Our Deepest Fear

My deepest fear is not that I'm powerful beyond measure, but that I'm inadequate.

I'm a quiet, introverted person. When I don't know people well at all, I sometimes hesitate to challenge people on negative comments about sexual orientation or race, but there are times I do. I never join in. However, there is one topic I find very difficult to address - mental health.

This is an example I observe frequently. I really hate it when people call someone bipolar just because they're nice to someone one second then say something angrily later . This is not the only criteria. Can someone who does that have bipolar or a mood disorder do that? Yes. But not everyone. And it really offends those people who do have it. It's really difficult for some people to challenge the person making this comment because of the stigma surrounding mental illness. Also, it's often assumed that this person has whatever. I've only said something to a person making a rude comment two times I can remember. I felt good about saying something, but at the same time I felt ashamed and nervous. It's not just people with mood disorders (depression, bipolar, forms within those) and certain behaviors (such as eating disorders, self harm, etc.) who deal with these problems, but anyone who feels like they have to hide. 

I really want to accept myself. There's no need to make things public, but I wish I didn't have a huge fear of people finding out because I think they'll look at me as crazy. A lot of people actually have mental health issues who are stable and they appear to be "normal". I'm fearful that I will be inadequate for the rest of my life. However, once others and I can feel comfortable with myself, I hope that others feeling scared will do the same. Do I think that the stigma will ever go completely away? No. But I do think when more people feel liberated, at least some progress will be made. Maybe out deepest fear will no longer be that we are inadequate. 

The Story of An Hour

Mrs. Mallard and Edna from The Awakening have a lot in common. Both feel controlled by their husbands and feel unhappy about this. They desire independence. Edna decides to act in her own interest, such as moving out to the pigeon house and acting rebellious. Her decision to go against Creole societal standards results in criticism and people thinking she's mentally sick. Despite other's reactions to what she has done, Edna feels free. Mrs. Mallard is in a similar predicament in which she is unhappy about having to take care of his every need. When she hears that her husband tragically died in a railroad accident, and even though she knows her husband loves her, she is relieved and feels like she can finally act how she wants. She's looking forward to the rest of her life and the day before she dreaded it. Shortly after, she sees Mr. Mallard alive and walking in. It turns out he wasn't near the accident. Her heart problem, described at the beginning of the story, leads to her abrupt death. She "died of heart disease -- of the joy that kills". 

In both The Awakening and The Story of An Hour, both character's downfall are related to their feelings of being suppressed by their husbands. Edna's and Mrs. Mallard's realizations that they're trapped result in their deaths. 

The Lady or The Tiger?

There's not enough information to determine which door the princess would choose. It's not obvious how much the princess loves the suitor. Her decision of which door to pick, knowing the outcome of her choice, depends on whether she really loves him or not. If she really loves him, she’ll choose the door with the lady. Even though she doesn’t want to see him with another woman who she doesn’t like, it would be the decision for his best interest. If she loves him, she’ll let him be happy despite the negative impact on her. If she doesn’t love him, she would be selfish by letting him be killed by the tiger because she doesn’t want to see him with anyone else. She could choose either door and it’s based all on whether she loves him or not. This is not stated in the story. 

King Lear Act III - #1

Rejection is one of most painful experiences regarding those you love and care about. Even though Gloucester loves Edgar, he feels that Edgar has betrayed him and it tears him apart. Another example of this is Lear with his daughters and it causes him to lose it. It’s painful because the love between the two people isn’t mutual and the person being rejected doesn’t always understand why they're being treated poorly. People’s response to this often starts with anger, which is really just covering how much they are hurting. By covering the way it really makes them feel, it makes them appear to be less vulnerable. Kent is loyal and even goes back in disguise to serve Lear. Another possible reaction, such as Kent, is still trying to connect with the person or display their devotion or love to them hoping to get the person back. Lear, Edgar, Cordelia, and Kent are all experiencing pain as a result of being betrayed by people they love or are devoted to. Lear’s betrayal by his daughters leads to his insanity. Lear and Gloucester’s rejection of their children leave Cordelia and Edgar feeling hurt. When Kent is banished, his response is to go back to serve Lear even though Lear wants nothing to do with him, which shows his true devotion. Human emotional responses in general to rejection and betrayal vary, but emotional turmoil is common in those being hurt by those they love and care about.

King Lear Act II - #3

In his soliloquy in scene 3, Edgar says, “As Edgar, I’m nothing at all.” He’s been disowned by his father and he feels useless. He takes on the persona of Tom O’Bedlam, which is extreme compared to who he really is, because he’s loyal to his father, wants to protect him, and doesn’t want Edmund to carry out his plan. His loyalty is comparable to Kent, who also has to disguise himself, and Cordelia’s. When Edgar is talking about who he will disguise himself as he says, “I’ve decided to disguise myself as the lowliest and rattiest beggar that mankind has ever seen. I’ll smear my face with filth, put on a loincloth, make my hair matted and tangled, and face the bad weather wearing almost nothing. I’ve seen beggars out of insane asylums who stick pins and nails into their numb arms. They pray or roar lunatic curses, horrifying farmers and villagers into giving them alms.” Using works such as “lowliest and rattiest” and “filth” is foreshadowing Lear’s descent into madness. Also, he says the beggars numb to pain (sticking pins and nails to their arms and because they pray or roar lunatic curses), but Edgar himself is not numb.

King Lear Act II - #2

Goneril and Regan take what their father has them given them for granted. He’s given them a place to live and probably most of what they wanted and when divides his kingdom among his daughters, Goneril and Regan betray him and give him no respect. The only one who is still loyal to her father is Regan, but Lear banishes her just because she won’t flatter him like his other two daughters deceivingly did. Goneril and Regan are very greedy and no longer even pretend to love their father. When he comes to spend time with them, they complain and make him leave. Resentment of their father comes from not getting exactly what they want. They don’t realize their father loves them so what he does for them seems insignificant because they’re only thinking about what they want. Resentment from any child to a parent often comes from dislike of the parent’s actions and the child’s disregard or skepticism for the parent’s real reason for their choice of action, which is often for the wellbeing of their child. However, it’s often difficult for the child to see. This type of relationship between children and their parents, such as Goneril and Regan with Lear, is powerful because it creates conflict and often pulls the child away from their parents, which is often difficult for the parent because that wasn’t their intention.

King Lear Act I - #5

Loyalty is usually inherent personality trait, but it can also be learned. Kent is very loyal to the Lear, which is shown by the fact he comes back to serve Lear after he is banished. Lear doesn’t realize that it’s Kent when he returns as Caius, but because of what Kent says and the way he acts, Lear accepts him because he likes being treated like he’s the most important and that people like him. I think there are many personality types that are likely to be loyal. It could be an insecure person who just needs something to latch onto or something to make them feel their life has purpose. Or it could be a secure, devoted person who really believes in the person or thing they are loyal to. Kent seems to be a secure person, while Lear is a very insecure person who desires loyalty. The same loyalty that existed then is present now, just in different settings. For example, a group of athletes on a sports team are loyal to each other and their coach. They have to be so that they can be successful. Even though Kent is very loyal to Lear, I don’t think Lear realizes how important this is. It may mean something to Lear because it adds to his ego and attempts to take away some of his insecurities, but this is just superficial.