"People believe in God because the world is very complicated and they think it is very unlikely that anything as complicated as a flying squirrel or the human eye or a brain could happen by chance. But they should think logically and if they thought logically they would see that they can only ask this question because it has already happened and they exist. And there are billions of planets where there is no life, but there is no one on those planets with brains to notice" (Christopher, 203).
For the topic of my final paper, I am still interested in writing about Christopher's perceptions of life and whether or not this so called 'logical' view on the world is what alienates Christopher from forming healthy relationships with other others. I would like to further expand this theme into the differences between truth and fact. Christopher seems to believe that the only 'true' things about our world are that which can be proven. I believe that the above quote illustrates the point that unfounded belief is as essential a part of a human being's mental development as is logic, and that for a well-rounded individual to fit in then we must occasionally set aside logic and sometimes accept un-provable assumptions.
Furthermore, Christopher's hyper logic on his view of the world here is quite brutal and perhaps a reflection of the cold way that many people see the world. While the reader may condemn Christopher for being cold-hearted in this particular passage, his point of view is difficult to contradict, as it is so factually based. Thus, we therefore see how such a logic-based approach to the world can be at once alienating while at the same time accurate to a large degree. I find this relation to be difficult to comprehend and a topic that can be expanded on further, thus I think it makes a fitting topic for my paper.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
November 26 Post
"In the bus on the way to school next morning we passed 4 red cars in a row, which meant that it was a Good Day" (Haddon, 24).
The idea of logic and perception is central to Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. I think that this will be the focus of my final paper. This concept first struck me as interesting when I read the above quote. When so-called fully functioning adults say a day is going to be bad because it is raining or a Monday, it seems to make sense and nobody questions it. However, when an autistic young boy decides a day is good or bad based on the color of passing cars, it is meant to strike us as illogical or nonsensical. However, it is the exact same type of thinking in each individual, yet one is perceived to be strange.
This idea of logic is twisted around social roles. Christopher is an extraordinarily intelligent young boy who from the text we can gather is a genius in mathematics and physics, yet is perceived by society as dumb because of his inability to communicate and connect with others. Somehow this shortcoming influences how he is viewed. However, his "odd" approaches to everyday situations seems to make sense to him, and when he explains it, to the reader as well.
I am not exactly sure what my thesis is going to fully entail quite yet, however, I enjoy playing with the notion of intelligence, social roles and perception, and their interactions with one another. Specifically, I notice that perceived intelligence is viewed in a completely subjective manner by society. Additionally, of all the characters, Christopher is the one that seems to make the most sense to the reader...why? Is what makes sense to us relative? Is intelligence subjective?
The idea of logic and perception is central to Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. I think that this will be the focus of my final paper. This concept first struck me as interesting when I read the above quote. When so-called fully functioning adults say a day is going to be bad because it is raining or a Monday, it seems to make sense and nobody questions it. However, when an autistic young boy decides a day is good or bad based on the color of passing cars, it is meant to strike us as illogical or nonsensical. However, it is the exact same type of thinking in each individual, yet one is perceived to be strange.
This idea of logic is twisted around social roles. Christopher is an extraordinarily intelligent young boy who from the text we can gather is a genius in mathematics and physics, yet is perceived by society as dumb because of his inability to communicate and connect with others. Somehow this shortcoming influences how he is viewed. However, his "odd" approaches to everyday situations seems to make sense to him, and when he explains it, to the reader as well.
I am not exactly sure what my thesis is going to fully entail quite yet, however, I enjoy playing with the notion of intelligence, social roles and perception, and their interactions with one another. Specifically, I notice that perceived intelligence is viewed in a completely subjective manner by society. Additionally, of all the characters, Christopher is the one that seems to make the most sense to the reader...why? Is what makes sense to us relative? Is intelligence subjective?
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
November 11 Post
1a) "But the instant the criterion of authenticity ceases to be applicable to artistic production, the total function of art is reversed. Instead of being based on ritual, it begins to be based on another practice - politics (Benjamin, 1237).
1b) "As if my natural deformity wasn't enough, I tried a few new haircuts. A little snip of the scissors on the left and a few weeks later, a little snip of the scissors on the right. I looked like a cosette in Les Miserables." So I coated my hair in gel, I added a thick line of eyeliner, a few safety pins, which were replaced by a scarf. It softened the look. It was beginning to look like something (Satrapi, 190).
2. The idea of authenticity of art and the quality of its reproduction, I believe, perfectly embodies the relationship between Marjane's changing appearance and her personal conflict with the perceived betrayal of her culture due to this change.
3. These two quotes makes sense when you look at the word art from the first passage as Marjane's appearance. She herself becomes the canvas on which she is trying to create something. She changes her appearance from her ritualistic veil and overwhelmingly modest clothing to a more politically Western wardrobe. The second passage describes the new rebellious look exactly, which I believe is important when taken into the context of the novel itself.
Marjane changes her appearance to fit in with her Western peers, who come from a completely new type of lifestyle than she does. It is an attempt to discover herself and fit in, a small rebellion of her own really. Her peers are delighted by her new look, however, in the ensuing conversation with her parents, she reveals that she feels lesser than what she used to. Marjane believes that her new Western look is simply a poor recreation of the other people. More importantly, she feels that what she has created herself to be is a rejection of her own roots and rituals and an acceptance of her new environment's politics.
This is where the idea of authenticity seems to crawl into the conversation. Benjamin goes on in his article to discuss the idea that recreated art is a depreciation of the original. This non-authentic recreation of the original is less than that which it seeks to recreate. This is how Marjane feels. Her new look seems to make her feel like less than what she used to be, an authentic Iranian. Because she changes, she loses her authenticity, which causes feelings of guilt and isolation from her original life and family.
1b) "As if my natural deformity wasn't enough, I tried a few new haircuts. A little snip of the scissors on the left and a few weeks later, a little snip of the scissors on the right. I looked like a cosette in Les Miserables." So I coated my hair in gel, I added a thick line of eyeliner, a few safety pins, which were replaced by a scarf. It softened the look. It was beginning to look like something (Satrapi, 190).
2. The idea of authenticity of art and the quality of its reproduction, I believe, perfectly embodies the relationship between Marjane's changing appearance and her personal conflict with the perceived betrayal of her culture due to this change.
3. These two quotes makes sense when you look at the word art from the first passage as Marjane's appearance. She herself becomes the canvas on which she is trying to create something. She changes her appearance from her ritualistic veil and overwhelmingly modest clothing to a more politically Western wardrobe. The second passage describes the new rebellious look exactly, which I believe is important when taken into the context of the novel itself.
Marjane changes her appearance to fit in with her Western peers, who come from a completely new type of lifestyle than she does. It is an attempt to discover herself and fit in, a small rebellion of her own really. Her peers are delighted by her new look, however, in the ensuing conversation with her parents, she reveals that she feels lesser than what she used to. Marjane believes that her new Western look is simply a poor recreation of the other people. More importantly, she feels that what she has created herself to be is a rejection of her own roots and rituals and an acceptance of her new environment's politics.
This is where the idea of authenticity seems to crawl into the conversation. Benjamin goes on in his article to discuss the idea that recreated art is a depreciation of the original. This non-authentic recreation of the original is less than that which it seeks to recreate. This is how Marjane feels. Her new look seems to make her feel like less than what she used to be, an authentic Iranian. Because she changes, she loses her authenticity, which causes feelings of guilt and isolation from her original life and family.
Monday, November 5, 2012
November 6 Post
1a) "Fourteen-year old 'Marji,' wearing Nike shoes and a jean jacket with a Michael Jackson button...she is stopped by the morals police who threaten to imprison her for her unacceptably Western appearance...The last panel shows her in her room dancing and singing along to Kim Wilde's "We're the Kids in America" to calm her nerves" (Naghibi, 235).
1b) Dad: "They've occupied the U.S. embassy."
.......
Dad: "You're not interested?"
Mom: "I couldn't care less. Anyway, the Americans are dummies."
Dad: "Maybe, but now no one can go to the United States."
2. I find the "I hate but still need the United States" mentality to be particularly interesting.
3. These two passages I find to be particularly interesting because I feel they perfectly embody the majority of the world's less than approving view on America. What strikes me as key to this issue is that it calls attention to these countries' need for the United States as well, which many people refuse to acknowledge. Many nations around the world, especially in the Middle East and liberal European countries are highly critical of the United States, thinking that we are ignorant, lazy bullies. Yet what nobody has the critical thought to bring up is just how reliant they are on us, and whenever something bad happens, the U.S. is the first place they come running to for help.
The first passage illustrates just how much impact the U.S. has in the world. A young Marji dresses like American youth and listens to American music, even singing the pop song "We're the Kids in America." She finds relief in American culture and music, a symbolic representation for the United States, from the the brutal and disastrous government of her own country. The second passage is key to this notion as well. Her father and mother dislike the United States, even calling it a dummy, yet are still troubled by the fact that they cannot travel to it now. If it were such a bad place, why do Marji's parents care that they cannot travel there. I believe the answer to this question to be jealousy.
Now it is time for a brief real world example. When the United States interferes in global conflict, we are regarded as bullies who need to "butt out," such as the conflicts in Vietnam, Somalia and Iraq. However, when we stay out of conflicts people cry out "Where is the U.S.?" such as in Egypt and Syria. It is a lose-lose situation, yet it does in fact provide solid evidence that the world does rely on us for many things, even if they claim to not need or like us.
In conclusion, these two passages illustrate the point that the negative esteem the United States is held in by the world is hypocritical because there is a strong dependence on this country by the rest of the world.
1b) Dad: "They've occupied the U.S. embassy."
.......
Dad: "You're not interested?"
Mom: "I couldn't care less. Anyway, the Americans are dummies."
Dad: "Maybe, but now no one can go to the United States."
2. I find the "I hate but still need the United States" mentality to be particularly interesting.
3. These two passages I find to be particularly interesting because I feel they perfectly embody the majority of the world's less than approving view on America. What strikes me as key to this issue is that it calls attention to these countries' need for the United States as well, which many people refuse to acknowledge. Many nations around the world, especially in the Middle East and liberal European countries are highly critical of the United States, thinking that we are ignorant, lazy bullies. Yet what nobody has the critical thought to bring up is just how reliant they are on us, and whenever something bad happens, the U.S. is the first place they come running to for help.
The first passage illustrates just how much impact the U.S. has in the world. A young Marji dresses like American youth and listens to American music, even singing the pop song "We're the Kids in America." She finds relief in American culture and music, a symbolic representation for the United States, from the the brutal and disastrous government of her own country. The second passage is key to this notion as well. Her father and mother dislike the United States, even calling it a dummy, yet are still troubled by the fact that they cannot travel to it now. If it were such a bad place, why do Marji's parents care that they cannot travel there. I believe the answer to this question to be jealousy.
Now it is time for a brief real world example. When the United States interferes in global conflict, we are regarded as bullies who need to "butt out," such as the conflicts in Vietnam, Somalia and Iraq. However, when we stay out of conflicts people cry out "Where is the U.S.?" such as in Egypt and Syria. It is a lose-lose situation, yet it does in fact provide solid evidence that the world does rely on us for many things, even if they claim to not need or like us.
In conclusion, these two passages illustrate the point that the negative esteem the United States is held in by the world is hypocritical because there is a strong dependence on this country by the rest of the world.
Monday, October 29, 2012
October 29 Post
1a) "To prepare, we need to become aware of the shift, understand its causes, and think creatively and innovatively about new...strategies appropriate to the coming changes" (Hayles, 187).
1b) "After marching and throwing stones all day, by evening they had aches all over, even in their heads.
-Daughter: Hey mom, dad, let's play monopoly.
-Mom: Darling we are tired.
-Dad: Now is not the right time.
-Mom: Monopoly! I can't believe it. Ha! Ha!
-Daughter: It is never the right time!"
(Satrapi, 18).
2) This strikes me as interesting because the young Marjane supports the Islamic Revolution, yet she does not understand its causes or reasoning.
3) In a one sentence summary, Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis is about a young girl (herself) growing up in a loving and politically active family during the Islamic Revolution and how it helped her form perceptions of the world and politics. I found these two passages particularly interesting in regards to political ignorance and activism, which is still an applicable topic today, especially with the upcoming presidential elections.
I chose this particular quote from the supplemental theory reading, Hyper and Deep Attention by Katherine Hayles, because it calls to attention that in order to fully support something or even acknowledge its importance, we must first understand it and accept the consequences. Whenever something major happens in a political sense, before one can jump on board with it or stand against it, it is important to have a good sense of knowledge about it. This quote correlates to that of the primary reading, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi because the young Marjane wholeheartedly supports the revolutionary movement, even to the point where she is willing to die in protest for it, like her parents, yet she does not understand it. The revolution is to push the capitalistic interests of Western nations out of Iran, yet she still wants to play monopoly, a very capitalistic oriented board game. This contrast between these two things illustrates a lack of free thinking because it can be inferred that young Marjane only likes the revolution because her parents do.
It turns out that once the revolution succeeds, she does not like the consequences, as illustrated by her distaste for the veil in the beginning of the work. Once again, this drives home the point that a full understanding of what you support/fight for is important. To use a great cliche to summarize this idea, "Look before you leap."
1b) "After marching and throwing stones all day, by evening they had aches all over, even in their heads.
-Daughter: Hey mom, dad, let's play monopoly.
-Mom: Darling we are tired.
-Dad: Now is not the right time.
-Mom: Monopoly! I can't believe it. Ha! Ha!
-Daughter: It is never the right time!"
(Satrapi, 18).
2) This strikes me as interesting because the young Marjane supports the Islamic Revolution, yet she does not understand its causes or reasoning.
3) In a one sentence summary, Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis is about a young girl (herself) growing up in a loving and politically active family during the Islamic Revolution and how it helped her form perceptions of the world and politics. I found these two passages particularly interesting in regards to political ignorance and activism, which is still an applicable topic today, especially with the upcoming presidential elections.
I chose this particular quote from the supplemental theory reading, Hyper and Deep Attention by Katherine Hayles, because it calls to attention that in order to fully support something or even acknowledge its importance, we must first understand it and accept the consequences. Whenever something major happens in a political sense, before one can jump on board with it or stand against it, it is important to have a good sense of knowledge about it. This quote correlates to that of the primary reading, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi because the young Marjane wholeheartedly supports the revolutionary movement, even to the point where she is willing to die in protest for it, like her parents, yet she does not understand it. The revolution is to push the capitalistic interests of Western nations out of Iran, yet she still wants to play monopoly, a very capitalistic oriented board game. This contrast between these two things illustrates a lack of free thinking because it can be inferred that young Marjane only likes the revolution because her parents do.
It turns out that once the revolution succeeds, she does not like the consequences, as illustrated by her distaste for the veil in the beginning of the work. Once again, this drives home the point that a full understanding of what you support/fight for is important. To use a great cliche to summarize this idea, "Look before you leap."
Monday, October 22, 2012
October 23 Post
1a. "Which do you mean?” and turning round, he looked for a moment at Elizabeth, till catching her eye, he withdrew his own and coldly said, 'She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me'” (Austen, 50/51).
1b. "I would much prefer their minds be engaged in the deadly arts than clouded with the dreams of marriage and fortune, as your own so clearly is!...I warn you that none of our girls has much to recommend them; they are silly and ignorant...the exception being Lizzy, who has something more of the killer instinct than her sisters" (Austen,Grahame-Smith,8).
2. I find the comparison between the dating scene and a zombie apocalypse quite enjoyable.
3. I'm not certain that there was a carefully thought out reason on the author's part in comparing a zombie apocalypse to the dating scene, however, I am going to take on the role of every other English student and assume the author had deep and carefully thought out intentions in this writing, even though in all likelihood there is not any real intention of knowledge to be gained here. Furthermore, I am going to assume that the prior mentioned author and was not simply jumping on the "zombies and monsters bandwagon" that has swept over our culture in the last few years and actually was seeking to provide insight, however humorous, into Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
I chose the above quotes because I thought they highlighted the brutality of trying to find solid relationships and the hardships that people face. Firstly, however one tries to slice it, members of the opposite gender are usually giant butt-holes. Darcy completely degrades Elizabeth in the first quote when she does absolutely nothing to even warrant such negative attention. The second quote I personally enjoyed because it emphasizes the brutal mentality it takes to succeed in such a cut-throat environment. The emphasis place on a "killer instinct" instead of being "clouded" with dreams of functional relationships that in all honesty, rarely exist is humorously refreshing and fairly accurate.
In conclusion, the humorous zombie twist given to Austen's Pride although scoring high in raw entertainment value, also scores high in the lessons learned category by illustrating the author's goal of the craziness of a marriage and relationship oriented culture.
1b. "I would much prefer their minds be engaged in the deadly arts than clouded with the dreams of marriage and fortune, as your own so clearly is!...I warn you that none of our girls has much to recommend them; they are silly and ignorant...the exception being Lizzy, who has something more of the killer instinct than her sisters" (Austen,Grahame-Smith,8).
2. I find the comparison between the dating scene and a zombie apocalypse quite enjoyable.
3. I'm not certain that there was a carefully thought out reason on the author's part in comparing a zombie apocalypse to the dating scene, however, I am going to take on the role of every other English student and assume the author had deep and carefully thought out intentions in this writing, even though in all likelihood there is not any real intention of knowledge to be gained here. Furthermore, I am going to assume that the prior mentioned author and was not simply jumping on the "zombies and monsters bandwagon" that has swept over our culture in the last few years and actually was seeking to provide insight, however humorous, into Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
I chose the above quotes because I thought they highlighted the brutality of trying to find solid relationships and the hardships that people face. Firstly, however one tries to slice it, members of the opposite gender are usually giant butt-holes. Darcy completely degrades Elizabeth in the first quote when she does absolutely nothing to even warrant such negative attention. The second quote I personally enjoyed because it emphasizes the brutal mentality it takes to succeed in such a cut-throat environment. The emphasis place on a "killer instinct" instead of being "clouded" with dreams of functional relationships that in all honesty, rarely exist is humorously refreshing and fairly accurate.
In conclusion, the humorous zombie twist given to Austen's Pride although scoring high in raw entertainment value, also scores high in the lessons learned category by illustrating the author's goal of the craziness of a marriage and relationship oriented culture.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
October 16 Post
1a) "Austen is often happy to follow the Cinderella plot, and to make a happy ending out of marrying her heroine to a man notably above her in income and social prestige" (McMaster, 117).
1b) "You were disgusted with the women who were always speaking and looking, and thinking for your approbation alone. I roused, and interested you, because I was so unlike them" (Austen, 378).
2. How have I not realized the strong similarities between Pride and Prejudice and Cinderella before reading this article?!
3. The above question is more of an exclamation than a question. I am slightly disappointed in myself that I never drew a comparison between these two literary works before now. Obviously there are differences between Cinderella and Pride that one can argue, however, those are not the focus of this piece. It is the similarities that have garnered my attention in regards to this exercise.
The first most glaring similarity is the idea of the less than desirable female protagonist inadvertently attracting the attention of a noble male from upper society despite the over the top attempts of other more socially presentable women to become the object of this attention. Great. What does this mean? In Pride, Elizabeth draws the attention of Darcy, despite the many efforts of Miss Bingley to win him over. In the story of Cinderella, the evil step sisters try to steal the prince's affection by trying to convince him that the glass slipper belongs to them. In both cases however these vain attempts by other women actually push the desired male figure towards our protagonist, and the protagonist wins out in the end.
The second main similarity is this idea of a happy ending. In so many literary works, especially ones that I have been reading this year (including Othello), there is no happy ending. In fact most of these stories end in suicides of the main character. However, in both Pride and Cinderella, the protagonist lives "happily ever after" with their love.
Although I could write ten pages about the similarities between these two works, I decided to cover the two biggest as designated by my personal opinion. Other similarities include character traits and specific events, however, this is simply too much to cover in this particular forum.
1b) "You were disgusted with the women who were always speaking and looking, and thinking for your approbation alone. I roused, and interested you, because I was so unlike them" (Austen, 378).
2. How have I not realized the strong similarities between Pride and Prejudice and Cinderella before reading this article?!
3. The above question is more of an exclamation than a question. I am slightly disappointed in myself that I never drew a comparison between these two literary works before now. Obviously there are differences between Cinderella and Pride that one can argue, however, those are not the focus of this piece. It is the similarities that have garnered my attention in regards to this exercise.
The first most glaring similarity is the idea of the less than desirable female protagonist inadvertently attracting the attention of a noble male from upper society despite the over the top attempts of other more socially presentable women to become the object of this attention. Great. What does this mean? In Pride, Elizabeth draws the attention of Darcy, despite the many efforts of Miss Bingley to win him over. In the story of Cinderella, the evil step sisters try to steal the prince's affection by trying to convince him that the glass slipper belongs to them. In both cases however these vain attempts by other women actually push the desired male figure towards our protagonist, and the protagonist wins out in the end.
The second main similarity is this idea of a happy ending. In so many literary works, especially ones that I have been reading this year (including Othello), there is no happy ending. In fact most of these stories end in suicides of the main character. However, in both Pride and Cinderella, the protagonist lives "happily ever after" with their love.
Although I could write ten pages about the similarities between these two works, I decided to cover the two biggest as designated by my personal opinion. Other similarities include character traits and specific events, however, this is simply too much to cover in this particular forum.
Monday, October 8, 2012
October 9 Blog
1a) "To be a character in Austen is to get continually contrasted, juxtaposed, related to others..." (Woloch,43).
1b) "Elizabeth feeling all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his situation, now forced herself to speak; and immediately, though not very fluently, gave him to understand, that her sentiments had undergone so material a change, since the period to which he alluded, as to make her receive with gratitude and pleasure, his present assurances" (Austen, 355).
2. How does the quote from Pride relate to Woloch's quote/why is it important to the overall theme of the novel?
3. I find these two quotes to be essential to a deeper understanding of the driving force behind Pride and Prejudice. Woloch makes the claim that the interactions between characters are essential to any Jane Austen work. Pride is no exception. In this work, every character seems to have another character that drives their actions and personality traits. In the case of the second quote, the interactions between Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy illustrate this point.
Over the course of the novel, Darcy and Elizabeth dance around a relationship with each other. It is this interaction between the two characeter that fuels the majority of the story's action. Elizabeth initially dislikes Darcy and is prejudiced against him. Darcy also feels that Elizabeth is from an inferior social class and this makes him wary of getting involved with her. He stays interested in her because of her sharp wit and sometimes outspoken-ness, whereas his charm keeps her interested. However she rejects his advances repeatedly. These traits spark interactions and events throughout the novel, however without such differing characters Austen would have nothing of interest to write about. This is simply a general overview of how the relations between characters fuel the novel's actions. I felt this quote is appropriate to this idea because after dancing around a relationship for chapter after chapter, it shows the culmination of all this inter-character comparison when Elizabeth finally accepts Darcy's proposal and they become a couple, providing the novel with a falling action and close.
1b) "Elizabeth feeling all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his situation, now forced herself to speak; and immediately, though not very fluently, gave him to understand, that her sentiments had undergone so material a change, since the period to which he alluded, as to make her receive with gratitude and pleasure, his present assurances" (Austen, 355).
2. How does the quote from Pride relate to Woloch's quote/why is it important to the overall theme of the novel?
3. I find these two quotes to be essential to a deeper understanding of the driving force behind Pride and Prejudice. Woloch makes the claim that the interactions between characters are essential to any Jane Austen work. Pride is no exception. In this work, every character seems to have another character that drives their actions and personality traits. In the case of the second quote, the interactions between Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy illustrate this point.
Over the course of the novel, Darcy and Elizabeth dance around a relationship with each other. It is this interaction between the two characeter that fuels the majority of the story's action. Elizabeth initially dislikes Darcy and is prejudiced against him. Darcy also feels that Elizabeth is from an inferior social class and this makes him wary of getting involved with her. He stays interested in her because of her sharp wit and sometimes outspoken-ness, whereas his charm keeps her interested. However she rejects his advances repeatedly. These traits spark interactions and events throughout the novel, however without such differing characters Austen would have nothing of interest to write about. This is simply a general overview of how the relations between characters fuel the novel's actions. I felt this quote is appropriate to this idea because after dancing around a relationship for chapter after chapter, it shows the culmination of all this inter-character comparison when Elizabeth finally accepts Darcy's proposal and they become a couple, providing the novel with a falling action and close.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
October 2 Post
1a) "Honoria's essential virtue, in other words, is that her virtue makes her man 'great.' In and of herself, she is neither great nor extraordinary." (Gibert/Gubar, 816)
1b) "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." (Austen, 43)
2) Why is marriage such an important aspect of life at the time that Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is set?
3) It is common knowledge that marriage was an important societal concern during the early 1800s, the time in which Pride and Prejudice is written. It was important for a woman to find a husband of good societal standing and for a man to find a woman as a suitable wife. The question is why is this so important?
As the aforementioned quotes suggest, women were viewed as a sort of prize for men. Perhaps it was these 'trophy wives' that validated just how great a man was. Similar to owning a fine house full of expensive art for showing off, a good wife was viewed as something that showed great status for a husband during this time. Wives were just another aspect of an amassed fortune it seems. Similarly, women were not viewed as great in an of themselves. Instead a woman's greatness could only be seen if she married a great man. It was this symbiotic relationship, I believe that made marriage such an important societal concern during this time. Both men and women needed each other to prove how great they were on a personal level, which seems a little odd to me.
1b) "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." (Austen, 43)
2) Why is marriage such an important aspect of life at the time that Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is set?
3) It is common knowledge that marriage was an important societal concern during the early 1800s, the time in which Pride and Prejudice is written. It was important for a woman to find a husband of good societal standing and for a man to find a woman as a suitable wife. The question is why is this so important?
As the aforementioned quotes suggest, women were viewed as a sort of prize for men. Perhaps it was these 'trophy wives' that validated just how great a man was. Similar to owning a fine house full of expensive art for showing off, a good wife was viewed as something that showed great status for a husband during this time. Wives were just another aspect of an amassed fortune it seems. Similarly, women were not viewed as great in an of themselves. Instead a woman's greatness could only be seen if she married a great man. It was this symbiotic relationship, I believe that made marriage such an important societal concern during this time. Both men and women needed each other to prove how great they were on a personal level, which seems a little odd to me.
Monday, September 24, 2012
September 25 Post
1a) "The transformation of Othello, the 'Moor of Venice,' from a virtuous lover and Christian soldier to an enraged murderer may be read in the context of early modern conversion, or 'turning'....." (154)
b) "That handkerchief, which I so loved and gave thee, thous gav'st to Cassio." (105)
2. Is Desdemona's alleged infidelity a symbol of something larger at hand that was taking place?
3. During this period, religious wars between the Muslims and Christians were going on, specifically between Ottoman Turks and Venetian Christians, thus making religious purity a hotly debated topic. Thus when Desdemona, a Venetian, allegedly cheated on Othello, a foreigner, it was a question of impurity. Similarly, Christianity was considered to be pure whereas Islam was considered impure. Thus it was the illogical idea of turning to the "darkside," if you will, of the time that I believe this scenario in Othello was getting at.
b) "That handkerchief, which I so loved and gave thee, thous gav'st to Cassio." (105)
2. Is Desdemona's alleged infidelity a symbol of something larger at hand that was taking place?
3. During this period, religious wars between the Muslims and Christians were going on, specifically between Ottoman Turks and Venetian Christians, thus making religious purity a hotly debated topic. Thus when Desdemona, a Venetian, allegedly cheated on Othello, a foreigner, it was a question of impurity. Similarly, Christianity was considered to be pure whereas Islam was considered impure. Thus it was the illogical idea of turning to the "darkside," if you will, of the time that I believe this scenario in Othello was getting at.
Monday, September 17, 2012
September 18 Post
1. A) This novel is not the story of a mean, vindictive mistress; it is the story of a desperate one. It concerns a troubled, disappointed woman confined to the prison of her defeated flesh. (Morrison, 1014)
B) Then must you speak
Of one that loved not wisely but too well,
Of one not easily jealous but, being wrought,
Perplexed in the extreme; of one whose hand,
Like the base Indian, threw a pearl away
Richer than all his tribe; of one whose subdued eyes,
Albeit unused to the melting mood,
Drop tears as fast as the Arabian trees
Their medicinable gum. Set you down this,
And say besides that in Aleppo once,
Where a malignant and a turbaned Turk
Beat a Venetian and traduced the state,
I took by th’ throat the circumcised dog
And smote him thus. (Othello, 116)
2. How does this Othello's struggles and problems compare to that of a racially oppressed person as described in Morrison's Playing in the Dark?
3. I feel that these quotes connect with each other at two different levels. The first level concerns the villainy of the mistress and Othello. Neither mistreat others as a result of an inherent evil side to themselves, it simply stems from a misunderstanding and the villainy of others around them. The discussed mistress mistreats minorities poorly out of desperation and misunderstanding, just like Othello kills his wife out of pure lament because she has allegedly cheated on him. Both are evil acts committed without truly evil intentions but more from feelings of loss. The second level concerns a feeling of exclusion due to racial differences. Othello compares the Venetians and the Turks and discusses items of a foreign nature, such as Arabian trees and how he misses them, establishing how he still feels to be very much an outsider. The quote from the Literary theory also discusses how the "disappointed woman" feels like she is trapped in her skin because she is black and how this also leads to a feeling of isolation. With this being said I find Othello and Playing in the Dark to be similar in several aspects.
B) Then must you speak
Of one that loved not wisely but too well,
Of one not easily jealous but, being wrought,
Perplexed in the extreme; of one whose hand,
Like the base Indian, threw a pearl away
Richer than all his tribe; of one whose subdued eyes,
Albeit unused to the melting mood,
Drop tears as fast as the Arabian trees
Their medicinable gum. Set you down this,
And say besides that in Aleppo once,
Where a malignant and a turbaned Turk
Beat a Venetian and traduced the state,
I took by th’ throat the circumcised dog
And smote him thus. (Othello, 116)
2. How does this Othello's struggles and problems compare to that of a racially oppressed person as described in Morrison's Playing in the Dark?
3. I feel that these quotes connect with each other at two different levels. The first level concerns the villainy of the mistress and Othello. Neither mistreat others as a result of an inherent evil side to themselves, it simply stems from a misunderstanding and the villainy of others around them. The discussed mistress mistreats minorities poorly out of desperation and misunderstanding, just like Othello kills his wife out of pure lament because she has allegedly cheated on him. Both are evil acts committed without truly evil intentions but more from feelings of loss. The second level concerns a feeling of exclusion due to racial differences. Othello compares the Venetians and the Turks and discusses items of a foreign nature, such as Arabian trees and how he misses them, establishing how he still feels to be very much an outsider. The quote from the Literary theory also discusses how the "disappointed woman" feels like she is trapped in her skin because she is black and how this also leads to a feeling of isolation. With this being said I find Othello and Playing in the Dark to be similar in several aspects.
Monday, September 10, 2012
September 10th Post
"Therefore, as I am bound, Receive it from me. I speak not yet of proof. Look to your wife; observe her well with Cassio; wear your eyes thus..." (Othello, 59).
"To degrade is to bury, to sow, and to kill simultaneously, in order to bring forth something more and better...This is the reason why medieval parody is unique, quite unlike the purely formalist literary parody of modern times, which has a solely negative character and is deprived of regenerating ambivalance" (Bakhtin, 688).
...............................................
The question that these two quotes raises is, "Why do so many people attempt to bring about a beneficial end result by degrading the something or someone they seek to improve?"
In Shakespeare's Othello, both Iago and Othello long for Desdemona, making her an object of desire for both parties. Othello cares for her in a wholesome way, whereas Iago only cares about her in a self-serving negative way. Iago feels that by degrading Desdemona, he can defeat Othello by destroying that which he loves, thus destroying Othello, his enemy and making personal gain for himself. I find this particular concept of degrading women for personal benefit oddly interesting. Keep in mind when I say degrading I don't mean physically abusing or humiliating them in any way, but rather talking down to/about them. It goes back to the idea that the more uninterested a male acts about a woman, the more said woman tends to seek their approval. I learned from my older brother that if I am interested in a girl, act like I couldn't care less about her, and she will oddly be attracted to me. This has proven true more than once although it makes absolutely no sense. I guess in summation, although the Othello situation regarding degrading women differs slightly than the one I described above, I do recognize there is a similarity between the two, albeit a small one. In regards to the question, I think it is human nature to seek approval from those that disapprove of us, and mistreat that which we already have.
"To degrade is to bury, to sow, and to kill simultaneously, in order to bring forth something more and better...This is the reason why medieval parody is unique, quite unlike the purely formalist literary parody of modern times, which has a solely negative character and is deprived of regenerating ambivalance" (Bakhtin, 688).
...............................................
The question that these two quotes raises is, "Why do so many people attempt to bring about a beneficial end result by degrading the something or someone they seek to improve?"
In Shakespeare's Othello, both Iago and Othello long for Desdemona, making her an object of desire for both parties. Othello cares for her in a wholesome way, whereas Iago only cares about her in a self-serving negative way. Iago feels that by degrading Desdemona, he can defeat Othello by destroying that which he loves, thus destroying Othello, his enemy and making personal gain for himself. I find this particular concept of degrading women for personal benefit oddly interesting. Keep in mind when I say degrading I don't mean physically abusing or humiliating them in any way, but rather talking down to/about them. It goes back to the idea that the more uninterested a male acts about a woman, the more said woman tends to seek their approval. I learned from my older brother that if I am interested in a girl, act like I couldn't care less about her, and she will oddly be attracted to me. This has proven true more than once although it makes absolutely no sense. I guess in summation, although the Othello situation regarding degrading women differs slightly than the one I described above, I do recognize there is a similarity between the two, albeit a small one. In regards to the question, I think it is human nature to seek approval from those that disapprove of us, and mistreat that which we already have.
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