Journal Monday

Jodi Finchum

Professor McLaughlin

July 12, 2010

Journal Entry- Monday

            The most interesting texts that we have read in my opinion were the Craft Narrative and the Secret Life of Bees. Although the Craft Narrative was more in depth and a harder read for me, I took valuable information and learned about myself through reading it. The Secret Life of Bees had a more personal effect on me, because I would have read this book leisurely on my own. The moral questions and the ability to put myself in the characters shoes are important to me.

            The themes that I identified with as being important and meaningful in the Craft Narrative were ideas of forgiveness and religion. The ability William Craft had to write such a thoughtful story and depiction of his life was brilliant to me in itself, considering his circumstances of being oppressed as a slave and not gaining an education or the open ability to learn how to read. I am encouraged by his hard work and imagination as well. His ability to forgive is also commendable. The creativity that William and Ellen had is great. I wonder if the creativity came first, or if the inventiveness was a result of desperation. Either way, their escape was brilliant. I was also very caught off guard with the statements from the Pastor’s and Reverends at the end of the narrative. I had never thought of Christianity playing a part in slavery, let alone advocating for it. I felt that I was lacking by not understanding this dilemma at the time. After speaking with my campus minister about the topic, I’m still shaken up at the fact that fellow Christian people deemed it okay to hold people as slaves. Slavery in the bible does not compare to the slavery that we had in America with Black people. The Old Testament way of slavery was looked on as signing your life to someone pretty much, and you were not forced into it. I still cannot see how this is acceptable in God’s eyes if you are a “good master”, because even if slave owners are good to their slaves, I’m positive they would much rather be free, and just work for the “owners” as bosses.

            When reading the Secret Life of Bees, I felt emotional ties to the novel, and could relate to Lily. Sue Monk Kidd did a great job with her facts of that time period, and a great job of balancing the imagery with a nice story line. The character development was great in this book. I especially loved the way each character had a spot in your heart of some sort. I felt strong feelings emotionally towards all characters, rather those be positive with Miss August or negative with T. Ray.