In this novel Craig faces similar challenges as the
prisoners in Plato’s story. Craig is given this false idea that the entire
world is justified off of how he is treated as a kid and all the way through high
school. The prisoners are locked up with their backs to the opening from birth,
so their idea of the world is based off them seeing shadows. Craig in this
novel bases the world off of what happens to him. He’s getting bullied and how
god is a major factor in his life. But when a prisoner escapes and is able to
actually see what the world is like he’s baffled and fascinated. But when he
tries to go back he can’t seem to persuade the others that the world isn’t just
a bunch of shapes and figures through shadows. The world is much more, and
Craig learns that when he goes and sees Raina. Raina allows him to see the
world completely differently and it opens up his eyes.
When Craig burns his art in the beginning of the novel it’s
in the attempt to earn forgiveness from god for sinning in his art. He believes
that it’ll be some sort of sacrifice to god that’ll earn him forgiveness. And
when he burns everything that reminds him of Raina he’s attempting to earn
forgiveness from god for sinning due to his pre-marital actions done with
Raina. In Christian families it is emphasized that it is sinning to have
pre-marital sex or relations.
The only real reason this metaphor is used in
this story is because Craig was forced to attend Sunday school and forced to
learn these beliefs. So in that way it is deliberately put into his brain. I
could see the reasoning for putting this story into the novel being because it
how he feels and how he feels his li
"Craig is given this false idea that the entire world is justified off of how he is treated as a kid and all the way through high school."
ReplyDeleteThis is perfect! High school teachers always say that they're preparing you for the real world, but we all know that is not the case. I think you are right. We were all pretty blinded in high school and especially Craig.
"forced to learn these beliefs."
ReplyDeleteI really like this quote. Towards the end of the novel I started to think that the majority of Craig's problems come from how he was involved with his family and his religion. He started to question the Bible whenever he got older and i think that was the best thing for him. He got to break away from his Bible and start see the world differently.
"Craig is given this false idea that the entire world is justified off of how he is treated as a kid and all the way through high school."
ReplyDeleteThis is a great quote! I completely agree, this sums up why Craig is compared to the Plato's story he is basing his life off of everything that happened to him as a child and in high school, until he actually experiences the "reality" of life and is released himself out of that prisoners mindset.
". Raina allows him to see the world completely differently and it opens up his eyes. "
ReplyDeleteI really like this, but could this be a cave within a cave. He sees the world with Raina but then after Raina he again see's the the world but can break away from the shadows. for example when he sees other women, but only sees Raina.
"Craig is given this false idea that the entire world is justified off of how he is treated as a kid and all the way through high school."
ReplyDeleteI like this because I agree 100% I feel that is the reason that Craig sees the world how he does, and it's pretty messed up because he was bullied and everything growing up, no one should have to "see the world" as he saw it