Internal+Lightning

By Amy S//.// **
 * //*Internal Lightning*//

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 * Just Some Thoughts and A Quick Overview... **

Do we //ever// ponder about the truth? What is it, exactly? How can we, as innovative intellectuals of the present, trust the works of our ancestors, the less advanced people of the past? Most of us depend on the Bible as a source of information, but is that //truly// reality? As humans, we tend to intertwine reality with myth and fantasy. We contain an immense desire for knowledge, and when we do not know the complete situation, we “enhance” the situation with fabricated details, thus making it our //own// reality and truth. However, we still portray humanistic characteristics and traits in these fictitious works, thus presenting a credible image.

The completely original and creative conversation above served as an exercise to display two Genesis characters’ traits, thus exploring and observing each character’s nature. In the discussion, scheming Jacob attempts tricking Abimelech, the amiable king of Gerar, in order to attain as much food as possible and save his treasured son Joseph. By compiling the audio conversation, evidence from the Bible, comprehensive paintings, and the intricate illustrations, together, the character and dialogue analyses reflect the personalities of each unique individual. Through writing succinct biographies on the artists, the project focused on the skill to isolate and organize information presented on the internet. The reflection provides the strengths and difficulties the author confronted during the assignment. Ultimately, the citations helped drill down the skill of offering credit to the works from which the author obtained effective information.


 * Dialogue **

**Narrator:** A terrible famine hurts Jacob and his family consisting of Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, Bilhah, and his sons. In order to gain more food, Jacob, Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah leave Laban in Paddan-aram and travel towards Canaan. After days of endless venturing, they enter the town of Gerar only to find many unwelcoming residents.


 * People of Gerar (shout):** Who ventures upon these lands? Where have you come from?


 * Jacob (hushed voice):** Rachel, let me conceal both our faces so we can fool these idiotic buffoons. After all, you do know that I'm doing all this for the sake of Joseph, don't you? If he, my most cherished son, dies, then I will have no reason to live.


 * Rachel:** Of course.


 * Jacob:** You’re such a supportive wife. No wonder you're my absolute favorite.


 * Rachel:** Glad I could be of assistance.


 * Jacob:** Come now. We've got some shallow tricking to do! By the way, tell the others to shut their mouths and quietly follow. I don't want them ruining my clever plans.


 * People of Gerar:** Once again, we, the people of Gerar, command you to enlighten us! If not, we will surely use force!


 * Jacob (muttering under breath):** Yeah, yeah, I'm coming.


 * Jacob:** As you can see, my wife Rachel and I are mere travelers. We come from Paddam-aram in desperate search of food.


 * Abimelech:** Hoho! Is that so? Come; please take resource of this wonderful, grand city! I would love to share everything with you kind, suffering travelers. Sorry about my shameful people; they are extremely afraid of strangers. You see, last year, many people attacked our beautiful home so whenever guests arrive, everyone is alert and cautious. Well, actually, everyone except me. I follow old standards, so I, King Abimelech, always serve visitors. Nice to meet you - ?


 * Jacob:** Jacob. My name is Jacob. Thanks for your kind hospitality.


 * Abimelech:** Oh, I forgot to mention! My heart may be full, but my head sure isn't right now! Anyway, my people were terribly frightened of the terrible past experience, so they came to me for support and safety. Like all other kings, I eventually came up with a plan; all visitors are required to sacrifice something - it can even be the smallest of things - in order to ensure that they will not harm my people.


 * Jacob (under breath):** Ahh, such a wise king. But poor Joseph must be starving at this moment. I have to do something and quick.


 * Abimelech:** What was that, Jacob? I couldn’t quite hear. What was that you said?


 * Jacob:** Nothing! Please accept my three beautiful daughters Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah. I've searched far and wide, but I never found the perfect man until now. Please accept now otherwise they will become old hags in no time.


 * Abimelech:** I'm quite flattered. Thank you for your marvelous daughters! I cannot believe you would do that for me! What a kind soul you are! God bless you and your caring nature.


 * Narrator:** Jacob's three wives follow Abimelech, who offers them huge rooms and a lavish feast. He then talks to them individually, trying to learn about each of his future wives. What he hears truly shocks him, and he runs out, searching for his guest Jacob.


 * Abimelech:** Can I talk to you? I don't want to interrupt your eating session, but I'm curious and slightly mad. I’m also somewhat disappointed because I thought you were a good guy. Actually, I still think you are benign…I’m just confused.


 * Jacob:** Sure, but why?


 * Abimelech:** Why did you lie about your wives? Why did you disguise them as your daughters? Did you plan this from the beginning? What are your intentions?


 * Jacob:** What?


 * Abimelech (slightly fiercer tone):** Why did you tell me that Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah are your daughters when they are actually your wives? Why did you betray them?


 * Jacob (under breath):** Curses! What traitors! This is why I truly love Rachel.


 * Jacob (sigh):** Love.


 * Abimelech:** I don't understand. Love? What does love have to do with this? Please explain everything because quite frankly, I do not understand your point. I want to hear the utter truth; don’t hide anything from me. Let me judge this from my kingly and just perspective.


 * Jacob:** I did it out of love. I only truly love Rachel and the sons she bore me. I didn't want Joseph to starve! I love you, Joseph! I only love you! I will sacrifice everything and everyone else just for you!


 * Abimelech:** There were other ways you could have received the food! You didn't have to lie, and I'm not one to say this, but you shouldn't have offered your wives to another man! Don't you know it's a sin for a man to sleep with another man's wife?


 * Jacob (yelling):** How can a childless person ever understand? Joseph is the world to me! I don't care about others as long as he survives!


 * Abimelech (yelling as well):** Please, God! Hear me! Put some sense into this obstinate man! He is in dear need of it! Help me show him that there is more to life than one child. As men, we must protect the //entire// family, not just one child.[[image:thunder.jpg width="491" height="326" align="right"]]


 * //*Thunder sounds*//**


 * God:** Jacob, promise me you will care for your other wives as well.


 * Jacob:** NEVER!


 * God:** **//(lightning sound)//** How about now?


 * Jacob:** NO!


 * God:** **//(lightning sound)//** Wives are your key to eternal existence! Without them, you'd never have multiple children to carry on your name.


 * Jacob:** I have Rachel and Joseph!


 * God:** Do you? **//(lightning sound)//**


 * //Rachel://** AHHH!!! Jacob, do something!


 * Jacob (crying):** Rachel!!! I promise I will treat them all equally! I swear to you, God! I swear! Just stop!


 * Abimelech:** Do you now understand? This is what your other wives felt inside when you betrayed them! Stop your foolishness and truly act as the kind, caring man I immediately saw when I first laid my sharp eyes on you. So, do you, from the bottom of your heart, understand?


 * Jacob:** I do.


 * Abimelech:** God, I think he gets it. He's had his fair share of pain. Stop now. I’m sure the pain has caused him to reconsider his view.


 * God:** Hmph. I wanted to strike more lightning bolts, but it looks like he's learned his lesson.


 * Narrator:** After a few days, Jacob is ready to leave with all his wives and the excess of food offered to him by Abimelech.


 * Abimelech:** Thanks for the visit! I'm happy I could help you with your problem! You really needed a slap on the face to wake you up from that terrible trance. It was as if your son possessed you!


 * Jacob (muttering):** That’s impossible. Thanks for everything anyway.


 * Abimelech:** Don't forget your promise! You don’t want to be punished again, right? If I see you behaving irrationally again, I will definitely not forgive your actions. In fact I might ask God to use more force. Make sure you don’t forget because I cannot bear seeing you in pain!


 * Jacob:** Like I would! I can still feel the shocks from the lightning!


 * Abimelech:** Haha! Ok! Have a safe journey back! Come visit anytime! You and your wonderful family are always welcome here! Bye!


 * Jacob (under his breath):** What a fool! He fell for all my words and was completely unaware of the fact that I crossed my fingers while swearing!


 * //*(Beginning of Beethoven's 5th Symphony or something similar)*//**


 * Webspiration Chart **




 * Character Analysis **

Jacob reveals his cunning nature as he falls to desperate measures to secure his rights, and his narrow-mindedness emerges when he performs actions based off his fondness for certain people. O. A. Stemler and Bess Bruce Cleaveland, the illustrators of //Standard Bible Story Readers, Book Four// by Lillie A. Faris, portray Jacob’s cunningness as they show him posing as his brother by covering his skin with fur, hiding his face, bowing down below his father’s aged eyes, and forcing his mother to guard the entrance of the room in case Esau, Jacob’s brother, arrives to receive his rightful blessing. All of these actions serve as an intricate back-up plan because although Isaac’s, Jacob’s father, elderly eyes can hardly envision things, Jacob believes his father can somehow see through his guise. The fur conceals Jacob’s identity and reveals his cleverness as he realizes that his father will mostly likely rely on his sense of touch now that his most dependable sense, sight, has faded.

I n a similar way, the Genesis also offers interpretive passages that help draw out the traits of certain characters. As Jacob’s sons depart for Egypt to buy more food because of the famine, the narrator tells the readers, "But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he feared that harm might come to him" (Gen. 42.4). “Feared” conveys a hidden motivation of love and ensuring one’s safety, and it relates to past chapters such as when Abraham fakes the identity of his wife to secure his own protection. However, unlike in Abraham’s case, when one is close to another and holds much sincere affection, he or she will contain no reason to live when the other dies; in order to prevent his or her own death, they must protect his or her truly loved one. Although Jacob, as a father, loves most of his sons, he exceptionally favors Benjamin and Joseph, the sons of his most prized wife Rachel, the one he first and genuinely loved. This incident portrays the theme of favoritism as parents choose one child over the other, such as Leah helping Jacob rather than her other son, Esau. 

As conflict arises throughout King Abimelech’s lands, he develops a sense of virtuousness to ensure peace while retaining his considerate attitude towards his guests. When Abimelech discovers the true identity of Rebekah- Isaac’s wife, not sister- he reacts by commanding, “‘Whoever touches this man or his wife shall be put to death”’ (Gen. 26.11). “Death” presents the seriousness of the situation because life is cherished in the Bible, as seen from previous stories, such as when Noah constructs an ark to secure the lives of his family members and each pair of animals. With life come numerous opportunities, but when one commits a sin, such as defying the cultural value of hospitality by sleeping with an honored guest, he or she must sacrifice his or her life in order to compensate. Because Abimelech deeply respects these cultural values, he develops a sense of justification that a sinner’s malevolent actions foreshadow his or her fate of being deprived of his or her opportunities, or in other words, lives.

On the other hand, paintings and illustrations help portray a character’s personality just as well as literature. O. A. Stemler and Bess Bruce Cleaveland, two illustrators, convey Abimelech’s considerate demeanor as they paint him with relaxed eyebrows, downwardly pointed eyes, and open hands directed towards the land in an illustration in the book //Standard Bible Story Readers, Book Four// by Lillie A. Faris. Eyebrows often reveal a person’s thoughts and expression, so the relaxed eyebrows show Abimelech’s calm nature; his downwardly pointed eyes expose his friendliness rather than a challenging and fierce impression obtained by gazing directly into another’s eyes. Scientific studies have proven that body gestures expose more of a person’s intentions rather than words, so Abimelech’s open hands illustrate his intense willingness to share his land with his neighbors and guests.


 * Dialogue Analysis **

The leading character in the dialogue, Jacob, serves as deceitful and secretive individual in order to survive, and his determinedness to achieve his goals thus amplifies these aforementioned traits. When Jacob and his family approach the foreign town of Gerar, Jacob undertakes a wary role, murmuring, ‘“Rachel, let me conceal both our faces so we can fool these idiotic buffoons”’ (Sitwala 1). Jacob’s usage of “fool” implies that rather than facing the predicament straightforwardly and bravely, he seeks sly ways to work around and obtain a similar result. Because Jacob and his family are travelling in an unfamiliar land, as the man of the family, Jacob most likely wants to ensure the safety and protection of his family, a valued item in everyday society. The theme of trust also arises within the situation. Jacob cannot confide in people that he immediately meets because he cannot discern their personality upon first glance.

Afterward, when Abimelech, King of Gerar, discovers that Jacob’s “daughters” are truly Jacob’s wives, he instantaneously confronts and questions Jacob. Jacob, sighing under his breath, affirms, ‘“I only love [Joseph]! I will sacrifice everything and everyone else just for [Joseph]!”’ (Sitwala 3). By avowing “will sacrifice,” Jacob shows the lengths he will travel to guarantee the survival of his dearest son Joseph. Only through designating actions beforehand and staying loyal to them can one exist as a determined soul. The usage of “will” indicates future and how the promise will continue. The so-called promise to Joseph serves as the goal or fixed purpose, and one’s attitude towards the goal reflects their scale of determinedness. In this case, Jacob contains a strong attitude, and thus a strong sense of passion and determinedness. In the Bible, the son’s role existed as to carry the father’s name. In a way, by emphasizing how much Jacob needs Joseph to endure and live, Jacob displays his own resolute nature to survive.


 *  Information on the Artists **

Artist Bess Bruce Cleaveland was born in Washington Court House, Ohio in 1876. Taking a zealous liking to painting, Cleaveland studied at the Art Students League & Pratt Institute in New York, and eventually graduated in 1901. After graduating, she taught art for six years, but then sought a career in illustrating books and teacher's magazines. Cleaveland enjoyed using ink and watercolor to color her intricate drawings. Because birds, squirrels, and rabbits constantly visited her backyard, Cleaveland included several animals in her paintings. Animals quickly became her favorite subjects, as well as children. She served as the illustrator for both the children's book //Windmills and Wooden Shoes// by Maude Grant, published in 1920  and the collection of bible stories //Standard Bible Story Readers, Book Four// by Lillie A. Faris, published in 1927.

More Information on [|Bess Bruce Cleveland]. **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 132%;">Doré Gustave ** ( as related to O.A. Stemler who did a remake of one of Gustave's pieces )

Doré Gustave was born in Strasbourg, France in January of 1832, and started drawing at the mere age of five years. During his time, people viewed him as one of the most well-known illustrators, and Gustave created over ten thousand engravings and four thousand editions. Gustave did about 238 Bible engravings, and they existed as his most popular works. Several Hollywood directors have included Gustave’s works in movies such as //King Kong//, //Great Expectations//, and //The Ten Commandments//. Gustave later moved on to using oil paints and watercolor to paint countless landscapes and a few dozen sculptured statues.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">More Information on [|Dore Gustave].


 * <span style="background-color: #13dcec; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 170%; text-align: center;">Reflection **



After tirelessly working on this project for countless hours, a feeling of satisfaction somehow overflowed my mind. Both tasks of writing and recording a script required much more effort that I ever imagined. For instance, I redrafted my script several times because my original one sounded similar to a long, rambling rant, and it almost seemed as if the characters were bantering with the air. I originally believed that the discussion needed to mimic an essay or a passage from the Bible; I think the constant emphasis on writing essays and analytical writing fixated itself in my brain, so I assume that I lost some of creative ideas and thoughts. However, after conferring with some of my peers, my peers bestowed some thoughtful suggestions for my script. Eventually, after developing the script for a while and reading each new sentence out loud to ensure it sounded smooth, not stilted, I think the characters obtained a full-out casual conversation.

Recording entailed much of my patience because I contained no prior experience of Audacity, the recording program, and thus failed during my first attempts. After much trial and error, I succeeded in obtaining a basic image of how to edit my recorded piece. However, because my brother returned from college a few weeks ago, I found it excessively challenging to record and even concentrate with his constant “ticking” of the keyboard while playing an online role-playing game. In the end, I solved my dilemma by forcing him to sound out the voice of Jacob, the protagonist of my dialogue. Making as little scratchy noises as possible existed as the most aggravating and bothersome task. Even after editing, I could still distinguish several scratchy sounds, but I included sound effects to override the harsh sounds.

Although the process served as an exasperating task, I can conclude that I effectively learned how to write an efficient script. I also learned how to deal with difficult situations, and create solutions that cause the problem to serve as my benefit. Although the thought of giving up on recording appealed to me several times, I remained unwavering; I realize that if I truly put my heart and mind to something, I can fulfill almost any task. The project also honed my technology skills and piqued my interest in recording and editing. I never enjoyed much of either, but the project made them more appealing and surprisingly, sort of fun.


 * <span style="background-color: #bef2f4; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%; text-align: center;">Citations **

Web sites for artists: **
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">

Malan, Dan. //Antique maps and prints//. Postaprint, n.d. Web. 18 May 2010. <http://www.antiquemapsandprints.com/gustave-dore.htm>

"Book: Creative Posters." //Ohio Historical Society//. N.p., 2004. Web. 18 May 2010.<http://web2.ohiohistory.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=H262D90936F57.77092&profile=allsoc&uri=link=3100026~!332434~!3100001~!3100002&aspect=basic_search&menu=search&ri=1&source=~!horizon&term=Cleaveland%2C+Bess+Bruce%2C+1876-1966&index=#focus>.


 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Web sites for pictures: **

//Bess Bruce Cleaveland.// N.d. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2010. <http://www.cplwcho.org/spotlighttopic.php>.

Cleaveland, Bess Bruce. //Jacob gets Esau's blessing//. N.d. //Biblical-Art.// Web. 18 May 2010. <http://www.biblical-art.com/extra/ownpub/children/019.jpg>.

Cleaveland, Bess Bruce. //Disputes Over Wells Dug by Issac.// N.d. //Biblical-Art.// Web. 18 May 2010. <http://www.biblical-art.com/artwork.asp?id_artwork=29967&showmode=Full>.

//Gustave Doré .// N.d. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2010. <childillustration.blogspot.com/2009/01/gustave-dor.html>.

//Microphone.// 2008. //DeviantArt.// Web. 18 May 2010. <http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&q=microphone#/d1f8mvg>.

//Night Reflection.// N.d. //Alxa.ru.// Web. 18 May 2010. <http://alxa.ru/2007/11/11/night_reflection.html>.

//Purple Night Lightning Storm.// N.d. //Photobucket.// Web. 18 May 2010. <http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m207/jusaprincess/purple_night_lightning_storm.jpg>.

//Thunder For You.// 2009. //DeviantArt.// Web. 18 May 2010. <http://theoriginalmoody.deviantart.com/art/ Thunder-for-you-125695055?q=boost%3Apopular+thunder&qo=31>.