The Brown Lady Magazine Vol. 11 • 2023

The

BROWN

LADY an academic magazine with a creative spirit Vol. 11 • 2023

The

BROWN

LADY an academic magazine with a creative spirit Vol. 11 • 2023

Published by: Honors College Student Association Poets, Inc. Printed by the Wm. A. Krueger School of Graphic Communications

The Legend of "The Brown Lady" Any university campus that’s been around for this long—Chowan University was founded in 1848—really ought to have its own myths, and so Chowan does in the legend of “The Brown Lady.” More than a hundred years ago, she was described in the school’s yearbook as the daughter of a wealthy family from the region who honored her parents’ wishes by attending Chowan, putting off marriage to her fiancé, but tragically dying during her sophomore year. A different version of her legend has her jumping to her death from the top floor of the school’s famous Columns Building after her husband (or fiancé) dies during the Civil War. But the main detail that remains the same in every version is her preference for wearing a brown gown made of taffeta, one that would rustle as she walked that has earned her the name of “The Brown Lady.” Legend also consistently figures her as a silent ghost, only recognizable by the rustling of her dress in the hall or on the breeze. But her legend continues to speak at Chowan, now honored through an annual quiz bowl tournament pitting teams from different departments against each other (The Brown Lady Academic Bowl) and the magazine that you’re now reading.

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Editorial Board Timothy Hayes

Faculty Editor Associate Professor of English

Destiny Vaughan

Graphic Design & Studio Art Honors College Student Association

Olivia Wheeler

Elementary Education Honors College Student Association

Flaire Novak

Business Administration

David Ballew

Associate Professor of History

Bo Dame

Professor of Biology and Physical Sciences

Danny B. Moore

Professor of History

Jennifer Groves Newton

Assistant Professor of Graphic Communications

Catherine Vickers

Instructor of English

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Welcome Welcome to the 11th edition of The Brown Lady, a creative and academic magazine that honors

some of the most impressive work created by Chowan University students during the past year! I

invite you to explore and celebrate the impressive array of outstanding writing and artistic creations in this issue. Two important things to notice this year: First, we begin our second decade with a bold

new overall design. And second, we take time to celebrate the legacy of other magazines created by past students in this special year, the 175th since Chowan’s founding in 1848.

This year’s edition begins with Crystal Bibbins’s story, “Emotional Mess (Sweets),” which captures

an important slice of college life: the roommate experience. This is followed by our first block of art.

Dave Clark’s vibrant “FLY GUY” and Destiny Vaughan’s iconic and colorful “Blinding Pigments” (also

featured on our cover) bookend two striking and up-close glimpses of nature from Skadi Kylander:

“Lingering Lithobates” and “The Perfect Spot.” Erica Mock’s celebration of Egypt’s first female Pharaoh, “Hatshepsut,” closes out the first half of this year’s edition.

Our second art section comes next. Destiny Vaughan’s accomplished “Mirror Reflection” joins a

long line of artists creating self-portraits. Sreshta Puducheri takes our centerfold this year, presenting two vivid and candid views of Indian life, “Rajputs” and “Chai Time.” These are followed by Corey

Spruill’s skillful capture of the messiness of life in his “Chaotic Mind.” We return to creative writing next, starting with two different versions of hiding. Daniel Horne’s “A Day in the Life of Covid-19” captures with great perception the enforced isolation of the early days of the Covid pandemic. And Amber

Mann portrays a form of self-isolation in her poem “Hiding in Plain Sight.” Following these poems is Connor Smith’s memorable and atmospheric encounter with nature in his story “A Night with the Dogs.”

In the final third of the issue, more treasures await. One final art block offers great variety

and innovation. Hamilton Darden II’s “Wally Spiked” has the look and refinement of a professional advertisement. Savion Woodley’s class project becomes much more in his “Wolverine in Fruit.”

Beautiful flowers get their moment in the sun in Skadi Kylander’s “Lobelial Gateway” and Destiny

Vaughan’s “Golden.” And Tre’yon Grace captures swagger and confidence in his “Color Tree.” Next, Amber Mann honors the power of “Secrets” in her poem. Marshall Stevens tells a harrowing yet

triumphant story of personal struggle in his story “Our Virtual Demons.” And David Joyner closes

this year’s issue with an impressive exploration of a different side of C.S. Lewis—his harsh criticism of imperialism and racism—in his essay “Silence No Longer.”

On behalf of this year’s editorial board, I invite you to spend some time with each of these

remarkable works in the weeks, months, and years to come. I hope you are as proud of these gifted students as we are. Enjoy . . . and, as always, be sure to congratulate this year’s contributors!

Dr. Tim Hayes

Faculty Editor

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Table of Contents Celebrating Chowan’s Publication History The Casket. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Columns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Celebrating Today's Chowan Students Emotional Mess (Sweets)

Crystal Bibbins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

FLY GUY

David Clark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Lingering Lithobates

Skadi Kylander. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

The Perfect Spot

Skadi Kylander. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Blinding Pigments

Destiny Vaughan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Hatshepsut: A Truly Revolutionary Queen

Erica Mock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Mirror Reflection

Destiny Vaughan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Rajputs

Sreshta Puducheri. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Chai Time

Sreshta Puducheri. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

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Chaotic Mind

Corey Spruill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

A Day in the Life of Covid-19

Daniel Horne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Shadows Illuminated

Claire Revelle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

38

Hiding in Plain Sight

Amber Mann. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

A Night with the Dogs

Connor Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Wally Spiked

Hamilton Darden II. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Wolverine in Fruit

Savion Woodley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Lobelial Gateway

Skadi Kylander. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Golden

Destiny Vaughan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Color Tree

Tre'yon Grace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

46

Secrets

Amber Mann. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Our Virtual Demons

Marshall Stevens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Silence No Longer

David Joyner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

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Celebrating Chowan’s Publication History 2023 is a very important year in the history of Chowan University, as it marks the 175th anniversary of its founding.

In that long history, several magazines—though perhaps not as many as you might think—were created by the students of Chowan. We’re very fortunate to have digital scans of two of them. The first, undoubtedly the earliest publication in Chowan’s history, The Casket, was published in 1854, only a few years before the cataclysm of the Civil War. 60 years later, in the midst of World War I, Chowan students created another magazine, The Columns. Thanks to good luck and the work of the UNC-Chapel Hill libraries, we have digital scans of one precious issue of The Casket and several issues of The Columns from 1914-1917.

When Chowan’s 175th Anniversary Committee asked if The Brown Lady could feature these publications in some way, I eagerly accepted the invitation. Choosing what to feature from these glimpses of the past was challenging, but I ultimately settled on three poems, one from The Casket and two from the inaugural issue of The Columns, each of which offers a telling and often humorous glance into student life in those eras (including 1854, when the entire school existed in one building, the McDowell Columns Building). Please take a few minutes to enjoy these gifts from the past before exploring the accomplishments of today’s Chowan students!

TH

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Gems for the Casket from The Casket, 1854

Gems, gems for the Casket! I asked day and night;

Next, my burdened heart turned to the musical

None heeded my cry, till in sorrow I turned,

Should I venture of them a gem to demand?

Give gems for the Casket, all sparkling and bright!

And in secret the Casket all empty I mourned.

To the Principal, first, I hastened for aid;

band.

I knew not, alas! if their souls were in tune;

And, fearing some discord, I asked not the boon,

Lo! a cloud on his brow—not a word he essayed:

Save of one, whose heart fond pity did move

By the blue rolling waves of the Chesapeake Bay.

Which the Casket enshrines with its splendor so

Then I knew that his thoughts were far, far away,

To grant me a gem all glowing with "Love," bright,

To the Reverends, next, all submissive I go:

To gladden the hearts that may listen to-night.

But they gave me, alas! not one single gem.

Grown bold by success, I now ventured near

They list to my tale—perhaps, pitied my woe— I forgive, but I hoped better treatment from them.

How sad now my heart, as I looked through my tears,

And the Casket, still empty, before me appears.

But a bright thought is left: to the Ladies I’ll go;

While Hope fondly whispered, They will lighten thy woe.

To the Mistress of Painting I hastened away, Exclaiming, "A gem for the Casket, I pray!"

I trembled, as palette and brushes all fell,

Lest the frown on her brow on the picture should dwell.

The "Master of Signs," though not without fear,

Lest to him it should seem like presumption of mine To expect gems rare as his for me to enshrine.

I looked for a frown, but the light on his brow

Chased the gloom from my heart, sorely burdened till now;

And the "gem" which he gave, Oh! how bright does it shine!

"Fact," garnished by "Fancy," breathes forth in each line.

Thanks, thanks, kindest sir! May "Fancy" portray

Joys less brilliant than "Facts," that shall gladden your way.

Then I hied to the one that, with magical art,

Thanks, thanks, gentle lady! May your portion be

She laughed and exclaimed, as I ventured my plea,

While you sojourn on earth and in mansions above.

Sways the sceptre of love o’er each juvenile heart; "Ask sunbeams from gourds, but not jewels from me!"

How sadly I turned, while grief bowed my head,

To the one from whose cheeks health’s roses have fled!

"Love,"

Gems, gems for the Casket! The strain I’ll prolong.

Gives gems for the Casket! shall still be my song.

When the Casket is broken, they will all, on my part, Be embalmed in the innermost shrine of the heart.

The glance of her eye told her heart was with me,

But the flesh was so weak that I urged not my plea.

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Dear Old Chowan

from The Columns, 1914 E. L. E. Dear old Chowan, dear old Chowan, How dearly do we love thee!

How proud are we that we are here, Our loyalty to prove thee.

Nowhere do birds sing quite so sweet.

Nowhere do school girls look so neat.

In all the sunny South so fair, No place is there above thee.

Dear old Chowan, dear old Chowan, With all its nooks and bowers, Where students stroll and talk and play Among the grass and flowers.

Nowhere the sun shines half so bright; Nowhere are moonbeams half so white.

Within thy walls and campus fair, How quickly pass the hours!

Dear old Chowan, dear old Chowan, In time we all must leave thee, But by our words and deeds of fame A history we'll weave thee.

No matter what the times may bring, Thy praises will we always sing.

May this our aim, our whole lives be— We'll nothing do to grieve thee.

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At Chowan

from The Columns, 1914 E. W. Students are the smartest At Chowan.

The teachers work the hardest At Chowan.

But results are the haziest— Stella is the laziest— And autos get the craziest— At Chowan.

Lights burn the brightest At Chowan.

The fourth floor’s the lightest At Chowan.

The west end is the sauciest— For the girls are the bossiest— They stay here till they are the mossiest— At Chowan.

Days are the bluest At Chowan.

Demerits are the fewest At Chowan.

While teachers are the keenest­— On the girls that are the meanest— They never catch the greenest— At Chowan.

The fountain sparkles briskest At Chowan.

The calves frisk the friskiest At Chowan.

The Main Building’s the homeliest— The Wise graveyard the loneliest— And the broad campus the onlyest— At Chowan.

Cuts are the shortest At Chowan.

Honor system broadest At Chowan.

While books are the newest— Facts are the truest— And are studied by the fewest— At Chowan.

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Emotional Mess (Sweets) Crystal Bibbins Is this what hell feels like?

If hell felt anything like this, then it was ample

motivation for Sweets not to go; not that she had

planned on going, anyway. She sat in class, head

resting heavily in her hand, as her English teacher droned on about logical fallacies. He was trying

to get the class engaged and was only rewarded with a loud, awkward silence before he cleared his throat and continued. It wasn’t his fault;

nobody wanted to identify red herrings in a stuffy classroom on a Friday afternoon.

Sweets sighed and fought to stay awake. She

was caught in this torturous cycle of glancing up at the clock for a few moments before her eyes wandered and fluttered shut. Then she had to

resist the sweet feeling of resting her eyes from the ugly mustard yellow walls and pry them

back open. She wanted nothing more than for

the class to be over, yet the hands on the clock showed no mercy. As her eyes drifted shut yet

again, she was startled awake by a loud chime and harsh vibration from her phone resting on the table. Her eyes darted toward her teacher, who seemed just as flustered. He ran a hand through his thinning hair and asked that all

phones be silenced. A flood of embarrassment washed over Sweets as she checked the notification.

We need to talk.

It was from Aideen. Sweets sat up and placed her phone face down on the table; suddenly,

the class seemed a lot more bearable. As she answered questions about argumentative

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elements, a sense of dread filled her body.

What could she possibly have done to prompt

a text that sounded so hostile? The dorm was a bit messier than normal, but Sweets had been meaning to clean up for the past couple of

weeks. Other than that, she hadn’t really been around. This was bad. Sweets couldn’t figure

out what was wrong, and that scared her. She

rubbed a sweaty palm on her bouncing leg and tried to focus; she was wide awake now and

didn’t care if she was essentially carrying on a conversation with the teacher.

The class ended all too soon, and Sweets

scrambled to find an excuse to stay longer. It was futile. Any further conversation with her

teacher would come around to the work she was missing, and she had no intention of having that discussion. Sweets took her time packing her

things and walked as slowly as she dared back to her dorm. The large trees and pond shimmering with sunlight failed to capture her attention this

time, as she tried to talk down the surging waves of fear. By the time she reached the door, she

was relatively calm and resolved to hear what

Aideen had to say without crying. After all, how much hostility could honestly be put in a text message?

Sweets opened the door, and all her resolve was blasted away by a whirlwind of anger. Aideen

was yelling and gesturing wildly, horribly red in the face.

“It isn’t fair!” she yelled. “It isn’t right for you to

just run off and be gone all day, leaving me to

take care of all the chores, knowing damn well

Emotional Mess (Sweets)

we’ll both be fined if we fail room inspections!

Sweets fixed her eyes on the ground and

scraping by, even with all my scholarships,

but she could at least hold it until she was by

You might have the money for it, but I’m barely scholarships that I’m at risk of losing any day now because I can’t f—king sleep. It’s hard enough as it is, and then there’s you, stumbling in at 3 am, dropping keys and sh—, thinking you’re being

quiet. Just as I’m finally, finally, about to drift off

after hours of struggling, BAM, you’ve pushed my

sleep schedule back another 12 hours. My routine is f—ked because of your bumbling around like

some lost, idiotic child, leaving me to pick up the slack.”

Sweets didn’t even get the chance to start

struggled to hold back her tears. It never worked, herself. She forced a small smile and nodded.

Yes, she was listening. Yes, she understood. Yes, she would do as told and stave off the sense

of disappointment for as long as possible, until

she inevitably messed up again. Sweets looked Aideen in the face and forced herself to speak.

“You’re right,” she said, mentally pushing the

words out of her mouth. It took a lot of effort, but staying silent in a moment like this would only

frustrate Aideen even more. “I’ll clean it up. Just give me a second.”

processing before Aideen grabbed her by the

It was getting harder to keep from crying, so

their room.

closed the door softly behind her. She inhaled

wrist. She followed mindlessly as she was led to “Look at this! It’s a goddamn pigsty! You look

like you’re living in a trash heap! You want me to treat you like an adult, but you haven’t done a

single thing to deserve it! It’s a miracle we don’t

have bugs yet, because this is f—king disgusting.

It’s disgusting, and you need to get your sh— together.”

So that’s what this was about. A feeling of shame rose within Sweets as she observed her side

of the room. Her bed was a mess, with pillows strewn haphazardly. The desk was covered in

a mass of crumpled papers and used dishes,

and you couldn’t even sit in the chair because of the pile of clothes threatening to topple over at any moment. She glanced over at Aideen, who glared with her piercing green eyes.

“Clean it up,” she said, her voice laced with

disgust. “You might be okay with it, but I’m not, and the school won’t be, either."

Sweets made her way to the bathroom and deeply and let out a shuddering sigh as the

tears slid down her face. Despite her attempts to keep quiet, she began hiccupping, which

made her break down even more. She cursed

the bathroom ventilation for being so quiet. The one at home was much louder and perfect

for moments like this. Sweets thought that she

would have mastered silent crying by now, but it seemed to be yet another thing she failed at.

She sat on the toilet and waited for her emotional wounds to heal. She closed her eyes and

envisioned her body emanating light in a gentle shade of purple. The body of light was riddled

with cracks, and Sweets waited for the jagged

black lines to merge and close, leaving tender

scars. As soon as it seemed she could function

without reopening the wounds and bursting into

tears, Sweets stood and left the bathroom. It was time to clean.

With a focused mindset, it was as if a wall was

set up surrounding Sweets and the task she set

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Emotional Mess (Sweets)

out to do. Her brain processed just enough to

“What the hell are you doing?” Aideen looked

irrelevant. But while the mental wall shut out

something. But what?

move smoothly and shut out anything deemed her external environment, it could not prevent a

rotating string of thoughts from flitting to and fro, providing background noise as she cleaned.

Aideen was right. She can see right through this innocent and naïve act you put up. You might

be able to fool everyone else, but she will always know how fake you are.

Sweets placed the last clean dish in the rack and wiped down the counter.

You’ve stressed her out and turned her into a

control freak because you’re too lazy to pick up

after yourself. You’re a bad friend and a horrible roommate.

The contents of the dustpan were emptied into the trash.

You’re a child, a spoiled brat. A complete

embarrassment to those who have to put up with you.

Trash was thrown in the dumpster.

The window. Sweets had detached the window in order to clean both sides. Was that too far?

Did the windows not need to be cleaned, or was she not cleaning it right? She looked at Aideen, desperate for an answer.

Instead, Aideen just rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Here, put this back.” She gave the windowpane back to Sweets.

Sweets reattached the window and looked at Aideen expectantly.

“Look,” Aideen started, “I suppose I didn’t have to yell at you the way I did, but you didn’t have to

do that.” She gestured to the window. “That was

ridiculous. Anyways, all I’m asking is that you keep things clean around here. Don’t ever let it get like that again. I know you aren’t around very often

anymore, but you deserve a better space than that.”

No you don’t, she’s just saying that. You know it’s

bad when even Aideen is trying to make you feel

You’re such a wreck.

better.

Floors vacuumed.

Did she really mean it? Honestly, it didn’t

You can’t do anything right.

to overthink this. She sighed, letting go of the

Desk cleaned.

Why can’t you just be normal?

matter. Sweets didn’t have the mental energy subject. “You’re right,” she said. “I’ll try to do better from now on.”

Aideen looked relieved. “Well, I suppose you

Clothes folded.

should go now. I know you’ve got class soon.”

“Really, Saccharin?”

Sweets had actually forgotten about the class

Wait. That thought wasn’t hers. Sweets looked up,

She gathered her things and went off in search

as an item was snatched out of her hand.

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at Sweets, frustrated and confused about

but wasn’t going to turn down an excuse to leave. of a spot for a proper cry and a nap.

FLY GUY David Clark 19

Lingering Lithobates Skadi Kylander 20

The Perfect Spot Skadi Kylander 21

Blinding Pigments Destiny Vaughan 22

Hatshepsut: A Truly Revolutionary Queen Erica Mock Egypt is geographically isolated with well-

defined boundaries, such as the Mediterranean Sea, deserts, and large barriers of igneous rock.

1

As a result of such defensive barriers, Egypt was

one of the world’s earliest and most magnificent civilizations.2 Since the Ancient Egyptian

civilization dates back to 3100 BCE and consists

of more than thirty dynasties, they clearly had a successful system of government. Egypt made sure the Pharaoh leading their country wanted the best for the country and its people, as well as their own legacy. By maintaining a strong

government, military defense, and diplomatic

relationships with other nations, they ensured the country would not have to endure wartime or fall to another empire. Another key role all Pharaohs had to possess while ruling was a relationship

with the Egyptian gods. This relationship would

make the gods happy and allow Egypt to stay in

good standing with them. Among the rulers who had great success in achieving those goals was the first woman Pharaoh of Egypt, the mighty

Queen Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut was one of the

finest Pharaohs in Ancient Egyptian history due to her strong ties with other nations and her breathtaking architecture.

Hatshepsut did not just accidentally stumble into power—she was born into it. Hatshepsut was the

oldest daughter of the mighty Pharaoh Thutmose I.3 She grew up around power and witnessed

important decisions her father made. One of the important things she learned from her father

was to cultivate a relationship with Amun-Re, the god whom Egyptians believed had created the universe. Hatshepsut built her own relationship

with Amun-Re by engaging in the secret rituals that her father taught her.4 When she gained power as Pharaoh, she grew even closer to

the Egyptian gods to the point where she was referred to as the wife of Amun-Re.5

Not only did she become close with Egyptian gods, but her father’s reign enabled her to

develop close contact with powerful people

and groups throughout the country, including the Senenmut, a highly respected official in the Egyptian government. During her reign,

the Senenmut ruled over ninety-one offices in the state, making him one of the most

powerful men in Egypt.6 Developing a strong

working relationship with the Senenmut

allowed Hatshepsut to rule more smoothly,

since they were on good terms and were like-

minded when it came to governing. Having the

leadership background and the connections that Hatshepsut had before she even came to power helped her win over the common folk along with the ruling elite.

Hatshepsut further benefited from being an outgoing, educated woman, which was not

1

Dorothy Stannard, ed., Insight Guide Egypt (Singapore: APA Publication, 1998), 21.

2

Ibid.

3

Kara Cooney, When Women Ruled the World: 6 Queens of Egypt (Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2018), 105.

4

Ibid.

5

Ibid., 123.

6

Barbara Watterson, The Egyptians (Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwell Publishers, 1997), 129.

23

Hatshepsut: A Truly Revolutionary Queen

common for most Egyptian women.7 During this

role of regent, since several other Queen mothers

was better in Egypt than in surrounding areas.

so far as to take the throne for themselves until

and/or sons wanted in the family, since they

were unheard of, since Egypt had only been

time, it was unpleasant to be a woman, but it

Women had to conform to what their husband were the heads of the household. Thutmose 8

I, however, broke from tradition since he saw a great future for Hatshepsut. He thus arranged

for her and her brother, Thutmose II, to become one through marriage. Thutmose II was set to

rule after his father’s death, and this marriage

allowed Hatshepsut a way through the back door to have influence in Egypt’s future.9

Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut knew female Pharaohs ruled by men, but being a woman did not stop

her from leading Egypt successfully. She secured and expanded Egypt’s borders, enriched the

elites, built homes for the gods, and engaged in risky trade adventures with faraway lands.15 The

people of Egypt and the gods were pleased with her rule and did not consider her gender since

she ruled as well as a male Pharaoh, if not better.

During their marriage, they had a daughter, and

Hatshepsut was content with their approval but

Thutmose III.10 In 1479 BCE, Thutmose II passed

decision making. Thus, when she commissioned

one of Thutmose II’s concubines bore him a son, away due to poor health, leaving the throne to his only son, Thutmose III, who was only a child when his father passed away. Hatshepsut, 11

Thutmose III’s stepmother, initially acted as

regent, but that was not enough for her. With 12

the empire flourishing in riches, expansion, and prosperity, Hatshepsut decided she had to

wanted the people of her land to truly trust in her a statue, painting, or carving of herself, she

demanded that she be depicted as a male.

(To view the wall relief, see Figure 1 below.)16

Hatshepsut illustrated herself in this way to show her people that she had masculine features just like the previous leaders occupying the throne

of Egypt.17 She knew she had the backing of the

obtain full power to keep her country strong. In

elites and powerful groups of Egypt because

Pharaoh of Egypt and proceeded to rule until her

have their support because of her actions as

1473 BCE, she declared herself the first female death in 1458 BCE.

13

The move from being the wife of the Pharaoh, to acting regent, to claiming the throne for herself

was bold. No one objected to her assuming the

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had done this, too.14 Yet no mother had gone

of her father’s former roles, but she wanted to well. Her artwork was made as propaganda to promote the physical strength she gained, as

well as the strength with which she ruled Egypt.

The people of Egypt wanted their “Bull, and so

7

Cooney, 106.

8

John Ray, Reflections of Osiris: Lives From Ancient Egypt (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002), 43.

9

Rosalie F. Baker and Charles F. Baker, Ancient Egyptians: People of the Pyramids (Cary, NC: Oxford University Press, 2001), 90.

10

Watterson, 100.

11

Ibid.

12

Ibid.

13

The terms for the Egyptian leader can be used interchangeably: Queen, King, or Pharaoh. Watterson, 100; Baker and Baker, 90.

14

Baker and Baker, 90.

15

Cooney, 99-100.

16

"Thebes - Deir el Bahari (Temple of Queen Hatshepsut - relief on a wall of the Queen), 1."

17

Cooney, 144.

Hatshepsut: A Truly Revolutionary Queen

she gave it to them.”18 She did so most notably by

was not her idea but was a direct order from

architecture.19

Hatshepsut’s close relationship with Amun-Re,

her commercialization of Egypt and her tasteful

Hatshepsut knew she had to spread the Egyptian religion and influences to other lands like no

other Pharaoh before her. To help achieve that, she created and maintained a well-organized military, ready to fight if needed.20 Many

historians believe that Hatshepsut’s feminine

nature precluded her from organizing any violent military expeditions, but, in reality, there were no physical wars during her time due to her

leadership.21 She led Egypt peacefully through

the connections that she built with her people and other nations. One connection that really

her divine father the god Amun-Re.23 Due to

she was able to communicate with him much

more easily than any other Pharaoh. According

to Hatshepsut, Amun-Re saw the Land of Punt as part of his land and wanted to connect the two countries under one religion.24 He thus pushed

for an Egyptian leader to find Punt and save the land. Hatshepsut heard the calling and knew

it was her religious duty to venture to Punt and spread Amun-Re’s ideas to the people.25 The

Egyptians listened to their female Pharaoh and, more importantly, to their god and sent out an expedition to Punt.

put Hatshepsut and Egypt on the map was her

This new connection did not just spread the

Punt was located in the East Sudan bordering

trading relationship between the two nations.

expedition to the Land of Punt. It is believed that Northern Ethiopia, nearly 1,200 kilometers away from Egypt.22 The two main reasons for this

expedition were to please the god Amun-Re and to bring luxury goods back to Egypt.

When Hatshepsut announced her plan to

voyage to the Land of Punt, the people of Egypt were confused as to why the female Pharaoh

wanted to go to a land most had never heard of before and to which no other Pharaoh had ever

gone. Hatshepsut explained that this expedition

word of Amun-Re but also created a new

Hatshepsut saw this possibility to both complete

the mission for Amun-Re and complete a mission for herself to bring home new goods. While in

Punt, Hatshepsut obtained many precious and

luxurious items: aromatic gum, gold, ebony, ivory, leopard skins, live apes, and incense trees.26

Hatshepsut was thrilled to be able to bring back

all these goods to her empire. She and her fellow

Egyptians thus boarded five ships and set out for

Punt from a Red Sea port.27 (To view the ships, see

Figure 2.)28 The ships the Egyptians used were

18

Ibid., 145.

19

Watterson, 101.

20

Christelle Alvarez, Arto Belekdanian, Ann-Katrin Gill, and Solène Klein, Current Research in Egyptology (Oxford: Oxbow Books,

2016), 114.

21

Ibid.

22

Watterson, 101.

23

Alvarez et al., 115.

24

Ibid.

25

Ibid., 116.

26

Watterson, 101.

27

Ibid.

28

'Egyptian soldiers in the expedition to the Land of Punt, (Temple of Hatshepsut, C, 1490 b.C.18th Dynasty, New Kingdom, Deir el-

Bahari, Egypt)."

25

Hatshepsut: A Truly Revolutionary Queen

not the best option for a voyage through the

Red Sea. Despite that, after twenty to twenty-five days on board, they made it to Punt.29

While the boats were being docked, Hatshepsut and Punt’s chief, Perehu, became acquainted

with another. Hatshepsut then treated her people and the people of Punt to a feast of Egyptian

food as a celebration of their arrival.30 By feeding

both nations, she showed Punt the power that Amun-Re gave his female Pharaoh. Feeding all her people plus those of a foreign nation

ordered the incense trees planted in the center

of her temple to continue to establish her power

with the people of Egypt. The incense trees, along with the other tropical plants in her temple, were symbolic of how she was dominating another

country. This gained even more respect from her own people. Hatshepsut’s other great project

during her reign was her breathtaking Mortuary Temple.

In the 18th dynasty, the government realized that

emphasized her ability to rule. In addition to a

there were tombs from the great temples of

few weapons and trinkets.32 Not only did these

prevent that from happening to her, Hatshepsut

31

meal, Egypt gave Punt a modest present of a

actions demonstrate her power as Pharaoh; they also made the leaders of Punt build a stronger connection with her and Egypt, since they saw

what Hatshepsut was capable of constructing.

This encouraged the people of Punt to start their journey with the god Amun-Re and save their

land from evil that they believed the devil would otherwise deliver.

Hatshepsut, along with the Egyptians on the five boats, completed a voyage no other dynasty was able to accomplish. Once they returned

from the voyage, Hatshepsut displayed her new

goods in her Mortuary Temple, which represents the second element demonstrating her power.

Hatshepsut designed a courtyard in the center of her temple to plant the thirty-one incense trees that the Land of Punt gifted her, which she had transported back in rooted baskets.33 (To view

29

26

the incense trees, see Figure 3.)34 Hatshepsut

previous Pharaohs that had been robbed. To

broke the tradition of being buried in a pyramid

and instead created her Mortuary Temple at the entrance to the Valley of the Kings where she would be buried.35

The Mortuary Temple at Deir el Bahari was also

designed as propaganda for Hatshepsut’s reign.

The location, the medium, and, more importantly, where she had the temple placed all served to promote her power. The Temple looked quite

different compared to other Pharaohs' temples, but it represented her difference as being the

first female Pharaoh. In addition to the difference between temples, her temple was considered the holiest of holy places, since Amun-Re had blessed it.36

The Senenmut, the Chief Royal Architect, who was a great friend of Hatshepsut, designed the temple for her.37 He set the temple in a

Watterson, 101.

30

Ibid.

31

Alvarez et al., 116.

32

Watterson, 162.

33

Alvarez et al., 116.

34

Nina de Garis Davies, "Men from Punt Carrying Gifts (Tomb of Rekhmire)."

35

Stannard, 226.

36

Watterson, 160-161.

Hatshepsut: A Truly Revolutionary Queen

spectacular natural amphitheater against

were no longer being placed in their temples.42

the backdrop of cliffs and partially hollowed

It is significant that Hatshepsut was one of the

Mortuary Temple at Deir el Bahari, see Figure

common people of Egypt instead of by herself.

out natural rocks.38 (To view Hatshepsut’s

4.)39 Hatshepsut worried about the approval

of her people, so she wanted them to see that

everything she did was for them, even creating her Mortuary Temple. Instead of transporting

foreign materials to build her temple, she had workers carve the temple out of the natural

landscape the land of Egypt had to offer.40 The

Temple thus looks as though it was formed from the land, and that is how Hatshepsut wanted it

to appear. She hoped people would see her like

her temple that was built from the natural root of Egypt, ruling only in their best interest.

In addition to the medium from which the

Mortuary Temple was constructed, it is also

positioned on the same axis as the sunrise and sunset.41 Many other holy historic memorials

were placed on the same axis for the reason that it seemed as though the gods were

shining their light on her temple all through the

first Pharaohs to be buried with the nobles and She truly was a ruler for Egypt’s people and

thought of herself as one of them. And what

better place to construct her Mortuary Temple

than right in front of the people she ruled during the 18th dynasty? Once again, she showed that

the temple was not just for her but for her people, too.

Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple was more

than a monument; it was a testament to her

accomplishments while ruling. Throughout the

Temple, Hatshepsut created an outline of her life before, during, and after her time as Pharaoh.

If visitors were to tour the temple, they would

see relief walls depicting important events in

Hatshepsut’s life, including her birth, her powerful military, her travels to the Land of Punt, and the transformation of many godly temples she

reconstructed during her reign. (To understand what a visitor would see, consult Figure 5.)43

day. Repeatedly, Hatshepsut used her natural

Again, this was Hatshepsut and the Senenmut’s

into everything she created. This is possibly the

female Pharaoh of Egypt but also to demonstrate

surroundings to incorporate Egypt’s beauty

reason she ruled the land so well: she truly loved Egypt and all the natural beauty and wanted

other Egyptians to be able to reminisce about the beauty she saw.

Hatshepsut’s Temple was placed at the entrance

to the Valley of the Kings, which was a burial area for powerful nobles and Pharaohs, whose tombs 37

plan not only to glorify Hatshepsut as the first that she ruled Egypt better than any other Pharaoh.

Unfortunately, if someone went to Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple at Deir el Bahari today, they

would not see the clear pictures she created.

Hatshepsut ruled until her death in 1458 BCE, when she was succeeded by her stepson,

Stannard, 227.

38

Stannard, 226; Watterson, 160.

39

Carole Reeves, "Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (1498-1483 BCE)." (Note that these dates are incorrect and do not match

Hatshepsut's reign.)

40

Giulio Magli, Architecture, Astronomy and Sacred Landscape in Ancient Egypt (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013), 191.

41

Stannard, 192.

42

Stannard, 226.

43

Leonard Currie, "Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Valley of the Queens, Egypt."

27

Hatshepsut: A Truly Revolutionary Queen

Thutmose III. One of the first orders he gave his

what determines success. In our time, we need

from Egyptian history.44 His helpers removed

into leadership roles, most of which have never

servants and officials was to erase Hatshepsut Hatshepsut’s name from all records throughout

Egypt, including the list of Kings. They proceeded to destroy and deface Hatshepsut’s face in

her Temple, but they did not erase her name.45

Thankfully, historians decoded the words on the

temple and pieced together the art work on the walls to discover Hatshepsut’s history. If it were

not for Thutmose III’s incomplete effort, historians might never have come upon the legacy of

Hatshepsut, leaving her rule unknown to the

modern world and offering no inspiration for up and coming female leaders.

Even though Hatshepsut is now considered one of the best Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, for centuries her reign was suppressed by

to uplift and encourage young women to go before been held by a woman. Learning the

history of Hatshepsut might just accomplish that goal.

Figure 1: Thebes - Deir el Bahari (Temple of Queen Hatshepsut - relief on a wall of the Queen), 1.

Queen Pharaoh Hatshepsut on a relief wall depicted as a male Pharaoh due to the beard and head dress.

the jealousy of men. Queen Hatshepsut

demonstrated all the great qualities that the past

Pharaohs possessed and also enacted new ways of leadership that became an expectation for

future Pharaohs. Those expectations may explain why her immediate successor sought to destroy and hide her achievement: she set an imposing example that Thutmose III may not have felt he could live up to. He thus tried to erase her and her reign from existence.

Fortunately, he failed in that endeavor.

Unfortunately, Hatshepsut is just one of many

women whose stories have been initially covered up due to their gender. History courses need to be updated and highlight Hatshepsut and her

fellow female leaders; by teaching their stories, young students will see that their gender does

not matter but how hard they are willing to work and how hard they are willing to fight—that is

28

44

Baker and Baker, 90.

45

Ibid., 94.

Figure 2: Egyptian soldiers in the expedition to the Land of Punt, (Temple of Hatshepsut, C, 1490 B.C. 18th Dynasty, New Kingdom, Deir el-Bahari, Egypt).

One of five ships, full of Egyptians, that set sail for the Land of Punt.

Hatshepsut: A Truly Revolutionary Queen

Bibliography Primary Sources Currie, Leonard J. "Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Valley of the Queens, Egypt," n.d, https://jstor.org/stable/ community.16837314. de Garis Davies, Nina. "Men from Punt Carrying Gifts, Tomb of Rekhmire." Images, n.d. https://jstor.org/ stable/community.27215549.

Figure 3: Nina de Garis Davies, Men from Punt Carrying Gifts (Tomb of Rekhmire). Egyptians carrying the incense tree that the people of Punt gifted to Hatshepsut.

Monderson, Frederick. "Hatshepsut’s Temple at Deir el Bahari." Bloomington, Indiana: AuthorHouse, 2007.

Reeves, Carole. "Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (Reigned 1498-1483 BCE, Dynasty XVIII), Deir ElBahari, Thebes." Digital Images, n.d. https://jstor. org/stable/community.24808349.

"Thebes - Deir El Bahari, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut - Relief on a Wall of the Queen." Digital Images, n.d. https://jstor.org/stable/ community.24723216.

Tola, Maya. “The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut,” Daily Art Magazine, May 12, 2020. https://www.

Figure 4: Carole Reeves, Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (1498-1483 BCE). Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple at Deir el Bahari, constructed out of the cliffs.

dailyartmagazine.com/temple-o-hatshepsut/ "Wall Carving at Temple of Deir-El-Bahari." Digital Images, n.d. https://jstor.org/stable/ community.24796550.

Secondary Sources Alvarez, Christelle, Arto Belekdanian, Ann-Katrin Gill, and Solène Klein. Current Research in Egyptology.

Oxford, UK: Oxbow Books, 2016. https://search. ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nle bk&AN=1244055&site=ehost-live.

Baker, Rosalie F., and Charles F. Baker. Ancient Egyptians: People of the Pyramids. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2001. https://search.ebscohost.

Figure 5: Leonard Currie, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Valley of the Queens, Egypt. One of many relief depictions on the walls of Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple that shows her leading her military.

com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=187 581&site=ehost-live.

ContentEngine, L.L.C., trans. "The Opet Temple in Luxor Opens to the Public After Months of Restoration." Miami, Florida: CE Noticias Financieras, Apr 19, 2019. https://login.proxy038.

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Hatshepsut: A Truly Revolutionary Queen

nclive.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/wire-feeds/opet-temple-luxor-opens-public-after-months/ docview/2211520768/se-2?accountid=10098.

Cooney, Kara. When Women Ruled the World: Six Queens Of Egypt. Washington, DC: National Geographic Partners, 2018.

Daly, Martin, ed. The Cambridge History of Egypt: Modern Egypt. Kettering, Mich.: Cambridge University Press, 1998.

"The Female Pharaoh Hatshepsut." Images, n.d. https://login.proxy038.nclive.org/login?url=https://www.jstor.org/ stable/community.18412698.

Galford, Ellen. Hatshepsut: The Princess Who Became King. Washington, DC: The National Geographic Society, 2007.

Goldschmidt, Jr., Arthur. Historical Dictionary of Egypt (Fourth Edition). Plymouth, UK: The Scarecrow Press, 2013.

Hilliard, Kristina, and Kate Wurtzel. “Power and Gender in Ancient Egypt: The Case of Hatshepsut.” Art Education Volume 62, Number 3 2009: 25–31. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20694765.

Kim-Brown, Caroline. "THE WOMAN WHO WOULD BE KING." Humanities Vol 26, Iss. 6, November/December 2005: 18-21. https://login.proxy038.nclive.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/magazines/woman-who-would-beking/docview/236387692/se-2?accountid=10098.

Magli, Giulio. Architecture, Astronomy and Sacred Landscape in Ancient Egypt. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=574861&site=ehost-live.

Moorehead, Alan. The Blue Nile. New York: Harper and Row, 1962.

Petry, Carl F. The Cambridge History of Egypt: Islamic Egypt. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.

Price, Campbell, Roger Forshaw, Andrew Chamberlain, and Paul Nicholson, eds. Mummies, Magic and Medicine in Ancient Egypt: Multidisciplinary Essays for Rosalie David. Manchester University Press, 2016. https://search. ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1281573&site=ehost-live.

Ray, John. Reflections of Osiris: Lives From Ancient Egypt. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. https://search. ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=146943&site=ehost-live.

Redford, Donald B. The Wars in Syria and Palestine of Thutmose III. Leiden: Brill, 2003. https://search.ebscohost.com/ login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=132914&site=ehost-live.

Stannard, Dorothy, ed. Insight Guide Egypt. Maspeth, NY: Langenscheidt, 1998.

Thornton, Kendra. "Egypt." Luxury Travel Advisor March 2019: 44-5, https://login.proxy038.nclive.org/login?url=https:// www.proquest.com/trade-journals/egypt/docview/2282383317/se-2?accountid=10098.

Watterson, Barbara. The Egyptians. Cambridge, Mass.: Blackwell, 1997.

30

Mirror Reflection Destiny Vaughan 31

Rajputs Sreshta Puducheri 32

Chai Time Sreshta Puducheri 33

RRRRR Chaotic Mind Corey Spruill 34

A Day in the Life of Covid-19 Daniel Horne Dreams are curious things Dreams dream of worlds with Dreams of worlds without Dreams of days gone past And dreams of days yet to be

I have to wake up

I dreamt a dream Last night Cozy in my bed Wrapped in sheets Shielding me from the world

I wake up I wake up in my bed I wake up in my room I wake up in my house I wake up in our world

In my dream I was safe There were no fires There was no plague There was a choice on how to live

I want to dream But ring . . . ring . . . ring The alarm goes off It’s time for class I take off my warm, shielding sheets

In the dream, there were towers Reaching to the sky People walked through them Like water through a river Or time through a clock

I sit down In a chair worn with use Open my laptop For the first time till tomorrow And tomorrow and tomorrow

Bright days outside No distance needed No masks to wear No fear to see No plague to spread

In class, there is a screen A screen with many screens Screens show you, show me Show them, show us Show faces just as worn as my chair

But dreams don’t last forever

You have to wake up We have to wake up

35

A Day in the Life of Covid-19

Classes end Just for today Till tomorrow Which will be like today Which was like yesterday

The empty freeway Empty of cars Empty of people Empty of traffic, for which I am glad But half a year is still too long

But for now I close my screen My connection to my friends To my classmates To my professors

I stand in line at the store The line to get in the store Before the line to go down a oneway aisle Before the line for the checkout Amongst the other masked masks

I check the air My phone says green Green means safe But it’s not I put on my mask The mask my mom made me And the mask I was born with The mask I need to face the world The mask I let the world see The mask that masks my mask I walk outside I see a dog, the dog sees me I want to pet the dog The dog wants to be petted But that’s against the law I turn on my car I turn on my will to drive I turn on the radio I turn on the street I turn on the freeway

36

I drive back home Wheels turning Life turning The world turning Never stopping I cook my meal I read my books I do my homework I stay inside I see no one But at six o’clock I can see my friends Partitioned by distance Six states apart We can play We role play We aren’t in our world I created it There are no dangers Other than the monsters

A Day in the Life of Covid-19

We talk and joke About classes About life About us Though only for an hour

I sit in my room The sun has set Darkness inside Darkness outside I crawl into bed

I dream of a bright blue sky I dream of a full classroom I dream of meeting with friends I dream of tall towers I dream of opened restaurants I dream of waterparks I dream of being with family I dream of petting dogs I dream of traffic I dream of campus I dream of football I dream of not standing in lines I dream of ice cream I dream of dragons I dream of in-person classes I dream of dreams of a world yet to be

Into my warm, shielding sheets

But ring . . . ring . . . ring

But for now I close my screen My connection to my friends To my classmates To my professors

Into dreams Into illusions Of safety

37

Shadows Illuminated Claire Revelle There sure was something in the air that night when all of the stars had come out to shine.

For the clean air had felt just oh so right, the moon was projecting its brightest light.

As a dark shadow emerged from afar, I noticed its abnormally large eyes.

It reached out to me and pulled out a jar.

“Read this now,” it said. “And you shall be wise.”

I opened the jar to find some paper, and I read it once then read it again.

The figure started to grin and caper.

I had thought the figure would be a friend.

As it danced and sucked the light from the moon, I woke up, alone in my room.

38

Hiding in Plain Sight Amber Mann Hood up Earphones in Head down Smiling at the jokes Laughing with the others Hiding the cuts and scars Making the perfect grades while dying inside Always handing out hugs and love All the while feeling pain and emptiness Saying and doing all the right things Wishing you were in bed hiding Instead hiding in plain sight . . .

39

A Night with the Dogs Connor Smith Imagine, if you will, what you would do if you

lingering in the fields that encircled me, the land

near freezing cold, overnight. Years ago, in

inhale from the sting of the cold shocking my

were locked outside of a farmhouse, in the

my adolescence, I found myself in this exact

situation, desperate for warmth and shelter. This is the story of how I lived to tell the tale of such a treacherous night, one that rapidly descended

from a pleasant walk to a fearful dawn in which I found myself nearly helpless in the hands of nature.

I was staying the night at the farmhouse of a good friend, another teenager named Ryan.

With only four of us total, there weren’t enough people to call it a party—more of a simple

gathering of sorts. But, as the night ran its course, and the bottles ran dry, everyone began to

succumb to the call of sleep, all except for me.

I acknowledged my current situation, one I had

found myself in many times before: if I could not find a way to exhaust myself soon, then I would likely be awake just long enough to fall asleep

around sunrise, leading me to sleep the entire

day away. I decided the best way to avoid a total inversion of my sleep schedule and enjoy myself in the process would be to take a walk around

the vast property. If only I could have known what was to come from such an innocent idea.

I stepped out from the frost-clad sliding glass

door, feeling the stale, icy snow crunch underfoot, and I took in my first full view of the fields around me that morning. The near-full moon shone brightly, gleaming off the last of the snow

clinging to the cold earth. Here, in the Tidewater

region of Virginia, anything more than a dusting was a rare treat. So seldom did it accumulate

at all, that, even with only the dregs of the snow

40

appeared almost alien in nature. With a sharp

nose, I realized even the atmosphere was foreign to me, compared to the consistently humid air that blankets the peninsulas I call home.

I set out, one foot moving after the other

sluggishly through the snow. Eventually, having

made my way to the nearest edge of the field, I

began my patrol of the perimeter. With the birds and varmints bedded away, seeking refuge

from the bitter cold, all sounds were deafened aside from the occasional muffled passing of

a car down the distant roads. Come time that I

had traversed about three quarters of the path,

I knew that this trek simply would not be enough, and so I decided to extend my walk. The last leg of the walk ran parallel to the back road that

bordered one side of the field, so I split off and started on down the side of the road.

I suspect I had walked two miles up the road by the time the sun had begun to peak over

the horizon, and, as dawn broke, the realization came to me that I had failed in my efforts of

sufficiently tiring myself; I didn’t see a wink of

sleep that night. However, the walk was pleasant and a fine way to start most any morning. I kept on until I approached a church. I thought it a

good landmark that I could later drive by, so as

to appreciate how far I truly walked that morning.

By this time, I was growing exhausted like I had

desired, but I knew I still had to get back. I began to trudge back cautiously, as the frequency with

which cars came and went increased from never to seldom.

A Night with the Dogs

Finally, I was back. Not realizing my danger, I

accustomed to me as he’d have liked for being

door from which I had originally departed. I fixed

at least a half hour until he tired himself out.

walked from the edge of the field to the back

my eyes on the handle as I approached, then

reached out and pulled, and . . . nothing. Again—

nothing. I pulled in futility, hoping maybe the frost had just fashioned a firm seal upon the door, but

no such luck. Just on the other side of the door, all three of my friends lay peacefully asleep; surely, I could wake them somehow. I tried knocking, then banging as hard as I felt the door could

withstand. They weren’t budging and, ripe with

concern about breaking the glass, I tried calling each of their cell phones, one after another.

Then again. Then back to knocking. I checked

the other doors, and no dice. The windows would be a hopeless effort, as they had all been firmly painted shut years ago.

Running out of options, I thought back to when the previous night was still young. We had all

shared in drinks and merriment in Ryan’s small

garage. Big enough for maybe a car or two fourwheelers at most, it was more like a shed, but

sounder and more permanent. Unfortunately, its structural integrity meant nothing to me in that

moment, as I sought something more desirable: the succor of warmth. Within that shed lay my

saving grace: a wood stove, likely older than me and all three of my friends combined. It rarely

saw use, but it had been fired up the night before so I could show my buds how to cook eggs and

sausage on such an archaic piece of equipment.

I reached for the doorknob, and my whole body was hit with a wave of relief as the knob twisted with ease and the door cracked open, before I

was greeted by the barking of the three caged

German Shepherds that Ryan’s family quartered in the shed. I had met them all before, so two

of them relaxed within minutes. The youngest dog, Rex, on the other hand, was much more

leery of new people. I supposed he wasn’t as

in such close quarters and barked incessantly for While I had to deal with his noise, I examined the room I found myself in. It wasn’t room

temperature; no, far from. But it felt leagues warmer than the unforgiving outdoor air. I

headed for the stove and felt a resounding sense of respite as I discovered that the embers in the

stove were still at work, burning and churning out

heat. I did all I was able and huddled upright next to the warm, iron construct, feeling the dull heat seep out of it and into me. At last, I could rest.

I drifted in and out of sleep for hours, with Rex

barking at me whenever I stirred enough to shift my weight.

Eventually, I woke to find my friends and

Ryan’s parents standing over me, curious and

concerned. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and began to regale them with the hardships that

I had endured overnight. Of course, they asked

why I didn’t wake them or knock, and even then, I found myself not mad at them or even the

situation. It was just funny to me, both then and now. It was a silly situation with potentially dire

consequences, from which nothing major arose.

This desolate, unfortunate situation truly opened my eyes. Many who experience such events

would say that it taught them how fragile one’s life really is, and how you should take each day with care. While I acknowledge these truths, I

saw it as not only offering an opportunity but a

necessity of growth. I should know how to survive

in the elements, how to make shelter, forage, and make fire for warmth; for what was as little as

eight hours this time could be a week in another situation. It is my responsibility as an individual

to endure, persevere, and to take my safety and survival into my own hands.

41

Wally Spiked Hamilton Darden II 42

Wolverine in Fruit Savion Woodley 43

Lobelial Gateway Skadi Kylander 44

Golden Destiny Vaughan 45

Color Tree Tre'yon Grace 46

Secrets Amber Mann Shush! Do you hear that?

The low whispering of what used to be The threat of people hearing The fear of hurting The pain of the secret leaving Shush! Do you hear that?

The noise of your head moving when someone whispers near you The quickening of your heart when the secret gets out The shaking of the ground when it’s freed Shush! Do you hear that?

Pain, tears, heartbreak, love, Once the world stops shaking The secrets are out and forgotten Shush! Do you hear that?

Silence

47

Our Virtual Demons Marshall Stevens Warning: This story contains potentially disturbing descriptions of suicidal thoughts and behavior.

Heading into the Mental Health Services

because I wasn’t the one putting them in, and

later that afternoon. My name is Jacob Snow.

machine activated. It scanned my brain, flashing

building, I scheduled a therapy session for

I am currently 22 years old, and today began the road of recovery for me through therapy.

However, this was not the same kind of therapy that people in the early 2000s experienced. It

will probably make more sense if I just go back to the story. When the time of my appointment came, I entered a room where my therapist

sat waiting. They introduced themselves and

asked if I was ready to begin. This was my first time undergoing this kind of procedure, so, of course, I was nervous. I gave them a hesitant

nod and sat down in a machine that would put my consciousness into my subconscious and hash out whatever problems lay in my head

myself. The therapist strapped my body down so I would not be a danger to myself or them.

An intricately wired helmet descended from the

top of the machine onto my head. The therapist

reminded me, “Once the procedure begins, I can only guide you. Your actions are your own, but, if

conflict arises, it becomes life-or-death, and you

must try to fight back as hard as you can. Is there anything you would like to say before we begin?”

“I don’t know if they care, but can you tell my

family that I’m trying to get better?” I said, with false bravado.

“Certainly. Let’s get started.”

The earpieces of the helmet descended, fitting

snuggly in my ears. It was a little uncomfortable

48

they were pretty damn cold. In seconds, the

hundreds of my memories like a movie before my eyes.

Then no light, no sound. I found myself in an

endless black void, only able to see my own

being. Soon, doors of light appeared. They lined

up, side-by-side, stretching down what seemed to be an endless hallway. Then a patterned

floor, a roof, and lockers like the ones from high school also manifested, colored to grayscale.

I walked toward one of the doors. As I peeked inside, one of my memories from when I was

younger played. I was in the seventh grade and

just found out that my brother’s high school was starting a swim team. I loved to swim—I was

even infatuated with it. I found that the feeling of

letting tension in my muscles relax and float was peaceful. I discovered a sport that I knew I could enjoy and become stronger while participating.

At the first practice, I already found myself to

be the fastest on this team of high schoolers.

Looking at my younger self, feeling the joy and

excitement in his heart—my heart—was nostalgic.

Of course, there were an infinite number of doors to look through. So, I kept looking through all of

the doors, reliving all the happy moments in my

life, like the time I caught my first fish with my dad and my first baseball game. I felt a happiness that I hadn’t felt in years. Sadly, it all came

crashing down when I looked through the next door.

Our Virtual Demons

This door was not like the others; it was dark and

The demons attacked, charging down the hall

me to turn away, I approached the door and

to run away from my pursuers. After running

intimidating. Despite my instincts screaming at

looked through. What I saw shattered the shield of happiness I had just rebuilt into pieces. Chills went down my spine. This was a compilation of all my worst memories. It showed me arguing with my family, alcoholic stupors brought on

by depression, my rage, confusion, and other

negative memories. However, at the very end, it

focused on my darkest memory. This was not too long ago. It was when I was home with my family for the holidays, in my childhood room. Everyone

was out for a while, and I was alone. I saw myself

sitting on the floor, no light in my eyes, and a gun in my hand. My breathing became shallow and quick with anticipation because I knew what I

would do next. I felt the despair and the hollow heart that I possessed at that time. Though I

felt nauseous, I was unable to look away. Finally, I screamed and pulled away as the other me

raised the firearm to his right temple. While I tried to catch my breath, the door disappeared, and the other end of the hall darkened.

A figure appeared at the end of the hall. Then

another appeared, then another and another.

Soon it became an army, and my eyes locked on to these beings. My entire body was paralyzed with fear. They were all me, but their eyes were

black, darker than the void of space. No color in their entire appearance. They were purely dark and evil entities. They felt like demons as they

glared at me with murderous intent. I could feel it, like knives in my soul. These demons stepped

towards me, and I staggered back. The demons

smiled with malicious grins, showing their razor-

sharp teeth. Then, out of nowhere, they shrieked.

It was unnatural and pierced my very core. I nearly jumped out of my skin it was so loud.

toward me. Fight-or-flight kicked in, and I turned what I thought was far enough away, I looked

behind me. I was dead wrong; the demons were

gaining ground. In an attempt to block their path, I began to throw whatever I could, but to no avail.

They were too quick and agile for their way to be

obstructed. They caught up with me and tackled me to the ground, beating me to a pulp.

“You're a f—king disgrace!” shouted one.

“Your own family doesn’t love you,” sneered another.

“You’re a waste of time and effort and bring nothing but pain,” said another.

“Everyone would be better off if you were dead,” they said in unison and laughed at my misery.

Their laughs echoed through my head, feeling like my skull was being crushed.

As the hall darkened more, a switch flipped. I

heard nothing—only the pain from the blows remained. My chest felt heavy, and my mind felt clouded. Sobbing, I began to sink into

this darkness, literally drowning in my sorrow

and pain. My heart was aching, my light was dwindling, and my hope was fading.

So, this is how I die, huh? Being beaten to death

inside my own mind by demonic versions of me.

I really am worthless. Everything they said was

true. I don’t deserve a happy life, and no one is

coming to my rescue. I mean, how could they?

I’m trapped in my own mind. It’s hopeless. Maybe . . . everyone would be better off if I were gone.

Let the darkness take hold and carry me off to

my eternal slumber. I guess that wouldn’t be so bad, right? Just let my body go cold and numb

49

Our Virtual Demons

myself to everything? No one would even notice, and I doubt anyone would even care . . .

“Get up!”

What was that? I feel like I know that voice, but who is that? Why does it feel warm? How do I know this voice?

I looked up and saw probably the brightest of my memory doors. I didn’t even have to look inside.

I could see what was happening. It was when I

was a wrestler back in high school during one of our seasonal tournaments. My brother Nathan was there and cheering me on during one of

my more challenging matches. I was losing by points, but my brother never gave up hope.

“Don't give up just yet, Jake,” he cried. “You gotta want it, kid! Show them that you’re not afraid of anyone!”

His words of encouragement resounded in my

head, filling my soul with hope, and turning my

sadness into a divine and prideful fury. I gritted my teeth and shouted at my demons: “Get the hell off me, you demonic sonsabitches!”

I roared, and a blast of light pierced the darkness that once surrounded me. My demons and the darkness that meant to consume and corrupt

me were pushed back. I stood tall with the door of light behind me.

“You will not hold me back any longer. I will get

better because I’m not alone. I have my family, my friends, and other people who care about

me, who will stand by me until the end. I cannot and will not give in to you. So, get the f—k out of my head!”

However, the demons were snarling, preparing

to lunge at me again as one rebuked, “No. You’re going to die. Alone!”

As the demon lurched forward, I felt a hand on my right shoulder, pulling me back. Then a fist

of light flew past my face and hit the attacking demon square on the jaw.

“Get the f—k away from my brother, you soulless f—king parasites!” shouted the same familiar voice in an enraged tone. Looking over my

shoulder, it was my brother Nathan, exuding light from his very being.

“We’ve got your back, kid,” Nathan said smirking.

“We’re gonna tear these bastards apart, right, guys? Mess with a Snow, get ready for the blizzard!”

Just as he said our family’s motto, the rest of

my family emerged from the door behind us,

brimming with light themselves. I smiled, feeling their warmth and believing that I had truly been blessed with the best family. I shifted my gaze

ahead and stared down my demons, steeling myself for the upcoming fight. The demons

made another unnatural shriek and charged toward us.

“NO! His soul is OURS!” I shouted to my family, “Let’s crush some f—king skulls!” and my family roared with war cries of

their own, bringing forth cracks of light through

the walls as we charged forward ourselves. The battle ensued. The demons attacked but were

unable to land a single blow against us, whereas my family and I tore through the demons at

an alarming speed, together as a family once again. One by one, the demons were beaten

50

Our Virtual Demons

down and turned to ash as they fell. Soon, the

brawl was over, and we stood victorious. I looked

at my family, beaming with proud, radiant smiles.

They gazed toward the door of light, signaling

that it was time for me to go back to reality with the knowledge that I wasn't alone.

“Get a move on, son,” said Dad. “We'll be there for you, no matter what.”

With a smile and a nod, I walked to the door, sure that my demons had been beaten and I had

acquired a newfound confidence and respect

for myself. As the great light faded, the machine deactivated and lifted off my head. I looked at my hands, still feeling the light’s warmth. As I

raised my head, I saw my family with tears in their eyes.

“We saw everything, son,” said Dad. “We never realized how much pain you felt.”

“We were so worried we were going to lose you,” said Mom.

They crowded around me, showering me with

love, welcoming me back. With a smile and tears in my own eyes, I said, “That will never happen

again, Mom. I’m back, but I’ve come back better.

I fought the devil, and I’ll continue to live to tell

my story, and, from now on, I’ll be good. For all of

the times I never allowed myself to be. It’s time to bring this harsh chapter of my life to a close and turn the page to recovery with your help.”

51

Silence No Longer David Joyner “We are not yet fit to visit other worlds. We have filled our own with massacre, torture, syphilis, famine, dust bowls and with all that is hideous to ear or eye. Must we go to infect new realms?” (173)

Most famously known for The Chronicles of

first book series, he had already used many

theology, C. S. Lewis has maintained the title of a

and a sovereign God-figure over all creation.

Narnia book series and his works on Christian

respected writer even 58 years after his passing.

He often specialized in symbolism and allegory

in his writings, most notably Christian themes, but he also used these ways of writing to point out the problems and fallen nature of humankind.

Such is the case in the first book of The Space Trilogy (also known as the Ransom or Cosmic

Trilogy), which is called Out of the Silent Planet

(1938). In this novel, we are introduced to Ransom, a man who is kidnapped to Mars and forced to

meet the three strange alien races residing there before realizing that the men who kidnapped

him are set on exterminating those lifeforms so humans can take the planet for themselves. As

a framed story, an unnamed narrator describes all these experiences before revealing that he

knows Ransom personally and is writing the story down for him, and, because of this, it is believed

to be a fictional version of Lewis himself. Applying the techniques of obvious allegory that he is

known for, Lewis alters science fables to address

his concern about using evolutionism in science to create a racial hierarchy and the dangerous consequences of such ideas in the real world.

Lewis was not a stranger to using allegory

to represent his opinions and beliefs; in his

52

“The Seeing Eye,” C. S. Lewis

religious parallels, such as Earth’s fall, angels, Also central to the plot of Out of the Silent

Planet, however, is the theme of race, which is contrasted between the earthling characters Ransom, Devine, and Weston and the three

distinct alien races of Mars: the Sorns, Hrossa, and Pfifltrigg. As we continue through the story, the

aliens are all mutually at peace with one another despite their vastly different appearances and

personalities, while the humans naturally desire one race to be ruler over the others and want

to kill the less-evolved races to make room for

the expansion of humanity. Lewis uses the story to recreate the actual problem of evolutionism that had persuaded people, including Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, that the white race was the most evolved, excusing racism and

inequality as acceptable. Looking beyond the story, we can see Lewis’s attempt to address

humanity’s racism and imperialism based on the concerning beliefs of evolutionism at the time.

What Lewis knew about evolution and the racism that followed is not the same as it is today.

Evolution primarily teaches that humans are the end of a process of evolving from one creature to the next based on necessity, beginning all

the way back with a one-celled organism. This

Silence No Longer

theory is commonly taught in schools across the

described in a paper from Trinity College, it was

fields of study. The theory was first popularized in

they called “social Darwinism,” that “species

country, and it is widely accepted in scientific

Charles Darwin’s book, On the Origin of Species,

in 1859. Of course, if racism is no longer the focus of evolution, then that should be a good thing.

Today, it is just one way of explaining where

humanity came from and how humans are

so different from closely related species. One way to describe this belief system is the term

evolutionism, where it becomes a worldview to

view other situations through, such as studying animals and even the Earth’s continental crust layers. But, despite the generally good view

that evolution now has, it does not erase the

principles that it once used in the past. In the

early years of creating an understandable chart that described the evolution of all life, the biases of those white men bled into evolutionism for

years to come. And to be clear, this wasn’t added on by later writers of evolution; it came from

the same man that is credited for its popularity.

Going back as early as Darwin’s later book The Descent of Man (1871), “evolution was used to

support scientific racism and provide validation for the racial domination and exclusion of

other races from society,” which led to extreme amounts of discrimination (Pressman). While

it did not initially spark racism, the problem of

different races called for an eventual explanation that could not be avoided, and the issue of race in the worldview of evolutionism became very

problematic as time progressed. And this was the reason for Lewis’s concern.

natural, according to those who professed what have an innate tendency to strive for self-

preservation, which leads to competition and, ultimately, a winner whose strength indicates

they are the best suited for survival” (Pressman).

In this scenario, white men placed themselves as the most evolved, while other races were seen as being less evolved. We see this in

World War II and the Nazi regime, along with the ventures of imperialism. This “scientific” view of humanity gave people a valid excuse to hate

and discriminate against non-white individuals.

Based on their physical appearance alone,

other aspects were determined about them,

like their moral or intellectual capacity. To those who truly believed this ideology, “the ceaseless

control of ‘inferior’ races was necessary in order to maintain the dominant group’s survival and success” (Pressman). They avoided mixing the white race as a way of “sterilization” of the less evolved characteristics of other races, hoping

to eventually rid them altogether. As extreme as it may sound, this was one drawback of racial hierarchy provided by evolutionism. It led to

imperialism, seeing advancement in other races’ territory as a moral step towards preservation of humanity, and the first world war. All these things being fueled by evolutionism inspired

Lewis’s Out of the Silent Planet. What worked very well in Lewis’s favor was the choice to write his argument against scientific racism in science fiction form.

This scientific racism founded in evolution

Lewis found a setting in the false scientific belief

races by blotting out the more inferior races

writers around that time, that Mars had life

brought forth the idea of preserving the evolved through different means in social society,

which has become known as evolutionism. As

from a few decades before, as did many other forms far more advanced than those on Earth.

It all began in 1877, when an astronomer named

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Silence No Longer

Giovanni Schiaparelli spotted trenches on

and flexibility of the body suggested a giant

them using the word “canali,” meaning marks

was mainly responsible for the suggestion of

Mars using a refractor telescope. He described or grooves. When translating his description,

however, it became the English word “canals,” so people began to say that the trenches were full of water, like a dug-out system (Chayka). Lewis uses this to his advantage to create a world

that was once a serious theory and implements it directly through the novel. Because Mars’s

trenches had to have been built by someone

advanced, more so than anything earth had the

capabilities of, many things were assumed about the life forms and the planet itself. The common belief was that Mars had to be older than Earth in order to create more advanced civilizations, which Lewis states directly in his book (151). He

builds his civilization using these false views of alien life, life forms that are “politically, socially,

technologically far advanced” (Hillegas), and yet uses this theme to show how truly unadvanced the human race is. While many people focus on other aspects like technology or physical

elements, Lewis challenges the expectations of evolved life forms in order to shame the

social biases and racial characteristics that evolutionists used in determining it. By this

comparison, he points also to the tell-tale signs of a socially mature society: rationality and

peace, both of which humans lacked in Lewis’s time.

In the novel, when Ransom escapes his captors and flees into the forests of Mars, he eventually

seal; but it was higher in the forehead than

a seal’s and the mouth was smaller” (Lewis

55). The Hrossa, the name of the species that is eventually mentioned in the story, do not

look more advanced than humans—not in the slightest. If anything, the description is more

animalistic, with Lewis using the comparison of a seal to provide imagery and describing their

lives as simplistic in nature, similar to the stone

age. But this portrayal also misleads the reader

based on the appearances provided, as Ransom later learns that they are the linguistic race of the three existing on Mars. In fact, all three Martian races speak the language that the Hrossa

originally speak, only differing in pronunciation

(98), proving their advancement is far more than

what can be determined from their appearance.

In addition to this, they are also writers of poetry and “fishermen,” so to speak. It is an amazing contrast, as Ransom himself learns that “the

shapes of their heads no longer mattered” (85), a direct blow against the evolutionists’ belief

in “socially desirable characteristics” that were used to determine differences between highly or lowly evolved races (Pressman). Lewis is not

denying the advancement in the Hrossa in the slightest but instead focusing on the social

and intellectual advancements in place of the physical ones that evolutionists would falsely read.

meets another life form on the shore. This first

Another race that is introduced in the later half of

does not resemble humans physically in the

species, only getting a small part of the story to

alien race that the readers are introduced to

slightest, insinuating at first their lack of evolution.

“It was something like a penguin, something like an otter, something like a seal; the slenderness

54

stoat. The great round head, heavily whiskered,

the novel, the Pfifltrigg, are the least mentioned

fully grasp. Ransom reacts rather harshly to one’s appearances and facial features, stating that its

head “was long and pointed like a shrew’s, yellow

Silence No Longer

and shabby-looking, and so low in the forehead

too long, too solemn and too colourless, and

at the back and behind the ears (like a bag-

face than any inhuman creature’s face ought

that but for the heavy development of the head

wig) it could not have been that of an intelligent creature” (Lewis 121). Already, Ransom has

determined their intellectual capacity by what

they look like in comparison to animals, much like how evolutionism would have viewed non-white races. Once again, we see an animalistic belief

about appearance here, forming an immediate opinion of it. Ransom is quickly corrected after

it was much more unpleasantly like a human to be” (99). Once again, Ransom views these

races through his own understanding of what creatures and people should look like, but this species crosses the line for Ransom far more than the others because of how human they appear. Lewis creates his protagonist to fear the Sorns, the most logical and idea-driven

of the three races, far more than the Hrossa,

observing further and seeing that the Pfifltrigg

who are essentially massive seal beasts, on

they are actually the artists and craftsmen

between human and alien species. Augray,

wear clothing (122), and he also learns that

of the other races (105). Lewis uses terms like “insect-like” and “reptilian” in this section for

the same purpose as the Hrossa’s description, to cast doubt on the physical traits that were

associated with the “evolved” races and prove

that appearances have nothing to do with being more evolved.

The last race is the Sorns, which are much more complicated than the others due to their more human-like features that evoke two different reactions in Ransom. First, he fears them

most in the first half of the book because of

their grotesque human appearance. Ransom

describes his first sighting of one with disgust:

account of their similarities blurring the lines the Sorn whom Ransom socially interacts with,

reveals himself to be very intelligent, focusing on research and information. Once again, the race proves itself as advanced as humans, such as

one invention that is essentially an oxygen tank (105), despite their twisted human features that would alone suggest a less intelligent being to

the evolutionists of that day. Ransom sees those

similarities as disturbing because they overthrow the racial hierarchy that is subconsciously

existent in the field of science and society at the time, showing the true effects that those

ideas had on the world through a more extreme example of race.

“so crazily thin and elongated in the leg, so

Another strange subconscious reaction to

flexible-looking distortions of earthly bipeds

suspected place in hierarchy that they hold

of their faces, thin and unnaturally long, with

he assumes (with no information) that the Sorns

top-heavily pouted in the chest, such stalky [. . .] He had a momentary, scared glimpse

long, drooping noses and drooping mouths of

half-spectral, half-idiotic solemnity” (44). Unlike the other races, the Sorns are more closely

described to look like distorted human beings,

as Ransom later explains: “the face, it was true, took a good deal of getting used to—it was

the Sorns’ likeness and characterization is the

because of it. When Ransom meets the Hrossa, might be “a semi-intelligent kind of cattle” (60).

He later learns that the Sorns are very intelligent in science and information, leading to the

conclusion that “they must be the real rulers, however it is disguised” (Lewis 72). Much like

the evolution-fueled beliefs of the time, it was

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Silence No Longer

naturally expected that “one must dominate the

war and bloodshed is completely possible on

makes the point of humans and their addiction

food from the Hrossa as needed (75), the Pfifltrigg

others” (Schwartz 535). From this contrast, Lewis to evolutionism, expecting there to be one race that is superior to the others. As time goes on,

Ransom finds that there is no “dominant species” (73) but rather a harmony of three groups, living peacefully and sharing each other’s services.

Even so, it is impossible for Ransom to accept this fact until he talks to Augray the Sorn personally.

Lewis makes it clear that, because of the Sorns’ similarities to humankind, and before he learns of the intelligence of the other races, Ransom

assumes by his evolution-rooted ideas that the Sorns must be rulers over them all. Ransom in no way endorses evolutionary ideas outright,

but it’s clear that he has been exposed to them unknowingly, signifying, in an extreme case of

symbolism, how deep these ideas of race existed in the world.

The strongest thinking to overcome for Ransom is the very thought of all these different races

getting along with one another. Lewis reminds the reader that “three distinct species had

reached rationality, and none of them had

yet exterminated the other two” (72), showing

peculiarity through the eyes of Ransom, a standin for the human race. While these creatures

live amongst each other in peace and without another thought, humans are contrasted with them many times throughout the book. We

are told that humans kill other races for many

different reasons, like pleasure, fear, and hunger, but also “if they thought its death would serve them” (87), highlighting these necessities as unnecessary and selfish at best. Ransom is

also embarrassed to talk about the “wars and

industrialisms” that humans participate in (73),

since now we can clearly see that living without

56

Mars. The alien races, however, are free to take

build the ideas for inventions that the Sorns are incapable of physically making (105), and they

do not kill each other over any disagreements.

While it is possible for them to not agree on

certain aspects, like how the hrossa see the world through a poetic lens while the sorns

dabble in understanding things from a logical

perspective, they are nonetheless content with each other and help each other, which takes

Ransom’s human mind nearly the entire book to understand. The many reminders create a feeling of shame for the human race.

Once again, the reason for Ransom’s thought

process is evolutionism taking form inside the

limited perspective of humanity. Throughout Out of the Silent Planet, Ransom struggles to see the many good qualities of the alien races, just like whites were socially judgmental of many non-

white communities and countries. According to

Sanford Schwartz in his essay “Race and Reason in Out of the Silent Planet,” Lewis portrays the

“false ‘speciation’ through which a fallen creature denies its essential unity with others of its own type” (538). Or rather, humans fail to work with

other humans to succeed because of one type

prioritizing themselves over another. No example of this could be clearer than Nazi Germany,

where Jews were picked out from the population and killed for their Jewish heritage. As noted

before, Ransom stands for white humankind, in

which he sees everything from his perspective.

But in this instance, Lewis is using an extreme

(aliens and space travel) to prove something

just as important. The differences between an alien and someone from a different country

are ridiculous to compare in theory, but he is

Silence No Longer

essentially saying that the way society sees other

greater good of humanity and do whatever he

that. “In this sense the harmonious relations of

the process, he becomes less honorable than he

human beings is much more shameful than

the several kinds of Martians, who are far more different in appearance than we are to one

another, bears painful witness to the ceaseless strife and divisiveness within our own kind”

(Schwartz 538). The evolutionary thought process only limits an already narrow human perspective of seeing the world, leading to a “narrowing of sympathies and even of thought” (Lewis

110). Through Ransom and possibly with Nazi

Germany in mind, Lewis reveals how accepting

and blind people are to the whole idea and how dangerous that prejudiced mindset is socially, scientifically, and politically.

Another practice that was common for countries such as Britain and Japan to expand territory

was imperialism. Through imperialism, a country attempts to further its power through more

physical means, at times depending on military force to invade territory and take it as its own.

It might sound strange to switch subjects, but

evolutionism and imperialism both take racism

hand in hand, with the first ultimately instigating and justifying the second. They are closely

related subjects because one fuels the other’s

mistreatment of different races. In fact, Schwartz argues it to be the “most savage treatment of

those we have deemed less than ourselves” in

feels is necessary to the cause, even kill. But, in

believes himself to be as Lewis strips him down to what he really is: a biased man with no morals or social virtues in the slightest.

First, Lewis makes good comedic relief and ironic contrasts to Weston’s ideology of imperialism.

Going back even to Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, the ascent of least to most evolved

was determined by the “primitive” to the most “civilized” (Schwartz 529), and Lewis was well

aware of those expectations when writing this

scene. Weston, on being surrounded by Oyarsa, the guardian angel of the planet, and all the local aliens, decides to try taking control of

the situation in the only way he knows how: by treating them as primitive creatures. He pulls

out a necklace with brightly colored beads and shakes them around, saying, “Pretty, pretty!”

over and over again (Lewis 138). His plan was to

persuade the obviously less-intelligent species with a handful of crude necklaces. We are told

that “he was following the most orthodox rules for frightening and then conciliating primitive races,” and no one can blame him for thinking that it

would work (139). After all, from the descriptions before, the races are portrayed as primitive in

different ways, like the hrossa living very simple lives resembling the stone age, or the sorns

history (530). Lewis demonstrates imperialism

being incapable of creating their own ideas.

two other humans that kidnapped Ransom and

contact with natives as a way of negotiation

through the character of Weston, one of the

took him to Mars. “He wants our race to last for always,” he describes Weston, “and he hopes

they will leap from world to world,” very similar

to how imperialism operates (Lewis 133). Weston demonstrates the common patriotic character that will honorably sacrifice himself for the

Also, this is what imperialists would do when in before they decided to intrude by force. But the

point that Lewis is trying to make here is that this mentality doesn’t work. If anything, Weston is

the fool, “jerking the necklace up and down” in

the same paragraph in a way that only makes Weston look ridiculous. And yet, he is the one

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Silence No Longer

who is “civilized” in the situation. Naturally, his

aliens long enough to see through their physical

beads and comply; what comes next surprises

a new creature that he doesn’t recognize comes

expectations were that the aliens would take the him more than he had thought it could have.

towards him:

Very quickly, the aliens see his gestures for what

The lower limbs were so thick and

shallow at worst. When Weston shakes his jewelry

them legs. The bodies were a little

they really are: hilarious at best and moronically

around, he expects to see the “savages” be won over by his gifts. Instead, “Such a roar of sounds

as human ears had never heard before - baying of hrossa, piping of pfifltriggi, booming of sorns

- burst out and rent the silence of that august

place, waking echoes from the distant mountain walls.” At first, he thinks they are roaring at him in

anger, but Oyarsa reveals that they aren’t roaring but “only laughing” (138). His ridiculous behavior continues, and he does not get any response other than comedic laughter. The irony is not only that he is too “primitive” to see that they

are making fun of him, but he insists that he is

the “civilized” one in this situation. “I’m inclined

to think they have even less intelligence than we supposed,” he finally concludes after his failed

offering (139). This scene reveals the perspective of the other races instead of the human one, provoking the notion that at best this is what natives see, think, and feel when other races

advance into their territory trying to stoop down

to their level of intelligence, and at worst they are

an embarrassment to those around them, as the other man was during Weston’s “dance.” Lewis

insinuates that it is the imperialists who become uncivilized when they treat other races as lower than themselves.

The author also goes deeper in the realm of

perspective, using Ransom once again to shine

a different light on the human species. Unlike the

earlier passages, Ransom has now been with the

58

forms and even enjoy their company. Suddenly,

sausage-like that he hesitated to call narrower at the top than at the bottom so as to be very slightly pear-shaped,

and the heads were neither round like those of hrossa nor long like those of

sorns, but almost square [. . .] Suddenly,

with an indescribable change of feeling, he realized that he was looking at men.

(135)

Now in the perspective of the alien species, he describes the humans as irregular and

disgusting in appearance. Notice how Ransom

also uses the sorns and hrossa to compare with

humans, a sign of his change of perspective.

Not only is Lewis indicating how natives must

feel with strange white men invading their lands, but he is also blurring the line between races, making them equally different. Yes, the other races do have characteristics different from

the white population, but the white people also

look strange in comparison to other races. One doesn’t come out as the better race here: they are all unique and strange, differing in many

ways, also meaning that no one race is superior to the others.

In a similar way, the term “human” refers to all races; Lewis uses the term hnau to refer to all

alien species from different planets, humans included, and this term has direct parallels to the many races of humankind and how

imperialism treats those people as if they are

aliens themselves (71). Weston, the stand-in for

Silence No Longer

this form of evolutionary racism, makes clear

day in her highest form - civilized man - and in

as superior: “Your tribal life with its stone-age

“to march on, step by step, superseding, where

the standards by which he judges humans weapons and bee-hive huts, its primitive

coracles and elementary social structure, has nothing to compare with our civilization—with

our science, medicine and law, our armies, our

architecture, our commerce, and our transport system. [. . .] Our right to supersede you is the

right of the higher over the lower” (146). Just as Weston believes his race superior, so did the imperialists and evolutionists of Lewis’s day

about their own white race. Using differences

such as social and scientific structures, whites

“proved” themselves as the “higher” race of the scenario and considered only themselves as truly human. Unlike the hnau that includes all

species despite cultural or physical differences, some in the human race sought to exclude humans from other countries for those

differences. While not the same as judging by

appearances on the surface, it does serve the

same function: to label an entire race lower than another based on the differences or contrasts

between them. This idea of higher versus lower

is the “iron law of evolutionary ethics” (Schwartz 542) and becomes prevalent in Weston’s

imperialistic view, therefore allowing Lewis to take on both subjects at once.

me as his representative,” and show his goal is necessary, the lower forms of life that we find” from world to world (Lewis 148). Here, Lewis

takes this eloquent speech and dismantles it.

According to Ransom’s interpretation, Weston

is saying that “the best animal now is the kind

of man who makes the big huts and carries the heavy weights and does all the other things”

mentioned before and that “it would not be a

bent action [. . .] for him to kill you all and bring

[humans] here. He says he would feel no pity. [. . .] He wants the creatures born from [humans]

to be in as many places as they can” (148-149).

What Weston describes as noble and virtuous to mankind is revealed to lead to the murder of every other living thing to make room for humans. Similarly, the imperialists of other

countries used these very same standards to

justify their conquering of other races’ land. Their

culture and huts and technology all differed from them; therefore, it was okay to take their land by force and even kill them for the betterment of

the more evolved species. Here, Lewis mocks the idea that seems honorable on the surface, but, when broken down, results in the loss of many innocent lives of other human beings, and he

uses aliens to show how extreme those ideas are.

What makes the final chapters so interesting

If this wasn’t clear enough for the reader,

translations that Ransom must perform in order

thinking about race as the angelic being Oyarsa

and enjoyable to read is the back and forth

for the aliens to understand Weston’s goal in

invading Mars. The reason it grabs attention is

because of how Lewis takes Weston’s prestigious speech and simplifies it to its truly disturbing purposes. Weston begins his speech in this

way: “[Life] has ruthlessly broken down all the obstacles and liquidated all failures and to-

evolutionism is revealed to be the most illogical asks Weston what makes one human. After

Ransom has interpreted Weston’s speech above,

Oyarsa decides to question him further. “Then is it not the shape of the body that you love?” Weston surprisingly denies this claim despite assuming

much about the hnau from the ways their bodies and heads look. Oyarsa then suggests that it is

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Silence No Longer

the mind that makes one valuable and human,

to a meeting between humanity and any alien

care for hnau. Care for man” (Lewis 149). Oyarsa

has hitherto treated the black, and how, even

like all hnau share. But Weston refutes this. “No struggles to understand what makes a being human if it is neither the physical nor mental

characteristics. As one would expect, Weston

only cares about the humans reproducing more humans on other planets. Oyarsa says:

You do not love any one of your race. [. . .] You do not love the mind of your race, nor the body. Any kind of creature will

please you if only it is begotten by your kind as they now are. It seems to me,

Thick One, that what you really love is no completed creature but the very seed itself: for that is all that is left. (150)

among civilized men, the stronger have treated the weaker.” He continues to predict that “if we

encounter in the depth of space a race, however innocent and amiable, which is technologically weaker than ourselves, I do not doubt that the

same revolting story will be repeated. We shall enslave, deceive, exploit or exterminate; at the

very least we shall corrupt it with our vices and

infect it with our diseases” (“The Seeing Eye” 173).

Even when taking the theme of space out of both his book and this quote, Lewis was concerned about how the corruption of man and the

cruel racism that ensued through evolutionism could possibly spread even further. To Lewis,

Comparing it to the ideals of evolutionism,

no matter how civilized humans claim to be, or

with keeping their bloodline pure and the

profile they give themselves is nothing compared

“lesser” races through imperialism (Pressman).

force on others. By using this extreme model

in the concern for his people, he really just wants

accepted ideas for the hateful, destructive, and

Oyarsa describes the white population’s concern

technologically advanced they become, the high

expansion of that bloodline as it wipes out other,

to the actions taken and the biased views they

Despite Weston’s argument sounding genuine

of fiction, he creates a world that reveals these

universal domination and also the extermination

inaccurate beliefs that they are.

of other life forms. In the same way, evolutionism may have sounded scientific and accurate at

the time, but it ultimately called for the exclusion, discrimination, and even death of other races who were not of the white bloodline. Not only does Oyarsa point out the shallow view of

Weston’s people but also the extreme beliefs that evolutionism was built on during that time.

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rational species. I observe how the white man

Throughout Lewis’s novel Out of the Silent Planet,

he shows a sharp contrast between the humans and the hnau, the alien races living on the

planet Mars. Using a vast amount of different

techniques, such as basing his story around the advanced expectations of alien life forms, the

animalistic descriptions of the races themselves, and Weston’s flawed perception of progress,

Evolutionism was not the only reason for writing

he tears apart evolutionism and the foundation

involved. One of Lewis’s concerns about society

Although the aliens look like animals and

principles. He admits in his essay “The Seeing

advanced than our own species, who are set on

this book, but it was clearly one of the inspirations

of racism dawning back to Darwin’s own work.

stemmed from the racism and hatred from those

configured humanoids, they are more socially

Eye” (1963), “I have no pleasure in looking forward

taking over other countries and races by force.

Silence No Longer

It is because of evolution-based ideology that

whether it be World War II’s white supremacy

poorly when all that is needed is to look beyond

of other cultures for land, he stood against the

other races have been viewed and treated so

what is initially visible and seek the connection of humanity that relies on all of us. For Lewis,

regime of the Nazis, or imperialism’s many raids ideology of evolutionism.

Works Cited Chayka, Kyle. “A Short History of Martian Canals and Mars Fever.” Popular Mechanics, https://www.

popularmechanics.com/space/moon-mars/a17529/a-short-history-of-martian-canals-andmars-fever/. Accessed 28 Oct. 2021.

Hillegas, Mark R. “Out of the Silent Planet as Cosmic Voyage.” Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, edited by Carol A. Schwartz, vol 393, Farmington Hills, MI, Gale, 2020. Gale Literature

Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/doc/H1420128403/GLS?u=nclivechoc&sid=bookmark-

GLS&xid=99ba179a. Accessed 30 Sept. 2021. Originally published in Shadows of Imagination, edited by Mark R. Hillegas, Southern Illinois UP, 1969, pp. 41-58.

Lewis, C. S. Out of the Silent Planet. New York City: Macmillan Publishing, 1943.

Lewis, C. S. “The Seeing Eye.” Christian Reflections. Ed Walter Hooper. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1967. 16776. Orig. “Onward Christian Spacemen.”

Mcgovern, Eugene. “C(live) S(taples) Lewis.” British Novelists, 1930-1959, edited by Bernard Stanley

Oldsey, Gale, 1983. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 15. Gale Literature Resource Center,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/ H1200003196/GLS?u=nclivechoc&sid=bookmark-GLS&xid=183080f3.

Accessed 30 Sept. 2021.

Pressman, Lindsay. “How Evolution was used to Support Scientific Racism.” Trinity College,

2017. Trinity College Digital Repository, digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/cgi/viewcontent.

cgi?article=1058&context=trinitypapers. Accessed 29 Oct. 2021. Working paper.

Schwartz, Sanford. “Cosmic Anthropology: Race and Reason in out of the Silent Planet.” Christianity and Literature, vol. 52, no. 4, summer 2003, p. 523+. Gale Literature Resource Center, link.

gale.com/apps/doc/A110730325/LitRC?u=nclivechoc&sid=bookmark-LitRC&xid=e1978ab3.

Accessed 30 Sept. 2021.

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Contributors Crystal Bibbins, Integrative Studies (’22) Dave Clark, Business and Design (’23): I’m from Houston Texas and a Senior Business and Design Student. I’m also on the Swim Team. Now I am at a loss for words. I am very involved on campus, and I personally love to think outside the box; I’m different, and that’s ok. As I'm writing this, I prefer my graphic design work to do most of the talking. Being a part of 2 great departments, I will always represent my Communication Arts. With having no idea of what I wanted to study coming to Chowan, I’m glad I found my passion for design with our amazing faculty and staff that helped me every step of the way. Also, I enjoy helping others when it’s needed and being there for everyone.

Hamilton Darden II, Graphic Design (’23) Tre’yon Grace, Graphic Design (’23) David Joyner, English (’22): When doing my capstone last year, I wanted to choose a topic that covered my Major in English and also my Minor in Religion. To do both, I chose a literary analysis of writer and theologian C. S. Lewis's book Out of the Silent Planet. This is that Capstone. In it, I discuss the symbolism of the book - how Lewis is referring to the real concerns of human value of his day and how it was determined using a naturalistic, Darwinistic view of the world. Not only did it challenge the views of his time, but it can also be applied to our current culture as well in how we interpret human value. Is it subjective to our own standards of race, orientation, and sex, or is it something objective far beyond our own opinions to decide?

Skadi Kylander, Biology (’22): Hello! I’m currently working on a Master of Science in Biology at East Carolina University. I am grateful every day that I have gotten to and continue to be able to learn about so many of the incredible, beautiful, and/ or wacky plants, creatures, and processes that occur on our planet. I like to try to capture little glimpses of our natural world in my photography to share with others who do not have the opportunities to go into nature like I have had—it’s amazing what you can find!

Amber Mann, Mass Communication and History (minor in English) (’25): My dream is to be a firefighter, but, the longer I am at Chowan and the more I learn, the more doors open. Shoot for the stars, because you never know where you will land.

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Erica Mock, History, Pre-Law (’24): Erica is not only an exceptional student, but she is also quite the athlete, participating in both the Women’s Swim Team and Acro Tumbling Team. In addition to her involvement in the athletic department, Erica is also the acting President of the History Club, the Vice President of the Honors College, Co-President of the Student Athlete Advisory Council, a Presidential Ambassador, and a Ministry Chaplain on campus.

Sreshta Puducheri, Business Administration (’25) Claire Revelle, General Studies (Exercise Science) (’23): After graduation, I will be attending chiropractic school, where I will likely focus on sports chiropractic.

I’ve always loved reading and writing and am so grateful for the writing help I’ve received at Chowan.

Connor Smith, Biology (’26): I am a freshman from Virginia studying in the field of ecology with a passion for the outdoors and being on the water.

Corey Spruill, Graphic Design (’25) Marshall Stevens, Biology (’23): Since being in a creative writing class, I have been writing as a form of therapy for feelings I’m not keen on sharing completely. A little disclaimer: the story does contain dark instances and strong language; please read with an open mind.

Destiny Vaughan, Graphic Design (’23) Savion Woodley, Graphic Design (’24): My name is Savion Woodley and, when I made this art piece, it was an assignment for my graphic design class, and I never thought I was getting published. So how I made it was very simple: I used different fruit to make Wolverine. I just want to thank everyone that gave me the opportunity for this to happen; I’m truly blessed.

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See the Brown Lady online: www.chowan.edu/BrownLady Cover: “Blinding Pigments” by Destiny Vaughan