NCFOM Dream Interpretations

Part 1-
In the book "No Country for Old Men" the two dreams at then end obviously have many interpretations, but I haven't found anything like my interpretation of the first dream. Sheriff Ed Tom Bell said he didn't remember it all too well, but it was about his father giving him some money, but he lost it. The money is obviously easily a representation of something valuable, but in this case, I say that the valuable thing that his father gave him is wisdom. He mentions a few times that his father taught him his values and to do the best he can, but losing the money in the dream could represent how he lost some, or all, of the things that his dad taught him when he lost his dad. The second dream on the other hand must have a deeper meaning because Bell remembered it, which gives it a better sense of importance in his mind. The first detail that bell gives is a mountain pass at night time, where is was cold and snowy. This represents life and the cold, snowy surroundings could mean the hardships we face throughout life, or just things we face in general. His father passing him and continuing on could signify death, and the light in the horn something to do with setting up a camp of sorts to wait for his son. Or it could also mean that his father was a carrier of light, shedding that light on the darkness, or evil,  around him, expelling it to the nooks and cracks in the rocks around him, never to rear its ugly head until the light is extinguished, or his father dies. The fact that his father goes on ahead suggests again that he may have died, but the light followed him, leaving Bell behind, dark and cold, with no way to combat the evil. OR, there are lots of those, the lights isn't so much leaving or not inside Bell, but the new kind of evil, an evil that compares to nothing he has ever seen before, but his light isn't bright enough to combat against it. It will take a new kind of good, modern light to even begin to banish this new coming darkness.

Part 2-
If I really had to tell the truth, I would have to say that I hate that I am so satisfied with the ending of this novel. It gives a very obscure ending to a wonderfully organized story, and I can't help but be absolutely in love with this book, plain and simple.

Close Reading Song Lyrics- "Love You with the Truth" by Casting Crowns

   "Love You With The Truth"
     by: Casting Crowns

(Verse 1)
For the longest time, I believed the lie

That I'm not a strong enough believer

To be the friend that can take your hand

And lead you straight to Jesus

I'm waiting on the preachers, singers, and the teachers

To string the perfect words together

But every single time I have to say goodbye

I wonder will this be the last time

(Tag 1)
I cant call myself your friend and walk away

(Chorus)
When we love, we earn the right to speak the truth

When we speak truth, we show the world we truly love

I'm not pointing my finger, I'm holding out my hand

I lay it all on the line now to see God save my friend

Let my life and my words be the proof

I'm gonna love you with the truth

Gonna love you with the truth

(Verse 2)
Yes, God is love, but God is just

And we are separated in our darkness

So God let Him who knew no sin

To become sin to make us right with Him

Its not about religion or earning Gods forgiveness

Or magic prayers or new behavior

Its all about your heart, Hell meet you where you are

Turn from your sin and trust in Christ as Lord

(Tag 2)
Jesus is the truth, the life, the way

(Bridge)
How I've prayed for this moment, that you would finally see

That God is more than religion, a stained-glass fantasy

And how I've prayed for the courage, for my silent faith to speak

Or that God would just send you a better friend than me

Analysis-

Starting with the title, "Love You with the Truth."
Truth is often believed to be expressed in a blunt manner, there is a more compassionate application that people have forgotten over time. People don't always like the truth, but the title states it is how he/she will love the person. True love is always truthful, but it is also kind.

The first verse is repentant in nature, telling how the person who is the friend is sorry for not witnessing because they didn't think they were a strong enough believer. Perfect words are non-existent when they come from the mouths of humans, and waiting for those perfect words could be dangerous, seeing that the person you care about is in jeopardy of dying, or falling from the truth for good.

The first tag can mean that one cannot call someone a friend if they don't truly care for the person. Friendship is an affectionate bond, so you cannot call someone a friend if you wouldn't do anything to keep them safe or attempt to do something that is for the betterment of them.

The chorus is jam packed with information. "We" represents Christians, when Christians love someone, they earn the right to speak the truth, and when they speak truth, they show the world they truly love, just as the song says, but with Christians substituted for "we." "The truth" could denote many things, such as people's lack of knowledge of what they are doing wrong, or what is sinful. It could also be indicative of their ignorance of the truth of God's word. Jesus is also referred to as the truth, they way by which people may enter heaven. The phrase "I'm not pointing my finger, I'm holding out my hand" shows a rebuttal to the belief that when someone points out a flaw in you or something you are doing wrong that it's them judging you, but the holding out of the hand is a symbol of a helping hand, and instead of a judgmental smack, he/she is trying to help them through it, not  cast a judgement and leave. Laying it all on the line to see God save his/her friend indicates how he/she could be risking their friendship by pointing something our, but they are relying on God to save the friend by them presenting the truth to them, hoping they will receive it.

The second verse tells of the nature of God, and how we are separated from Him by our sin, so He sent Jesus to save the world (the story of salvation for all). Jesus did not come to the world to judge it, but to save it with selfless love. Getting right with God is not about a bunch of new changes to your life in an outward sense, but it's about the state of your heart and how you approach  God and his truth, His forgiveness.

The second tag is quite obvious in what it means. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Nobody gets to the Father except through Him.

The bridge states how God isn't just a religion, because in His word it states in Amos 5:21 "I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me." God is more than a fantasy not worth chasing. If the truth is not being shared with you by the ones you love, then there is the hope that God would send someone willing to be a witness.

LRB #7, Symbolism- "Young Goodman Brown"

"Young Goodman Brown"
By: Nathaniel Hawthorne



 From what is able to be analyzed, there was a load of symbolism encapsulated in this story, and most of it contributes to one central idea; the sin of humans and how it is incorporated into our nature to give into evil. Examples of such symbolism are things such as the sunset, which could represent the sinful nature of humans arising in the nighttime hours, examples are up to you to imagine. Conversely, the sunrise could be a symbol for the light of repentance or abstinence from sinning, or even be deeper in its symbolism and extend to a more spiritual aspect, the washing of sins by the blood of Jesus, which sheds light on those who repent and start, in a sense, a new day. Goodman Brown's paranoia could represent his conscience, I drew this conclusion from the statement that "he glanced fearfully behind him as he added,'What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow!'" indicating his knowledge of the presence of his sinful nature, and that the evil one is always prowling in the darkness, seeking to devour those who sin. The man seated at the foot of an old tree directly alludes to the Bible, in the story where Satan is lurking under the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, bringing nothing but the promise of death and sin, the first sin.This old man's staff is a serpent, pretty obvious right? Faith could even be used as a symbol, because "'Faith kept me back a while.'" is a direct statement from Goodman, and could serve as a spiritual reference of how our faith in God and the faith to do right withholds us from sinning, if we choose to let it, but when we use free will to choose to do wrong, we override our conscience. Goodman Brown's family is identified as puritans, which is just blatantly symbol of how the church of England sought to simplify and regulate forms of worship. The Deacon and minister could represent people who are sinners, like anyone else, and that they are also susceptible to sin and wrongdoing as much as anyone else, and that even thought they are who they are, they are still able to succumb to human nature; evil. Blood is mentioned in a paragraph where it could be identified with the blood of Jesus. Goodman and Faith are on the verge of wickedness. The blood could represent how close their salvation from sin is, even on the verge of wickedness. The wind that comes while Goodman is in the forest could be symbolic of a shift, a change, either in his way of thinking or of a realization or epiphany.

LRB- "Popular Mechanics"

"Popular Mechanics"
By: Raymond Carver



What I got from this story in a thematic sense is how people lose their humanity in certain situations, such as one involving imminent divorce or another legal matter. The dispute between these two people tragically carry over into their baby, who doesn't get identified with anything other than "him" and "the baby." Throughout the story, the word "things" comes up often, and symbolism can be identified and attributed to the theme's development. The man is concerned about packing up his things and leaving. He is about to leave, and the woman tells him to get his things and get out. When the woman unwraps the crying baby's blanket, it is like opening a new thing that has just been brought home from the store, and the man wants it. The title itself is representative of the neglect to consider the baby a human being while they are going through their apparent marital problems. The baby is treated as if it is the next hot item to have in your home, and that it can be classified as something that can be bought (or replaced) by monetary means rather than being a priceless human life. The tragic end can represent not only the selfishness of the life they ripped apart, but the symbolic ripping apart of their marriage. When all is said and done, this story rings true in a blunt and graphic manner. The way the mother holds the baby as they fight over it is the same way a person who was trying to hold on to their purse or wallet as they were being mugged, as a thing, an item worth something to them, but she lacks the emotion of a human being and revere the child as a child. It is like they are fighting over a hundred dollar bill, both pulling on one end, eventually ripping it, ridding it of its worth and turning it into something neither of them ever wanted.