Final Project Reflection

The creation of this project one of the many things I have enjoyed doing this semester.  As I have previously mentioned, this class was a creative savior for me this semester due to the majority of my classes being about professionalism in the work place.  For this project, my primary project was the pointillism painting that is shown below.  This painting consumed my entire Thanksgiving break yet it was such a thrill to work on.  I am disappointed that I was unable to complete this project in time, yet I feel that the work that went into it speaks for itself (at least I hope so). 


In regards to the blue poster board, my thoughts was that I would make a simple poster board and use the pictures as talking points.  When giving presentations I usually choose talking points (bullet points/lists) rather than typing up an entire speech due to the extemporaneous style of speaking.  While the blue poster may be a bit boring on the eyes it is my hope that the painting below would make up for the blue talking points at the beginning of my presentation.  One of the things that really struck me during the presentation was the reactions to the painting.  I have shown a few in secret the painting and they have been absolutely blown away by the work.  This may be due to them having a familiarity with the style that was used.  However, when I have shown students on campus the painting, I have received mixed reactions.  Either students really like it or they simply shrug their shoulders and provide the generic compliment.  I have thought about this and I suppose I take comfort in the two facts that I have never taken an art class and that there are paintings in museums that I simply shrug my shoulders and move on.  Art is unique and the individuals reactions are unique as well. 


Overall it was a great semester, great class, and I look forward to continuing my research in the realm of women's literature.  Next up?  I plan to complete George Eliot's "Middle March," Bronte's "Wuthering Heights," and  Eleanor Catton's "The Luminaries." 

Generations of Hate

                Upon watching the film “The Secret Life of Bees,” I was immediately struck by how similar the settings/themes were similar to my own hometown.  In the film, the protagonist, Lily, lives in the Deep South and experiences many of the prejudices that occurred and are still effect in today’s modern age.  The struggle between blacks and whites has been a conflict we have been dealing with since the creation of our nation.  The nature of this paper is not to examine the racial discrimination events of the past.  Rather, our focus will be on how these past events have influenced our current society and how we are to navigate forward towards progress.

I grew up in small river town on the outskirts of St. Louis. The town consists of roughly two-thousand blue collar individuals.  Young men, many who never finished high school, work as farmers and/or construction workers while the women were either stay at home moms, teachers, or waitresses at the small cafés in town.  While this may sound like a fairly idyllic life to some, the town has its own way of doing things; many of these things go unspoken.  Going through the town today, one would notice that there is a very clear divide within the city. Blacks lived on the south side, whites on the north.  Growing up, we always knew the unspoken rule of never commenting on this anomaly, it was simply accepted.  Also accepted were the “four-way stop donations” for the KKK, never asking why all of the black students were never seen in school due to being placed in “special education,” and not asking about the burnt out house on the north side; a house in which a black man went against the norms and moved into the north side, only to discover a stick of dynamite in his woodpile. 

This represents the current state of the town’s dynamics, but in order to understand why this is we will examine a historical perspective through the lens of the film “The Secret Life of Bees.”  In the film we see the same tension between blacks and whites that is found in the small present day town in which I grew up.  However, the tension is more confrontational.  In one of the scenes from the film, Zach takes Lily to a film in town and his dragged away by whites and beaten (Secret Life of Bees).  This form of confrontation was more prevalent during the time in period in which the film takes places but today’s tension has changed.  Rather than the folks in the present day town dragging the north side man back to the south side and beating him, they allowed him to purchase the house and quietly slip dynamite into his woodpile during the night. 

Another example from the film would be the scene in which Rosaline is going to the poll to vote and ends up getting beaten for standing up to the white men (Secret Life of Bees).  Again, while the confrontation that occurs in the film is more physical, the confrontation that occurs in today’s small town is a more discrete confrontation.  The town has a sizable black population, yet if you were to attend a graduation ceremony at the high school, you would be hard pressed to find more than 5 black students graduating.  Is this simply due to Blacks quitting out of school due to lack of interest?  Again, we know not to ask these questions.

After examining the historical context in the film “Secret Life of Bees,” we can see how the past events of racial tension have a clear effect on how our societies today are constructed.  We also notice how the manner in which the two ethnic group confront each other has Many of these tensions are still very raw in today’s day and age.  The way in which we will ease these societal tensions and help to construct a more tolerant society is through the uses of education and positive role modeling.  By learning what past events still linger in our society’s consciousness, we can help lead the way in bridging the gap between blacks and whites and create a society in which both voices are equally heard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

The Secret Life of Bees. Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2008. DVD.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

               

Bridging the Gap: The LGBTQ Discourse

Throughout history, the LGBTQ community is a group of people that have been ostracized, verbally abused, and physically assaulted.  Depression and suicide has also plagued this group of people.  While many have hypothesized their own reasons as to why these people have been treated this way, in this essay, we will examine how the rising awareness of this community is providing a growing sense of a collective identity in which these individuals can feel free to express themselves, thus contributing to their society.

                In Jeanette Winterson’s, “The Poetics of Sex,” she writes a poetic piece in which she details the life she is building with her lesbian lover and how this relationship provides her with a sense of empowerment.  To this day there are many individuals who are greatly against this community, and some even deny their existence.  Winterson write’s a moving piece in which she calls her lover “Picasso” and describes how she is going through her “blue” phase (1446).  Her connection between her love life with another woman and art provides an interesting manner of writing that serves as an attempt to bring legitimacy to her relationship.  For thousands of years, heterosexual individuals have written poetical pieces describing the love of their lives and comparing their partners to the muses of the gods.  Winter’s writings attempt to suggest that the love between hetero and homosexual couples is no different.  It is in this way that Winterson’s piece acts as a bridge between those who belong to this community and those who actively fight and/or ignore it.

                The act of actually writing this piece serves a purpose in and of itself.  Heterosexual individuals have entire libraries filled with narratives about their form of love, but historically, homosexual couples do not have much literature devoted to them save for the reference in the DMT referring to individuals feeling how they are feeling as having a mental disorder.  It is only until recently that homosexual literature is being written and published in a more mainstream sense.  While this form of written expression may have been underground even decades ago, today most book stores have sections devoted solely for homosexual literature.   Today you can find scenes in books such as “flesh of her flesh she fucked her” (1449) while 50 years ago it would have been more rare.  It is through writing that others possessing the same belief as Winterson can find legitimacy and begin to move forward in finding creative ways in which to express their own emotions.

                Winterson’s work also serves as a form of social advancement for the LGBTQ community.  The concept of gay marriage is something that our society is currently wrestling with.  Winterson wrote this text in 1999 and she alludes to this desire to obtain these rights.  In the text she writes, “When you have sunk me to the pit I’ll mine you in return and we shall be husbands to each other as well as wives” (1450).  Clearly the concept of marriage is not lost on this group of individuals.  Winterson also provides hope to those who wish to be together throughout their lives, but are not legally allowed to yet.  Towards the end of her piece she writes “Picasso has loved me for fifty years and she loves me still” (1452).  Even though she never marries Picasso they still find a way to have a lifelong relationship together, proving that members of this community can in fact, sustain relationships, regardless of what society believes.

                After examining Winterson’s text, The Poetics of Sex, we can see how this work serves as a way in which to help other homosexual couples find a sense of identity.  Historically, homosexual couples could not find these forms of literature and were condemned by society.  It is through the writing and publication of works such as this that members of the LGBTQ community can begin to find a sense of belonging. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

Winterson, Jeanette.  “The Poetics of Sex”.  The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women Vol. 2. Ed. Gilbert, Sandra M. and Gubar, Susan.  New York:  W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.  1446-1452. Print.

Art and Intimacy

                The intimacy of art is a concept that has been discussed throughout the ages.  Whether the art in question were depictions of Hellenistic beauty conveyed through nude portraits or more conventional controversy of painting Muslim women without their Burkka’s, we are constantly reevaluating art with a question in our mind.  What forms of intimate depictions should be deemed appropriate and inappropriate?  In this paper, we will explore the concept of intimacy through the film “The Girl with Pearl Earrings” and discover how our concept of what is and is not appropriate forms of intimacy, in regards to art, have historically evolved.

                The film “The Girl with Pearl Earrings” is the portrayal of renowned painter Johannes Vermeer and his interactions between his patron, his family, and his new servant Grit.  In the film, we are presented with Grit being tasked to serve in the Vermeer home due to her father becoming blind.  While in the home, Grit discovered that her master, Johannes Vermeer, is a painter and she becomes fascinated with his paintings as well as partaking in the production of creating paint.  However, Vermeer’s wife appears quite tense throughout the film and it is ultimately revealed that she is uncomfortable with Vermeer’s interactions with females in the past and this ultimately results in Grit being removed from the home after Vermeer completes a painting of her in secret.  What we must ask ourselves is what were the attitudes/beliefs in Vermeer’s time that would have been deemed appropriate/ inappropriate and how have these ideas evolved.

                We will begin by examining what forms of art were deemed appropriate at this time.  In the film we see Vermeer painting numerous paintings for his wealthy patron.  Historic paintings that are shown include “Woman with a Pearl Necklace,” “Woman with a Water Jug,” and “Girl with a Pearl Earring.”  We can deduce from this information that the creation of art itself is not what was considered inappropriate.  This is in contrast to certain dystopian ideas that suggest that the creation of art is dangerous and should not be encouraged. Vermeer’s paintings were clearly valued in the film which stands to suggest that his paintings were considered appropriate. 

What should also be taken into consideration in regards to what was appropriate at the time in is the lavish church that is shown in the film.  The church is the only primary source of power over the society which is evidenced in the scene where the whole town in showing up to the service.  While inside the church, everybody is quiet and respectful which shows their level of respect for this institution.  What should be noted is that the church is decorated in ornate art designs, paintings, and fancy stained glass.  The clothing that the priests wear also appears to be of a higher caliber than the common people wore.  The structure of the building is quite grand and stands in stark contrast to the older, crumbling buildings that are universally seen throughout the town.  This further provides proof that art structures, clothing, and paintings were deemed inappropriate but rather, encouraged.

Now that we have established that the buildings, clothing, and paintings were not considered inappropriate, we must discover what it was that made Vermeer’s wife so uncomfortable.  It is clear that Vermeer’s wife cherished the time he spent with her as is evidenced in an erotic piano scene which Grit stumbles into.  However, this scene serves as a stark comparison between the following piano scene in which Grit is setting the table but Vermeer keeps staring at Grit with his wife in the room.  This scene works in conjunction with an early scene in which a fellow servant is introducing Grit to the home and informs her that Vermeer has painted servants in the past, much to the displeasure of his wife.  What should also be taken into consideration is the scene in which the patron attempts to rape Grit.  He reveals one of the key pieces of evidence we need in constructing our argument when he says, “I’ll be you serve your master well when your alone with him.”  As the audience, we know that Grit has not slept with Vermeer, but the fact that she spends time alone with him is what has led others to speculate and create rumors that the two are sleeping together.  It is the fact that they are alone together that is what is deemed inappropriate in this film.

What we must also consider inappropriate how intimate Vermeer is with Grit.  His constant staring, caressing, and standing up for Grit is enough to make any wife suspicious.  Also, we notice that throughout the film Grit wears a head covering, something that was very common in the world of Christianity.  She never removed her covering throughout the entire movie except for one scene.  Vermeer asks her to remove her covering and she is shocked at first, but ultimately relents.  Vermeer grants her temporary privacy only to come into the room and stare at her as her hair is uncovered.  This would be the modern day equivalent of looking at a Muslim woman who is not wearing her Burkka.  Definitely something that would be considered taboo today.  It is the intimate act of seeing and touching other women is what is to be considered inappropriate in this film.

Now we will shift our focus into how our labeling of art has evolved since Vermeer’s time.  Today we have a wide variety of art that we see on a normal basis from Andy Warhol’s Campbell soup cans at the store, to Jackson Pollock impressions hanging up in hotel lobbies.  There are various forms of acceptance/rejection to be found in today’s society, possibly more so than in Vermeer’s time.  The concept of post-modern art for one is a subject that is either quickly rejected or accepted.  However, following in the vein of the film, a popular form of expression that is experiencing an explosion in today’s society is pornography. 

Today classical nude paintings found in Rome and Greece are widely celebrated as an artistic depiction of the human body.  Pornography however has not yet found this sort of celebration; rather it is widely regarded with an open rejection.  Pornography itself has experienced an evolution from its early formation in magazines to its current availability for free online.  The question that we are still struggling with today is what forms of intimate depictions should be deemed appropriate and inappropriate?  Why is it that a classical nude statue of Diana is greeted with celebration and enthusiasm while a woman showing her breasts in Playboy is greeted with scorn and rejection?  While it is true that as pornography becomes more and more accessible that our tolerance towards it will increase, will we at some point reach an ultimate stand and say this is where we will not cross the line or will we simply continue to allow more and more exposure?

After examining appropriate/inappropriate forms of art in the film “Girl with a Pearl Earring” as well as discussing intimacy in today’s controversial art, pornography, we can ultimately conclude that this is ultimately a struggle that we will continue to have.  Different cultures have varying beliefs as to what forms of intimate depiction/creation are acceptable.  The shocking event of seeing a women with her head uncovered in the past would simply be greeted with a nonchalant shrug today.  Our standards have evolved and will continue to evolve.  The one that that we can be certain of is that intimate art will continue to remain controversial.

The Birds

The Birds


I had eight birds hatched in one nest (154)

The scene … lies in a colony in America called Surinam, (186)

Beside the waters of the Hudson (359)

My numbers they admired, but me they scorned (235)

I feel very differently at the approach of spring (318)

How many are the solitary hours I spend,

 Ruminating upon the past,

Anticipating the future (319)

If birds could weep,

then would my tears

Let others know what are my fears (155)

Mother had been many years (464)

Yet when I sit on rock or hill

Down-looking on the valley fair (455)

The shattered world I built

Pieces held together by seasons in child time

Emptiness left by a boom or … cry (1016)

And with Memory I was there

The first flowers of the year(458)

My mother was a Florentine,

Whose rare blue eyes were shut from seeing me (542)

“Mother, just lay your head on my lap

And see if you can’t sleep (604)

The hours slid fast-as hours will-

Clutched tight-by greedy-hands (1046)

Forced into the arms of whores (223)

A prettier bird was nowhere seen (154)

Had I not killed her she would have killed me.

She died hard. (245)

In chirping language, oft them tell,

You had a dam that loved you well. (155)

Works Cited

Adams, Abigail.  “Absolute Power over Wives”.  The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women Vol. 1. Ed. Gilbert, Sandra M. and Gubar, Susan.  New York:  W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.  319. Print.

---.  “Remember the Ladies”.  The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women Vol. 1. Ed. Gilbert, Sandra M. and Gubar, Susan.  New York:  W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.  318. Print.

Austin, Jane.  “Love and Freindship”.  The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women Vol. 1. Ed. Gilbert, Sandra M. and Gubar, Susan.  New York:  W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.  464. Print.

Behn, Aphra.  “Oroonoko, or The Royal Slave”.  The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women Vol. 1. Ed. Gilbert, Sandra M. and Gubar, Susan.  New York:  W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.  186. Print.

Bradstreet, Anne.  “In Reference to Her Children, 23 June, 1659”.  The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women Vol. 1. Ed. Gilbert, Sandra M. and Gubar, Susan.  New York:  W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.  154-155. Print.

Browning, Elizabeth Barrett.  “From Aurora Leigh”.  The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women Vol. 1. Ed. Gilbert, Sandra M. and Gubar, Susan.  New York:  W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.  542. Print.

Dickenson, Emily.  “325”.  The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women Vol. 1. Ed. Gilbert, Sandra M. and Gubar, Susan.  New York:  W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.  1046. Print.

Hurston, Zora Neale.  “How It Feels To Be Colored Me”.  The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women Vol. 2. Ed. Gilbert, Sandra M. and Gubar, Susan.  New York:  W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.  359. Print.

Killigrew, Anne.  “Upon the Saying That My Verses Were Made by Another”.  The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women Vol. 1. Ed. Gilbert, Sandra M. and Gubar, Susan.  New York:  W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.  235. Print.

Morrison, Tony.  “Unspeakable Things Unspoken”.  The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women Vol. 2. Ed. Gilbert, Sandra M. and Gubar, Susan.  New York:  W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.  1016. Print.

Stowe, Harriet Beecher.  “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”.  The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women Vol. 1. Ed. Gilbert, Sandra M. and Gubar, Susan.  New York:  W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.  604. Print.

Woolf, Virginia.  “Hyde Park Gate”.  The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women Vol. 2. Ed. Gilbert, Sandra M. and Gubar, Susan.  New York:  W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.  223.  Print.

---.  “Professions for Women”.  The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women Vol. 2. Ed. Gilbert, Sandra M. and Gubar, Susan.  New York:  W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.  245.  Print.

Wordsworth, Dorothy.  “Grasmere-A Fragment”.  The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women Vol. 1. Ed. Gilbert, Sandra M. and Gubar, Susan.  New York:  W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.  455. Print.

---. “Thoughts on my Sick Bed”.  The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women Vol. 1. Ed. Gilbert, Sandra M. and Gubar, Susan.  New York:  W.W. Norton & Company, 2007.  458. Print.

  

Emily Dickenson: Poem 519 Analysis

Emily Dickenson:  Poem 519 Analysis

519

This is my letter to the World

That Never wrote to Me-

The simple News that Nature told-

With tender Majesty

Her Message is committed

To Hands I cannot see-

For love of Her-Sweet-countrymen-

Judge tenderly-of Me

 

                When working with poetry, there are a variety of tools that we, as the readers, can use in order to work with the text.  Just as one would not attempt to construct a home without having the proper tools, so too should we approach poetry with both the tools, as well as a plan, in which to work with.  The tools that we will be utilizing in deconstructing this text are examining first impressions and exploring the line structures.

                The first tool that we will use to work with this Dickenson text is exploring first impressions.  This is a subjective method that is unique to the individual working with the poem.  This method of approaching literature is a common reading strategy that is implemented in secondary education classrooms across the country.  Dr. Roy Fox uses this method for projects that he deems as “Difficulty Papers.” 

                Upon reading poem 519 I am immediately asking questions.  Emily Dickenson is writing a letter to “the World.”  What is this world which she is writing to?  Is this “world” the world of people, or the natural world?  Also, why would we, as the readers, judge Emily Dickenson?  For writing a letter to the world? Who are the sweet countrymen?   It is easy to see how the average reader would be puzzled when first approaching this text.

                Thus, we must next examine this text with a second tool; exploring line structures.  Once again, we will examine the selected word “World.”  Is this word in reference to people or nature?  Line two suggests that Emily is writing to this “world” that never wrote back.  While it would be easy for readers to assume that since the entity did not write back that ‘world’ must mean people.   In literature, this is not always true.  Perhaps nature is simply being personified in this instance?  Further examination of the poem reveals this to be the case.  “The simple news that nature told, with tender majesty.”  The answer to our first question has now been answered.  World in this instance is in reference to the natural world, which is being personified with idea of nature speaking tenderly. 

                The next two lines reads “Her message is committed to hands I cannot see.”  What students can deduce from this is that nature has a message of some sort.  However, the sixth line suggests that this is a hidden message.  A message that the reader/writer is not to know of.  Again, we are presented with questions about what the message is and why it is hidden. 

The final two lines read “For love of her-Sweet-countrymen, judge tenderly-of me.”  This is perhaps the trickiest part for us to grasp.  With a quick reading of these lines, it would be easy for the reader to come away with the false understanding of nature having sweet countrymen.  However, a close examination of the syntax reveals that the line is broken up, intentionally.  We must first ask ourselves who is being judged?  This is one of the easier aspects to pick out due to the manner of the syntactical use of the “-“.  It is revealed that it is Dickenson who is being judged.  We can now go back and see that this same implementation of the “-“ is used in the preceding line indicating that the one who is judging is Dickenson’s countrymen, not natures countrymen. 

It is after responding to the poem through our first impressions and examining the word choices line-by-line that we can begin to build a bigger picture of this poem.  These are strategies that can be used for anybody that struggles with reading poetry, as well as those looking to dig beneath the surface.  While these are not the absolute best methods that must always be used when examining poetry, they are basic methods that can be used in order to make complex texts more approachable.

Gollum and the Ring

Gollum and the Ring

 

“Our economy is based on spending billions to persuade people that happiness is buying things, and then insisting that the only way to have a viable economy is to make things for people to buy so they’ll have jobs and get enough money to buy things.”-Philip Slater

 

                After watching the film “Clueless” as well as reading Min Jin Lee’s, “Free Food for Millionaire’s,” we notice that there are many parallels between the two.  Such parallels include explorations of the lifestyles of the upper echelon, navigating complex relationships, and the obsession of objects.  In this essay we will be focusing on the idea of object obsession and how these objects impact the identities of the individuals.

                We will begin by exploring the positive effects that both the pursuit, as well as the acquisition, of objects has the individual.  One of the more striking parallels that we see between the film and the selected text is the way in which the female protagonists solve their frustrations, shopping.  When Clare is frustrated with her life/job at Kearne Davis she alters her mood by going out and purchasing expensive clothes (Lee).  The “Clueless” protagonist  displays the same reaction when she receives a bad grade in her class and asks her friend to go shopping with her.  Why do these two characters do this?  One possible explanation would be that the women are attempting to build a sense of efficacy.  Efficacy is the beliefs that you possess the ability to change something.  This idea works well for both of the protagonists.  Clare cannot change Ted and Cher cannot change her grade (at the time).  Thus, both women chose to chance something in which they had the power to do, which was their clothing and thereby attaining a sense of empowerment.

                Next we will examine some of the negative effects of object obsession on the protagonists.  While it is important for both women to attain a sense of empowerment over their negative circumstances, attaining empowerment through the use of object acquisition is not without negative effects.  For example, Clare has a variety of problems from living with Ted, having an unfaithful partner, and working at a difficult job.  To gain a sense of empowerment Clare purchases expensive clothing.  However, Clare’s solution to her problems is unsustainable due to her increasingly high debt accumulation which forces her to commit undesirable actions such as having intercourse with a boss at Kearne Davis in order to get a job.  This idea of object obsession holds back Cher as well, which is evidenced in the part of the film when Cher gets held up by gunpoint and her assailant tells her to get on the ground.  Cher informs the man that she cannot due to wearing expensive clothing and her desire to not ruin it.  Though Cher finally succumbs to the robbers demands, for a brief moment Cher valued her clothes more than her life.

                Upon examining both the positive and negative effects of object obsession we can ultimately conclude the matter will remain complex.  While it is easy to pick up extreme examples of object obsession from our protagonist examination, who we should ultimately be conducting is a self-audit.  What are the objects that provide us a sense of empowerment and how can they also be detrimental?  There are many common objects that fall into both of these classifications such as money, clothing, television, etc.  While it is true we all need money, we must also not forget our sense of generosity.  It is through the reading/watching of films and literature that we can examine these characters with their faults which ultimately allows us to examine ourselves as to ensure we avoid their mistakes.