Charles Dickens had a tangible impact on how the poor were treated. “Oliver Twist,” “Nicholas Nickleby,” and “Christmas Carol” literally changed public policy. Few other authors can boast so much.
Monthly Archives: February 2016
Dickens Improved the Lives of the Poor
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Charles Dickens, Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby, Oliver Twist Comments closed
The Wife of Bath & U.S. Race Wars
A racial flair-up at our college has given me an opportunity to stress the relevance of the Wife of Bath’s prologue and tale. Like our African American students, she too feels disrespected. One has to dig beneath her seeming confidence to realize how vulnerable she feels, however.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Confederate flag, Geoffrey Chaucer, microaggressions, racism, Wife of Bath Comments closed
To Defeat White Militiamen, Be Beowulf
White militiamen rode into the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge like Grendel, but they left as though they had gone mano a mano with Beowulf. The fed essentially took a page out of the Geat warrior’s book and came away similarly successful.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Beowulf, Beowulf poet, Cliven Bundy, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, white militiamen Comments closed
During Lent, Don’t Avoid the Knife
To use a horticultural analogy, Lent is a time to nurture the insights, to prune the tree, that come with Epiphany. This wonderful Rumi poem captures what is at stake.
Brecht’s Working Class Revenge Fantasy
Many working class and lower middle class Americans have felt abandoned by the GOP and Democratic establishments. Bertolt Brecht’s “Pirate Jenny” articulates a revenge fantasy that captures some of their anger.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged "Pirate Jenny", Bernie Sanders, Bertolt Brecht, Donald Trump, politics, Presidential Primaries Comments closed
Cruz’s Contortion of Cristianity
Bill Moyers has called Ted Cruz a “fundamentalist charlatan,” and he cites an 18th century satiric poem to help him make his case. Cruz, he says, is contorting a beautiful religion to garner votes.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged "Swan Tripe Club in Dublin", GOP primaries, politics, Presidential race, Ted Cruz, William King Comments closed
Ring Wraith Trump Wins in New Hampshire
Donald Trump, winner of the New Hampshire primary, has been promoting torture. I’ve been teaching “Lord of the Rings” recently and he reminds me of the temptation of the ring, which hollows one out.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Donald Trump, Fellowship of the Ring, J. R. R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, torture, Waterboarding Comments closed
