A+League+of+Their+Own

= A League of Their Own =

Audio-Cast:
media type="file" key="kwardlawleague.mp3" width="240" height="20" align="center"

Introduction:
"Why tell everything?" (Atwood 17). In writing Genesis, the redactors chose what each character would say and how they would react in every situation. However, what the redactors left out of Genesis may be the most interesting conversations that give incredible insight into the characteristics of each character. For instance, what really happened after God wrestled Jacob while Jacob awaited his brother Esau? The redactors wrote that Jacob realized God had been the stranger who wrestled with him, and then God just walked away. In the conversation that never happened below, what the redactors decided not to mention in Genesis, lies the truth of what happened on that day when God changed Jacob's name to Israel.

This Wiki page consists of an audio-cast of the conversation, a Webspiration chart of my ideas and my close analysis, a script of the conversation, an analysis of both characters, God and Jacob, and an analysis my script. I have also included paintings of both characters, information about the paintings, and also information about the artists who created them. Finally, my reflection of the whole process in creating this page and my citations are at the bottom of this Wiki page. Enjoy!



Script:
Narrator: ** As Jacob waits for the arrival of his brother Esau, a man came and wrestled with him until daybreak. Because the stranger feared losing to Jacob in this battle, he struck him on the hip socket, putting it out of the joint. Then Jacob demanded that the man bless him, and once the man had changed Jacob's name to Israel, Jacob asked for the stranger's name. The man asked why he wanted to know his name and started walking away.
 * A League of Their Own

**Jacob:** (Light Bulb Sound Effect) God? (Quick Pause) Is that you? I was thinking it was you because, well, you named me Israel, which means "The one who strives with God." So is it? Is it you? **God:** (Proudly) Yes, Israel. I am God. The Lord Almighty, Ruler of Heaven and Earth, of All that is Seen and Unseen, the...

**J:** Okay, I get it. Wow, no way am I looking at the face of God. You know, I actually have been sore the past couple of days and haven't been fighting my best, so, just letting you know.

**G:** (Clears Throat) Jacob, what are you suggesting?

**J:** Well, you’re not the first random man across the river I have encountered and fought with, that's all I'm saying, nothing personal.

**G:** (Shocked, chuckling) Are you suggesting I am a weak fighter? Jacob, do you know whom you’re talking to? I am the Lord Almighty, Ruler of Heaven and Earth, of All that is Seen and Unseen, the...

**J:** (Annoyed) I know, I know. And no. I am simply saying that I am a pretty strong wrestler and every professional has his off days. Or her off days.

**J/G:** Hahahahaha

**J:** You’re right, just his.

**G****:** (Chuckling) That's a relief. For a second, I thought you were implying that you are a better fighter than I.

**J****:** (High voiced) Well...

**G****:** (High voiced "Well") Well, what?

**J:** Not a // better // fighter, just a more skilled fighter with better tricks up his sleeve, if you know what I mean.

**G:** Jacob, Jacob, Jacob, I most certainly do not know what you mean. I am God. No offense but, who are you again?

**J:** Okay, okay. So I'm not God, not immortal, but at least I am a good fighter. (Jacob says under his breath)

**G****:** You know I can hear you, Jacob. I am omnipotent.

**J:** You mean omniscient?

**G:** (Defensive) Well, that too.

**J:** Just admit it.

**G:** Pardon. What shall I admit?

**J:** You, God of Heaven and Earth, The Almighty, the...

**G:** Okay, boy, your brother Esau will be arriving soon.

**J:** You're scared to fight me because I threaten you.

**G:** Ha. // You (pause) // threaten the most powerful being of all?

**J:** Well, how about you and I make a covenant with each other. You know, to settle this little disagreement of ours.

**G:** Well, what are you thinking, Jacob?

**J:** How about this? If I beat you in a wrestling match right now, we switch places, making me the God Almighty, Ruler of Heaven and Earth...

**G:** Not a blessing on earth is going to grant you that, kid.

**J:** Fine. How about this? If I beat you in wrestling, you make sure my brother Esau forgives me and greets me warmly when he arrives.

**G:** That sounds reasonable. It is settled then, Jacob. We shall fight as soon as your hip is cured.

**J:** I don't have that time. As you said, my brother Esau is on his way. Cure my hip now.

**G:** Now, why would I do that?


 * J: ** (Sarcastically) Well, never mind then. I just thought you were an impartial and fair judge of all people. You're right though. You really don't need to cure me anyway because I could beat you even if I didn't have any hip at all. So, whatever you prefer, Mr. Almighty.

** G: ** Fine, fine, I'll cure your stupid hip. Only because I am eager to fight you (quick pause) again, and give you a // little // chance against me.

** Narrator ** : So God cured Jacob's hip, and they began to wrestle once more. First, God was tearing Jacob apart, but as Jacob promised, he uncovered some tricks up his sleeves, and began to defeat God. (Fighting sound effects in the background) The fight went back and forth for hours, until finally God struck him in the hip socket.

** J: ** Oh, great. Deja vu. What was that for?

** G: ** (Confidently) I needed to settle this once and for all and remind you who I am.

** J: ** Does this mean I am going to have to greet my angry and vengeful brother with a dislocated hip? (Sarcastically) Dreams really do come true!

** G: ** Well, I will help you on one condition.

** Narrator: ** So God told Jacob his only condition, and Jacob laughed until he realized God was actually serious. (Sound Effect: Laugh) Jacob stood up and shouted how great God is and how stupid he was for ever thinking he could defeat the Almighty God, Ruler of Heaven and Earth, of All that is Seen and Unseen...

** J: ** Well, thank you God. And I expect to see much more of you in the future.

** G ** : Of course. For you have seen me face to face, and your life is preserved.

** Narrator: ** After God left Jacob, Jacob saw his brother crossing the river. Esau ran and embraced Jacob, kissing him on the neck while weeping.

** J: Esau, seeing your face is like seeing the face of God. (Sound Effect: Ahhhh) **

Character Analysis:

 * I Am Who I Am **[[image:god21.jpg width="250" height="198" align="right" caption="The Creation of Adam"]] In order to conceal God’s insecurity, he carries himself with a façade of confidence when confronting all human beings. As God finishes creating a garden in Eden supplied with every tree that pleases the sight and taste, God commands Adam, “‘But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die’” (Gen. 2:17). Because God understands that his “knowledge” gives him power over all humans, God worries that if Adam and Eve eat of the fruit on the tree, they will threaten his omnipotence, which separates him from living beings. God shows his insecurity again when he confuses the languages of the people in Babel and scatters them all over the earth. As the people unite and build a tower that reaches the heavens, God fears that the humans are getting more powerful and that in the future, humans would have more power united than he alone. Although God feels insecure inside, he ensures that the human beings never find out by acting with confidence.

In the Creation of Adam in the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo, the clothed God easily holds back the naked human beings in heaven while pointing his index finger firmly at Adam, lying on the earth. God’s “index finger” demonstrates his confidence because his finger creates the first human life, which only God possesses the power to do. Although God uses his confidence to hide his real emotions, Joseph shows his true confidence when he interprets the Pharaoh’s dreams, which are the basis for how Egypt is ruled for at least the next fourteen years. If Joseph had not had the confidence to interpret the two dreams about the seven years of abundance in harvest and the seven years of famine, Egypt would not have reserved crops in order to survive during the famine. The readers end Genesis with the imagery of the plentiful and luxurious Egypt because of Joseph.

Jacob’s strong de termination to achieve what he desires leads to the use of deceit as one of his methods. In the painting Laban Deals with Jacob from a book called // Treasures of the Bible // by Henry Davenport Northrop D.D., Jacob, held back by Laban, points his index finger at Rachel who is looking over her shoulder, while Jacob negotiates with Laban to marry her. Jacob’s “index finger” firmly pointing at Rachel demonstrates his determination to marry her, stepping past Laban almost to touch her with his finger. Before Jacob came to Laban in Haran, Rebekah, Jacob’s mother, used her determination to make sure Jacob received the blessing from Isaac. In order for Isaac to believe he was giving the blessing to Esau, Rebekah put Esau’s clothes on Jacob, covered his body with hairy skins, and cooked two animals as Isaac requested from Esau. She laboriously cooked and dressed Jacob just so he would receive the blessing over his brother.

Jacob uses his method of deceit to achieve something desired from the day he started living. As Esau begs Jacob for food after hunting all day, Jacob responds, “‘First, sell me your birthright’” (Gen. 25:31). Because Jacob understands the “birthright” gives the child double the inheritance, he manipulates the desperate and starving Esau by not feeding him until he gives Jacob the birthright. He benefits himself by thinking ahead, whereas Esau only thought in the present, which Jacob easily took advantage of. Not only did Jacob use deceit out of selfishness, but Abraham did as well. When Abraham confronts King Abimelech of Gerar, he tells the King that Sarah is his sister, not his wife. Abimelech believes Abraham and takes Sarah as his wife but is confronted by the angry God shortly after. When Abimelech asks Abraham why he had tricked him, Abraham admitted that he wanted to avoid death on behalf of his wife. This incident parallels the deceit of Jacob and Abraham and demonstrates the similarities within the family line.

Dialogue Analysis:
In “A League of Their Own,” Jacob’s determination and deceit are conveyed through his conversation with the Lord Almighty and Ruler of Heaven and Earth, God. Once Jacob finally convinces God to wrestle him again, God declares that they can only fight once Jacob’s hip cures from the previous fight they had together. Jacob demands God to “[c]ure [his] hip [right at that moment] (Wardlaw 3) so they could fight at that instant and would not have to wait months in order to fight again. Though most humans fear the wrath of God and would not dare to stand up to him because of his omnipotence, Jacob’s determination to fight God so Esau would great him warmly deems greater than his cravenness. After two compromises with God, Jacob considers himself in no position to back down and submit to God’s intimidation, but decides to continue pressing God into giving Jacob what he desires, his brother’s embracement. Jacob obviously will not back down, and his stubborn determination in fact wins him the forgiveness and acceptance he longs for. After God responds to Jacob’s demand for a cured hip by simply asking why he would ever perform such an act, Jacob responds that “[God] really [doesn’t] have to cure [him] anyway, because [he] could beat [God] even if [he] didn’t have any hip at all” (Wardlaw 3). Jacob uses his deceit as a method to manipulate God by taking advantage of his insecurity by stating that even handicapped, he could defeat God in a wrestling match. Although Jacob does not actually believe he could beat God with a dislocated hip, he tricks God into thinking he does believe his wrestling abilities out strengthen those God possesses in order to have a healthy hip and a happy brother. Ironically, Jacob only desires the embracement from Esau because he tricked Esau out of his birthright and is worried Esau will kill him because of it. Right after Jacob tells God his thoughts, God quickly heals the “stupid” hip and they fight once more.

Background of the Artwork and the Artists:
The painting Laban Deals with Jacob comes from a book called // Treasures of the Bible // by Henry Davenport Northrop. In this painting, Jacob points at the lovely Rachel, whom he desires to marry, while Rachel's father and his uncle, Laban, holds him back. // Treasures of the Bible // contains copious illustrations of incidents in the Bible. Sermon illustrations, Bible class presentations, and writings, often use the illustrations from this book, though the illustrator is unknown. While reading this book, the reader can gain an accurate understanding of the Bible through pictures. Henry Davenport Northrop has written other books like // Cuba's // // Great Struggle for Freedom // and // Life and Works of Rev. Charles H. Spurgeon, // in which he collaborated with different authors to write.

Treasures of the Bible: A short quote on the purpose of the book along with its structure.

Treasures of the Bible Illustrations: Other illustrations from // Treasures of the Bible // depicting other incidents in Genesis. In the Creation of Adam by Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti, God and Adam almost touch each other with their index fingers as God createsAdam, the first living creature. Michelangelo was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet, whose desire to be an artist at an early age was opposed by his father. A practicing artist back then was beneath what a member of the gentry class should practice. However, he continued to practice art and became an apprentice to the painter Domenico Ghirlandaio. Many years later in 1508, Pope Julius II summoned Michelangelo to Rome to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Between 1508 and 1512, he created the Creation of Adam, along with nine other scenes from Genesis. Some other famous pieces of art he created are Madonna of the Stairs, David, and Pieta.

Michelangelo: A biography on Michelangelo from his early life until his death along with the legacy he left once he died. 

The Sistine Chapel: Interesting facts about how Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, information on what other scenes he painted besides the Creation of Adam, and how long it took him to finish the ceiling. 

Reflection on the Process:
After spending numerous weeks writing, editing, recording the audio, and creating this wiki page, I am proud of what I have included and accomplished. The Wiki page is organized, colorful, and aesthetically pleasing. I feel that I have succeeded in including images all through the page that correlate to the texts surrounding them. The main purpose of this project was to prove characteristics of characters in a conversation that the redactors failed to include when writing Genesis. I feel that in my script, analysis, and images, I have proven the traits of God and Jacob. If the reader understands my idea of God’s inner conflict constantly battling his confidence he wishes to portray to his human subjects, and Jacob’s determination to achieve all that he desires usually using his method of deceit, than I will have succeeded in this project.

Since the beginning of the year, I have struggled in close analysis of quotations and feel that the analysis I have included in this Wiki page, though improved from before, are still not as insightful as I would like to be able to write them. While I feel they portray my characteristics, I wish they could be more in depth.

I also struggled with creating the audio-cast. Though I saved the audio-cast multiple times, whenever I would open Audacity, there would be an error. After recording my dialogue three times and editing the final dialogue four times, I finally could open an audio-cast that played like I envisioned it to. Although I put much effort into creating the audio-cast, I do not feel it is as well edited or contains the best sound effects it could contain. However, I am still proud of what I created and put at the top of this Wiki page.

Throughout this project, I have learned that being a perfectionist is only frustrating and malicious. For one, I wanted my audio-cast to sound professional and smooth, but after hours of trying to accomplish what I envisioned, I realized that I could not make it any better than how it resulted, because I tried the best I could. Also, I wanted my analysis to be insightful and have excellent word choice, but I realized I could not write any better than I wrote them, and it is just a skill I have to practice. From the beginning of the year, my analysis has improved, which is a sign that at one point in my writing career, my writing will fit what I envision it to be.

Works Cited:
Atwood, Margaret. The Penelopiad . Great Britain: Canongate Books Ltd., 2005. Print.

"Laban Deals with Jacob." //La Vista Church of Christ //. n.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2010. .

"Michelangelo." //The Archive ////. // n.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2010. 

"Mid Years." //<span style="color: #7000b8; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Michelangelo Buonarroti. //<span style="color: #7000b8; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> n.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2010. <http://www.michelangelo.com/buon/bio-index2.html>

<span style="color: #7000b8; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">"Philip Yancey: Grappling with God, Part 1." <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//<span style="color: #7000b8; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">More than Coping. // <span style="color: #7000b8; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> Wordpress, 28 Mar. 2010. Web. 16 May 2010. <http://morethancoping.wordpress.com/2010/03/28/philip-yancey-grappling-with-god-part-1/>.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//<span style="color: #7000b8; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Spiritual & Mythological Paintings of Chris Cook, A Southern Painter. // <span style="color: #7000b8; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> n.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2010. <http://www.chriscookartist.com/html/spiritual.html>

Sunday, C.M. "The Love Poetry of Michelangelo Buonarroti." //<span style="color: #7000b8; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Best Student Violins. //<span style="color: #7000b8; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> n.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2010. <http://beststudentviolins.com/Michelangelo.html>

<span style="color: #7000b8; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">The New Oxford Annotated Bible. Ed. Michael D. Coogan. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 1989. Print.

Wallender, Lee. "Embarrassingly Local Family Wins Bogus Energy-Saving "'Contest.'" Lee's Home Renovations Blog. About.com, 21 Dec. 2009. Web. 17 May 2010. <http://homerenovations.about.com/b/2009/12/21/embarrassingly-local-family-wins-bogus-energy-saving-contest.htm>.

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">//<span style="color: #7000b8; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Wyatt Says. // <span style="color: #7000b8; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> WyDay, 10 July 2010. Web. 17 May 2010. <http://wyday.com/blog/page/5/>