I really enjoyed our discussion in class on Thursday about The Other Side of the Hedge. Ms. Bear asked us to think whether we would rather be on the road or inside the hedge, but I don’t think I could choose. I don’t want either! Obviously, the hedge is more restful but there isn’t any direction to life. On the other hand, the road just leads in circles and you are constantly striving to an unknown goal. The road, after seeing that it leads nowhere, is really not an option. However, if we didn’t know that it was an unrewarding path of futility, I think many of us would choose the road. It has been ingrained in us to work for something, anything, and everything. Perhaps that’s why some people have a problem overcoming pride to accept salvation- they are still trying in some way to work for it, or to make God love them more.
In the poem, it also speaks of the hedge as a barrier. I think many people lose the joy and peace of salvation because they start looking at all the rules, and faith becomes legalistic and a list of what you can and can’t do. Yes there are rules, but when you desire God before anything else, then doing right isn’t something you have to think about, it’s a natural overflow of the heart. In this way, the hedge shouldn’t begin to feel like a prison, because it’s what you want to do- not what you have to do.
On a final note… I liked Ms. Bear. I do not like “The Bear.” I couldn’t find anything to blog about with that... and the run-on sentences are driving me crazy! Ok, I’ll be done with that rant and this blog so I can get back to reading… Class tomorrow should be fun :)
P.S. Commented on Mallory’s The Road
*my comment explains further why I wouldn’t choose either of Forster’s options
I feel like we are very much tracking with the Hedge! And yes, I agree that it's not exactly a Christian Allegory. Maybe that's why it bothers us? It seems to use Christian symbolism and yet, it's hopeless. I almost feel as if he's taunting faith a little. As if he's saying "here's life, it's meaningless, and heaven is not much better." Why else would he employ Christian symbolism to point to nothing?
ReplyDeleteI'm also a little iffy on if The Hedge is Chirstian allegory too. It seemed like while the man was in the garden, people are actually doing a lot of the same things we find ourselves doing in our lives, the only difference being that they aren't working to any end but are rather simply doing it and being content with that fact. This seems almost pointless to us, however, I would argue that being on the road would also seem pointless to those in the garden. And therein lies the conundrum.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with what you said about salvation and the idea that it is hard to overcome one's pride and accept it. This is especially true when thinking about the "american dream" mentality where everything is earned. But thats the beauty of salvation. We will never earn it, nor could we ever. On the contrary, it will always be a gift.