 |
| http://www.hjnews.com/blogs/seeingthebigpicture/?attachment_id=104 |
Who do you think is the "stupid son of a bitch" that her grandfather is referring to while tending to the Marshall? What was the real cause of his illness?
Her grandfather makes two rather cryptic statements: "You'll be leaving God out of it, then," followed closely by, "With children, you're on your own." Explain what he means here.
How does one develop "nonchalance in the face of death"? Why do doctors need this attitude? Is it a healthy attitude for doctors to have? Does it make them better doctors?
What do you make of the story of the lake-house fire? Why is this such an important memory for the narrator? Why does her grandfather choose the day after the fire to continue the story of the deathless man? is there a connection?
What is your take on visions of iconic religious figures in everyday items (Jesus in a French fry, Mary in a bagel, etc.)? Do you believe these claims when you hear them? Have you seen one in person? How do you react to these sorts of claims?
Why does the deathless man feel that his situation is punishment? What makes it feel like punishment?
29 comments:
One develops nonchalance in the face of death by being exposed to death frequently. Doctors, in particular, are exposed to death more often than most other people. Death is inescapable when working in a hospital environment, and building up a tolerance for it, or at least a means to cope with it is vital to a doctor’s job. I have volunteered frequently in a hospital, and the first person I met who was deemed terminal elicited a strong emotional sentiment in me. I felt horrible for the man, who was hooked up to respirators and a dialysis machine, while his nurse read off a laundry list of the diseases he had. I knew this man was going to die. If I were the doctor and had such a strong emotional attachment to this man, I would not be able to perform my job to my best ability, either for this man or my other patients. Since then, I have met other terminally ill patients, and have not felt as bad for these patients (don’t get me wrong, I still felt bad). The more I am exposed, the easier it gets to handle though. IN this same way, doctors do (and must) develop a tolerance for death.
My grandparents have a standing date that once a month after church they go out to brunch with their friends from church. I think in the bigger scheme of things, these gatherings don't make much to show for. Not that these gatherings aren't important, because it gives life meaning and worth because of interacting with others. I think gatherings like this tell us that humans don't normally look at the bigger scheme of things. In the bigger scheme of things, small gatherings like this could be considered wasteful, but times like those provide memories and things that make life memorable.
I think the deathless man feels his situation is punishment because he can't escape. With his punishment, he can't just wait and say "well eventually this will all be over." The fact that he has to witness others living normal and happy makes it a punishment. Though at the same time the fact that he sees people suffering and they are able to die to escape the suffering is kind of a taunt to the deathless man I believe.
My family always reminisces when we get together as a whole, usually telling stories about old adventures they have had. I think the purpose of this is to think about the good things that have happened over the years. These gatherings show that as humans we try to forget and look past the bad and only remember the good.
I think grandfather is referring to herbalist who originally tended to the Marshall. The real cause of his illness was that his appendix exploded and he should have already had an appendectomy.
When grandfather says that, he means that you have to be strong when working with children because it's not always going to seem like God is when you and someone else comforting you may not be enough either for you to keep faith. God can't always help in those situations.
One develops a "nonchalance in the face of death" by being around death frequently. A doctor needs to be able to deal with death because they are faced with it frequently. I believe it does make them better doctors because they don't become emotional if a patient dies.
I think it is such an important memory for the narrator because it shows how trusting her grandfather is of her. I think her grandfather chooses to finish the story of the deathless man the day after the fire because he realizes that she trusts him fully by taking his word of watering the house so it doesn't burn. I think he decides to confide in her because she has confided and trusted him.
The deathless man feels that his situation is a punishment because he still feels ailments like any other person. His suffering only ends when he reaches past the death of a normal person. He also feels that his situation is a punishment because he is always in debt to his uncle.
People can be very "nonchalant" about death if they've witnessed it among family and friend, or they themselves have had near-death experiences. For doctors they are used to it since there are times when his or her patients don't always make it out of an illness or disease. It's strange to think that a doctor would most likely have to have an attitude like that, but I believe a doctor does what he or she can do to reassure the family and tell them that their family member will soon be at peace (in better words). It would be hard to have a job where someone has to put their personal emotions aside and accept what's reality in the situation of their patients.
I'm say that the deathless man is my favorite character out of this novel. The story of how his "punishment" came to be him living for years upon years is well-thought out. I can't think of why it would be a punishment to be immortal, but it depends on how one thinks of it: living forever seems like something anyone would wish for, but others it could mean witnessing the misery and disaster of the world as the years go by, seeing many die due to illness, disease, war, etc.
This weekend is my mom’s 30 year high school class reunion, and last weekend was my uncle’s 40 year reunion. My family has spread out all over the country and rarely has time to catch up with old friends. After my uncle’s reunion, he stopped by on his way back Wisconsin to tell my mom about everyone he saw and how awful the majority of them looked. I sat and listened to hilarious accounts of awful plastic surgery and people that had become complete nut jobs in their relatively old age. For many people, regular visits and catching up makes them feel nostalgic and bring back happy memories of old times. Every day leading up to the reunion, my mom sees something new on Facebook or gets a funny phone call that brings back an old memory or two she can’t wait to share with me. She’s incredibly busy and rarely has time to socialize with old friends, so this reunion is going to be a nice break from reality for her, as it is for many people. It’s nice to take a break from the insanity of our own world and indulge in the problems and triumphs of others.
My parents only ever talk to their old friends if they are at a high school reunion and they hardly ever go. My gramma likes to go grocery shopping with her old friends like they used to when they were young. Lately her and my grandpa have been making visits to all of their old friends and relatives because their friends are getting up there in age.
People become nonchalant about death when they accept that death is a natural part of life and everyone has a time and place they die. Doctors need that attitude so they don't beat themselves up for letting their patient die. Also so they don't feel so sad if they feel a bond to that person. I think it would make a doctor more willing practice more unconventional practices.
My parents have card club every other Saturday during the school year where they get together with friends and play euchere. I think when you're an adult it's harder to get together with friends and to keep a social life. I think thats the main reason. Also to compare experiences and share stories. It's nice to have people listen and comment and as humans we need that.
I think he means with kids you can't bring religion into it. You have to learn and make decisions based on what you know not what you believe.
Doctors have to avoid having an emotional attachment to patients otherwise they won't be able to treat them properly in tramatic situations. They will spend too much time thinking what could go wrong, time that could be spent stopping blood or performing a surgery that needs done asap. Death is a natural thing so many patients will die, they can't spend time mourning over the dead when they could be saving another life.
Once I was cutting a potato in half and when I opened it it was in the shape of a cross. It was really weird and other people saw it too so I know I wasn't imagining things. I guess it is one of those things you have to experience to believe or relate to. I look at them as signs from God. I'm a firm believer in everything happens for a reason.
Not being able to die and go to heaven is a punishment.
In the overall scheme of things, the small gatherings people have really don't have much importance. Most of the time it's just people seeking to gain approval in what they're doing during their daily lives. That's not to say they're completely useless either though. Gatherings give people to reconnect and create memories together. As a species, humans are very social and often require others to know about the good things they are participating in.
Doctors do need to become accustomed to death. There should still be a large amount of care and responsibility towards patients, but doctors have to know that they can't always save everyone. Some amount of distance can make doctors better at their practice. Without it, they may put their feelings before what they know is technically right.
I think that finding religious symbols in everyday life is perhaps trying a little too hard to validate faith. I'm really not trying to offend anyone by saying that and must state that i'm not exactly the religious person here. Going along with that i haven't seen anything in that regards in person. If i did know someone that claims to have seen or had such a thing, i wouldn't go out and tell that them they're being idiotic or anything, but i personally wouldn't believe that it should be taken as a sign or something of the like.
The deathless man finds his situation as punishment because he is no longer able to find an end to his life. He still has ailments and also witnesses others finding peace in their own deaths. But this is a peace that he will never be able to reach.
My grandparents are in a bridge club where they get together every other Thursday to play cards with their friends. This type of gathering is a rountine they look forward to. This leads me to believe that at an old age people realize there's certain individuals in their life that they need, and enjoy spending time with. Therefore, they make more of an effort to see them on a regular basis. I think a reason older people hang out with each other more than the younger genreation is because they have all realized this, while we are still in the process of learning this lesson.
When Natalia's grandfather makes the statement, "With children, you're on your own." he means that it will be harder trying to save their lives. He thinks this because he says that with adults they know when things aren't going well, and they realize when they might not go on. While with kids, they don't ever realize they are going to die because they think you can fix anything no matter how tough, and they put all their faith in you.
Doctors need this nonchalance type of attitude toward death in order to be able to go back to work and focus, everyday. I believe it is healthy because they have to come to the realization that they won't be able to save evey patient. Doctors can't dwell on the people who have passed away because they need to use their energy caring for the ones they can still save.
It's mainly my grandparents on my dad's side that like to get together with friends to discuss and reminisce about the "olden days". They frequently go to bridge parties with their friends. I don't really understand why people of that age like to talk about the past so much, because as a young adult, I like to talk about the future, not the past. It might be because I don't have that much past to talk about, I don't know.
Doctors need to develop "nonchalance in the face of death" because it's a regular part of their jobs. It's impossible for a doctor to save everyone, and they need to learn not to get too attached or too emotional about a patient's death. Yes, I believe that it makes them better doctors because the ability to move on after a patient's death makes them more focused for the next patient. If a doctor is too hung up on a patient's death, they will be distracted and more likely to make mistakes.
The Grandfather's statements about religion and children, I believe, means that children do not usually find comfort in their god because they are too young to know much about it. When he says "with children, you're on your own" he is saying that Natalia would be the only one able to bring the kids comfort, because they are so young and don't find comfort in much other than their own parents.
I think someone would develop "nonchalance in the face of death" by constantly around it. it is liek the saying "practice makes perfect", the more you face something, the easier it gets to last through it. I think this would make someone a better doctor because, by not getting upset by someone dying or having a horrible disease, they are more able to comfort someone. They would also be more able to think rationally and help that person in any way possible.
Many people might think that deathlesness is a gift, but the deathless man has had this quality for so long that he sees it for what it is. He has to go on, day after day, seeing the people around him die and go on to something new while he is stuck in his body, forever living on Earth. If you had to live and see your entire family and all of your best friends die, I'm sure you would feel it as a punishment, too.
Reminiscing about old times with a group of people someone cares about allows people to relive important memories. Anyone can look back, but to do so with a group of people allows for a more vivid recollection. My grandparents have a standing date every Sunday, in which they go out to dinner with their two friends, and return to their friend’s house to play cards. Gathering such as this tells us that it is a basic human need to have someone to be around and to care about.
Doctors are required to develop “nonchalance in the face of death” because it is something they are faced with every day. People mainly see doctors when they are sick, and that puts doctors in situations where they cannot always cure someone. I do believe this attitude is healthy, because it would be unhealthier for doctors to constantly worry and live with regrets. I also believe that they are better doctors because of it, mostly because it allows the doctors to focus on the next patient who could possibly survive.
My grandparents have always had this close group of friends that they would get together with. It usually tended to be a group of four or five couples that they would play card games with and eat dinner at someone's house. They always did this, but four years ago my grandfather passed away. My grandma had a hard time getting together with the group anymore because she was alone and probably felt like an outsider. She sometmes still gets togther with her lady friends and even with the couples every once in a while. I think these get-togethers served the purpose of catching up and still staying in touch with old friends. This interaction allows people to stay in touch with the world around them and makes for good social skills.
When Natalia's grandfather says "With children, you're on your own" he means that you dont really have any companions or anyone to lean on. Children depend on you to help and make everything better while other adults are helpful. He is saying that with children as the only people you have, you are on your own as far as having people to care and help you.
Doctors are forced to have a nonchalance attitude torwards death because they can not become attached. Doctors need to be able to focus no matter what just happened to the previous patient. A doctor has to be able to put things in the past and move forward with their work. If a doctor cried or got upset every time they lost a patient, the emotional stress could mess up later work. Although it is a hard job, emotionally and physically, doctors need to be the ones on top of their game so the other people in the world can do what they do.
If anyone has met my grandfather, they know that he likes to talk. He doesn't need to know you or anything like that, he will just talk to you. I think he likes to talk to simply be friendly. His topics vary from his life as a child to how he built his house to funny jokes that he recently learned. My grandpa doesn't necessarily try to make your life better, just your day. As humans, some of us want to tear each other down, but he just wants to make you laugh.
When Natalia's grandfather says, "With children, you're on your own," he is saying that as a parent, EVERYTHING depends on you. No one is their to hold your hand because you are the one that is holding your child's hand and leading them through life.
Everyone reminisces. I think remembering shared experiences helps fortify the connections you have made with others. This ritual shows that humans care about their past. That the past matters in that it's a part of them.
The Marshall had appendicitis.
I think that nonchalance is necessary for doctors to have and that it does help them practice medicine. Otherwise they would be too ruled by their emotions and would not be able to objectively do their work.
Living is hard. living with the guilt of a crime is even harder. The deathless man wants forgiveness and peace, but he won't e able to attain those when he's deathless.
My family recently had a reunion up at my aunt's cottage on White Lake. Most of our free time was spent telling stories of when all the cousins were younger or what i prefer, hearing the rebellious stories of my dad's teenage years. I think families and friends reminisce about previous times so they will not be forgotten.
The real cause of the Marshall's illness was appendicitis.
When Natalia's grandfather says "You'll be leaving God out of it, then," and "With children, you're on your own." he means that the children Natalia will be dealing with hope instead of fear.
One develops a "nonchalance in the face of death" by becoming used to it. I believe that doctors do need to adopt this attitude because without it they would be too afraid to work in a high pressure situation to save someone's life. It makes them better doctors.
People reminisce, I think, because it feels good to look at the past through rose-colored glasses. Remembering things fondly brings back the old happiness, and can also help you feel better about the present.
Some people, though, live in the past and skew their memories of it. A lot of times you can see political commentators and the like talking about the "good old days", back when America had American values. They remember their childhoods as nearly perfect suburban paradise and think of today as anarchy and chaos. In reality, though, while the past had some benefits it also had a lot of drawbacks. This inaccurate reminiscing can prevent people from seeing the present accurately.
I think a good doctor is nonchalant in the face of death. It's not a matter of not caring, it's a matter of remaining calm. I wouldn't want a doctor who gets upset and starts sobbing when they're working on me, I'd want a doctor who's done the surgery a thousand times before.
You can buy toasters that burn the Virgin Mary or Jesus onto bread. They're really expensive and I don't quite see the point beyond the initial novelty, but I suppose it's just not my cup of tea.
When Natalia's grandfather says the statement, "With children, you're on your own." hes saying that it will be harder trying to save their lives. He thinks this because he says that with adults they know when things aren't going well, and they realize when they might not make it. While with kids, they don't ever realize they are going to die because they think you can fix anything no matter how tough, and they put all their trust in you.
Humans gather together to reminisce on the past, present, and future. Listening to another’s story spreads a sense of wisdom and helps enlighten others. My great uncle would sit my brothers and me down and tell us of his time in the war. The reason he felt the need to repeat the tragic events is to prevent what happened in the past to happen in the future. Throughout history, as a nation we learn from our past.
Natalia's grandfather although believes in the good faith of God, he also feels that God may not be able to help you in all situations. Children are of mere innocence and know nothing better than to keep hope and trust in their elders.
Doctors restrain from relationships with patients to protect themselves from the grief that may follow if a patient dies. This type of attitude although may be cruel, is just a coping mechanism for the doctor, since they face harsh consequences in their job every day.
Religious figures appearing in food can often seem quite common. However, when you look towards the clouds everyone depicts a different shape or object that the cloud forms. It all depends on your outlook on life.
The deathless man feels remorse towards his victims which is why he assists his Uncle Death by taking the decease to the cross road. Seeing people die, knowing how they die, and when would most likely because psychological problems. The deathless man is just plain simple the bearer of bad news. Having a burden like that to carry on your shoulders would feel like a great deal of punishment after a while.
If your gunna be a surgeon you must show a "nonchalance" in the face of death. Your supposed to be calm cool and collected you cant be sweatin bullets on the operating table; its like your throwing the game winning pass or its getting picked off and taken the other way. I feel like you have to have some urgency or a little pressure cause they cant mess up! My grandparents love to talk about everything they've done in their lives and they dont really have too many friends but my grandparents tell me stories all the time and i guess if i was that old i would want to tell everyone my life story. Whenever anyone sees anything in food or like the clouds its not really people seeing a picture its just our brains making us see patterns in imagery. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia
Doctors need to be nonchalant when faced with death for multiple reasons. For starters, they have to be strong for their patients. No doctor wants to hear that there is nothing to do to save the person he/she is caring for. However, if they were to break down and cry because of it, the patient would not only feel worse about their situation, but they would also lose any hope of surviving. Doctors also have to maintain a professional standing. They have to make the patient feel like there is nothing to worry about, even in the worst of times. I think that if doctors were overemotional with their patients, they would be very much negatively effected.
People need fellowship and relationships, that is how we were "created" or "designed." Everyone has some sort of relationship, weather they want to, or not; even the introverts. The relationships that we share might not be good, or pleasant ones, but they still keep us going. With out these relationships we would all go crazy...or crazier. The on going dates that older people have are just one symbol of the need for fellowship. My grandparents used to have a bible study group every other week for "older" couples, and now my grandma gets together with her old friends at least once a month to keep in touch, and to keep the friendship going.
The visions of religious figures is unique to say the least. Are all of them just coincidence? Probably not. I believe some of the visions, depending on how "real" they seem. Seeing an image of Jesus on a potato chip can't really be unbelievable, because there is hard proof, but some things just can't be explained. I don't think that everything in life has to be explained. If everything was known, and understood than what would be the point in living? The challenges that are set before us are there for a reason, and because of this we can't always try to understand. Leaving the mystery of Mary and Jesus showing up for lunch is sometimes the smarter option, rather than picking apart the situation and trying to find out how it happened. There isn't one way that a person could react.
People like to distract themselves with self-justification. They need to justify their waking up in the morning, they need to justify their feelings of self-entitlement, of being special, of their life having some meaning on an incomprehensibly large rock, in an inconceivably large empty space. It's a survival tactic. Every living thing that thinks ahead more than 5 seconds needs to feel that it's life is worth something. The human way of doing this is doing eachother the common courtesy of reminding eachother of our "worth." Without all these distractions from reality, would people really find reason to continue moving about? IS there any reason to continue moving about?
It seems to me that Grandfather is referring to every single person in the room as a "stupid son of a bitch." Instead of taking the time to take him to a real doctor, they took their chances with a apothecary. Obviously an apothecary cannot diagnose appendicitis.
Children, for the most part, are not bitter about anything. Even if they go days without food, or lost their parents in a landslide, they still cannot grasp the concept of loss. 70 years to them is the same as eternity, and 30 is old. These minds that still have room to develop and learn cannot grasp unhappiness. They fear the ghosts in the closet. They do not know what happens when something dies.
Nonchalance in the face of death is the cool calm that every person of every profession and discipline achieves at the highest level of competence. Runners feel it in the face of exhaustion, a fighter feels it in the face of pain, even gamblers feel it in the face of loss. It's detaching yourself from yourself, and becoming calculated and quick. In a doctor's position, where seconds can decide between life and death, this is completely necessary.
The deathless man does not have the "pleasure" of death. Everything he does sticks with him forever. His sicknesses, his mistakes; everything weighs heavily on his mind and body. People who must succumb to death feel punished, because they feel robbed of life. Like it was all just a big joke played on them. The deathless man feels punished because he cannot succumb to anything. He has to watch the cosmos laugh at his continual suffering for eternity.
Doctors need to be nonchalant before they get the job. If doctors didnt have that they would be unprepared for what they were really going to see on the job. It could possibly ruin someones life and stop them from doing the best they can while on duty
My parent lead a very active social life and get together with their friends on a daily basis. I think they do it just to get away from me but they insist it's because they just like having fun with their friends. I think that the grandfather is calling the herbalist a "sick son of a bitch". His real cause of illness is appendicitis. I think some people are born with nonchalance in the face of death while others must develop it over time. It's important for doctors to have that attitude because they lose patients and doctors have to keep their composure. I dont think it makes them better doctors but it sure does make their job easier. I think people see what they want from something, I'm not saying they're wrong, just that maybe it's something God placed their specifically for them to see. The deathless man feels lime it's a punishment because death ends all suffering but he doesn't die so his suffering never ends.
My parents only get to see their good friends that they have known for a long time every so often, usually only a few times a year. They are focused on taking care of their children now and they have new priorities that have come up in their lives.Not to say that they don't want to spend time with their friends, but most of the time they are busy. As for my grandparents, i don't know how many of their old friends that they spend time with, but they do get out a lot such as for church, a "get-together" and even bingo. I think what this says about humans is that people have an enormous effect upon our lives, and relationships are the things that shape us and make us the way that we are.
How you are able to get nonchalance when death comes is that you grow so used to it, and your heart becomes rather calloused at the thought of it. I think that doctors need it to a point so that they are not so involved in their patients lives that they may become depressed if they die. However, i do think that they need to have compassion also. It may help them to be better doctors to a point, because they would not be so worried about the emotional part of the problem, but instead trying to do whatever they have to to fix it precisely and quickly in order to save the person's life.
I think that most people that see religious figures on objects are just tricking people to gain attention or money. I have never seen anything like this, but God performs miracles all the time. You may not be able to see them, and it may seem unreal, which is why it is called faith.
I believe that The deathless man believes that his situation is a punishment because he sees all of the people that he knows and loves die. Only to then have new friends, new loved ones, and to have them die again. Also, while everyone else is constantly growing older and going through life changes, he has the same issues as he will always have. If he has any pain, he is never able to escape it if he would go to Heaven because he is unable to die.
My grandparents gather at the local barn and talk about the good ‘ol days. I think this serves a purpose because everyone can look back on things and talk about the good days, even the bad, and look at how everything has changed over the years. Doctors develop nonchalance in the face of death because they are surrounded by death. A doctor has to be able to deal with deal with the fact that their patient may die. I think there is a connection between the fire and the deathless man. The deathless man may have started the fire because he is angry at the fact he cannot die. No I do not believe these claims when I hear them. I don’t have a reaction toward these claims; I mostly just let it pass. The deathless man feels that his situation is punishment because he has to live like this forever. What makes if feel like punishment is the fact that he cannot move on in life.
What her grandfather meant when he said “You’ll be leaving God out of it then” is that you cannot blame God for taking these children’s life. You can’t rely on any supernatural power to help you, you are alone. This ties into him saying, “With children you’re on your own”. Another part of this section that really struck me was her grandfather’s explanation of how children have hope until the very end because they are not supposed to die; everything is going to work out because they have a future. It connects with the animals and how with them there is hope and a sense of normalcy. During the war the newspaper had a column on the zoo and that gave people hope. The children and animals are alike because they are both innocent and have more hope than every adult put together.
Post a Comment