Journal #10: The Aha! Moment

I am a little confused on where to find this realization of enlightenment on the about The Wife of his Youth. I do understand that the woman he had been talking about the whole time at the party was the one he told the story about. As I start to think about Mr. Ryder’s age and Ms. Dixon’s age, he said he did want her because she was young and youthful. Now that he has realized that the woman that just appeared is her he can see the youth that she still has I her and then hope of finding her love one day. Just because he had been waiting so long doesn’t mean he wasn’t going to fin true love. In the long paragraph where I think he’s realizing what he should do he makes this comment

 “Suppose, too, that, as the years went by, this man's memory of the past grew more and more indistinct, until at last it was rarely, except in his dreams, that any image of this bygone period rose before his mind. And then suppose that accident should bring to his knowledge the fact that the wife of his youth, the wife he had left behind him, -- not one who had walked by his side and kept pace with him in his upward struggle, but one upon whom advancing years and a laborious life had set their mark, -- was alive and seeking him, but that he was absolutely safe from recognition or discovery, unless he chose to reveal himself.”

 I think here he recognizes himself that this is the woman he knew has as a youth and he is remembering her and seeing her devotion throughout her years in search of him. He realizes that this is true love; one that is endearing through time and surpasses any age.

(At the beginning of this entry I was confused about how to find that aha! moment, but as I started to type and think, I too had an aha! moment and was able to find the texts).

In “Learning to Read” I loved this significant insight that Harper addresses:

“Our masters always tried to hide

   Book learning from our eyes;

Knowledge did’nt agree with slavery—

   ’Twould make us all too wise.” (Harper)

I think what is so significant to this quote is that when on has knowledge and can be a significant and worthy in the context of society, slavery and knowledge don’t go hand in hand.  I think this is such a powerful message to send that when one has knowledge on the world injustice can be fixed. In today’s society we see people and corrupt government trying to control society’s thoughts and actions, but all people want is freedom, freedom to learn and choose and with individual freedom comes the halt of social injustice for everyone.