Oral Hehe Final

Andrew Louie HuSit Omega - Charara The Path of Life Personal and cultural views of the best life evolve over time, resulting in no truly agreed upon dogma to base one’s life by. However, a common trait is shared among all the novels we have worked with this semester, which can be used to define the best way one should attempt to live their life: to come to the defense of one’s lifestyle and beliefs even if it means facing overwhelming odds. The book of Maccabees is perhaps the most obvious instance in which men hang onto their way of life until the death. In each and every scenario, men of reason would rather embrace tortures and die miserable deaths rather than forsake their religion and ancestral customs. While they have reasons for their suicides, it is the mere fact that one would rather perish than falsely exist with a pretense that is not their own. The men’s inability to adapt in danger has become part of the Jewish character in other dark moments of their history. World War II for example, had scores of Jewish remaining faithful while they faced their inevitable extinction. Socrates’ is the epitome of philosophical resistance. He personally presents his preference of death over living falsely, with many pretenses to why it must be so. Philosophers he says, practice to die and their life and art must correspond. The man who shuns his beliefs in the face of death, is not a man of respectable constitution. One can take from his teachings, not only the importance of humility, but also the importance of defending what one believes in as well. Perhaps one of the subtler scenarios of lifestyle’s defense lies in the Iliad. The men of the Iliad thrive on their honor and way of life, and men of no direct relation at all to Menelaus flock towards Troy armed to the teeth to fight one man’s quarrel. Yet, behind

Andrew Louie HuSit Omega - Charara this weak basis for conflict lies a deep inset passion to vehemently defend Greek moral code, which was broken by a Dannan. In a political and omnipotent view of the scenario, the Greeks are not fighting for Helen, but fighting to defend what they believe and live by, their way of life, and perhaps their life as well.