Angel Lee, PD5, 10/22/20, Day B

• Write about your thoughts regarding the most current reading.

• Reflect on any new information you have learned in English class by considering how that learning influences your critical perception.

• How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you?

The most current reading were flower myths that related a death to the birth of a flower. In each of the stories, flaws of humanity were highlighted and served as a warning to Greeks. For instance, Narcissus killed himself after seeing his own reflection in a pool of water because he was entranced by his face, and he didn’t think he would find someone that would fulfill his expectations. This illustrated the Greeks’ attitude towards hubris and how it is the fatal flaw. Despite his death, a flower was created in remembrance to him and it reminded me how there is always a positive way to view a situation. This is especially true in our difficult times, away from friends and loved ones. Another way we can view the birth of a flower to remember a person is that life and death is a cycle. No one knows exactly what happens after death, but it is our beliefs that help us accept our mortality and allow us to live life to the fullest. I didn’t think that Echo deserved her punishment because she was simply professing her love to Narcissus. In the story of Hyacinth, his death was an accident and I found it ironic how it was his friend that caused his death. These events question the idea of fate and whether it can be controlled. I’ve always thought that one dictates his/her own future, but it is inevitable that some events are due to chance. Perhaps this shows that fate does exist, but in the time that the myth was created, Hyacinth and Echo’s demise was most likely a reminder that the gods hold superior power. 

We learned that human sacrifice was first introduced as a way to appease the earth when the weather was not desirable for agriculture. Human blood was viewed as a method of returning resources back to the earth. This idea of a cycle connects significantly to the creation of a flower as a way of honoring the dead. We didn’t realize how much the idea of death being honorable is still prevalent in our society. When soldiers die on duty, they are given an honorable funeral service and their families are given a folded flag as a memory of how he/she gave his/her life for the country. Ms. Fusaro brought up the example of an Incan girl that sacrificed and was found nearly perfectly preserved on the top of a mountain. Similarly, she and her family were also gifted and praised for her sacrifice. It was found that her diet changed approximately two years before her passing, demonstrating how her community was promoting her to a higher status as a way to thank her for her sacrifice. She most likely believed that her death would bring greater good to her loved ones and decided that it was an honorable thing to do. In both instances, the dead have left a legacy on Earth and their perception of death depended on their beliefs of what life and death means. 

The idea of death and rebirth can be applied to many instances in our lives. Many cultures believe that there is possibility after death, and this is evident in the flower myths. After reading the myths, the concept that resonated with me the most is the idea of life being a cycle and that with every death comes a birth. In the flower myths, even though the deaths were tragic, something beautiful was born as a result. At our young age and inexperienced mindset, we are bound to make many mistakes and constantly discover new sides to ourselves. Despite all the failures we will continue to face, more opportunities will arise and success will happen. I also thought the flower myths could be related to the idea of balance. In the Chinese culture, harmony and cycles play a significant role in our belief systems. Thus, people believe in the yin and yang because it is a balance in our universe, similarly to how life and death balance each other out. Overall, death is inevitable, but it is what we choose to do before that and how our memories live on that dictates who we are.