How does imagination lend meaning to our lives and experiences?

     The imagination is a very powerful thing. It has the ability to change our environment  and live out our dreams or fears. We all have the skill to create mental images and perceive situations in various ways. The way we perceive things as being becomes the way they are to us. In other words the mind makes us believe that what we live out in our minds is what occurs within our own realities. In both stories; “Handsomest Drowned Man In The World” and “The Tell-Tale Heart”, we see how the imagination plays an important role within our lives.
     In the story “Handsomest Drowned Man In The World” we see how multiple individuals experience the finding of an extremely tall, big and handsome man in the same way. The story depicts the finding of this drowned man and how the people of the village react. It shows how collectively the people of this village name this man Esteban and begin to create a story behind his image and projection. “Handsomest Drowned Man In the World ”exhibits the imagination giving meaning to the villagers experience of finding this man.
      “The Tell-Tale Heart” is another perfect example of how the mind gives meaning and truth to our realities despite the falsity that may be behind it. It depicts a man who has committed a murder and is seemly haunted by his victims heartbeat . He continuously  hears the heart beat of the hidden victim and proceeds to give himself up to the detectives. He does this out of fear that they too hear the old mans heart and know that it was him. “The Tell-Tale Heart” shows how the imagination is so strong that it forced the man to believe that the heart beat could actually be heard out loud. It shows how his imagination leaked into his experience of murdering the old man and proceeded to give meaning for the need to turn himself in.

Research Reflection

     When writing a research paper I have always known that there is a particular set of rules or guidelines that need to be followed. I was always taught that a paper needs to contain a thesis along with body paragraphs that are meant to support that thesis. However what I have come to learn by taking this class is that preparation is important. I have learned that what makes a great paper is the “prewriting”. Through the use of brainstorming, free writing and outlining, I have come to write and create more fluid and well written papers. This process or method has helped me come up with even better ideas. Another method that I have also learned helps a lot is writing drafts. Drafts allow for less procrastination and a paper that is more put together and edited. They also provide me with the time to make revisions such as grammar, punctuation and spelling.
     This class has also helped me to understand the importance of doing research in order to provide a valid and well argued thesis. Doing research helps to create a paper that is more interesting to read because its uses connections from various sources. One way to show these connections is by using quotes throughout the paper. I have come to learn that it is unnecessary to always use long quotes but that short or one word quotes are just as useful and helpful in proving your thesis. Learning these methods have allowed me to become an even better writer and they will stay with me forever.

First Draft: The Oracle and The Matrix

    

      People have always had an interest in finding out the future. This desire to know things comes with the assumption that through knowing, one may be able to change or help prevent a bad prediction. However the future never really changes alone, it is the actions we alter to get to our futures that bring about the differences. Many individuals seek these answers, however to get these answers, they are unable to do it alone. The only solution is to seek some sort of “medium”(wikipedia) that has the ability to predict what’s to come. In many cases this “medium” is known as an Oracle. An Oracle is a person believed to foresee the future holds for anyone that seeks their advice. The Oracle’s are thought to be very trustworthy and their predictions are always without fail or falsity. These  people were often viewed to have a higher power, a gift that allowed they to view the world differently. However their wisdom or gift often presented themselves in a incomplete way. The Oracle’s often gave advice without the means of how to fulfill that prophecy. They presented ideas that were somewhat vague because it is as if they presented the answer without the question. In The Matrix, the oracle plays a vital part. She is the one they all go to in order to seek guidance for the difficult task they are presented.

     The Oracle is depicted as wise and insightful. She has witty remarks throughout the conversation she has with Neo. She presents ideas that are meant to make people think and question what is the normality of everyday existence. The Oracle in the movie is assumed to help Neo find his strength. It is a strength Neo has, not so much in the physical sense but in the mental sense. The mind that is the controller of all things. It is the very thing that makes us stronger and allows us to believe in who we are and what we are capable of doing. In the movie, Morpheus brings Neo to go see the oracle. He does so to allow Neo to see what his future holds. Neo is shown new ways or theories on how to look at life. He sees the incredible ability the mind holds and how his belief in his own abilities can truly hold the key to his own future. The Oracle makes a prediction of the future for Neo, which proves to be untrue. However with the astronomical amount of wisdom she holds, it is thought that there was an intention behind this prediction.  as depicted in The Matrix, she tells Neo something that doesn’t come true. The Oracle in the movie and throughout history the oracle presents wisdom and insight. This wisdom allows those who come across the Oracle’s to think differently about their lives. Neo feels helpless and overwhelmed by the news he receives. He feels as if it is a unfortunate burden placed upon.
     Throughout Greek mythology the oracle’s are often mentioned. They were the one’s that people saw when they wished to know the outcome of their futures. In Greek mythology the oracle’s held great importance in the stories told. It is as if they were always foreshadowing a later event or telling the outcome of the story before it even happens. The Greek’s often seek advice of oracle’s with questions that involved the comparing of one person or thing to another person or thing. This kind of question is shown in the story of “Oracle of Delphi”. In this story “Chaerophon visit’s the Oracle of Delphi and asks if there is anyone in Athens is wiser than Socrates”. (hyperhistory) The Oracle answers that no one is wiser than him. When Socrates receives this news he is said to make it his mission in life to understand what the Oracle said. He proceeds to seeks those who claim to be knowledgeable and find that many of their claims prove to be false and that no one has genuine wisdom. He comes to find that the Oracle was right about Socrates’ wisdom. Socrates discovered that he was not the wisest because he obtained knowledge that no one else had but rather that he was wisest because he understood his own lack of knowledge. This story is much like that of The Matrix, where Neo is told he is “the one” ( The Matrix) and is trying to find what exactly makes him ‘the one”. It is not enough for Neo to be told this but to understand why he can be seen as “the one” while others who seem just as capable, if not more capable, are not viewed in that light.

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" Rough Draft

The mind’s imagination has the ability to influence much of life’s actions and thoughts. Imagination is often said to be simply the creative thought process of a person. The way people live their lives is made up of a system of rules or guidelines that they feel is the correct way of being or living. Most of the time these rules are based on what is right and wrong, what is the moral verse the immoral way of living. Often individuals derive at these thoughts based on the influence of others, influences that can be sometimes established from cruel or ill-mattered intentions. Influences that are meant to bring about more harm than good. In “The Picture of Dorian Gray” these influences are presented throughout the story; it is left to Dorian as to which path he will choose based upon what his mind arrives at being justifiable. Lord Henry Wotton also plays a huge part in tampering and somewhat controlling of Dorian’s mind and thoughts. Lord Henry uses his own imagination as to what creative aspect he feels life should take and become and proceeds to create or form a different imagination for Dorian.
     “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, has an occurring theme of imagination, it is the imagination that forces the choices made throughout the story. The story depicts the constant struggle between good and evil and right and wrong. Dorian in the beginning of the story is shown as a nice and innocent boy, an individual that chooses the moral things to do in life.His unbelievable beauty is thought to coincide with his goodness, it the concept of appearance being tied or somewhat apart of choices made in life. It is as if to be physically appealing, you are expected to be good and wholesome. However in the story this idea is proven wrong, despite the way Dorian looks, he began to do cruel things. Cruel things that began after Dorian had met Lord Henry. Lord Henry not only has a vivid and somewhat distorted imagination in the thoughts and ideas he presented but his ideas sparked the imagination and thought process of Dorian as well. It is as if Dorian’s first encounter with Lord Henry gave rise to many of Dorian “fresh impulses”. Ideas and concepts that Dorian already contained within his mind but never came across a person to verify his thoughts.
     Lord Henry had the ability to alter Dorian greatly in allowing Dorian’s thoughts to prosper and grow. His imagination left a lot to be desired, his outlooks on life’s many events was against all the perspectives most had on the same events. Lord Henry’s theories on life seemed appealing and tempting to any weak minded or vulnerable individual. He had the ability to not only present a theory but to also provide a aspect as to why his theories hold truth. Lord Henry as the temper to Dorian by introducing him to concepts he never really thought of prior to haven met him.
     The imagination is a very strong source in life. It has the ability to control everything we do on a daily basis. Imagination is so powerful that it can sometimes create a distortion as to what we view things as being. Imagination can also be seen as having a connection to morality. The temptations and attraction to sinful behaviors is panned out within our minds, the choices we make are left up to being selfish and being more concerned with self pleasure. Dorian is constantly presented this idea in the story, he listens to the advice of Lord Henry and lives life to its fullest or the way in which they felt life should be lived. Both felt life should be filled with the divulging of sin and temptation because without such things life is boring and uninteresting. Dorian and Lord Henry had a creative or different approach on viewing life. Their imaginations helped to verify the concepts of evil and sin being fulfilled in the attempt to give their lives meaning and purpose.