Karolina I. Pellot Ortiz
Professor Matthew Goodwin
English 3221-705
September 17, 2015
Faith Based on Cultural Opinion Is there truly one simple way to explain a religion? Which opinion is right and which one is wrong? These are the types of questions that you, or anyone else, might ask when trying to describe your religious beliefs. “Jesus Shaves” is a short humorous story by David Sedaris, an American author and comedian. He is characterized for writing stories with a lot of humor and “Jesus Shaves” is no exception, but he also writes these type of stories with a deeper meaning behind the jokes. This story revolves around the students trying to explain their religious or cultural view on a specific holiday, Easter in this case. The narrator …show more content…
For example, when the narrator cannot grasp the idea of the bell, but firmly stands by the idea of the bunny. Later he says: “It was a decent point, but at least a rabbit has eyes. That's a start. Rabbits move from place to place, while most bells can only go back and forth--and they can't even do that on their own power. On top of that, the Easter Bunny has character; he's someone you'd like to meet and shake hands with” (27). The main character questions the belief that the teacher holds to be true, in which a Roman bell brings chocolate to France on Easter, but the teacher then turns the tables around and questions his belief on the Easter bunny bringing chocolate. Continuing with the dialogue, the main character keeps trying to find a reasonable justification on how bunny bringing chocolate makes more sense than a bell. He bases his justification on what he thinks are facts, but even though he may or may not be right, the teacher has faith which in the end confirms that her tradition is true. Overall, this stands by the fact that the basis of faith permits an individual to have a belief without any corroboration. What it is trying to express is that it is important to remember that when introduced to another culture or religion one may never fully understand what they believe in. People give religion …show more content…
At first the narrator seems selfish, to be honest, on the whole Easter Bunny and Bell from Rome discussion and his incapacity to accept the tradition of the French. However, the narrator shows he has grown in his own religious dogma, he was able to make a connection with the other students and especially with himself. Behind all of the jokes and dialogue there is a message shared with the readers that is much more complex than it appears to be. Through the characters it is expressed that traditions and religion are much more than the food, family, and gifts, but instead what is most significant is our own faith. In the end the characters were never able to come to a resolution about Easter, but the effect that this discussion had on each character and their own faith is what truly matters. It’s important to keep the lesson of the story in mind when thinking, explaining or trying to understand another person’s religion and tradition because if you’re not open to another idea you will not grasp the true meaning behind the tradition, it is crucial to have communication between everyone who is involved in the argument. In the story the idea of religious beliefs is explained through each individual background, but faith not only builds consciousness, but it’s also a crucial aspect when understanding other people’s traditions. This does not mean that while trying to
Professor Matthew Goodwin
English 3221-705
September 17, 2015
Faith Based on Cultural Opinion Is there truly one simple way to explain a religion? Which opinion is right and which one is wrong? These are the types of questions that you, or anyone else, might ask when trying to describe your religious beliefs. “Jesus Shaves” is a short humorous story by David Sedaris, an American author and comedian. He is characterized for writing stories with a lot of humor and “Jesus Shaves” is no exception, but he also writes these type of stories with a deeper meaning behind the jokes. This story revolves around the students trying to explain their religious or cultural view on a specific holiday, Easter in this case. The narrator …show more content…
For example, when the narrator cannot grasp the idea of the bell, but firmly stands by the idea of the bunny. Later he says: “It was a decent point, but at least a rabbit has eyes. That's a start. Rabbits move from place to place, while most bells can only go back and forth--and they can't even do that on their own power. On top of that, the Easter Bunny has character; he's someone you'd like to meet and shake hands with” (27). The main character questions the belief that the teacher holds to be true, in which a Roman bell brings chocolate to France on Easter, but the teacher then turns the tables around and questions his belief on the Easter bunny bringing chocolate. Continuing with the dialogue, the main character keeps trying to find a reasonable justification on how bunny bringing chocolate makes more sense than a bell. He bases his justification on what he thinks are facts, but even though he may or may not be right, the teacher has faith which in the end confirms that her tradition is true. Overall, this stands by the fact that the basis of faith permits an individual to have a belief without any corroboration. What it is trying to express is that it is important to remember that when introduced to another culture or religion one may never fully understand what they believe in. People give religion …show more content…
At first the narrator seems selfish, to be honest, on the whole Easter Bunny and Bell from Rome discussion and his incapacity to accept the tradition of the French. However, the narrator shows he has grown in his own religious dogma, he was able to make a connection with the other students and especially with himself. Behind all of the jokes and dialogue there is a message shared with the readers that is much more complex than it appears to be. Through the characters it is expressed that traditions and religion are much more than the food, family, and gifts, but instead what is most significant is our own faith. In the end the characters were never able to come to a resolution about Easter, but the effect that this discussion had on each character and their own faith is what truly matters. It’s important to keep the lesson of the story in mind when thinking, explaining or trying to understand another person’s religion and tradition because if you’re not open to another idea you will not grasp the true meaning behind the tradition, it is crucial to have communication between everyone who is involved in the argument. In the story the idea of religious beliefs is explained through each individual background, but faith not only builds consciousness, but it’s also a crucial aspect when understanding other people’s traditions. This does not mean that while trying to