Food for the Soul

When we think of war, what do we see in our minds? Gory battles, tales of valor, and men marching for miles on end. Right? But who said men were the only ones who got to fight? That's right, there are countless stories of women's bravery while in battle. We see examples of this in the tales of Mulan and the Woman Warrior in ancient China, and the struggle of Joan of Arc in medieval France. In the legends of Mulan and the Woman Warrior, both women train for war and take their father's place in battle. In Mulan, she fights in the war against the Huns that have invaded China. In Warrior Woman, she goes near and far to destroy corruption and overthrow the ignorant emperor. Both of these women are very brave, not only because they fought in a war, but because they were breaking the law. Women who dressed up as men and fought in the army and were found out were put to death. Because of this enormous risk they took, many people were saved and these women made a difference in the...

When watching the news, we can expect the topic of racism to be brought up like clockwork. Day after day, week after week, month after month we turn on our best friend, the T.V., and find that racism plagues our surroundings. This is pretty normal. It shouldn't be, but that is just the way it is. But what happens when you start seeing it on your favorite television show, movie, or book. Didn't expect that , did you? Everyone has heard of the Lone Ranger, popular western themed television show. We remember all the criminals brought to justice, the guns ablazing, and of course, the humor. But what we don't remember is that this show exhibits an underlying tone of racism. The name itself connotes an idea of racial prejudice. Even though there are two main characters in the show, Tonto and the masked man, they make it sound as though Tonto, a Native American man, doesn't exist. Another example from this show that demonstrates racial bigotry is in the first episode. The ma...

When trying to properly express respect to those who served and died in a war, using a nonlinear narrative is better than say, a cenotaph. While cenotaphs are great for war memorials, and give us a place to go to remember those who died, there is one thing they lack; details. In a nonlinear narrative, you get to see everything that happened. You get to walk a mile in the soldier's shoes. You get to see what they saw and hear what they hear. Most of all, you get to share in their triumphs, and struggle with them during their losses. With a cenotaph, all you see are names and stone. The novel, The Things They Carried , by Tim O'Brien, is an example of a linear narrative that helps an average citizen understand what the lives of the soldiers were like. Close to the beginning of the book, O'Brien describes the time when one of his fellow soldiers was killed. He says, "Right then Ted Lavender was shot in the head on his way back from peeing. He lay with his mouth open...