “organized mess.” At “twelve o’clock” sits a glossy black sewing machine. Several lipstick-marked coffee mugs are perched precariously in a cluster near the edge. Crumpled-up tests and undone homework lay off to the side.

Across the room, mannequins of varying materials pose, almost as if gesturing towards the crisp walk-in closet to their left. Right outside of the closet hangs a calendar stuffed with notes and post-its. On the ceiling, tiny glow-in-the-dark stars softly glow in the approaching dusk. A lone mirror hangs by the door.