|
(2014
midterm assignment) Sample Student Midterm Answers 2014 #3: Web Highlights |
 |
Cassandra Rea
A Different Outlook: Origin and Creation Stories
While navigating through the website, the
idea of the origin story as well as creation seemed to be a common theme amongst
the Model Assignments. Despite each of the topics being one in the same, what
fascinated me was that the points of views were so differently. This allowed me
to step outside the box to see other people’s perspective besides my own. The
three different model assignments that gave me a variety of insight into this
topic was Jill Norris’s “Finding the Truth In Origins”, Roberto Benitez’s “The
Purposes of Beginning Origin Stories”, and Diego A. Gutierrez’s “In search of
the truth about Creation”. Despite all being from the same class, each
individual gave not only a different perspective but also had a personal
attachment about creation itself and the origin stories that coincide with one
another.
Jill Norris’s essay surrounds the idea and
question of truth in origin stories. She brings up the topic of how as children,
we are taught that Columbus discovered America and the first Thanksgiving with
the Native Americans was wonderful. But as we get older, we as students learn
that it was not all as happy and care free like our teachers taught us in
elementary school. She goes further by questioning the curiosity of learning
about the nature of origin stories and why they are important to us now. She
states, “always question and explore your origin because what you already know
or might have been told in the past may not be the whole story” (Norris), she
makes the connection that one version may not be the whole truth or even the
whole story. It is important for her that as students we must always question
the history being taught because there may be more pieces to the puzzle. She
also brings up how different texts such as Columbus and the Declaration of
Independent can be taught as origin stories of America to kids. Ultimately, her
goal in her paper is to address the curiosity of America’s origin stories and
how it is important to keep learning of our origin as a country because it
shapes our lives today.
Unlike Jill’s essay in which she approached
it from learning history form a kid’s perspective, Roberto Benitez took a more
historical approach as to why origin stories are important for today’s
individuals. He was able to make various different connections throughout
different stories to explain how origin stories are everywhere within Early
American Literature. He covers a variety of different stories that include
Columbus, the Declaration of Independence, and even Mexican culture. His goal
throughout the essay is to understand that “information found in origin stories
such as grant humankind a purpose to its existence by illuminating it’s past and
paradoxically allows it to proceed in its endeavors by enlightening a path to
its own future” (Benitez). It is with this statement that he believes origin
stories serve not only as the foundation of America’s history but knowing these
different origins also shape the future of the unknown. Even though origin
stories do help us understand the past, it can ultimately affect the present as
well as the future.
The other perspective is Diego Gutiérrez’s
about creation through his faith of Catholicism. Unlike Jill who tied her
purpose to her childhood and Roberto who used history to understand this
concept, Diego applies his own faith to understanding to truth of the creation
story. Instead of researching texts within the course, he went to his church for
research and answers to his questions concerning the nature of creation. His
search led him to a nun at his church, when he was not satisfied with her
response, he looked upon the bible. Through his research he found also raised
the question between evolution and faith as well. He would later find a speech
from Pope John Paul II addressing these topics of creation and evolution.
Ultimately Diego’s conclusion came to be that “the theories of creation, whether
they may be Christian theories, or Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, will always
raise many questions… it’s just faith” (Gutierrez). Through his research of the
creation story, he accepts that there will always be questions within the nature
of creation stories but it is about a person’s faith is what makes the
difference.
All of these essays have the concept of
origin and creation stories in common. Despite having very different approaches
as to how creation and origin stories are important, their end result is all in
the same. They want to understand why they are important not just to history but
why they should matter now. They all taught me that all minds work differently
but they all desired the end result. Specifically what I found enlightening was
that Diego found his research within the church instead of historical texts. It
is evident that with these three individuals that creation and origin stories
are important to history but personally as well. It was very interesting how
three very different perspectives towards this concept all had the same purpose
which was to understand the nature of the origin and creation stories. Each
perspective truly opened up a new outlook besides my own to see and understand
the train of thought and journey in discovering the purpose of the origin and
creation stories.
