Ramblings: Main Characters, Integers and Divergence

Every good novel has a main character. Fact. If the novel does not have a main character the novel normally sucks. Often the "main character" of a novel is the character who's point of view the novel takes place in (Hunger Games, Percy Jackson), however there are times when the main character in a novel isn't given a viewpoint (The Book Thief, Fault in our Stars). So what defines a main character? What makes a character the main character? I'm sure there are many explanations that people could come up with but to me the main character is the character that can do something no one else can do. Be it something small, like knowing the power of words, or something large, like being the savior of the physical universe. 

So what's my point? I want to talk about the Divergent Trilogy, specifically about the main character of that series. 

If you haven't read the entire Divergent Trilogy, STOP READING NOW! MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!

Divergent, on the surface, is the story of a girl who comes of age, must choose her destiny, and falls in love with an incredibly attractive young man named after the number Four. Sounds like the average young adult novel, right? Totally cliche. But not so fast. The first book might give this impression, maybe even the second, but by the third installment in the series I noticed something interesting happening. Tris, who many may think of as the "main character" doesn't really possess a quality that no one else has. She's Divergent, but as we find out in Insurgent there are actually tons of Divergent people. She posseses the quality of three factions where most Divergents posses only two. I guess that's different, but still, nothing that can change the story. It puzzled me for a while, then it hit me. Duh, I thought, Tris isn't the main character! The more I thought about it the more obvious it became. So who is this main character? I may be wrong, but I really don't think I am. I think it's Four, better known as Tobias. Now, to make my case. 

First of all, Tobias is a much more defined character than Tris. He has a history, scars that will never heal. He knows pain first hand, and he understands what risks should be taken and which should not. To further this point, Veronica Roth has stated that the Divergent trilogy was originally going to be in his point of view, but it just never felt right. So she created Tris.

Secondly, Tobias is really in the center of the story. Jeanine Matthews wants to take over the government run by Marcus Eaton, Tobias' father. After Jeanine takes control, Evelyn Eaton, Tobias' mother, takes the government from her. After that, Marcus and Johanna (leader of the Amity) rebel against her. Then in the middle of it all is Tobias, who is bitter with both his power-hungry parents, his dad for abusing him and his mom for abandoning him. 

Lastly, Tobias has the ability to do something that no one else can do; forgive. In the end, when the memory serum is getting ready to be used on the city, Tobias has to wipe one of his parents memories before they destroy each other. However, in the end, instead of wiping her memory, he forgives his mother. He convinces her that power isn't what she ever wanted, and had the strength to forgive her even after she abandoned him to years of hell with his father. And he singlehandedly ends the war with the power of forgivness. ("I know that sounds like a cat poster, but it's true")

While there is a great deal to be said for Tris' sacrifice (how about that life ruining ending, Divergent fans?), in the end, it was Tobias' strength that saved the city. He overcame his bitterness and hurt, and although the pain would never heal, he chose to ignore it for the ones he loved. I didn't like Divergent much when I first read it, and it's still not among my favorites, but this man is one of my favorite characters possibly ever. He demonstrated what bitterness and anger does to a person, showed the power of forgivness, and despite having lost everything, continued to fight. 

And I think that's pretty darn awesome. 

Music Review: x -- Ed Sheeran

Hello my beautiful readers!

I meant to get this to you yesterday, but the charger on my tablet broke, then we watched a movie, which probably deserves a review itself, but before I get off track, here is my review of Ed Sheeran's recent album "x" (pronounced "Multiply").

**NOTE**: I am reviewing the Deluxe Edition of this album, which features an extra 4 songs that, in my opinion, complete the album, as I don't consider 12 tracks a "full" album. **

Ed Sheeran is a bit of a new face in the music industry. With the success following his debut "+" in 2011, he's quickly become one of the biggest acts of the time. And no wonder, with his incredible songwriting and musical abilities, and that falsetto voice you can't help but fall in love with. Plus he has a pretty awesome accent. And now, three years later he releases his second major album, "Multiply".

From the very beginning of this album we see Ed's musical talents in the song One, a beautiful melody about love and devotion, quickly followed by another acoustic song, I'm a Mess, about personal failure in relationships and the desire to make it right ("And though I've only caused you pain/You know but all of my words will always be low/Although all the lies we spoke/When you're on my road/Walking me home/See the flames inside my eyes/It burns so bright/I wanna feel your love").

The album then takes a surprising turn with the hit single, Sing, an irresistibly catchy party song showing a bit of Ed's hip hop side with some rapping on the second verse. Don't is also a bit of a surprise with a bass synth and piano in the chorus, something we hadn't seen yet on this album. The song sings about a fellow singer whom Ed fell in love with, who later cheated on him. The chorus and bridge include a couple surprising use of profanity, cleverly censored with an inhale of breath to avoid an explicit label ("Don't *inhale* with my love").

Then back into the folk/pop ballads we go. In Nina, Ed describes the pain of having to end a possible future relationship because of his job and busy touring schedule, mourning what could have been. Photograph follows in this message as Ed sings about the joy and pain of love. Bloodstream is another song about mistakes ("I've been spinning now for time/Couple women by my side/I got sinning on my mind...How did I get so faded?"). Thinking out Loud and Tenerife Sea are beautiful love songs, the first about Ed's commitment to a life long relationship. The latter sings of a lover who Ed describes beautifully. Both are touching songs about love in it's purest form.

Runaway is about, well, a runaway, fleeing his dad's abuse. He sings in the chorus about his love for his dad, and later the hope that things could change and he could return. Then Afire Love is a song about love in the midst of tragedy.

As if right on Que, Ed decided to get away from the deep stuff for a few songs and goof off with a bit of hip hop, first on The Man which, despite the censored profanities is a pretty meaningful song, talking about, again, a breakup and the depression it brought in the midst of his busy career. Then comes Take it Back, a straight-forward rap song quite a bit like Sing, that is to say, without much meaning; just a song to enjoy. 

The deluxe album concludes with Shirtsleeves, yet another heart touching breakup song, Even My Dad Does Sometimes, and closes with the epic I See Fire, a song from the soundtrack of The Hobbit: DoS about a band of dwarves determined to take their mountain back from the dragon Smaug.

This album oozes meaning, love and heartbreak. Ed is a top of the line musician who has definitely earned his popularity. As a matter of fact I'd go as far as to say he's one of the best overall musicians of our time. There are many positive things here to discuss.  Nina compares how love should be alike to how God sees us ("And you don't even need to worry about your weight/'Cause We can all be loved the way that God made us"), on I'm a Mess and Bloodstream Ed is brutally honest about his mistakes, and his quest for life-long love on songs like One, Photograph, and Thinking Out Loud is definitely something to be praised.

However

Ed just doesn't seem devoted enough to following that quest, as is seen on songs like Sing. The several alcohol and marijuana references along with the profanity (even while being censored) might be a turn-off to many listeners, myself included. There is a lot of good to take from this album, but there is also a large amount of worldly klunk. If you plan on listening to this album, I recommend taking a bit of time out of your schedule and listening to the whole thing in one listening, so you get the big picture, as blurred as it may be. 

Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 stars

The Random Ramblings of, yours truly, Elijah Thompson

Well I sorta felt like writing a blog post.

Not that I have anything interesting to write most of the time. Well, okay, I do, but things work much better in thought than they do on paper. I have way too many unfinished drafts of posts I wanted to write but after reading them over realized they couldn't express my true thoughts. 

Some books that I read just give me a feeling, evoke some emotion in me that I don't recognize. If I considered it long enough maybe I could put a name to it, but as soon as I try to define the beauty of what I feel and think, it loses it's clarity, because let's be honest; unless you're Adam Young, Ed Sheeran, or John Green, it's impossible to fully express your thoughts in words on a sheet.

Which is why blogging is difficult at times. So many books I've read that I wish I could express in this virtual piece of paper just how they make me feel. 

I begin to wish that there was a machine that could translate my thoughts into words, but machines cannot understand emotion, so they would not be able to accomplish it any better than a ceiling fan could. Which leaves only one option for us, and that is telepathy, which is impossible at this time.

The result is a really boring blog. There is a desire in me to blog but a fear that by trying to express myself I will bring the magic in my mind to human standards, turning it into nothing more than empty words and time turned meaningless. 

BUT, but, I can still try. Because fear is something that can be overcome. I will try to express myself in a way that is both coherant and enjoyable to read. 

So let's start over.

My name is Elijah Thompson.

Welcome to the High Desert. 

The Rebellion is About to Begin

I recently finished The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.

Normally, I'd write a review on a book series I read, and I still might, but as I sat down to write it, I couldn't find the right words to describe it. I decided to write a blog post and share a little bit about what the series meant to me and what I gained from reading it.

When Collin's wrote the Hunger Games series, much more was on her mind than appealing to the crowds and fame, glory and success for her series. She wrote these books out of concern about where our world was heading and how often in our own little worlds we are blind to what is really happening. With this in mind, the Hunger Games is not an entertaining series. It's troubling. Scary, even. 

Katniss Everdeen is living in a world where the government and rich people are living it up and leaving the rest of the nation to starve, most without even realizing it. The Hunger Games is a spectacle, a reality TV show. I can almost hear a news reporter describing it: "To punish the nation for their rebellion, every year, 24 children of the districts will be thrown into an arena with little to no supplies and be forced to kill each other and, because of the Capitol's grace and mercy (you read right), the last man standing will be crowned victor. Who is the strongest? We'll find out!" 

We think of the Hunger Games as a fantasy, when in reality the world has created it's own Hunger Games many times in history. The Gladiators in Rome, the arenas where Christians would be martyred for their faith. Societies throughout history have created a Panem like world; leave the weak to die while the rest of us live in luxury. 

And in all this, two players of these games decide that enough is enough. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, two "Tributes" from District 12 decide to not let the Capitol make them "part of their games". Katniss is about to become the spark that will encourage the districts to stand up for what they know is right. As Suzanne Collins writes in Catching Fire, "At some point, you have to stop running and turn around and face whoever wants you dead. The hard thing is finding the courage to do it."

In many ways, I think that's why people love this series, myself included; because young people are starting to get sick of the complacency society wants to trap them in, causing them to forget the turmoil that makes up the world we live in. The reports are coming in from all over the world; young people taking up the call and making a change. Society is the capitol. We are the Mockingjays. We, like Katniss, need only to choose to be them. 

The Hunger Games isn't fantasy; it's very real. 

The rebellion is beginning. We need to make the choice to lead it, to stand up for our faith in Christ and for what's right, even when it may mean our very lives. 

The Game is about to begin, but this year, we're going to change the world. Are you with me?

Finnick: "Ladies and Gentelmen..." Katniss: "...let the seventy sixth Hunger Games begin!" ~Mockingjay

Starving the Flesh (and Other Rocks and Bumps on the Narrow Road)

So it's official. Oreos are addictive.

Of course, the majority of us already knew that. Most of us grew up on the two chocolate chip cookies with icing in the middle, and no doubt recognized the need to have just one more, and another, and another, and another. Now, however, it's been scientifically proven that Oreos are more addictive than drugs.

So the question you're asking now is why did I start my blog post with Oreos? Besides that Oreos are very appealing to the flesh, I really don't know. Fun fact for the day, I guess.

Now onto the point of this blog post. Starving the flesh.

Christians face three things on a regular basis; The world, the flesh, and the Enemy. All three of these things are constantly fighting to draw us away from God. These are the same three things Eve faced when being tempted; The lust of the eyes (The world), the lust of the flesh (The flesh) and the pride of life (the Enemy). The thing I want to focus on right now is the flesh.

So what are the characteristics of the flesh? The flesh wants to check Facebook instead of read the Bible. The flesh wants to watch Netflix instead of doing Bible Study. The flesh wants to watch the Football game instead of going to Church. Sound familiar? Of course it does, because the flesh is what we are. Our flesh wants nothing to do with God and wants everything that will keep us away from Him. 

If we feed the flesh by giving it what it wants, it will grow stronger in us. Paul tells us in Galatians that if we sow the flesh, we will reap the fruits of the flesh, which are sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, etc. You may not see these being fulfilled in your life right away, but if you keep giving the flesh what it wants, it will become the driving influence in your life. We can't avoid or fight the flesh because it's part of us, so the only thing we can do is starve it and feed the Spirit. Paul in Galatians 5:16-18 says, "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish."

Feeding the Spirit and starving the flesh means not fulfilling the desires of the flesh and nurturing your Spirit; reading the Bible, studying the Bible, going to church, etc. It won't be easy at first, but eventually your Spirit will grow stronger than the flesh and you will reap the fruits of the Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control. God will help us every step of the way, but we have to do our part. Turning off the TV, putting down the box of Oreos, etc. It doesn't mean we won't stumble, but when we do, God pick us up and help us continue to feed the Spirit.

Are you with me? Let's starve the flesh.

Left Behind Series Review

Introduction

"An airborne Boeing 747 is headed to London when, without any warning, passengers mysteriously disappear from their seats. Terror and chaos slowly spread not only through the plane but also worldwide as unusual events continue to unfold. For those who have been left behind, the apocalypse has just begun." --Leftbehind.com

The Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins is possibly one of the most popular Christian fiction series ever written. It begins with the cataclysmic event Christians refer to as The Rapture, follows it into The Tribulation, a period of God's wrath on mankind, and goes all the way to the Glorious Appearing of Christ, all coming together to make twelve books, three prologues, one epilogue, and an entire kids series.

Review

The storyline is good. Character development is good to start out, and the story, following Biblical Eschatology is great. Summed up, the storyline is really a battle between the "Tribulation Saints", the men and women saved through the Tribulation, and the Antichrist, a figure known as Nicolae Jetty Carpathia. So is the storyline perfect? No. In a lot of ways, the story seems to drag on through the twelve books as we wait for different events to happen.

The books are very slow and dry, as is the dialogue. Later in the books, character development weakens as well, and the storyline gets distracted very easily. For example, one woman becomes pregnant with the Antichrist's baby (which, by the way, is against scripture), and she spends three books considering an abortion while her Christian friends try to convince her otherwise. Things like that become huge distractions to the overall plot of the book.

However, these things don't apply to all the books. Nicolae, the third book in the series, has a very good storyline and moves rather quickly, and will turn out to be one of my favorite books I've read all year.

From a family-friendly point of view, take caution. The books are extremely violent. I don't say that to criticize because it's The Tribulation. Beheadings, war and death, death, and more death are part of what the Bible says will unfold during this time. From the very first book, Buck Williams is almost killed in a car bombing, in the third book, World War III breaks out, leading to quite a bit of violence. Public beheadings become a spectacle and may make some readers uncomfortable. There is also some mature content as well, such as abortion. So basically, young readers should take caution.

Now comes the part where, because it's a Christian series based on Biblical events, we have to see if the books match up to scripture, and much to my surprise, they did well. Nothing, besides maybe what I mentioned earlier, goes directly against scripture or against the foundational Christian beliefs. However, there are additions to the Biblical end times plot. For example, one character becomes a kind of "modern day Moses", an addition made simply because some of the plagues in Revelation are similar to the plagues in Egypt, while I find no real Biblical evidence too support that assumption. Unfortunately, I cannot simply let the fact that there are additions pass by me, because in Revelation 22:18 we are given a strong warning not to "add to these words". And unfortunately, Left Behind does.

Conclusion

The Left Behind writers did a lot of things right. They held true to the foundational Christian beliefs, developed a good storyline, and successfully wrote a fiction series that follows thirty years before the Rapture to Kingdom Come. However, there is much that could've been better, as well. Dialogue is dry, many of the books are slow, character development weakens later in the books, and frankly, in some ways, the books are slightly unrealistic at points.

My opinion? Let's just say from now on I'll look elsewhere for good Christian fiction.

Rating

2 out of 5 stars.

Welcome to the Show

Some energetic pop music to help you get started today.

Welcome to the Show -- Britt Nicole

http://youtu.be/aVSzueRMufE