The Colors of Destiny

Lift not the painted veil which those who live

Call Life: though unreal shapes be pictured there,

And it but mimic all we would believe

With colours idly spread,--behind, lurk Fear

And Hope, twin Destinies; who ever weave

Their shadows, o'er the chasm, sightless and drear.

I knew one who had lifted it--he sought,

For his lost heart was tender, things to love,

But found them not, alas! nor was there aught

The world contains, the which he could approve.

Through the unheeding many he did move,

A splendour among shadows, a bright blot

Upon this gloomy scene, a Spirit that strove

For truth, and like the Preacher found it not.

~ Percy Bysshe Shelley

The poem begins with a metaphor for secrecy, the painted veil, and warning against it although it presents a preferable alternative to reality. It goes on to describe the feelings that drive us to this secrecy, such as hope for a better life. Another factor is the fear of who we are currently surrounded by and the idea that we may not be able to escape who we have become. And lastly, the  idea of destinies and hope that the truthful life isn't all there is for us. These all present the dark side to an otherwise colorful and happy escape, as they are all selfish motives towards a pit of secrecy and despair. In the third stanza, a man is described as turning to secrecy in order to find love, just like Kitty does after a couple years of being married to Walter, a man she does not love and is bored by. In the last stanza, imagery is used to show the excitement that secrecy brings as everyone surrounding you is living their dull, truthful life while you sneak around and live how you want. Those who lie are only searching for who they are meant to be, trying to find the best life they can live. Unfortunately, the longer they keep their act up, the further they sink and when the truth finally comes out, they are even further away from their imagined destiny than they were when they started their affair. 

Ignorance is Bliss?

"I am not young enough to know everything."- Oscar Wilde

This image came up when I searched for "ignorant children", which is what I first thought of upon reading this quote. As children, we are not fully aware of societal rules, and even when we are, we don't conform to them. Whenever someone tells a child what to do or say, they begin to oppose doing just that and can end up doing the opposite. Society's rules really don't affect children, so could their ignorance be bliss compared to teenagers and adults that are plagued by these same guidelines? When I was younger, I thought I knew everything and if someone told me I was wrong about something, anything, I would refuse to believe them. Children are naturally curious and are always thinking, but unlike older people, their minds have no limits. We are limited to a very certain way of thinking and are expected to be "realistic". It is in this way that children are free in areas adults are not.




As for the podcast, nothing that was said in it was foreign to me. While I don't consciously think about the rules of Instagram every time I post, there are these unspoken. guidelines which I attempt to adhere to. Even though it's a social media platform for expression and everyone should be able to post what they want, when they want, I definitely notice when someone breaks the law of Instagram. This podcast put these rules we abide by front and center, forcing us to look at them and realize we aren't the ones in control of our feed, and that we've been listening to society all along.

The Ludicrosity of Being "Proper"

1) The chapter "Evening Parties" was very interesting and I was shocked to see the extensive list of societal rules that people were expected to abide by. Comparing past rules to how people act today, one of the very first rules of ending a party precisely at either 12 or 1, depending on the day, seems so unreasonable. Parties now are for enjoyment and a chance to visit with friends, while back then they were part of the show people put on for the rest of society, trying to prove they were important and to be respected. I did not notice any rules that carry over to present-day society.

2) We do have some ridiculous rules of our own concerning social media. Instagram, for example, is supposed to be a place where you can keep up with your friends and show them what is going on with you, but it is looked down upon to post more than one picture in a day. Instead of just putting pictures you like out for your friends to see, you worry about what picture is good enough to post and would get the most likes. It now seems more important to please your followers instead of yourself. I'm not entirely sure how these rules came about, but they seem to serve the purpose of perfecting your image in society and securing respect and admiration from others, just like the antiquated rules of how to host a supper did.