Cover Letter

Charles Stater

Dr. deGravelles

Block 4

17 April, 2013

Dearest Classmates,

            My research paper, ( Of Blood and Sand: Combat in the Holy Land) writing remix, (poem adaptation of a blog post about Deadman Wonderland) and hits and misses (small piece about my favorite writing projects as well as my least favorite), will all be compiled in a massive work, my personal portfolio. I chose the abovementioned pieces for a variety of reasons. My research paper I want to perfect, as I thought I did a pretty shnazzy job overall but with some formatting tweaking and some reconstruction of some sentences, the rest should fall into place. My writing remix is coming along nicely. My original post was about the blood and death in this anime so I decided in my poem to still have some of that (can’t really have enough, after all), and also I made the decision to bring in part of the tragic romance involved within the anime, as well as the strong bonds of loyalty and friendship. Poems aren’t really my strong suit, but for this one I’ll push hard to make it good.  My hits and misses will be an excellent reflection on my work over the past year, I don’t doubt. I chose my research paper as a hit because in the end I was very proud of it. I did the research and sat down for a few hours and simply wrote my final essay, and I enjoyed doing so a lot. Additionally, my blog post “The Dead and The Dying” was really fun to write, as I hoped to spread my fervor towards my dark and intriguing anime/manga (which you all should totally read). Writing about things you love, I think, made those two definite “hits” in my book. On the flip side of the coin, however, was my literary analysis and poem blog post. I’ll be frank; I hate doing literary analysis. I don’t like pulling stories and books apart, I feel like it takes away from the overall enjoyment of the piece, and I think my distaste was evident in the analysis. I will work on a more formal and engaging tone in literary analyses from now on. I also am not a big fan of poetry, which may help to explain my poem I wrote in my blog. I thought I did a poor job, although I will admit that I did have some fun with it. This is why I am making my writing remix a poem, as I want to improve my poetic skills, not to mention have a little fun in the meantime. These “misses” weren’t my best, but I believe I learned more about them and got practice from doing them all the same. Moving right along to the person behind those hits and misses, indeed, the one typing these very words, we advance to myself as a writer.

As a writer, I believe I am becoming stronger and stronger as time progresses. AP essays are a breeze, and I think I’m slowly learning how to make boring research papers have a touch of flair that is all my own. I like to think that some of my writing is at least slightly enjoyable to read; if it isn’t, what’s the point in writing? My strengths are word choice and sentence flow, I enjoy a beat that is all my own that seems to echo throughout all my literary pieces. I think organization is something I’ll need to make a definite move on improving, as I am not a very organized person in the real world and this tends to translate into my paper as rather jumbled thoughts throughout my writing. The only real way to work on this is to practice, practice, practice, and revising my papers is an excellent way to do this. Learning about writing is a rather difficult thing to do, as there aren’t any formulae to memorize or dates to remember. It is a gradual process, and I think I can see what exactly I’ve been learning and improving on this year. With the pressure of AP essays, I better learned to manage my writing time and to write fast, but still coherently think about what I’m actually putting down on the paper. My first thought when I entered the writing center was something like “Well, where is everybody?” Garrett and I had decided to undertake the journey together, and we got there a little early. We soon ran into some Writing Fellows who vowed to assist us with our quest. After a little rustling of papers, Garrett and I were instructed to read our entire papers out loud. I was mildly annoyed, as my paper is about 5 pages long, but soon enough I began to appreciate this aspect of our visit. Reading aloud  helped me catch numerous grammatical and organizational errors, which the Writing Fellow was quick to note and point out to me. At the end she gave her overall evaluation of my writing and gave me some pointers on how to fix up some formatting issues, and then sent me on my merry way. (Garrett too got a good deal of help with his paper, including some potentially problematic incorrect citations)

After this adventure in the Writing Center and using the improved skills I acquired thanks to my visit, my editing is coming smoothly, fellow classmates. Organization is coming more easily now, and my vocabulary and subsequently my word choice is advancing along at a steady pace as well, not to mention my continued practice is leading to a layer of pizazz throughout my paper. Additional things I need to work on probably will all involve some usage of theme. For some reason, I really find it difficult to put into words a concise and clear theme for a paper. Maybe I can convey the message throughout the body, but to me that never seems significant enough and I can’t seem to make it clear enough. This also ties in with organization, because whenever I end up writing a thesis statement I always seem to do it unintentionally and place it at the bottom of the paper. Despite all this, this year has been my best as a writer, teaching me a lot of vital new tricks and skills to help keep my writing afloat in the tide of assignments. I appreciate all help given to me by you all, and to all a good night.

Essay Revision

Charles Stater

Dr. deGravelles

Block 4

6 February, 2013

Of Blood and Sand: Combat in the Holy Land

            The Crusades were seen by two polar opposite sides as a “Holy War” or “Jihad”, and were a series of campaigns launched in the 11^th and 12^th centuries AD. Led by Frankish knights, (many from France) they smashed into the Middle East to wage holy war on Muslim “infidels.” The Muslims responded in turn, bringing massive armies to recapture important cities, such as Constantinople and Jerusalem, and war erupted across the Holy Land. What led to these full-scale invasions across scorching sands into foreign lands? What factors were at play here?

            First we must know a little more background information about the bloody turf wars, resulting in centuries of mistrust and hatred: the Crusades themselves. There were nine numbered Crusades, the largest and most bloody being the 1^st through 4^th,  along with a series of other, smaller Crusades that were also sent out later on. Among these smaller Crusades was the so called “Children’s Crusade”, which is unique among the crusades as it was solely religious in nature (while all the Crusades were thought to be justified by religious reasoning, many had other aims that were less holy in nature; more on this later) and not a drop of blood was shed. It all began when a French shepherd, by the name of Stephen “had a vision in which Jesus commanded him to raise an army to aid the Holy Land” (“Children’s Crusade”). And so off the little party marched, and Stephen soon had quite a following. He persuaded the ungainly rabble of children that it was all for the good of Christendom and that with the help of Jesus, they could retake Jerusalem, the Holy City. Sometime afterwards, the mystery of the Children’s Crusade arose as the children were spotted near Mainz, but according to the Funk and Wagnall’s account of the tale, Children’s Crusade, “the great majority simply disappeared without trace.” None of the other Crusades had quite the same aura of mystery surrounding them, but every one of them failed, and for the most part the Crusades were noting but a massive drain on men and resources, says the Professor of Crusading History at the University of London, Jonathon Philips. He even went so far as to say that “leprosy was the only thing that Europeans had gained from the crusades.” Indeed, very little was gained from the later Crusades, the First being the only one where anything of real importance, the capture of Jerusalem, was achieved, Philips mentioned later.

 Philips also delved into the motives of the Crusades, on the Frankish side. Why would as many as 60,000 knights journey all the way to the Holy Land in just the First Crusade alone? Because, Philips said, “In return they would be granted an unprecedented spiritual reward — the remission of all their sins — and thereby escape the torments of Hell, their likely destination after lives of violence and greed.” A total forgiveness of sins; what a tempting reward Urban II offered. Why would he offer such a huge spiritual “shortcut”, of sorts? Well, perhaps he legitimately felt one of the best ways to serve God was to campaign against and combat “heathen” religions, felling foreign men and women alike. The acquisition of Jerusalem would bring a new trade city under control, one with a lot of religious weight to it as well. And this is similar to an advertising ploy- he wasn’t trying to sell what he had, he was trying to sell the fear of living without his service, which was in this case a total remission of sins. Frankish knights jumped at this opportunity again and again, numbering in the tens of thousands, all called by the Vicar of Christ to reign death upon the non-believer, in order that they might save not only their victims but also themselves. But what did the Muslim’s think of this situation? What drove them to labor on against the crushing steel of the Frankish knights?

In the Middle East, the officials weren’t going to let the Christians invade without resistance. In a typical Muslim sermon of the age, recounted by Robert Irwin, former lecturer in the Department of Modern History at the University of St. Andrews, a quotation such as this emerges- “By God they are the source of all misfortune and treason. It is because of them that strangers beset us. While you are trying to destroy the enemy's country, they are building here in safety a country of their own. And major secrets will leak out to the enemy through them.” The fury in the words is evident: the Muslims felt as strongly, if not more so, about their religious justification than the Franks, as clearly demonstrated by this sermon. Irwin discusses the context of this quote, which wasn’t even to agitate an audience into going on the march; it was more so to inspire “vigilante justice” against the Christians accused of acts such as arson in Cairo, Egypt. The officials in the Muslim world were raging against the Christians with a religious fervor to back up their sentiments and agitate the crowds into more and more violence. But these are all just the big, loud public figures. What about the common man?

For Christians, he common man was embodied by a young French priest by the name of Peter Tudebode, whose work by the name of Historia de Hierosolymitano Itinere was so graciously translated by the American Philosophical Society. In  Historia de Hierosolymitano Itinere  we get an in-depth look into the mindset and general life of the average Christian man living during this time period. In this excerpt, Tudebode writes about his experience during a siege: “Now before Christmas grain and all victuals became very scarce. But we were afraid to stray far, and we found no food in Christian lands…” Resources were scarce, and bravery and chivalry rarer still. Tudebode was venturing with a host during the First Crusade, the most successful of all the Crusades. The men were described in harsh reality when Tudebode recounted the story of a foraging venture: “ ‘If the Turks, who watch and lie in ambush day and night in hope of killing or capturing you, find you are isolated or alone, surely they, will now kill you if you scatter in retreat.’ Following completion of this speech, the masses considered the proposition pro and con, and Bohemond found himself almost alone…” This offers a prime example of the true mettle of Christian soldiers of the age, albeit with an exceptionally brave and loyal commander. And not only did Tudebode, an eyewitness, think this way- Jonathon Philips was quite clear about what he thought of the men of Christendom, that they fought in the Lord’s name with His words on their tongues, “…although at times knights' determination to win fame for themselves could cause them to put notions of honour ahead of the greater Christian cause.” Some of the Christian knights’ goals were spiritual and holy, some less so. Average Muslims, however, were a very different story.

The average, ever-day Muslim at the time of the Crusades would be assailed constantly by propaganda from all sorts of mediums. (The Christians had the same kind of propaganda though not quite as intense as Muslim) There were the famous speeches and sermons, as mentioned up above, but these paled in comparison to what really compelled Muslims to fight fiercely against Christian aggression. The capture of Jerusalem was really the “straw that broke the camel’s back,” as it were, explained Hadia Dajaani-Shakeel in his article “The Muslim Defense”. He went on to say that the capture of Jerusalem, what with it’s significant Muslim religious meaning and holy sites, such as the legendary Dome of the Rock, was seen as “the greatest loss in their history. To profane Muslim shrines was to abuse Islam itself.” The Muslims eventually recaptured Jerusalem, under the lead of a rising Muslim political figurehead, Saladin. When the conquering Muslims re-entered the city, Dajaani-Shakeel said that “The bitterness of the Muslims against defilement of their religious places, a bitterness that had been fed throughout the century, erupted in destruction of Christian images and objects…” The Muslim general populace was so outraged at the Christian “defilement” of their holy sites, it seems, that there was quite a riot in Jerusalem (not for the first time). Muslim and Christians did seem to share this one trait--they were religious to the point of insanity.

The Muslims and Christians tore at each other viciously throughout the Crusades. Their religions drove them to impressive lengths, from launching difficult over-seas campaigns to capturing massive, nigh on impregnable cities. The lust for gold and land compelled many to take up the sword and shield as well, especially on the Christian side of the war. Total remission of their sins was also hanging temptingly over the Christians, so desperately desired by any man. Their perspectives were vastly influenced by their time period, their location, and above all else, their religion. Without many of these factors coming head to head, it is highly unlikely that anything even close to resembling the Crusades will have occurred. Unity between the great super-powers of Europe and the might caliphates in the Middle East might well have led to centuries of peace and plenty, although one must keep in mind that no matter how beneficial harmony is, mankind will never stop its endless practice of waging war.

Works Cited

Dajani-Shakeel, Hadia. "The Muslim Defense." Christian History 12.4 (1993): 33. Academic Search Complete. Web. 24 Jan. 2013.

Phillips, Jonathan. "The Call Of The Crusades." History Today 59.11 (2009): 10. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 11 Jan. 2013.

Tudebode, Peter. Historia de Hierosolymitano Itinere. Philidelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1974. Print.

 Irwin, Robert. "Muslim Responses to the Crusaders." History Today 1997: 1-2.
     Print.

 "Children’S Crusade." (n.d.): Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. Web. 15 Jan. 2013.

Hits and Misses

Charles Stater

Dr. deGravelles

Block 4

25 April, 2013

Hits and Misses

           

Hits- Crusades Research Paper, “The Dead and the Dying” blog post

Misses- Poem Blog Post and Literary Analysis

Writing Remix

Charles Stater

Dr. deGravelles

Block 4

27, April, 2013

Writing Remix- Deadman Wonderland Poem

           

Bright Monday sunshine, streaming through

Shattered windows, turning pools of blood to fiery crimson.

Death, everywhere Death, echoes of screams long gone still

Ring in my ears. Convicted, jailed, sent away to a place

Of insanity and cruelty.

Deadman Wonderland, I have arrived.

Strange girl, white skin with red eyes,

Red like the blood of my friends

Leaking from their shattered bodies.

“Let’s eat pudding together someday!”

Love within me, nothing else like it,

Deadman Wonderland, I have arrived.

Carnival Corpse, consisting of conscripted captives

Tearing, slicing, killing, dying.

Branch of Sin, my own blood

Turned against my foes.

Ace Man, Shiro, Red Man, Love

All are the same, I will protect her

Deadman Wonderland, I have arrived.

A unholy priest, sent of an Angel, whether fallen

Or no, that is unknown. New friends, Senji

Karako and Owl, a rebellion is in the air. We must

Stay silent as night, as invisible as blackness, run from

Sakagami Toto.

Deadman Wonderland, I have arrived.

Break out, run, escape

The priest has come, his spells in hand with

Vengeance in mind. Owl has gone to darkness,

He cannot even see himself. Shiro, Karako, only I can save them.

I will protect my friends

Death and Love, Malice and Justice, they await now, within the depths of

Deadman Wonderland.