In works by Paul
Laurence Dunbar, Countee Cullen, and Mary Shelley, speakers express their
curiosity of how life is portrayed. In
Dunbar’s epigram “Theology,” the speaker speaks with wit to prove a point, in
Cullen’s “Tableau,” the speaker paints a picture of hope for the reader, and in
Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” the main character shows his curiosity about life by
finding its secret. These works make me
think of how Soccer Without Borders allows me to fulfill my curiosity of what the
kids I work with are really about.
Soccer Without Borders helps me gain more knowledge by opening up my
eyes to what life can be like under many circumstances. In relation to this, these
three authors use their own knowledge and curiosity to enlighten the minds of their
readers.
In Dunbar’s
“Theology,” the speaker presents his point of view based on theology by
introducing the reader to the two very opposite places of Heaven and Hell. This epigram suggests the speaker is
questioning the existence of these places and that his beliefs are just out of
assumption. The speaker expresses his
uncertainty of this when he says “the upward longing of my soul doth tell me
so” (252). This line shows that he
desires to go to heaven but his ‘upward longing’ is holding him back from fully
believing so. The speaker truly has no
sense of what heaven is if he believes his neighbors will be going to hell. The
title ‘Theology’ contradicts what the speaker is trying to say because his
thoughts hardly qualify as real theology.
The speaker lacks full understanding of what these two places are and
what they mean, but that is the point the author is trying to make. The author is trying to ask for the reader’s
thoughts on these big ideas by reaching for our sense of curiosity.
In Cullen’s
“Tableau,” she creates an image for the reader of two boys, both white and
black, walking with their hands locked together. This image is meant to shock and question the
readers by making this scene vivid and unusual for this time period. During this time period, the image of
opposites is looked down upon and generally not accepted. The boys in the poem express their sense of
curiosity by breaking these racial boundaries to see how people would react. The image Cullen creates in this poem also
seems to fulfill her sense of curiosity as well. Social differences play a major part in this
world and it is interesting to see what happens when those differences are
linked together. The boys do not care
what others think; they fulfill their happiness by carrying on their friendship
with love.
In Mary Shelley’s
novel “Frankenstein,” the main character Victor Frankenstein enters the
University of Ingolstadt seeking to study natural philosophy and chemistry. While studying there, his fields of study expand
his curiosity to many extents in the fact that he is consumed by seeking
knowledge. The fact that he is studying
this particular field is very important because it leads him to wanting to know
more about human consciousness and the existence of life. This field of study
goes very in depth, leading to his desire of discovering the secret of
life. Although he may not be happy with
what he has created, Frankenstein’s curiosity leads him to discovering new
things, which allows him to gain the knowledge he wanted all along.
When comparing
these works with the volunteer program Soccer Without Borders, I think of how
knowledge is power. Working with these
students allows me to fulfill my own curiosity in ways I never thought I could.
The students make me smile all afternoon
and it always makes me reflect back on my own life and what it offers me. This volunteering experience allows me to see
things from a different perspective, allowing my knowledge to grow and my
curiosity to expand.
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