Literature and Life - Book Report/Review Example

Literature and Life Majority of the literary works that are done in the world today aims at ensuring that there are ideas that are presented to address a particular problem that exists. In this regard, many publications have been done targeting a particular group of individuals. Among the publications that have been released and can be used to address various issues are three books which are "The path to love," "The breathing house," "Way of the peaceful warrior." These three books were done at different times and by different authors, but they tend to provide a solution to problems in the life of humans. The solutions do not necessarily come out directly, but it is presented by the use of various themes. In this piece of work, the concentration will be on the various themes that have been presented in the three publications and what issues they are trying to solve. The place of the woman in the society has changed throughout history. In the war of genders, men seem always to have a higher position than women, especially women’s roles in the society. Poetry has explored the objectification of women in many ways to praise it depending on the position of the poet. For example, some of the poems in Marcielle Brander’s The Breathing House explains that the woman’s only value to men is in sexual part. This is quite a sad thing in a century where the push for gender equality is getting stronger day by day; even women can do better than men. It takes a change in attitude for the strength of women to manifest in the society. Men have the economic power to control women in the most annoying ways. They say money can move mountains and whoever has it makes the best life. In "Hotel Chance," the author explains how men use the money to lure women for sexual gratification. This comes out in the line, "His money would make her stories real." In other words, a woman is prepared to accept or reveal anything about her to the man just to get into his wallet. In fact, women learned how to be financially independent to earn some respect, and the happiness is the women who have gotten an education and landed jobs to achieve their goals. However, some women who believe that prostitution and following men around is the easiest way to earn money. They are not only damaging its dignity but also increases men's confidence. Consequently, women should have the ability to become financially independent to stop men from the desire of dictatorship. The first poem, “The Breathing House” sets the position of women. People would not hesitate to decipher the direction of the poem right from the first line “Two breasts appear next to my cheek as I sleep.” This sentence, it is saying that a baby is sucking his mother’s breasts. Mothers spend their time breastfeeding because this is the only way to raise a child, provide population right from its most delicate stages. From a moral perspective, this job deserves praise because the society would not exist without women’s dedication to carry pregnancies and raise babies to maturity. Men would not appreciate this duty because the breasts to them are something to “enjoy” for a lifetime. That is why the baby in the poem is apprehensive of the mother’s breasts, “I rise and stand before this dream to decide its future.” Without the doubt, this is what men make out of women’s breasts – endless gratification of their manly desires and ambitions. The author also mentioned to another level in “The Civilian, The Siege.” Essentially, this poem depicts a woman’s body can make a man go wild, and in fact, women know this and they are still always skillful at using the power to get what they want from men. Some people might wonder whom to blame under such circumstances. On the one hand, the woman is wrong because she let herself to be used in wrong way. On the other hand, the man is encouraging the woman to use her sexuality inappropriate. Therefore, women need to gain some respect in the society by changing others’ attitudes. The important thing is women should put themselves in the right place. For example, they should not use their body as temptations; they should not be treated differently than men. However, women would be disadvantaged if they declined to express their sexual power. Some of them would not even attract men, and that would be suicidal to their marriage lives. The Path to Love is a book authored by Dr. Deepak Chopra. It was printed in the year 1996 by Random House. In the course of the book, he was propelled by the limitations he noticed in the way that the requirements of his profession treated individuals. He focused on a spiritual means of treating illness. He states that everyone on earth needs to love and be loved, and there are seven steps identified from the text that I believe can guide one on the path to love and enhance healing. Chopra states that people should be willing to forget about all the past issues and move on. While addressing Clare, it is stated that ‘...You can start to look at love as of present instead of the past (Chopra 10)’. All the past matters do not influence one’s wholesome healing. Many people have those issues, and these issues led them became unlovable and unworthy. When a person was experiencing a severe setback or abuse during his growth, it affected their lives. Their hearts are inferior. When they get to old age, they reluctantly convince themselves that they are worthless and good for nothing. The same is evident even when one is unwell. In reality, everyone was born with his values; everyone is a gift in this world. There may be someone being mistreated by any situation, that does not mean he or she is worthless and unlovable; hence a change of this mindset enhances one's esteem while on the path to love. One’s weaknesses is a part of the stepping stones that one should acknowledge. We all know that no one is perfect and everyone has some negative qualities. We can say that those negative qualities are meant to initiate the need for others, it is what is called social need. Also, people who use his or her weakness against him or herself would not be able to heal successfully. The universality of this concept should enhance the comfort and satisfaction, which eventually creates positivity hence an opportunity for the enhancement of healing. From the book, ‘our being and God's Being is one' (Chopra 10)’, reveals that we were created in the resemblance of God. Therefore, anyone who needs healing must first love him or herself, which will lead them faster towards the target. Also, people’s attitudes are the keys to determine their lovability. Self-love is very important that will make people have dignity and importance, which will eventually boost his or her self-esteem. The self-love will also cause others’ consistent need of love and then reduce the dissatisfaction. People’s personalities express the perfect comprehension. I agree with this idea because adherence can stop one’s misleading life from others, it can stop people copying others’ personalities of the ways of livings. On the other hand, enhance self-love can lead a discontinued “slavery” lifestyle, which means stop live to please others to gain their love or sympathy. The fact that love is natural should naturally dictate it towards one, not by any constant influence that affects personality. Therefore, I believe in exact self-acceptance about personality, which is beyond the physical appearance and is the basis of one's definition. A Larger percentage of healing is dependent on one's psychology which can only be improved by being confident with oneself. When the confidence is insufficient, then fear generates leading one to selfishly look for love just for security as highlighted in the text. Just as nature expresses unconditional love, it avails a perfect illustration of how generosity with self is a major contributor to any kind of healing that the body may require. Trust oneself; it is an expression of confident to myself just like the sunshine that eventually generates a positive satisfaction which leads to happiness, that makes me not to seek for security in another's love, but becomes love. The author also discourages the search for the right person but encourages one to be the right person. It is easy to find a right person; however, it is difficult to be the right person. Become a right person; people need to improve themselves in many ways. This applies when a relationship is to be initiated. Since all relationships are reflections, when in love, most people are often able to note down their best traits about given partners in the relationship, then they tend to express the traits in themselves. This case is similar to that of Clare in the text which is described as love gluttony (Chopra, 100). Such a situation does not enhance completion of the need for love, but it more of inspiration. As natural as love is, it should be based on simplicity that comes by being the right person that I expect to see in another person. Chopra puts love as just a state of awareness, in which asking for more love will not enhance my psychological peace which is a major contributor to healing. Actually, quantification of love that one may need is the beginning of psychological disturbance. I tend to argue that, instead of quantifying love, I should express unconditional and unrestricted love for self and others, as this will light up our world. Eventually, it starts to think general positivity of worthiness and possibility of being lovable. Love for self and others should be made a principle that is not dependent on anything. In the Way of the Peaceful Warrior, even though Dan is a champion and good looking he is unhappy. The Socrates helps Dan begin his life as a peaceful warrior. He also begins his mentorship by first changes Dan’s mind. To change his mind, the Socrates operates Dan’s energies to show him how his life would have turned if he did not meet him. As he is shown his future, he sees how lonely he could be throughout his life until he grows old and dies and maybe that is what he would have ended up to be. He is a frustrated man, and the mentor tells him that he cannot control the results he gets in life, but he can control his efforts which even frustrates him more because he doesn’t comprehend the significance of this instructions. However, things are not absolute. The outcomes that people get in life are as a result of the efforts that people put in then people can control outcomes by controlling their efforts. For example, the student can control the grades they get at school depending on the effort they put into their studies. The mentor changes Dan’s life through giving him a life lesson which is he has to give up knowing the answers to every question but accept living the mysterious life of not knowing the unknown. This shows that we don’t always have control over some things in life, but rather we have to accept, deal with and embrace tragedies and their consequences which will help us be active in our growth and life changes. Through the advice that the Socrates gives him after watching a film “The Great Escape,” it shows that he faced distractions like sex and movie. He is told that he needs to escape them because they prevent him from facing his fears in life. The Socrates also shows him that he is a slave of his mind’s moods and impulses as he falls in love with Joy and ignores the Socrates advice but after a few lessons with him, he matures to a person who is ready for the sword thus his mind has to remain clear “Take out the trash. Clear your mind of everything you don't need (doubt, past failures, future victories …” ("Dan Millman - Way of the Peaceful Warrior"). People's mind controls their feelings and the way they act, so they must resist being slaves to their mind to reach greatness. From the book it is evident that achievements aren’t the straight path to life’s happiness, but freeing the mind and leading heathy life instead leads to the happiness. The way of the peaceful warrior can be achieve d through meditation, eating a supper heathy diet, developing attentiveness as well as maintaining an inner calmness regardless of the circumstances on if in, (Millman, 2012). The poems in “The Breathing House” have explored the question of female's position in society. Women and men are to blame for the problem, but it takes a change in attitude to make things right. In the push for gender equality, women should realize that they could do everything that men do. No woman was ordained to follow a man for financial support. Therefore, men should not take advantage of women just because of their financial resources. To have equal right between women and men, women should put themselves in a correct position and let themselves become independently. Women can be more powerful than man. Women should try hard to build their economic powerbases, and every other thing will follow including social and political power. The last poem, “Inner Café,” is the reaction to the difficult. The days will be better when a woman walks into a café, order whatever she wants, finish her business, and go back home unbothered with the men around her. There would be no need to dress sexily with the aim of attracting a man’s attention to buy her a drink and drive her home. Works Cited Brandler, Marcielle. The breathing house: imagist poems. IUniverse, Inc., 2006. Millman, Dan. Sacred journey of the peaceful warrior. HJ Kramer, 2004. Millman, Dan. Body Mind Mastery: Training for Sport and Life. New World Library, 2010. "Dan Millman - Way Of The Peaceful Warrior Book Review." Project Life Mastery, 3 Apr. 2012, projectlifemastery.com/Dan-Millman-way-of-the-peaceful-warrior-book-review/#. Trungpa, Chogyam. Journey without a goal: The tantric wisdom of the Buddha. Shambhala Publications, 2000. Read More