Snake Charmer: A Life and Death in Pursuit of Knowledge

The short story “The Leap” by Louise Erdrich implies that sometimes leaps and risks need to be taken. The narrator starts off the story focusing on her blind mother, who was a circus performer, and then begins to realize how her mother had always taken risks in her life. The narrator recalls stories of her mother taking leaps and risks. For example, one day when her mother was working as part of a trapeze act in a circus show, a freak lightning bolt struck the tent pole during a performance. Unfortunately, her mother’s hands did not meet her husband’s, so she took off her blindfold and, instead of latching on to her husband and leading herself to her death, she changed direction, “twisted towards a heavy wire and . . . managed to hang on”

There are many reasons why people take risks even though it is crazy and impossible. For example, in the memoir, “The Other Side of the Sky”, it shows that Farah Ahmedi is climbing a mountain with a prosthetic leg. In the fictional story, “Rikki-tikki-tavi”, in this story the mongoose, Rikki-tikki-tavi takes the risk of going into a snake 's burrow which has a high possibility that he will be killed. In the poem, “The Song of Wandering Aengus”, Aengus goes on a crazy mission that might take his whole life to accomplish which is to find the “glimmering girl” because he is in love with that girl. Aengus wanted to find the “glimmering girl” that he in love with, while Rikki-tikki-tavi and Farah Ahmedi wanted

The will to live is a psychological force to fight for survival seen as an important and active process of conscious and unconscious reasoning. This occurs particularly when one’s own life is threatened by a serious injury or matter. The idea in which someone who is on the threshold of death may consciously or unconsciously try to stay alive through the belief that they have a reason or something to live for, along with giving up on the will to live. There are significant correlations between the will to live and existential, psychological, social, and physical sources of distress. The concept of the will to live can be seen as directly impacted by hope. Many, who overcome near-death experiences with no explanation, have described concepts such as the will to live as a direct component of their survival. The difference between the wish to die versus the wish to live is also a unique risk factor for suicide.

In the book collection Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self, author Danielle Evans suggests that the issue of race and how it affects families is still relevant in today’s society in a particular piece known as “Snakes.” Evans, an American writer, and educator set up the story “Snakes” to where the setting is constantly changing, which is reflective of the character changing as a whole. Evans suggests that at the beginning of this story, relationships between characters is shown through the layout of the setting. The setting begins in an airport in Tallahassee as the protagonist, Tara, is unsure and confused as to why her parents would

However, the author also uses the literary device of word choice to convey the respect the narrator has for the snake. Although the narrator gives reasoning for killing the snake, the development of the narrator with word choice verifies that the narrator is very reluctant to do so due to his respect for the snake’s life. For instance, when describing the first encounter with the snake, the narrator states, “My first instinct was to let him go his way… I have never killed an animal… the sport in taking life is satisfaction I can’t feel.” The use of the word “instinct” shows that the narrator naturally and automatically wishes to leave the snake alone instead of killing it. His respect for the snake is also shown when the narrator says,“I did not cut the rattles off for a trophy… I could see him as I might have let him go, sinuous and self-respecting in departure over the twilit sands.”

In “The Rattler”, the sudden and fulfilling tones reflect the reasons why the man decided to kill the snake. Seeing the snake was sudden for him, but the man had to choose between his morals and his duties in order to protect one life or the other. He decides to choose his duties of helping others to keep them from being in the situation as him in the future.

Craig Martin, author of A Critical Introduction to the Study of Religion, defines “functionalism” as an approach where scholars “look for a particular function religion might play in society” (8). Religion plays a large function around the world and for all people, regardless if one is religious or not. In the case of Dennis Covington, the religious ritual of snake handling has impacted his life greatly, most plausibly serving the function of simply creating excitement in his life. Although no one can truly tell if someone’s faith is genuine or not, there is evidence that makes it appear as though Covington is more-so involved with the religious ritual of snake-handling for the exhilaration over a deep faith and belief in it. This may not ring true for all of the other snake-handling religion practitioners, although it’d be reasonable to assume that it does for the majority.

The true nature of a person’s personality is revealed when making a decision that can not only put their life at danger but those who they are compelled to protect. “The Rattler” is a short story in which a man kills a snake in order to protect others. In the story, language and details of the snake, the man, and the setting generate sympathy for the snake and empathy for the man.

Talent is defined as the natural skill or aptitude one has in a specific field. In Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers, Gladwell argues that talent doesn’t play a big role in determining

In the King James’ Version’s Gospel of Mark, chapter 16, verse 18, it is stated that, “They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” This reading has been looked at under many different shades of light. This speculation has led to many different ideas about the seriousness of the translation of the word of the Lord. For over a century, people of Appalachia have taken this line of the bible and turned it into the focus of the Christian worship services. How strictly should these Pentecostals take the word the bible? What makes these snake-handlers so different from other Christians? What can the serpent-handlers do to make their worship

According to the article on CNN by Andreas Preuss “Snake brought into restaurant rattles nerves,” a man brought a snake into a restaurant and informed employees that it was a service animal. He claimed the snake was for his depression; the restaurant allowed the snake to stay based on this claim. A diner stated, “It started to slither down the booth behind her,” describing her experience at the restaurant. A snake is not a service animal according to the Americans with Disabilities Act, “only a dog and miniature horses that is individually trained to perform work or tasks for a disabled person is considered a service animal.”

“So, what am I again?” Lydia was intimidated but intrigued at the same time. “You’re a werewolf, like us.” Talia’s eyes seemed to grow dark. When Lydia rubbed her stomach, she winced in pain.The bite was almost completely healed. “What…” Lydia suddenly felt a severe pain shoot up to her neck. “Owww!!!” Dropping to the ground and holding her neck, Lydia yelled, “Get me out of here, now!” Voice sounding like a demon. Starting to sprint down the vast tunnels, Lydia stopped when she heard a voice overhead. “How are we going to find her now? If she’s right under our nose why can’t we see her?” “Allison?” Lydia’s eyes started to flood with tears. “Allison!” Tears now unmanageable, Lydia looked down the tunnel. Noticing a speck of light glowing on

Once there was a snake. The snake was eaten by a giant lizard called a komodo dragon. His name was George but he though that name was dumb. So he spent a few days thinking of a new name. Then he settled for the name Komodo. Then he saw something that looked like another snake. The snake was moving behind him and was as long as he was. So he chased it but the snake kept following him. He chased it for 2 days before he remembered it was his tail. He bit it was how he remembered. Then he found a kangaroo. He wasn’t sure why a kangaroo was in Indonesia.

Taking risks to prove one’s religious faith has played a prominent role in many cultures. One such risky ritual is snake handling - which involves actual handling of snakes that can injure and even kill during such rituals. Two cultures that still follow these religious traditions are the Manasa sects in India and the snake handlers of Appalachia in North America. Although these two cultures are separated by time, geography, and belief, they share a common practice of snake-handling. In both of these religious traditions, the practitioners experience the divine force within them – and actually handle a poisonous snake, allowing the snake to bite or risk of getting bitten. Though the concept of handling snakes during the ceremony is common,

“What the Snake Brings to the World” is a 2002 poem by the Canadian poet Lorna Crozier. The poem is free verse, with four stanzas of 6, 4, 4 and 9 lines respectively. The poem is riddled with Biblical allusions, with the “snake” being its focal point, making extensive comment on the nature and consequences of the aforementioned snake. A dominant reading of the poem outlines the duplicity of the nature of ‘evil’ and ‘sin’ and related consequences. An alternate reading of the poem conveys the idea of the human progression reflected by post-lapsarian linguistics. Finally, a resistant reading attacks the very nature, role and impacts of the Judaeo-Christian tradition, claiming it to be fault-laden.