The Iliad

Hector is a more noble character than Achilles

In "The Iliad", Hector is a valiant warrior while Achilles is a talented warrior. Hector kills Patroclus (Achilles's friend) in war under the impression that he was Achilles. As retaliation Achilles kills Hector, but then drags his body around the city practically disgracing his memory. Hector and Achilles are both killers. They both did evil things that can't be undone but, the way they acted afterwards was completely different. Hector tries to redeem himself, while Achilles' only thought is revenge.

As James Weigel says, "Achilles' life seems tragic, Hector's life is one of pathos, but the pathos of a man fighting heroically against overwhelming odds". One can see how Achilles' life was doomed from the start, but that does not excuse his unforgivable actions after he enacted his vengeance. Hector knows that if he fights Achilles he will die, but he doesn't back down. As said by Hector, "I would not die without delivering a stroke, or die ingloriously, but in some action memorable to men in days to come". Hector wants to die with some honor and dignity. Achilles takes this, his one dying wish, away from him. Achilles states, "Hector, I'll have no talk of pacts with you". He is disrespectful even in this time of war, when honor and respect is all you can possibly hope for.

Mr. Weigel comments about Achilles,"His tragic flaw lies in the savage intensity of his emotions". Achilles doesn't know how to be rational. He goes with his first instinct and it's not always the right one. On the other hand, Hector is very rational. He is smart and realistic. He knows his defeat is inevitable, yet he perseveres. Hector represents the good side of human kind. James Weigel states, "Humans, finally, have more dignity than the gods because they choose their actions in the face of death, while the gods have no such necessity, being immortal." In other words, humans can be seen as more dignified than the gods, because they have overcome challenges with the knowledge that doing so could kill them, but the gods don't have to worry about that, so therefore in this sense they cannot be more dignified. If you compared Achilles and Hector like this you can see that because Achilles has the better skills at fighting, facing Hector is no problem; but Hector facing Achilles takes bravery because he knows that he can't win. Hector's actions take nobility. 

This is why when asked the question, who is a more noble character between the two, my answer is Hector. Hector knows where to draw the line, even in a time of war. Achilles breaks these cardinal rules of war. Achilles has no morals or ideals when it comes to his revenge on Hector. Hector has the courage to fight to the end, while Achilles brags and boasts about his "accomplishment". His fighting in a blind rage is not commendable. Hector is someone that you can admire for his actions, and furthermore his valor.

Free Blog 1

                       

All my life I have been reading; I can't remember a time where I wasn't reading. This being said, I know almost instantly whether I will like a book or not. I have perfected my book choosing technique  over the years and I have found that I am normally attracted to books that are realistic fiction. It makes me think that maybe, if I'm lucky enough, some of the things that happen in my books can happen to me. These types of books keep me invested in their story. I rarely get bored with a book if it is realistic fiction. This is not to say that I hate other genres of books. I am open to any type of book (except those resembling history or historical fiction, those I am skeptical of). I have been known to like dystopian, fantasy, and mystery novels as well.

I am an avid reader. I love the way a book can make you feel, the way it can pull you into a story with just a sentence or two. It can take you everywhere you want to go. It lets you experience everything that you can’t. A book is an adventure, a journey, you can take with you wherever you go. It is a life like no other. You can pause, rewind, slow down, fast-forward, and repeat it as many times as you want. It will illustrate people and places to you that you will never be able to see in real life. It’s like a dream.

This is why I look forward to enjoying this year of reading. Making a dent in the piles of books on top of my desk. I know that I will travel through time, countries, and worlds; fall in love, fight the bad guys, and go on hundreds of adventures all in a matter of these next 8 months. Happy Reading to all!

Chris Herren

The book, Basketball Junkie, is a biography written by Chris Herren himself (with the aid of sports writer Bill Reynolds). Chris Herren had a tough fight with his addiction to drugs and it resulted in him loosing his career, family, and some may say, himself. His life was run by his need to "get high". This man had everything, and he gave it all up for drugs. He says it all started with the pressure to succeed in high school basketball (he blames his father more than once for this). Drinking was just the beginning, he then went onto marijuana, then to ecstasy, cocaine, OxyCotin, Vicodin, Percocet, crystal meth, and finally Heroin. In the end, no one could save him but himself.

He is now a drug free, full-time husband and father, and a part-time public speaker. He made amends with his family and now has his wife and 3 children back. He tells his story around the country helping multiple people (kids and adults) in any way he can. His story is a unique one; not everyone can come back from drugs as well as he did. Not everyone can get forgiveness from the people they hurt as easily as he did. This book is only one person's account, but the lessons that are told can be applied to almost everyone, especially those who have battled or are battling an addiction. Overall, this book is a great warning story, the start of a plan to get clean, and a way to give people hope who thought they might have lost it.

Now, that being said, this book was not one of the best in its literary sense. Although his story is a great one to learn from, it was not written in the most appealing way. The repetitive nature of the book, and the reuse of words in such a short amount of pages was not a great way to keep your readers interested (no matter how compelling the story might be). It seemed as though every other word was winning or every other chapter was just a repeat of the last. Now, if this book was only written by Chris Herren, I would be more understanding as to why the book was written like so, but this is not the case; Chris had a partner, a sports writer in fact, (one who had written a book before), so I see no excuse for this literary nonsense to occur. While I was reading, the book came off as very bland. There was nothing that excited me or caught me off guard. It was predictable, to sum it up in one word. I understand that this is a biography, but still, some creativity in the style or word choice would have given the book some redeemable quality in the eyes of avid readers, like myself.

I would rate this book 2 out of 5 stars. It was readable, but nothing too interesting. But, of course, you can make your own decision about Basketball Junkie.