Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” and Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess” have a common theme of death due to disloyal actions. Barbara Hamby’s “Ode to American English” and Tony Hoagland’s “America” the speakers voice their contrasting opinions about American society. All four authors focus on a single subject, and how it affects a person’s surroundings.
In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Montresor tells the story of the night he killed Fortunato. Fortunato hurt him in some way, but Montresor never specifies. Montresor lies to Fortunato saying he has a rare sherry wine. After walking through the wine cellars they come upon a niche and Montresor tells him Amontillado is there. Fortunato enters and Montresor chains him to the wall and then makes a fourth wall, entombing Fortunato alive and leave him to his death. In “My Last Duchess,” the Duke talks about his deceased wife. He discusses their relationship, the duchess focused more on other men instead of the Duke and he was a domineering husband who viewed his wife as an object. Throughout the poem the Duke never fully admits to killing his wife but states “I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together.” (45-46) which shows he had a role in her death. In both writings, revenge is reason for the deaths; however the specific reasons are not mentioned. The Duke and Montresor have no regrets, but actually feel they did the right thing.
In “Ode to American English” the speaker talks about the positives of America. The speaker is American but is in France, reminiscing about everything America has to offer, the beauty, culture, and improper speech. Hoagland’s “America,” has a contrasting opinion of America, criticizing American culture. Everything is revolved around money and other luxuries, however at the end of the poem he finds himself partaking in this lifestyle.
All four literary works focus on the impacts people have on a society, whether they are positive or negative. Montresor and the Duke use revenge as an acceptable reason to kill. While the speakers in Hamby’s and Hoagland’s poems define the good and bad qualities of America.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Poe, Browning, Hamby, & Hoagland
Poe, Browning, Hamby, and Hoagland
A common element of the power of one`s mental state over his actions in a given situation emerge in all of the four works.The apparent themes of the four works discussed here can be placed into two groups. Edgar Allan Poe`s "The Cask of Amontillado" and Robert Browning`s "My Last Dutchess" involve the idea of punishing with impunity, both having main characters into whose mental workings readers have access to. Barbara Hamby`s "Ode to American English" and Tony Hoagland`s "America" both discuss contemporary American culture and how it is recieved cognitively by individuals.
Both Poe`s short story and Browning`s poem tell tales of individuals towards the end of what had to have been a long internal struggle, ultimately ending in murder. Although Browning`s poem take place after the murder and Poe`s story is of the murder occurring, the general concept remains the same. Both murderers felt as though they had been wronged and needed to do something about it. An arrogance within both characters appears here as both believe that murder is appropriate retribution for mere social wrongdoings. In fact, Poe never even specifies what exactly Fortunado did to deserve his fate, only hinting that it was some sort of insult. Rather he focused on Montesor`s internal struggle to formulate such a plan that would allow him to punish without impunity, to get complete vengeance without facing consequences. Again, simply in believing that he has the power to do something of this nature reveals arrogance. Browning, on the other hand, did not even have to come up with a plan, simply giving the order to get rid of his duchess was enough. Both murderers unndergo severe mental hardships and eventually reach a breaking point.
American culture is used to illustrate similar ideas in "Ode to America" and "America." However, this is about as far deep as similarities amongst the two poems go. Hamby`s poem looks upon everything American with a strong sense of yearning and nostalgia, while Hoagland`s tells of a young man who feels trapped in this same culture. Hoagland`s poem is definately the more serious of the two, especially in the final couplet. The idea that many Americans become so absorbed in popular culture and choose to "turn the voume higher" on the problems of those around them clarifies itself here. This is certainly true, and ties in well with the Jesuit idea of solidarity and option for the poor. While Hamby`s poem provides little conflict in comparison to Hoagland`s, it bolsters Hoagland`s theory of how Americans often drown in culture. Nearly each line of Hamby`s poem provides some insight into contemporary America culture, whether it be sports cars, entertainment icons, or regional vernacular.
Each poem clearly provides some sort of cognitive dilemma within the main character or speaker. In Poe`s and Browning`s works, I would argue that neither dealt with their problems properly. While each may have been legitamately wronged, their courses of action were too severe. However, this rationale was ruled out by both due to their belief in punishment with impunity. A lesson appears here as to how to interpret feelings and how to respond to these feelings. The power of the mind and its ability to control our actions are undisputable in both Poe`s story and Browning`s work. Even Hoagland`s work suggests that perhaps that student does feel trapped in American culture, at least he is not being trampled by it. Things could be (and are for many people) worse. Respect for others and a moral responsibility to help out those in need should take priority over whatever mental struggles we may be encountering.
Both Poe`s short story and Browning`s poem tell tales of individuals towards the end of what had to have been a long internal struggle, ultimately ending in murder. Although Browning`s poem take place after the murder and Poe`s story is of the murder occurring, the general concept remains the same. Both murderers felt as though they had been wronged and needed to do something about it. An arrogance within both characters appears here as both believe that murder is appropriate retribution for mere social wrongdoings. In fact, Poe never even specifies what exactly Fortunado did to deserve his fate, only hinting that it was some sort of insult. Rather he focused on Montesor`s internal struggle to formulate such a plan that would allow him to punish without impunity, to get complete vengeance without facing consequences. Again, simply in believing that he has the power to do something of this nature reveals arrogance. Browning, on the other hand, did not even have to come up with a plan, simply giving the order to get rid of his duchess was enough. Both murderers unndergo severe mental hardships and eventually reach a breaking point.
American culture is used to illustrate similar ideas in "Ode to America" and "America." However, this is about as far deep as similarities amongst the two poems go. Hamby`s poem looks upon everything American with a strong sense of yearning and nostalgia, while Hoagland`s tells of a young man who feels trapped in this same culture. Hoagland`s poem is definately the more serious of the two, especially in the final couplet. The idea that many Americans become so absorbed in popular culture and choose to "turn the voume higher" on the problems of those around them clarifies itself here. This is certainly true, and ties in well with the Jesuit idea of solidarity and option for the poor. While Hamby`s poem provides little conflict in comparison to Hoagland`s, it bolsters Hoagland`s theory of how Americans often drown in culture. Nearly each line of Hamby`s poem provides some insight into contemporary America culture, whether it be sports cars, entertainment icons, or regional vernacular.
Each poem clearly provides some sort of cognitive dilemma within the main character or speaker. In Poe`s and Browning`s works, I would argue that neither dealt with their problems properly. While each may have been legitamately wronged, their courses of action were too severe. However, this rationale was ruled out by both due to their belief in punishment with impunity. A lesson appears here as to how to interpret feelings and how to respond to these feelings. The power of the mind and its ability to control our actions are undisputable in both Poe`s story and Browning`s work. Even Hoagland`s work suggests that perhaps that student does feel trapped in American culture, at least he is not being trampled by it. Things could be (and are for many people) worse. Respect for others and a moral responsibility to help out those in need should take priority over whatever mental struggles we may be encountering.
Poe, Hamby, Browning, and Hoagland
With having different themes and languages, the only thing these four works had in common was that they were all told in the first person. The author in all, giving very vivid images and making there points clear for the reader.
In "The Cask of Amontillado" Edgar Allen Poe writes about Montresor's revenge on Fortunato, and how he didn't just punishes him for the insults, unknown to the audience, but humiliated him for them. Poe leaves many fact like how Fortunato insulted the narrator and the exact place of where this occurred from the audience to give the story more of a mysterious feeling to the reader. He has Montresor use extreme deception, to lure Fortunato down to his catacombs without any suspicion. On the contrary Montresor tricks Fortunato into wanting and even opting to have Montresor take him to his catacombs.Poe makes this theme of revenge well known throughout the whole work and even brings in his own idea of what revenge should really be about, humiliating the person for wronging you.
In "Ode to American English" by Barbara Hamby, the narrator talks about how he misses the american slang and all things american. He gives many examples of how compared to British English, America uses a vast variety of words incorrectly but how the author is more impressed and intrigued with it. Being extremely impressed on how americans' put many things into our own language so we can understand it, exaggerating by using the Bible as an example. The narrator makes his reader think back to what they know about the american culture, making them laugh and actually think about how much of what he says is true. It's not completely sure whether the narrator is actually putting these examples under good light or just being sarcastic but makes a good point of how america is one of a kind.
In "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning, the narrator tries to persuade someone that he was a loving husband, who loved his wife even with her defiance and disrespectfulness. He talks about a vividly paint picture of his belated wife and describes how no stranger would be able to picture her nature as it really was. he uses many metaphors and examples of his past wife's disrespectfulness.
In "America" by Tony Hoagland, he talks about how a student speech talking about all the negative things about america was a revelation for him. At first the narrator is very insulted by all that the other student has to say, disagreeing but at the end realizing many of the things said were very accurate. He than changes from what the student is talking about to going off on a scatter brain of what is wrong about America. He uses a metaphor of him being "asleep" and uses an example of toning out all the problems of the world.
All these relate to problems that americans and loyola students are awakened to everyday. All people use the American English that Hamby speaks about in his poem. Many of us over look the the problems of the world mentioned in Hoagland's poem. Revenge, who hasn't tried or thought of getting revenge on those who hurt us. Here at loyola though we are taught that revenge isn't the answer and that it is the wrong plan of action.
Poe, Hoagland, Hamby and Browning
“The cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, shows us how Montresor wants revenge and takes Fortunato to his house and traps him in one of the rooms in the basement. It is unknown why Montresor does such thing to Fortunato, the reader only knows that Montresor is very upset and wants Fortunato to pay back. Then “My Last Duchess” tells us that a duke ended with his wife’s life after he realized that she was with somebody else, now he is arranging another marriage with another woman and he does not really care about the one he murdered. “The cask of Amontillado” and “My Last Duchess” both show the feelings of these two men who would even kill those who are not loyal to them. On the other side, Barbara Hamby in “Ode to American English” and Tony Hoagland in “America” show their perspectives on the American culture. Even though they show two different points of view, they focus on the same subject and we come to realize the impact of society on people.
In both “The cask of Amontillado” and “My Last Duchess” the causes of the murders are not really shown but left to the reader’s imagination. They focus on the outcome of treason and what people are able to do when they are angry. In both, the main characters find themselves in situations which sometimes are usual (betrayal), but their response in unusual. They do not regret what they do, but somehow they are actually confident that what they did was right. Also, nobody finds out about these murders, which leads them to just go on with their lives normally which is obviously very unfair. Somehow, this is strange because these behaviors are not natural to humans and sometimes make us wonder if someone would really do this.
Barbara Hamby and Tony Hoagland focus on America. Hamby, talks about America on the positive side of it by saying how much she misses the country and how people speak by not conjugating the verbs properly. She refers to the beauty of the place and all that it has to offer, for example all the TV shows and everything that American people have given to the world. On the other side, Hoagland is more pessimistic about the country and talks about one of the negative characteristics of the United States, money. He refers to America as a prison which only has Burger Kings, and Radio Shacks, but not a good amount of spiritual values.
Even though these four poems focus on different themes, they put their attention in one central idea. Poe and Browning refer to revenge and getting away with it, and Hoagland and Hamby talk about America. Finally, in all these four poems, we can see how much of an impact society has on people and their actions, we can learn from different experiences and chose what we like or what we don’t.
In both “The cask of Amontillado” and “My Last Duchess” the causes of the murders are not really shown but left to the reader’s imagination. They focus on the outcome of treason and what people are able to do when they are angry. In both, the main characters find themselves in situations which sometimes are usual (betrayal), but their response in unusual. They do not regret what they do, but somehow they are actually confident that what they did was right. Also, nobody finds out about these murders, which leads them to just go on with their lives normally which is obviously very unfair. Somehow, this is strange because these behaviors are not natural to humans and sometimes make us wonder if someone would really do this.
Barbara Hamby and Tony Hoagland focus on America. Hamby, talks about America on the positive side of it by saying how much she misses the country and how people speak by not conjugating the verbs properly. She refers to the beauty of the place and all that it has to offer, for example all the TV shows and everything that American people have given to the world. On the other side, Hoagland is more pessimistic about the country and talks about one of the negative characteristics of the United States, money. He refers to America as a prison which only has Burger Kings, and Radio Shacks, but not a good amount of spiritual values.
Even though these four poems focus on different themes, they put their attention in one central idea. Poe and Browning refer to revenge and getting away with it, and Hoagland and Hamby talk about America. Finally, in all these four poems, we can see how much of an impact society has on people and their actions, we can learn from different experiences and chose what we like or what we don’t.
Poe, Browning, Hamby, and Hoagland
In both Edgar Allen Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado" and Browning's "My Last Duchess," both the narrators have committed murders and gotten away with them. In Poe's the narrator, Montresor, murders a friend who appears to have insulted him in numerous ways. In Browning's, Ferrara murders his first wife because of her flirty manor. In each instance, both murderers committed the crime out of pure selfishness because of bruised egos. The poems clearly show that neither was caught or feels a great sense of remorse. The stories demonstrate that murders are committed for one's own satisfaction, and thus leave the murderer feeling content.
Poe's story is a bit shocking because there is not a full explanation for why Fortunato had to die. Montresor simply says "the thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge" (Poe, 799). So, the reader knows Fortunato has made some insults, but we do not know how or of what. Montresor is fed up with his antics, and he justifies this as motive for murder. He leads his friend deep underground, where he is certain no one will be able to help. After listening to Fortunato's cries as he is buried alive, Montresor suggests that he feels guilty when he declares "my heart grew sick," only to clarify that it was "on account of the dampness of the catacombs" (Poe, 804). Even 50 years later, he still does not feel remorse.
In "My Last Duchess" the narrator speaks of his first wife, who has died. It is pretty obvious the Duke had a role in her death. He speaks of her with contempt, explaining she "had a heart--how shall I say?--too soon made glad" (Browning, 178) He did not like this characteristic, nor did he appreciate how "she liked whate'er she looked on, and her looks went everywhere" (Browning, 178). He is saying that she had a wandering eye and was not a good wife. The Duke has moved on from her death, for he is about to be remarried. He does not dwell on her death, as the reader can see that he quickly passes from her painting to the others in his collection.
The poems "Ode to American English" and "America," offer two contrasting views of the United States. One describes how the speaker is nostalgic for American culture, and the fact that she misses it as she is in France. She rambles through our pop culture and fads like Johnny Cash and Cheerios. The other poem "America" is full of criticism of America coming from a teenage boy and his teacher. Both find faults in America's culture, and both feel they are not really living because of their society.
Poe's story is a bit shocking because there is not a full explanation for why Fortunato had to die. Montresor simply says "the thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge" (Poe, 799). So, the reader knows Fortunato has made some insults, but we do not know how or of what. Montresor is fed up with his antics, and he justifies this as motive for murder. He leads his friend deep underground, where he is certain no one will be able to help. After listening to Fortunato's cries as he is buried alive, Montresor suggests that he feels guilty when he declares "my heart grew sick," only to clarify that it was "on account of the dampness of the catacombs" (Poe, 804). Even 50 years later, he still does not feel remorse.
In "My Last Duchess" the narrator speaks of his first wife, who has died. It is pretty obvious the Duke had a role in her death. He speaks of her with contempt, explaining she "had a heart--how shall I say?--too soon made glad" (Browning, 178) He did not like this characteristic, nor did he appreciate how "she liked whate'er she looked on, and her looks went everywhere" (Browning, 178). He is saying that she had a wandering eye and was not a good wife. The Duke has moved on from her death, for he is about to be remarried. He does not dwell on her death, as the reader can see that he quickly passes from her painting to the others in his collection.
The poems "Ode to American English" and "America," offer two contrasting views of the United States. One describes how the speaker is nostalgic for American culture, and the fact that she misses it as she is in France. She rambles through our pop culture and fads like Johnny Cash and Cheerios. The other poem "America" is full of criticism of America coming from a teenage boy and his teacher. Both find faults in America's culture, and both feel they are not really living because of their society.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Kelly Kraft
Blog 10.8
In Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” and Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess” both main characters were consumed over a murder they had committed or planned to commit. In Barbara Hamby’s “Ode to American English” and Tony Hoagland “America” each speaker reflects on their thoughts and attitudes of the American culture. Though Poe’s and Browning’s topic differ from Hamby’s and Hoagland’s topic, all authors yearn for and fixate over an object and their relation to it.
In Poe’s short story, his main character Montresor, is consumed with rage towards his long time enemy, Fortunato. The main character has some sort of delirium about Fortunato, he truly finds no good in the man. We know from the historical insight of Browning’s poem that speaker the duke had killed his first duchess. Like Montresor, the Duke feels no remorse; he in fact is looking for his next duchess.
In Hamby’s poem the speaker expresses all the things she longs for in the American society while not in Paris. It is interesting to note that some of the things she misses while away are things that general America does not like about their culture. In Hoagland’s poem the speaker is in an American class room and questions the American dream and what he has believed his whole life. The speaker is asking if he, himself really likes the American culture.
All four of these writers are trying to finds a sense of what certain objects mean to them. Both Poe and Browning find they have deep rage, but are obsessive over their victims. Hamby and Hoagland not only present opposing views of America but become preoccupied with their ideas of what America is to them.
Blog 10.8
In Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” and Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess” both main characters were consumed over a murder they had committed or planned to commit. In Barbara Hamby’s “Ode to American English” and Tony Hoagland “America” each speaker reflects on their thoughts and attitudes of the American culture. Though Poe’s and Browning’s topic differ from Hamby’s and Hoagland’s topic, all authors yearn for and fixate over an object and their relation to it.
In Poe’s short story, his main character Montresor, is consumed with rage towards his long time enemy, Fortunato. The main character has some sort of delirium about Fortunato, he truly finds no good in the man. We know from the historical insight of Browning’s poem that speaker the duke had killed his first duchess. Like Montresor, the Duke feels no remorse; he in fact is looking for his next duchess.
In Hamby’s poem the speaker expresses all the things she longs for in the American society while not in Paris. It is interesting to note that some of the things she misses while away are things that general America does not like about their culture. In Hoagland’s poem the speaker is in an American class room and questions the American dream and what he has believed his whole life. The speaker is asking if he, himself really likes the American culture.
All four of these writers are trying to finds a sense of what certain objects mean to them. Both Poe and Browning find they have deep rage, but are obsessive over their victims. Hamby and Hoagland not only present opposing views of America but become preoccupied with their ideas of what America is to them.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Ad Maiorem Group Retreat
Last weekend, I went on the annual Ad Maiorem Group retreat. For those of you who don’t know, Ad Maiorem is a service group here on campus that is deeply rooted in the Jesuit ideals of service and reflection. I have been a part of the group for almost three years now, helping to found it in my freshman year. For this year’s retreat, we had picked to go white water canoeing on Antietam Creek. The plan was to spend two days and two nights out in the wilderness for reflection, hard work, and a lot of fun.
On Friday, the group met up at the FAC to pack up our vans and hit the road for our two hour drive. We left around 5:30 and, after a brief stop for dinner, arrived at our campsite at about 8:15. Immediately, we unpacked the cars and set up camp. That night, we were led in reflection by two of our group members about defining moments in our lives. This sharing of experiences really brought the group together and that night, under the stars, we went to bed excited to start the next day’s activities.
Saturday was the day of the big paddle. We got out to Antietam Creek around 9 in the morning, and after a brief on-land tutorial by our OAE leaders, we were off. This experience was amazing. We paddled 10 miles up the creek, avoiding rapids and other obstacles along the way. The atmosphere of the group simply could not be brought down by cold water, the occasional fall, or even the grueling workout that we got courtesy of Antietam. After almost 8 hours of being on water, however, things were about to turn for our group.
When we did actually get off the water, everyone was wet, cold, tired, and beat up—physically and emotionally. There were grumblings within the group to cut the trip short, and forgo the final day on Sunday. For Sunday, we had planned a sunrise hike and mass on top of a look out over the creek. After a group meeting, everyone’s opinion was heard and we had a choice: do we do the easy—pack up and head home for our comfy Loyola beds or the hard—stay and stick out another night at camp. After much back and forth, as a group we decided to go for the challenge and stay the extra night.
The mass and hike the next morning were well worth it. We were all so happy that we got to stay and experience God’s greatest gift to us all in the company of each other and in nature. The setting on top of the mountain was serene—the sunrise was beautiful, and the feeling of fulfillment and accomplishment that we all felt was incredible. Evan though we were all physically and emotionally drained, that mass rejuvenated us and filed us up with something that our dorm rooms at Loyola could not have even come close to matching. This decision, choosing the tough path, truly seemed to pay off and make everyone that experienced it richer in the end.
The group Ad Maiorem, in my opinion, is a true embodiment of the ideals that Fr. Kolvenbach talks about in his article. Our mission is to create what Fr. Kolvenbach would call “men [and women] for others; men who will live not for themselves but for God.” Also, with our service projects at Cristo Rey, St. Ignatius, Care-A-Van, and countless others, we try to deliver service along with compassion. We try not only to help those who need it, but to educate others on the plight of the needy. According to Fr. Kolvenbach, “The overriding purpose of the Society of Jesus, namely ‘the service of faith,’ must also include ‘the promotion of justice.’” This quote seems to show what Ad Maiorem tries to do on a daily basis, which is not only to serve those who need it but to also empathize with them and with their situation. In the Jesuit ideal, we do not simply “serve and go home,” but we strive for the magis, strive to get more out of our service.
This magis also came into play last weekend. We had the choice to pack up and go home, and nobody would have blamed us or even said that we were making the wrong decision. But, we decided to stay, to stick it out, and that extra effort did indeed pay us back ten-fold. This seems to be what Fr. Kolvenbach is getting at in his article—those who put in the effort to help the needy, to help those who truly are disadvantaged in our society are the ones who will be rewarded in the end. This tough work will not come with any sort of monetary reward, but it will carry something greater. By making a difference in their lives, we allow them to make a difference in our own. We can learn from the very same people that we are serving. If we are open, then we will be forever changed for the better. As men and women for others, we will be helping to make the changes that we want to see in our world.
On Friday, the group met up at the FAC to pack up our vans and hit the road for our two hour drive. We left around 5:30 and, after a brief stop for dinner, arrived at our campsite at about 8:15. Immediately, we unpacked the cars and set up camp. That night, we were led in reflection by two of our group members about defining moments in our lives. This sharing of experiences really brought the group together and that night, under the stars, we went to bed excited to start the next day’s activities.
Saturday was the day of the big paddle. We got out to Antietam Creek around 9 in the morning, and after a brief on-land tutorial by our OAE leaders, we were off. This experience was amazing. We paddled 10 miles up the creek, avoiding rapids and other obstacles along the way. The atmosphere of the group simply could not be brought down by cold water, the occasional fall, or even the grueling workout that we got courtesy of Antietam. After almost 8 hours of being on water, however, things were about to turn for our group.
When we did actually get off the water, everyone was wet, cold, tired, and beat up—physically and emotionally. There were grumblings within the group to cut the trip short, and forgo the final day on Sunday. For Sunday, we had planned a sunrise hike and mass on top of a look out over the creek. After a group meeting, everyone’s opinion was heard and we had a choice: do we do the easy—pack up and head home for our comfy Loyola beds or the hard—stay and stick out another night at camp. After much back and forth, as a group we decided to go for the challenge and stay the extra night.
The mass and hike the next morning were well worth it. We were all so happy that we got to stay and experience God’s greatest gift to us all in the company of each other and in nature. The setting on top of the mountain was serene—the sunrise was beautiful, and the feeling of fulfillment and accomplishment that we all felt was incredible. Evan though we were all physically and emotionally drained, that mass rejuvenated us and filed us up with something that our dorm rooms at Loyola could not have even come close to matching. This decision, choosing the tough path, truly seemed to pay off and make everyone that experienced it richer in the end.
The group Ad Maiorem, in my opinion, is a true embodiment of the ideals that Fr. Kolvenbach talks about in his article. Our mission is to create what Fr. Kolvenbach would call “men [and women] for others; men who will live not for themselves but for God.” Also, with our service projects at Cristo Rey, St. Ignatius, Care-A-Van, and countless others, we try to deliver service along with compassion. We try not only to help those who need it, but to educate others on the plight of the needy. According to Fr. Kolvenbach, “The overriding purpose of the Society of Jesus, namely ‘the service of faith,’ must also include ‘the promotion of justice.’” This quote seems to show what Ad Maiorem tries to do on a daily basis, which is not only to serve those who need it but to also empathize with them and with their situation. In the Jesuit ideal, we do not simply “serve and go home,” but we strive for the magis, strive to get more out of our service.
This magis also came into play last weekend. We had the choice to pack up and go home, and nobody would have blamed us or even said that we were making the wrong decision. But, we decided to stay, to stick it out, and that extra effort did indeed pay us back ten-fold. This seems to be what Fr. Kolvenbach is getting at in his article—those who put in the effort to help the needy, to help those who truly are disadvantaged in our society are the ones who will be rewarded in the end. This tough work will not come with any sort of monetary reward, but it will carry something greater. By making a difference in their lives, we allow them to make a difference in our own. We can learn from the very same people that we are serving. If we are open, then we will be forever changed for the better. As men and women for others, we will be helping to make the changes that we want to see in our world.
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