Class Discussion Notes: 10.18.2005

 

  • (Ben) focuses on material possession because he wants to prevent temptation instead of seeking spiritual enlightenment
    • (Sharon) if he were truly transformed, he wouldn’t be so irritated—the transformation isn’t complete because hes going through motions without inner peace
      • everyone gets annoyed
      • (Noel) He was being so good that sometimes he just can’t handle it anymore
    • (Susan- 152) he likes being able to resent temptation but he still questions himself
    • (Willy) he’s enamored by this sense of power- instead of submitting himself to God, he wants God to recognize his piety and favor him
    • (May- 159) “secret knowledge and secret power” are priests even supposed to see themselves as innocent?

 

  • (Eleanor) Stephen turns to religion when he feels guilty

 

  • (Ben) he turns away from the power and toward the real world after he is asked to become a priest as he runs to the beach (165, 162) “snares of the world” “his soul…” (169)

 

  • (May) most people don’t need an epiphany to realize what they want to create