The theme of Live by Divine Purpose, Die by Divine Purpose or Live my accident, Die by accident is an important one.
Dec. 20, 2006
Brandon Hamilton
| As in life, I found several types of love in the story The Bridge of San Luis Rey written by Thornton Wilder. Parent to child love was illustrated through the relationship of Dona Maria and her daughter, Dona Clara. This was a bad love because Dona Clara did not love her mother, but her mother loved her more than anything, even herself. Another bad family relationship was shown between Camila and her son Don Jamie. Camila did not know how to be a mother. The parent-child relationship between Camila and Uncle Pio was a good love because he loved her and took care of her. Physical love was shown between Camila and the Viceroy; and Camila and the Matador. Both of these relationships were only physical, Camila was interested in only what she could get from her lovers. She did not understand that true love is giving not always receiving. Uncle Pio and Camila’s relationship also demonstrated mentor to student love. This was a good one because she felt comfortable discussing her life with him. Camila knew in her heart that Uncle Pio was a good role model. There should have been a mentor to student relationship between Dona Maria and Pepita but there wasn’t because Dona Maria was too wrapped up in her own world and didn’t know Pepita was with her most of the time. Towards the end of their stories Pepita was Dona Maria’s mentor, when Pepita taught Dona Maria about real love and courage. Pepita’s real mentor was the Mother Superior. It was she who Pepita truly learned from and could talk to. Throughout the whole book, the love of Yahweh shines bright. It was Brother Juniper’s love of Yahweh, and his need to “prove” that love, that led him to investigate the lives of the five people who died when the San Luis Rey Bridge fell. The Abbess showed her love of Yahweh by dedicating her life to the needs of those less fortunate. Uncle Pio’s life was an earthly example of Yahweh’s total unconditional love of man. Dona Maria after being shown how to love by Pepita wrote her Corinthian letter, which showed Yahweh’s love regardless. After the tragedy, Camila joined the convent and became a true servant of Yahweh. Love is one of the most important aspects of human relationships. This story illustrated that Yahweh’s love is the source of all love. Man takes this love and expresses it in many simple and complex ways. Wilder has shown us different ways that people express love, both good and bad, it is up to us to learn how to love like Yahweh. |
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
| These seven essays on the Bridge of San Luis Rey were the best and most diverse that were turned in. The students are getting better and better at seeing and using literary tools. If you have never read this book, I strongly suggest it. The theme of Live by Divine Purpose, Die by Divine Purpose or Live my accident, Die by accident is an important one. |
by Athena Rose
Esteban was twin to Manual. He and his brother grew up in an orphanage. They were tall, handsome and hard workers. These two were as one, no one really knew which was who. It was almost as if they were one person living in two bodies. Until one day Manual fell in love. This was when the two began to separate. Esteban and his brother kept to themselves most of the time. There were a few people who impacted Esteban's life. The Abbess raised the boys, influencing them in their writing, other skills, and teaching them the way of the Lord. After Manual died, Esteban went into a deep depression. He even tried many times to kill himself by doing dangerous rescues. When these attempts didn't work, Esteban attempted to hang himself. This is when Esteban was saved by Captain Alvarado. The Captain asked Esteban to come with him , to help on his ship, and busy the pain away. Esteban agreed, a couple days later, he died on the Bridge. Was Esteban's death an accident or a plan by the All Mighty? Esteban was starting over, but in what, a new life without his brother or a new life with God? In this story, Wilder expands our minds to think about the question, are we all an accident and just die by accident or are we all part of a plan and our death is planned out before it happens? I believe God created us to make choices. Our choices create our destiny. I also believe God is with us when we make our choices and hopefully His word influences the choices we make. While I don't believe life is a total accident, I don't believe God has it planned out in stone either. We are part of God's plan, making our choices with His guidance. |
by Austin Broadus
In the book we read , The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Dona Clara was the daughter of Dona Maria. When she grew up her mother worshiped her which really got on her nerves. She would take advantage of her mother's wealthiness and the way she felt made it easier to get it. When she got older she totally forgot about her mother and moved to Spain and got a very wealthy man. In the story Dona Maria kept sending countless letters to her daughter. She never read them though. Her husband kept them and they still survive today thanks to him. Before Dona Maria died she sent a final letter that showed something her daughter had never seen before. It showed true love, love that had never been felt by Dona Clara. She then gave her mothers money to the church and orphanage instead of donating it to science which she had previously planned. The whole book has to do religion versus science. The author used the characters to illustrate theme by showing that either by an act of god or an accident. People die and that can change people's perspective on life. If the collapse of the bridge was just a random event or those five people deserved to die, it still happened an they did die, and that combined combined with that last letter changed Dona Clara's view of her mother and her life. |
by Matthew Newsome
Mother Superior was a head nun at a convent. She was a feminist she believed women should be respected. Men in this society treated women like work animals not people. Mother superior also had an foster home in her church which there was a small girl she was very close to her. Mother Superior taught this little girl everything. Pepita was the little girl's name and she was basically a daughter to Mother Superior. When Donna Marie came to adopt Pepita Mother was worried for her because Donna Marie was crazy but she said it would be good to because she would get to see what it's like to live in the palace. Mother had an impact on Pepita because when she went to Donna's house she thought about what Mother said about always obeying your elders and this is when Pepita was left on the conner of the church when Donna went to the church to pray. She also had an effect on Donna Marie because Donna was always worried about someone else and never thought about herself and then she realize it was not worth worrying all the time about other people. The death's that effected mother Superior's life were Esteban, Pepita, and Donna Marie. Pepita had an effect on Mother was Pepita was like a daughter to Mother and she taught her everything and she was going to follow and take over Mother's job. Then she lost the twins and she felt like she was loosing hope because these two were like her children. Then Donna Marie died and she left all her money to the church. She felt better when she received the money and Camellia help her to feel a whole lot better about the future. |
by Josh Woodson
| The reason Camellia was important in the story was because she was connected to all five people that died on the bridge. Camellia was connected to Uncle Pio because he was her mentor because she could not read or write so he had to teach her everything she knew about acting,sining and being a lady. She was connected to Don Jamie because that was her son. She would never cuddle him or anything else;she always had other people take care of him. The way Camellia was connected to Esteban was that his brother loved Camellia and he was a scribe at the theater where she worked. Camellia was connected to Dona Maria because she made fun of her in public,then had to go apologize to her in person. But after Camellia started to know Dona Maria Camellia wanted to be a lady just like Dona Maria. She knew Pepita because she visited Dona Maria. As a young women Camellia thought people only loved her because she was beautiful, after having small pox she thought she would never know any kind of love. Camellia changed after the bridge collapsed because she went into the convent. This made her finally be able to love. After six years of taking care of sick people the that were going to die she learned the difference between love and lust. |
by Taylor Sprowles
| The book my literature group and I read was called The Bridge of San Luis Rey and the character I'm writing about is named Pepita. Pepita was an orphan girl. At about the age of twelve, she was very smart and could read very well. She was being raised in the convent. The Abbess was training her to take over. Before that could happen she had to spend time in the outside world with Dona Maria. She was Dona Maria's servant and also like a daughter. Pepita played a very important role in this great book because she showed Dona Maria the real meaning of true love. Because of a letter Pepita wrote to the Abbess. In the letter Pepita talked about how much she missed the convent, the sisters, and especially the Abbess. It was kind of a whining letter. When Dona Maria read it at first she thought it was beautiful, but Pepita explained it was not ?brave?. Dona Maria finally under stood that she was being selfish, because she wanted her daughter to feel sorry for her. Dona Maria noticed that she was giving people gifts and almost anything they wanted just so that they would like her more. The reason I believe she died on the Bridge of San Luis Rey is because she served her purpose in life by helping Dona Maria find the real meaning of love. Pepita also showed her to try and start her relationship over with her daughter Dona Clara. Pepita played her part in helping someone else and so, as she was crossing the bridge the accident we all know happened. |
by Gabe Wright
When Dona Maria was a little kid her mother wanted her to main stream with popular pretty girls. She was never really accepted, because she was a little awkward and never picked up on social cues. Her mother pushed her into these groups and wanted her to be something she was not. When she turned 20 she married a ruined nobleman. Dona Maria had a child, Dona Clara. Dona Clara didn't like listening to her mother. She thought that she was insignificant. Dona Clara left to go to Spain. Dona Maria wanted her daughter to love her so much that he sent her extravagant letters. These letters were so good that they were put into textbooks for school boys to study. Since Dona Maria was Marquesa de Montemayer she had much influence over many people. Her servant Pepita had a lot to do with Dona Maria. She made Dona Maria feel courage and independent. Pepita also made Dona Maria notice that she doesn't need to give people stuff to make them like her. Well of course she died from the fall of the bridge, but you could say she killed her old-self to make way for her rebirth. Her rebirth happened when she figured out that she needed to be more independent and live bravely in the true love of God. I believe when she fell from the bridge that it was time for her to go. |
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