I'm not exactly sure why, but one of the things that stuck out to me the most was when Oedipus blinded himself.
As I pointed out in class, it reminded me of Flannery O'Connor's story Wise Blood, which ends with a similar occurance.
I've also been studying other religions in one of my classes. It's surprising how many people in the world believe that they must injure themselves in order to have right standing.
What is it about self inflicted pain that supposedly justifies your situation? I understand guilt, but really....gouging your eyes out?
Oedipus is more the victim in this story, in my opinion, yet he is driven to go this far because of his internal pain. This is a very common problem in today's society. If not physically abusing themselves, people often mentally abuse themselves because of things that they have done. It just shows how the world is more about destruction. If only we had forgiveness. If only we had healing....Oh, wait.
Commented on Lucas's blog.
It's all a point of guilt. Where is the mental connect between doing something wrong and feeling the need to correct it by harming oneself? Does this situation create the age old desire for a savior? Why do we hurt ourselves to take away the thing that is hurting us? Once it's over that hurtful thing is still there. That mistake or ill fate is not going away because you made yourself bleed. Like you said, there is healing! The Lord experienced the ultimate pain so that we didn't have to! He shed his blood so that our can stay in His veins. But in their culture, that wasn't even a thought. The Greek gods would never do something like that. And that's why Yahweh is the one and only God!!!
ReplyDeleteI took a more sermon-y approach in my commenting tonight :)
haha I like it. Lucy the preacher.
ReplyDeleteWait, we're at a Baptist school... haha
I think lots of times it's like something to take your mind off of it. When I was little and I would complain about my head hurting, he would offer to stomp my toe. I would tell him that then my toe would hurt. But he would tell me that I wouldn't be thinking about my head anymore. This seems to be the most common response I run in to when dealing with the topic of self-injury. I suppose it's possible that could have been one thing running through his head, but I agree. I think it was more the guilt. He cause pain to someone else then regretted it. So, whether you want to call it avenging or vindicating or whatever, I think that's probably the reason behind it.
If that made any sense. haha
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ReplyDeleteIt is difficult to talk about another person psycological standing at a given time without imposing yourself in it.
ReplyDeleteI feel like this self mutilation deal also has to do with dis-satisfication with yourself. Oedipus is a very pridful person. He rescued this town, he feels like he is doing what a good king should and that he is doing everything he can to ease the suffering of the people. Yet when he finds out that he is the caused of the peoples suffering, and discovers all the sins he has commited, he can't said himself.
Also, would the play be as dramatic if he just said "All shucks, I really did it this time?"