Curiosity killed the cat?

In the novel Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde, written by Robert Louis Stevenson,the idea of curiosity was brought up with Jekyll experimenting with Hyde. I even wrote my thesis paper on this idea because I was so intrigued by it. People will go to extremes just because they are curious about something; it's in their nature. Babies will get into everything just because they want to discover something new to them. But when does this become dangerous? When do we go too far? I always see stories about people doing these outrageous things just to see if it'll be "fun" or exciting", but sometimes it'll end really badly. There are professions (researchers) based just on the fact that they are curious about something. Scientist make a living off of this human trait, but will there be a time when they need to stop? Maybe we'll discover something that we don't want to know about, something so bad that we will wish we never saw it. The older we get the more curious we get, but is curiosity our downfall? If we did not wonder what is beyond our knowledge would we ever get into trouble? Are these the things that keep us humans going, or what ultimately end us? I have been trying to figure out if it is a benefit or determent to the human race, but I just can't decide. On one hand if we were not curious we would not be progressive, and we would be stuck in the same place. We would probably still be on a horse and buggie never realizing we could be in sports cars talking on our bluetooth speakers that connect to our smartphones. On the other hand, it could be the main reason why we as a human race are getting into so much trouble? So what is it? Did curiosity really kill the cat, or did it just help it out of a burning tree?

What Good Comes out of Selling Your Soul?

While reading and discussing Dr. Faustus in class we all posed the question "would you ever sell your soul?" This question has been so interesting to me especially with hearing everyone's answers to the question. Some people said they would do it, they don't mind giving them up for anything. Others said that if it were something like a trade for all of humanity, then sure. Then there were people like me who said that they would not do it at all. To me your soul is sacred, and is your way of connecting with your higher power. If it wasn't valuable or worth keeping, then there would never be a reason for anything demonic trying to take it. I think that it is important to keep that connection to better understand who you are. When describing someone with no soul we tend to associate it with being boring, bleak, sarcastic, heartless, and aloof. So why would someone even consider selling it when we glorify the happy, outgoing person in our society? All of those characteristics are also not very good ones; they are at least not something we would want to be described as. 
I ended up looking up what other people have said about this subject and I found one I thought was a good way of explaining why not to in terms of people who don't believe in a higher power. It says "If you sell your soul to get ahead it will cost more than you bargained for. When you ean your success and never take something for nothing, no one can lay claim to what's rightfully yours. My biggest investors, now deceased,ask nothing of me. They are the only ones I owe for a debt I can never repay; but it's the only kind that will ever be worth carrying." I thought this quote gave some great insight on to why it would not be a good thing to do besides the fact that it is immoral. It is also a good thing to keep in the back of your mind about anything else because the devil will chip at your soul piece by piece without you noticing, so always do good for yourself and others. The devil has a sweet voice, but just make sure your's is sweeter.

The Crazy Feminist

Since we have been on a unit focusing on women, I thought it was only right to blog about the issues faced in today's world, and in literature. In books like A Doll's House we see women as trophies, and invaluable. This drama was first performed in 1879, but today we still have tv shows, and movies portraying as objects. Our society likes to feel like they have made progress, which don't get me wrong it has, but not as much as we should have. I think in every blog I critique society for this. Women are constantly being degraded in movie's or shows as stupid, or easy, and if they are the smart and capable character they are either mean, or portrayed as if they have no life, and are unhappy. Yes, men do have the same problem, but it is not nearly as bad for men as it is for women.
We do not see characters like Edna, from The Awakening, often because it gives the idea that women are individuals. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT? It was not until recently that society has come to terms with women being able to live for themselves, and be happy without kids, or being married. This was never a thought for men; men could live the bachelor life until they were in the grave, but if a women decides to do the same thing "well she must be real unhappy with her life, she has nothing." It gets frustrating that women cannot just live for themselves ever, it always has to be for someone. I cannot even stress how many times I've been asked "who are you getting all dressed up for?" or been told "you won't find a husband looking like that." Is it so crazy to think I, and other women as well, can dress and do things just to be happy? Or have we been so brainwashed to think that women are only here to entertain, or satisfy the man?
More women are speaking up against this kind of behavior recently, but what do they get? They get called crazy. Many girls of my age, including myself, have identified as a "feminist" but recently they have gotten a lot of flack, and somehow the word "feminist" has received some sort of weird connotation with it. I can recall being in a class talking about women's rights this year and telling the class that I was in fact a feminist, and one boy saying "oh so you're crazy, and think everyone is out to get you because you're a woman?" This is what the boys of my generation think of a woman, and it is quiet alarming. Just because I am for women, and strong enough to fight for our equality does not make me crazy, it makes me human. They would never say that the male leaders of America were crazy for fighting for their rights, and freedoms for breaking free from Great Britain, so why are women crazy for fighting for THEIR rights and breaking free from society standards?

Progression or Stagnation?

In The Awaking and A Doll's house we are presented with questions of what the role of a woman is in a household and in society. In the times that the books took place women were looked at as decorations, or "dolls". They were not valuable, or smart, they were just items that were too emotional, and could not handle far as much as a man could to their society. Moving forward to today, in the 21st century women are now of more value. Women are allowed to be smart, and successful, but they still are not allowed to be as smart and successful as a man. It is much harder for a woman to remain a respected individual in a workplace, a school, in a society because women cannot be held at the same caliber as a man. A woman who is willing to go to enormous lengths and push through whomever she has to is looked as as manipulative, an opportunist, or a leech; where as a man who does the same thing is ambitious, and determined. Not only that, but women are valued more for their appearance than their brain. Women in politics, female actresses, singers or authors are constantly asked questions of what they do in their daily lives, like "what do you do to remain fit?" "who are you wearing?" "Do your children miss you while you're away at work?" instead of pressing questions that are relevant in female culture like: "What is your opinion on abortion?" "How do you feel about the economic injustice women of today still face?" or anything that that would actually concern a woman. Male actors, politicians, authors or singers are actually treated as individuals who can hold a conversation on more than just "how do you get your teeth so white?" Even when women try to tear down these double standards, and bring equality to women, they re still looked at as angry feminists who want to take down the man. Men are still intimidated by a woman who can stand on their own. So has society really moved forward, or has the man let their "pet" off their leash a little, but has to still remain with it's power over it? Have we moved past the decorative woman? Women are still not equal in today's society, and in order for them to do so men need to step off of their pedestals and realize a woman can do just as much as a man could, and sometimes even better.