Chrissy Jaeger-Matrix

The movie the Matrix is really similar to Chronicles of Narnia. Just like he said that he did not intend for there to be any religious undertones, but there are. In the Matrix there is a world that is not the real world, in fact the world that everyone lives in is being controlled by “evil.” And there is the “one” who can save them all. In this movie you can see underlying principles of Christianity. The “one” is like a Christ, who saves man kind from the evil they are not even aware of. Not only that but I like that the real world is dirty and hard and broken, but you are more alive and you know the truth, and it can be better. This is sort of like Chrisitianity. Being a Christian is hard, and dirty, and broken, but you know the truth and it makes you alive. I wonder if the people who made the movie meant for this to happen, or if it was just a coincidence. Or, maybe it is more that eternity is in the hearts of all men, and so even if they do not realize it the truth seeps out.

Chrissy Jaeger-Topic of My Choosing

When we were talking about I think C.S. Lewis who first knew beauty when he saw his brother’s toy garden we got into the idea that beauty is not in the art but comes to us through the art. We long to experience beauty and to know it and feel it. We search for it as human beings in different things, that is why the extreme sport is so enticing. To almost taste death and come back again is like experience true otherness and beauty and still living. But, there has been a loss of desire in our nation. People today lose the sense of change that brings the “experience” of beauty. They settle for normalcy, in fact they start to want and desire normalcy because trying to get the “experience” seems impossible. And to desire the impossible is to thirst without any hope of water. So, people settle for what’s easy and desire it because at least their desire is satiated. But, this is where we have gone wrong. The desire is good, and it is true that it is never fully satiated and this is why… the experience, the beauty we seek, is only found in God. He fills us with imagination and transcendence and all the things we long for. It is our holy discontent to desire Him and know that it may never be fully satiated. But what we can know and the reason we continue to seek Him, or should continue to, is that He will give us a taste. Perhaps more so, He gives us art so that we can long, because one day that longing will be fulfilled. If we do not lack something than we cannot appreciate being given something. So, when we long for the fullness of God, and the day we receive it we will know the greatness of it, because we have been searching and longing and desiring it and getting only a taste of its goodness our entire lives.

Chrissy Jaeger-Chronicles of Narnia

What I think the Chronicles of Narnia really represents is every child’s desire to get away from this world that has so many expectations, and can be so dull, and to discover a world where even though things may be difficult…the world revolves around you. Even though Narnia is a place belonging to Aslan, the stories are revolving around the children. What child wouldn’t want a magical world that revolved around them? The myth may give us a glimpse into a world that helps us better understand our world. But doesn’t it at the same time set children up for the disappointment that our world isn’t really that great? Is it is more like Chesterton suggests that it is the magical world that helps us remember and appreciate the mundane in our own world?
I cannot help but think that most people will never see the silver lining.. they will never realize that the magical is supposed to get us to appreciate the natural. I would offer that in most cases people will just wish they had what they don’t. Especially in America. That is what this culture is all about, the grass is always greener on the other side. The idea in America is that you can never have enough, and there is always something greater to get. Wouldn’t it be more practical for children to learn that sometimes life is hard and that is the reality. In the Chronicles the children run away from their hardship, they get to leave the war and the heart ache and find a magical world. But, reality is that most children have to go through the war and face the heart ache.

Chrissy Jaeger-Outside Reading

We’ve spent much of class talking about stories, and reading stories and the myth that is created there. But I want to dive into the realm of telling stories, orally. In the Innocent Anthroplogist, Nigel Barley talks about the funny thing that occurs when anthropologist retell their fieldwork stories. It is always romanticized. They say they had a wonderful time and it was easy to learn the language, and they just thoroughly enjoyed themselves. But, this of course is after they struggled to get into the country for months, got food poisoning, and other terrible diseases. So, you see people create their own myth out of a truth. By doing this one is able to better understand and appreciate the true story.
These anthropologists change their story, or leave out part of their stories because it helps them to fit into the society constructed view that anthropologists have wonderful, exciting experiences. Even though they know the truth, by not orally portraying their difficulties it reduces the “truthness” of it. As a result, the anthropologists myth is continued and it is only by personal experience does one realize that the experience is not what they had said at all- even though it has those aspects.

Chrissy Jaeger- Space Trilogy Again

I enjoyed this trilogy because it develops a new perspective of space. Everything is counter-intuitive. The way that C.S. Lewis describes spiritual beings is incredible. That they are always there, and we have to have the right perception to see them and notice them. Not to mention their spiritual beings (Elidila) see us as “translucent” and that their realm is more real than ours, even though they walk through ours like walking through walls. The way Lewis describes the sun is against common notion too. The sun is supposed to kill as one gets closer to it, but for Ransom it makes him live more. The way that the Ransom responds to the new world. For most it would look like it did for the other two characters, they would try to take advantage of it, and not see it for its own glory.
Even though I did not finish the trilogy I noticed such growth in all of the characters because of the maturity they were surrounded by. This is an interesting concept considering the maturity is what this world would consider dull and somewhat ancient, unsuffisticated. I would agree that often the most wise and mature are those that remember the basics, and stick to what is necessary, and do not add to the world with flowery excess. America has so much that is unnecessary and people have lost their wisdom because they’ve focused on materials not knowledge. Knowledge is only a means to things, and it has no further value in the U.S.

Chrissy Jaeger- Space Trilogy

In the first book Out of the Silent Plant in the Space Trilogy I found that the book moved quite slow. Although it was interesting because of the topic and the plot, I found myself dragging through the chapters. I think this was largely due to the fact that in order to follow the book one had to really pay attention. With C.S. Lewis making up his own language, it was hard to follow what was happening when. Lewis is a huge advocate for creating a feeling and atmosphere for the reader of the location in the book, but with the new language it was hard to picture and understand which part of the land they were talking about. It was also hard to follow when the situation was truly dangerous or not. This may have been on purpose because I think part of the idea was that the Soran were considered bad at first and then Ransom comes to find out that they are very nice to him.
I did love the part in the book about the sun. They were in the space ship and one part of the ship was engulfed in this light that was from the sun. Ransom would describe it as a feeling and experience that was more joyful and complete than anything he had felt before. In fact, space became not a place to be afraid of and a place that was lacking and empty, it was more full and more powerful than earth had been to him. I love the way Lewis really draws the reader into this idea, and redevelops the myth that space is so scary and unknown (and perhaps not worth knowing).

Chrissy Jaeger-Narnia

The Narnia Chronicles…what has not been said about them. I think they are fabulous. They are tremendously well written, the story line is just fantastic it always keeps you guessing. The best part is the underlying sense of hope the entire series brings to the reader. Hope of a better future, and that there is something or someone better out there taking care of things. The mere humans and animals may be smart but Aslan knows best and has it all together, what a relief!
I guess the thing I would have to say that stands out the most besides the story itself is the style of writing. C.S. Lewis has such a fun style, he uniquely talks to the reader as if he were sitting in front of you telling you the story himself. This immediately engages the reader, although it catches you off guard the first time. But it is something that you do not find everyday. This lovely conversation he carries begins to include the reader in the story in such a way that you are not necessarily involved in the story but you took part in keeping it going somehow. Sort of a sense that, if you do not keep reading the story it will not finish. The reader completes the story by reading it.