blog 9

Name: Fahimy Salomon
Date: 5/1/2010
Touched By an Angel is an American Christian drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 which aired for 211 episodes and 9 seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Touched by an Angel was created by John Masius and was produced by Martha Williamson. The series have three main stars namely: Roma Downey, Della Reese, and John Dye. Roma Downey is known as Monica, an angel caseworker, Della Reese is known as the brutally honest and sincere angel who helped single individuals crossed tough roads in their lives and John Dye is known as Andrew the angel of death who helped Monica transformed from being a rookie caseworker to being promoted has a supervisor herself. Most of the episodes from the series were produced in Salt Lake City. It is basically about three angels who work with a group of people or single individuals where they face difficult obstacles in their lives such as crossing rough roads and making tough decisions. The fourth season was very intense and heartwarming. Tess was an ordinary angel who thought that her only case was to pass her road test in order to get a driving license. Neither did she know that her driving teacher was a troubled woman named Doris, who believe that a dead guy named Harry was the only one who truly loves and care for her. This shows that Doris’s identity was lost without Harry’s remains. As a result of those beliefs, Doris went to a church and stole Harry’s ashes, disregarding Harry’s wife, Stella feelings. This confirms that Tess was called to save Doris from herself physically, emotionally, and mentally. Doris was physically hurting by refusing to accept that Harry’s ashes didn’t belong to her. This eventually destroyed her mental state because she thought that she was unworthy and incapable of loving herself. As a result of that she had low self-esteem.
Touched by angel has many symbols such as: angels, ashes, dead, hatred, and love. Tess had to drive the troubled woman to the church without knowing Doris was going to steal Harry’s ashes. This was Tess first threshold because she wasn’t aware that her driving teacher was emotionally and physically obsessed with a dead man. This episode has a lot of symbols that help convey its message. The word “Angel” is defined as an act of kindness by Dungeon creatures that intermediate from Heaven to Earth. According to the dictionary of symbolisms, Angels are immaterial beings made of pure spirit where man consist of a “Body and Soul” (Julien 15). Angels are known as the messengers of God that travels from Heaven to Earth. Tess, Monica, and Andrew are known as the angels of protection. Therefore, Love is described as profound, tender, and passionate for another person. However, love for Doris means unworthy, unwanted, unsecured, pain, lost for oneself, and destruction. According to the dictionary ashes is defined as a state in which a human being is left after he’s no longer alive. This confirms that Harry was dust carry in a cup throughout Doris Journey of finding herself. Therefore, ashes represent the end of her affair with Harry and the rebirth of new life for Harry with a greater power.
Tess second called was she and Doris went to a bar that Harry used to go to every Saturday before he died. While sitting down Tess told Doris that she doesn’t have much time and that she should go use the most powerful instrument God Gave her, which was singing. At first she refused because she believed that she couldn’t do anything without Harry. As a result of her low self-esteem, she managed to convince her that she was the only one damaging herself. This eventually caused Doris to leave the bar with such frustration. While, she was standing outside Stella pull a gun on Doris demanding her to return Harry’s ashes to her. Doris refuses then Tess came after Doris and rescued her from getting killed by Harry’s Wife Stella. She convinced Stella by telling her if she killed her former lover it wouldn’t bring Harry back life. This shows when a certain individual loses a love one, their state of mind becomes unstable.
Doris was given three tests during her road trip with Tess. One of her road test was she told Tess to keep driving after she had stolen Harry’s ashes. As a result of that Tess told her how stealing someone else’s dead husband was wrong, and that she should return Harry’s ashes to the proper owner. Doris refused because she was afraid of letting go of the only person who she believed cared for her. She told Tess to keep on driving without any regrets. This shows how Doris failed her first test because she was so consumed by the Greed of wanting someone else to love her when she didn’t even love herself. Her second test was when she went to the bar that her former lover used to go to every Saturday before he died. Tess convinces her to sing because she was given a powerful gift by God and she shouldn’t waste it. As a result of that Doris started singing without the presence of Harry. I can interpret that Doris started to gain her own identity, and gain her self-esteem rapidly. She sang a whole song with love and confidence; however she ended up sabotaging herself by telling Tess that Harry was everything to her and she was nothing without him. I can declare that Doris failed her second test by not embracing the idea of her singing which made a difference in certain individual’s lives. Doris ended up passing her final test with the help of Tess. While standing in the parking lot, Stella pulled a gun demanding her former’s husband ashes back. This shows that Stella has reached her breaking point because she was overwhelmed with grief. While Stella hands shake, Doris eyes light up with regrets, sorrow, and pain. As a result of that Tess convinces her it was about time that she started living her own life by letting Harry start his new life.
Tess was the meeting Goddess for Doris because throughout their road trip she made Doris realize and see her potentials. The temptress was the disbeliever inside of Doris who taught she was unworthy of being love by God. Throughout this road trip Doris transformed from being greedy to selfish mistress with a low self-esteem to this confident human being who believe she is worthy of love. Doris acknowledges that she had done Stella wrong by having an affair with her husband Harry. Although at the beginning of her journey she thought she was the only one who truly loves him the most in this world, on the other hand at the end of her journey she realizes that the only person who truly loves Harry unconditionally regardless of his mistake is God. I can interpret that Doris has learned that an individual have to love themselves first in order to be love by someone else in return.

Work citation
1)Julien, Nadia.”The Mammoth Dictionary of Symbols “Understanding the Hidden Language of Symbols. New York: Carol and Graf.1996.Web.May 1.2010
2) Dictionary.com.Web. May 1.2010
http://www.yourdictionary.com/ashes
3) Wikepedia.com. Web. May 1.2010