S T R E N G T H
Strength can be looked at from many perspectives. To some, strength is nothing more than the physical appearance; to others, it is something that holds us together when we are ready to fall apart. I believe these quotes clearly represent the two sides of the word:
"Strength does not come from winning.
Your struggles develop your strengths.
When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender,
that is strength."
-Arnold Schwarzenegger
"Strength is a matter of a made up mind." John Beecher
In my opinion, the first quotation describes outer strength. Arnold Schwarzenegger talks about the physical act of not giving up. He says that it does not come from winning, but from trying. Outer strength is a muscular capability of "pushing" yourself to do something.
I have read about outer strength in Bread, The Hunger Games and Nineteen Minutes .The difference between the weak and the strong is clearly demonstrated in the situations the main characters find themselves in and its the physical appearance that makes a big difference in both cases.
An athlete needs to be strong, however he/she also has to be mentally prepared for the competition.
This is where inner strength is necessary. The second quote states that to be strong is to have a goal that you will fight for. If your mind is made up, you will stand up for your beliefs and not let anyone or anything get in the way. Inner strength is represented in The Hunger Games, Dancer and Just Lather, That's All .all the characters in these stories face something that requires them to face their fears and hold on to something emotionally in order to survive. They have something they are willing to fight for no matter what comes their way, and that is what inner strength is all about...
So your two sides will be inner and outer strength.
ReplyDeleteYou could spend some time looking at synonyms for strength too - what does inner strength consist of? Courage, compassion, wisdom? these are some of the other concepts that could develop as you go through your tapestry. As far as outer strength goes - you may need to break this down further to examine the idea of pushing your physical limits (like in The Hunger Games when Katniss is almost killed multiple times . . . or Peeta is infected by the tracker jackers - how his inner strength is questioned because of the physical toll the tracker jackers have on his body.
Your ideas are good and your texts will certainly help you to further your initial thinking about the theme you selected.