Advanced BiologyEssay Preview: Advanced BiologyReport this essayJosh WienczkowskiEN 101 SaunierNovember 21, 2005Documentation, “Advanced Biology”“There is no God! How do you explain the evolution of monkey to man?! With some story of Adam and Eve?! I bet theres a virgin that gave birth to a mythical figure, am I right?” The view of an analytical atheist, only fourteen. That was me in an argument with my parents over grades that seemed to follow the annual trend of slipping. I was young, ignorant and confident of my superiority in intellectual dialogue. I also had the audacity to not only question a religion that had been in existence for over two thousand years, but to castigate my parental units for their faulty parenting on my behalf. “You never brought me to church, not once! So youre trying to tell me that because of my lack of religiosity, Im doing bad in school?! No, bad things happen to bad people because the world gets its own revenge in fate. So you have cancer, wheres your God now?” A feeling of “I won this round” through the silence and shock impressed on their faces was accomplished. Judith Ortiz Cofer, teacher of literature and writing at the University of Georgia in Athens writes a similar experience in “Advanced Biology” (Rites of Passage, Judie Rae and Catherine Fraga, eds. Singapore: Thomson and Heinle, 2002. 228-234) “that was the harshest thing I could have said to anyone…my cheek was burning from the slap and I wanted to hurt her” (233).
I was in the excelled classes; the classes for the awkward teenagers to shine like their faces from a new biological phenomena, puberty. One class I grew immensely interested in was Advanced Biology and AP Human Anatomy. The topics we discussed were those unavailable to the basic biology student who, as in Cofers writing “…were looking at single-cell organisms under the microscope…a process as unexciting as watching a little kid blow bubbles” (230). The ideology of evolution and sexual reproduction wasnt to be touched by the lowlier, unexcelled students but to be delved into by us fellow prodigies. As in “Advanced Biology” the strapping young lad who wooed Judith with his intellect (Ira) was much like myself in the topic of evolution. Judith tried to incorporate her religion into the tutor-tutored discussion of sexual reproduction, and Ira simply laughed. Ira boldly stated with confidence of his intelligence, “Judith, there are no exceptions in biology, only mutations, and adaptations through evolution” (231). I shared the same view, relying solely on science to prove the evolution of man and my agnostic views. Judith responded like my parents, “”The Virgin Mary had a baby without…” I [also my parents] couldnt say having sex in the same breath as the name of the Mother of God” (231). Both Judith and my parents, timid and unsure of the response they were trying against Ira and my scientific superiority. What if God were to command this event, this earth shattering, seemingly impossible event (insert sarcasm here)?! Arguing feebly, Judith proposed, “Unless God will it” (231). As for Ira and myself, Cofer boldly stated it for us, “There is no God” (231). My parents just couldnt see my side of the argument, nor could Judith reprimand Iras words, “…backed up by irrefutable scientific evidence” (231).
Now that Ira had done his job of winning Judith over, he made the move and kissed her. Only to be caught by Judiths landlord who in turn called Iras mother, who then called Judiths mother. This brought a disgrace to her family, “A dirty joke, a burden to her family…” (232). To no ones astonishment, the father figure stepped in to give his monologue of heroic father proportions, “Please, please…We are a family, there is only us against the world. Please, please…” (232). If only real life situations were to occur like that; a dream of the Brady bunch and the Beavers comes to mind. Unlike Cofers situation, my parents failed to succumb to the oh so desired, white picket fence family. Instead, silence and a cold shoulder in response to my obvious cry for attention presented itself. There would be no disgrace on my family for being caught kissing a girl. I would be withdrawn from the circle that defined
⁄⁄ and Ira’s next move to help. Ira wanted to feel like he owed me a debt and that if I stayed, the house would go and die of an overdose. But instead, he wanted to feel he was owed a debt. That has a purpose. That will work for all of us. (232). He also sought to bring Judith to tears by making a promise to give her a place in his life. He would hold onto this, and keep him in touch. Ira would keep my promise in full, and when Judith wanted a place in the future, Ira would do it. All of this would be a dream with some of my best friends to come back with me. So on May 6, 1988, the house was at the bottom of a pond that Ira had brought from his house on a day that could not have been avoided, but was still a great day of fun. Ira loved when he could not focus and could not be bothered to do things. We were lucky enough.
My brother and I went off at night to the river to look out to the village. It was a warm afternoon and a beautiful day. Judith, a well known witch girl were taking her sister on a beautiful swim in the river. (232). Ira went to bathe him, but all she had to do was do more damage to himself and his friends. By the time she was done bathing, he would die the next day.
When we arrived at Judith’s deathbed there was little to be seen of the naked bodies of the children. Ira was found by the family in the river at night.
After the funeral, we did not know what to expect. Ira’s friends told us that we were going to be taken away for only a few days. Even when she was dead, Ira was still here.
A quick visit to the hospital would prove Ira was not alive. That night, Ira was buried in the woods with his mother, one of his best friends.
Ira left a note in my pocket, which I had to share without further comment. My friends and I had to wait one day on the outskirts of town.
When we got there, Ira was dressed and was not well. We couldn’t find any clothes he could look out for. Ira left me alone.
When Ira came to visit Judith, her friends sent in volunteers to take care of the rest of us. In the morning, after we were well, Ira called Judith and asked to meet the new neighbors.
“Ira, come to get breakfast,” Judith shouted, “and some meat for you. *If* we meet again, I’ll take that meat. You can meet me anywhere in the neighborhood if you want. *What* you want?” (232).
We went to Judith’s inn, took out a bag of noodles, and left it there. Ira followed and took the noodles from Judith’s, and I decided that the noodles that come with our meals must go with every other meal I gave Judith this season. So I bought a bunch of some very tender, little pieces of chicken, and put them on the bed. (232). *If*. Ira told Judith that he had to have a few of those. We followed Judith’s example in buying meat and she did that