Thematic+Analysis+for+Spelling+Tuesday

** T h e m a t i c A n a l y s i s ** ** Ji Yoon Hyun **

__**Introduction:**__ “Spelling Tuesday” focuses on mainly the Owl, who represents the relation to the attitudes and principles of Taoism. Benjamin Hoff further on talks more about the relationship between knowledge and experience and how they don’t speak the same language, teaching us some basic themes we could apply to our world today. The themes of “Spelling Tuesday” revolved around the idea that knowledge comes from experience and that one’s ignorance could cause conflicts.


 * __Knowledge & Experience:__** First, working for the enlightenment of others is indispensable. If not, scholars will end up bringing negative outcomes, “who keeps what he learns to himself or to his own small group, writing pompous and pretentious papers that no one else can understand” (26). Scholars needed to appear superior and had to know everything- it was considered a crime if not. Because of this, scholars were using big and hard words in their theories to keep people away from un    [[image:knowledge.jpg width="435" height="291" align="right"]]     derstanding.

This brings up a question, what is the relationship between knowledge and experience? Knowledge that comes from experience is much more valuable than knowledge that doesn’t. To be able to do that, we’d have to talk but also listen to others to gain more information about life and to learn that there is more to knowing than just being correct. Some of our knowledge and the greatest things we learn come from observing the experiences and mistake of others.

__**Uncarved Block & Ignorance:**__ Second, is ignorance truly bliss? From the state of the Uncarved Block comes the ability to enjoy the simple and the natural. Along with that comes the ability to do things spontaneously and have them work, which applies to pooh. But the owl is quite the opposite.

Scholars call the Uncarved Block, ignorance, that it could cause both internal and external problems through limitations and restrictions in life. “If you build your house where the wind can blow it over, then let it go to pieces while you worry about how to spell Marmalade, what is likely to happen?” (31-32). This makes me wonder: How often do we pretend to be ignorant to avoid facing up to the consequences that go hand in hand with reality? To acquire true happiness, we need to be open to new things, and not close our mind and clutch onto ignorance. We need to step outside our comfort zones, abandon oblivion, as this is the only way we can open our minds, and give ourselves opportunities to find real and fulfilling bliss.

__**Bibliography:**__ 1) http://www.my-family-fun.com/Coloring-page/images/WinniePooh-Eeyore-Piglet.gif 2) http://cadcam.yonsei.ac.kr/bbs/icon/member_image_box/5/knowledge.jpg 3) http://www.500sound.com/Uploads//owl.gif