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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.