During Covid, the behaviors of the American population that I personally witnessed was a worldwide worry and panic. No one knew how to handle this on their own, so like the people in Oedipus the King, they turned to the “authorities” or government because that’s who is there to protect and keep them safe. In contrast, during covid 19 we had Donald Trump as President. His responses to the pandemic were not very leader like and as we can see Oedipus was not very leader like either. Oedipus had killed his father and married his mother. Knowing this, the chaos that followed the pandemic and the plague in both cases were getting out of hand. In Oedipus the King, we see that he sent his brother in law to figure out a solution, like the government today. The President has people to do things for them in situations like these. The plague and pandemic are similar because it was a dark time for the citizens and for the government as well. No one knew the solution to this new problem.
Daily Archives: March 8, 2024
As I think back of covid-19 days those days were really miserable for India as my homecountry where I was present that time.There were social distancing, people wear masks and there were no gathering and people were afraid to go out even if they have to buy something whereas in “Oedipus the King” the people in Thebes, the play depicts a city suffer with a deadly plague caused by curse.Comparing specific scenes, in Oedipus the King,the people of Thebes are desperate for a solution to the plague, evident in lines like “Each of you suffers in himself alone, not for himself,but for the city”. In contrast,during the Covid-19 pandemic,people faced a shared global issue,adjusting their lifestyle according to the situation.People of my countries followed the proper guidelines given by the government to protect themselves from covid-19.People in Thebes also took the measures to protect themselves from the deadly Plague.Both scenarios illustrate the complexity of navigating the balance between their lifestyles and managing their daily life.
When COVID was at it’s height, I still lived home in St. Thomas, USVI. As a US territory who’s main and only industry is tourism, we were a bit slow on the uptake of closing off our borders. Because of that, our island notice an uptake in “statesiders” (fellow US citizens who lived on the mainland/continental US) traveling to our island to vacation because of a current lack in mandates. It took as little as a month for their to be an identified case of COVID within the community, and three months for an upsurge in cases, forcing the USVI to close its borders indefinitely. Despite being a US territory and having confirmed cases, it was a bit difficult for our government to enforce mask mandates because of a lack of supplies (our inventories are usually shipped through Puerto Rico whose borders we also closed in light of the now global pandemic. However, once those regulations were planned out and essential workers we allowed to resume work both in Puerto Rico and the USVI, we were able to continue about life with a new sense of “normalcy” Similar to the citizens in Oedipus, our community immediately sought guidance from our government. Despite having a small number of cases initially, we understood how a “plague” such as COVID would negatively effect our only means of producing profit for the islands. In Lines 62-64, readers note that the community tells their king “You freed us from the Sphinx, Oedipus, our king; and in your care we find ourselves lifted from the surge of death.” Like those individuals we relied on our government now more than ever since our GDP tanked after all four islands were negatively impacted by category 5 hurricanes Irma and Maria no more than three years prior. As a […]
In the play “Oedipus the King,” the people of Thebes are struck by a deadly plague that leaves them desperate and vulnerable. They plead with their king, Oedipus, to find a solution to the epidemic. Meanwhile, Jocasta enters and criticizes Oedipus and Creon for their insignificant arguments during the crisis, asking, “Are you not ashamed to air your private griefs when the country’s sick?” (Lines 741-743). This emphasizes their mutual sense of urgency and the need to prioritize the greater good over personal disagreements. Similarly, during the COVID-19 pandemic, some Americans followed public health guidelines eagerly, while others opposed restrictions and emphasized personal liberation. This reflects the tensions in Thebes, where some characters, like the Priest and Jocasta, prioritize addressing the plague as a community. In difference, others, like Oedipus and Creon, are consumed by personal disagreements regardless of the bigger crisis. Both situations showcase the complicatedness of balancing individual rights with coordinated well-being during times of crisis.
During the Covid-19 pandemic I remember people being in a constant state of worry and panic. WHO urged everyone to wear masks and gloves and limit contact with people as much as possible to limit spreading further the virus. But there was a lot of controversies about the methods used by the government to deal with the outbreak, and people were also putting blade at the government for even starting the virus, especially the Chinese government. A contrast between how the American people and the people of Thebes in Oedipus the King is an how they approached their plagues. In Oedipus the King the people turned to their government (the king) who they fully trust in to help them discover how to deal with the plague and get rid of it. “We have not come as suppliants to this altar 35 because we thought of you as a God, but rather judging you the first of men in all the chances of this life and when we mortals have to do with more that man. You came and by your coming saved our city, 40 freed us from the tribute which we paid of old to the Sphinx,7 cruel singer. This you did… it was God that aided you, men say, and you are held45 with God’s assistance to have saved our lives.” Whereas in America people weren’t really sure if they could trust what the government says, especially when it came to the virus. Another contrast is that when the Covid 19 pandemic hit health organizations were already working on health precautions to take to keep everyone safe and reduce the death toll as much as possible, whereas the people in Oedipus went to their temples acquiring of their gods on how to stop the plague from affecting them. […]
I can personally relate to the young narrator in “Araby” by James Joyce because of the feeling of disillusionment. I feel like this feeling isn’t just invoked by someone who we admire to be a potential romantic partner but by many others scenarios in life. In the story, the protagonist gets infatuated with a girl who lives across the street from him. He always admired her from a far and had little to no real conversation with her, yet he felt these strong yearnings for her beauty and innocence. By the end of the story the protagonist ends up going to a bar that the girl told him about, he showed up to bring her back a gift since she couldn’t go. He was then faced with reality of feeling foolish, ashamed and disillusioned when the expectations of beauty and innocence were not met. I have felt this way before with job opportunities, as a sub para I have had my experiences where I had hope a school would keep me there for the rest of the year but then I’d be let go. Meanwhile the whole time I’m working there I would remain hopeful that I could secure a permanent spot, only to feel let down and disillusioned when I’m let go
The quote I have chosen to focus on is “Literature is not only a mirror; it is a map, a geography of the mind” by Margaret Atwood. This quote embodies the story I have chosen to focus on which is Araby by James Joyce. To me the quote means that literature not only shows you who you are but also your thoughts and feelings as a writer, some writing pieces are very strongly written where you could tell the author feels strongly about what they’re sharing with us, as well as when they narrate for characters in certain writing pieces. In Araby James Joyce voices how the protagonist feels throughout this journey of emotions towards a stranger he is infatuated with. The author takes us inside the mind of the main character describing his thoughts and feelings, he is very eager and borderline obsessed with this girl til the end of the story where he starts to feel disillusioned.
After thinking back to the COVID-19 days I noticed a big contrast in the way an outbreak was handled. In “Oedipus the King,” there’s a scene where the people of Thebes beg Oedipus to save them from the plague. They tell him, “You freed us from the Sphinx, Oedipus, our king; and in your care we find ourselves lifted from the surge of death” (Lines 62-64). This shows how much they rely on Oedipus to solve their problems, without taking much action themselves. In contrast, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a big focus on people taking responsibility for their health and stopping the virus from spreading. Public health campaigns encouraged things like wearing masks, washing hands, and getting vaccinated. While not everyone followed these guidelines perfectly, there was a big effort to teach people how to be responsible and safe.
“Literature is the art of discovering something extraordinary about ordinary people and saying with ordinary words something extraordinary.” by Boris Pasternak Literature reveals extraordinary qualities in ordinary people and expresses them uniquely, using everyday language. The poet Pasternak understood the challenges of balancing personal desires of a traditional community, particularly among the repressive atmosphere of the Soviet Union. This quote embodies my story “Another evening at the club” by Alifa Rifaat showing how a young woman has to except her parents arranging her marriage to an older man. She has to be submissive to him. She has no freedom to do as she pleases. She even has to be submissive to her dad by listening to whatever he advises her to do. She is a young girl who was in school still, but her dad tells her she won’t be going to school any longer waiting for the day she gets married.
Back during covid one of the big things were that people were scared to go outside. Even when people were outside they would avoid each other and if you were to cough then you would be given a look then people would slowly move away from you which can kind of be related to the play due to the fear of dying. Covid was a time where people were actually scared of dying on a worldwide scale. At one point it just seemed like there was no way to stop what was going on just like in the play when Oedipus said this . “But no man has power to force the gods to speak against their will.” in this way everyone predicted that death was coming and no one was able to stop what was going on. Covid was a really bad time I would hate for another pandemic to happen again.
“Literature is painting, architecture, and music” by Yevgeny Zamyatin. He’s saying that great literature does what those other art forms do it creates imagery words in your mind like a painting, it’s well constructed and flows smoothly like a building, and it stirs up emotions in you like listening to music, and we can see that in the story “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant. With his detailed writing he paints these clear pictures in your head whether it’s the fancy ball scene or the hardwork life of the character ends up living later. One thing naturally leading to the next just like how the different rooms and spaces are connected in a well designed building flowing like music, the most powerful part is how de Maupassant takes you on an emotional ride as a reader. You start out feeling that excitement and hope when the character gets to live the classy life for a night. Then you go through the frustration and sadness as her life goes downhill. “The Necklace” brings together the quote of Zamyatin when he compared great literature to painting, architecture, and music.
During the global outbreak of the coronavirus, we all witnessed heart-wrenching stories firsthand, with countless people losing their loved ones, and many others passing away due to the lack of cooperation from others. In “Oedipus the King,” the people also suffered from a nationwide epidemic, just like us, placing their hopes on the national leader. However, as we have seen, no country’s policy was able to completely stop the plague, mirroring the torment experienced by the people in the story. Whether in reality or in stories, there will always be dissatisfaction and resistance, leading to more people getting hurt. During the pandemic, I lived in China, where everyone was quarantined at home, with no one allowed to go out. Everyone monitored each other, and the situation was initially very successful. In less than two months, the virus in cities was isolated, people wore masks outdoors, and used a special virus QR code to facilitate scanning and confirmation of health status. In 2020, when the whole world was quarantined at home, I could travel through various cities in China, walking in bustling night markets. But no one could accept being locked at home forever. I remember in 2021, when the coronavirus variant swept across the globe again, but this time the virus was not very harmful, many countries opened up policies, while China locked down the entire country again, with no one allowed to go out. However, a few months later, people realized that it was impossible to avoid infection, and began to resist. In Shanghai and Xinjiang, people started a series of resistance movements, known as the “White Paper Movement,” expressing their dissatisfaction with the government by holding up a blank piece of paper. Less than a week after the outbreak of the movement, China reopened, and no one escaped […]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, health fears and social restrictions changed individuals’ communications and behaviors. Whether a person has lost their loved ones, struggled with isolation, was personally sick, or lost their job, each was affected differently. Throughout the pandemic, I observed many behaviors among the American people that can be likened to some characters in the play Oedipus the King. After the government commanded that people uphold various measures like wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, and adhering to stay-at-home instructions, several individuals did exactly what was required. Conversely, some Americans did not strictly follow the government guidelines. In the play, there are instances of individual and collective suffering due to the plague; just like during COVID-19, people suffered individually and collectively. Accordingly, the American people turned to their leaders to save them from the pandemic, just like the people in the play turned to their king, Oedipus, to be saved. The priest pleads on behave of the people of Thebe, saying, “And now, Oedipus, our peerless king, all we thy votaries beseech thee, find, some succor, whether by a voice from heaven, Whispered, or haply known by human wit” (Lines 46-48). This is an indication of collective suffering denoted by the outbreak of Covid-19. Just like in the play, American people suffered collectively, leading to regular quarantines of people from the same families and different families. The obedience among the majority of Americans is likened to the character Creon in the play, which emphasizes obeying the government and the gods. His decision to follow Apollo’s prophecy and enforce the laid-down measures to rid Thebes of the plague can be likened to the American people who followed the WHO directives. On the other hand, there were various instances of defiance among individual Americans, just the Thebes. Some Americans went against the […]
