Two Hermits

 

There is an essay that I posted in my first blog, which I feel is good enough to share again.  It was a midterm response for a college class, and the prompt was to compare two people reading historical texts at the time they were written.  The books were the Book of Matthew and The Poem of the Cid.  For even comparison, I chose the reader to be the same role, a hermit.

I arrived at Clapp Hall on time, and the midterm started immediately.  There was still one thing I needed to do.  I asked a TA for permission, and she let me out into the hallway to look up one last thing, warning me that it was taking up my testing time.  Outside in the vestibule, I combed through The Book of the Cid just to count how many times God was mentioned.  I noted the number, took the midterm, and aced it.

Here are the links to my first blog, Caroline’sChronicles of Crime, and original entry, Two Hermits.

Then the following is my essay.

Caroline Friehs
University of Pittsburgh
Western Civilization I
Section: 10AM
Date:  3-31-03

Midterm Question:  Take two people from society, one from the time the Book of Matthew was written, and one from the time when the Poem of the Cid was written.  Write how they would have viewed the book.  Compare their views.

My Answer:

This is a comparison between two hermits; one who heard the Cid, & the other, the Book of Matthew.  It’s important to compare the two characters as the same roles in society to make a better comparison of time.

Matthew:  In given the Circumstances, I am a hermit living in what seems to me the middle of no where.  I was a very educated man enough to have read the Bible, and my favorite book was the book of Matthew.  That was well before I became a hermit.  It wasn’t until my incurable illness developed that I headed to my cave for the sake of others not catching it.  I look back at the book of Matthew, and I even kept a copy to read before I die.

                It’s amazing that Jesus performed so many miracles, healing people like me, and it is ironic I was born later than his time.  I wonder if Jesus is with me even now?  I read now, Chapter 8.  In 8:2-3, “And behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.  And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean, and immediately his leprosy was cleaned.”  All it takes is his hand, yet in his physical absence, all I will get is his spiritual hand.  When that comes my ailment will be gone through death.  In the same chapter, there is a storm at sea, which Jesus calms.  It begins 8:24-26, “And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.  And his disciples came to him, and awoke him saying, Lord, save us: we perish.  And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?  Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and then and there was a great calm.”  I feel the storm within me, this disease.  It grows more painful everyday.  I wish for the calm to come for me.  I flip the pages.  I feel so strongly about the mysteries of this faith because my death is underway, and the mystery will be solved.  I have faith that I will go to heaven.  In Chapter 13, the Parable which Jesus speaks of, about the sower and the seeds interests me.  I know that I am not the one among the thorns, nor am I the seed upon the rock.  I am still a Christian, and I believe in all the words of Jesus; no other, therefore I am not set out for animals to eat away.  I have strong roots in the good soil, and I have grown into a tree bearing good fruit.  This tree is about to die.  At the end of the book, Jesus is crucified, which he accepts.  I will have to accept my death if I am to transcend to Heaven.

 

Cid:  Long after that hermit’s death, time went on, and there was another hermit.  This is his story.

                Here in the mountains, in Spain, I dwell here for my own security.  I ran away at a tender age, and no one has yet found me.  If anyone does find me, I’ll claim to be severely ill.  By now, no one should recognize me, since I’ve aged so much.  I don’t even know my age any longer.  I ran away, because the dominance of religion in society was driving me into insanity.  The hypocrisies of the bible and the concept of worship give me rage.  To love only God is not to love thy neighbor.  Jesus is not the reason why I am an atheist, yet the arrogance of the people who are less than holy. 

I am not even literate anymore.  The last time I came across a book was a couple of years ago.  Along came a wounded traveler.  I helped him, and in exchange for my kindness I didn’t want any money, for I had not use for it.  Instead I wanted him to read me his book, the Poem of the Cid.  After he had read it, he was astonished at my reaction.  I hold him half of the time I was not listening to the story, but I manage to take note to the great number of references to God and Christianity.  In the book, god was mentioned 143 times, but the majority of the time, praise was given for unholy reasons.  The Cid and his followers killed and robbed people in the name of god, and at the same time not considering thy neighbor’s feelings or lives.  “I win battles as it pleases the Creator,” (p. 153, stanza 122), “I can be certain of defeating them with God on my side,” (p. 143, stanza 114), “overjoyed that by God’s favor they had won the day,” and “Attack them my knights, for the love of God!” – All these quotes cause me great anger over what God’s purpose is.  Yes, god spared their lives in time of risk, but they took other people’s lives, whom no one had the heart to mourn over.  Do unto thy neighbor as thou dost unto thyself.  How could they not recognize their hatred?  Even in the Bible it talks about how you treat others will be how the Father treats you after death.  Justice doesn’t seem to be granted for the Cid.  He always wins, and ever so simply, never even expecting victory.  He thinks his victories of blood and gold are god given.  The only time there is a loss for him, the loss is the treatment of his daughters.  Since he is not the one directly hurt, his sense of self worth is given more fuel to win the battle at the end of the epic.  It’s easy to always be the hero and always win, but he never experienced his daughters’ pain.  What would have happened to his confidence then?

Even though these two characters are hermits, they have polar viewpoints.  In one time period where God is important in terms of God’s teachings, the hermit feels strong about religion, and feels truly concerned about his afterlife.  The other, in times of war and persecution of Moors, becomes a recluse to society because of the misuse of god and religion.

Grade: A

Professor’s note:  I enjoyed this – Your 2^nd hermit did a good job to hide away – a skeptic like that would be a prime target of the inquisition!