Stowe 18-22

“Mixed reformation” was included because several characters wanted others to reform. I used “mixed” to indicate different intent and outcomes. Tom wanted St. Clare and Prue to stop drinking—a very selfless request. Miss Ophelia on the other hand wanted Dinah to change her cooking methods—not totally for selfless reasons. St. Clare was very open to the advice while the others were more set in their ways. There was a lot of “recollection” in the conversations. Of all of the recollections, Prue’s sad story and St. Clare’s back-story stood out to me the most. “Affection” refers to Eva’s seemingly endless kindness and care for everyone amidst all of the tension and heated situations. Many of the characters were given chances to change certain aspects of their lives through “new opportunities.” Miss Ophelia and Topsy being paired together caused many problems; overcoming those problems could cause huge external and internal changes. Chloe is given an amazing opportunity in being able to raise money to bring back Tom. As time goes by, Tom and Eva "grow" continually close together. Also, as St. Clare increasingly realizes Tom’s potential, he gives trusts Tom with more tasks. There is a lot of “tension” between characters. In some cases it is more outright as with Dinah and Ophelia. Other times, there are more subtle signs as you can see in the way Marie addresses Eva.

Stowe, Chapters 5-8

This is one of the first times I've tried out this type of an accent. I've definitely never experimented with this accent this extensively. That said, I apologize for the breaks in the accent. Also, I had a weird allergic reaction tonight, so my nasal passages were really messed up as I recorded. Ch 5-p. 38; Ch 6-p. 50; Ch 7-p. 67-8; Ch 8-p. 83

Philosophy on Objectionable Elements

            It is very valuable to read books with objectionable elements. Reading about the nitty-gritty gray areas sparks thought and helps to strengthen my stances on tough issues. 

            When reading books with objectionable elements, everyone should be able to draw a line somewhere (the line might be different for each person). I try to draw my line where I think God wants it to be. While there aren't any explicit commandments to limit entertainment practices, I use general Biblical principles to guide me. For example, I like to refer to Philippians 4:8, which reminds me to avoid putting situations into my head that will cause me to constantly want to think wrong thoughts.
            A lot of the conflict comes down to how an individual responds to the objectionable elements. It's vital to be discerning--not readily accepting--when reading. Examining the purpose of an objectionable element is a good starting point. I try to avoid objectionable elements that are simply there to amuse, grab attention, or appeal to the desire for evil (e.g. lust). However, if the objectionable element is there to serve a helpful and positively meaningful purpose, I am generally OK with it. When I don't know the intent of the objectionable parts until after I've read them, I have to decide between continuing reading or stopping right there.
            Having a positive purpose isn't always enough to keep me reading. An objectionable element with a good purpose can still corrupt minds. Each person has a different threshold, so what made one person stronger could easily corrupt another person. One time, I stopped reading a book because the immorality and crassness was too much for me. It was really hard for me to get past the corruption to see the redeeming value in the book. In that situation, prayer really did make a difference. I kept telling myself that I could handle it, but later I felt God guiding me to stop reading it.
            If I'm ever required to read something that goes against my standards, the main problem would probably be my personal threshold because I don't think I would be forced to read a book that didn't have some type of redeeming value. I would pray about it and try to use my own discernment. If I do end up reading an objectionable book, I would make sure I keep the ethical perspective in mind so that I never justify evil.
            These principles about literature could definitely be applied to other forms of media. Books can be just as alive and powerful as music and videos. I can't unread books. I can't unhear music. I can't unsee videos. With every type of media, I really have to be careful to guard my heart.