Freshmen: Today our focus was on Poetry Out Loud. You need to have your eight poems read, with our arguments for your three favorites, by January 13. Whichever poem you choose, it needs to be memorized by January 30. Read for 20 minutes Tuesday and Wednesday and prepare for the final.
Sophomores: We introduced Poetry Out Loud today. You need to have your eight poems read, with our arguments for your three favorites, by January 13. Whichever poem you choose, it needs to be memorized by January 30. We also viewed segments of a Joseph Campbell interview today. For homework, post a paragraph-long comment in response to this prompt: Summarize one of Campbell's most important ideas and explain how it relates to one of the texts we've read. Remember your end of semester projects are due on Thursday.
CNF: Today we began a documentary which we'll finish Wednesday.
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During the interview with Joseph Campbell at some point Campbell talked about following your bliss, and I can relate this to many books. For example, in The Alchemist Santiago believes in following his personal legend on a journey to find treasure in Egypt. I think your bliss is following your personal legend/journey, which helps you to know your on the right track.
-Danny O'Brien: Period 2
One of the most important ideas presented in the Joseph Campbell interview is the concept of the “circle”. Jung says that the the circle is, “The most powerful primitive symbol there is.” The circle resembles totality, the leave and come back, the Alpha and Omega. This is something that is experienced by everyone. Everyone can relate to this 360 rotation that we call the journey of life. The alchemist presents the symbol of the circle in many ways . The journey of Santiago is a full circle. Starting and ending where he first began. Second, when he the Alchemist is trying to convince Santiago to continue on his journey to find his personal legend. He draws a circle in the sand and places a cobra inside, from which the cobra will not move. The circle is something from which we cannot escape. Better said by Campbell himself, “The center from which you come and from which you will go.”
Alicia Canales Period:4
The most important idea that Campbell talks about is that their is one thing in common between all religions. That thing is a spiritual power which guides us in our lives. In every story we have read this year their has been a spiritual power behind it all. For example Pi believes that their is a spiritual power behind his journey, although he doesn't have just one religion. In all the characters story their is a power that helps guide them. This is what Campbell try's to tell us through his interview.
River Rust
Period 2
Joseph Campbell said the sword was to distinguish what in enduring and what it temporary. Siddhartha is constantly looking for life's truths. When he becomes involved in the material world he finds himself unhappy in a cycle of gambling, drinking and parties. While mediating he realizes that these are temporary pleasures and will not make him happy.He leaves and becomes truly happy at the river, which is enduring and never ends. The things that are temporary will only make us happy temporarily, but the things that are enduring will make us eternally happy.
One of the most important ideas Campbell introduces in this interview is the idea of commonality among all religions. There are two theories to explain this: diffusion and separate development. But, in the books we've read so far, all the main characters go through a physical, yet spiritual journey to find who they are. They might not even realize that they're changing, but they do and they become stronger in their beliefs and faith. Pi, Peekay, Santiago, Siddhartha, and Jean-Dominique all go through so much, but in the end, they come out only stronger.
Katie Lee
Period 4
In the interview with Jason Campbell he talks about what it means to follow your bliss. This can be related to really any book that we have read this year. An example is in the Life of Pi, Pi didn't know he was going to have to take this long journey. He also didn't know where he was going to land. But in the end it was the journey that made him who he is. Not the destination.
Ben Jones
Period 2
In Campbell's discussion, his most important point is about aum. He says that aum is the center from which you come and go. This relates to Siddhartha because on his journey to find truths, aum is leading him along the way. Once, Siddhartha gives up on searching, and the aum goes away. It only comes back when Siddhartha is ready to find what he is looking for again. Throughout his journey, Siddhartha is coming and going from many different religions, beliefs, and ways of life, the whole time he is guided by aum.
In Campbell's interview he talks about the importance of the circle. Jung says it is the most powerful primitive symbols. Campbell says that the circle is powerful because it is universal and used for many different beliefs. One for instance, a group of Native American would pitch their tents in a circle and when they looked at the horizon it was around them in a circle. An example of the circle is in Power of One, when Peekay fights the Judge at the end of the book. He was weak and couldn't fight when he first encountered the Judge but he became an amazing fighter as he got older and the circle of life brought him to meet the Judge one last time.
In the interview with Joseph Campbell he takes about the circle. The alpha and omega he refers the circle too. This made me think of what goes around comes around. Like in The Power of One, Peekay gets tormented by the judge and in the end he beats him up and brands him with the catholic symbol.
One important topic that Joesph Campbell talks about is the circle. The circle is in every book we've read. In the "Life of Pi" he starts on land and then is stranded on water and returns back to land. In the Power of One, he fights the judge, and he is very weak. Then he moves on becomes very strong and powerful, then he fights the judge again, but he is weak again so it goes in a circle. Joesph tells us that the circle is in everything and is the most powerful primitive symbol. If you think about it it is in everything and the circle is very powerful.
One important topic that Joesph Campbell talks about is the circle. The circle is in every book we've read. In the "Life of Pi" he starts on land and then is stranded on water and returns back to land. In the Power of One, he fights the judge, and he is very weak. Then he moves on becomes very strong and powerful, then he fights the judge again, but he is weak again so it goes in a circle. Joesph tells us that the circle is in everything and is the most powerful primitive symbol. If you think about it it is in everything and the circle is very powerful.
In the interview with Joseph Campbell, one of the topics that was touched on was the ancient power of the circle. this shape, symbol, or idea is a so influential in life that it possibly could be the symbol of life itself. The largest of the universe's items move circularly or are in the shape of a circle. Some of which are the galaxies that partially fill the void of darkness in the universe, the way that planets orbit a star and moons orbiting planets, and the shape of planets, stars, and moons themselves. The idea of a circle is found in most of the books that we have read. Pi is the equation of a circle. In the Power of One, Peekay goes in a "full circle" when he faces to fight The Judge at the end of the book, who had bullied him in the beginning. That can show the idea of Alpha and Omega. The conflict with the judge is in the beginning and the end of the book. The idea of Alpha and Omega is found in The Alchemist as well. Santiago goes through his entire journey, and at the end, the treasure that he sought lay in the church where he was at the beginning of the story. Jean-Do also travels a bodily circular route when he is burdened with "locked-in syndrome". He regresses back into a child who cannot clean himself, must be fed, and is cared for at one point by his son, who isn't a man yet.
-Jake Barnett
Period 2
The most important idea of Joesph Campbell's is the idea of the circle. He refers to Jung who says the most powerful primitive symbol is the circle. The circle is so powerful because when you analyze the circle, it represents analyzing yourself and your soul. Campbell says at one point in his interview that your soul is the circle. The circle also represents totality, the circle is complete totality. There is also a temporal aspect of the circle. When you look at time: years, months, etc. you can see the idea of a circle because every month comes around every year and every day comes back around each week. In Life of Pi we see the circle just with Pi's name. In mathamatics pi is a crucial number in order to deal with circles, calculating the circumference.
Emily DeCarolis Period 8
One of Campbell's main ideas in that interview was that everyone should follow his or her personal bliss. This means that you need to follow your calling on the Earth. This is exactly what The main plot of the Alchemist is. Santiago believes everyone needs to follow their personal legend, which is another way to say personal bliss.
Joseph Campbell, in his interview, discusses the commonality among all religions. Pi saw this and understood. He knew that all religions are there to love God and give you a path to follow. That is why Pi joins three religions; Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. Pi believes that all religions are unified, the commonality of religion. On page 69 Pi says "Bapu Gandhi said 'All religions are true.' I just want to love God." Campbell and Pi both believe that religion is universally the same, it is created for the purpose of faith, and therefore all religions can be practiced to enhance faith.
Tessa Ganellen
Period 8
The most important concept that Joseph Campbell presents in the interview is a person's peak experience. The moment when you feel you are where you're supposed to be and that it doesn't get any better than that very experience. Nothing can stop you. This idea is important because it relates to anyone and everyone, religious or not. A person's peak experience is different from an epiphany, but just as significant. Everyone will undergo a peak experience, when they realize that everything has come through. This concept reminds me of The Alchemist because Santiago's journey to discover his personal legend is his own personal peak experience.
Rylee Kaleel Period 4
When looking at religion, we see that there are many different religions within the world. How is it possible there are so many? If there are so many, they must have some overlapping features. According to Joseph Campbell in his interview entitled "The Mask of Eternity", Campbell says that the god of a religion is not the origin of power, but rather the vehicle of the power. That is universal in religion. And it explains the differences. Some believe the existence of god while some just believe in the energy. Either way, it all leads back to elementary energy. This is a main topic that can be related to works of literature. For example in the book Life of Pi, Pi is confronted with the problem of worshipping three religions at once. People, including his parents, say this can't be done and is blasphemy to the other religions. Pi, while maybe not recognizing this intellectually, has taken to Campbell's main point. He is really worshipping the same thing, the elementary energy that composes the many gods of Hinduism, the essence of Allah in Islam, and the passion and love of Christ in Christianity. This is a topic that is important to literature, for if more people understood it, there might be less conflict in the world. All by the worship of the true elementary spirit.
Joseph Campbell states that the purpose of life is to experience as much as you can. He says "It's not the destination that matters, it's the journey that gets you there". This can be related back to The Alchemist and Santiago's supposed personal legend to find the buried treasure in Egypt that ends up being right back where he started in the abandoned church. From that experience, Santiago learns that his journey to find the treasure is much more valuable than the treasure itself.
Ethan Gruis
Period 2
In the interview with Joseph Campbell he mentions " the circle." He also mentions that the circle is alpha and omega. This made me think about how what goes around comes around. Either in a good or bad way. For example, in The Power of One, Peekay gets tormented by the Judge many times and in the end the Judge gets what he deserves. I also saw this is The Life of Pi, when Pi is stranded on a life boat he keeps faith that he will be ok. And in the end he is saved. So since he kept faith in himself and didn't give up, he made it.
Joseph Campbell talked a lot about the commonality of religions. He mentioned the idea of the archetype, which is something that is embedded in the thought and mind of every human. It is a common form that appears in almost every story or spiritual teaching. Campbell called it "an expression of the structure of the human psyche". The most obvious example of this from the books we have read is Life of Pi. Pi's belief that the truth can come from many different sources allows him to practice multiple religions. This idea is also in The Alchemist with the soul of the world. It is something that makes us the same and connects us. Joseph Campbell would use ideas like these to explain why there are recurring themes in religious stories from all over the globe.
Olivia Pratt Period 4
One of the most powerful ideas exprested by Joseph Campbell is that all religions have the same basic ideas. Like there is a God or Gods that created us and all things. Another similarity is that there is something more to us than just our bodys and all of these early groups of people realized this. There are similarities to these believes in the book Life of Pie where his physical body is almost completely destroyed but the spiritual part of him is greatly strengthend.
The main idea I got from Joseph Campbell's interview was the circle. Jung says it is the most powerful primitive symbol. When the early people would set up camp, they made the tents in a circle. When they looked around the horizon, they turn in a full circle. Also, every journey is a circle. It has a starting point, a long or short journey time, and then they return to the starting point eventually.
Harry Pendergrast Period 4
The idea that I thought had the most applications was the idea of the circle. Campbell said that the circle is the totality from which we come and we will return again. Essentially this means that our life is a circle and we start at a certain point, and eventually we will return there again. I think this best applies to Siddhartha. Siddhartha starts out as a Semana then later goes on to become a man of the material world, but just like a circle he returns back to his holy life. This could also be applied to Life of Pi where the book starts out with Pi having a normal life, then it continues to become something completely different, and finally returns back to being normal. The circle can be seen in almost everything and can be used to show revelations that wouldn't be obvious otherwise.
In the interview Joseph Campbell mentions "the circle." This stuck out to me because in life we go through the same things just like a circle that never ends. You are experiencing everything over and over again such as holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries. The images that were shown about the circle also stuck out to me because the circle is in cultures around the world, you see it everywhere. The circle relates to the texts we have been reading in The Power of One, Peekay has his strong moments then he has is weaker moments (meeting Doc, then Doc going to prison or the judge picking on him and then in the end Peekay got to fight the judge).
One of Campbell's ideas that personally struck out to me was the one regarding the source of our lives. Campbell said that our lives come from the ultimate energy which is the light of our universe. What is the ultimate energy? It's whoever or whatever you find your faith and hope in. We find our reason to live within our beliefs, if there was no God or no beliefs, people would make it up. I can see this idea in both The Life of Pi and Siddhartha. Pi has a peculiar interest in religions, and decides to study and practice more than one, he finds his beliefs in Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. He finds his life in those religions. Unlike Pi, Siddhartha doesn't find a religion that suits him because he craves his own enlightenment. And that's where his life comes from, his need for enlightenment. Once he reached enlightenment, you could see how strong his faith was. This idea of Campbell's stroke me most impressive because it's not a general answer because the answer is different for each individual.
- Anna N. (pd. 8)
When Joseph Campbell talked about the peak experience and defined it as a definitive moment in which you learn something, "the harmony of being". This could've been related to any of the characters we've learned, but I believe Pi had this experience when he was trapped on the boat. He learned that although Richard Parker seemed fierce and malevolent, that he was just a reflection of him, wanting the same purpose to survive. Putting his faith aside yet still remaining faithful, and through his suffering, Pi's soul was reborn.
Campbell spoke of the manifestations of God in primitive and Eastern cultures. He says that they represent a vessel of energy. In current modern societies gods are viewed as energy within themselves. But in these primitive cultures the god is the vehicle of the specific energy not the energy in itself. Just how in the Alchemist the main character believes that things are manifestations of a god preforming the transfer of energy through the universe.
Joseph Campbell touches on many significant topics in the interview we viewed. He discussed the importance of the circle concept, calling it the most important primal symbol. He explains the circle can symbolize everything coming back together to the beginning, or the journey of life itself and life's cycle. Every text we read touches on some sort of journey, or 360 degree transition. In The Alchemist, a long and tiring journey is made just to simply return back to the beginning, where it all began.
Campbell touches on many important points. I believe the most important is about the concept of the circle. The circle can symbolize almost anything. It is related to religion and the world around us. This reminds me much of Life Of Pi and how the circle is mentioned a lot within that book. I also thought a very important subject was the concept of aum. It does not just relieve stress, which is a lot of what it is used for now. It brings you serenity. In my mind these are the two most important subjects that Cambell talks about with Moyers.
at one part in the interview Campbell brought up the topic of circles and how they were symbolic in almost every religion. I found that this part of the interview was very relatable to Life Of Pi, When pi is talking about how he is at the center of a circle. the circle representing his universe and himself the center.
One of my take aways was the meaning of life. He said that there wasn't a meaning to life. I think this relates to all the stories we read last year. Every one of the main characters was always struggling to figure out what their purpose was. For some of them they knew very early on and the story was about becoming that person. For others it took longer and the story was about them discovering their purpose. I think the meaning of life is within ourselves, and we must discover it
One of the most important ideas that was interesting to me was the circle. I thought it was interesting how the circle was so important and recurred in many stories. It kind of describes the way of living and the cycle of life. The circle kind of reminds me of the book, "The Alchemist." It felt like he went in one big circle before he finally realized where his treasure was. But the journey was his personal legend and it affected his life in so many ways.
One of the most important aspects symbolized during the interview with Joseph Campbell was the idea of the circle and that it is at the center of all religions. The circle is never-ending; it has no beginning or end and no matter how far it goes it will always come back to where it originated. This reminds me of Santiago's journey in The Alchemist; where he went on a journey to find a treasure and ended up coming back to where his journey began because that is actually where the treasure was to begin with. I think that if we follow the concept of the circle we can eventually achieve our personal legends.
One of the most important aspects symbolized during the interview with Joseph Campbell was the idea of the circle and that it is at the center of all religions. The circle is never-ending; it has no beginning or end and no matter how far it goes it will always come back to where it originated. This reminds me of Santiago's journey in The Alchemist; where he went on a journey to find a treasure and ended up coming back to where his journey began because that is actually where the treasure was to begin with. I think that if we follow the concept of the circle we can eventually achieve our personal legends.
The Mask of Eternity
„Summarize one of Campbell's most important ideas and explain how it relates to one of the texts we've read.“
Joseph Campbell talks abut the concept of epiphany or peak experience. He himself experienced this moment of deep insight and inspiration during his time as an athlete. During some races, when he was ahead and in full form, when nobody can beat him today. That was Joseph Campbell’s personal epiphany. Epiphany is a sudden feeling of perfection, through the body or the mind. For everyone, the personal epiphany is something different and needs to be experienced personally. This topic relates to all the books we have read so far, because every character is striving for fulfillment and an epiphany. Pi finds this perfection through religion, Peekay, almost like Joseph himself in his youth, through his sport, boxing. For Santiago, finding his Personal Legend, is a journey to epiphany. Siddhartha is constantly searching for enlightenment, which is a synonym for epiphany, through this perfection, he wants to achieve a Buddha-like state and harmony of mind, body and soul. Finally Jean-Dominique has an involuntary epiphany through his accident, when he experiences a free mind and real values in life. Epiphany is the reason we strive for perfection and knowledge.
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