Gavin Rualo, Period 2, 10/25/22

 Literacy & Learning

• Write about your thoughts regarding any of the fiction or nonfiction covered in class. 

• 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 theme of balance that permeates every story we’ve read in Greek mythology so far has redefined how I approach analyses by teaching me that there can be a central theme that spans across multiple stories, even if the stories themselves are unrelated. While it is common to see shared themes among different pieces of literature, I was impressed by how easily a reader can connect the characters of the myths to the theme of balance. Specifically, my favorite story to analyze thus far was the Greek story of creation. The idea of the nothingness of Kaos creating its own antithesis, that being substance, is symbolic to me because it shows that the start of the universe was based on the idea that tempers even the most powerful forces up to the very end of the mythos. Overall, I feel that the familiarity of many figures of Greek mythology due to media popularity makes these stories palatable enough for me to understand where and how central themes apply.

I’ve been able to apply the mindset of everything having a point that it returns to in daily life by connecting the causes and effects of my daily actions. While not particularly the same as the notion of balance among forces, the idea that something catalyzes and controls events in my life has helped me in thinking ahead. For example, it’s easy to discern that making a conscious choice to skip lunch will leave you hungry just a few hours or even minutes later, but I have an easier time understanding that a good night’s rest will help me feel alert, but more importantly, that continuing to abide by that rule can bring positive changes in my life. The opposite view can be taken as well, as while I’ve used the theme of balance and everything affecting each other to mean that all of my actions have consequences, one may interpret it as the world itself shifts events to happen as they deserve to. In that way, reasoning and comfort can be found even when all events seem to be going awry.