CR282 #3 Blogging

Topic 5: Time in Persia

Studying the Empire within the Ancient World provides the opportunity to learn from previous ‘empires’ and their framing stories (stories that reflect the society/time through the individual/empire/community). In Brueggemann’s chapter ‘Doin’ Time in Persia’ in his book ‘Out of Babylon’ he addresses the mind sets and framing stories of various characters within the Persian empire and challenges their extent of accommodation.

Accommodation is the extent to which one changes themselves (or in these cases their heritage and belief e.g. being of Jewish decent) and affects their ‘empire’. To be radical and challenging or just doing your own business and slipping by unnoticed. In Brueggemann’s book he mentions four different characters who all lived within the Persian Empire and who all ‘accommodated’ to living there in varying extents. While Joseph completely accommodated to the ‘empire’ he lost his identity and within a couple hundred years his people were slaves to the Egyptians (Brueggemann, 2010). On the other hand there are characters like Ezra and Nehemiah who accommodated enough to not cause trouble but could still manipulate the empire to get supplies and resources (Brueggemann, 2010).  Neither one of these are good, completely losing your identity and cultural heritage or just doing enough or not enough to just slip past without bothering anything or anyone. The best character to be like is Daniel, he showed respect for the Persian Empire but did not hesitate to stand for what he believed in and for that he was given great power and responsibility (Brueggemann, 2010).

Each of these stories and characters reflect a framing story or the mindset of an empire. The honest truth is that every empire will come to ruin and fall, but it is the mindset of the empire that affects its strength and its duration of power. Jerusalem (the holy city to the Jews) was being directly affected by the powerful influence of the Persian Empire and its mind set and framing story.

(Bible History, 2013).

When looking back at empires’ mindsets and framing stories we can see the issues and problems that are being ignored and neglected, we can predict that the empire will fall and the reasons for it. Mindsets are important; they predict the future of a nation. In as much as Jerusalem was affected by the Persian mindset and framing story so are we in Australia affected and developed according to the mindset and framing story of America.

(Grant, 2013).

In as much as Persia influenced Jerusalem and the surrounding cities, so America influences Australia. As Australians we adopt American mindsets and framing stories. As Americans struggles with Globalisation so do we as Australians.

When we look at the Persian Empire we can see the issues coming to rise that will break Persia as a nation, the mindsets of the individuals hold the power of the empire/nation. The Persian Empire ignored the issues in the mindsets of its people and fell to ruin, we as Australians can learn from previous empires mistakes and identify our current mindsets and the issues that we ignore because of them. In this way we as a nation can learn from the empire’s mistakes and fight globalisation and the preconceived mindsets we as individuals have about it.

Identifying mindsets as shown in the history of empires and educating and informing ourselves and others will help us to overcome Globalisation and give us hope of a sustainable future. “The Sustainability priority is futures-oriented, focusing on protecting environments and creating a more ecologically and socially just world through informed action” (ACARA, 2011).

In Genesis 2:15 God gave man the responsibility to care for and take care of this world. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Bible Gateway, 2011, Genesis 2:15).

Thus it is our responsibility to take care of and sustain this world that we have been given. It is up to us to identify the mindset of our nation and make a change, to stop Globalisation and create a sustainable future for generations of tomorrow.

References

ACARA. (2011). Cross curriculum priorities. Retrieved 30th October 2013 from http://www.acara.edu.au/curriculum/cross_curriculum_priorities.html.   

Bible Gateway. (2011). New International Version. Retrieved 30th October 2013.

Bible History. (2010). Map of the Persian Empire (550-486 B.C.). Retrieved 31^st October 2013 from http://www.bible-history.com/maps/maps/map_persian_empire.html.

Brueggemann, W. (2010). Out of Babylon. Nashville: Abingdon Press.

Grant, P. (2013). The size of Australia vs. the USA. Retrieved 31^st October 2013 from http://petergrantfineart.wordpress.com/2010/06/21/the-size-of-australia-vs-usa/.

CR282 #3 Blogging
Topic 4: The City as a  Character

In Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins (2005) Gotham City is portrayed as a dark, shrouded character that is in need of care and protection. With Batman having left Gotham to its own devices it has reached one of its darkest moments. On Batman’s return he finds Gotham in desperate need of his care and protection.

Gotham city is separated into three main sections: Uptown, midtown and downtown accentuating and giving visual representation of the segregation between classes (Roberson, 2008).

  

(Roberson, 2008).

Gotham City is a dark and overcrowded city represented by the shadows and oversized buildings throughout the city. 

(Centives, 2012).

Gotham sets the scene for the movie of Batman Begins. Gotham City is a vital and core character within Batman Begins; it affects each and every character within the movie. Gotham is a highly complex city both economically and socially. Separation between social classes has created a lot of prejudice within the city contributing to all of the city’s troubles. The economy issues are worsening, with crime taking over the city and making it poorer than ever.

Gotham City plays a much larger character than just that the darkness and turmoil of the city but it represents the darkness and pain within Batman’s own heart, and through serving and protecting Gotham Bruce Wayne is able to find peace and refuge within his own life and heart. Thus Gotham is not just its own character but an extension of the character of Bruce Wayne, meaning that as Batman wipes away the crime and darkness from Gotham he is also wiping away the darkness and pain from his own heart.

Within Gotham City there is a variety of people groups with varying backgrounds and traditions. Gotham City is the perfect example of a city that should be respecting and appreciating varying cultures and countries. Every culture and people group add to the city and make it what it is. “The Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia priority provides the opportunity for students to celebrate the social, cultural, political and economic links that connect Australia with Asia” (ACARA, 2011). This priority shows the value in every person and culture, respecting and valuing each culture/country.

A Christian perspective on appreciating each and every culture and person is “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you” (Bible Gateway, 2011, p. Luke 6:31). Every person is valuable and important and contributes to the/a city to make it all that is and can and will become.

The character of Gotham is much more than a dark city faced by crime and its society falling apart. Gotham represents the framing story (the story of the society through the individual/city/community) as well as representing the darkness and turmoil in Batman’s own heart. Gotham City is a visual representation of Batman overcoming his past and facing his internal pain,. Gotham City has saved Batman as much as Batman has saved Gotham City.

References

ACARA. (2013). Cross curriculum priorities. Retrieved 30^th October 2013 from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/CrossCurriculumPriorities/Aboriginal-and-Torres-Strait-Islander-histories-and-cultures.    

Bible Gateway. (2011). New International Version. Retrieved 25th October 2013.

Centives. (2012). Is Batman keeping Gotham city poor.  Retrieved 30^th October 2013 from http://www.centives.net/S/2012/is-batman-keeping-gotham-city-poor/.

Roberson, C. (2008). Mapping Gotham. Retrieved 30^th October 2013 from http://www.chrisroberson.net/2008/05/mapping-gotham.html.

CR282 Task #3 Blogging

Topic 2: Mapping Paradox

Maps are a core element displayed throughout literature. Maps have been used in literature in stories such as ‘Lord of the Rings’ or ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ in much the same way they would be used in ‘reality’. Maps are a collection of symbols gathered and arranged on a page to represent things or places. Maps are ‘meant’ to reflect reality, bringing questions to rise as to why they are utilised in fictional stories so often.

In the Chronicles of Narnia C.S. Lewis represents the land of ‘Narnia’ on a map at the start of his books.

 

(Wiki Narnia, 2013).

When reading a fictional story with a map the words and description in the novel add meaning to the symbols in the map, and the map adds realism and meaning to the story. Reading the novel with only one of these (map, or just the description) the reader does not get the same feel for the land or story. The map paradox is the most integral reason maps appear throughout fictional literature. “A map is a paradox in that physically it is mere marks on sheets of paper, yet visually it brings to mind a multidimensional world, containing objects and even emotions not perceived directly on the piece of paper” (Muehrcke & Muehrcke, 1974, p. 323). The map paradox contains the simple explanation of how and why maps in fictional literature work so well, and why they appear so often.

My personal reflection on the use of maps in literature is to engage the reader to a greater extent, connecting the author’s descriptions and story to a map and creating more meaning for the reader. Most people read to escape into another ‘world’, maps greatly help with this form of ‘escapism’ creating a map makes the land/setting more believable while adding meaning to the author’s text.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures show their historical and cultural understandings of places through similar means of ‘maps’ and symbols through their dreamtime stories and cultural paintings. “Q.1.5 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ ways of life are uniquely expressed through ways of being, knowing, thinking and doing” (ACARA, 2013).

A Christian perspective on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and their culture and history is shown in Genesis 1:27 “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image, of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Bible Gateway, 2011, Genesis 1:27). No matter where people come from or ones culture or history everyone is made in God’s image and is special and unique in their own right.

While maps add meaning and give opportunity for diversity of culture they also allow people from different cultures or backgrounds to find and identify with their own culture or history within the text and ‘reading’ (interpretation of symbols)  of the map, adding to the map paradox and showing the core elements and reasoning for maps within literature.



References

ACARA. (2013). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. Retrieved 25^th October 2013 from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/CrossCurriculumPriorities/Aboriginal-and-Torres-Strait-Islander-histories-and-cultures.

Bible Gateway. (2011). New International Version. Retrieved 25^th October 2013.

Wiki Narnia. (2013). Map of Narnia C.S. Lewis. Retrieved 25^th October 2013 from http://narnia.wikia.com/wiki/File:Map-of-Narnia-cs-lewis-1434807-700-528.gif.