Like many of my classmates, I attended Elizabeth
Smart’s powerful event on October 12 about her experiences being held captive. The
tribulations she spoke of go far beyond what this week’s reading discussed, yet
I still find bits of her story relatable with the readings. Specifically, I
found the way she explained the mental fortitude it took to withstand such
treatment to be very interesting as it relates to Frankenstein.
To be honest, I don’t think anything could have
prepared me for the story that Ms. Smart was about to tell the audience that
night. Being abducted at 14 years old by a man and woman, she was forcibly raped
day-after-day for more than nine months. I could only imagine the feelings of
despair and hopelessness she would have felt, since what she said about wanting
to die doesn’t seem to nearly embody the horrible thoughts I would be having.
Nevertheless, Elizabeth began to realize she had an entire life to fight for,
so she instilled the belief that she would survive in herself. I think the
power of the mind is severely underestimated in today’s world, even more so now
after learning about Elizabeth’s life.
In “Frankenstein,”
the mind proves itself to be just as powerful, even if its power is
detrimental. Frankenstein’s obsession with changing the natural world and
becoming “greater” than nature has allowed him to be causes a lot of angst for
him. His mental state significantly worsens as the novel progresses, coming to
the point where it could be described as ‘haunting’. He is haunted by not only the
thoughts of his experiments, but by any mention or acknowledgment of them as
well. This deterioration of Frankenstein’s sanity illustrates that just as the
mind can give you the will you need to survive nine months of torture, it can
just as easily drive you to your lowest point.
Elizabeth is now heavily involved with social
service and community outreach programs, as well as child protection programs like
Amber Alert, in addition to her own foundation. This is where her story relates
to Cullen’s Tableau, which describes an
affectionate interaction between a black boy and a white one. In this scenario,
I relate Ms. Smart to the black boy due to the oppression she was subject to
during her childhood. Her involvement in child safety programs is analogous to
the boys crossing the street together, making sure each other is safe, even if
they are being given scornful looks. What Ms. Smart has done with her life is a
testament to the power of the mind, as well as the power of a good heart.
Finally, I think Dunbar’s Theology, a lighthearted poem in stark contrast with Elizabeth
Smart’s story, also relates to her life. This is because he speaks of an “upward
longing” that he feels day-by-day to reach Heaven. Like the longing Ms. Smart
felt to escape her abductors and resume her life, Dunbar’s poem describes what
you can convince yourself if you want it badly enough. If you want to believe
there is a Heaven, then there is no one to stop you from making it besides
yourself, just as there was no one who would’ve been able to stop Elizabeth
from escaping besides herself.
Elizabeth Smart’s event, in combination with
our reading, provided me with an opportunity to reflect upon my own life
experiences. Sometimes I’m too quick to feel dejected or useless, but I now
realize that this is only because I allow myself to feel this way. I was
inspired by Ms. Smart’s courageous telling of the horrors she’s been through,
and I am thankful that I was able to hear her tell them.
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