"Mama, what is my destiny?"

For this word search project, I have chosen to define and research the word destiny.  Why would I choose this word?  Because I feel that everyone has a certain destiny, and I am fascinated by this concept.  What is my destiny? What is yours?

This word means so much to me.  It is essentially what life is about.  Destiny defines our purpose.

I know that this is a very significant word.  It is defined as, "the events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future."  To me, destiny refers to many things.  Pertaining to history, it can refer to manifest destiny and our mission as a nation.  It can refer to operas and lyrics to popular music.  Or, destiny can refer to one of the most memorable movie lines in cinematic history, "Luke, it is your destiny."

I have chosen to explore this word because at this stage of my life, I am unsure what my destiny.  There are many forks in the road, each bringing about its own sorrows and happiness, and here I sit, unsure of which way to go.

I admire the use of destiny in the film Slumdog Millionaire.  The director, Danny Boyle, has had much commentary on the idea of destiny.  Therefore, I look forward to study this word, and maybe in turn come upon some understanding as to what is written and what is not.

It seems that choosing this word might have been my destiny.

-Jeremy

An Hundred False Lapses More

“By this gaude have I wonne, yeer by yeer,

An hundred mark sith I was Pardoner.

I stonde lyk a clerk in my pulpet,

And whan the lewed peple is doun y-set,

I preche, so as ye han herd bifore,

And telle an hundred false Iapes more.”

These six lines from the Pardoner's Tale are very interesting.  These lines illustrate exactly who the Pardoner is.  Basically, the Pardoner is admitting to the fact that he makes a lot of money off of a scam.  He declares that he tells "a hundred lies" to people and by doing this makes about a hundred gold coins a year.  I find these lines interesting because although they show the deceptive nature of the Pardoner, they also demonstrate his honesty.  He admits to the reader the basis of his scam.  He tells the reader that he is fake.

Furthermore, the following lines are very interesting.  They show the hypocritical nature of the Pardoner.

“But shortly myn entente I wol devyse;

I preche of no-thing but for coveityse.

Therfor my theme is yet, and ever was—

“Radix malorum est cupiditas.”

Thus can I preche agayn that same vyce

Which that I use, and that is avaryce.

But, though my-self be gilty in that sinne,

Yet can I maken other folk to twinne

From avaryce, and sore to repente.

But that is nat my principal entente.

I preche no-thing but for coveityse;

Of this matere it oughte y-nogh suffyse.”

Basically, the Pardoner admits to preaching out of sheer greed.  He declares that the reason why he preaches about how the love of money is the root of all evil is so that he can preach about the "same sin that I myself indulge in."

This demonstrates a meaningful quality to the Pardoner.  He almost has two personas.  One that realizes the evils of society and works to point them out and fix them, and one that indulges in these evils.

But why is the Pardoner such a hypocritical character?  Did Chaucer mean to write about such a conflicting character?

I think that the conflicting beliefs of the Pardoner make him the character he is.  Without these conflicting ideas, the Pardoner would be an average, boring character.  The reader becomes so interested in the Pardoner because he is so real, so human.  His conflicting beliefs represent the contradictory nature of humans and the societies that govern.