assignment #1

"One person by himself is not a complete human being" p.6

I think Frye means that people need interaction with others to feel complete. The nature of being a human being is communication and socializing in a society. You can build and create anything you desire but you will not be fulfilled unless you are accompanied by another human being. If you are alone, your monologue will never turn into dialogue and society would never advance. I agree with this statement because i am a very social person. I love being around others and engaging in a conversation with someone other than myself. If i did not have friends, i would definitely feel incomplete. I know there are people who would strongly disagree with this statement, but that is because they are content with being alone for the majority of their life, while I am not.
In McCullough's speech, "The Love of Learning," he mentions advice John Adams gave his son John Quincey. The advice was to always carry a book with you on your travels because "you will never be alone with a poet in your pocket." This is the opposite of Frye's quote. John Adams is stating that even if you are physically and emotionally alone, you can always confide in literature. For some people, this could be inspirational. The way i see it is reading literature will never compensate for the life of another. It can't tuck you in at night, it can't stop wars, it can't stop your tears, and the only feelings it possesses are the feelings of another.