Asynchronous Assigment 10_29

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Oct 30, 2023

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BLUE:Eugene Reedy YELLOW: Reva Shroff RED: Angelica De Jesus PURPLE: Maggie Christiansen PART 1: Mothers “I'll always love my mama/ She's my favorite girl/ I'll always love my mama/ She brought me in this world” - “I’ll Always Love my Mama” The Intruders There is no greater influence on Augustine’s conversion than his own mother, Monica. Monica is Catholic and ethnically a Berber, an indigenous group in Northern Africa. Through patience and prayers, Monica encourages both Augustine’s father (who passes away when Augustine is 17) and Augustine to convert. St. Monica is now recognized as the patron saint of mothers. Please work as a team to answer the following questions about St. Monica in short paragraph format (100-200 words). Please be sure to use evidence from the text! 1. In today’s asynchronous folder, you will find a PowerPoint containing assorted depictions of St. Monica. As a team, please review this slideshow. What similarities and differences does your team see among St. Monica’s depictions? What might this tell us about her? The first picture shows a normal picture of a monica with a book. In the second in the second slide, the artist shows her characteristic of her prayerful life. The third picture shows a picture of Monica but also with her son Augustine, in which she looks fairly young. In the fourth picture is the stain glass with Monica which shows a cross showing her importance to the catholic church. Finally, in the last slide, shows a colored Monica which might be a more realistic depiction since Monica is ethnically a Berber which means she was from Africa. 2. One of St. Monica’s defining traits in Confessions is her prophetic dreams. Explain the significance of her dream in Book III (55-56) and the significance of her dream when arriving in Milan in Book VI (94-95). How do you interpret Monica’s visions? In Books III Augustine described that his mother had a dream about her standing on a platform and she was grieving because she wanted to convert Augustine into a good Christian. But a stranger that was with her told her “Where he is, you will be too, but where you are, he will be” and she found Augustine with her on the same platform (11,19). Because of that idea of how Augustine was going to be with her where she was comforted, making her think he will be able to convert. At the end of Book VI, Augustine is ready to marry and the different ideals he’s faced while in Milan has made him closer to the conversion, and Augustine says, “Praise be to you, glory be to you, O found of all mercy! As I grew more and more miserable, you were drawing nearer”(16,26). He seemed to be much more closer to the Christian doctrine as different issues past, which shows Monica's previous vision to be a foreshadow of what was to come.

3. Augustine details Monica’s adjustment to her new life in Milan in Book VI (pg. 95-96). How does the description of Monica’s faith in this scene contrast the young Augustine’s? In Book VI, Monica was very focused on the thought of helping Augustine convert into Catholicism. She also constantly shows this through her extreme devotion to pray and act in a very catholic way and also believes that Augustine will also be able to convert before she dies. This, along with the different experiences Augustine has in Milan ultimately helps him question if he should convert and start following the Christian doctrine. 4. As the patron saint of mothers, Monica is an archetype of Christian motherhood. As a team, list 3 of Monica’s dominant character traits in Confessions . Based on Monica’s personality and values, what might some of the virtues of Christian motherhood be? Patience-She always wanted Augustine to convert and even though she didn’t even force him, her patience and diligence ultimately helped Augustine convert. Devoted- She is also very devoted in her deep faith because we can tell through her constant prayers and all the different activities to show her faith Faithful- Adding to devotion, she would always show Christian-like behaviors to show her faith and commitment to God. 5. How does Monica compare to the other mother-figures we have met so far this semester? You are welcome to consider any of the mothers we have met so far: the goddesses in our creation unit, Eve in Genesis, Ninsun in Gilgamesh , or Euripides’ depiction of Medea and Agave. Compared to the mother(s) you’ve chosen, is Monica’s understanding of motherhood disempowering or empowering? Monica’s role in Confessions can be considered very similar to that Eve in Genesis. Throughout the story, Augustine depicts his mother’s femenine virtues: patience, kindness, etc... However, Monica does play a rather formative role in Augustine’s adolescent development. Similarly to Eve, Monica is painted in an image that portrays her as a great mother, with Eve being the mother of all. Even though Monica is Christian, she is often identified by her misplaced desires for Augustine. For example, she puts him in school to achieve worldly success, as opposed to salvation, or the fact that she tries to push him into an arranged marriage. This idea of misplaced desires can be considered similar to both Eve and Monica. Compared to Eve, I think Monica’s understanding of motherhood is empowering. 6. As a group, discuss how your mother has influenced who you are (you might consider your values, your interests, your future aspirations, your sense of humor, your temper,

etc.). What characteristics do your mothers share, if any? As a group, we all agree that our mothers have played an unmeasurable role in our lives. We all agree that our mothers have shaped our values and our views of the world. This could entail anything from our ethics to our day to day perception of right and wrong. While some attributes from our mother are an element of nurture, but in many ways we are genetically similar to our mothers. For example, one of us feels as if we get our sense of humor from our mother, Most importantly, we all agree that our mothers have affected us the most by shaping our future aspirations and views of the world. For example, they have motivated us in ways that we could never have imagined. PART 2: Friends “Ooh, you make me live/ Whenever this world is cruel to me/ I got you to help me forgive/ Ooh, you make me live now, honey.” - “You’re my Best Friend” Queen Augustine’s friendships are perhaps one of the most relatable aspects of Confessions. As we discussed in class, peer pressure defines Augustine’s early friendships: from making up dirty stories to fit in (Book II, pg. 36); the “pear scene” (Book II); to the “wreckers” he meets in college (Book III, pg. 46). Yet, Augustine’s friendships change as he gets older. (For next class, pay careful attention to his best friend, Alypius, in Books VI-VIII). Please work as a team to answer the following questions about Augustine’s later friendships in short paragraph format (100-200 words). Please be sure to use evidence from the text! 1. In Book IV, Augustine describes the sudden death of his best friend in Carthage (61-62). As a team, please summarize what happens. You can write your response either in short- answer format or as bullet points. When Augustine describes the sudden death of his best friend in Carthage, he is gravely grief-stricken. Furthermore, he believes he is surrounded by death and is overwhelmed with these dark emotions. Ultimately, because of this Augustine must move cities and he reaches the conclusion that physical emotional attachments are not comparable to the permanence of God. He uses this experience to elaborate on the nature of friendship and speaks about how he could have dealt with it in a much better manner if he was well- acquatined with Christianaity at the time. 2. The sudden death of a friend (pp. 56-64) is not new territory for our class. In fact, Augustine’ description of friendship bears strong similarities to Enkidu’s death in Gilgamesh . How does Augustine define friendship in this scene? How is it similar to Gilgamesh’s relationship to Enkidu?

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In both Gilgamesh and Confessions, the death of a friend is a tragic moment in the characters’ lives. In both stories, the death of Enkidu and Augustine’s friend demonstrate the permanence of God or in the case of Gilgamesh “the Gods.” For Enkidu his death was a reminder of the nature of mortality in human beings. This idea rings true for Augustine as well because of the nature of his friends’ death. The grief that both Gilgamesh and Augustine encounter after the deaths are also very similar in that they both overwhelm the characters and force them on a journey of self-reflection. 3. Why, according to Augustine the narrator, did the young Augustine feel his grief so profoundly? How could have Christianity helped the young Augustine heal? According to Augustine, Christiniaity could have helped Augustine when he was in his darkest moment of grief. Augustine concludes how true eternal life can only be found in God, and not in humanly relationships such as friendship. Through Christiniaty, Augustine reaches the idea that all things with the exception of God have a beginning and ending. If Augustine understood this concept when grieving his friend, then he would not be as overcome with grief as he would understand the limited time frame of all things that are not God. Furthermore, Augustine’s grief is a product of his lack of belief and faith in Christiniaty, therefore, with the right guidance Augustine would have been able to process the matter in a better manner. 4. In Book VI, we are introduced to Augustine’s other best friend, Alypius, who will go on to play a key role in Augustine’s conversion. Augustine explains that Alypius was addicted to attending “circus shows” (103-104)**. How does Augustine convince Alypius of the error of his ways? How does this compare to Augustine’s earlier reaction to his departed friends’ conversion in Book IV? How does this scene mark Augustine’s evolved understanding of friendship? 1 Augustine while giving a rhetoric class coincidentally sees his friend Alypius wander into his class. He sees that his friend is in the class and decides to incorporate an example of the circus so it would resonate with him. He expresses his disdain with this concept and says he is against those who participate in such events. In this speech his friend takes it to heart and decides to never go again to such activity. It compares to his previous reactions to his friend's conversion because he takes this change differently and tries another method of conversion coming from God himself. Hoping that God speaks to their soul and clears things up. As he mentioned his friend was “sucked into the whirlpool of Carthaginian bad habits” but through this expression of disdain he was able to influence 1 ** As an explanation, while Roman circuses would have included wild animals (as some controversially still do), their prime ticket was the gladiators. Gladiators were enslaved or incarcerated people who were trained to fight in combat. Modern film often glorifies these performances, but it’s worth noting that while gladiators could win fame and possibly even their freedom by killing their opponents, this practice was notoriously cruel. Thousands of animals and men were killed, and gladiators who refused to fight were whipped and beaten with hot irons. Constantine, the first Christian emperor of Rome, would ban the practice in 325 CE).

his friend to the good instead of the bad. He recommended a change but did not push for one and changed his ways of interpreting what a friendship truly is and respecting boundaries/ 5. As a group, discuss how your best friend has influenced who you are (you might consider your values, your interests, your future aspirations, your sense of humor, your temper, etc.). What characteristics do your friends share, if any? Although all of us have one or more people that are considered our best friends, we all came to the conclusion that the people we do consider to play these roles have been a positive influence in our lives. Our best friends look out for us when we need them to and even if we don't. They laugh and agree on most things with us. They respect our boundaries but are always willing to express concern if they believe something we do is wrong. We can confide in them whenever and tell them everything without worrying about who finds out. They constantly work to improve the relationship and care about us. Many of us shared a similar sense of humor with our best friends. Most of us have a lot of common interests with them and are able to enjoy similar activities together. We do have some issues at times with our best friends but we are almost always able to work things out and move on from issues. PART 3: Mentors “We don't need no education/ We don't need no thought control/ No dark sarcasm in the classroom/ Teachers leave them kids alone” - “Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” Pink Floyd As a teacher himself, Augustine unsurprisingly describes his academic and religious education in detail. In particular, Augustine the character and Augustine the narrator share a profound appreciation for language. In his younger years, Augustine sees his rhetorical skills as a gateway to success. His parents promote his education so that he can find a successful job as a teacher. Augustine, in turn, hopes to use his skills to earn fame (see, for example, the writing contest in Book II and the parable of the drunken beggar in Book VI). Education, however, also plays a profound role in Augustine’s conversion, especially when he meets his new mentor, Bishop Ambrose. Please work as a team to answer the following questions about Augustine’s mentors in short paragraph format (100-200 words). Please be sure to use evidence from the text! 1. Augustine ultimately abandons Manicheism after hearing the famous Manichean bishop, Faustus, speak in Book V (82-83). How does he describe Faustus in this scene? He was disappointed because Faustus couldn’t answer any of Augustine's questions adequately and did not give clarity to any of his problems. He began to realize that the ideas being projected from the Manicheism system were much farther from the truth and the reality that Augustine failed to find. He says that these people do not ask for help and ask for mediators and they just try to do everything by themselves. They are never really

solving problems and lack to look for Christ for guidance which Augustine finds essential. He says that they are filled with pride and are unable to lead him to God. He says Manicheism is “completely in error” about God and the way and process to reach Him. 2. At the end of Book V, Augustine meets Bishop Ambrose, who would go on to serve as his mentor and supporter through his conversion to Christianity. What is Augustine’s first impression of Bishop Ambrose (90-92)? How does his rhetorical style compare to Faustus? His first impression of Bishop Ambrose was that he was an amazing man with amazing sermons. He was super impressed by his preaching and what he was saying. Augustine claimed that his sermons were filled with rhetorical styles yet it was much more intelligent than Faustus. In book 5 he describes his sermon as: “ whose eloquent discourse did then plentifully dispense unto Thy people the flour of Thy wheat, the gladness of Thy oil, and the sober inebriation of Thy wine.” He glorifies it and from it he begins to realize that the Catholic faith was not as unreasonable as it was sought to be. 3. As a catechumen under Bishop Ambrose’s tutelage, Augustine quickly learns that Bishop Ambrose’s teaching methods are unlike any that he has encountered before (96-97). What is Ambrose’s teaching method? Why does Augustine make such a big deal out of Ambrose's silent reading? Bishop Ambrose was said to approach everyone on an individual level. He emphasized living an ethical life and encouraged people to grow on an individual and spiritual basis. Ambros would read in silence and allow people to come and watch or do the same themselves. Ambrose would preach to people “straightforwardly expounding the word of truth.” (pg 97) Ambrose was a bishop who truly dedicated his life to God and serving other people. He tried to help many people on their spiritual journey, including Saint Augustine. During the silent reading, Augustine wrote that “So we too would sit for a long time in silence, for who would have the heart to to interrupt a man so engrossed?” 4. In contrast to Ambrose, Augustine sees his rhetorical skills as his key to achieving fame at this point in his memoir. Augustine compares the lengths he was willing to go for fame in a scene now known as “the parable of the drunken beggar” (101-102). Why does Augustine compare his ambitions to drunkenness? In the Catholic faith, having a false god is a sin. No other god shall be worshipped besides the one true God. In studying the faith, one learns that fame, fortune and material goods are all false gods, along with overindulging in things such as alcohol. “The joy of faithful hope is incomparably distant from that empty enjoyment.” (pg102) Augustine was chasing after worldly pleasures, such as honors, wealth and marriage. Which, when in it for the right reasons, things such as honors and marriage are not necessarily bad, but in this case, it would have

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fallen under the sin of pride. The beggar was also worshipping a false god by overindulging himself in alcohol to chase the feeling of fleeting happiness. Augustine was chasing that same feeling of earthly, fleeting happiness. 5. As a group, discuss what makes a strong mentor. Why is Bishop Ambrose a particularly good mentor for the young Augustine? Ambrose was a humble man. He truly took on the vows of a priest, and he was dedicating his life to God and serving God’s people. He was not chasing after material goods. Bishop Ambrose truly lived to serve God’s people and truly embraced the vow of obedience. He embraced the vow of poverty and did not chase earthly material goods. Ambrose wanted to help other people on their spiritual journeys and help them grow in their relationship to God. “He was habitually available to serve them in their needs, and in the very scant time that he was not with them he would be either refreshing his body with necessary food or his mind with reading.” (pg 97) 6. As a group, discuss someone who has been a major mentor in your life. How has this mentor influenced who you are (you might consider your values, your interests, your future aspirations, your sense of humor, your temper, etc.). What characteristics do your mentors share, if any? My mother is like a mentor to me. She is very hardworking and has devoted her life to caring for other people as a nurse. She has definitely influenced my sense of humor and my values. She taught me the importance of hard work and success. As a mentor, she is always there to listen to me and to help me with problems. She handles stress and problems with a logical approach, and never lets emotion overtake her ability to think. She has a clear head and is able to remain calm in any situation. She is a good mentor because of her ability to help other people and guide me through any problems.