Posted by Kathy S on August 10, 1998 at 15:07:38:
In Reply to: Strength and Sensitivity posted by Katherine on August 10, 1998 at 08:49:27:
: : : Maybe there is more to human weekness than just being a character flaw. Weekness can also mean that someone is more sensitive, more emotionally touched by the same events that may not get to another person in the same way. Sensibility would hardly be regarded as a character flaw. Some people just go through life being more open and touchable than others, and often it is this sensibility that allows these people to produce outstanding art, music or literature.
: : : I once heard a psychologist who councels people with addictions describe human weekness like that. I didn't agree with him then, but now I can see his point. Although I find it easier to relate to stronger and maybe less sensitive personalities.
: : : Petra
: : Petra, what you just said shows an understanding of sensitive personalities. We don't have to agree with them. And that goes for anyone we cannot understand. Perhaps, just admit we have not walked in their moccasins.
: : An accomplishment that requires little effort for one person, may be something that requires all of another's strengths. Does that make them weak. It make the one who APPEARS weaker to actually be the stronger.
: : Kathy S
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: When I saw this post I just knew I had to say something.
: I love the above: an accomplishment that requires little effort for one person may be something that requires all of another's strengths. This actually makes one who APPEARS weak to actually be stronger.
: Ask anyone who has ever had to put in extra effort to accomplish something that others can do with little effort. Ask someone who has lived it. No one can tell on the outside that this person needs to put in extra effort to get the same results as one who can do the same things with little effort. It takes strength. How do I know? Sometimes I live it. And some of my friends who have disabilities that are not so apparent live it too. It takes background strength to cope and put in that extra effort so that on the outside things can look like all along whatever it was that was to be accomplished looks effortless.
: If every person say has 10 units of strength and for most people it takes 7 units of strength for everyday accomplishments, then that person has 3 spare units of strength for when things get rough. If for another person it takes more effort say 2 more units of strength then that person only has 1 spare unit of strength. That person would more easily be overwhelmed. BUT that is not to say they are weak because it takes a strong person to cope and compensate that way by actually using more strength to accomplish what others can do with less strength.
: Being sensitive, observant and empathetic also take strength too. One takes everything in and processes it all on the inside. Sometimes appearance may not show all the emotion that is going on inside but just because nothing shows on the outside means there is no feeling and emotion at all.
:
: Any comments?
: Katherine
Hi Katherine,
Very well put. We are of the same mind.
I have another reason why Alice may have felt compelled or even justified to jump.This may have been discussed in depth in past postings, but I don't recall seeing it brought up recently, so here goes.
I attended Catholic schools for 12 years, and it was repeatedly drummed into us that a woman must not submit to a man, outside of marriage. It was considered a wondrous thing to die rather than lose one's virginity, especially in the face of rape. The Church is loaded with virgin martyrs.(I hope they're still not teaching that to the kids).
I think this was a common notion among many Christian women of days gone by, not just Catholics.
When Hawkeye told Cora to submit, I think he was telling her to disregard that kind of thinking. Today, that is something most of us would not have to be told. He was adamant in his plea and reassurance that he would find her. He was making sure she knew he wanted her back no matter what. Even today, in our enlightened times" some men have trouble coping with the rape of a loved one.
Alice may have believed jumping was the only way to avoid being raped. Who knows? Rape must have been one of the things she feared. I think it is worth considering. LOTM is a story set in another time, and the morals were different. It follows that some of the solutions to moral dilemmas might seem odd, as well. She may not have believed she was as much taking her own life, as saving her soul. I know this may sound nutty to some, but we spent years discussing just such moral dilemmas in my religion classes.
For the first time in this whole catastrophic course of events, Alice was separated from Cora, and had to make her own decisions. Big decisions, too.
Kathy S