Diane Glancy weaves a convincing story of human experiences on the Trail of Tears.

by | Oct 23, 2024 | Essays

 

 

Diane Glancy weaves a convincing story of human experiences on the Trail of Tears. Choose 1 or 2 of the main characters and focus on 2 main themes of the book to demonstrate the survival of the people during times of violent upheaval, uncertainty, and despair. Themes can include the importance of land, kinship, community, the loss of masculinity, the power of the spoken word, storytelling, spirituality, and Christianity.

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Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

The Unbroken Spirit: Survival on the Trail of Tears

Diane Glancy’s “Pushing the Bear” masterfully portrays the Cherokee people’s resilience during the Trail of Tears, a harrowing journey forced upon them by the U.S. government. The book illuminates the indomitable spirit of the Cherokee people through the lens of its characters and the themes of kinship and community and the power of the spoken word and storytelling.

Kinship and Community:

  • Mary: Mary, the protagonist, embodies the strength of the Cherokee community. Despite the immense loss of her family and homeland, Mary’s unwavering love for her remaining relatives and the importance of their survival drive her actions. She navigates the harsh realities of the Trail of Tears, relying on the support of her kin, particularly her niece, Sarah. Their bond serves as a beacon of hope and resilience in the face of adversity. Mary’s fierce protectiveness of Sarah, her willingness to sacrifice, and her commitment to keeping their family together even in the face of heartbreak highlight the strength found in familial love and community.

  • Sarah: As a young girl forced into a life of displacement, Sarah embodies the community’s adaptability and resourcefulness. Despite her young age, Sarah demonstrates a maturity beyond her years, proving vital to the family’s survival. Sarah’s keen observation of the natural world and her resourcefulness are essential for obtaining food and medicine. Her resilience and unwavering optimism, despite witnessing the brutal realities of the Trail of Tears, showcase the strength of the community and the hope it provides even in times of crisis.

The Power of the Spoken Word and Storytelling:

  • Storytelling: Glancy vividly portrays the power of storytelling as a vital tool for maintaining cultural identity and preserving memories in the face of cultural erasure. The Cherokee people use stories to keep alive their traditions, history, and beliefs. The stories are a way to connect with the past, find solace in shared experiences, and offer hope for the future.

The Unbroken Spirit: Survival on the Trail of Tears

Diane Glancy’s “Pushing the Bear” masterfully portrays the Cherokee people’s resilience during the Trail of Tears, a harrowing journey forced upon them by the U.S. government. The book illuminates the indomitable spirit of the Cherokee people through the lens of its characters and the themes of kinship and community and the power of the spoken word and storytelling.

Kinship and Community:

  • Mary: Mary, the protagonist, embodies the strength of the Cherokee community. Despite the immense loss of her family and homeland, Mary’s unwavering love for her remaining relatives and the importance of their survival drive her actions. She navigates the harsh realities of the Trail of Tears, relying on the support of her kin, particularly her niece, Sarah. Their bond serves as a beacon of hope and resilience in the face of adversity. Mary’s fierce protectiveness of Sarah, her willingness to sacrifice, and her commitment to keeping their family together even in the face of heartbreak highlight the strength found in familial love and community.

  • Sarah: As a young girl forced into a life of displacement, Sarah embodies the community’s adaptability and resourcefulness. Despite her young age, Sarah demonstrates a maturity beyond her years, proving vital to the family’s survival. Sarah’s keen observation of the natural world and her resourcefulness are essential for obtaining food and medicine. Her resilience and unwavering optimism, despite witnessing the brutal realities of the Trail of Tears, showcase the strength of the community and the hope it provides even in times of crisis.

The Power of the Spoken Word and Storytelling:

  • Storytelling: Glancy vividly portrays the power of storytelling as a vital tool for maintaining cultural identity and preserving memories in the face of cultural erasure. The Cherokee people use stories to keep alive their traditions, history, and beliefs. The stories are a way to connect with the past, find solace in shared experiences, and offer hope for the future.

  • The Spoken Word: The characters in “Pushing the Bear” find strength and solace in their language and songs. Their shared traditions and rituals, expressed through language, offer a sense of comfort and belonging amidst the turmoil. The spoken word is a source of comfort, strength, and cultural continuity, reminding them of their identity and their resilience.

Conclusion:

“Pushing the Bear” showcases the indomitable spirit of the Cherokee people during the Trail of Tears. The themes of kinship, community, and the power of the spoken word exemplify the resilience and adaptability of a people forced to endure unimaginable hardship. Through Mary and Sarah’s experiences, Glancy highlights the profound impact of shared experiences and the strength found in collective memory, providing a powerful testament to the human spirit’s enduring capacity to survive and thrive even in the face of tremendous adversity.

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