" Letting go isn't about having the courage to release the past; it's about having the wisdom to embrace the present"- Steven Maraboli
One of the many qualities that stood out to me was Joe Christmas's denial to move on from the past. It can be argued that Christmas's abusive behavior is due to the mistreatment he had as a child being brought up by religious parents and his father making his entire childhood complete misery.I think that since his father tried to bring him up a certain way, Christmas in now struggling to truly find his identity: however, to me it seems like Christmas is inheriting some of his foster father's abusive traits.
Anyway, i feel like all of the problems Christmas has encountered are due to him not being able to confront his past. Christmas looks back upon his past and is completely over taken with pure anger. He doesn't have the capacity to over look his past or even try to learn from it and become a better person. I know many people may claim that it can be very difficult to overcome your past but there's always that sense of at least trying. Do you think at any point Christmas will overcome his past and move on?
I think Christmas can overcome his past if he puts effort into it, but instead every time he recalls a memory from his childhood he becomes empowered by anger, if he at least tries then that will take some of the weight off his shoulders.
ReplyDeleteThat has been building up over the years.
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ReplyDeleteChapter 14 shows how Christmas was finally at peace. A peace that he has never had before. However, the peace he had was far away from the society in which he lives in. So I conclude that he will never overcome his past because he is not willing to acknowledge it and move on. He has to willing accept that yes he has gone through all that misery; however, he is welling to overlook it to truly become himself.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that he will overcome, or even try to overcome, his past. I feel that Christmas doesn't want to overcome. I think that he just deals with it. Mainly because of everything he went through as he was raised I think that because he experienced all that he doesn't know anything rather than violence and isolation. That is why I think that Christmas does not let anyone in or try to be at peace with his past.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Francisco, I don't think that Joe will ever overcome, or even try to overcome, his past because he will remain stubborn and ignorant like always. He doesn't know how to let go of the past and embrace the present and future. Now, I would expect that it may be hard for him to move on so quickly, but he doesn't do anything to at least try. By the way, I really like your quote from Steven Maraboli because it really conveys the struggle that Joe Christmas is facing within himself.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that Christmas will never try to overcome his resentment for his past, but I also believe that his past makes up too much of who he is to forget it. He developed as a man by modelling after Mr. McEachern, which is a huge part of his past and his own identity. I feel that to forget his past, would be to erase himself.
DeleteI think it will be really hard for Christmas to overxome his past because like we discussed in class how can he change himself when all he knows is abuse mistreatment and isolation I don't think its impossible but I do believe it's going to be difficult and I dont think Christmas will change. I believe something huge has to happen to him in order for him to realize that his life is miserable.
ReplyDeleteI've come to the conclusion that he may not overcome his past just because he's so saturated with this idea of there being a chasm between him and the idea of belonging . But I don't think it's because he can't let go of the past & live for the future,(He doesn't try bother putting potential to keep track of date) but he's so caught up in his world of isolation, it's like Hightower's problem in some way. He's dangerously slipping into his own making of the world and not noticing his environment and what's happening around him. That mainly the reason why Hightower's wife turn out the way she did, by Hightower having no intentions with her being & caught up in something else.
ReplyDeleteI think that you've described his situation perfectly. It isn't solely his past that is preventing him to move forward, but his desire to do so. I feel as if he can be compared to someone who us depressed and has been isolated. They would rather change every aspect of society before attempting to change themselves. Also, we have all been guilty of focusing on ourselves, our problems, or our ideas, so much that we forgot about others, and their feelings. I feel like that could be something that Christmas is currently doing.
DeleteI agree on how Christmas would rather change his environment than change himself. I don't think he will change since he doesn't put up any effort to do so. I like how you were able to compare Christmas and Hightower of how they slip into their own world Cynthia. :)
DeleteI feel as though some people treat Christmas and his Life as separate entities- as though his life were merely something which Christmas wore, like clothes. Let me pose this question: would you be who you were without your experiences? If you changed everything about your past, would you still be you? If you changed your place of birth; your wealth; your parents; your school; even your ethnicity, would you be you? Likewise; are Christmas and his life separable entities?
ReplyDeleteThis is a really good point that you bring up. I do not think you would be the same person with out your experiences. Your past is what makes you, you. If you changed everything you would learn different things and have different values. I know that forgetting your past is something you really do not what to do but you do not want it be troubling you all the time. You need to be able to okay with your past and not let it bother you any more. Christmas and his life are the same, I see. His life, past and present, is who he is.
DeleteChristmas grew up with a terrible family. He didn't really have a childhood, that is his past. It is part if his life and it's not something Christmas can chang . He did not choose that life. I feel like that is why Christmas is the way he is. He isn't able to forget because he never had any love. He never had anyone to show him how to forguve . All he ever knew was the way his parents treated him.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Adi. He is only acting the way he was brought up by his parents. The strict household he was raised in didn't involve any love or joy so I can understand now that letting go of the past isn't going to be that easy for him
DeleteMelissa, you said that christmas is taken by anger when he re-visits his past. Although i think it is fitting for him to react this way because of such negative experiences he has had. Those experiences are a part of him. There are experiences in life one lives through that cause them to be bitter about the world just like Christmas is bitter about the world as well
ReplyDeleteI understand where you are coming from and i agree. I know it can be difficult letting go of the past due to some personal experiences i have had. Even though those experiences have tremendously hurt me, I'm thankful i was able to face them because they shaped me into the person i am today. I guess it just depends on the persons situation.
DeleteAs time passes by, we change as well. Joe has had a dreary past which absolutely controls many of the decisions he makes. Hopefully with age he will gain the wisdom to realize, the world is not always rainbowas and unicorns but that he has himself to find that internal peace.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Gisselle, you make a vaild point when you say that an indvidvual changes as time passes. Joe may have had a diffcult past but he choses what decisions to make. He will eventually forgive those that hurt him physically and mentally.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to say if Christmas will overcome his past and move forward. Christmas is hard to figure out. He may not even know who he truly is. Its all up to Christmas whether he overcomes his dreadful past.
ReplyDeleteI think maybe Christmas will be able to come to peace with his past. He will know it is there and know that it is what made him, him , but not let it bother him any more.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is possible as well, however i don't think he has realized what it is that makes him the way he is yet, and i think thats the biggest step.
DeleteYeah maybe. He needs to find where he comes from.
DeleteBecause of his many troubling experiences in his past i'm not too sure that he will be able to accept it and move on. There is a possibility that he can but I think that possibility may only be possible if the society he lives in accepts him first.
ReplyDeleteI Believe he will overcome it , however it will take time and effort, for example when there is a death in the family you can't get over it right away it takes time . Everything In life takes time to move further.
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