The most beautiful phenomenon in human existence is the sheer instinctual protection that comes from unconditional love. The need that arises from within oneself to guard those you love is one of the most powerful things the human condition is capable of. Love, in it’s purest form, makes you forget about yourself, and forget about your own needs. It impedes you to take a bullet for your parents, or give organs to your siblings. The fear of losing that patch of companionship another has meticulously crafted within you is so great that you would rather lose yourself if it guaranteed the preservation of your bond. Life is Beautiful is so jarring in that it demonstrates the sacrifice that we, as humans, would make in the face of extreme adversity.
As a person who has a younger sister, I understand the instinctual protection that comes with such a powerful bond. However cliché this statement is, it is undoubtedly so true in my mind: I would take a bullet for those I love. I would sail across an ocean, or jump off a building to protect those I love. My heart pounds when I cannot find my younger sister at the supermarket, because I think of all the things she has not experienced yet and it scares me to think of her ceasing to exist. I cried when my sister had gotten her ears pierced, not because I was jealous, but because I physically could not see her in pain. I cried when she split her ear open, because I should not ever have to see that much of my little sister’s blood. The utterly
It is hard to describe the protectiveness I feel toward my sister. It is not just a fear of the unknown or even the potential danger that could affect her. It is the fear of losing her, and the subsequent fear of she herself losing what could be. I see so much potential and life in her, and if it burnt out, it would not just ruin me, but all the other lives that she could have touched. It truly is the absolute terror that comes from within humanity when we think about losing something we cannot live without.
I believe that we all crave companionship; whether this results in a romantic, platonic, or familial sense, it does not matter. We yearn for others to share with us the burden of everyday life. Through this companionship, we develop bonds that carry with us throughout our lives. In Guido’s situation, I believe that he and his son relied on each other greatly; not just as father and son, but as someone to look out for other than oneself (especially in Guido’s case). The protection provided perhaps a means of carrying forward–in order to keep his son alive, he had to keep himself alive as well.
This is what really struck me in this particular film: the means by which Guido was willing to go through to protect his son, and his son’s innocence. To be quite honest, this was a tear-jerker for me. Never before had a film been so true to human nature and the ensuing sacrifice pertaining to the danger they were in was remarkably crafted as a sublime example of the relationship-aspect of the human condition.
Dear Carmen,
WOAH! The emotions of empathy, compassion, and realism you portrayed within your piece held such prominence and truly showcased your incredible ability as a writer. You have the beautiful ability within your writing to present and idea or a concept of what your topic will be within your piece, and so effortlessly do you transfer into a personal response, an internal reflection. This is a skill that many are unable to accomplish, but with you, it holds a powerful sense of belonging.
In some parts of this piece your voice holds almost a note of vulnerability, but then it holds undeniable strength as you mention what you believe to be is certain, and explain why it is so.
Within the beginning of your piece, your voice captivates me; it entrances me. I don’t know if this makes sense, but its almost as if you have an alluring lightness to your voice when you present such thoughtful articulation. You mention how love can make one forget about themselves, but instead of travelling upon a path of normalcy, you mention how individuals almost desperately want to cling to this companionship as to not lose it, and that is where the sacrifice can stem from. You mention how love can be the sacrifice of oneself through pure benevolence, as you “would take a bullet for the ones you love.” But you mention how it can be derived from selfishness, as one within a frantic and frenzied state cannot comprehend the thought of losing the inexplicable bond that love creates. Carmen, with that delicacy, you mention that primal greed of sacrifice that we are unaccustomed towards. That was absolutely stunning Carmen. Stunning.
As you mention your sister within you piece, you mention how you would feel if you lost her. How you were unable to imagine anything of the like. But the loss of love that would stem forth when she were to be gone, would not only be roused in you. You mention how she would “affect the lives she could have had touched.” Through mentioning your personal reflections, you have not only presented your underlying emotions, but also so keenly evoked them within your reader. When mentioning ones family, we immediately think of our own, but here, I only thought of your sister.
Carmen, you have a sharp ability as a writer, to convey such prominent and somber thoughts with absolutely beautiful articulation, yet present them with elegance and lightness. This ability is something to cherish. Please continue writing, when you develop this voice as you get older, people will be in complete awe. I am still in complete awe.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Sadia.
Dear Carmen,
I was drawn into your post after the first sentence. This really is a beautiful piece of writing. I felt like I could relate to this quite a bit, because as we talked about in class, none of us have ever experienced anything close to what the Holocaust was. The reason I loved the film so much was because of the love, and you really wrote about it well.
The voice that I read this in was elegant and very articulate, as Sadia has mentioned. It really shows how strong you are as a writer, and how you can get such meaningful points across without sounding blunt or harsh.
I found this insightful, andI really look forward to reading more of your work.
With love,
Alysha