Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Kristin Goehri 07/01/10
I looked at the Dove commercials. These tackle beauty and the ways in which media has contorted our perceptions. It asks women to become role models for young girls and help them feel beautiful in their own skin. I also looked at the seventeen project. It contains blog posts from readers who are tired of the one track focus of beauty magazines. Their posts ask magazine companies to expand their product to meet more women's needs.
July 1
While thinking of a piece with images of and narratives about women, I first thing of songs and movies that have women overcoming some sort of abuse or something very intense. After thinking longer about it however, I thought of the movie Hairspray. Hairspray is about a young girl, high-school age, that is considered overweight. She wants more than anything in the world to be on this dance show called The Corny Collins show. However, everyone in society, school, and even in her family tell her that there is no way that she will ever be on the show. Her own mother does not even think she has a chance because of her weight. Her father is the only one that tells her to go for it and try out. I think this movie stuck out to me because of the image of an ideal woman. The perfect slender body, long legs, pale, and long blonde hair- one which was brought up from the very beginning of class. This calls for action by not only the young girl in doing what she wants no matter what others say about her, but also for people in her family and the rest of society to accept her for who she is. She is a spunky, creative, fun girl and should be accepted for the kind of person she is.
I have attached the link to the trailer:
I have attached the link to the trailer:
BreAnna Brock
The piece I chose was "Whats Love Got to do With It", this story is about the life of the well reknowned R & B artists Tina Turner and her life with her abusive husband Ike Turner. She endured many years of mental, emotional, and physical abuse including rape at the hand of her husband. All the while she being the bread winner for the family. And even when she worked he abused her to the point of exhausten and collapse causing her to have a nervous and physical breakdown. Finally when she couldn't take it anymore it lead to her literally having to fight her way out of a moving limosene to escape his abuse for one final time.
In the first scene, it begans right before she is released from the hospital from having her nervous and physical breakdown. the limo scene in this clip shows the strength and the point when Tina a become fed up. I love the fact that after she fought him, she gets out of the car gathers herelf as well she can and walks into the hotel with her head held high like a strong woman. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm6z1I6lNqc
Second Scene I have is a continuation of the first scene, but in this scene Tina finally leaves Ike. I love how during the court scene Tina says he can have it all. She just wants her name although Ike wanted her to change it so that he could capitalize the Tina Turner name. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kwFAGKXdjE
In the first scene, it begans right before she is released from the hospital from having her nervous and physical breakdown. the limo scene in this clip shows the strength and the point when Tina a become fed up. I love the fact that after she fought him, she gets out of the car gathers herelf as well she can and walks into the hotel with her head held high like a strong woman. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm6z1I6lNqc
Second Scene I have is a continuation of the first scene, but in this scene Tina finally leaves Ike. I love how during the court scene Tina says he can have it all. She just wants her name although Ike wanted her to change it so that he could capitalize the Tina Turner name. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kwFAGKXdjE
July 1
The piece I chose that is a call for action is the movie The Women. This is a movie that is a women-only cast, however, most of the plotline is about men. The cast revolves around four best friends in their upper 30's and mid 40's. One of the women, Mary, discovers that her husband is having an affair with a much younger gal who works the perfume counter at SAKS. With the help of her friends and family, Mary is able to work her way through this rough patch with the support of her friends and other family members. Also, Mary begins to realize what she wants out of life instead of living the role that she felt was assigned to her.
This movie holds several narratives, however the most prominent one is Marys. She has been living life not as she would have liked, but as she felt she was supposed to live her life. This movie grapples with the ideas we have discussed in class such as societal influence on womens roles, relationships between women, etc. This is a great movie, especially for this class! It calls out to women and encourages them not to live by the books. Instead, live life the way you want and accomplish the goals you've always dreamed of.
This movie holds several narratives, however the most prominent one is Marys. She has been living life not as she would have liked, but as she felt she was supposed to live her life. This movie grapples with the ideas we have discussed in class such as societal influence on womens roles, relationships between women, etc. This is a great movie, especially for this class! It calls out to women and encourages them not to live by the books. Instead, live life the way you want and accomplish the goals you've always dreamed of.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
June 30th
For the performance piece/call to action I chose the song Goodbye Earl by the Dixie Chicks. It's about best friends and after high school one gets out of the town and the other falls into an abusive relationship with a man named Earl. She eventually files for divorce and takes out a restraining order on Earl, but he violates it and beats her pretty badly. The friend comes home to find her friend in the hospital. They decide that since the law isn't doing justice, they will take care of the problem and decide to kill him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw7gNf_9njs
On one hand, this shows a woman who finally stands up for herself when no one else will. However, she goes to extreme measures to do so. This leaves the question as to what measure should a woman go to in order to protect herself. If she had just moved would she have been safe? Or would he have followed her? But why should she have to uproot her whole life when the law is not protecting her like it should? I am not sure what I would have done in that situation.
On a side note, I am not really a big fan of the video because I feel it kind of portrays domestic violence as something that isn't as serious as it really is. However, this could have just been to make it more appealing to the television audience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw7gNf_9njs
On one hand, this shows a woman who finally stands up for herself when no one else will. However, she goes to extreme measures to do so. This leaves the question as to what measure should a woman go to in order to protect herself. If she had just moved would she have been safe? Or would he have followed her? But why should she have to uproot her whole life when the law is not protecting her like it should? I am not sure what I would have done in that situation.
On a side note, I am not really a big fan of the video because I feel it kind of portrays domestic violence as something that isn't as serious as it really is. However, this could have just been to make it more appealing to the television audience.
Joanne Haggar 6/30
The piece I have chosen for this assignment is the movie Eough with Jennifer Lopez. She is the victim of domestic violence and takes matters into her own hands when no one would help her. I kind of went off of the website that we looked at yesterday. I think this movie is great because J Lo stands up for herself when no one would listen or help her. It made me think of what we talked about today in class...we still have all of these issues in society because people don't want to get involved and so there is no way for someone to get out of the bad situation they are trying to get out of. J Lo finally has to take matters into her own hands and takes self defense classes in order to stand up to her husband and eventually kill him. Its a great movie if you have not seen it!
movie trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_ofz-4uvmM
Notice in the movie trailer the guy who says, "The cops can't help you, no one can help you."--this is the problem, no one wants to get involved
June 30th Blog
The “piece” I have chosen to talk about was a performance I first saw while online yesterday. The BET awards were hosted on June 27th, and as part of those awards Chris Brown did a tribute performance to Michael Jackson. One of the last songs Christ Brown sang was “Man in the Mirror.” The song is all about how making a change in the world starts with making a change in yourself. Not even 10 seconds into the song he broke down, fell to his knees and cried, and couldn’t even finish singing. A lot of news outlets speculated that it could have been the anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death that got to him, or it could have been things he had been struggling with in his own life, as I’m sure a lot of people know about him being convicted of abusing is former girlfriend, and a lot of people are saying this contributed to his “breakdown.” Either way, after hearing about it on the news I went to You Tube to find it. While watching his very emotional performance, it actually really touched me. Listening to the lyrics of the song I could see why he may have been having some sort of revelation at that moment, maybe he was realizing how precious life really is. To see a public figure so emotional and exposed like that on national TV really gave me the chills and I really felt for him. I think this video can relate to a lot of things we have talked about it class because I think it really showcases how vulnerable men can be, even though we are so use to the narrative of women being the emotional ones. I think Michael Jackson’s song, “Man in the Mirror,” calls for people to look at their own life and to change the things they don’t like, all big changes start with a tiny change, and I think this performance might have been just that for Chris Brown. I have attached the link so whoever wants to view his performance can.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIul8GdXdNA
His performance of “Man in the Mirror” doesn’t start until about 4 minutes in.
30 June 2010
I am simply torn between two different pieces of art that I want to submit that allows me to grapple with the ideas of the narratives we have been discussing in class. For the most part, I would say that both pieces are closely related and share a certain way of grappling with the scripts we have been assigned.
I have always been very interested in this idea of "suburban life" and the "ideal housewife." While I do agree that it was a much more prevalent ideal in the 1950s, I still believe it is highly circulated even today. I became sort of obsessed with the idea that we are conditioned to believe we must adopt this ideal without question, that is, getting married, having children, getting the house in the suburbs, when I started to pull apart why this is such a common narrative. I think in our society, mostly for women, we are taught to want as little as possible, to resign from having big dreams and realize that what we should want is a husband and children. In my own life, I have always been highly disinterested in ever having children, or even getting married. When people learn this about me, I generally always get the same responses, such as: "You're crazy! You're a woman, you have to have children." or my personal favorite, "Don't worry, eventually you will get baby fever and you will want a child." I have often wondered why people are so quick to judge my choices and why people believe that just because I am a woman, I want things like a husband and children. While I am sure those things are nice, I also want other things. And really, is that not okay?
My first text is something I have just started reading. It is called The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. Admittedly, I am only about 100 pages in, but I find it simply fascinating. It seems to be the perfect text to break down these conditioned ideals of women only wanting a husband and children. While my favorite passage is perhaps too long to include in this already lengthy blog, I will insert just a small section, "We can no longer ignore the voice within women that says, 'I want something more than my husband and my children and my home.'" I think Friedan raises a great point here and really is challenging the script women have been given. I think it is important to note your initial reaction to this passage and then ask important questions. It makes me wonder, why do women ignore that voice? And really, is there something wrong with wanting more than those things? Does that make a woman a bad or ungrateful person?
My second piece of art that grapples with this question is the film Revolutionary Road. For those of you who have not seen this oscar nominated movie from 2009, I highly recommend it. The film is a great challenger to the ideal 1950s suburban life and raises such important questions and issues. Unfortunately I could not find the scene that I chose to focus on but I will include a link to the trailer(it includes the quote I am focusing on) and I will bring the entire scene into class tomorrow. The basic premise of the scene is that April (the wife) is telling Frank (the husband) that they should move to paris as a means to escape their mundane life. I feel in this scene, April is really challenging the "delusion" that once people get older they are supposed to settle down and stop living. April says the most beautiful quote with much more eloquent phrasing than I could conjure up to describe exactly how I feel. "No, Frank. This is what's unrealistic. It's unrealistic for a man with a fine mind to go on working year after year at a job he can't stand. Coming home to a place he can't stand, to a wife who's equally unable to stand the same things. And you know what the worst part of it is? Our whole existence here is based on this great premise that we're special. They we're superior to the whole thing. But we're not. We're just like everyone else! We bought into the same, ridiculous delusion. That we have to resign from life and settle down the moment we have children. And we've been punishing each other for it." I feel this scene will contain even more meaning once I show it in class tomorrow.
I have always been very interested in this idea of "suburban life" and the "ideal housewife." While I do agree that it was a much more prevalent ideal in the 1950s, I still believe it is highly circulated even today. I became sort of obsessed with the idea that we are conditioned to believe we must adopt this ideal without question, that is, getting married, having children, getting the house in the suburbs, when I started to pull apart why this is such a common narrative. I think in our society, mostly for women, we are taught to want as little as possible, to resign from having big dreams and realize that what we should want is a husband and children. In my own life, I have always been highly disinterested in ever having children, or even getting married. When people learn this about me, I generally always get the same responses, such as: "You're crazy! You're a woman, you have to have children." or my personal favorite, "Don't worry, eventually you will get baby fever and you will want a child." I have often wondered why people are so quick to judge my choices and why people believe that just because I am a woman, I want things like a husband and children. While I am sure those things are nice, I also want other things. And really, is that not okay?
My first text is something I have just started reading. It is called The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. Admittedly, I am only about 100 pages in, but I find it simply fascinating. It seems to be the perfect text to break down these conditioned ideals of women only wanting a husband and children. While my favorite passage is perhaps too long to include in this already lengthy blog, I will insert just a small section, "We can no longer ignore the voice within women that says, 'I want something more than my husband and my children and my home.'" I think Friedan raises a great point here and really is challenging the script women have been given. I think it is important to note your initial reaction to this passage and then ask important questions. It makes me wonder, why do women ignore that voice? And really, is there something wrong with wanting more than those things? Does that make a woman a bad or ungrateful person?
My second piece of art that grapples with this question is the film Revolutionary Road. For those of you who have not seen this oscar nominated movie from 2009, I highly recommend it. The film is a great challenger to the ideal 1950s suburban life and raises such important questions and issues. Unfortunately I could not find the scene that I chose to focus on but I will include a link to the trailer(it includes the quote I am focusing on) and I will bring the entire scene into class tomorrow. The basic premise of the scene is that April (the wife) is telling Frank (the husband) that they should move to paris as a means to escape their mundane life. I feel in this scene, April is really challenging the "delusion" that once people get older they are supposed to settle down and stop living. April says the most beautiful quote with much more eloquent phrasing than I could conjure up to describe exactly how I feel. "No, Frank. This is what's unrealistic. It's unrealistic for a man with a fine mind to go on working year after year at a job he can't stand. Coming home to a place he can't stand, to a wife who's equally unable to stand the same things. And you know what the worst part of it is? Our whole existence here is based on this great premise that we're special. They we're superior to the whole thing. But we're not. We're just like everyone else! We bought into the same, ridiculous delusion. That we have to resign from life and settle down the moment we have children. And we've been punishing each other for it." I feel this scene will contain even more meaning once I show it in class tomorrow.
Charles French June 30, 2010
After reading the piece by Harriot Jacobs a few things struck me. Throughout the piece she is very careful not to specifically name the horrible offenses that she has suffered. She states at one point that the offenses are "greater than you would willingly believe" ( 505). While I am aware that this may well be the truth, I am not so sure if leaving it up to the reader to completely fill in the blanks at this point is so effective. I would be more affected by this piece if she were to give a greater appeal to emotion. If she were to go into some detail about a few of the horrible things she has had to endure and then go on to note that there were far worse but to leave that to the imagination I think it would present a greater appeal to at least my emotion. (This isn't to say that I am not aware of at least a fraction of the things that slaves did go through, or that I am not against the practice of slaver, but for this blog I am responding to the particular techniques employed in this piece). I do think the piece is effective in the voice that is used. The author is not writing in the stereotypical southern black vernacular. Instead she employs a voice that is perhaps closer to that of the white northerner that she is appealing to. In doing this she gives the sense that she, as a former? black southern slave is not so distant from her audience as they may think and thus draws her own hardships closer to her audience.
As for the clothesline project, I felt that it was significantly less effective in appealing to me. The web page stated that the organization had been started in 1990 and that this was their official web page. For an organization/movement that has been around for going on twenty years I felt that the web page was severely lacking. First it was just the single web page with links containing contact information as well as a list of people and organizations who had/are participating in the movement/organization. There was very little information about the founding of the organization and just a brief statement about the purpose. Also I was unable to find any information on this web page about any impact that the movement/organization has had on their goal of reaching out to the public about the negative treatment of women. All of this lack of information from an organization/movement that has been around for nearly as long as I have gave me the impression that they were not very organized, or that this was not something that they took very seriously. The web page seemed more like a grass roots school project more than a serious cause to action in my opinion.
As for the clothesline project, I felt that it was significantly less effective in appealing to me. The web page stated that the organization had been started in 1990 and that this was their official web page. For an organization/movement that has been around for going on twenty years I felt that the web page was severely lacking. First it was just the single web page with links containing contact information as well as a list of people and organizations who had/are participating in the movement/organization. There was very little information about the founding of the organization and just a brief statement about the purpose. Also I was unable to find any information on this web page about any impact that the movement/organization has had on their goal of reaching out to the public about the negative treatment of women. All of this lack of information from an organization/movement that has been around for nearly as long as I have gave me the impression that they were not very organized, or that this was not something that they took very seriously. The web page seemed more like a grass roots school project more than a serious cause to action in my opinion.
Kristin Goehri 06/30/10
One thing that I noticed in Harriet Ann Jacobs's piece was the way in which she asks for help. She writes, "Why do your tongues falter in maintenance of the right? Would that I had more ability! But my heart is so full, my pen so weak!" (506). She is playing on the fact that her listeners are the only ones with the power to make a difference. She is empowering their perception of their own strength. By using this technique, Jacobs is giving a universal message that victims often cannot help themselves. She is showing that it is others' responsibility to step up and help when they see something that is wrong.
I see the website working in a different way. The website seems to empower the survivor. The focus is on survivors stepping forward and speaking out. The call for action is a break of silence. The best technique that the website uses is showing, through statistics and pictures, the immense numbers of victims and survivors. This realization that they're not alone gives women the strength to speak up. For me, this website gave me a clearer idea of the magnitude of this problem.
I see the website working in a different way. The website seems to empower the survivor. The focus is on survivors stepping forward and speaking out. The call for action is a break of silence. The best technique that the website uses is showing, through statistics and pictures, the immense numbers of victims and survivors. This realization that they're not alone gives women the strength to speak up. For me, this website gave me a clearer idea of the magnitude of this problem.
BreAnna Brock
I found www.clotheslineproject.org to be very empowering. I loved how the use of art was somewhat of a get away to abused women. By putting their feelings down and out in the open i feel that this project will allow women to cope better and at some point be able to move past there violent past. In the book the girl constantly talked about needing protection, i found this very interesting when she said; " I longed for some one to confide in. I would have given the world to have laid my head on my grandmother's faithful bosom, and told her all my troubles". She just wants to feel loved but to also have someone who knows her pain and can help her get away even if its just for one second. This goes along with the Clothes Line Project because her grandmother would be somewhat of an outlet for her away from her pain. For the women of the Clothes Line Project there outlet is the artwork they do.
clothes line/trails of girlhood: Chelsea Dunn
I first read the story by Harriet Ann Jacobs, "The Trails of Girlhood". This story was definitely intriguing to me, because i could feel the pain of the author as i read. I felt a sense of being trapped and alone with no one to confide in. This young woman was forced to give her body to someone she loathed merely because she was held captive as a slave under his command. I can imagine her feeling dirty because of what he had done to her, but i really felt her emotion when she discussed how alone she felt because she was not able to tell anyone. I Felt like the clothes line project was a really cool idea because it gives victims a voice. These t-shirts will be hung with these women's stories and everyone will be able to look at them, which i feel like is probably an amazing feeling for these survivors of abuse to so openly share their stories without the fear that comes behind it. I think if the young girl in the first story had any type of outlet such as the clothes line project she wouldve been able to have a more powerful outlook on her situation. She was young and unable to fend for herself against the evil white master, and she needed someone to at least listen to her.
Joanne Haggar june 29th
Before reading The Tails of Girlhood, I first looked at the clothes line project website. I found this website very interesting and I have never heard of anything like it. I like how it uses art and creation in a therapeutic way for women to deal with violence they have dealt with. So as I was reading in the book, I realized how often the girl was talking about needed protection and someone to confide in. One part in particular that really stood out to me was the last paragraph. To me it sounds like she is asking why the free people of the north don't help people like her....she says help those who cannot help themselves. This all relates back to the clothes line project because someone has created a safe haven for women and an outlet for their feelings of hopelessness. Women of violence can now express their feelings and deal with their horrible experiences in a positive way.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
June 29th
What I got from both the Clothesline Project and The Trials of Girlhood, was the importance of raising awareness of the problem. I am a firm believer that awareness and education is first step in making a change. If more people knew just how common domestic violence is, maybe there would be more importance placed on getting help available to not only the victims but the abusers as well. I found the last paragraph of The Trials of Girlhood really sent a message. "In view of these things, why are ye silent, ye free men and women of the north? Why do your tongues not falter in maintenance of the right?" People should never turn a blind eye to any type of domestic violence, and that is what the author was referring to. Just because people don't acknowledge what is going on, doesn't mean that it isn't going on. If someone knows about a domestic violence situation, they should do something about it.
I had never heard of the Clothesline Project before, but I think it is a really creative way to spread awareness, especially since the shirts were mostly designed by survivors of violence. There really need to be a lot more programs like this, maybe as a future social worker, I will create some!
I had never heard of the Clothesline Project before, but I think it is a really creative way to spread awareness, especially since the shirts were mostly designed by survivors of violence. There really need to be a lot more programs like this, maybe as a future social worker, I will create some!
June 30th
The clothesline project calls to break the silence and address the issue of domestic violence. It encourages women release their emotions by making a t-shirt. These shirts are then hung on a clothesline as witness to violence against women. This project uses images that employ their own violent images as their strategy for being heard. I think this is a great project because it is healthy for women to release their built up emotions and express them. The whole idea of this project is breaking the silence. These women want to be heard and that is exactly what they do.
The comparison between the clothesline project and the call from the young slave girl is rather interesting. This slave girl uses writing as a method of coping with her troubles. It is a way of expressing her suffering and a true call for help. After reading this text, I cannot help but to respond to this girls call and try to help her. While I know this is not possible, I really feel for the girl. She is struggling and wants someone to talk to about her problems. While I have not experienced domestic violence, I have volunteered with domestic violence victims and the best thing for the women was for me to sit and listen to them. I did not have advice to give because I obviously was not qualified. However, the process of them talking about their emotions to someone was a form of healing all in itself.
The comparison between the clothesline project and the call from the young slave girl is rather interesting. This slave girl uses writing as a method of coping with her troubles. It is a way of expressing her suffering and a true call for help. After reading this text, I cannot help but to respond to this girls call and try to help her. While I know this is not possible, I really feel for the girl. She is struggling and wants someone to talk to about her problems. While I have not experienced domestic violence, I have volunteered with domestic violence victims and the best thing for the women was for me to sit and listen to them. I did not have advice to give because I obviously was not qualified. However, the process of them talking about their emotions to someone was a form of healing all in itself.
June 29
I tried to get information regarding the Clothesline Project from researching as much as I could through the website. I did not know anything about this project before looking through this site, but I am completely impressed with what I was reading. The way this project calls for action is for women to be strong enough and care enough to participate in this and make a shirt if they have something to stand up against. It shows a strategy of coming together to fight a terrible act, and make others become aware of it. The way it affects other women that have not experienced this abuse is for them to realize that it is going on and needs to be fought against.
Reading The Trials of Girlhood brought up similar calls for action and strategies. After facing such abuse the young girl does not know how she can stand up for herself when it is someone who "owns" her doing the abusing. The line that struck me in this passage and made me think back to the Clothesline project was the ending..."striving to help those who cannot help themselves. God bless them! God give them strength and courage to go on!" because it reminds me of others standing up for the rights of people they do not even know. While this girl did not think she could do anything to help herself because of the position she was in, she had the hopes that others were standing up against what she was going through.
Reading The Trials of Girlhood brought up similar calls for action and strategies. After facing such abuse the young girl does not know how she can stand up for herself when it is someone who "owns" her doing the abusing. The line that struck me in this passage and made me think back to the Clothesline project was the ending..."striving to help those who cannot help themselves. God bless them! God give them strength and courage to go on!" because it reminds me of others standing up for the rights of people they do not even know. While this girl did not think she could do anything to help herself because of the position she was in, she had the hopes that others were standing up against what she was going through.
29 June 2010
The Clothesline Project is an organization that offers an outlet for survivors of domestic violence. Not only does it reach out to women who have suffered through domestic violence with care and support, but it also provides these victims with a very healthy and therapeutic way to express their own suffering. The victims use an artistic outlet by creating T-shirts that help them to cope with their emotions and express them in a positive way. By doing this, they are sending out a message to all women and victims of domestic violence that offers hope and light.
I have read Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl before and this passage was always the one that resonated with me the most. It is very shocking and sad to imagine that this was the speaker's life. I feel the correlation between Harriet Jacob's piece and The Clothesline Project is simply to give the issue a voice. Jacob's makes a direct reference to this in her text, "In view of these things, why are ye silent, ye free men and women of the north? Why do your tongues falter in maintenance of the right?" I feel that in writing about such a tragic issue and spreading it around through the production of T-shirts allows the problem to be heard. It suddenly makes it something that we have to talk about, not just something we can put into the dark and forget about. I feel this relates to what we were talking about in class, about concealing the truth and keeping things in secret. I feel as a society we do this mostly because we would like to imagine that there isn't really a problem to be addressed. I feel by creating different forms of art voicing such a horrible problem like domestic violence is taking part in the fight against it, and that is very important.
I have read Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl before and this passage was always the one that resonated with me the most. It is very shocking and sad to imagine that this was the speaker's life. I feel the correlation between Harriet Jacob's piece and The Clothesline Project is simply to give the issue a voice. Jacob's makes a direct reference to this in her text, "In view of these things, why are ye silent, ye free men and women of the north? Why do your tongues falter in maintenance of the right?" I feel that in writing about such a tragic issue and spreading it around through the production of T-shirts allows the problem to be heard. It suddenly makes it something that we have to talk about, not just something we can put into the dark and forget about. I feel this relates to what we were talking about in class, about concealing the truth and keeping things in secret. I feel as a society we do this mostly because we would like to imagine that there isn't really a problem to be addressed. I feel by creating different forms of art voicing such a horrible problem like domestic violence is taking part in the fight against it, and that is very important.
June 29th Blog
The Clothesline Project is an organization that was developed to help women who are victims of domestic violence. Women can go to the website and create a t-shirt to help voice their emotions and then they add their t-shirt to a “clothesline” so that other women in similar situations can view their creation and hopefully find some healing from it. I think this is a great outlet for abused women to come to, I think it will help them see that they are not alone, and hopefully they will be able to vent about what they are going through and achieve some peace of mind.
When I read “The Trials of Girlhood” by Harriett Jacobs, I was really saddened by it. One of the quotes that I really found shocking was, “I was compelled to live under the same roof with him--where I saw a man forty years my senior daily violating the most sacred commandments of nature. He told me I was his property; that I must be subject to his will in all things.” This quote really disgusted me, I just felt terrible for her, nobody should have to go through that, and be called someone’s property. I felt really sorry for her and how disrespectful she had been treated. She was a human being, not an animal; therefore, she should be no ones property.
Response post: Chelsea Dunn
My response is to Melissa's blog post. I really liked how she was able to relate to the story through her own experiences. When Melissa stated, "The fact that she refers to herself as 'comic relief' just seems so negative to me." this was interesting to me, because it made me think about what i really thought about the situation. I agree with her that it did seem somewhat negative, but i think the character was finally seeing how her life played a part in her parents, and think it helped to character grow as a person. I also like when Melissa is talking about seeing the signs of something so obvious as an affair. And i agree with her that the people do present themselves in certain ways to come off as normal or something other than themselves.
BreAnna Brock Response to Charles French Post!
In Response to Charles French's Post:
The final part that stuck out to me (that I am going to note in this lengthy blog) was on page 46. I have a decidedly biased perspective on this page in the graphic novel knowing for certain what I do about Alison. What struck me was when she notes "I bicycled back to my apartment, marveling at the dissonance between this apparently carefree activity and my newly tragic circumstances. As I told my girlfriend what had happened, I cried quite genuinely for about two minutes" (46). It is interesting for me to notice this section of the graphic novel that I hadn't particularly noted the first time reading this piece. I'm wondering if this is in fact Alison's first official coming out, when she notes that she has a 'girlfriend' or if she intended this to mean simply her 'girl who was a friend' and to allow the scene later in the book to be her coming out. It is an interesting question to consider and I have to say based on Alison's blunt, matter-of-fact style I have to think that this scene was meant to purposefully be her intended coming out.
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For me as well i found this part in the book apart of the author coming out finally. It caught my attention at the beginning when the author made the comment about her father "having sex with young boys" it was was a tad ironic to me and made me think of the stereotype about priest having sex with young boys. The fact that the author is so nonchalant yet abrupt with the statements she is constantly making just makes the reading and my interpretations even stronger. I saw her fathers death as somewhat of a coming out to a lot of things for her but also the conversation she has when she becomes aware of things that she was curious of when she was younger.
The final part that stuck out to me (that I am going to note in this lengthy blog) was on page 46. I have a decidedly biased perspective on this page in the graphic novel knowing for certain what I do about Alison. What struck me was when she notes "I bicycled back to my apartment, marveling at the dissonance between this apparently carefree activity and my newly tragic circumstances. As I told my girlfriend what had happened, I cried quite genuinely for about two minutes" (46). It is interesting for me to notice this section of the graphic novel that I hadn't particularly noted the first time reading this piece. I'm wondering if this is in fact Alison's first official coming out, when she notes that she has a 'girlfriend' or if she intended this to mean simply her 'girl who was a friend' and to allow the scene later in the book to be her coming out. It is an interesting question to consider and I have to say based on Alison's blunt, matter-of-fact style I have to think that this scene was meant to purposefully be her intended coming out.
____________________________________________________________________
For me as well i found this part in the book apart of the author coming out finally. It caught my attention at the beginning when the author made the comment about her father "having sex with young boys" it was was a tad ironic to me and made me think of the stereotype about priest having sex with young boys. The fact that the author is so nonchalant yet abrupt with the statements she is constantly making just makes the reading and my interpretations even stronger. I saw her fathers death as somewhat of a coming out to a lot of things for her but also the conversation she has when she becomes aware of things that she was curious of when she was younger.
Monday, June 28, 2010
I am responding to Kristen's post on 6/24/10
The next section that captured my attention read, "Not only were we inverts. We were inversions on one another. While I was trying to compensate for something unmanly in him, he was attempting to express something feminine through me" (98). I was intrigued by this section because it was a unique take on their relationship. They are perfect opposites. We had talked about the romance narrative being a result of opposites attracting, but this story doesn't work in the exact same manner. They are like two halves to a whole. Their relationship is not quite a romance and not quite a friendship, but they almost seem to need each other. Within the story, I think her age and the loss of her father will push her to identify herself without him, which is essential. She needs to learn who she is as a person, not who she is as opposite of her father.
I really liked the image Kristen created in terms of the father-daughter relationship we see in this text. While the two are opposites, it is evident that she was having trouble identifying herself with the shadow of her father. After reading the second half of the text, it is evident that this relationship does not change. She realizes that her and her father had a lot more in common than she initially thought. And instead of portraying her father in a negative light, she ends the text with, "But in the tricky reverse narration that impels our entwined stories, he was there to catch me when I leapt" (232). She comes to realization that her father had his own struggles, but he was always there for her. Ultimately, her father will always shape who she is because of his presence/influence during her life.
The next section that captured my attention read, "Not only were we inverts. We were inversions on one another. While I was trying to compensate for something unmanly in him, he was attempting to express something feminine through me" (98). I was intrigued by this section because it was a unique take on their relationship. They are perfect opposites. We had talked about the romance narrative being a result of opposites attracting, but this story doesn't work in the exact same manner. They are like two halves to a whole. Their relationship is not quite a romance and not quite a friendship, but they almost seem to need each other. Within the story, I think her age and the loss of her father will push her to identify herself without him, which is essential. She needs to learn who she is as a person, not who she is as opposite of her father.
I really liked the image Kristen created in terms of the father-daughter relationship we see in this text. While the two are opposites, it is evident that she was having trouble identifying herself with the shadow of her father. After reading the second half of the text, it is evident that this relationship does not change. She realizes that her and her father had a lot more in common than she initially thought. And instead of portraying her father in a negative light, she ends the text with, "But in the tricky reverse narration that impels our entwined stories, he was there to catch me when I leapt" (232). She comes to realization that her father had his own struggles, but he was always there for her. Ultimately, her father will always shape who she is because of his presence/influence during her life.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Response Blog 6/28/10
I am responding to Kristen's blog from 6/24/10
Kristen wrote:
"One of the first sections that really caught my attention read, “It was somewhere during those early years that I began confusing us with the Adams family” (34). To me, the Adams family was a terrifying piece of popular culture. I hated watching it, and their family dynamic made me uncomfortable. I was so interested to see that this young girl was identifying with this completely unusual family who was so far outside of social norms. Within the context of this class, I noticed that Alison’s comparison followed a certain narrative of assimilation. Her family was so strange and unusual that they seemed to embrace their nonconformity, rather than attempt to change. They were assimilating to the culture of being an outsider. I think that this family agreement to be different is seen throughout the rest of the novel through her parents’ marriage, Alison’s disappointment in her father outshining her when she announces her sexuality, her father’s strange death, etc."
I really liked the quote she chose in her first paragraph, it was one of the lines I considered in my initial blog. While reading Alison's comparison to the Adams Family, it kind of creeped me out. I couldn't understand why someone would take comfort in the fact that her family was so odd, but once I really thought about it, I think she was just trying to find something to identify with. I find that a lot of times in today's society we are looking for something to compare ourselves to in hopes that we find similarities in other people and situations so we feel less like outsiders. I think she was so comfortable in making this comparison because it made her feel not so alone. I think she was more at ease explaining her own life because of the fact that someone else's family was just as dysfunctional.
28 June 2010
I am responding to Hyejeong Lim's former blog post:
I was very surprised by the passage on p.19 where she says "We were not a physically expressive family, to say the least. But once I was unacoountably moved to kiss my father good night. Having little practice with the gesture, all I managed was to grab his hand and buss the knuckles lightly as if he were a bishop or an elegant lady, before rushing from the room in embarrassment". I really can not imagine the moment good night kiss to family would be embarrassed and could see the distance of her and father. In here, she refers to him as bishop or an elegant lady. And there are many other passages that show the distance between father and daughther for example in the front, she also says "Dad considered us extentions of his body, like precision robot arms". I don't see any connection in family but it's like they are living with someone they barely know. Growing under cold-hearted father and awkard atomosphere in the house must have impacted on the children a lot.
In the second half of the memoir, I feel more closeness between Alison and her father is reveled once Alison becomes older and is away at college. I feel they share more intimate moments, where they begin to relate to each other on a more intellectual level through literature and letters. I also felt a deep connection between the two of them when they were in the car on the way to the movie and they start discussing their sexuality and the father tells Alison that when he was younger he wanted to be a girl, she also confesses she wanted to be a boy. I don't so much see this connection through what they are saying as much as I do compared to the pictures accompanying them but nonetheless, its there. However, the problem with all of these moments I have described is that they are simply bland intimate moments that last for seconds. I feel as though Alison and her father are consistently trying to relate to one another and share a close relationship but that they can never fully get there. The fact that they never seem to have that incredible bond that lasts really saddens me. However, I do feel that it is these brief moments that become more frequent towards the end of the memoir that makes their relationship intriguing, they always left me wondering if they would ever break through their barrier.
I was very surprised by the passage on p.19 where she says "We were not a physically expressive family, to say the least. But once I was unacoountably moved to kiss my father good night. Having little practice with the gesture, all I managed was to grab his hand and buss the knuckles lightly as if he were a bishop or an elegant lady, before rushing from the room in embarrassment". I really can not imagine the moment good night kiss to family would be embarrassed and could see the distance of her and father. In here, she refers to him as bishop or an elegant lady. And there are many other passages that show the distance between father and daughther for example in the front, she also says "Dad considered us extentions of his body, like precision robot arms". I don't see any connection in family but it's like they are living with someone they barely know. Growing under cold-hearted father and awkard atomosphere in the house must have impacted on the children a lot.
In the second half of the memoir, I feel more closeness between Alison and her father is reveled once Alison becomes older and is away at college. I feel they share more intimate moments, where they begin to relate to each other on a more intellectual level through literature and letters. I also felt a deep connection between the two of them when they were in the car on the way to the movie and they start discussing their sexuality and the father tells Alison that when he was younger he wanted to be a girl, she also confesses she wanted to be a boy. I don't so much see this connection through what they are saying as much as I do compared to the pictures accompanying them but nonetheless, its there. However, the problem with all of these moments I have described is that they are simply bland intimate moments that last for seconds. I feel as though Alison and her father are consistently trying to relate to one another and share a close relationship but that they can never fully get there. The fact that they never seem to have that incredible bond that lasts really saddens me. However, I do feel that it is these brief moments that become more frequent towards the end of the memoir that makes their relationship intriguing, they always left me wondering if they would ever break through their barrier.
Kristin Goehri 06/28/10
For Monday's blog post that is due before class, I commented on Melissa's post titled, "Fun Home Part 1".
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Kristin Goehri 06/24/10
One of the first sections that really caught my attention read, “It was somewhere during those early years that I began confusing us with the Adams family” (34). To me, the Adams family was a terrifying piece of popular culture. I hated watching it, and their family dynamic made me uncomfortable. I was so interested to see that this young girl was identifying with this completely unusual family who was so far outside of social norms. Within the context of this class, I noticed that Alison’s comparison followed a certain narrative of assimilation. Her family was so strange and unusual that they seemed to embrace their nonconformity, rather than attempt to change. They were assimilating to the culture of being an outsider. I think that this family agreement to be different is seen throughout the rest of the novel through her parents’ marriage, Alison’s disappointment in her father outshining her when she announces her sexuality, her father’s strange death, etc.
The next section that captured my attention read, “Not only were we inverts. We were inversions of one another. While I was trying to compensate for something unmanly in him, he was attempting to express something feminine through me” (98). I was intrigued by this section because it was a unique take on their relationship. They are perfect opposites. We had talked about the romance narrative being a result of opposites attracting, but this story doesn’t work in the exact same manner. They are like two halves to a whole. Their relationship is not quite a romance and not quite a friendship, but they almost seem to need each other. Within the story, I think her age and the loss of her father will push her to identify herself without him, which is essential. She needs to learn who she is as a person, not who she is as opposite of her father.
The next section that captured my attention read, “Not only were we inverts. We were inversions of one another. While I was trying to compensate for something unmanly in him, he was attempting to express something feminine through me” (98). I was intrigued by this section because it was a unique take on their relationship. They are perfect opposites. We had talked about the romance narrative being a result of opposites attracting, but this story doesn’t work in the exact same manner. They are like two halves to a whole. Their relationship is not quite a romance and not quite a friendship, but they almost seem to need each other. Within the story, I think her age and the loss of her father will push her to identify herself without him, which is essential. She needs to learn who she is as a person, not who she is as opposite of her father.
BreAnna Brock
I have to admit this book in general is weird! A lot of the things caught me off guard at times such as when her dad was embalming a man and she had to go in to hand him a tool he needed the graphics and the irony in general from the reading caught me off guard as a whole. The way the graphics are used in this book allow me to really understand what the author is talking about. When describing the way her father was about the furniture in there home i found it funny when she said "I grew to resent the way my father treated his furniture like children and his children like furniture" I just found this a little funny but weird but reading up to this point it was true because her father seemed more concerned with the interior of the house rather then the relationships with his family. I also found her mother and fathers relationship to be very ironic and out of the ordinary until getting deeper into the story and seeing why. "These stray rents in the otherwise seamless fabric of their antagonism...were very nearly as unnerving as the antagonism itself." The authors use of descriptive words struck and really painted an even broader picture of the relationship between her parents.
Charles French Fun Home Part 1 June 24, 2010
I must first confess that I've read this graphic novel before, this past semester in fact. Coming at this graphic novel a second time has allowed me to focus on the finer details. The first time I read through it I was more focused on the print dialogue, this second time I am allowing myself (knowing the storyline) to pay closer attention to the graphic text.
There were several things that stuck out to me when I was reading this first part, the first was on page 7. When describing her father's extracurricular love for remodeling "it was his passion. and I mean passion in every sense of the word" (7), the author chose to place a photo of her father carrying a stair railing in the fashion that the christ figure is popularly believed to have carried his own cross. It is almost like the author is making two statements here, one that her father's remodeling hobby was like a burden to him that seemed to her to be something he was unable to get rid of, and two, that her father's remodeling hobby was possibly something that led him to his death in the same way that the christ figure's cross was ultimately his death.
The next part that stuck out to me was the scene on page 22, particularly the print text at the top of the page "Although I'm good at enumerating my father's flaws, it's hard for me to sustain much anger at him. I expect this is partly because he's dead, and partly because the bar is lower for fathers than for mothers" (22). This passage struck me for two reasons, first because it is a very blunt indication that her father has passed, and two because it raises the question of whether or not the bar is actually higher for mothers than it is for fathers? My own jury is still out on this last question, although I would venture to guess that the expectation is not necessarily lower for fathers than it is for mothers.
The next part that stuck out to me from this first section was the note at the bottom of page 37. There is a picture of the container for the smelling salts that clearly reads "Warning: Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children" (37). I thought this was funny because that scene details how Allison and her brothers would get a hold of this 'contraband' and play with it around the funeral home. To me this is a subtle indication of neglect on the part of her father, whether intentional or not.
The next part that stuck out to me was on page 38 where there is a note about the "permanent grease stain from (Alison's) dead grandfathers vitalis" (38). I just think this is interesting because it shows the detail that Alison put into this graphic novel that really add to the story.
the next part that stuck out to me was on page 41. I liked the way that Alison chose to depict the mailman from her Grandmother's story as a milkman because that is how she had always pictured it. Again this is a subtle detail that allows us to understand that this is Alison's story from Alison's perspective.
The final part that stuck out to me (that I am going to note in this lengthy blog) was on page 46. I have a decidedly biased perspective on this page in the graphic novel knowing for certain what I do about Alison. What struck me was when she notes "I bicycled back to my apartment, marveling at the dissonance between this apparently carefree activity and my newly tragic circumstances. As I told my girlfriend what had happened, I cried quite genuinely for about two minutes" (46). It is interesting for me to notice this section of the graphic novel that I hadn't particularly noted the first time reading this piece. I'm wondering if this is in fact Alison's first official coming out, when she notes that she has a 'girlfriend' or if she intended this to mean simply her 'girl who was a friend' and to allow the scene later in the book to be her coming out. It is an interesting question to consider and I have to say based on Alison's blunt, matter-of-fact style I have to think that this scene was meant to purposefully be her intended coming out.
There were several things that stuck out to me when I was reading this first part, the first was on page 7. When describing her father's extracurricular love for remodeling "it was his passion. and I mean passion in every sense of the word" (7), the author chose to place a photo of her father carrying a stair railing in the fashion that the christ figure is popularly believed to have carried his own cross. It is almost like the author is making two statements here, one that her father's remodeling hobby was like a burden to him that seemed to her to be something he was unable to get rid of, and two, that her father's remodeling hobby was possibly something that led him to his death in the same way that the christ figure's cross was ultimately his death.
The next part that stuck out to me was the scene on page 22, particularly the print text at the top of the page "Although I'm good at enumerating my father's flaws, it's hard for me to sustain much anger at him. I expect this is partly because he's dead, and partly because the bar is lower for fathers than for mothers" (22). This passage struck me for two reasons, first because it is a very blunt indication that her father has passed, and two because it raises the question of whether or not the bar is actually higher for mothers than it is for fathers? My own jury is still out on this last question, although I would venture to guess that the expectation is not necessarily lower for fathers than it is for mothers.
The next part that stuck out to me from this first section was the note at the bottom of page 37. There is a picture of the container for the smelling salts that clearly reads "Warning: Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children" (37). I thought this was funny because that scene details how Allison and her brothers would get a hold of this 'contraband' and play with it around the funeral home. To me this is a subtle indication of neglect on the part of her father, whether intentional or not.
The next part that stuck out to me was on page 38 where there is a note about the "permanent grease stain from (Alison's) dead grandfathers vitalis" (38). I just think this is interesting because it shows the detail that Alison put into this graphic novel that really add to the story.
the next part that stuck out to me was on page 41. I liked the way that Alison chose to depict the mailman from her Grandmother's story as a milkman because that is how she had always pictured it. Again this is a subtle detail that allows us to understand that this is Alison's story from Alison's perspective.
The final part that stuck out to me (that I am going to note in this lengthy blog) was on page 46. I have a decidedly biased perspective on this page in the graphic novel knowing for certain what I do about Alison. What struck me was when she notes "I bicycled back to my apartment, marveling at the dissonance between this apparently carefree activity and my newly tragic circumstances. As I told my girlfriend what had happened, I cried quite genuinely for about two minutes" (46). It is interesting for me to notice this section of the graphic novel that I hadn't particularly noted the first time reading this piece. I'm wondering if this is in fact Alison's first official coming out, when she notes that she has a 'girlfriend' or if she intended this to mean simply her 'girl who was a friend' and to allow the scene later in the book to be her coming out. It is an interesting question to consider and I have to say based on Alison's blunt, matter-of-fact style I have to think that this scene was meant to purposefully be her intended coming out.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Fun Home part 1
There were many parts of this story that stuck out to me. Because of my own relationship with my father, I found myself relating to many emotions the author was portraying. On page 58, she says "I'd been upstaged, demoted from protagonist in my own drama to comic relief in my parents' tragedy." It takes a lot of courage to come out and let people know who you truly are, and instead of having a reaction to what she told her parents, she was just learning more about their drama and her father's past. It was like they were one-upping her. The fact that she refers to herself as 'comic relief' just seems so negative to me. If I would have been in that situation, I think it would be hard for me to go to my parents with big life events in the future, because they didn't really seem to care so much, with the exception of her mother's initial disappointment.
Another line that stood out was on page 101. Bechdel is examining the picture of Roy she found in her father's things. "In an act of prestidigitation typical of the way my father juggled his public appearance and private reality, the evidence is simultaneously hidden and revealed." I'm not exactly sure why I like this line. Part of it makes me think about looking back and seeing the signs of something seem so obvious, like in the case of her father's affairs. But I can also see this in the way people react to one another. For example, if I have a new friend who I want to become better friends with, I wouldn't immediately open up about some crazy drama I have going on in my life, because I want to appear "normal," so to speak, and not scare them away. I feel like we all make conscious efforts to present ourselves to others in certain ways, juggling our appearance and reality. I hope that my rambling makes sense!
Another line that stood out was on page 101. Bechdel is examining the picture of Roy she found in her father's things. "In an act of prestidigitation typical of the way my father juggled his public appearance and private reality, the evidence is simultaneously hidden and revealed." I'm not exactly sure why I like this line. Part of it makes me think about looking back and seeing the signs of something seem so obvious, like in the case of her father's affairs. But I can also see this in the way people react to one another. For example, if I have a new friend who I want to become better friends with, I wouldn't immediately open up about some crazy drama I have going on in my life, because I want to appear "normal," so to speak, and not scare them away. I feel like we all make conscious efforts to present ourselves to others in certain ways, juggling our appearance and reality. I hope that my rambling makes sense!
Joanne Haggar: Fun Home Part 1
When I first flipped through this book I was surprised and kind of excited that it was a comic book! However, after reading the first half, I do not think its that exciting anymore. There is alot of emotion going on in this book between the main character and the father. Also, the author uses a lot of big words, which is usually not the case with comic books! :-/ The first part that stood out to me was two seperate quotes that go along with the same theme. The first quotes comes from the first page of the book: ""It was discomfort well worth the rare physical contact, and certainly worth the moment of perfect balance when I soared above him" (3). And the next quote comes from the a few pages in: "My brothers and i couldn't compete with the astral lamps and girandoles and hepplewhite suite chairs. They were perfect" (14). These two quotes really hint at how the girl feels about her father and how she wishes it could be different. Her father does not give him the attention he craves and makes her feel like she is not perfect, which makes me really sad. Next, I found it interesting how after her fathers death she talks about a time when her father asked her to come into the embalming room to hand him scissors and how she goes on to analyze that moment. She says, " I have made use of the former technique myself, however, this attempt to access emotion vicariously. ('my dad's dead. He jumped in front of a truck") (45). This kind of relates back to her relationship with her father. She never felt good enough for her father and she never got any attention from her father. The fact that she over analyzes this moment shows that she longed for more time with him. And by saying "my dad's dead. he jumped in front of a truck" in a no big deal kind of way she is kind of pushing back her emotions because they are too painful to talk about.
Fun Home Katie Hooper
This was the most awkward text I have read in a very long time. I felt there were so many underlying emotions in this text and it was honestly not my favorite to read. However there were passages that stood out to me and I can see how this is a different view of women than we have previously seen.
The first passage that stood out to me "But an idle remark about my father's tie over breakfast could send him in a tailspin." When I read this, I immediately thought the father was very OCD. This passage definately can relate to the text as a whole because it describes his whole outlook on life. It was almost as if he was making everything around him "perfect" because he himself was not perfect.
The second passage that stood out to me was "...the walls were wet and sticky, and peach juice was dripping from the ceiling. James opened his mouth and caught some of it on his tounge." Okay... this was very disturbing. I think I even threw up in my mouth a little bit... The only way I could relate this to any of the other text we have read would be to compare it to this idea of romance. I am thinking that this event goes along with the idea of having underlying emotions/ feelings. She has her secrets just as her father had his.
This is a very interesting text and is different than any others I have read before.
The first passage that stood out to me "But an idle remark about my father's tie over breakfast could send him in a tailspin." When I read this, I immediately thought the father was very OCD. This passage definately can relate to the text as a whole because it describes his whole outlook on life. It was almost as if he was making everything around him "perfect" because he himself was not perfect.
The second passage that stood out to me was "...the walls were wet and sticky, and peach juice was dripping from the ceiling. James opened his mouth and caught some of it on his tounge." Okay... this was very disturbing. I think I even threw up in my mouth a little bit... The only way I could relate this to any of the other text we have read would be to compare it to this idea of romance. I am thinking that this event goes along with the idea of having underlying emotions/ feelings. She has her secrets just as her father had his.
This is a very interesting text and is different than any others I have read before.
Fun Home
At first flip through of "Fun Home" the reader, or at least me, gets a very wrong impression. A book that is entirely a comic? Sweet! However, upon reading the first couple lines of this text, the image portrayed is not one of fun and humorous. I immediately got a sense of longing for a different relationship between Alison and her father, as well as a sense of resentment. The first passage that stood out to me was when the narrator is comparing her life to that of the movie It's a Wonderful Life: "but in the movie when Jimmy Stewart comes home one night and starts yelling at everyone...it's out of the ordinary." (11) I think the reason this passage stood out to me was because I could really feel the resentment she had towards her father. She is basically his labor slave, helping him restore their house every moment, yet he yells at his family any chance he gets-even if they have done what he has asked. I could not picture a home life like this, and start feeling a lot of compassion for the narrator at this point of the story. The next passage that stood out to me was when Alison and John first see each other after the news of their father's death. "My little brother John and I greeted each other with ghastly, uncontrollable grins." (46) There are obvious reasons this passage stood out to me: why are they grinning after just losing their father? It makes me wonder whether it is because they are actually happy that he is gone, or that they are grieving but do not know how to show their emotions for the situation. This passage also makes me feel more compassion for the narrator and her siblings, because they are so mixed up in their home life. Each passage of this text brings about more shock to me, and makes it hard to relate what is going on the story.
6/23/10 Fun Home
During the first half of Alison Bechdel's, "Fun Home," I really got a sense of resentment that Alison had towards her father. Her dad often cared more about restoring their home than about his own children. One quote that proved this was, "And of course, my brothers and I were free labor. Dad considered us extensions of his own body, like precision robot arms." Most of the book he hardly even paid attention to any of his kids, he only saw them as his own little workers who were there only to do chores, and not as human beings. Another thing that stuck out to me is when Alison recalled parts of her childhood and her Father's love of gardening, she said "What kind of man but a sissy could possibly love flowers this ardently?"Although her Dad was quite feminine, I think that this feeds into the stereotype that only women are meant to enjoy some things and only men are meant to enjoy others. A lot of times society makes it seem shameful to like feminine things, especially in this case, with flowers, because pretty much all of the time flowers are only suppose to be associated with women. Who cares if he likes to garden? Does this really make him a "sissy" just because he is a man?
23 June 2010
Fun Home:
Passage 1: The first aspect of the reading that I reacted strongly towards was a very simply sentence that the narrative says that resonated with me deeply. It takes place at the beginning of the novel when the narrator is describing how her father is obsessed with interior design and different types of furniture and she says, “I grew to resent the way my father treated his furniture like children, and his children like furniture.” I feel this is a very passionate and interesting way to describe a parent’s love for a child. More often than not, I feel as though parents either treat their children like accessories or value certain possessions more than they value their own child. This was the moment in the novel where I really could understand the child’s pain of having an absent father. My own mother tended to value certain aspects of her life more than she did her own child, so I could really relate to how empty and worthless this can make a child feel. I really saw a piece of my own childhood in this passage.
Passage 2: The second passage I am choosing to focus on is also one that is really just a simple sentence out of the novel that held a lot of weight with me. It is when the narrator is describing the difference in her relationship with her father and with her mother, and how really the one with her father just could not have compared but really that was okay, “Although I’m good at enumerating my father’s flaws, it’s hard for me to sustain much anger at him. I expect this is partly because he’s dead, and partly because the bar is lower for fathers than for mothers.” While I am not entirely sure what to make of the mention of the bar being lower for fathers than mothers, I would much like to explore that idea. I feel there is a certain emphasis placed on a bad mother for it seems there is a stereotype that women should simply have an innate ability to care for a child that men may not have. Perhaps men are given more understanding for being bad fathers than mothers are because they aren’t expected to be soft and nurturing. I am curious to know what others feel about this passage because I am struggling to fully pinpoint exactly what she is saying or deciphering the underlying message.
Passage 1: The first aspect of the reading that I reacted strongly towards was a very simply sentence that the narrative says that resonated with me deeply. It takes place at the beginning of the novel when the narrator is describing how her father is obsessed with interior design and different types of furniture and she says, “I grew to resent the way my father treated his furniture like children, and his children like furniture.” I feel this is a very passionate and interesting way to describe a parent’s love for a child. More often than not, I feel as though parents either treat their children like accessories or value certain possessions more than they value their own child. This was the moment in the novel where I really could understand the child’s pain of having an absent father. My own mother tended to value certain aspects of her life more than she did her own child, so I could really relate to how empty and worthless this can make a child feel. I really saw a piece of my own childhood in this passage.
Passage 2: The second passage I am choosing to focus on is also one that is really just a simple sentence out of the novel that held a lot of weight with me. It is when the narrator is describing the difference in her relationship with her father and with her mother, and how really the one with her father just could not have compared but really that was okay, “Although I’m good at enumerating my father’s flaws, it’s hard for me to sustain much anger at him. I expect this is partly because he’s dead, and partly because the bar is lower for fathers than for mothers.” While I am not entirely sure what to make of the mention of the bar being lower for fathers than mothers, I would much like to explore that idea. I feel there is a certain emphasis placed on a bad mother for it seems there is a stereotype that women should simply have an innate ability to care for a child that men may not have. Perhaps men are given more understanding for being bad fathers than mothers are because they aren’t expected to be soft and nurturing. I am curious to know what others feel about this passage because I am struggling to fully pinpoint exactly what she is saying or deciphering the underlying message.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Chelsea Dunn
The first story, "The Schooldays of an Indian Girl" really dealt with a young woman trying to find herself within her culture and being different than the people around her, as did the second story, "Leaves from the Mental Portfolio of an Eurasian". Both of these stories were similar in the aspect of trying to fit in. These girls grew up in societies where they were not the "norm" and they both struggled with challenges or trying to fit in and accepting themselves for who they were.
However, there were a few differences in the two stories. The asian girl was much more apt to accept her culture and the rituals that came with it, as the indian girl struggled a bit more when it came to not giving into western culturalization.
Kristin Goehri 06/22/10
Between these two authors’ accounts, I noticed that both learned at a young age that they were regarded as different. Both girls were visually inspected by the dominant race, which led to discomfort and resulted in both women feeling the need to hide. In both excerpts, the girls eventually take pride in their background. Despite cruel words and actions from peers, both girls stick by their nationality and refuse to be stereotyped.
On the other hand, one of the key differences I noted was in the type of violence the two girls experienced. Both experienced emotional and mental violence, but only the Chinese girl described physical violence. Additionally, the first girl was assimilated into white culture against her will, while the other girl was born into white culture. The Indian girl wanted to assimilate into white culture, while the other girl seemed to be confused with her cultural identity. Furthermore, the Indian girl received no support from her mother, but the Asian girl was highly supported by her mother.
Taking a more general view, I think that it is extremely easy for children to pick up on societal clues, such as prejudices and racism. Additionally, there seems to be this fascination with members of an unfamiliar culture. The Americans were so interested in learning about the lifestyles of these people, but completely resistant to accepting these people as equals.
I think the differences in the story stem from the difference in family structure. The Indian girl was turning against her background when she assimilated into white culture. The Asian girl was half Asian and half white, which this seemed to make her assimilation easier. Her family was not as offended and she didn’t look as ethnic.
Overall, I think that outsiders experience many of the same feelings of fear, confusion, and longing for acceptance. However, differences occur based on culture and family background. Everyone’s experiences are going to be different even though they all share universal reactions to prejudice and the act of assimilation.
On the other hand, one of the key differences I noted was in the type of violence the two girls experienced. Both experienced emotional and mental violence, but only the Chinese girl described physical violence. Additionally, the first girl was assimilated into white culture against her will, while the other girl was born into white culture. The Indian girl wanted to assimilate into white culture, while the other girl seemed to be confused with her cultural identity. Furthermore, the Indian girl received no support from her mother, but the Asian girl was highly supported by her mother.
Taking a more general view, I think that it is extremely easy for children to pick up on societal clues, such as prejudices and racism. Additionally, there seems to be this fascination with members of an unfamiliar culture. The Americans were so interested in learning about the lifestyles of these people, but completely resistant to accepting these people as equals.
I think the differences in the story stem from the difference in family structure. The Indian girl was turning against her background when she assimilated into white culture. The Asian girl was half Asian and half white, which this seemed to make her assimilation easier. Her family was not as offended and she didn’t look as ethnic.
Overall, I think that outsiders experience many of the same feelings of fear, confusion, and longing for acceptance. However, differences occur based on culture and family background. Everyone’s experiences are going to be different even though they all share universal reactions to prejudice and the act of assimilation.
June 22 2010
Reading the first story, "The School Days of an Indian Girl," two quotes stuck out to me right away. The first one was, "I sank deep into the corner of my seat, for I resented being watched." and also, "Their mothers, instead of reproving such rude curiosity, looked closely at me, and attracted their children's further notice to my blanket. This embarrassed me and kept me constantly on the verge of tears." First, I felt sorry for her, it seemed almost like she was embarrassed of the fact that she was different that the others with "white faces. "I couldn't help but feel like she was being put on display, instead of being a human being, she was observed as some sort of weird object. I think this reiterates what we have talked a lot about in class, the uncomfortable concept of being watched and looked at.
After reading the second story, "Leaves from the mental portfolio of an Eurasian,"I got a similar feeling from when I read the first text, "The School Days of an Indian Girl." The line that caught my attention was, "For some time after our arrival, whenever we children are sent for a walk, our footsteps are dogged by a number of young French and English Canadians who amuse themselves with speculations as to whether, we being Chinese, are susceptible to pinches and hair pulling, while older persons pause and gaze upon us, very much in the same way that I have seen people gaze upon strange animals in a menagerie." I think this is very similar to the first story in the sense of being watched and observed. It's almost like these children are being treated as animals instead of actual people. I get the same feeling as the first story and how they are being put on display just for being different. I like this story a bit better though, because they seem to stand up for themselves, and act proud to be Chinese.
BreAnna Brock
In the first story "The School Days of an Indian Girl" it seemed throughout the whole thing that it seemed hard for her to stay true to her culture and cultural values due to her surroundings and new comings. It was easy for me to see that acceptance was of more importance to her then staying true to her cultural values.
"Leaves from the Mental Portfolio of an Eurasian: The Asian woman in this story seemed to be a lot stronger then the girl in the first excerpt. She embraced her cultural values a lot better and was able to use them in a sense to not fall into the stereotypes and stigmas society tried to place in her path. This story it seemed more like the white people were more accepting to the fact that she was Chinese whereas in the first story it was a problem for her to be racially diverse.
The first passage made me think of when I was younger and I knew i was different from all the other children because I am African American and it used to bother me a lot; because at the time didn't know any better. The last story was like a growing up story brought me back to when i got older and realised that my skin color and culture are something that makes me stronger not weaker.
"Leaves from the Mental Portfolio of an Eurasian: The Asian woman in this story seemed to be a lot stronger then the girl in the first excerpt. She embraced her cultural values a lot better and was able to use them in a sense to not fall into the stereotypes and stigmas society tried to place in her path. This story it seemed more like the white people were more accepting to the fact that she was Chinese whereas in the first story it was a problem for her to be racially diverse.
The first passage made me think of when I was younger and I knew i was different from all the other children because I am African American and it used to bother me a lot; because at the time didn't know any better. The last story was like a growing up story brought me back to when i got older and realised that my skin color and culture are something that makes me stronger not weaker.
June 22 Katie Hooper
I really enjoyed how these two stories compliment eachother is several ways. Reading them one right after the other really helped notice the disticnt similarities and differences between them.
The similarity that stood out to me most between these two stories stems back to the idea of being watched. In the first text, From the School Days of an Indian Girl, I could almost feel the unease and pressure the Indian girl felt while riding on the train. "I sank deep into the corner of my seat, for I resented being watched... Sometimes they took their forefingers out of their mouths and pointed at my moccasined feet." On this train, the degree in which the "fair people" are watching this young girl is extremely rude. In the second text, Leaves from the Mental Portfolio of an Eurasian, the little girl, Sui, experiences what it is like to be watched as well. "He adjusts his eyeglasses and surveys me critically. 'Ah indeed' he exclaims, '...very interesting little creature.'" In both of these texts, the girls are being watched, criticized, and looked at as if they were aliens.
The main difference I noticed between the two stories is the way in which the two girls dealt with their cultural differences. The little Indian girl struggled with being different and it seemed that she eventually gave into the "fair" people and conformed the the ways of the pale-skin people. However, Sui, held on to her heritage and accepted the fact that she was Chinese and was different. She never lost sight of who she was or where she came from.
The similarity that stood out to me most between these two stories stems back to the idea of being watched. In the first text, From the School Days of an Indian Girl, I could almost feel the unease and pressure the Indian girl felt while riding on the train. "I sank deep into the corner of my seat, for I resented being watched... Sometimes they took their forefingers out of their mouths and pointed at my moccasined feet." On this train, the degree in which the "fair people" are watching this young girl is extremely rude. In the second text, Leaves from the Mental Portfolio of an Eurasian, the little girl, Sui, experiences what it is like to be watched as well. "He adjusts his eyeglasses and surveys me critically. 'Ah indeed' he exclaims, '...very interesting little creature.'" In both of these texts, the girls are being watched, criticized, and looked at as if they were aliens.
The main difference I noticed between the two stories is the way in which the two girls dealt with their cultural differences. The little Indian girl struggled with being different and it seemed that she eventually gave into the "fair" people and conformed the the ways of the pale-skin people. However, Sui, held on to her heritage and accepted the fact that she was Chinese and was different. She never lost sight of who she was or where she came from.
Charles French June 22nd 'Being Different'
The first thing that I noticed when I was reading these two pieces was that I initially assumed that the piece about the 'Indian' would be about a woman from India and not of a Native American. Beyond that, in this first piece I noticed that it was more difficult for this girl to maintain her cultural identity. It almost seemed to me as though she tried to maintain her 'Indian-ness' but the influence from the 'paleface' was too great and so she ended up giving up her heritage in favor of gaining acceptance. The other thing about this piece that stuck out to me was how 'stereotypical' it seemed. The images of the Indian girl calling the white people 'paleface' seemed like a very stereotypical image.
As for the second piece about the Chinese woman, it seemed to me that she was much more resilient and better able to stand up for herself in claiming her proper heritage in the face of numerous societal pressures, for the better part of the piece anyway. It also seemed as though the white people in this piece were more readily accepting of her when she 'came out' to them about the fact that she was Chinese.
As for the second piece about the Chinese woman, it seemed to me that she was much more resilient and better able to stand up for herself in claiming her proper heritage in the face of numerous societal pressures, for the better part of the piece anyway. It also seemed as though the white people in this piece were more readily accepting of her when she 'came out' to them about the fact that she was Chinese.
Monday, June 21, 2010
June 21st
The first thing that stuck out to me is how young the authors were when they first encountered prejudices against them. Yeah kids make fun of each other, but some of the things they were told were outrageous. I felt like they both were running from the problem at some point. In The School Days of an Indian Girl, she ran and hid under the bed when she learned they were going to cut her hair. In Leaves from the Mental Portfolio of an Eurasian, she kept moving. Even though Far seemed to be constantly moving, I was so happy when she admitted to being half Chinese at the table in front of the people who were making rude comments. While she may not have felt like she fit in with any race or parts of society, she didn't deny who she was.
One thing I was curious about was if the Zitkala-Sa was taken from her family and forced to go to school, or if her mother sent her there by choice.
One thing I was curious about was if the Zitkala-Sa was taken from her family and forced to go to school, or if her mother sent her there by choice.
21 June 2010
I really enjoyed viewing these stories one right after the other for I felt it allowed good insight into each story, though about similar topics they each seem to have their own flow and idea. I noticed many similarities and differences between the two stories but for the sake of making this blog bearable to read, I have decided to allow my focus just to stay with one similarity and one difference, what I found to be most compelling and interesting.
The most interesting similarity I could find between the stories was this idea of being stared at. Each story describes very early on in the narrative a sense of being watched and judged, and definitely in a very public way. From The School Days of an Indian Girl, the young girl on the train recalls this feeling, "Sometimes they took their forefingers out of their mouths and pointed at my moccasined feet. Their mothers, instead of reproving such rude curiosity, looked closely at me, and attracted their children's further notice to my blanket." I feel this sort of inspection is so blatant and intentional, that as a child to feel this on display must be an awful feeling. A similar idea of being watched is portrayed in Leaves from the Mental Portfolio of an Eurasian, "She turns me around and scans me curiously from head to foot. Then the two women whisper together." While I feel each text is conveying a sense of being watched and stared at, I feel the latter text is less blatant than the first, as if almost more of a secretive and "behind the back" sort of viewing of the child.
I think an interesting difference in the stories is the way in which each of the girls view their own race. In The School Days of an Indian Girl, it is quite obvious that the girl feels very secure in her race and she is highly aware and knows exactly who she is and where she comes from. She seems to have embraced all of the traditions and understands much about her cultural background. I got a huge sense of this when the girl describes her hair being cut off and she equates that with a loss of her spirit. I feel in this moment the young girl, who was once so secure in her skin feels a new loss of identity. I feel this is a different experience from the girl in Leaves from the Mental Portfolio of an Eurasian, where the young girl seems to not understand what her race is for her mother is Chinese and her father is English. She seems to have a sort of inner struggle with what her background and cultural traditions are, "Papa is English, mamma is Chinese. Why couldn't we have been either one thing or the other?" I feel in this story, the young girl grows into her identity and finds herself gradually through her cultural background. This story seems to be more of a process.
Chelsea Dunn movie scene
My favorite movie is "When Harry Met Sally" my favorite scene in the movie is when Sally is crying about a man that hurt her and she was on the phone with harry and he ended up coming over to support her. To me this was when their emotions for each other became evident to both of them. Harry came over and they ended up sleeping together. Even though she was sad and lonely i think both characters felt the connection moving from friendship to something more. This has alway stood out in my mind because i know how important it is to have a friendship with the person you are involved with, and i think that some of the strongest relationships stem from friendships.
Harry and Sally talking about relationships:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFWGOKuFyjk
BreAnna Brock:Love & Basketball
One of my favorite movies of all time is Love & Basketball. (surprising hugh since i play basketball lol). This movie is about two best friends who have lived next door to each other since the day Monica (Sanaa Lathan) moved directly next door to Quincy (Omar Epps) when she was about 10 years old. When Quincy's parents get into arguements he climbs into Monica's window and sleeps in her room on the floor. Their love hate relationship goes on until the day they go to there final school dance their senior year of high school. That night Monica and Quincy inform one another that they are both going to the same school to play collegiate basketball at USC. Its at this moment that their sexual and emotional relationship finally erupts and they go on to college as a couple. Dealing with Quincy's parents divorcing, Monica and Quincy breaking up, Monica going over seas to play proff. ball and Quincy getting engaged and going to the pros and a turntable of many other crucial events. At the end of the movie a one on one game is the determining factor of weither their long lost love is truelly still there or if they call it quits and Monica brings Quincy a gift to his wedding.........I love this movie not only because of the basketball aspect but also because of the constant tussle between the love for the game and fighting for the love of your life.
Link to Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elnfChCjZjk
After Dance Scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2Rd1wmh678
Link to Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elnfChCjZjk
After Dance Scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2Rd1wmh678
Romance
While thinking of a romantic movie the first thing that came to mind for me was Walk the Line, the story of Johnny Cash and June Carter. For those of you unfamiliar with or who have not seen the movie: Cash and Carter were both married to other people when they started doing shows and touring together, however Cash had been in love with June since the moment he met her. They went through years of ups and downs together and even had an affair in the middle. Cash was addicted to pain killers however, and June left him until he could get clean. They eventually start touring together again, about 6 months after he gets sober, and he repeatedly asks her to marry him. She always says it's not the right time. At one of their shows in Canada, he asks her on stage, and says he cannot continue the song until she agrees to marry him because it would be a lie. She finally does!
I don't think this story follows the typical romantic movie plot line, both were with other people when they first met and started falling for each other, and they were constantly together due to being on tour. Even though they knew each other for years, it took them a long time to realize they should be together. It was also not a typical proposal, they were two famous people that did it on stage at one of their shows. While romance is not the whole idea to this movie, it's also about Cash's struggle with drugs and getting into the music career, the romance between June and Johnny also makes it a great movie. While I'm sure there are even more perfectly romantic scenes and movies to have chosen from, I think this one shows the ultimate struggle to be together, and based on a true story.
I don't think this story follows the typical romantic movie plot line, both were with other people when they first met and started falling for each other, and they were constantly together due to being on tour. Even though they knew each other for years, it took them a long time to realize they should be together. It was also not a typical proposal, they were two famous people that did it on stage at one of their shows. While romance is not the whole idea to this movie, it's also about Cash's struggle with drugs and getting into the music career, the romance between June and Johnny also makes it a great movie. While I'm sure there are even more perfectly romantic scenes and movies to have chosen from, I think this one shows the ultimate struggle to be together, and based on a true story.
Kristin Goehri 06/21/2010
One of the most tragically romantic movies I could think of was Titantic. Just in case anyone missed seeing this blockbuster hit, I will give you a brief rundown of the plot. The story begins with the boarding of passengers on the famous boat, the Titanic. While at sea, the paths of Rose, a rich socialite, and Jack, a poor working class man, are crossed. The two quickly fall in love, but their differences in social class create obstacles. As the couple fall more in love, the boat hits an iceberg and begins to sink. The two declare their love and risk their chances at survival by trying to escape the boat together. Eventually, Jack and Rose are dumped into the Atlantic Ocean, and Jack dies before the rescue boats arrive. Rose later goes on to marry, but her heart has always stayed with her first true love.
One of my favorite romantic scenes in the movie is when Jack has just placed Rose on a lifeboat. As the boat is being lowered into the water, Rose jumps onto a lower deck of the ship. Jack is screaming for her to stop, but once he sees her pulled safely onboard, he runs to find her. As they meet on the Grand Staircase, Jack is screaming at Rose wanting to know why she would have done something so stupid. Rose simply replies, “You jump; I Jump”. They kiss and embrace at this declaration. One reason that I like this part of the movie, it always brings me to tears. However, the deeper reason would be that their love was so strong that they couldn’t survive without each other.
I think that Titanic is different from other love stories because there is no true happy ending. Her lover dies in her arms and she has absolutely nothing, except memories, to remember him by. It is a story of true love that doesn’t end in the traditional manner. Rose goes on to marry someone else, and her love for Jack is kept secret for most of her life.
One of my favorite romantic scenes in the movie is when Jack has just placed Rose on a lifeboat. As the boat is being lowered into the water, Rose jumps onto a lower deck of the ship. Jack is screaming for her to stop, but once he sees her pulled safely onboard, he runs to find her. As they meet on the Grand Staircase, Jack is screaming at Rose wanting to know why she would have done something so stupid. Rose simply replies, “You jump; I Jump”. They kiss and embrace at this declaration. One reason that I like this part of the movie, it always brings me to tears. However, the deeper reason would be that their love was so strong that they couldn’t survive without each other.
I think that Titanic is different from other love stories because there is no true happy ending. Her lover dies in her arms and she has absolutely nothing, except memories, to remember him by. It is a story of true love that doesn’t end in the traditional manner. Rose goes on to marry someone else, and her love for Jack is kept secret for most of her life.
Joanne Haggar: Cruel Intentions
One of my favorite movies is Cruel Intentions. This movie is about wealthy step siblings who make a bet with each other. Kathryn makes a bet with Sebastian that he won't be able to sleep with Annette, a virgin who wants to wait until marriage. If he loses Kathryn gets his car and if he wins, he gets Kathryn. It starts as a game, but Sebastian ends up falling in love with Annette. He goes to her place and tells her it was all a game and she gets mad and leaves. Sebastian goes to the airport and is waiting at the top of the escalade for her. She says "Im impressed" and he says "well Im in love" and they start making out and then go home and get it on. This movie is not really that different from other romantic movies, but i love the game they play.
movie trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=538iMqi9S8g
scene im talking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvpsT_3x5ZY&feature=fvst
Romantic Plotline 6/21
As far as movies go, I'm more of a comedy type of girl, but if I had to pick, an older favorite that never fails would be Pretty Woman. I think most everyone has at least heard of it but the movie is centered around an escort (Julia Roberts) who meets and falls and love with a very wealthy buissnessman (Richard Gere). She goes from basically having nothing to living this lavish lifestyle without a care in the world. During the movie you see her try to blend in with her new rich friends, which seems to be a struggle for her. Although she now is dressing the part, she still is not acting it. During the movie you see her try to fit in at various different places that are foreign to her like formal dinners, and polo matches. The thing that I like the most about this movie is the unconventional romantic plotline, it is not your average fairytale with a prince and a princess. My favorite scene, although it has nothing to do with romance, is when Julia goes shopping for the first time (still in her hooker apparell). At her first stop she gets ignored and told to leave because "she can't afford anything there" by a snooty sales woman, and although she is really upset by this, she ends up getting the royal treatment at another store where she buys basically a whole new wardrobe. The best part though, is that she goes back to the original store dressed very classy, and when they immediately ask her if they can help her, she asks the saleswoman suprised, "Don't you remember me?" and the saleswoman realizes who she is, and Julia ends by saying "BIG mistake!" and really rubs it in her face. Although it is unconventional, and not your average prince/princess story, you can still see similarities to what is known to be the "average romantic plotline," I guess you could say it is like the R-rated version of Cinderella.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Romantic Plotline
So aside from the obvious, The Notebook, I think Win a Date with Tad Hamilton is really cute. So basically there is a small town girl, Rosalee, who works with her two best friends (a guy, Pete and a girl). She wins a date with Tad Hamilton, a movie star. Tad decides that he likes Rosalee, so they start dating. Pete is in love with Rosalee all along, but doesn't say anything to her because he wants her to be happy. At one point Pete tells Tad that Rosalee has six smiles, and Tad steals the line and uses it on her to get her to go with him to a movie shoot. Rosalee realizes that she is in love with Pete as well, and has the plane turn around.
The most 'romantic' scene is the very end when Rosalee finds Pete, and Rosalee tells him about his six smiles. They eventually kiss and start dancing. It's really cute because the end scene is the same as the beginning scene, which is a Tad Hamilton movie. I hope that they way I explained it makes sense.
I think it's romantic because the "guy gets the girl," the audience is pulling for Pete the whole time. It is mostly romantic because the six smiles is something very personal that only someone close to you would notice. I guess it could kind of get a stalker feel, but they are friends and work together, so they are around each other a lot. I think it's cute that she knows his smiles as well.
The most 'romantic' scene is the very end when Rosalee finds Pete, and Rosalee tells him about his six smiles. They eventually kiss and start dancing. It's really cute because the end scene is the same as the beginning scene, which is a Tad Hamilton movie. I hope that they way I explained it makes sense.
I think it's romantic because the "guy gets the girl," the audience is pulling for Pete the whole time. It is mostly romantic because the six smiles is something very personal that only someone close to you would notice. I guess it could kind of get a stalker feel, but they are friends and work together, so they are around each other a lot. I think it's cute that she knows his smiles as well.
Romantic plot line-Katie Hooper
The movie I chose for its romantic plotline is The Notebook. The Notebook tells the story of two young adults and their summer romance which turns into true love. The main characters, Noah and Allie, come from different social classes and are eventually separated from one another. Years later, Allie is engaged but something inside her was missing. She goes back to visit Noah and its as if they picked up right where they left off. Needless to say there is a sex scene, then Allie calls off the wedding with her fiance, and she chooses to spend the rest of her life with Noah.
I loved this movie (but I love the book more). One of my favorite scenes from this movie is when Noah and Allie walk home from their first date at the movies. This is where their feelings for one another begin to spark and the connection between the two of them is impecable. Noah encourages Allie to lay in the middle of the street with him and watch the street lights change colors. They top off the evening by dancing in the street while Noah sings "I'll be Seeing You" in Allie's ear. I guess I am just a sucker for romance because I fell in love with this scene. I think it is the comfort, mystery, and the whole honey-moon stage feeling that I loved about it! It isn't cheesy and I like the way Noah treats Allie with respect yet he tells her exactly whats on his mind.
I think this plotline is different from a lot of other romantic films I have seen because it is one of those relationships that you would not "only see in the movies". I feel that this plotline falls into the category of realism because it is believable through and through.
I loved this movie (but I love the book more). One of my favorite scenes from this movie is when Noah and Allie walk home from their first date at the movies. This is where their feelings for one another begin to spark and the connection between the two of them is impecable. Noah encourages Allie to lay in the middle of the street with him and watch the street lights change colors. They top off the evening by dancing in the street while Noah sings "I'll be Seeing You" in Allie's ear. I guess I am just a sucker for romance because I fell in love with this scene. I think it is the comfort, mystery, and the whole honey-moon stage feeling that I loved about it! It isn't cheesy and I like the way Noah treats Allie with respect yet he tells her exactly whats on his mind.
I think this plotline is different from a lot of other romantic films I have seen because it is one of those relationships that you would not "only see in the movies". I feel that this plotline falls into the category of realism because it is believable through and through.
June 20, 2010 'Romantic' Plot-Line
Alright, well this particular blog was quite difficult for me. I'm typically not the type of person who will look through the shelves at blockbuster and see a romantic story and say "Oh yeah, I'm gonna rent that one". That isn't to say that I don't enjoy the occasional romantic story, but it isn't something I hunger for, and it is entirely possible that plot lines that I wouldn't even consider romantic might be after all.
Mindless rant aside for this assignment I have chosen 2008's Bedtime Stories starring Adam Sandler, Kerri Rustle, and Courtney Cox as the leading rolls. A basic rundown of the plot has Adam Sandler playing the role of a hotel repair worker and Courtney Cox is his school teacher sister. He goes to babysit Courtney's children and finds out that when they make up stories, the next day they come true.
Through these wacky stories he is introduced to Kerri Rustle and the two of them eventually fall in love and get married, that is after Adam Sandler has his final 'end game' battle to win control of the hotel from the 'evil' developers.
I would say that this fits the realm of a romance plot line in the way Adam and Kerri's characters meet and slowly fall for one another and end up living 'happily ever after' (gag :) ) I would say that it is perhaps not the 'typical' romance only for the fact that it is billed as a comedy and I would say the 'romantic plot-line' is not the driving force through the majority of the film.
Mindless rant aside for this assignment I have chosen 2008's Bedtime Stories starring Adam Sandler, Kerri Rustle, and Courtney Cox as the leading rolls. A basic rundown of the plot has Adam Sandler playing the role of a hotel repair worker and Courtney Cox is his school teacher sister. He goes to babysit Courtney's children and finds out that when they make up stories, the next day they come true.
Through these wacky stories he is introduced to Kerri Rustle and the two of them eventually fall in love and get married, that is after Adam Sandler has his final 'end game' battle to win control of the hotel from the 'evil' developers.
I would say that this fits the realm of a romance plot line in the way Adam and Kerri's characters meet and slowly fall for one another and end up living 'happily ever after' (gag :) ) I would say that it is perhaps not the 'typical' romance only for the fact that it is billed as a comedy and I would say the 'romantic plot-line' is not the driving force through the majority of the film.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The movie I chose is called Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The plot, in the most basic terms, is about a whimsical, free spirited woman (Clementine) and a uptight, nervous man (Joel) who after the end of their tumultuous relationship are erasing each other from their memories. Most of the movie occurs in the brain of the Joel while his memories of Clementine are being erased at which point he comes to realize that he does not want to lose her from his memories. While this is happening, the company who performs the task of erasing the memories comes to realize the immorality of the process and decides to mail tapes and documents to all of the people who have had their memories erased. One morning (after the memories are erased) while Joel is late for work, he takes the train instead and meets Clementine, and an instant love is formed between them. They both return home to receive the documents of their erased memories of each other, in the form of tapes in which each of them reveals essentially everything that they disliked about their relationship. Although they realize their previous relationship, which they do not remember was difficult and troubling, they decide to try again anyway. I am including a link to the IMDB description of this movie for I feel mine is lacking in good detail. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338013/synopsis
The scene I am choosing, though there are many I find beautiful, moving and filled with romance is a scene that shows a memory that is being erased from Joel's brain. Joel and Clementine are under a cover simply talking. Clementine asks Joel if she is ugly and then proceeds to tell him a story about when she was a young girl and she had a doll she called Clementine and that she would scream at the doll to be more beautiful. She then goes on to say that she felt if the doll got more beautiful that she would get more beautiful too. Clementine describes how lonely it is to be a child and starts to cry. Joel proceeds to tell her she is beautiful and they kiss. All of the sudden Clementine is sliding away from Joel because the memory is being erased and Joel says "Please, just let me keep this memory, just this one." I feel the scene sort of shows those intense intimate moments that makes all of the other downfalls of a relationship completely worth it. There is something beautiful about a person revealing their emotions and feelings and I feel perhaps they just aren't treasured enough. This memory is the moment that Joel realizes he no longer wants to have his memory erased and I feel that is because those sorts of memories no matter whether a relationship continues or ends are crucial to our existence; these types of perfect moments where it is possible to feel as close as you possibly can to another person make life simply worth living. This in my mind qualifies as the deepest type of romance.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Kristin Goehri 06/17/10
Morrison writes, "She had no thought of causing Nel pain when she bedded down with Jude" (119). I found this single line to be the most telling of Sula's personality. It shows that she operates outside of the norms of the social sphere. Her ability to separate emotion and intimacy is something that is not shared by other women. Sula realizes that her and Nel cannot be one in the same. Nel has changed. Nel has shielded part of her life (her marriage) from the openness that she usually shares with Sula. Another interesting point to recognize is that Sula thinks that time and distance have no affect on relationships. She believes that a childhood friendship operates in the same way that an adult relationship operates.
Additionally, I found this passage to be extremely shocking. How could Nel feel no remorse for the pain that she caused Nel? How could she possibly think that her actions were okay? I understand that she grew up with a mother that saw sex as something separate from relationships, but Sula would have also witnessed these men's wives being aggressive towards Hannah. How could she fail to make that connection? Sula went to college and saw big cities; one would think that she was a little more street smart. I think that we see the question of right and wrong being raised. Is an action wrong if you didn't know that it was wrong prior to performing the action? Is Sula being a "bad" friend if she didn't know that she was hurting Nel?
The second passage that I focused on, came at the very end of the book. Nel says, "All that time, all that time, I thought I was missing Jude" (174). Throughout the second part of the book, the audience is given indications that Nel still cares for Sula, regardless of her actions. However, this is the first time that Nel fully lets go of her anger and addresses the loss that she is feeling. It's interesting that Nel mourns for the loss of her friend than her husband. Both have proven that they can do horrible things, but she is still drawn to Sula. Why? Was their friendship that strong? The ending of the book speaks volumes on the ways in which friendship function within society. Despite her love for Sula, Nel rejected her because it was the socially acceptable thing to do. Nel was not able to overcome until long after Sula was already dead. While Sula did sleep with Nel's husband, the ending of the book almost makes you feel as though Nel was not playing the role of the friend. She was trying to suppress her true feelings for Nel in an effort to not be judged by her community.
Additionally, I found this passage to be extremely shocking. How could Nel feel no remorse for the pain that she caused Nel? How could she possibly think that her actions were okay? I understand that she grew up with a mother that saw sex as something separate from relationships, but Sula would have also witnessed these men's wives being aggressive towards Hannah. How could she fail to make that connection? Sula went to college and saw big cities; one would think that she was a little more street smart. I think that we see the question of right and wrong being raised. Is an action wrong if you didn't know that it was wrong prior to performing the action? Is Sula being a "bad" friend if she didn't know that she was hurting Nel?
The second passage that I focused on, came at the very end of the book. Nel says, "All that time, all that time, I thought I was missing Jude" (174). Throughout the second part of the book, the audience is given indications that Nel still cares for Sula, regardless of her actions. However, this is the first time that Nel fully lets go of her anger and addresses the loss that she is feeling. It's interesting that Nel mourns for the loss of her friend than her husband. Both have proven that they can do horrible things, but she is still drawn to Sula. Why? Was their friendship that strong? The ending of the book speaks volumes on the ways in which friendship function within society. Despite her love for Sula, Nel rejected her because it was the socially acceptable thing to do. Nel was not able to overcome until long after Sula was already dead. While Sula did sleep with Nel's husband, the ending of the book almost makes you feel as though Nel was not playing the role of the friend. She was trying to suppress her true feelings for Nel in an effort to not be judged by her community.
BreAnna Brock
"Just cause you was bad enough to cut off your own leg you think you got a right to kick every body with the stump." Reading this part kind of made me laugh but it also prove to be a serious encounter between "big mama" and Sula. I like the way Sula comes into the house in this scene with her head held high not taking smack from anyone not even her grandmother. She tells her grandmother that her boldness and meanness may work on other people but that doesn't just give her the right to talk to her like that.
“Why? I can do it all, why can’t I have it all? You can’t do it all. You a woman and a colored woman at that. You can’t act like a man. You can’t be walking around all independent-like, doing whatever you like, taking what you want, leaving what you don’t” This quote for me just honestly made me want to come through the book and slap Nel. The audacity that she has is tremendous and for any women especially during that time to express this to another women is wrong. I feel like during this time women in general especially black women should be doing all they can to form some sort of sisterhood and friendship with the women around them. But the thing is Sula takes this in stride and overcomes the ignorance around her and instead proves this ignorant opinion to be very wrong.
“Why? I can do it all, why can’t I have it all? You can’t do it all. You a woman and a colored woman at that. You can’t act like a man. You can’t be walking around all independent-like, doing whatever you like, taking what you want, leaving what you don’t” This quote for me just honestly made me want to come through the book and slap Nel. The audacity that she has is tremendous and for any women especially during that time to express this to another women is wrong. I feel like during this time women in general especially black women should be doing all they can to form some sort of sisterhood and friendship with the women around them. But the thing is Sula takes this in stride and overcomes the ignorance around her and instead proves this ignorant opinion to be very wrong.
Joanne Haggar: Sula part 2
“He did not speak down to her or at her, nor content himself with puerile questions about her life or monologues of his own activities. Thinking she was possibly brilliant, like his mother, he seemed to except brilliance from her, and she delivered” (127-128).
-This passage stood out to me because this type of a relationship is a big chance for Sula. Finally there is a guy she feels respects her and wants to talk to her not just sleep with her. She is maturing and is now seeing what type of relationship she needs. I think a lot of girls can relate to this passage because we never know if a guy is being nice because he wants to sleep with us or he actually cares and wants to get to know us. I like how it says Sula found pleasure in the fact that he wanted to actually have a conversation with her. It is a good scene because we are seeing good change for Sula.
“Why? I can do it all, why can’t I have it all? You can’t do it all. You a woman and a colored woman at that. You can’t act like a man. You can’t be walking around all independent-like, doing whatever you like, taking what you want, leaving what you don’t” (142).
-I got angry when reading that Nel is telling Sula she can’t do it all or be independent. I feel like this book is all about independent women or young girls growing up and trying to find their identity. I think for a girl to tell another girl that she can’t do it all and can’t be “all independent-like” is very crippling to a girls self-esteem. Sula has always been really independent and she has grown up seeing that women (her mother and grandmother in particular) can’t depend on men.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Sula-part 2
"In spite of their fear, they reacted to an oppressive oddity, or what they called evil days, with an acceptance that bordered on welcome. Such evil must be avoided, they felt, and precautions must naturally be taken to protect themselves from it. But they let it run its course, fulfill itself, and never invented ways either to alter it, annihilate it or to prevent its happening again." I thought it was very interesting that with Sula's return, Morrison wrote quite a bit about evil. I was also struck that Morrison used such dark words and said the people were basically welcoming the evil. What I liked the most about the passage is that she brings up the idea that people can prevent or do something about wrongs that are done to them in their lifetime. It makes me think of people who blame all of their problems on others and do nothing about it themselves or take any action to keep it from happening again in the future.
I had mixed feelings after reading Sula's death scene. One thing I noticed is that Morrison wrote that Sula's pain at one point was a "kind of burning" as well as mentioning "a rain scent and would know the water was near, and she would curl into its heavy softness, and it would envelop her, carry her, and wash her tired flesh away." I instantly saw these as references to the way she had seen others in the story die. The scene also kind of left me feeling bad for her and Nel. Nel, because she didn't get the answers she so desperately wanted, and Sula because she came to a realization that she "never meant anything" and died alone.
I had mixed feelings after reading Sula's death scene. One thing I noticed is that Morrison wrote that Sula's pain at one point was a "kind of burning" as well as mentioning "a rain scent and would know the water was near, and she would curl into its heavy softness, and it would envelop her, carry her, and wash her tired flesh away." I instantly saw these as references to the way she had seen others in the story die. The scene also kind of left me feeling bad for her and Nel. Nel, because she didn't get the answers she so desperately wanted, and Sula because she came to a realization that she "never meant anything" and died alone.
Charles French Sula Pt. 2: I'm Confused?
Reading the second part of Sula I think I am still confused about a lot. So unfortunately I feel that this blog might contain more questions than anything.
I have several related quotes for this blog that all relate. The first comes when Sula is mistakenly blamed for hurting Teapot. Teapot's mother "just then tripping home, saw Sula bending over her son's pained face. She flew into a fit of concerned, if drunken, motherhood, and dragged Teapot home" (114). the next comes just after "Mr. Finley sat on his porch sucking chicken bones, as he had done for thirteen years, looked up, saw Sula, choked on a bone and died on the spot" (114) and then there is the explanation of how the women react to the idea that Sula might steal their men. "So the women, to justify their own judgment, cherished their men more, soothed the pride and vanity Sula had bruised" (115). and a general description of the town's actions in reaction to Sula "They began to cherish their husbands and wives, protect their children, repair their homes and in general band together against the devil in their midst" (119). All of these quotes support the idea that, although Sula acted out and caused quite a stir when she returned to the Bottom after so many years, her actions ultimately served to bring the town and it's people closer together.
In support of Sula's effect on the town is the explanation of how things were after she passed. When teapot's mother "beat him as she had not done since Sula knocked him down the steps" but she was not alone in her changing reaction "Other mothers who had defended their children from Sula's malevolence (or who had defended their positions as mothers from Sula's scorn for the role) now had nothing to rub up against"(153). There are other examples continuing from page 153 but this blog post is getting too long and extending beyond the scope and purpose of the blog.
The thing that struck me about these supporting quotes is the idea that something that is 'evil' and creates so much tension within a town is also somehow needed. I think it is very interesting how Morrison paints Sula's actions as both cementing the community together and in their absence dividing and creating havoc within the community.
I have several related quotes for this blog that all relate. The first comes when Sula is mistakenly blamed for hurting Teapot. Teapot's mother "just then tripping home, saw Sula bending over her son's pained face. She flew into a fit of concerned, if drunken, motherhood, and dragged Teapot home" (114). the next comes just after "Mr. Finley sat on his porch sucking chicken bones, as he had done for thirteen years, looked up, saw Sula, choked on a bone and died on the spot" (114) and then there is the explanation of how the women react to the idea that Sula might steal their men. "So the women, to justify their own judgment, cherished their men more, soothed the pride and vanity Sula had bruised" (115). and a general description of the town's actions in reaction to Sula "They began to cherish their husbands and wives, protect their children, repair their homes and in general band together against the devil in their midst" (119). All of these quotes support the idea that, although Sula acted out and caused quite a stir when she returned to the Bottom after so many years, her actions ultimately served to bring the town and it's people closer together.
In support of Sula's effect on the town is the explanation of how things were after she passed. When teapot's mother "beat him as she had not done since Sula knocked him down the steps" but she was not alone in her changing reaction "Other mothers who had defended their children from Sula's malevolence (or who had defended their positions as mothers from Sula's scorn for the role) now had nothing to rub up against"(153). There are other examples continuing from page 153 but this blog post is getting too long and extending beyond the scope and purpose of the blog.
The thing that struck me about these supporting quotes is the idea that something that is 'evil' and creates so much tension within a town is also somehow needed. I think it is very interesting how Morrison paints Sula's actions as both cementing the community together and in their absence dividing and creating havoc within the community.
Katie H Sula Pt. 2
A passage from the second part of Sula struck me in the very beginning when Sula comes back to visit and sees her mother for the first time in ten years. Her mother is not being very welcoming and has this to say, "If folks let somebody know where they is and when they are coming, then other folks can get ready for them. If they don't- if they just pop in all sudden like-then they got to take whatever mood they find." (92) I think the reason this passage stood out to me was because of how I can see the situation from both Sula and Eva's perspectives. Sula wanted to feel welcomed, and after having been gone for so long expected a bit of a different homecoming. However, she has been gone for so long without a word home, and a built up sort of resentment has formed in her Grandmother and she does not feel that Sula deserves a welcome with open arms. This reminds me of past scenes in Sula and the different ways that Eva had treated her children in the past. She has already lost two of them and might feel as though she should have been treated better by Sula. This theme of family and love is also shown here, because the two have not seen each other in so long but still have hostility towards each other. Should their reunion really be this hostile?
Another passage that gave me a reaction is when Sula is thinking about Ajax, "but her real pleasure was the fact that he talked to her. They had genuine conversations. He did not speak down to her or at her, nor content himself with puerile questions about her life or monologues of his own activities." (128) This made me think of all the other men Sula had been with, and how this passage just further shows the type of "relationship" she had with all these men she was sleeping with. No conversation, no talk, just sleeping with. It seems to me that she starte to notice that some men were good, and that she could enjoy the company of a man and it could be something that she might actually want.
Another passage that gave me a reaction is when Sula is thinking about Ajax, "but her real pleasure was the fact that he talked to her. They had genuine conversations. He did not speak down to her or at her, nor content himself with puerile questions about her life or monologues of his own activities." (128) This made me think of all the other men Sula had been with, and how this passage just further shows the type of "relationship" she had with all these men she was sleeping with. No conversation, no talk, just sleeping with. It seems to me that she starte to notice that some men were good, and that she could enjoy the company of a man and it could be something that she might actually want.
16 June 2010: Sula
1937: I was taken back by a small passage that takes place after Sula returns, right in the beginning of the second part of the novel. I am not so sure why my attention was grabbed so quickly by this sort of overview of a passage but I found its words to be powerful and beautiful. “The purpose of evil was to survive it and they determined (without ever knowing they had made up their minds to do it) to survive floods, white people, tuberculosis, famine and ignorance. They knew anger well but not despair, and they didn't stone sinners for the same reason they didn't commit suicide-it was beneath them.” I think this is a moving strand of sentences. It shows how strong the people of Bottom really are, perhaps without even the knowledge of their strength but that it is there nonetheless. I think after reading this entire book that each character has a certain intangible strength, in their own way. I also love how evil is defined as not something to be hurtful or painful, not that it isn't, but the true purpose of evil is just to wake up the next day still breathing. Although there may be immense suffering and years of pain ahead, the hardest part is over, the surviving has been accomplished, and nothing can take that away. I think that is wonderful.
1939: I was also very moved by a passage because of a class discussion that we have previously had about scars on women and how they are viewed as a negative aspect of the body. This passage comes right after Sula has engaged in an affair with Jude and there is tons of gossip forming that Sula is a dreadful, awful woman, perhaps even a witch of sorts. “That incident, and Teapot's Mamma, cleared up for everybody the meaning of the birthmark over her eye; it was not a stemmed rose, or a snake, it was Hannah's ashes marking her from the very beginning.” I find this description of Sula's birthmark very interesting when it is juxtaposed with previous descriptions of her mark. Before, it was a sign of beauty, a rose which we have determined is a sign of delicacy and allure. The people of Bottom praised the mark because it was a physical representation of Sula's intangible, beautiful qualities. However, once the people of Bottom become convinced that Sula is a terrible person, it becomes a target and a physical representation of Sula's pure evilness. I find it really interesting the way the mark has flip flopped from something great to something disturbing, as if our physical marks can somehow change with our actions and take on a new idea with our mishaps.
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