3/30/20 Brian Cheng Period 8

3/30/20

Brian Cheng

Period 8

Modern Mythology 2020

Reading the chapters and going through the lessons, it really made me think of human nature and how for the most part we are very lazy and reactive. Through Louis’s interactions with Lestat I felt that Louis represented what most people are. Louis acts like he has the moral high ground over Lestat because he doesn’t enjoy killing and he always criticizes Lestat for his actions. However, Louis never has the courage to say no to Lestat and ends following him around. Also, Louis has kind of a morality scoreboard. He labels things as good and bad believing that bad actions can be absolved through  good actions or some sort of punishment. It shows how he’s still trying to retain his humanity even though as a vampire he would most likely not suffer any consequences for his actions. It almost feels like Louis is sticking around Lestat to make himself more justified. Louis knows that he takes lives but being with Lestat makes what he did a little better since Lestat actually enjoys killing. 

Like Louis, humans have a moral compass and we instinctively label some things as good or bad based on what we learned growing up and through social norms. But in reality there’s really no such thing as good or evil. Perspective is the most important thing. Most humans just go with the flow and let other factors control their lives. We pick and choose what we think is right or wrong to make ourselves feel better. When things go wrong we blame a higher power and we don’t actively try to enact change. 

In regards to working at home, everyday feels like a blur and there aren’t any days of the week. It’s just yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I get the weather report by how cold it is when I reluctantly throw off my covers. Working at home is comfortable but it’s very hard to stay motivated when it feels like nothing matters. Also, it’s tough to learn from digital only. Education feels off when there isn’t a human touch to it. Not being able to turn and talk is something I really miss, especially for this class. Bouncing ideas off each other makes the class enjoyable and I usually think deeper this way. With learning at home, it’s a challenge to really try to get meaning from the texts and think deeply. 

For my thoughts on what is happening right now, I think people have to reconsider how they’re spreading the message of social distancing. I understand that everyone should stay home at all times unless it’s necessary. However, we also have to look at the other side. It’s easy for people with money and resources to say stay home. But there are plenty of people that grew up differently and aren’t as fortunate as us. They can’t afford rent or food if they stay home. If they can’t afford food or rent then they probably can’t afford entertainment which is something all humans need. Being stuck at home would be hell for them. I’m not saying that we should not be practicing social distancing. I’m saying that we should just be advocating for people to be smart and to educate themselves about the risks instead of shaming people for going out without knowing their situation.