Blindsight

Both Doubt and Molly Sweeney makes us wonder how we know what we see or don’t see.  How do we know what to believe?  Like Molly Sweeney if: “What I think I see may be fantasy or indeed what I take to be imagined may very well be real…external reality.  Real – imagined – fact – fiction- fantasy- reality-there it seems to be” (57).  How do Sister Aloysius and Sister James know if what they are seeing is an inappropriate relationship between Father Flynn and Donald Miller or not?  How do Frank and Mr. Rice know that Molly would be happier if she could “really see.”  What people see is often affected by what they want to see. 

In Molly Sweeney, both Frank and Mr. Rice are blind to the fact that they are more interested in their personal passions and problems than in what is best for Molly.  Blindsight may be describing Molly: “she was totally unconscious of seeing anything at all.  In other words, she had vision – but vision that was utterly useless to her” (48), but it really describes Frank and Mr. Rice.  Frank wants to jump at new projects without seeing how it will affect the other person or animals: “…for three and a half years I had a small goat farm on the island of Inis Beag off the Mayo coast- no, no not a farm for small goats- a farm for ordinary goats- well, extraordinary goats as a matter of fact because I imported two piebald Iranian goats;… eventually I had a herd of fourteen- they couldn’t endure the Mayo winters…” (14).  Frank wanted to see if Iranian goats could live in a different location, a climate they weren’t used too.  The goats struggled to prosper and so did Frank’s financials.  He never considered how this would impact the goats.  It was always all about Frank.  It was the same situation with Molly, he never considered what she wanted.  He assumed he knew best.  And he would be off to another project before he could see the damage he caused.  Similarly, Mr. Rice wanted to do this operation because it would help him get his confidence, his desire, his self-esteem and his will to live back.  Before his wife left him for another doctor, he was one of the greatest eye doctors in the world.  After that, he lost everything.  He became a drinker and a slacker.  When Molly came into his life, he thought he could redeem his self-esteem and earn respect from his peers.   Mr. Rice’s memory of Molly’s operation was: “Where the terrible darkness lifted.  Where the shaft of light glanced off me again” (40).  He got the opportunity to earn back some of his life because the operation was successful.  But in the end, Molly lost more than she gained and so did Mr. Rice.

 

In the movie Doubt, seeing Father Flynn sitting at Sister Aloysius’s desk, framed by both sisters dressed in traditional black habits, with light shining on him as well as behind him emphasizes the contrast between light and dark.  Father Flynn is in the background while both sisters are in the foreground.  Sister Aloysius opened the blinds in order to shed light on Father Flynn.  She wants the truth regarding his relationship with Donald Miller.  Father Flynn was as blinded by the light as she was by her conviction and pursuit of her personal agenda.  Sister Aloysius was blinded because whenever Father Flynn acted nice to other children at the school, she would think that it was wrong.  She wanted the children to fear her.  She didn’t like change.  When Father Flynn, Sister James, and she were in her office, Father Flynn wanted more exciting and fun things for the kids to do.  He wanted to change the songs in the Christmas pageant to songs like Frosty the Snowman, but she turned it down and thought about sticking with the hymns they always sing.  Father Flynn likes change.  He believes that it is important to respect other students in the school and show kindness and care towards them.  He never admits to anything more than caring for the boy and trying to help him when no one else will. 

In both Doubt and Molly Sweeney, sight and insight into morality and ethics are explored.  Sight and blindness, light and darkness highlight these ideas throughout the two pieces.  In the book Molly Sweeny, Molly is blind but happy. Frank and Mr. Rice can see but they are blind to the effects of what they are doing.  In the movie Doubt, Sister Aloysius is blind because she doesn’t want to see change in the church or school.  People say that their eyes play tricks on them, but I think it’s their minds.    

The truth must dazzle gradually

Or every man be blind – Emily Dickinson (6).

How do people display their Social Class?

Did you ever notice who behaves the most appropriate in public?  It may seem hard to believe, but 9 times out of 10, the wealthy people act like fools.  The lower class people mostly act very respectful.  There are three levels, commonly known as upper, middle, and lower class.  Things like: power, authority, wealth, material possessions, prestige and much more determine the class that people are put in.  The major parts that determine class are what jobs people have, how wealthy they are and what education they have had.  There are many differences and some similarities between the upper and lower class.  There are also different ways people display their wealth.

It all begins with where people are born into.  It is natural for people to be situated into a specific social class based on wealth and ancestry.  This is really quite sad, but people can try to get better education and then they might have a chance to move up to middle or high class.  People who were born into a rich family will most likely end up having a great education.  It's interesting how each class displays their wealth.

People around the world display their social class.  The most visible way is material possessions. Children at school can just look at some girl or boy wearing a polo, fancy sweater, a gold/silver watch, khakis, have an iphone, etc.  People can own multiple cars, HD TV's, pools and many other things around their house.  People walking on the streets of Chicago see a man with a suit and tie talking on his iphone.  Almost everywhere someone goes, there is someone who is showing off their wealth.  People can also hide their social class by not revealing as much.  People are able to: "For various reasons, people of all classes have learned to disguise, hide, “code switch,” or adapt their class identity. It makes more sense to suspend tired stereotypes and get to know people’s real stories"(http://www.classism.org/about-class).  People are able to avoid stereotypes and hide their wealth.  There are two famous men, one named Warren Buffet and Sam Walton.  Currently, Buffet is the third richest man in the world and lives in a regular house in Omaha, Nebraska.  He is known as the "Oracle of Omaha."  Sam Walton started Wal-Mart and the Sam's Club.  He hid from the media as well.  He lived in Bentonville, Arkansas, not in New York or LA.  Buffet is making billions each year, just like Sam Walton did.  Sam died in 1992.  Both of them were extremely wealthy, but their behaviors were that of the lower class.  The lower class behaviour would be very good because they are more focused and want to succeed at what they do.  The upper class behaviour is most of the time wild and out of control.  They both make a lot of money, but act like fools because they think it's fun.  Even though it may seem like the upper class is perfect, there is an advantage and disadvantage for being in the upper class and lower class.

Surprisingly, there is both a positive and negative side to being in the upper class as well as the lower class.  Why is that?  The good news about being in the upper class is that people have the power to do whatever they want with their money.  They are viewed as having higher morals, integrity, and education.  However, the bad news about being in the upper class, is that people typically act like fools.  For example, Paris Hilton is a very famous person with a boat load of money.  She is known for multiple things.  She is an: American heiress, an actress on television, a fashion designer, an entrepreneur, a model and much much more.  She hasn't contributed anything good to the world.  She is just simply living in paradise.  Her actions and behaviors are in the lower class though.  Another example is that when upper class college students are at school, they are almost always the most prepared.  Yet they take their privilages for granted.  They feel like they are limited in having conversations with other students at the school.  The bad news about being in the lower class is that they are less wealthy, and they don't have as good of an education.  However, when lower class students are in college, they tend to set goals for themselves.  Most of the time, they are motivated to work hard and have a strong work-ethic.  This is important because they are willing to work harder than the upper class to succeed.