Contrary to public opinion, Dunstan Ramsay has lead an interesting life. Well, if you really like saints.
Ramsay ends up playing a part in all of the grander lives around him. His guilt about a snowball and obsession with Mary Demptster leads to the route of his entire life. He becomes assured of her sainthood then devotes his life to the pursuit of learning more about them, on the way truly discovering the fantastic reality.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Hamlet - Shakespeare
Did you see "The Lion King"? Ok, we're fine here. Just kidding.
Hamlet returns from school to attend his father's funeral and mother's wedding. He's quite distressed by this and is acrid in his appraisal of his mother and country. His father's ghost has been appearing and Hamlet eventually meets it. The ghost delivers a shocking message: Hamlet's Uncle killed his father and now he must avenge the death. Hamlet thinks about this for a while. He pretends to be crazy so as not to raise suspicions. Claudius and Polonius attempt to use Ophelia, Hamlet's lover, to trap him into telling the truth behind his behavior. Instead of showing his love, he tells her to get to a nunnery, leaving her heartbroken. Hamlet tries to trap Claudius in his guilt with the "Mouse Trap" play, but finds he cannot kill him. He confronts his mother instead and mistakenly kills Polonius. Ophelia goes mad with the death of her father and Hamlet's rejection. She drowns herself. Claudius tries to send Hamlet to England to be killed, but he is somehow returned to Denmark by Pirates. He ends up attending Ophelia's funeral and fights with her brother in her grave. Laertes and Claudius hatch a plan to kill Hamlet in a duel. Hamlet decides to meet the challenge despite knowing the possibility that it will be his death. He is stabbed by a poisoned blade, wounds Laertes with it, and kills Claudius while his mother dies of poison. He then dies, leaving Horatio to tell his story.
Hamlet returns from school to attend his father's funeral and mother's wedding. He's quite distressed by this and is acrid in his appraisal of his mother and country. His father's ghost has been appearing and Hamlet eventually meets it. The ghost delivers a shocking message: Hamlet's Uncle killed his father and now he must avenge the death. Hamlet thinks about this for a while. He pretends to be crazy so as not to raise suspicions. Claudius and Polonius attempt to use Ophelia, Hamlet's lover, to trap him into telling the truth behind his behavior. Instead of showing his love, he tells her to get to a nunnery, leaving her heartbroken. Hamlet tries to trap Claudius in his guilt with the "Mouse Trap" play, but finds he cannot kill him. He confronts his mother instead and mistakenly kills Polonius. Ophelia goes mad with the death of her father and Hamlet's rejection. She drowns herself. Claudius tries to send Hamlet to England to be killed, but he is somehow returned to Denmark by Pirates. He ends up attending Ophelia's funeral and fights with her brother in her grave. Laertes and Claudius hatch a plan to kill Hamlet in a duel. Hamlet decides to meet the challenge despite knowing the possibility that it will be his death. He is stabbed by a poisoned blade, wounds Laertes with it, and kills Claudius while his mother dies of poison. He then dies, leaving Horatio to tell his story.
Pride and Prejudice - Austen
What trouble for the Bennets! Five daughters, none married, and the house titled to the obnoxious Mr. Collins! Have pity on my poor nerves!
Well, Lizzy always was the headstrong one, spoiled by her father I should think. At least Jane had a chance to land Mr. Bingley. He's ever so handsome, well mannered, and owner of Netherfield too! Mr. Darcy wouldn't dance with Lizzy, and I dare say, it is not a loss. He is ever so disagreeable. But what should you think but Bingley and his party leave without so much as a good bye? And he seemed so very fond of my dear Jane. (Not quite as dear as my Lydia, but a beauty just the same.) Lizzy blames our behavior, but I see nothing wrong with the country nor my daughters' exuberance.
On top of that, Lizzy rejects Mr. Collins! Yes, I could not make her know her mind despite the fact that she is snatching the bread out of our mouths. That Charlotte should marry him so soon after is the gal of it all.
What would you think that Lizzy should meet Mr. Darcy again while visiting Charlotte? And of all things, she rejects him too! Well, I can't blame her, really. He did separate dear Jane from Bingley and called her connections poor. As if she should have any reason to be ashamed for her family!
The worst of the stress on my poor nerves is yet to come. My darling Lydia eloped with that charming Wickham Lizzy was dallying with. Who could have imagined such goings on? It turns out that Darcy had a hand in ensuring their marriage, and reunited Mr. Bingley and Jane. Naturally Lizzy accepted him after this and they live quite grandly. Perhaps he's not quite as disagreeable as I thought.
Analysis:
One must take Austen's life into account. She's writing for family and friends, never married (Daddy was rich and let her do whatever she wanted), and likely had quite a few lovers. That said, it explains why we don't hear about Lydia's gritty, hardscrable marriage. This is for amusement, not an expose of social inequities. The narrative voice has the trademark Mr. Bennet humor, sarcastic and particularly merciless of Mrs. Bennet and her three youngest daughters. So, what does it mean that Lizzy gets her fairy tale? She follows only her own counsel on marriage, yet so does Lydia. Why does one live in an enchanted castle and another with a gambling addict of few scruples? The difference: Lizzy and Darcy both tear the illusions of each other apart through confrontation or deed.
Meaning: True understanding of one's own character and that of one's love is necessary for a true relationship and marriage.
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." - Sets the tone for the novel, largely lighthearted and scoffs at the upper class, also a jab at Mrs. Bennet.
"And your defect is a propensity to hate everybody."
"And yours," he replied with a smile, "is willfully to misunderstand them. - Shows the tension between Darcy and Lizzy, both understand each other more than any other character and aren't afraid to say so.
Well, Lizzy always was the headstrong one, spoiled by her father I should think. At least Jane had a chance to land Mr. Bingley. He's ever so handsome, well mannered, and owner of Netherfield too! Mr. Darcy wouldn't dance with Lizzy, and I dare say, it is not a loss. He is ever so disagreeable. But what should you think but Bingley and his party leave without so much as a good bye? And he seemed so very fond of my dear Jane. (Not quite as dear as my Lydia, but a beauty just the same.) Lizzy blames our behavior, but I see nothing wrong with the country nor my daughters' exuberance.
On top of that, Lizzy rejects Mr. Collins! Yes, I could not make her know her mind despite the fact that she is snatching the bread out of our mouths. That Charlotte should marry him so soon after is the gal of it all.
What would you think that Lizzy should meet Mr. Darcy again while visiting Charlotte? And of all things, she rejects him too! Well, I can't blame her, really. He did separate dear Jane from Bingley and called her connections poor. As if she should have any reason to be ashamed for her family!
The worst of the stress on my poor nerves is yet to come. My darling Lydia eloped with that charming Wickham Lizzy was dallying with. Who could have imagined such goings on? It turns out that Darcy had a hand in ensuring their marriage, and reunited Mr. Bingley and Jane. Naturally Lizzy accepted him after this and they live quite grandly. Perhaps he's not quite as disagreeable as I thought.
Analysis:
One must take Austen's life into account. She's writing for family and friends, never married (Daddy was rich and let her do whatever she wanted), and likely had quite a few lovers. That said, it explains why we don't hear about Lydia's gritty, hardscrable marriage. This is for amusement, not an expose of social inequities. The narrative voice has the trademark Mr. Bennet humor, sarcastic and particularly merciless of Mrs. Bennet and her three youngest daughters. So, what does it mean that Lizzy gets her fairy tale? She follows only her own counsel on marriage, yet so does Lydia. Why does one live in an enchanted castle and another with a gambling addict of few scruples? The difference: Lizzy and Darcy both tear the illusions of each other apart through confrontation or deed.
Meaning: True understanding of one's own character and that of one's love is necessary for a true relationship and marriage.
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." - Sets the tone for the novel, largely lighthearted and scoffs at the upper class, also a jab at Mrs. Bennet.
"And your defect is a propensity to hate everybody."
"And yours," he replied with a smile, "is willfully to misunderstand them. - Shows the tension between Darcy and Lizzy, both understand each other more than any other character and aren't afraid to say so.
Cermony - Silko
Tayo begins his journey as a traumatized WWII vet. After your brother/cousin dies in your arms, you'd naturally experience some survivor's guilt, but Tayo doesn't stop there. Tayo takes on the burden for his uncle's death, mother's alcoholic destruction, and the drought that plagues his people.
No wonder he feels like puking all the time.
He returns home and is cared for by his aunt and uncle who gradually lose patients with his condition and suggest the help of a medicine man. Although Tayo originally attempts to numb his anguish in beer with the other Laguna vets, he cannot find solace in the stories they swap, stories of when they were appreciated and admired by other Americans. He finally snaps and stabs Emo, rattling his can of deadmen's teeth.
The healer Betonie is one of the few that can understand Tayo's predicament, how he lost his way on the hoop of time. A half-blood like Tayo, he can understand how Tayo has felt isolated from both cultures. He sets him out on his spiritual journey to turn back the witchery and find purpose again.
Tayo tries again to complete Josiah's dream of raising a hardy, yet meaty cattle and sets out to reclaim them. Along the way he runs into the mystical T'seh and has a healing sexual experience with her.
He spends the summer with T'seh, but eventually the witchery shows up again. Emo is on the hunt for Tayo, but settles on mutilating and killing his friend Harley instead. Tayo resists the urge to attack Emo and the witchery consumes itself, Emo ends up in jail.
The circle completes itself
Analysis:
Silko relies on Laguna archetypes to bind this novel together. The message of the novel is that union with the earth is necessary for the health of the individual and the role of dualities. Nothing is all bad or all good. This is perhaps best represented by T'seh Montano, look at her name, she is the earth. Only after Tayo has reconciled with her can he find his way back to present.
Meaning: Only through uniting the traditional and modern can society and the individual move forward.
"There are balances and harmonies always shifting, always necessary to maintain." - Betonie explains both the dualities of nature, but also the necessity to incorporate old and new.
"... most people are afraid of change. They think that if their children have the same colored skin, the same colored eyes, that nothing is changing." - Night Swan explains why the Lagunas reject Tayo, they react to the changes of new America by demonizing all the new. Real change to the traditions and culture is more insidious, in the thoughts of the younger generation, not what they look like.
No wonder he feels like puking all the time.
He returns home and is cared for by his aunt and uncle who gradually lose patients with his condition and suggest the help of a medicine man. Although Tayo originally attempts to numb his anguish in beer with the other Laguna vets, he cannot find solace in the stories they swap, stories of when they were appreciated and admired by other Americans. He finally snaps and stabs Emo, rattling his can of deadmen's teeth.
The healer Betonie is one of the few that can understand Tayo's predicament, how he lost his way on the hoop of time. A half-blood like Tayo, he can understand how Tayo has felt isolated from both cultures. He sets him out on his spiritual journey to turn back the witchery and find purpose again.
Tayo tries again to complete Josiah's dream of raising a hardy, yet meaty cattle and sets out to reclaim them. Along the way he runs into the mystical T'seh and has a healing sexual experience with her.
He spends the summer with T'seh, but eventually the witchery shows up again. Emo is on the hunt for Tayo, but settles on mutilating and killing his friend Harley instead. Tayo resists the urge to attack Emo and the witchery consumes itself, Emo ends up in jail.
The circle completes itself
Analysis:
Silko relies on Laguna archetypes to bind this novel together. The message of the novel is that union with the earth is necessary for the health of the individual and the role of dualities. Nothing is all bad or all good. This is perhaps best represented by T'seh Montano, look at her name, she is the earth. Only after Tayo has reconciled with her can he find his way back to present.
Meaning: Only through uniting the traditional and modern can society and the individual move forward.
"There are balances and harmonies always shifting, always necessary to maintain." - Betonie explains both the dualities of nature, but also the necessity to incorporate old and new.
"... most people are afraid of change. They think that if their children have the same colored skin, the same colored eyes, that nothing is changing." - Night Swan explains why the Lagunas reject Tayo, they react to the changes of new America by demonizing all the new. Real change to the traditions and culture is more insidious, in the thoughts of the younger generation, not what they look like.
Death of a Salesman - Miller
The family one meets in DOAS makes Ordinary People look like the paragon of a function family. Willy Loman has a tenuous grip on reality, delusions of grandure while lost in a past that never was. His wife Linda displays the loyalty of a golden retriever, constantly trying to soothe him while he swings between abrasive outbursts and self-deprecation. His sons visit, with hopes to start a business together. Both appear impressive, but neither have managed to be successful. Willy is delighted in what believes to be the long awaited triumph of his sons, particularly in Biff, his long favored son. Biff has returned from "out west" and a stint in jail. Willy is fired from his job by a man he has watched grow from a baby. He cannot bring himself to accept charity from Charley. The boys take Willy out to dinner where he gets lost in delusional ramblings and flashbacks to the event that has shadowed their lives: Biff's discovery of Willy's affair. Ashamed, the sons abandon their father at the restaurant. At home, Linda berates her sons for their treatment of Willy and their inability to mature. She reveals that Willy has been attempting suicide. Willy returns and has one last confrontation with Biff. Biff declares that Willy had filled him with unrealistic expectations, and that he is just an ordinary man not destined for greatness. He decides to move out west and not attempt to win the rat race. Willy misunderstands him completely believes Biff to turn a corner into success. He commits suicide so that Biff can use his insurance money to start his business.
Analysis:
Through the Willy's tragic life and Biff's rejection of him, Miller shows the American Dream to be an unobtainable and fruitless goal. The presence of the flute lends a Pide Piper atmosphere to Willy's dreams, they lure him away from a satisfying life and to his death. Both Biff and Happy live with the burden of Willy's teachings. Biff can't settle to a job that matches his ordinary talents and Happy is kept in a state of emotional insecurity. Despite catching his father with The Woman being his downfall from college and scholarship, it ends up saving him from his father's fate. By realizing that his father's image is false, Biff can reject him and his way of life, choosing to go west and make a new life there. (Wow, what a very traditional, pioneery thing to do) Happy lacks this moment with Willy and, still desperate for his approval, continues with a life Willy would have approved of.
"You can't eat the orange and throw the peel away - man is not a piece of fruit!" - Willy recognizes his insignificance in society after his conversation with Howard.
"Isn't that - isn't that remarkable! Biff- he likes me!" - Perhaps the most heartbreaking line in the play, Willy completely misunderstands Biff after he tells Willy that he is leaving and can't bear to see him anymore. Represents the complete disconnect between them and Willy's failure to accept reality.
Analysis:
Through the Willy's tragic life and Biff's rejection of him, Miller shows the American Dream to be an unobtainable and fruitless goal. The presence of the flute lends a Pide Piper atmosphere to Willy's dreams, they lure him away from a satisfying life and to his death. Both Biff and Happy live with the burden of Willy's teachings. Biff can't settle to a job that matches his ordinary talents and Happy is kept in a state of emotional insecurity. Despite catching his father with The Woman being his downfall from college and scholarship, it ends up saving him from his father's fate. By realizing that his father's image is false, Biff can reject him and his way of life, choosing to go west and make a new life there. (Wow, what a very traditional, pioneery thing to do) Happy lacks this moment with Willy and, still desperate for his approval, continues with a life Willy would have approved of.
"You can't eat the orange and throw the peel away - man is not a piece of fruit!" - Willy recognizes his insignificance in society after his conversation with Howard.
"Isn't that - isn't that remarkable! Biff- he likes me!" - Perhaps the most heartbreaking line in the play, Willy completely misunderstands Biff after he tells Willy that he is leaving and can't bear to see him anymore. Represents the complete disconnect between them and Willy's failure to accept reality.
Monday, April 16, 2012
The American Dream - Albee
Well, it feels like I've already done these, but here goes...
We are introduced into the highly satirized America comprised of Mommy and Daddy. As immature as their names, they are unable to derive any kind of satisfaction from their lives, be it sexual, spiritual, or material. They live with the slightly cantankerous, witty, and resourceful Grandma who does not hide her disdain for her daughter and son-in-law. All three are joined by Mrs. Baker, the neighborhood authority figure and government symbol. She is able to turn Mommy's opinion on anything, and Daddy finds her authority arousing. While this triangle attempts to get to the root of Mommy and Daddy's lack of satisfaction, The American Dream is welcomed into the apartment by Grandma. We find him to be hollow, despite his outward appearance of beauty and completeness. He is found to be the twin of the child Mommy and Daddy adopted before, but mutilated when it couldn't conform to their desires. Grandma leaves the apartment, but Mommy and Daddy find The American Dream to be the perfect addition to their family.
What Albee's getting at within the absurdity:
Grandma is the old American Dream, the dream America was founded on. She is resourceful, independent, and "comes from pioneer stock". She is rather androgynous, saying that at this point in her life she "looks just about as much as an old man as an old woman", in addition to taking the pseudonym "Uncle Henry" to win a baking contest (hinging on the American public being unable to tell good from bad when packaged). The Young Man is the new American Dream; empty, superficial, and glossy. Although he comes from "out west", it is not the plains of the Dakotas or rugged Rocky Mountains. He is from Hollywood, the phoniest place in America.
Through Mommy and Daddy's rejection of Grandma and adoption of the Young Man, they show that the values America was founded on no longer apply. Instead of striving with dirt, sweat, and ingenuity to lead a satisfying life, Mommy will debate beige hats with a sycophantic Daddy. The true irony is that they have what they want (the hollow Young Man), instead of what they so desperately need.
Meaning:
We are on a path of destruction with our current materialist values, but it's not too late to look back to the values of old America and reclaim our individualism.
We are introduced into the highly satirized America comprised of Mommy and Daddy. As immature as their names, they are unable to derive any kind of satisfaction from their lives, be it sexual, spiritual, or material. They live with the slightly cantankerous, witty, and resourceful Grandma who does not hide her disdain for her daughter and son-in-law. All three are joined by Mrs. Baker, the neighborhood authority figure and government symbol. She is able to turn Mommy's opinion on anything, and Daddy finds her authority arousing. While this triangle attempts to get to the root of Mommy and Daddy's lack of satisfaction, The American Dream is welcomed into the apartment by Grandma. We find him to be hollow, despite his outward appearance of beauty and completeness. He is found to be the twin of the child Mommy and Daddy adopted before, but mutilated when it couldn't conform to their desires. Grandma leaves the apartment, but Mommy and Daddy find The American Dream to be the perfect addition to their family.
What Albee's getting at within the absurdity:
Grandma is the old American Dream, the dream America was founded on. She is resourceful, independent, and "comes from pioneer stock". She is rather androgynous, saying that at this point in her life she "looks just about as much as an old man as an old woman", in addition to taking the pseudonym "Uncle Henry" to win a baking contest (hinging on the American public being unable to tell good from bad when packaged). The Young Man is the new American Dream; empty, superficial, and glossy. Although he comes from "out west", it is not the plains of the Dakotas or rugged Rocky Mountains. He is from Hollywood, the phoniest place in America.
Through Mommy and Daddy's rejection of Grandma and adoption of the Young Man, they show that the values America was founded on no longer apply. Instead of striving with dirt, sweat, and ingenuity to lead a satisfying life, Mommy will debate beige hats with a sycophantic Daddy. The true irony is that they have what they want (the hollow Young Man), instead of what they so desperately need.
Meaning:
We are on a path of destruction with our current materialist values, but it's not too late to look back to the values of old America and reclaim our individualism.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
It's the Circle, the Circle of time!
Ceremony. Why is this the odd one out? Well, for starters, we've read an odd number of books, but it seems to evade the two groups I've made. It does cover the "main themes" of both other sets of texts, but I feel that that's not really the main point of Ceremony. I also set it apart because it diverges from the other very Western texts we've read.
Learning about the Laguna culture was a very rewarding experience in understanding this novel. It took on a whole new meaning the second time I read it, before I new there had to be some reason for the way things were, but didn't understand why. The more I understood, the more beautiful it became, the poems blending in with "the story" until it becomes "the story". And that's what Silko intended, the importance of the stories, that they're shared. They become your culture, they become you.
There seems to be no other way of effectively writing Ceremony except in stream of consciousness. Tayo has managed to bust the hoop of time, instead of living on one strand of the circle, he lives all levels at once and cannot separate which Tayo he is. Only once he has completed his quest around the circle to undo the witchery of the war does Tayo find himself. He comes to accept his Mexican eyes, and finds his purpose. He will not remain trapped in the past, but will continue with T'seh and Betonie to create a culture that will survive the drought with stories and regaining a connection to their heritage.
Learning about the Laguna culture was a very rewarding experience in understanding this novel. It took on a whole new meaning the second time I read it, before I new there had to be some reason for the way things were, but didn't understand why. The more I understood, the more beautiful it became, the poems blending in with "the story" until it becomes "the story". And that's what Silko intended, the importance of the stories, that they're shared. They become your culture, they become you.
There seems to be no other way of effectively writing Ceremony except in stream of consciousness. Tayo has managed to bust the hoop of time, instead of living on one strand of the circle, he lives all levels at once and cannot separate which Tayo he is. Only once he has completed his quest around the circle to undo the witchery of the war does Tayo find himself. He comes to accept his Mexican eyes, and finds his purpose. He will not remain trapped in the past, but will continue with T'seh and Betonie to create a culture that will survive the drought with stories and regaining a connection to their heritage.
Rebellion ends in a marriage... or a bloodbath
Hamlet and Pride and Prejudice. On the surface they seem like polar opposites. Tragedy and Comedy, Laughter and Tears, Lizzy and Hamlet. However, both are an interesting look at rebellion.
Lizzy refuses to acquiesce to the societal dictates of her gender. She refuses to marry Mr. Collins despite the precarious nature of her family's land title because she does not respect him nor believe that either could be happy. She then later shoots down Mr. Darcy (one of top 100 richest men in Britain) because of his condescending attitude. Then to top it off she desides she will marry him, but piss off his super rich aunt. Egad! What a rabble rouser! Well, kind of, yeah. Not only does she disobey parental mandates, she subverts many of the rigid class distinctions. Her hostilities with Lady Catherine are something that nice girls just don't do. Lizzy's techniques for retaining autonomy are particularly interesting in comparison to Hamlet. She becomes the master (as Hamlet is himself) of saying one thing and meaning another. She whips snide comments disguised as polite niceties. Lizzy learns that she can hide behind her words and remain true to herself by saying what she thinks, but safe by not having others understand her intent.
Hamlet. Oh, Hamlet. What chance did he have? He's either going to hell for murdering his uncle, or haunted by his father's ghost. He too finds himself in conflict and alienated from his society. After returning from Wittenburg he's got all kinds of new ideas, ideas that don't mesh with the warrior tradition of Denmark. On top of that his dad has been murdered and his mom got remarried a month later. Angst, angst, angst. Despite Hamlet's closeness with Horatio, and Lizzy's closeness with Jane, they are both alone in their struggle. After deliberating over every option available to him, Hamlet finally makes a decision and walks into what he suspects to be a trap. Why? Hamlet chooses an almost defiant trust in fate and rebels against what should have been his destiny. Through his death Hamlet ends up rejecting what he had been born to be: the next king. Born without even his own name, he finally makes his choice defines himself.
Lizzy refuses to acquiesce to the societal dictates of her gender. She refuses to marry Mr. Collins despite the precarious nature of her family's land title because she does not respect him nor believe that either could be happy. She then later shoots down Mr. Darcy (one of top 100 richest men in Britain) because of his condescending attitude. Then to top it off she desides she will marry him, but piss off his super rich aunt. Egad! What a rabble rouser! Well, kind of, yeah. Not only does she disobey parental mandates, she subverts many of the rigid class distinctions. Her hostilities with Lady Catherine are something that nice girls just don't do. Lizzy's techniques for retaining autonomy are particularly interesting in comparison to Hamlet. She becomes the master (as Hamlet is himself) of saying one thing and meaning another. She whips snide comments disguised as polite niceties. Lizzy learns that she can hide behind her words and remain true to herself by saying what she thinks, but safe by not having others understand her intent.
Hamlet. Oh, Hamlet. What chance did he have? He's either going to hell for murdering his uncle, or haunted by his father's ghost. He too finds himself in conflict and alienated from his society. After returning from Wittenburg he's got all kinds of new ideas, ideas that don't mesh with the warrior tradition of Denmark. On top of that his dad has been murdered and his mom got remarried a month later. Angst, angst, angst. Despite Hamlet's closeness with Horatio, and Lizzy's closeness with Jane, they are both alone in their struggle. After deliberating over every option available to him, Hamlet finally makes a decision and walks into what he suspects to be a trap. Why? Hamlet chooses an almost defiant trust in fate and rebels against what should have been his destiny. Through his death Hamlet ends up rejecting what he had been born to be: the next king. Born without even his own name, he finally makes his choice defines himself.
Same Destination, Different Maps... The American Dream
When thinking about the literature we've covered, the order in which Holmes had us read makes a ton of sense. Death of a Salesman and The American Dream have essentially the same message: The American Dream is now dead, quit wasting your time, and find real satisfaction. However, the way this message was served was completely different. Two plays, two ways.
The American Dream was my first experience with theater of the absurd, and I have to say, I'm quite taken by it. I loved the biting satire, the surreal nature of Grandma's boxes, and that sometimes to see the truth, you need a trip down the rabbit hole. Through the childlike diction and bickering of Mommy and Daddy, Albee creates an image of an emotionally stunted America, too entranced by the shiny and new to care about the opinion and well being of the old and wisest, Grandma. In this caricature of America, adults are so quick to agree with what the authority thinks they discount the truth and common sense (The hat was BEIGE!). It's all good fun until Albee shocks you with the horrific vision of Mommy and Daddy dismembering the baby, and you see the truly dark side of The American Dream. We're destroying our future and ourselves. With the actions of Grandma we see that The American Dream has changed. It once stood for individuality, freedom, and honest labor back in Grandma's pioneer days. She exits once the hollow, polished dream takes up residence with Mommy and Daddy.
In contrast to the farcical style in The American Dream, Death of A Salesman is too real to be at all amusing. Willy Loman is the man who tried and failed. Despite his ambitions for himself and his sons, he was never a success and has to retreat into his own imagination in order to survive his disappointment. Willy lived under a delusion that what people think of you, a good smile, easy manner, can make all the difference. In the end though, what matters is to whom you were born. Despite his seniority, Willy is treated deferentially by Howard, who simply had to inherit the business. He is tormented by Biff's lack of success, yet cannot bear to think he is the cause of it. Ironically, by having Biff's impression of Willy completely torn down due to his infidelity, he saves Biff from his fate. Biff chooses to reject Willy's lessons and live "out west", where we can presume is still in the pioneer spirit of self industry and fulfillment.
The American Dream was my first experience with theater of the absurd, and I have to say, I'm quite taken by it. I loved the biting satire, the surreal nature of Grandma's boxes, and that sometimes to see the truth, you need a trip down the rabbit hole. Through the childlike diction and bickering of Mommy and Daddy, Albee creates an image of an emotionally stunted America, too entranced by the shiny and new to care about the opinion and well being of the old and wisest, Grandma. In this caricature of America, adults are so quick to agree with what the authority thinks they discount the truth and common sense (The hat was BEIGE!). It's all good fun until Albee shocks you with the horrific vision of Mommy and Daddy dismembering the baby, and you see the truly dark side of The American Dream. We're destroying our future and ourselves. With the actions of Grandma we see that The American Dream has changed. It once stood for individuality, freedom, and honest labor back in Grandma's pioneer days. She exits once the hollow, polished dream takes up residence with Mommy and Daddy.
In contrast to the farcical style in The American Dream, Death of A Salesman is too real to be at all amusing. Willy Loman is the man who tried and failed. Despite his ambitions for himself and his sons, he was never a success and has to retreat into his own imagination in order to survive his disappointment. Willy lived under a delusion that what people think of you, a good smile, easy manner, can make all the difference. In the end though, what matters is to whom you were born. Despite his seniority, Willy is treated deferentially by Howard, who simply had to inherit the business. He is tormented by Biff's lack of success, yet cannot bear to think he is the cause of it. Ironically, by having Biff's impression of Willy completely torn down due to his infidelity, he saves Biff from his fate. Biff chooses to reject Willy's lessons and live "out west", where we can presume is still in the pioneer spirit of self industry and fulfillment.
Class Synthesis: The Art of Essay
Crafting the 7+ essay has been a major skill to master this year. Here is a brief recap:
Opener
Don't jump in with a random dissertation on setting acting as a character in gothic novels, warm up with some outside information. Avoid at all cost the dreaded "Throughout time...".
The Thesis
Should be a road-map for the entire essay. This little monster MUST FOLLOW PROMPT! all of it. Including the implied "meaning" question. Split-thesis is acceptable. Must be arguable.
Body Paragraphs:
Opening sentences should refer back to thesis and are in the same order as topics addressed in thesis.
Plain-style:
Essays should be unadorned in adverbs and superfluous language. Use one word instead of three. Overloading on adjectives and adverbs is the work for the insecure writer and lawyers. It sounds pretentious and says nothing. Allow strong verbs and nouns to speak for themselves.
DIDLS:
Details, Imagery, Diction, Language, Syntax. These are the techniques to address in analysis essays, particularly useful in closed prompt poetry. Authors use these to create EFFECTS.
Effect:
This is the result of the author's choices on the reader. Includes mood, emotional response, characterization.
Opener
Don't jump in with a random dissertation on setting acting as a character in gothic novels, warm up with some outside information. Avoid at all cost the dreaded "Throughout time...".
The Thesis
Should be a road-map for the entire essay. This little monster MUST FOLLOW PROMPT! all of it. Including the implied "meaning" question. Split-thesis is acceptable. Must be arguable.
Body Paragraphs:
Opening sentences should refer back to thesis and are in the same order as topics addressed in thesis.
Plain-style:
Essays should be unadorned in adverbs and superfluous language. Use one word instead of three. Overloading on adjectives and adverbs is the work for the insecure writer and lawyers. It sounds pretentious and says nothing. Allow strong verbs and nouns to speak for themselves.
DIDLS:
Details, Imagery, Diction, Language, Syntax. These are the techniques to address in analysis essays, particularly useful in closed prompt poetry. Authors use these to create EFFECTS.
Effect:
This is the result of the author's choices on the reader. Includes mood, emotional response, characterization.
Open Prompt Edit #4
1979. Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognized literary merit who might on the basis of the character's actions alone be considered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary.
His favorite hobby being ultra-violence, it is doubtless that Alex of A Clockwork Orange should be considered evil. The delight he experiences in rape and random acts of violence first causes revulsion in the reader, yet gradually a sense of sympathy develops for him. Through alienating Alex to his peers and pitting him against an equally repugnant society, Burgess creates a more sympathetic reaction than Alex’s actions deserve at face value. Burgess then uses the reader’s moral dilemma to advance his message on brainwashing and violence.
Although mindlessly destructive, Alex is isolated from the droogs he commands. His great appreciation of art and beauty gives him a depth his peers will never understand. The reader comes to admire Alex for his taste and wit. Further sympathy is given to Alex as his gang betrays him, although one abhorrers Alex’s actions, pity and outrage is still felt for his misfortunes. One can easily relate to the experience of being stabbed in the back more than empathize with Alex’s victims through the separation caused by Burgess’ Nadsat language.
When compared to a hypocritical and equally violent government, Alex’s actions paint him in a better light. As they torture and experiment on him the reader feels that Alex becomes something of a martyr. Alex comes to symbolize freewill instead of drug-fueled violence. Burgess turns Alex into a passionate opponent of hypocrisy. The government that punishes him for his violent acts receives the same joy he does in violence.
Burgess is able to further his themes on brainwashing and violence due to the reader’s conflicted opinion of Alex. The separation the reader feels to Alex’s victims due to Nadsat is a mirror to the conditioning Alex undergoes. The reader becomes brainwashed into accepting violence. This provides a chilling parallel to the events in A Clockwork Orange: as Alex is being conditioned to reject violence, the reader is conditioned to accept it. Alex’s transformation at the end of the novel is only made plausible by the reader’s grudging acceptance of Alex as a complex character. Without the reader trusting Alex to be capable of changing his ways, Burgess could not advance his message that violence is a form of emotional adolescence.
Although we should condemn Alex for his violence, we find ourselves drawn to his magnetic personality and suffering. Burgess creates a moral dilemma, we gradually come to respect him as a protagonist, yet are repulsed by his actions.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Open Prompt Edit #3
1983. From a novel or play of literary merit, select an important character who is a villain. Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze the nature of the character's villainy and show how it enhances meaning in the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.
Villains are an essential part of most any work. Apart from their obvious role in plot creation, they reveal and propel the author’s message. Lady Macbeth is exactly this type of character. Complex and ambitious, her villainy stems from repressed desire for control she has been denied in a society that allows her little. Lady Macbeth comes to embody the themes of gender identity conflict and insanity that permeate Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth acts as the driving force behind Macbeth’s ascension through her ruthless ambition. So determined is Lady Macbeth to become queen, she attempts to purge herself of any empathetic and “feminine” characteristics. She equates her femininity with mothering qualities, declaring to herself that she would bash in the skull of the infant she nursed. Notably, she and Macbeth appear to have no children; symbolically Lady Macbeth is incapable of nourishing life, she is too consumed by her own ambition. Lady Macbeth’s campaign against the stereotypical “delicate” qualities of females extends beyond her own gender. When she needs to goad Macbeth into action she attacks his masculinity, calling him a woman when he hesitates to kill King Duncan.
Although she is capable of dealing with Macbeth’s growing insanity in front of guests, Lady Macbeth eventually cracks under the guilt of her actions. The appearance and obsession with the unreal is mirrored in speeches of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. While he is immediately guilt stricken, he hallucinates a dagger. Her reaction is delayed, but more impressively insane; Lady Macbeth’s guilt manifests itself in blood she cannot rid her hands of and she eventually kills herself. Insanity becomes a form of atonement; only through her death can she clean her hands of her part in treason.
Lady Macbeth, arguably the true villain of
Open Prompt Edit #2
1982. In great literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake. Choose a work of literary merit that confronts the reader or audience with a scene or scenes of violence. In a well-organized essay, explain how the scene or scenes contribute to the meaning of the complete work. Avoid plot summary.
Violence is sometimes a plot device in novels, a source of conflict or a way to reveal characterization. In other works violence serves to advance the author’s thematic message. A Clock-Work Orange, though as graphic as any pulp novel, accomplishes this with aplomb. Through use of pervasive violence in his dystopian novel, Burgess advances his statements on brain-washing, societal values, and maturation.
Just as he uses his slang language of Nadsat to give the reader a feeling of Alex’s brainwashing, Burgess desensitizes the reader with his barrage of violence. Working against the revulsion-triggering Luvodico’s Technique Alex undergoes, the reader is no longer repulsed by the brutality of the actions. Further working against the automatic distaste disturbing violence creates, he makes sociopath Alex a compelling narrator. Despite his delight in rape and “ultra violence”, Alex’s wit, distinguished tastes, and alienation make him appealing, mudding the reader’s moral sensibilities. Burgess conditions the reader through the use of violence to add complexity to his defense of free will.
Violence allows Burgess to comment on the values of the society and government he has created. Although the government decides to forcibly reform Alex’s violent behavior, the officials are shown to be just as brutal as he is, notably when the doctors administering the Luvodico Technique enjoy Alex’s anguish. Alex, and the acts of violence he commits, is then seen in a more sympathetic light. He becomes a rebel against their hypocrisy, willing to do what they don’t but would like to. Violence comes to symbolize a government not bent on keeping people safe, but keeping people in control.
At the end of A Clockwork Orange we are introduced to the adult Alex. He finds that violence is no longer satisfying. Destruction no longer gives him the same enjoyment; he becomes bored in of ultra-violence. Alex matures. Burgess uses violence to make the destructive impulses all humans have into an adolescent phase on the way to mental adulthood. By having Alex grow out of violence Burgess chooses to characterize human nature as not one inherently evil, the developed mind leans towards creation.
More than a shock-tool, the violence in A Clockwork Orange gives it thematic value. Without this brutal imagery Burgess could not create a revolting and complex idea for the reader to grapple with. Violence becomes more disturbing as one is no longer disgusted.
Post Edit #1
1970. Choose a character from a novel or play of recognized literary merit and write an essay in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists and (b) show how the character is affected by and responds to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot.
In some works, authors create a society we know; an often nostalgic reflection of our life. One feels they can live in Avonlea or Cold Sassy, converse with the characters, and understand their values. Other works instead provide glaring contrast to comment on our society and dangers the author perceives. Huxley belongs in this second camp with his novel Brave New World. Through the numbed and materialistic standards of his dystopia and its destructive effect on John, Huxley comments on human nature and his fears for the goals we may pursue.
The standards of the dystopia in Brave New World revolve around creating comfort and peace; facilitated through detachment. The lack of live births and families seek to eliminate the entangling and often painful bonds of kinship; severing one of the deepest attachments, that between mother and child. A communistic approach to relationships is taken to further avoid the heartache and jealousies of love and monogamy; exclusivity is frowned upon. Work, another stress, is mechanized or performed by the genetically altered and brainwashed Epsilons, leaving the Alphas and Betas to secure jobs they are brainwashed to enjoy. The conflict of religion is done away with and the hole is replaced with "orgy-porgies", drug laced community orgies to create unity and provide an imitation spiritual experience. They now worship materialism.
The effect of this society on John, and on humanity, is soul-destroying. Originally viewing the society as a haven from his pariah condition on The Reservation, John delights in the wonders the city can offer, exclaiming rapturously "Oh Brave New World, that hath such people in it!", quoting Shakespeare and reflecting the innocence of Miranda in his utterance. John has been raised on Shakespeare, taught a life of passion and strife from his words. His speech therefore contrasts with the city's un-poetic mantras and represents the falseness of his expectations. John is eaten away by the materialistic values of the World State, finally enraged by the mere curiosity shown by children at his mother's death. Realizing that he cannot live a life without pain, that humanity is not satisfied without struggle, John hangs himself in an act of penance and violent rebellion.
The World State's values result in the destruction of John, comfort and fear of ostracism killing passion and individualism. This dystopian vision serves as Huxley's commentary on what we feel may fill the void and how material pleasures will never satisfy a spiritual need.
The World State's values result in the destruction of John, comfort and fear of ostracism killing passion and individualism. This dystopian vision serves as Huxley's commentary on what we feel may fill the void and how material pleasures will never satisfy a spiritual need.
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