Journeys
...is, I learnt that one learns by experience and that it is the journey and what one learns along the way that matters, not the events or nature of it. The screenshot ‘Journeys over land and Sea’ by the Smithsonian Libraries introduces us to the physical, inner and imaginative journeys of pioneers who traveled into the unknown. The explorers were taking risks to go and look for land and observe exotic plants, animals and people. Their physical journeys into the unknown in their ships met with dangers, fears and many other hardships, but there was also excitement of what they might find. The composer uses vocabulary like ‘pioneers’, ‘new lands’, ‘navigational tools’ and ‘ships and seas’ together with informative language and the graphic of the monster with the waves or wind coming out of his horn at the ship and the title ‘Journeys over land and Sea’ suggest the physical journey and create meaning. Through this I learnt that a journey is not always simple but of great dangers and fears. These physical journeys unfolded inner journeys for many of the pioneers and explorers. Foreign lands, languages and cultures expanded the minds of the travelers. The fears and uncertainties and what lay ahead challenged the pioneers ‘to push beyond their own boundaries’ and find their strengths and weaknesses. The second graphic of the traveler crossing unusual territory, with the moon in one hand and the sun in the other and reaching the stars implies that he is conquering the world and is standing on his achievements. The composer again uses words like ‘discoveries’, ‘returned with specimens’, ’expand their territory’ and ‘scientific and artistic discoveries’ all contribute to the travelers being on an inner journey. Inner journeys also occurred when travelers got home and told ‘tales’ of what they saw and learned. This led to others following their paths and extending their trails. From this, I learnt that without taking the first step to a journey and facing the dangers one never learns. Imaginative journeys exposed themselves when discovers set out on journeys thinking what would lie ahead of them. They also imagined of what they will find, where they will land and what will happen. To create meaning the composer uses language e.g. ‘fearful monsters, savage weather’ and graphic one ‘which shows what travelers imagined created fears and dangers and prevent them from proceeding. This taught me that one journey could be a catalyst of another. The physical journeys presented in this play “The Odyssey” all lead to inner journey. Firstly, it is the long journey of Odysseus to save Helen form the Trojans and find his way - where he belongs. Through this journey, Odysseus finds his strengths and uses them to defeat terrible man-eating beasts like the Cyclops and Gods and get help from the underworld creatures to find his way back home. This takes him a time of 20 years and many inner journeys revealed to him changing and expanding his mind. John Bolton uses symbolism e.g. the Cyclops eating the men represented by fingers and imagery e.g. the description of the brain of the sheep “thick and pasty” to create meaning. This taught me that going on a journey to find home can take time. Parallel to this journey is the journey of Andreas parent’s from Greece to Australia. This can be seen as a physical and inner journey. It is a physical journey because there is movement from one place to another-from Greece to Australia represented by the boat and suitcase. This leads them on an inner journey because they are leaving behind their culture and language to adapt to a n...