Throughout this course, there was a constant reference to Christianity in the main books we read. Mama, Hamlet, and even Gatsby made a reference to one of the pillars of literature, the bible. In Hamlet and Raisin in the sun, we can also see the profound power that words carry. Words from the ghost led Hamlet to his destruction and words convinced Walter to believe his friend which eventually led to the lost of Walter's investment money and the abortion of his dreams. So, as we can see biblical references and the power of words were prevalent throughout the course. In light of this, I decided to make this blog post to connect a bible story to the power of words/language.
Tower Of Babel Summary - Genesis 11:1-10
Up until this point in the Bible, the whole world had one language - one common speech for all people. The people of the earth became skilled in construction and decided to build a city with a tower that would reach to heaven. By building the tower they wanted to make a name for themselves and also prevent their city from being scattered. God came to see their city and the tower they were building. He perceived their intentions, and in His infinite wisdom, He knew this "stairway to heaven" would only lead the people away from God. He noted the powerful force within their unity of purpose. As a result, God confused their language, causing them to speak different languages so they would not understand each other. By doing this, God thwarted their plans. He also scattered the people of the city all over the face of the earth.
Key Points
- Words are like seeds.
- God knew the power words had.
- God knew words can either make or break people.
- God knew that in order to stop their progress all that needs to be done was take away or in this case confuse their words so that what they are saying is infertile and does not provoke any action.
Connection to Course Content
- Through words the people were able to communicate ideas strong enough to lead people away from God. But, more importantly, there words were strong enough to attract God's attention. These people hadn't actually began building the tower but God know if he didn't intervene, nothing can stop the people because they had already used their words to capture a reality(the tower).
- This goes to show us once again how truly powerful word are. Words can change and control the chain of events in someone's life and that's what it did for Hamlet. Words also carry the power to build strong conviction in people whether rightfully so or not, and that's exactly what it did for Walter through Willy Harris and George Wilson through Tom.
Conclusion
To conclude, it is evident that words do carry a great power that many cease to understand. But, the inability for people to comprehend this reality does not seem to stop words from having an impact on our lives every single day. Throughout this course we read plays, books, stories, and a novel that contain the mysterious power that words indeed carry. In these readings, references to christianity is also something that never ceased. So, when we look through the bible story of the Tower of Babel, we can see the true power of words in literature and in our world today.
Video on the Power of Words.
Until Next Time!
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