Fear Not

Does Christianity remain true; does faith shine through, in the deepest heart of tribulation and hardship? Pr. Randal O’Brian proclaims this truth loud and clear… yes it does. When you are taken beyond human capacity, faced with the valley of the shadow of death, God is there. God is a faithful protector and guide, and even when you find your self in ‘hell’ on earth He is walking beside you. Many nights I have spent asking the hard questions. God is sending me into desperation; He is preparing my heart to face the limit of self and to fall beyond that point fully into His glory. Yet His hand has removed all fear. During the spinning of our car when I was hit by a dump truck over Christmas God spoke, He told my heart that it had no grounds for fear for Christ is my foundation. It was in being faced with death, experiencing God’s peace, and watching His providence that led me to the point of being able to obey His call to leave America and walk out into the unknown, in faith, trusting that God will prevail. Part of my heart wonders how it will withstand the depths of hardship, the Holy Spirit answers that my heart cannot withstand, I can not accomplish this task alone, but with Christ within me all things are possible.

War

The Vietnam war was incredibly difficult, and has left many soldiers behind who having faithfully fought for their country lie now forgotten on its streets. This book dives into the depths of this war and the ironies, sorrows, and pains that flow from it. The characters are searching for Caciatto who has gone AWOL. This journey is symbolic of the nature of the war. Does this novel find connection with the soldiers at war today? We are separated from the sufferings that our men and women in arms are facing overseas for our safety and we show very little respect for their sacrifice. How should war be perceived? Should we look upon it as positive? And if we do not then it soldiers be forgotten? This novel follows the lives of a group of soldiers struggling through the war. What lessons are presented which can be applied to today?

Now for the big question, is Violence Bear it Away a bildungsroman?

Now for the big question, is Violence Bear it Away a bildungsroman? In many ways one could argue that it is indeed, though not in a positive light. Francis grows up under the influence of Old Tarwarter and Rayber becoming very much as they were. Thus in this world he came of age in the sense that he was influenced by and leaned from those whom surrounded him. Yet in another very real sense one could argue that he never truly came of age. For Francis never truly was able to question the environment he was in much less leave it. Unlike Lucy he was not able to find a room with a view and enter society. In the same way he is unable, partly due to insanity, to understand himself. Though he grapples with the concept of love he is never truly able to experience it. Love is a key factor when discussing coming of age for can one truly mature when love is missing? I am not left convinced that this novel is a bildungsroman, however I allow for the fact that many generations have fallen into this pattern of isolation and in a sense have grown up under extreme values and ideals.

Isolation

Tarwater is faced with a very unusual upbringing. Ones culture and upbringing has a significant and permanent impact on how one view the world and self. For Tarwarter his kidnapping and upbringing separated him from society and placed him with a man whose violence and ‘religion’ defined his existence. This life truly affected Tarwater in ways even he could not understand. Moreover Tarwater has been denied knowledge. Due to his kidnapping at such a young age he was never given the opportunity to learn about the world. In fact the world in which he grew up was created for him. He was told who he was to be and what that meant. Thus when he is finally freed from this isolation his reaction to society surprise others, and confuse his caretakers. How does this extreme isolation impact Tarwater, how would it impact a child in todays society?

Identity and Chapter 4

The Bear is indeed a bildungsroman novel for in the beginning we are introduced to a young immature, inexperienced boy named Isaac. We are given the opportunity to watch Isaac face the wilderness and through this encounter find himself. This journey begins within Isaac the formation of His character and identity. When he leaves the wilderness he leaves a man who has a deeper sense of what his place is in the world. Then we see him take a step into his identity that will bring him to a more complete sense of self. He in essence walks backward through his families past to discover from whom he came, and then is faced with the decision as to whether or not to accept or reject the identity to which he has been born. By rejecting it Isaac further enters self to discover who he truly desires to be. The novel shows the reader that we have a choice when it comes to our identity. We have to choose what parts of our cultural upbringing to accept and which parts to reject, and yet there will always be parts that though we wish to reject are an innate part of us.