The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon Response

From the opening line of Stephen King’s The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, I immediately noticed that the novel began with a tone of determinism. As King writes, “The world had teeth and it could bite you with them whenever it wanted,” (King 9).  When considering that line in the context of little Patricia MacFarland being lost in the Maine/New Hampshire woods and at the mercy of nature, I agree with the idea that this novel is a classic example of literary naturalism. Furthermore, I also believe that this novel serves as a good example of compatibilism, due to Patricia being faced with multiple choices that altered her journey, but God ultimately “showing up in the ninth inning” to guide her on the path to home.

As soon as Patricia veers off the main trail and into the uncharted territory of the woods, she leaves behind the world of signposts, trail markers, and civilization. Upon doing this, she effectively threw herself into a world that did not play by the same rules as she did. This novel is chock full of symbolism, and several of the symbols conveyed the lack of control that Patricia had over her surroundings. Firstly, the swarm of bugs that continuously surrounds her and eats her alive could represent the overwhelming fear of never finding her way out of the woods alive. Secondly, her feeling of being constantly stalked and watched by a “thing” in the woods represents her sense of powerlessness to the unseen danger of the woods. Lastly, the stream water that makes her violently ill seems to confirm the fact that Patricia would not be able to survive on the food and water of the woods, even if she knew what was and was not edible. Overall, King’s use of symbolism lends to the genre of literary naturalism by depicting the unrivaled power of the elements of nature over human life.

In addition, this novel could also be seen under the scope of comptabilism due to Patricia making constant decisions throughout each day that affects the probability of her being rescued or finding her way out of the woods, but God being ever present to ensure that she meets her pre-determined fate for escaping those woods. For example, King states in one part of the novel that if Patricia had kept north and continued through swampy land, she would have reached a lake where tourists visited on the weekend. Instead, she turned toward the Canadian border and crossed into the New Hampshire woods. Patricia had the conscious choice in which direction she walked, but once she made her choice, her path literally and figuratively changed. Another example of her exercising free will is in her final stand off with the “thing” of the woods. When Patricia is faced nose-to-nose with a black bear, she decides to “wind up and throw the curve on strike two” and faces her fear square in the face, rather than continuing to run. This scene not only perfectly depicts the presence of free will, but also the existence of compatibilism, because God “showed up in the ninth inning” to send the hunter who ultimately saves Patricia’s life.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, and how well I was able to connect the course concepts to it. However, I am left with one question from the reading. I was interested by the concept of the “subaudible” and am wondering if I understand the term correctly by describing it as the intangible feeling that God is present at all times, but also believing that God does not interfere in our lives directly? If this were so, then the idea of the subaudible and the idea that God always shows up in the ninth inning would contradict each other.

2/26

“The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon” is an novel that presents some interesting themes about God and how our lives our controlled.  In the beginning of the book Trisha feels as if she is completely out of the control of her fate.  This book is a classic man vs. nature struggle. Trisha must overcome the situation she is placed in, in order to survive.  Throughout the book Trisha learns to fend for herself in the wild and takes control of her destiny.  The whole time she thinks that the God of the lost is chasing her.  In order to get out of the woods she must confront this God of the lost. Even though Trisha is hallucinating, when she finally confronts the God of the Lost, she defeats him due to her own doing.   The Trisha that threw her walkman at the bear and scared him away was not that Trisha that got lost at the beginning.  

This book mainly presents the theme of determinism.  No matter what Trisha does, she is at the mercy of the woods.  Her hallucinations aid her in her survival but even Trisha still isn’t in control of her actions.  Although she is in control of her actions, most of them are due to the hallucinations that are brought upon her by her situation of being lost in the woods.  Therefore, every action that she takes that could be perceived as free will is actually influenced by the woods.  The food that she scavenges, the water she drinks, all are determined by her surroundings.  Even her crush on Tom Gorden is based on her surroundings, because if she wasn’t born a Boston Red Sox fan then she may not even be aware of Tom Gorden.  Her relationship with the God of the Lost is also interesting because he is perceived as the one in control of her fate, but he is also out to get her.  This can parallel to her relationship with the woods because it has complete control of her but it is slowly killing her.  Due to these revelations I believe that determinism is a main theme of this novel.  

 clays video wasnt working cos he was on his phone but he was on the call

clays video wasn't working because he was on his phone but he was on the call

The Girl who loved Tom Gordon

       “The Girl who loved Tom Gordon” was a very entertaining book to read and truly kept me wanting to read more and more each night before I went to bed.  “The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon” is about a little girl who goes on a camping trip with her mom and brother. While walking through the wood the little girl “Trisha” decides she needs to take a bathroom break and steps into the woods to take care of her business without telling her mom or brother. Since Trisha’s mom and brother are arguing they do not realize that she is gone until she is too deep in the woods. Trisha decides she is going to take a short cut through the woods where she will meet up with her family but ends up getting lost in the process. Trisha ends up spending eight days in the woods alone. Trisha then begins to see things, one of them being her favorite baseball player and pitcher for the Red Sox Tom Gordon. Tom Gordon helps Trisha through her struggles along with the help of God. After spending many days in the wood being hunted down by an unknown figure, Trisha is able to escape the woods and be with her family once again.  

            The book had some great examples of free will and determinism. First of all we know that Trisha made a decision to step away from the path with her family and venture out into the woods. Trisha made her own decision to go use the bathroom without letting her family know what she is doing. This part of the story is clearly free will.

            There are also many examples of determinism. Throughout the book Trisha talks about “the path”. “The path” to me represents the life path of Trisha’s. She was also lost in the woods and Trisha does not have any control over nature, however a “higher power” does have control of what happens in nature.  Trisha does not have any control of what happens in nature and for that reason her entire time spent in the woods lost shows examples of determinism. Tom Gordon also helps Trisha; even though he is not actually with here while she is lost he still helps her get through her struggles and any time she uses the help of Tom Gordon determinism is being used.   

            Overall I really enjoyed this book and loved the way that Stephen King uses baseball as a metaphor for the chapters as well as Tom Gordon. I am a big fan of baseball and for some reason just knowing that the chapters were listed as innings and that a baseball players was somewhat in the story made me a little more interested in the novel and made me want to start reading the book as soon as I could. After beginning the book I began to enjoy the reading. Stephen King does a great job of pulling the reader in and making you want to know what is going to happen next.

2/19

When we began discussing this question, I don’t think I fully understood the definitions of free will and determinism. My belief in God is the centrifugal to everything that happens in my life.  In church I was taught that God is omnipotent and that he can do whatever he wants.  However, I was also taught that in order for God’s power to be legitimate, humans must choose to follow him of their own free will.  The readings that accompanied the scripture this week led me to realize that free will and determinism cannot coexist.  If God truly is all powerful and all knowing then at the end of the day he is in complete control of my life, which means that I don’t truly have free will.  This argument is supported over and over throughout the scripture.  In Psalms, King David expresses how deeply God knows easy of us, and how he is taking care of us in every situation.  Ecclesiastes also discusses how there is a time for everything and how humans have no control over what happens to them.  I didn’t put a whole lot of thought into long term events that happen to humans, such as meeting the person you are going to marry, or dying, or supernatural events.  These events are range from small to extreme, but I believe that God decides all of these things.  I don’t believe that I have control over when I die or if I tornado hits my house.  The daily choices I make can affect these things, but they don’t allow me to choose whether or not I am a victim of something supernatural.  I could quit smoking in order to live longer, but die in a car crash the next day.  These scriptures elaborate on the power that God has and how he can interfere in my life at any time.  Due to these discoveries in the readings this week, I think that I am leaning towards determinism.  However, this belief is entirely based on my faith in God.  In my college years, I have struggled with the idea that maybe the God that I know, doesn’t exist.      My entire belief system, including determinism, is centered upon this belief.  If I lose my faith in God then I think that I would have to completely reevaluate whether or not humans write their own stories. 

Biblical Readings, Question 1

After reading all four of the assigned readings this week, I realized how many different views could be demonstrated throughout the Bible. Jonah 1:1- 2:10 displayed the use of both free will and determinism.  

            During the few verses assigned in the book of Jonah, we learn that the Lord tells Jonah to travel to Ninvevah to preach, because "its wickedness has come up before me." Jonah decided to make his own decision to go to Tarshis despite God's orders. Jonah decided to run away from God, which caused God to put Jonah and the rest of the people on his ship through terrible storms, to the point that the rest of the people on the ship knew that someone’s God was causing the problem they were having at sea. The crew prayed to their Gods, but the storms kept on getting worse and then they remembered Jonah was fleeing form God and they told him to ask for the storms to stop, but Jonah refused. The crews tossed Jonah overboard because the storms were becoming too much too handle. When Jonah was tossed into the sea where a fish then swallowed him. While in the belly of the fish Jonah had to make a decision to either die or obey God. 

            During this story we learn that God gave Jonah a choice to go to Ninevah, and another choice of whether to die or follow Gods orders. Free will is expressed tremendously throughout this story and specifically during these times, however there are also examples of determinism. Jonah makes his own decisions, but God puts him through rough storms, which make the crew toss him over board, and makes sure that a fish swallows Jonah as well. God paved the way for all of these events to happen. Therefore God allowed for Jonah to make his own decisions, but God had his own way of making sure that Jonah stayed on the path set for him and to ultimately follow God’s orders.

            Overall this story shows great examples of Free will and Determinism and is great for explaining how we may have the ability to make our own decisions, such as to follow God and travel to Ninevah or to flee from God.  Ultimately we may have the option to make our own decisions, but no matter what decisions we make in our lives, God already knows what he wants for us to do and will find a way to make sure that it happens, even if that means making us go through rough times or through rough storms as shown in the story of Jonah.

Biblical Texts and Question 1

Of the four assigned Biblical passages, I enjoyed Psalm 139 the most. The first ten lines were extremely comforting to me, as I sat back and remembered that no matter how uncertain I may be, or how much I may change during this time in my life, God always knows my heart and its desires. These first ten lines also serve as a reminder that we can’t outgrow or outrun God, because as David says, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” This passage depicts God as an omniscient Maker that knows our every thought because he stitched us up in our mothers’ womb before we were even brought into the world. In the past, a pastor I had coffee with described God as a clockmaker; in essence, he explained that he believed that God has carefully constructed our bodies and our hearts so that He may know them and how they work, but once wound up and released, He lets us go and observes.

After reading the Biblical Assignments reading, I agree with Dr. Simpler’s point that this passage never makes the distinction between a God who simply knows all of our thoughts and desires, and a God who determines all of our thoughts and desires. I therefore disagree with biblical scholars who use this text to argue for theological determinism. I do not believe that this text supports theological determinism since it never states that God controls our thoughts and desires rather than just knowing them.

I do, however, agree with the interpretation of Jonah 1-2 serving as an example of compatibilism. When God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh, Jonah makes the conscious decision to instead go to Tarshish to run from God, thus demonstrating Jonah exercising free will. However, with Jonah’s overall plan in mind, God sends the raging ocean storms to try to help Jonah realize that he cannot run away from God’s will. When Jonah realizes that he will in fact die in the belly of a giant fish if he does not do God’s bidding, he again makes a conscious decision and pledges his loyalty to God. To me, this is a perfect example of compatibilism since Jonah is able to exercise free will in his actions, but there is still evidence of God orchestrating his overall plan. In addition, I also connected this passage and this theory to The Adjustment Bureau, due to Bureau allowing humans to make everyday choices, but adjusting their courses in order to make them stay on track.

After reading these passages, I am left with one key question: to what extent does God control our ability to make truly free decisions, if he crafts our minds, bodies, and hearts with a better knowledge of them than we ourselves have? In essence, I struggle with understanding how free our decisions can really be if God has pre-determined our personalities, decision-making capabilities, emotions, and other factors that heavily influence the way we make choices.

Adjustment Bureau

Clay Payne

The The Adjustment Bureau depicts determinism and free will throughout the movie. I think that David’s life script was shown in a determinism way. The category of determinism states that all of our choices to a certain point are already determined before we think we make the decision. Even though I feel like David’s life falls under the determinism category I believe his life was scripted in a theological determinism way, or that his life was scripted by a more powerful figure or figures.

            At the start of the movie David meets a woman named Elise in a restroom. David instantly falls for this woman, but the higher power figure makes sure that he is following the path that he is supposed to follow. After David and Elise meet we see a higher power figure and the figure is supposed to spill David’s coffee so he misses the bus where he would find Elise, but the high power figure falls asleep. The mistake by the higher power figure allows for David to see Elise on the bus where they exchange each other’s numbers. David is able to dodge the path that was written for him and makes one of his own decisions in this part of his life.

            The main reason the coffee was supposed to spill was because The “Adjustment Bureau” or the group of “higher power figures” who are supposed to keep everyone on their already scripted path, were at David’s work trying to make adjustments to people at his work. David so happens to walk in on the “Adjustment Bureau”. As soon as David realizes what the “Adjustment Bureau does he decides to do all he can to avoid the path that is planned out for him and try to build a relationship with the woman he loves.

            David and Elise eventually lose contact for 3 years because a “higher power figure” who gives David a choice of being with the woman of his dreams or the choice of becoming the president and Elise fulfilling her dream of being a dancer. When the “higher power figure” gives David these two options the category of his life also changes to more of a free will path.

            The end of the story shares that most people follow the path that is originally set for them, however if you do not follow the path then you can live life freely. After watching this movie it makes me wonder how everyone kind of has a certain way to live life, such as getting up at the same time every day, going to class at the same times everyday, going to work at the same times every day. Our lives are already planned out for us to a certain degree. I look back at the past few weeks and I feel as if all of my days blend in together, because they are all so similar.  Are higher figures planning our lives or are we just stuck in the same routine and do not know how to get out?

Free Will and Determinism in The Adjustment Bureau

In the notable film The Adjustment Bureau, director and writer George Nolfi creates a suspenseful tale that perfectly illustrates the tension between determinism and free will. The majority of the film focuses on bad-boy politician David Norris, who is in the middle of a Senate race when the film opens. However, as David concedes the Senate race after an embarrassing prank is revealed in the news, he meets the love of his life in a men’s restroom, and then accidentally discovers The Adjustment Bureau, who are hell-bent on keeping David on the course of his pre-determined plan (which does not happen to include Elise).

The Adjustment Bureau is a team of men that “adjust” one’s actions if they are making choices that do not fall in line with their overall plan. In the beginning of the movie, we are told that humankind previously had complete free will, but after the Dark Ages and World War II, it was taken away to prevent total human destruction of the world. Although we are only told that there is a chairman who enforces all the plans, it is unclear who exactly is responsible for the creation of each individual’s plan. It is not explicitly stated, but I believe that the chairman is meant to symbolize GOD. Due to the presence of an omniscient GOD, the Adjustment Bureau could fall between a Theological Determinism and Newtonian Determinism structure, but I feel that it leans more towards Newtonian Determinism. In the Classical Categories reading, Newtonian Determinism is described to work in this way: “every decision you make is set up by previous situations and influences so that when you make a choice it is not freely made by you, but is a product of a previous action,” (Classical Categories Reading). This concept was demonstrated in the film when the members of the bureau explained to David that he is presented several options by the Adjustment Bureau, and he is then given the free will to choose between the options before him. Once he makes a choice, his plan is slightly altered, and new options are created to ensure that his subsequent actions are still in line with the overall plan. The amount of free will that humans possess in this model are actually miniscule, because any major deviation from the intended plan causes the Adjustment Bureau to alter your brain in a way to change your decision making.

In the closing credits of the film, Harry says “Most people live life on the path we set for them, too afraid to explore any other. But once in a while people like you come along who knock down all the obstacles we put in your way. People who realize free will is a gift that you'll never know how to use until you fight for it. I think that's the chairman's real plan. That maybe one day, we won't write the plan, you will.” In this statement, I believe it is the writer saying that the chairman does in fact represent GOD, and that GOD’s ultimate plan for his children is not to set them on a path of total determinism, but to allow them to trust in themselves enough to set the course for their own lives.