Solitude and Innovation

"So solitude can mean introspection, it can mean the concentration of focused work, and it can mean sustained reading. All of these help you to know yourself better" (William Deresiewicz, Solitude and Leadership, 7).

In a lecture given to students at West Point, Deresiewicz discussed why solitude is necessary for true leadership. Taking the time to learn who you are and what you believe will allow you to face unfamiliar situations and make individual judgement calls, rather than always conforming to the ideas of others.  As I read this article, I was reminded of one of my favorite music composers: Johannes Brahms. Just as with military leaders, artists must also have this sense of self in order to be original- to be a "leader" in their area.

Brahms wrote 11 Chorale Preludes in his last year of life, right after the death of his close friend, Clara Schumann. This was introspective music, written for himself, not intended to be published. I think his work was an expression of his solitude- his yearning to find purpose in the trials he was faced with. The text that accompanied this organ music spoke to God and showed his sense of despair: "Give me a healthy body, so that in such a body I may have an unwounded soul."

Solitude, as described by Deresiewicz, can include conversing deeply with a friend, reading thoughtfully, concentrating on work, or meditating. No matter what form it comes in, I believe it is about searching for the answers to life's deeper questions in a way that would lead you to act on that understanding. In Inés of My Soul, Pedro came to the Americas with ideals that he stuck to. His relationship with Inés was also a form of solitude, deep connection, and self-discovery. Later, he seemed to lose sight of what he really wanted, relying on the honors of men rather than the confidence gained through solitude. We all experience solitude throughout our lives. These are the times of contemplation, of deep pondering. Great leaders don't push away these thoughts. They face them, hoping to gain greater confidence in who they are and what they really believe. In doing so, they become capable of the greatest innovations, the greatest creations, the greatest accomplishments.

Wartime Instincts

“On the dirt floor, the blood of Christians and animals flowed together” (Isabel Allende, Inés of my Soul, 198).

In this part of the novel, local Indians had attacked the newly established settlement of Santiago de la Nueva Extremadura. When the Indians got close enough, they started to kill the domestic animals as well. In this battle, the blood from the animals and the humans literally “flowed together.”

This reminded me of a line from “Animal Farm,” by George Orwell. In this allegory, the animals revolted against the cruel human farm owner and established their own society. By the end of the story, the animal leaders had become as bad as the previous human ruler. The pig rulers invited the humans from the area, and the other animals made the significant and symbolic observation:

“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which” (George Orwell, Animal Farm).

I do not think it was coincidence that Orwell chose pigs to symbolize leaders in the Communist Party. One of the messages here was the way he saw these leaders. Similarly, I think Allende was trying to point out that the different groups in Santiago had become like unto animals. Indeed, Inés began to “[foam] at the mouth and [curse] like a harpy” (Isabel Allende, Inés of my Soul, 197). This description sounds like a crazed animal. 

In times of war, people can cease to see their enemies as people. They have to see them as objects in order to be able to kill them so mercilessly. In this case, the Indians were killing both animals and people, without seeming to discriminate between the two, and the Spanish explorers did the same in return. Going beyond this, I believe that seeing other people in this way changes the person himself or herself. As individuals on each side began to kill without mercy, something within them began to change. The blood of Christians and animals flowing together meant that those Christians had become like animals themselves. In war, sometimes people begin to see others as animals; this changed viewpoint changes something within them, until their own instincts have become like a ferocious wild animal.

Moral Conduct and Self-Esteem

"I realized from the start that Pedro and I could never marry unless Marina died, something neither of us wanted, and so I had torn that hope from my heart and instead rejoiced in the love and complicity we shared, never thinking about the future, or gossip or shame or sin" (Isabel Allende, Inés of my Soul, 102).

Inés and Pedro each traveled from Spain to the Americas in the 16th century. In this novel, some of their moral conduct seemed to change upon coming to the New World. What allowed them to be together without feeling any shame regarding Pedro’s wife, Marina, back in Spain?

This passage reminded me of the situation of Jane Eyre in the novel by Charlotte Brontë. Jane is a governess at Thornfield Hall, and she unexpectedly falls in love with the master, Mr. Rochester. On the day of their wedding, she discovers he has a wife, Bertha, who has gone insane. They could not marry unless Bertha was to die. Unlike Inés, Jane made the difficult decision to leave Rochester:

“Feeling… clamoured wildly. ”Oh, comply!" …soothe him; save him; love him; tell him you love him and will be his. Who in the world cares for YOU? or who will be injured by what you do? Still indomitable was the reply--"I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man.” (Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, Ch. 27)

Recent film edition of Jane Eyre

Jane’s support of the laws was based on maintaining her own self-esteem. Because of her deep conviction that God had laid down the law, she could not accept herself if she chose to stay with Rochester and be his mistress. She also needed to establish her independence and to break the bonds of reliance that she had always lived under.

Inés, however, could be Pedro’s mistress and still accept herself. I believe this was for two reasons: First, living in the New World, she had come to believe that God was more lenient there. Being surrounded by immorality and atrocity made her actions seem more acceptable. Second, she had already established her independence- financially through using her skills to provide for herself, and physically through leaving her homeland to find freedom. In this unfamiliar territory, she allowed her deep need for human connection to supersede. But her decision, like Jane's, was based on her own self-acceptance, not that of others. While Jane and Inés made opposite decisions, they both were strong-willed women who followed their personal beliefs first.

A new name, a new culture

Hello! My name is Julia. I am a Mathematics major at Brigham Young University. One of my favorite things to do is play the piano. I have also enjoyed learning to play the organ here at BYU. I am a runner! I have now run 3 marathons and qualified twice for the Boston Marathon. I am from the Seattle area. I grew up with four sisters, and as of last week, I have a nephew!

I am starting this blog because I am enrolled in IHum 260: Humanities of Latin America. Let me tell you about the recent events in my life that led me to be enrolled in this class. When I went home to Washington from school last summer, I met up with Evie Mejia. We started running together and dating, and before too long we were engaged.

The 4th of July with Evie and my sisters

Evie's parents are from Mexico, and he was raised speaking Spanish. Throughout the summer, we were at his parents' house quite a bit. I loved spending time with his family. I wanted to learn Spanish, both so I could better communicate with his family, and so that we could pass that heritage on to our children as much as possible. Last Semester, I enrolled in Spanish 105, and I loved it. Not only did I love learning the Spanish language, but also about Mexican and other Latin American cultures. Evie served a mission in Chile, and his sister Yuri is now serving in Honduras. I like hearing them talk about their experiences in these places. 

At a Mexican seafood restaurant with Evie's family

I am grateful for the exposure I have already gotten to a different culture through dating and marrying Evie. Evie and I were raised very differently, but we also have so many similarities and common interests. One of these is our love of running! We trained all summer for the Top of Utah marathon, and we reached that goal together back in September.

  

I have now happily been Julia Lynn Mejia for 3 weeks. I love that learning about other cultures allows us to see the world through a different point of view, while also finding common connections. I am so excited to take this class and continue learning about Latin America!