"The Bad Wife"
"Bizarrone Fools the Devil"
"Bearskin"
Other relevant tales
Reminder: Faust is due Monday -- it is the first reading in the textbook. You do not have to read the prologue in heaven. You can go right to the text. It is the one by Goethe; there is another by Christopher Marlowe that you do not have to read.
Today in class we discussed how creatures of the undead symbolize a "challenge" to God. However I must disagree with this as I believe there is absolutely no correlation between the idea of the undead and God.
ReplyDeleteOne of the undead creatures we mentioned in class was the vampire. Vampires have been mentioned throughout history all across the globe, even before religion,as we know it, came about. In ancient Mesopotamian mythology a creature known
as the Lamashtu existed. The Lamashtu was depicted as a demon that would kidnap breast feeding children and feast on their bones as well as drink their blood. In ancient Rome and Greece a avian creature known as the Striges was thought to
feast on the blood of humans. While both of these creatures were believed to plague different parts of the world and have drastically different appearances, both of them had on thing in common. They both sustained themselves by feasting
on blood. They may be vastly different however, because they sustain themselves by feasting on the blood of humans. This sole attribute is what defines a vampire.
Vampire superstition become more prolific during the eighteenth century. This sudden increase in vampire mythology was due to large amounts of unexplained deaths. At that time when a person died "doctors" would try to examine their
corpses in order to find out why said person had died. When a corpse was dug up to be examined people would notice the corpse looked very much alive, the corpse would have grown longer nails and hair, have blood around its mouth, and have a bloated stomach. While in modern times we
know that these "living" effects are a result of bacteria and decay, back then people did not know as to why the corpse had "grown" after death. Upon seeing these "grown/living" people would assume that some sort of unholy reanimation had taken place, thus vampires. Later on down the
road vampires were elaborated on by authors such as Bram Stoker. As time passed people began adding their own traits to vampires, such as being weak to crosses.
Another undead creature mentioned in class was the zombie. A zombie is defined as a animated corpse that has been brought back to life. While zombies may seem like simple myths, it is very possible that zombies could exist.
For instance ,as mentioned in class, there is a genus of fungi known as cordyceps. Cordyceps essentially turn insects and other anthropods into "zombies". Once a insect/anthropod has ingested the cordyceps they loose control
over their own body. The cordyceps then command the insect to do as it bid, such as climbing to a high point in a forest. Once the cordycep has used the insect to the fullest it kills the insect, sprouts out of it, and repeats the
cycle. Cordyceps are not the only "zombie makers" in nature, there are a miriad of other organisms that turn their hosts into "zombies", such as Leucochloridium Paradoxum. Who is to say that a hundred years from now these organisms won't
evolve and begin to effect humans?
It should also be mentioned that the mythology of zombies most likely originated in Haiti. It is believed that voodoo was used to turn humans into zombies. Here is a brief article on Haitian zombies: http://mindhacks.com/2012/01/11/a-medical-study-of-the-haitian-zombie/
The undead aren't beings made to challenge god. In some cases they are simply stories, in others explanations to the unknown, and in some cases they are reality.
This week we have discussed in class how in all three tales the devil is depicted as foolish, comical, and powerless. In all of these tales the devil usually gets tricked and we see a human mentality's in him such as being scared and not being able to stand up for himself. In Bizarrone the devil is easily tricked my bizarrone multiple times. One example would be when they are sleeping on the grill and the devil drops rocks on bizarrone, who saw that the devil was more bulky than usual and that something was strange. So when the rocks fell, bizarrone said he might have been bite by a mosquito making the devil even more scared and overwhelmed over the strength of bizarrone. Another example is when the devil goes chasing bizarrone and he see him sitting on the ground with his feet up and finds out that bizarrone had kicked the donkey into heaven and was waiting for him to come down. The devil panics and leaves immediately and once again is tricked by a mere human. Therefore all those stories contradict our view of the devil who is a evil person who is strong and powerful. These stories however convey that the human condition overcomes and defeats the devil. The short spanish film shows our conception of the devil.
ReplyDeletehttp://bitcast-a.bitgravity.com/vhl/flash/imagina_video/videoplayer.html?webvideo=u3_epi1_clip8_H
I agree with you Gary, that in the tales the devil is depicted as a foolish and easy to trick person. In the bad wife the man is able to trick the imp to leave by telling him the bad wife is coming. In the Spanish film it shows how the devil is fair and doesn't force you to make a deal. It also shows that after you make a deal with the devil it will not end good. It tries to show us that no earthly material objects is worth condemning your soul for all eternity to the devil.
DeleteDDan
Gary, I watched the film. The film seems to show the dangers of dealing with the devil, the misconception that good can come from evil. I would love for you to develop what you see specifically in the devil's characterization that matches "our conception of the devil".
ReplyDeleteOur conception of the devil often is that he is bad and sinister and always tries to tempt us. The conception that we heavily rely on whether it be in literature, media, or halloween is that the devil is a evil person who is out to get our souls. This conception in my opinion is wrong and many people believe in this conception too much. As we know in the bible there is a mention to heaven and hell and god and the devil we associate everything generally bad with the devil. This is our conception because the devil is seen to trick us and get our soul just like he tricks the poor man and takes his face when they rob the bank. However the conception of the devil that I have is that whether or not he may exist or have a human form he is definitely a mindset. He is a mindset in which temptation is used to make us do the wrong thing. For example in the film the man was manipulated into doing the wrong thing because he needs money and he needs it very badly. The man still knows that he is doing the wrong thing by robbing the bank but though temptation he takes the easy way out and faces severe consequences. The devil can also be a mindset since God has given us free will to choose between right and wrong. Every time we make a decision our subconscious mind tells us what is right and wrong. Through the temptation aspect we are inclined to do the wrong thing but still are aware as we are doing the wrong thing. Therefore through free will we have the opinion to do the right thing but whether we choose to depends on us entirely.
DeleteI agree with you Gary in the aspect that the devil gets a lot more blame than he is supposed to. People were created with free will and this gives people the right to choose between right and wrong. This means that we as to blame for all the evil in the world. Ofcourse the devil introduced evil into the world in the Garden of Eden but since then it was up to us to choose what we thought was right.
DeleteToday in class we watched the clip Gary had shared and started an in depth disscussion of how humans interact with the devil and their desire to attain wealth and prosperity. The clip starts off with a man who draws a pentagram and performs a demonic ritual in hopes of summoning the devil. His efforts are successful, leading to the devil driving up in a luxurious car, dressed in an expensive suit. The devil offers him a lot of money in return for the man helping him pull off a bank heist. As the car pulls away the license plate becomes readable, revealing "mef 666" clearly the 666 is an obviously identifiable number often associated with the devil. Yet the "Mef" at first would just seem to be a normal trio of letters. The license plate already reveals a trace of numerology, which leads me to believe that the "mef" has a deeper meaning. The "M" is the 13th letter of the alphabet. It is considered to be a relatively unlucky number. The "E" is the 5th letter, which represents the five vertices of a pentagram and the "F" is the 6th letter, 6 being a commonly associated number of the devil. This foreshadows the outcome of events in the clip. The man is without luck (13) draws a pentagram (5) then summons the devil (6). After the man and the devil pull off the bank heist the devil keeps his promise and gives the man a decent sum of money in return for a bloody thumb print of the man on what seems to be a contract made by the devil. The man then goes home, the footage of the heist on television, leading to the sight of police sirens. The man is most likely apprehended and imprisoned for his crime. This clip reveals the sad truth that humans, in time of desperation, will commit unforgivable crimes in hopes to attain something temporary. The later occurence of consequences makes these individuals regret their actions but by that time it is already too late.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.oocities.org/draconisblkthn/666913.html
DeleteLink elaborates on certain satanic Numerolgy.
*Contains disturbing satanic symbols and literary content. Enter at your own discretion
Joe, I too noted the license plate but did not know what the MEF meant. Thank you for your insight.
DeleteThis week in class we've talked a lot about works in which someone makes a deal with the devil. Not only were these works very entertaining, they also gave me a new view of the human condition. I realize that the human condition is that humans do not make decisions based on their future or "afterlife". However, they make there decisions based on the immediate impact it can have on their physical lives. An example of this is the Spanish man in the film we watched in class from Gary. This man shows he is religious by crossing himself and having a picture of Mary in his home. However, he summons the devil in order to find money, not paying mind to the consequences he will face in the future. He was more concerned with getting money ASAP instead of being faithful. Through all of this, he displays the human condition, the longing for happiness as soon as possible.
ReplyDeleteJDiC
I definitely agree with you Joe. After this week's discussions I was opened to a new view of the human perspective as well. Most characters make choices that they know what will happen to them instead of basing their decisions on their afterlife. I also agree with you when you made the point that people make decisions on their physical life. After watching Gary's film I realized that the poor man wants instant gratification. In order to fulfill his wants he summoned the devil who offered him an option of obtaining money. I like your point where you said "He was more concerned with getting money ASAP instead of being faithful." The man was seen to be a religious figure because he make the sign of the cross and had a painting of Mary. I feel he should have just been faithful to God and kept praying instead of taking the "easy-way-out" in a sense. Sometimes it is better to struggle and be faithful than to be rich and sinful.
DeleteJDeM
I also agree with your perspective Joe. I believe that the protagonist in the film was maybe too ambitious for a higher status in life. You can't really say his action of "making a deal with the devil" was out of desperation to provide for his family because at the end of the film we see the protagonist lives in a home, with a number of paintings on the wall along with a television. Clearly, if he was that desperate for money he could have sold something in his home. Its not like the family had no shelter so I think Joe DeMaio couldn't have said it better that the man was "taking the easy way out." This is opposite from Bearskin because the soldier had absolutely nothing, not even a family willing to take him in their home because he was "no use to us." So in this instance I believe Bearskin had no other option but to take his chances in making a deal with the devil. In conclusion, I still believe that the man in the film should have kept his priorities straight with his religion being more important then making a quick few bucks. As we learn over and over in Religion class, if you have faith in God, he will eventually provide for you.
DeleteI definitely agree with Tom, the man in Bearskin and the man in the short film from class are the complete opposite. The man in the short film had some basic necessities he wasn't as poor as the man from Bearskin. He had a house and a family which should be there to support him, he could have tried getting a job and making money the honest, respectable way but he chose the easy way. The man from Bearskin didn't have those opportunities and didn't have anyone to guide him the right direction or help him in any way. I still don't agree that the man from Bearskin had no other option because even if you have nothing left you shouldn't look to the devil for help. He made the wrong decision because like Tom said if you have faith in God, he will eventually provide for you, neither of these men showed any faithfulness to God nor did they show any patience. They wanted what they did right away, they weren't willing to wait for God to provide for them.
DeleteLJac
Gentlemen, though I see your perspective, I would like to challenge you in relation to Bearskin. Certainly, the soldier had no earthly possessions, but should the faithful care about such things? He too was blinded by a desire for material wealth. John the Baptist ate whatever the desert provided- which was pretty gross pickings. He did not worry about a roof over his head. Paul said, "To live is Christ; to die is gain." Essentially, both men, the main character in the film and Bearskin, were worried with the flesh. The truly faithful, as per the article we read in class, the recognized saints, were not afraid of death or discomfort. No reason seems good enough to deal with th devil. However, making deals exposes the vices of humanity.
DeleteIn short, I agree with Luke.
DeleteThis week's discussions opened my eyes to a new perspective of the human condition. Most characters make choices that will affect them in their present life because they know what the present life is. Because of that many characters do not base their decisions on what is going to happen to them after they die, they just want instant gratification in their present life. The film we watched in class relates back to the idea of instant gratification. At the beginning of the film the man is portrayed to be a poor individual for struggles to meet the necessary things for life. Soon he realized that his "last resort" was to summon the devil so he did. When the devil told him about the master plan the man was thrilled because he thought he would finally be able to solve all of his problems with money. Since the man only wanted instant gratification he was not thinking about what the consequences were if he robbed the bank. So he did what the devil said and later led him to his downfall. I realized that characters and humans would do anything to achieve happiness even if it’s sometimes against the law.
ReplyDeleteJDeM
I agree with you Joe, the man just wanted to get the money and did not care about the consequences of dealing with the devil. He didn't even care that his soul now belonged to the devil, that after he died he would suffer for all eternity in hell. In the tales we read they showed us how the devil can be easily tricked, but this film shows the truth that the devil is the one to trick people. Even though its the mans decision to go with the devil to rob the bank, the devil tricks him into thinking he will easily get the money. The devil takes form of the mans face and causes him to get arrested. The devils ultimate goal is to make humans suffer and get their souls.
DeleteDDan
I agree with both of you guys of how most characters only seem to care about immediate gratitude and not long term consequences. The decisions these characters make are deals with the devil. The character in the video summons the devil and now his soul belongs to the devil. The devil was there to trick the character into thinking that robbing the bank will be easy, little does he know that the devil takes the face of the character and causes him to be arrested. I have learned that people will do anything to achieve immediate happiness, not worrying about the consequences. This is also shown in Staten Island, many kids are overdosing on drugs and this leads back to being tempted by the devil and also finding happiness and not caring about the consequences that follow. They are selfish, only caring about themselves.
DeleteThroughout this weeks discussions we mostly talked about the characterization of the devil and how he is portrayed in a few literary works. In many of these works the devil is seen as obviously evil, but I found the devil to be smart in the sense of making people trick themselves. I great example of this is shown in the video Gary posted. The video portrays a tale of a poor man trying to save his family by gaining a significant amount of money. It appears he has run out of good ideas and makes a deal with the devil, the devil (who the poor man doesn't know is the devil) says he will help him get the money and they rob a bank. before they rob the bank the man puts a mask on while the devil doesn't, this is a key moment because on the security camera shown later in the video the devil, takes the face of the poor man and the police track him down as he walks into the front door of his house with all of the stolen money. The devil is smart because he does help the poor man get his money but also gets what he wants by capturing another soul. If the poor man could have realized what he was doing when he woke up on the pentagram he could've avoided it all
ReplyDeleteCArn
I think you make an interesting point here Chris. Although, in the short Spanish film, I believe that the man is aware that the guy who arrives in the white vehicle is the devil because the night before he had created the pentagram on the floor and when he woke up he was sleeping right in the middle of it. I believe the devil was more fair then anything because he does not force the man to get in the car nor rob the bank but rather offers him the help to get the money that he needed. I have to disagree in feeling sympathy for the poor man because he was the one who made the decision to draw the pentagram, he was the one who decided to get in the car with the devil, and he was the one who did not opt out of going inside the bank despite seeing the jars of souls in the devil's trunk.
DeleteGDiS
Indeed Chris. The devil puts humans in a situation where it is hard for refusal. The poor man from the video needed money and he was willing to do anything. But it isn't just this poor man, its all of humanity. Humans are willing to do anything when they have nothing left. If a human feels like they have no other option they would go to the extreme to get what they want. In the class discussion we noted that the devil wasn't a bad guy. He seems more like a business man. If I help you, you have to do this for me. That's how I portray the devil.
DeleteI agree with Gary, I don't feel sympathy because the man has a statue of Mary in his house, he appears to be a religious man but when he became desperate for money and had nothing else to do, instead of doing what most religious people would do and pray and keep hoping to find a way to make money, he draws a pentagram and calls on the devil. He fell into temptation which shows his faith wasn't that strong, now everyone sooner or later will fall into temptation but not to the point where they call upon the devil to help them, He knew exactly what he was getting himself into and I don't feel bad because he tried to take the easy way out. He had to have known who the man was who pulled up in the car because that is what he was there for and now he has to pay the consequences of going against God and choosing the devil by going to jail. The devil tricked the man and that was how the devil was able to take his soul from him, the man sold his sold to the devil for a quick solution to his problems.
DeleteLJac
The thing that I found most interesting this week was how the devil in both the tails and the short film is proven to be a fair and not se evil creature opposed to his more commonly known characteristics of being evil and unfair as seem most commonly in the Catholic religion. A prime example of how the devil is portrayed is in the short Spanish film. The devil whom is called upon by the man does not force him into anything. He doesn't force the man into his car, nor does he force him to rob the bank; rather the devil gives the man the option to help him get acclaim the money or not This in my opinion helps the devil come off as someone who isn't so cruel and unfair. In bizarrone, the devil also seems to be very fair. When he asks of things from his worker, he supplies him with whatever materials in which the man asks for. Ultimately, it is the devil who seems to be taken advantage of by the man therefore is not seen as such a bad character rather one people may seem sympathy for.
ReplyDeleteGDiS
Gary i agree with you in the sense that the devil in the Spanish film had no forceful actions towards the man. The devil simply suggested the things for the man to do and the man went along with it. The man chose for himself to get into the car with the devil and then made his own decision of robbing the bank. The man clearly did not see what type of consequences could come from his decisions. The bottom line of it is that these were his decisions and the devil gave him a fair choice to make. The devil is portrayed as a fair character in both this film and the short stories. I agree in Bizarrone the devil can even draw sympathy to himself. After hiring bizarrone to work for him the devil doesnt argue he gives bizarrone the tools the asks for to do the jobs the devil needs him to do. It is bizarrone who begins to fool the devil and make the devil feel inferior and frightened. Bizarrone exhibits great wisdom and strength that devil feels he can not match. Finally the devil's wife mocks him for feeling this way but the devil does not care once he thinks bizarrone kicked his donkey into the sky and was waiting for the donkey to fall back to earth.
DeleteGary claims that the Devil did not use forceful tactics and is thereby relieved of his unfair and evil characteristics, but the Devil does not in fact deviate from his prime sinful motives. The Devil may not have forced the man to do anything, but his conspiring and trickery are just as immoral. With the sole intent of taking the man’s soul, the Devil deceives him into robbing a bank with visions of wealth and plenty. The man hesitantly listens but ultimately finds himself very pleased with the amount of money they had stole. To his surprise the Devil had taken the form of his face and exposed him as the thief. Consequently, the Devil’s lack of force is refuted with his use of temptation and deception. These acts are both unfair and evil, therefore, not excusing the Devil of his sinful characteristics and Catholic portrayal.
DeleteYes, Gary, these works made me think of the Rolling Stones song "Sympathy for the Devil". The song shows how pop culture has perverted and trivialized the evil that the Devil represents.
Delete"Just as every cop is a criminal
And all the sinners saints
As heads is tails just call me Lucifer
I'm in need of some restraint
So if you meet me, have some courtesy
Have some sympathy and some taste
Use all your well learned politics
Or I'll lay your soul to waste, mmm yeah"
One thing that I found relatively strange in this week's readings was how the devil was out-witted in most of the stories. Our common beliefs of the devil as catholics is this clever, tempting, evil power that we need to resist. In the story with the shepherd, the shepherd makes a deal with the devil in which he will receive money for standing up against the devil. The devil informs him not to save the king though. However, the shepherd goes against the devils word and stands up against him and tricks him by threatening to use Katcha against him. In El Bizzarone, the devil is tricked once again. The devil attempts to kill El Bizzarone by dropping stones on him. However, El Bizzarone catches on to the devils plan and he sleeps in a different area. After the devil drops the stones El Bizzarone says he was bit by a mosquito, showing he did not fear the devil. This scared the devil and he sent off El Bizzarone with money so he was free from him. In both these cases, the devil seems to be the one who is being tricked, going against our human belief.
ReplyDeleteJDiC
Joe, I agree with you as well growing up in a catholic house I have always seen the devil as a witty, conniving and scary figure. In El Bizzarone I also find the appearance of the devil odd. In the text they never say anything out of the ordinary like you would expect in the appearance of the devil. Also, like you said, it is not usual to read a story where the devil is outwitted and gets taken advantage of. Another thing if like to bring up about the appearance of the devil in the story with the Shepard is how the devil is recognized by the green coat instead of the color red, which we are regularly affiliated with him wearing.
DeletePPiz
I agree with paul and joe. It definitely is not usual that you read or hear of a story where the Devil is being outsmarted. It goes way back in time to Adam and Eve when sin was created and the devil tricked them both into eat the poison apple. Usually you hear about the Devil tricking someone or many people into doing something that will only hurt them in the long run, for example like what happened to the man in the video we saw in class. The devil helped him out with a problem that was present in his life but in the end in only bit him in the butt. Eve was curious about eating the apple and the sneaky, manipulative snake tricked her into eating in, therefore leading Eve to get Adam to eat it as well. It is unusual that the devil is taken advantage of but in some cases we are about to outsmart him and take advantage of him instead of letting him try to manipulate us with evil thoughts and acts.
DeleteAs a few classmates have already noted, I wonder if we abuse the concept of being "tricked by the Devil" with making bad choices as exhibiting free will.
Delete"Abuse" should be "confuse"
DeleteThroughout this week we have constantly discussed how these stories are encouraging sin and that there are no reprocusions for sinning. However, yet again, I
ReplyDeletemust disagree with this statement. In all of the stories we have read God is never refered to and in some cases
the reward from the devil is only short term.
In every tale the human manages to triumph over the devil and walks away without any direct ramifications. However
in some cases , such as in The Bad Wife, the rewards are only short term. For instance the husband becomes praised
by the villagers as a healer and all his riches come to him due to being seen as a healer. However the only reason
the husband is able to "heal" the afflicted is because he struck a deal with the imp. Once the imp flees the husband
looses his ability to "heal". Though the imp may be gone, people will still get sick in the town and when they do
they will seek out the husband and ask him to heal them. Without the imp at his side the husband will be unable to
"heal" anyone. Eventually the townspeople will find out that the husband is a fraud. When this happens the husband
will most likely be striped of all lands, titles, and sentanced. Once the husband dies he will have to face God,
as will all the other characters in the other stories once they die, who will pass judgement on him.
Though it may seem as if dealing with the devil is beneficial, it is only short term.
This weeks readings really opened up my mind to another perception of the devil. The Catholic description of the devil is tricky and deceptive and he is trying to bring you to hell and turn you evil. However in these stories, the devil is fair and almost non- judgmental of people. In these readings, the people are depicted as the evil ones and the devil just does what he is expected to do. The devil doesn't go out and find a victim, the people just come to him. Also, the devil in the Church's view is a serpent, he is ugly and unlikeable, but in the readings and the film we watched, the devil is classy, he is in a suit and looks like a businessman. I think these two variations of the devils appearance really creates a different view of the devil for the reader. If the devil is a serpent, people are turned away from him, but if the devil is dressed as a businessman, the reader will be more receptive of the devil.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Chris, its almost like the devil knows how the people are going to react, he doesn't seem to be ugly or serpent like in the pieces of literature and video we talked about in class. I like how you said, "The devil doesn't go out and find a victim, the people just come to him." because I reconized this immediately in the video and pieces of literature. The way the devil is dressed is key because that is how he will get people to seal the deal with his contract.
DeleteCarn
I also agree with you Chris. Examples of how the people come to the Devil are like in that film when the man needs money he finds the Devil and at the end the Devil tricks him and he gets caught. The Devil is seen as almost a regular person who finds desperate people and tricks them into making bad decisions. It all depends on how the Devil is looked upon as you said. It is the characterization and traits of the Devil that people get tricked upon.
DeleteBO'Su
As you guys said how the Devil is portrayed as kind of good rather than bad because of the way he is dressed or shown is true. There was a video I watched in Spanish class where the Devil was shown as a man in a business suit and some poor man summoned him to help him get money. As you guys said, this shows how the people go to the Devil. The Devil did get the man the money by robbing a bank but the man didn't know that the Devil used the mans face so when the police saw the camera recording it showed that the man did the robbing. So the man winded up going to jail. This shows how the Devil really is bad no matter if he's shown in a suit or as a serpent.
DeleteI was not crazy about how the discussions went in class this week. I feel that they brought up unnecessary tension. I also feel that these works do not have a purpose of glorifying the devil, but I do feel that we should not get sucked in to the thought that the devil is not what we are taught he is. I 100% believe that the devil is the opposite of the characters portrayed in the works. I believe he is ruthless and has means of total damnation. I do not believe that these petty consequences in the stories would be ones that Satan would stir up. There have been accounts of possession and exorcisms, but all of a sudden he leaves a wife in a pit? Not a shot. I also feel we shouldnt dumb down this topic because it is obviously a controversial one in our class...
ReplyDeleteI too feel as if the fairy tale portrayals of Satan are untrue. Although we can not physically prove it, Satan is not out to help us. He is out to destroy us, leaving us corrupt and damned. In the fairy tales discussed this week in class, the characters benefit from making deals with the devil. One fairy tale in particular is "The Bad Wife." In this, the main character (the peasant) becomes rich and happy after working with the devil (the imp). I feel that the video we watched in class this week has a more accurate portrayal of the devil. In the video, a man who once had faith (as depicted by the religious material seen in his house) becomes desperate and feels as if he must make a deal with the devil in order to provide for his family. The devil gives the man money after a contract is made (most likely in exchange for total damnation). Shortly after, the man is screwed over by the devil which would lead to a life of misery in jail followed by an afterlife in hell.
DeleteCLio
Mr. Lanfranchi i couldn't agree more. I've had a busy weekend but i have been looking foreword to replying to your blog. I feel like it indeed is a very controversial topic in class discussion. I understand that we have heated discussions sometimes and that we are only trying to expand our ability to learn about different things but certain topics, like this one for explain sometimes get a little heated and run high with emotions. I feel like the portrayal of the devil in the clip wasn't as bad as he truly is. I personally feel like the devil is the absolute lowest creature in the world, the scum of the earth (excuse my language). The film portrays the devil like it is trying to help us when in reality in the end it always just makes things worse for us. In the film it helped him out with the money to help his family but he knew it was wrong and in the end he lived a life in jail in complete damnation only to exit jail and enter into hell. I would never make any contract or pact with the devil and no matter what it offers you it will never be worth a eternity in hell.
DeleteI agree entirely with Anthony. I can't take how the devil gets portrayed as someone who is not that bad. When in essence we all know just how bad the devil really is. I feel like all works of literature should keep a constant portrayal of the devil, as it can be confusing for the young children. If an author wants to mock the devil they should do so in a satire. Otherwise they should keep a consistent view of him as a vicious character. I still cannot understand how in class discussion people said that the devil was not deceptive in the spanish film. I feel he was absolutely deceptive as he knew all along he was going to make the main character's life even worse. All in all we are entitled to our own opinions but sometimes we have to stand behind what we truly believe in.
DeleteI agree guys. I also want to touch on the fact that these works not only annoy me but the endless defenses behind these stories are ridiculous. People may think it may seem cool to make a deal with the devil, but their seemingly foolproof attempts show how this world changes. Those obsessed with the occult and who defend this stuff should come see me as I am 100% ready to defend my faith. That goes for all atheists too, I believe that these stories condone them and fuel the controversy even more.
DeleteGentlemen, as previous blogs have explored. The discussions this week should help us better understand how various cultures have perverted the Biblical character of the Devil and in doing so teach us something about human nature. Man's concerns are not in line with God's. This is a Biblucal concept grounded in the very belief of sin nature. These works give us insight into the human condition and his plight and corrupt priorities. However, many of your classmates raise interesting points here about man seeking out evil. The desperation of man knows no bounds. Recognizing evil in all it's forms, especially the most culturally trivialized ones, seems a worthy study for the faithful.
DeleteDuring this week the stories that we have read had a different depiction of the devil then what is seen in society today. When the devil is thought of in todays world people usually will link him to everything bad and as someone who tries to deceive and trick society into doing wrong. Also it is looked as if you give into the devil's tricks or help him your life will be horrible and you will go to hell. However in theses stories helping the devil is actually beneficial. these stories tell us that by helping him we will receive gifts in return, not eternal damnation. Also I feel that by making the devil a fool or someone easily fooled it creates an image mocking the devil, I feel that maybe the authors did believe in the devil that we think of today but wanted to depict a different image, one of a fair devil, so instead of having a clever devil who can draw people into his evils the authors used the complete opposite.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Dan, but I don't agree on how they made the Devil look beneficial in the story. The Devil is and always will be pure evil. It can do so many bad things to a person such as possession. It can ruin somebody's life in an instant. To me it does not make any sense. Society is right in treating everything with the Devil as something bad. In my opinion the story should not be giving off that message to people in any type of way. In my faith I will always believe the Devil is wrong and even through something as little as a story, will not open my mind up to anything more than my faith.
DeleteBO'Su
I agree with Brian all the way on this one. The Devil is and will always be a basic figure and form of evil. I also agree that possessions are showings of the devils power and strength over us. The Devil literally climbs inside our body and takes it over. I think it is not wise to think that the devil is foolish, because there have been many cases where the devil has been successful in possesing us, or something close to us. For example, the son of sam was a serial killer in the 1970's, he said the devil took the form of his dog and made him kill about a dozen people.
DeleteMPer
In class this week we discussed how the view of the devil is different to other cultures. To us, the devil is the most evil thing to be present in life and that by making a deal with him is the worst thing you can do. However in these texts the idea of making a deal with the devil seems to have no moral backlash. In "The Bad Wife" the peasant openly made a deal to the imp to let him go free if the imp gives him something in return. IN this culture it seems to me that they think that making a deal with the devil is not that bad if it involves personal gain. In all the stories we also see that the devil is fair. In "Bearskin" the devil willingly fulfills his end of the contract by freeing Bearskin and giving him riches. This shows that in other cultures the devil is fair. To us the devil will always try to get around his deals to always make the person lose. I strongly believe that our interpretation of the devil is more accurate than others. The devil is not fair and will always find a way to win. He is not the person to make a deal with no mater how large the personal gain is.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a good point Chris. To be honest when I was reading this I was thinking of the Jinnees from the other stories we just completed. In those stories the Jinnees are demons, some might be good while others are evil however a lot of people used them for personal gain and didn't think the better of it. For instance in Aladdin the Jinnee was really used with no consequence. To me this shows that in different cultures Jinnees are portrayed differently. In our culture you only get three wishes and Jinnees are tricksters as opposed to the ones from Aladdin's culture who grant every wish exactly how Aladdin wants it. This goes hand in hand with what you are saying because other cultures portray the Devil as being a man you can make a bet with or sell your soul too and get away with it or get around paying him where as in our culture you are done the moment you sell your soul to the Devil. However we must also realize that the way the Devil is portrayed has to do with religion as well as culture.
DeleteIn "The Bad Wife," I feel as if the peasant's wife is characterized as being more Satan-like than the imp (devil). Although the imp was making the peasant rich at the expenses of others, no one was left hurt in any way. Contrary to the actions of the peasants wife, whose every move was done to leave her husband and others miserable. Even the imp who is supposed to resemble the devil fears the wife of the peasant greatly. Her only purpose in the fairy tale is to make others miserable. She does this by doing the opposite of everything her husband asks her to do. This allows her to be easily fooled into trapping herself in the pit. She also makes others miserable by tormenting, biting and pinching the imp and the others who were in the pit. I feel as if the wife resembles the devil more than any other character in the fairy tale and the pit is symbolic of the hell she was sent into.
ReplyDeleteCLio
I don't agree that the wife is seen as Satan-like or the devil. To me the devil is seen as devious as it tempts people to do the wrong thing, the wife doesn't not have these characteristics. She just annoys her husband and the imp to a point that they hate her so much they'll do anything to get away from her. Yes she does make the other characters in the story miserable but she does not do anything particularly evil like the devil does. Also you mentioned that she was easily fooled into being trapped in the pit, the devil is supposed to trap other people not be the one who is trapped. My opinion is that because the wife is annoying and makes her husband and the imp miserable does not necessarily mean the she is the devil of the story.
DeleteJCro
I agree with Chris because the wife is portrayed as the bad guy in this story. The wife is put into a well and the imp is scared to go in there because of her showing that people should be scared of the wife. Also the imp bring the old man riches by making people sick and then the man cures them. This does show how the imp is in some sort of way portrayed as good. But when the wife comes out of the well looking for the imp, the imp gets scared and runs right back into the well so the wife won't get him. Another way the wife can be shown as being the devil is because of the way she treats everyone in the story. She is very mean to her husband for no reason and does the opposite of everything he says; therefore, showing how she is kind of evil.
DeleteThough you all have meaningful observations about how the wife is the least likable character in the tale, Joe seems to make a valid point that she does not have "evil" characteristics.
DeleteThe stories this week really portrayed the devil to be a weak and easily fooled creature. Most stories that i have read about him have shown the devil as an amazingly sly and tricky character. There would be no way that anyone could fool him. the stories that we read this week have a devil that is actually kind and foolish. In Bizarrone Fools the Devil, the devil actually hired a strong man to help him do work. We see the devil in other places with thousands of minion at his command, not hiring peasants for help around the house. The stories this week did not make me feel like we were actually reading about the devil, rather a powerful and blind fool.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. The devil was gullible. I felt that the purpose of the stories making the devil appear foolish was to show that maybe he is not as powerful as we have made him out to be. In most other stories the devil is portrayed as a character similar to the devil in the short spanish film. When you compare the two different portraying's of the devil you see similarities but the main difference is the strong powerful man. Without being strong and powerful the devil is really nothing as showed in these stories.
DeleteI too perceived the Devils from the stories as gullible and foolish, but more importantly, fairer. The stereotypical Devil is known for his trickery and deception, whereas the Devils in the stories are portrayed as fair and just. Primarily the stereotypical Devil is seen in the video of the Spanish man and Devil, and the fair Devil is from “Bearskin.” In “Bearskin” the Devil gives his rash circumstances, but also gives the protagonist a cloak with a pocket of infinite gold. The soldier is able to get through the many years of looking like a beast because of the fair-mindedness of the Devil. The Devil further expresses his fairness in the end of the story when he lives up to his word and restores the solider to his former human self. This Devil although fair, also resembles the Devil from the video. The acts of kindness he treated the soldier to were but a ploy to acquire two souls from the sisters rather than the soldiers one. Consequently, the Devils from the stories although gullible and foolish, are unlike the stereotypical tricky and deceptive Devil through their modesty and fairness.
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6RUg-NkjY4 . This is a link to the popular song "The Devil Went Down To Georgia". In this song a man named Johnny makes a bet with the Devil that he is the best fiddle player ever. If Johnny wins he will receive a golden fiddle, however if the Devil wins he gets Johnny's soul. As the song progresses we see Johnny win and the Devil leaves him. Even though we see a lot of people selling their souls to the Devil we also see a lot of people getting one over on the Devil. Just like in the song the Devil flees or loses in all of the stories we read. In "The Bad Wife" the man is able to trick the imp into the fact that the wife is returning when in all reality she isn't. Not only does he get rid of the imp that was controlling his life but he became a famous "doctor" in the process. The next story is "Bizarrone Fools the Devil". The Devil is seen more as a loser in this story as opposed to someone who runs because in the end of the story he doesn't run but chooses to leave Bizarrone alone because he fears him and his "strength". Finally we have "Bearskin" which portrays the Devil as a loser. "Bearskin" is closely related to the song in the fact that a bet was made. The man bets that he can go seven years without washing himself and must keep on the Devils coat. At the end of the seven years he will be free but if he fails he will die. In the end, just like Johnny, the man wins and the Devil leaves him alone. All in all getting one by on the Devil seems like a reoccurring event in these stories. All three characters are able to get stuff they desired and yet not be killed or have their soul stolen.
ReplyDeleteThe stories that we discussed in class this week gave my fellow class-mates and I a new way of looking at the devil. In our current culture, we distinguish the devil as a demon that shows no mercy on the bad and would do anything that he could to try and trick a person into his trap. In the stories we went over in class, the devil was the one being tricked which i felt was ironic. Because of what we are told about the devil from an early age is the reason why we believe the devil is this mean absolute ruler of hell, but in many cases the devil might not be as powerful and trick minded as we think. In the Spanish movie that we watched in class Friday, that was a story in which humans in our culture would portray the devil because of the sick tricks that he would pull in order for someone to be seen as evil. Once you got in on an agreement with the devil there was no way the main character was going to be able to get out of it. But in the readings, the protagonists were able to trick the devil at what we believe is his own game.
ReplyDeleteJVer
I agree with you Verdi, most people associate the devil as evil and unstoppable, but in "Bizarrone Fools the Devil" the protagonist proves that the devil is not so powerful. Bizarrone outsmarted the devil by making him believe he is immortal. For example, when Bizarrone was sleeping, the devil decided to drop two heavy rocks on him. Little did the devil know, Bizarrone changed his spot and the rocks did not fall on him. When the rocks fell, Bizarrone shouted "Ow, a mosquito bit me!". Bizarrone's ability to deceive the devil scared him into believing he might be immortal after all. The devil then tells him to leave so Bizarrone causes no harm to him. Therefore, the devil is easily tricked and is not powerful like other stories describe him.
DeleteYes Joe, I fully agree and believe in what is said in your blog, the devil can now in my opinion be seen in so many different ways, whether it be through literature, cinema, or even culture like you said. Growing up it is crazy how the idea of the devil and evil dramatically is altered as we gain knowledge. Stories like the ones in class are the types that give you a reality check for your fear of the devil because of the way the devil is like you said beat at his own game, which I feel all humans could do. As the devil is the ruler of hell he is also capable of being "dethroned" and prayerfully terminated, but like you stated he may not be as powerful as we believe. The film in retrospect can instill that fear back into us humans seeing a man or devil whom is able to take the face of another and successful trick a man into his trap. I feel though, that still the man could of avoided this by not even calling upon the devil in the first place.
DeletePDeM
Mr. Verdi I totally agree with you. I too predicted the devil to be this absolutely evil and mercyless on each of his victoms but in these stories, he was the total opposite. Although he was not what we thought out the devil to be, he did make deals with people for their own personal gain. I liked your statement about how we should not be afraid of the devil and how our thoughts alter especially after reading these stories. Being that I was absent on Novemeber 1st, I did watch the Spanish video in a previous Spanish class of mine. I was honestly shocked how the devil worshiper actually signaled the devil but unfortuunately for the character, he was tricked into the devil's evil twist.
DeleteJSch
The stories we looked into this week in class, serve as an interesting perspective of how a human can sort of "profile" or put a certain identity to the devil. In the world we live in, aside from devil worshipers, people think of the devil as deceitful, and ultimately an extremely evil figure. Although we do not know if these conceptions are true, these works give us another perspective of how the devil may be. In "The Bad Wife" , the Imp makes a deal with a peasant that if he lets him out of a pit, he will do him a good turn. So the peasant lets him go. It turns out that when it came time for the imp's good turn, the peasant ultimately led the imp back down into the pit. This story showed an interesting perspective of how the Imp is honorable in his deal and gets tricked by the peasant who received his good turn from the imp. It is typical to see a person be tricked by a devil, rather than to see the devil tricked by a human, which this work offers. In class we also watched a Spanish film offered by Gary Shah which shows a more conventional view of how a devil will be shady and deceptive. The man in the film calls upon the devil in the pursuit of money, and the devil welcomes the idea and offers to help the man. They rob a bank, and the Devil uses his "powers" to take the face of the man he was with so that the man who robbed the bank will be convicted of robbery. This is the type of deceitfulness constantly associated with the devil. Another very skeptical idea seen in the video is the image of the devil as a man with a suit and glasses, looking very humane. This is a interesting twist from the biblical serpent, and the idea of red horns and a red tail that humans foolishly associate with the devil. It is great how literature can offer so many different perspectives on such a commonly argued idea.
ReplyDeletePDeM
I agree with this completely Paul. The devil in these works of literature is characterized differently than anything I have seen read or seen before. The idea of a imp who is fair to a peasant is mind- bottling and really made me think of the possibilities that the common conception that the devil will trick people into his trap. Paul, one thing I will say is that it is evident in "The Bad Wife" that the devil does not get his way, which at least i feel is never seen in literature and really only in certain biblical scripture. Taking your perspective from a imp who is fooled by a peasant, to a Spanish film where a poor man is in need of money and calls upon the devil is a true plot twist. The film I think is a rather more realistic conceptual view of the devil because the devil tricks the poor man into his trap, and even takes blood from the man, which is symbolic for the devil taking the man's soul. Seeing the devil pull this off and drive away clean is reminiscent of most devilish actions seen in cinema and literature.
DeleteCCar
Throughout our class discussion from this weeks classes, I have came to a conclusion that the Devil is a very tricky man who always finds a way to manipulate people and achieve what he wants. However, I found it interesting that through the short story "Bizarrone Fools the Devil" the devil does not ultimately get what he wants. I identified this simply as a plot twist. In the most common occasions, the devil uses the few tricks that he has up his sleeves and tricks people into doing things. Ironically, in "Bizarrone Fools the Devil", Bizarrone is a desperate man who needs money so what does he do? He finds himself working for the Devil. However, Bizaronne is such a renegade type person, the Devil is fed up with it. Hoping to get rid of Bizaronne by killing him, the Devil forces Bizaronne to sleep underneath him one night in order for the Devil to throw rocks down on him. Bizaronne, the smart little fella he is, identifies something unusual and moves to go sleep in a corner. When Bizaronne brings the Devil to his point of giving up, the devil tells Bizaronne to go off on his way and to never come back. When the devils wife manipulates the devil himself telling him that Bizaronne was just acting tough, the devil sets off to go and get Bizaronne to come back. Bizaronne identified the Devil from a distance and when the devil finally approached him, he was laying in the middle of the land with his feet up in the air. When the devil questioned what he was doing, Bizaronne said that he kicked his cow up into the heavens because he refused to keep walking. The devil was so scared that he just let Bizaronne go off. Bizaronne, tricked the devil in the sense, he showed the devil he had God on his side. Ultimately I believe the message of this short story is that good always prevails!
ReplyDeleteABau
Throughout the past week, our class went into detail about the devil. As we were able to see what was going on through the stories, what I saw was that the devil at first was not what myself or the class thought out to be. Being that as growing up the devil is a absolutely terrible person who can only make things worse for you and will effect your life in a very negative way, although, the 2 and a half reading depicted the devil otherwise. From as a far as a I remember growing up and listening to my parents about how bad and evil the devil was, the devil seems to be the positive effect on each of the character's lives in the readings. Not only that, but the devil isn't the brightest either. He gets out smarted which I found to be on the contrary because normally you would think the devil although very evil, but amazingly smart and evil. Although the devil may seem to be the person we all thought he would, typically, like in most stories, characters have to make deals with the devil. Overall, I did find these stories very interesting and I liked how each story took a turn from the person we all thought the devil would be.
ReplyDeleteJSch
I agree with you Jon. The devil in all of the stories this week seemed to be watered down. The only true depiction of the devil that we saw this week was in Gary's video. The devil not only gave the man what he needed, he also took it away with in the day he got it. That is what the true devil should be like i think. Looking at the devil in foolish and silly ways makes us not scared of the devil and desensitizes us from the fact that he is what represents evil and can capture us for the rest of eternity.
DeleteWhile reading the short story, "Bearskin" I also came to a conclusion that good will always prevail evil. This poor soldier, was in desperate need of something good in his life. It was heartbreaking to see how his brother told him "You're useless." When this poor soldier was sitting under a tree, an old man approached him (who secretly was the devil) offers this soldier all the money in the world as long as he does not bath, cut his nails, or cut his hair for 7 years. I think its interesting that it's for 7 years because 7 in the bible is referenced to as a very religious number. God created the world in 7 days and the 7 sacraments of the Church. However, with nothing to lose this poor soldier accepted the offer. Hard to believe he'd ever make it through he ultimately does. Saving another poor man that he meets at the hotel, the man promises him to find a wife for him and that his eldest daughter works miracles of beauty. After the 7 years have passed and "Bearskin" ultimately surpasses these dreadful years, he finally gets himself cleaned up and all of the mans daughters fall in love for him. Unfortunately, the one that he picks is the third one. She is the only one to stay by his side throughout his whole frightening situation. This sort of reminds me of a Cinderella story. At the same time that Bearskin ultimately defeats the Devil, this story is significant because I feel it goes to show that you should love people for who they are rather than what they look like.
ReplyDeleteABau
Alex, I like the insights that you have with "Bearskin". The soldier did need something that would help him prevail evil. The soldier needed something to make him breakout and by meeting the devil he was able to make a deal in which he could be possibly benefit off of. In the deal, the soldier couldn't cut his nails, bathe, and cut his hair for seven years. The once handsome soldier was now unbearable to look at, as only one of the three sisters was able to bear with him for the whole time. Once the deal was over, the devil then cleaned up the soldier and made him a handsome man, in which the three sisters fell in love with. Although the devil did make the deal with the soldier, he did not make a deal to wash and clean him up. This shows the true spirit of the devil and that in this particular culture the devil is not always meant out to be something that's bad and trying to trick you. By living through the seven years of being Bearskin, he was able to pick the youngest sister to fall in love with, and his bad fortune finally changed.
DeleteWhile I agree with your idea of the prevalence of good over evil in works of literature, I disagree with the notion of such bold lines between right and wrong in "Bearskin." While the devil does represent evil, the soldier does not represent goodness, as not all of the actions he does are seen as good. Regardless of the situation he was in, the solider, albeit a good man, does make a deal with Satan, which cannot be viewed as morally correct from a biblical standpoint, or entirely wrong, considering the deal was made with good intentions. His appearance is also representative of a poor distinction between right and wrong in this story. Although he appears to be ugly, symbolizing moral wrongness, he is also very wealthy, symbolizing moral righteousness. It cannot simply be stated that Bearskin is good and Satan is evil, because Bearskin does do bad deeds, and Satan does do good ones, such as making the poor, defeated soldier into a rich man. Deals with the devil in this story are not about a distinction between right and wrong, but rather a questioning of how far mankind will go to make easy profit.
DeleteAlthough I was not in class on Friday, based on the posts I've read I'm assuming that the idea of the undead being seen as challenge to god was proposed. I'd like to agree with this idea. Death is the finalization of human life, and that's when we're assumed to pass into the afterlife if there is one, eternally stuck in God's grasp, incapable of moving between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Being "undead," as the name implies, coming back from God's grasp, is almost diminishing his authority. To say that human forces are capable of taking a soul away from God is to put humanity on the same level as God, effectively challenging his power. Although our texts this week didn't feature the undead, a good example of the undead being a challenge to God's authority is Frankenstein, and how the misfortune that befalls him is supposedly due to the fact that he tried to "play God" by creating life.
ReplyDeleteIn our class discussions throughout the past week we have talked about the devil and my class has seen a different outlook on the devil. As children we were taught that the devil was this evil being and he brings us towards sin which brings us away from God. This showed that he is horrible and throughout history all evil came from him. In class many ideas were brought up of how turning to the devil could be the funner option while it still leads us to sin. In class the video that Gary Shah showed us showed how the devil is a tricky being and only brings evil about. In the video a man who needs money is tricked by the devil to rob a bank with a mask on on so no one can see it is him. When the man gets home after the job he sees on the screen that his face was caught by the camera as the devil's face. In the background you can see the flashing lights of the police outside his house. This just shows that how the devil ultimately screws people over and brings evil into the world.
ReplyDeleteI 100% agree with what your saying Nick, i definitly have a different outlook on the devil after what we discussed in last weeks classes. My parents and teachers always have taught me when i was younger that the devil is an evil person and never follow or listen to him. Even though you can't physically see the devil, but the devil is always in you telling you what to do which leads you to do the wrong thing and as Nick said brings us away from God. When my class and i watch the video that Gary Shah showed us, I think my classmates and me all had a different outlook of the devil after watching the video. The video showed us who the devil really is, an evil, tricky who bring you to the wrong doings. As nick said the man was caught after following the devil to do the wrong thing and when he saw that he was caught his face looked exactly like a devil's face on the TV and outisde of his house was the flashing light cars. This is what happens to many people in today's world, people followed the devil because they think that the is will help them and that they would not get caught but the devil wants you to the wrong thing so you and god have a weaker relationship. As you can see the devil wants you to do the wrong thing.
DeleteThe discussion about the devil in class this past week made me wonder if there was another side to the God vs. Devil lesson. Growing up I was always told that the Devil was deceptive and God was fair. In class I was defensive and didn't fully grasp the idea of another possibility. In a song "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" we see a young fiddle player who makes a deal with the devil. The deal was if he could beat the devil in a fiddling contest he would get a golden fiddle, but if he loses the devil gets his soul. There was no need for the young fiddle player to make this deal with the devil, but he did because he wanted to get the golden fiddle. This shows that humans want nice things for themselves so they would do anything to get it. The young fiddle player was indeed victorious over the devil unlike the man from the video we watched in class.
ReplyDeletePFol
In contrast from our beliefs that the devil is a tricky, unfair, evil being, the common denominator from the stories we have read this week was that the devil is more of a coward but at the same time a man of his word. In El Bizarron, we really see the coward aspect of the devil. At first, the devil is portrayed as a murderous, untrusting person, but El Bizarron constantly outsmarts and intimidates the devil. For example, when the devil plans to kill El Bizarron with stones, El Bizarron hides in a corner and makes believe that when the stones are dropped, it was really a mosquito that bit him to make the devil think that not even the heaviest stones will injure El Bizarron. After this event, out of fear, the devil pays El Bizarron with riches and a donkey to go "far,far away" from him. In Bearskin, we see the fair aspect of the devil. In the story, the devil makes a proposal that if the soldier doesn't "wash yourself, comb your beard nor your hair, nor cut your nails, nor once say the Lord's Prayer" for seven years without dying, the devil will make the soldier "rich to boot." After a long seven years, the devil rewards Bearskin by cleaning Bearskin himself. The devil didn't have to keep his end of the deal, but in this story, the devil is a man of his word and keeps his promise. Clearly, these perspectives of the devil are very different from our perspective and I remain shocked after reading and analyzing these works of to what extent the contrast is.
ReplyDeleteThis past week's discussion was very controversial. We have all been taught the same about the devil. How the devil is the definition of evil and only wants you to go against God. We have been taught to believe that if anyone tries to make you do something wrong that it is the work of the devil. After this week in class we read and discussed works that give a different outlook on the devil. These stories portrayed the devil as fair and even made him look helpless in bizarrone. I feel that bizarrone even tries to make the audience feel sorry for the devil. Other stories like "bearskin" and the spanish film show how fair the devil can be. They show how the devil had no intentions of tricky he just let the others make a fair deal with him and the devil stuck to his word. This perspective on the devil is new to us Catholic school kids and we do not like to believe that there is another way to look at the devil. Other people have different opinions on the devil and these stories show that. For me, I will never feel different about the devil no matter what stories are told.
ReplyDeleteIn the video that Mrs. Fotinatos showed in class we see the trickiness and slyness of the devil that was not present in the stories that we read. Also, in the video clip we see that there wasnt really a happy ending for the main character as we read in El Bizarron. In the video the main character gets tricked by the devil because the devil actually copys his face and puts it onto his. The devil tricks him inot getting caught, thrown inot jail, with no money, and abandoning his family. In the story El Bizarron, the devil is tricked by the main character El Bizarron when he tries to kill him El Bizarron hides in a corner and makes believe that when the stones are dropped, it was really a mosquito that bit him to make the devil think that not even the heaviest stones will injure El Bizarron. Because this story was written a while ago, and the video is more modern i feeel that we live in a place that has more fear of the devil than in previous years like the time of El Bizarron. I think this is because, in those times people people read the bible more literally and thought that because God casted Satan out of Heaven, they thought he was weak, foolish, and easy to fool
ReplyDelete“The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.” Karl Marx validates the Devils characteristics in past literature. The Devil is shown to be clever and tricky; this being said he is also fake; making a deal with the devil is not an honest move. The Devil makes you obtain wishes and wants with a deed done back to him. In “The Bad Wife” the Devils deal is to be freed in return of giving the Husband money. When the Imp (Devil) goes on his way after the deed he is being fair, but the man is fake to him by putting the Imp back in the hole. It is ironic that the man puts the Imp back in the hole because the man is actually being unfair, while the Imp keeps his word. In all literature that we have read in class the Devil seems to be honest and fair at the same time he is fake, he tricks people into contracts that he ultimately wins in the end. There is no such thing as fair play with the Devil because he will always ruin or take your life. The Devil is a fake; there is nothing honest about his play, which is why the Devil has it made.
ReplyDeleteCCar
In the video we viewed in class and the story "How El Bizarron Fooled the Devil" there are some differences between the depictions of the devil. In the video, the devil is seen as more devious and sneaky. The devil in the story is the one who gets tricked, the devil does not really decieve anybody instead he just kills all the people who work for him. The devil in the video tricks the man to get himself in serious trouble and eventually in jail. In the video the devil tricks a weak, desperate man that will do anything to save his family and spare his life, while the devil in the story faces a stronger and more clever man. Also I think the devil in the video has more power over the man, while in the story the devil thinks he has power but really doesnt.
ReplyDeleteI think the difference between how the devil was portrayed in the older stories and how he is portrayed now is very interesting. The devil in El Bizzaron appearance is of a regular man and is nothing out of the ordinary. The devil is also outwitted many times by El Bizzaron which is very unusual for modern days. In modern days the devil usually is red in appearance or has a specific detail where you can tell he is the devil. Also, in modern times the devil always comes out on top and gets the best of whoever it may happen to be.
ReplyDeleteIn bearskin i thought the idea of being faithful was very relevant. The first sign of faithfulness was when the third daughter agreed to marry bearskin. She did not do this because she thought he was attractive or that she liked him she only did this to make her father happy. This made her father happy because bearskin had given money to her father. However when he asked the other too sisters to marry him they quickly denied him. The next sign of faithfulness was when bearskin was turned into a handsome man. After he was changed he went back to the three sisters. The two sisters who wouldn't marry him before beg him to marry them at this point. However the third sister stayed faithful to bearskin by telling him she was already married. Bearskin then tells her who he is and she is very happy. Meanwhile the other two sisters found this so devastating that they went off and killed themselves. This was a bit ridiculous but it helped to convey the message that if you stay faithful good things will come to you
ReplyDelete