Vicky Zhou, Period 5, 1/12/21, Day B

Vicky Zhou

Period 5

2/12/2021

Day B

Literacy & Learning

Write about your thoughts regarding any of the fiction or non-fiction covered in class.

After reading the article “Viking Mythology: What a Man Can Learn From Loki (About Unmanliness ),” written by Jeremy Anderberg, I found it particularly interesting that the author would compare Loki to Satan. Before exploring Norse Mythology, I knew Loki to be the trickster amongst the gods. I didn’t see him as the embodiment of evil but rather a prankster, his actions comparable to that of siblings. However, his small simple actions, often lead to poor consequences. In the case of Baldur, Loki went out of his way to bring mistletoes into Asgard, the one thing that can harm Baldur. He then convinced Hodr to throw a spear made from mistletoe that ultimately kills Baldur. Even worse, when every creature in the world wept for Baldur to return, Loki disguised himself as a giantess and denied it. Anderberg describes him to be “hedonistic,” because his actions weren’t rooted in hatred, but simply a means to exercise his cunning mind for entertainment. He embodies all that man should not be, as the trickster amongst the gods. 

Going back to the comparison between Loki and Satan, I found it interesting how their actions paralleled. In the Book of Job, Satan appears before God and convinces him to punish Job to test his true devolution. God allows Satan to torment Job: he loses his livestock, servants, and children. Job represents the most excellent of God’s followers: despite the loss of his wealth, the death of his children, and the lack of explanation for his suffering, he continues to devote his faith and praise him. The story of Job explores the idea of doubt and faith. It teaches Christians that despite the temptation to sin, they have their own choice to make the right decision; no matter how grim life may seem, it is important to keep their trust. It also teaches the idea of suffering without an explanation. In the story of “The Master Builder,” written by Neil Gaiman, Loki convinces all the gods of Asgard to allow a stranger to build Asgard a wall in exchange for the moon, sun, and Freya. Both Loki and Satan represent the temptation of man. Job was stripped of his riches, yet he continued to praise God, not falling for the bait. Unlike Job, the gods were easily convinced by Loki’s plan. 

Reflect on any new information you have learned in English class by considering how that learning influences your critical perception.

It is easy to blame Loki for almost losing the moon, sun, and Freya or even Ragnorak. He was the one to convince the gods to strike a deal with the stranger. He and his children destroyed the world. However, when we step back and look at all the events leading up to the downfall, he is not the only one at fault. He brought the plan to the table, but the gods all agreed and allowed him to execute it. When the gods noticed how big Fenrir the wolf grew, rather than placing their trust in him, their paranoia of his overwhelming strength led to his imprisonment. They bounded him to a rock with a magical chain and stuck a sword in his mouth. The god’s fear of Fenrir’s strength becomes one of the catalysts to Ragnorok. Fenrir’s hatred and anger will build up until the day he is freed. Similarly, the serpent, Jörmungandr holds an equal level of hate towards the gods, especially Thor. Thor had seen the serpent as the ultimate challenge, which led to countless fights. In addition, the Aesir gods are at fault for hunting down all the Giants, leaving Jörmungandr one of the last to survive. He continues to live harboring hatred and vengeance. Lastly, when the gods became fed up with Loki’s tricks, they decided to chain him up along with a poisonous snake which dripped venom onto his face. This became his fate until the day of Ragnorok when he is finally free. If the gods had approached each situation differently, then perhaps Ragnorok would have not have occurred in such ways. However, the gods will continue to blame Loki and his children for the death of many. Loki, Fenrir, and Jörmungandr may be the enemies the gods are fighting, but they fail to see how their own actions led them to this rivalry. Even in Christianity, followers often blame greed and any source of ill intent on Satan. We as humans are drawn to the concept of attributing blame to others. It is oftentimes easier to point fingers and say it is another’s fault than to take a step back and consider where we could have faulted ourselves. Rather than making rash conclusions, I learned to explore past events in order to understand and access the situation fully. By perceiving the problem from every point of view, I will be able to understand how I arrived at the problem.  

How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you?

In my response to the previous question, I talked about how it is part of human nature to blame others than to take a look at ourselves and see where the fault truly lies. In school, it is easy for me to blame teachers for long assignments or hard tests. However, instead, I should reflect on how I approached each challenge; did I procrastinate the project or study enough for the test? My mom has always taught me to keep looking forwards: rather than dwelling on a bad grade, I should see what led to a low score and how I can change that for the future. 

When we look at the first couple of months of the coronavirus, the blame was heavily placed on China. We fail to see our own mishandling of the pandemic that led to the rise in numbers and death toll. For instance, our president made countless remarks on why masks were not needed. Because of this, many people followed him and refused to follow safety precautions. We can’t fault China for the spread of COVID when it is our own administration that doesn’t enforce safety requirements. Before we look to others as the ones to fault, we should first consider whether we ourselves are doing everything we can to prevent it.