Eliza's Literary Moments

A different Hunchback (Theatrical Experience)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a standout when I think of theatrical experiences I’ve had with literature. This is not to be mistaken for the Disney version of this wonderful musical. Quite the contrary, in fact. This drastic tale written by James Lapine slowly melted away what I thought I knew about the captive Hunchback in the towers of Notre Dame, and replaced it with a much darker, more real, absolutely enthralling story instead. The story captivated me, and to this day holds the spot for my very favorite play.

Bound for Envy (Literary Envy)
Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is without a shadow of a doubt a book so good, it is almost guaranteed to breed envy in its readers. The author is an elderly man, who is writing from the perspective of an eleven-year-old girl. This pattern for literary gold is bound to make anyone jealous. “There was no one in sight; save for its perpetual tangle of shadows, junk, and sad bric-a-brac, the long attic was empty. “ Reading these words captivated me for sure, but made me take a step back and look with a little disdain at my much less interesting style of writing.

Lines for Literature (Literary Travel)
A few years ago, my brothers, my dad, and myself visited the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam. And though visiting the house itself was a very humbling experience, what stands out more clearly in my mind as life changing, is the line that we stood in. And I don’t mean this in the form of a complaint, but rather in the form of wonder. We waited in line for nearly two hours, amidst hundreds of others interested in this same scene for one reason or another. All of us, as strangers, from all over the world, were gathered to witness the setting of the tragedy of one girl’s family. I think that in and of itself says more about the impact of this book, than the upkeep of “the annex” itself.

Cerebral Sunshine (Literary within Musical Experience)
My cousin Chaya was born with Cerebral Palsy, and died a week before her sixteenth birthday. At her funeral, we sang “there is sunshine in my soul today,” and though we were grateful for the happy tune during a sad time, the focus was instead placed on the words of that hopeful hymn. There was a particular emphasis on the line “And Jesus listening can hear, the songs I cannot sing.” These words still have a special place in my heart, which was only magnified when Elder Holland spoke about that very same line a couple years later.

True to its name (Memorization of Literature)
I memorized the poem “A Psalm of Life” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow when I was in my sophomore year of high school. Interestingly enough, at the time the poem meant something to me, but not as much as it does now. It was on my mission when I truly recognized the meaning of the words to me. And as I was able to repeat them to myself again and again as they applied in various situations throughout my mission, and even now. And I imagine that they will continue to be applicable throughout my life.