Historical Fiction Setting

If I were to write a historical fiction novel (and I do hope to someday!), I think that I would set it during the British Raj. I've always been drawn to the Victorian era and to the vibrant culture of India, so I think that I would have a positively splendid time researching this setting for my novel. I would include mention of Queen Victoria and King Albert, as they were the distant but highly influential rulers of the vast British Empire; and I would also possibly integrate Viscount Charles Canning, the first viceroy of the British Raj, because he was the first to undertake representing the British Empire's authority in India. This would probably be a dark fantasy historical novel, as I seem to have a fondness for those sorts of stories; a blend of historical facts, a richly painted setting, universal characters, and fantastical elements.

Dickens' London

This was a very interesting game; I believe that I played it last year for Honors British Literature, which is probably why I subconsciously remembered certain facts and was able to navigate it without too much difficulty. I think that reading the article by Matthew Davis and watching the whimsical video on Dickens last week helped me a lot to remember various things, and overall I think that this game was a good way to learn more about/review Dickens.

Sidenote: Twice, I experienced immense frustration in trying to catch the colored characters with my mouse; they wouldn't hold still long enough for me to click on them!

Also, I think that the Dickens in my screenshot looks an awful lot like Leonardo di Caprio in Django Unchained.

Dickens

"...I would also heartily recommend the principle of doing one thing each day for an entire 12 months, and basking in the satisfaction of a year's worth of endeavour."

Matthew Davis begins his article by admitting that reading fifteen novels and a few short stories in one year wouldn't be a Herculean task for the average Booker Prize judge or even the first year English literature undergraduate, and he's absolutely right. As a junior/senior in high school, I read fifty-one novels in 2012, and as of right now I am already fourteen books into my 2013 goal of sixty books.

But, I give him so much credit for devoting a year of his life to truly understanding a set of literary works and the author behind them, despite a full-time job, a wife, children, and the general hustle and bustle of life.

But, not only did he devote his time and efforts into understanding great prose and the man who wrote it all; he was also able to experience and learn so much about a culture that is a part of history, a culture that now really only exists in books, films, and antique museums.

But, despite the vast differences in culture and even syntax and vocabulary, Davis was able to truly connect with the timeless aspects of Dickens' works; like realistic characters, heartfelt moments, and sage observations. In my own personal observation of Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, I think that moments like the reunion of Dr. Manette and Lucie, or the internal self-loathing of Sydney Carton, are timeless because of their very basic human qualities and universality. In regards to perceptive observations, I especially liked the quote that Davis mentioned from Oliver Twist:

"Strip the bishop of his apron, or the beadle of his hat and lace; what are they? Men. Mere men. Dignity, and even holiness too, sometimes, are more questions of coat and waistcoat than some people imagine."

Also, quick side note: Little Dorrit is now on my reading list. That last quote from the book was lovely.

Overall, I thought that this article was a very intriguing, well-written, and thoughtful one that had a lot of literary merit. It wasn't dry or too lengthy, neither was it preachy or pretentious; it was just the reflections of a man who set a goal and stuck to it, which is both inspiring and commendable. I hope that I too can undertake a yearly challenge like this in the near future.

To learn more about Charles Dickens, please feel free to watch this whimsical and educational video.

1682: Christian Parentage (Virginia Slave Act)

Stowe 18-22

Chapter 18: Responsibility, Prue, Empathy. I chose the first word for Tom, the second word for Prue's story, and the last for the strong empathy both Eva and I felt by the end of the chapter.
Chapter 19: Property, Friendship. I chose the first word because that is what the whole struggle of the story revolves around (people being property) and the second because that is what continues to develop between Tom and Eva.
Chapter 20: Topsy, Missionary. I chose the first word because of the new character and the second because it explains how St. John convinces Miss Ophelia to tutor her.
Chapter 21: Redemption, Aid. I chose the first word because Mrs. Shelby wishes to buy Tom back, and the second because she enlists Aunt Chloe's aid to do so.
Chapter 22: Angels, Illness. I chose the first word because I think that Eva is pretty close to their goodness, and I chose the second because I think she is beginning to be truly ill.

Stowe, Chapters 5-8

Passage from page 37.


Passage from page 54.


Passage from page 55.


Passage from page 81.

Philosophy on Objectionable Elements

My personal philosophy concerning objectionable elements within media, literature, and the arts can be broken up into three main categories that must be addressed in order, as follows.

Right Choice
When it comes to making a right choice in life, I firmly believe that there are three main components involved in the process. First, I believe that you must have the right goal: God's glory. We exist to glorify and worship Him with our entire being, and therefore to make a choice without this being the goal is already wrong. Second, I believe that you must have the right motive: love. If your choices and actions aren't motivated by the great love that He gave us and continues to pour into our lives, then you aren't coming from the right place with your choice. And third, I believe that you must have the right standard: God's Word. What does His word say about the choice put before you? And if it does not specifically address the matter (such as abortion), what are God's principles on the essence of the matter? (God values life). If you do not have the right standard, then you are most definitely doomed in your attempt to make a right choice.

These, I believe, are the first things to take into consideration when deciding whether or not to read, view, or analyze art with objectionable elements involved. Quite often, you will find that one of these things will be off; your goal may be rebellion, your motive may be lust, and your standard may be your own personal, extremely flawed conscience.

However, I also believe that you most definitely can read, view, and/or analyze art that contains objectionable elements while having a correct goal, motive, and standard. This leads me to the matter of God's glory and inherent truth.

God's Glory and Inherent Truth
I believe that as beings created in God's true and perfect image, we hold the same desire to create as our Creator did. This manifests itself in many different ways throughout a wide, nearly infinite spectrum; whether through painting, or writing, or engineering, or calculating, or sketching, or building a car, or farming, or plastic surgery; we all want to express our talents and create.

Besides the desire to create, I believe that we all carry and understand inherent truth. The amount a person realizes and obeys inherent truth varies by each individual being, but everyone knows what is true at some level. Therefore, I believe truth can be found in almost anything an individual produces and creates. The problem is, though; we are fallen humans in a dying world, and our creativity is corrupted as well. So the amount of uncorrupted truth within a piece of art depends on the artist and the message they are trying to create. No matter if it is a rap song about a soldier giving up his life for his comrades or a hymn about sharing the Gospel, I believe that God can be glorified equally through both; but if the first song had curse words while the second one did not, then the first could very well stumble in bringing full glory to God.

Personal Accountability
I believe that someday, each person will give an account and be held accountable for their own individual actions and choices. Therefore, each individual person must exercise personal discretion and right choice making concerning objectionable elements within media, literature, and art. I believe that if we follow the principles of right choice-making and keep the perspective of God's glory in mind, then personal accountability shouldn't be a frightening thought.