Self-Evaluation

The texts that had the most relevance to me as a reader were Understanding Comics and The Bluest Eye. The first of which pertained to me because I had never before taken the time to read a graphic novel before Understanding Comics, which was a great first endeavor into the world of graphic novels. It really helped me to put into perspective how interpreting comics is entirely different than interpreting written literature. The Bluest Eye was relevant to me because it opened my eyes to the fact that I have taken my race for granted my entire life. It also helped me realize that living a life of envy can be detrimental. I feel that I have been affected more as a person than I have as a student in this class because we have been exposed to such a variety of deep topics that sometimes seem taboo to discuss, such as white privilege and the scrutiny of evangelism.

While I have definitely bettered my ability to interpret graphic novels throughout the course of this class, I can't really admit that I've become fond of them. They are a completely different form of art than written novels and, as I have spent a lifetime in infatuation with written novels, it is difficult for me to view the two forms of novels in the same light. I have undoubtedly developed an appreciation for graphic novels, though, because I realize that the illustrations are just as jam-packed with symbolism and underlying messages as written novels are. Never before would I have carefully considered the deconstruction of the human image as a means of allowing readers to better identify with a character in a graphic novel. By creating a less-detailed image of a character, the reader is more prone to place themselves in that position, thus making the journey traveled throughout the graphic novel more personal for the reader.

I believe that I am a better critical observer of both graphic and literary texts now as opposed to before taking this class. I am now better able to pinpoint a narrow idea and follow it throughout the entirety of a text, whereas before I had a difficult time keeping one specific focus. Graphic novels are definitely the most challenging because it's a platform that I am still a bit unfamiliar with; sometimes it is difficult to switch gears between interpreting graphic novels and interpreting literary novels. The discovery process of engaging in graphic novels can be described as enlightening, and I think that those of us who were unfamiliar with graphic novels at the beginning of the semester were nicely eased into them with Understanding Comics and American Born Chinese. Initially, I looked upon graphic novels as having less literary merit than written novels, but I now realize that I was vastly mistaken. Each platform, though entirely different from each other, has the ability to showcase distinct literary merit. Blankets made use of a form of imagery that would be impossible to incorporate into written novels because it is imagery that is hard to visualize. Illustrations allow the platform of the graphic novel to develop much differently as the reader progresses through it, but, in the end, both the graphic and written novel show that literary elements play a vital role in the development of characters, setting, plot, and the reader's ability to relate and interpret the novel.

Gaiman

Gaiman's retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream is undeniably unique and endearing; however, I didn't enjoy reading it all that much. I thought it was a bit confusing at times. The pages were too cluttered with illustrations and at times it was hard to understand what was happening.

The idea of "audience" is brought to the attention of the reader in this interpretation. The audience is a reflection of the play itself, with members that include Titania, Oberon (Auberon), Peaseblossom, and Puck. These are not just characters in a play, though; they are a part of reality, and their attributes differ slightly from those of the characters in the play. The "real" embodiments of these characters look on and scrutinize the performance of the players, identifying the fact that there are many differences that exist between the "real" and "fake" versions of each character.

The "real" world that exists within Gaiman's interpretation is much different than the "real" world that exists within Shakespeare's version of A Midsummer Night's Dream. In this interpretation, the "real" world is that of the players, who have ventured far in order to perform their play. The "real" world also includes a slightly insane Shakespeare whose relationship with his son, Hamnet, is visibly tense. The "real" world in A Midsummer Night's Dream is that of Theseus, Hippolyta, the four lovers, and Bottom & co. before they enter the woods.

Shakespeare's personal life is visible within this interpretation because the reader is introduced to Shakespeare's son, Hamnet. Throughout the interpretation, Hamnet is distressed because he feels that his father pays little to no attention to him. Shakespeare is simply engulfed in his plays; he doesn't have any time to devote to his son. While I appreciate the fact that Shakespeare's personal life is intertwined, I can't help but to think that this one representation of Hamnet leaves a lot to be desired. He's very one-dimensional in this interpretation and, since this is the only acknowledgment of Hamnet that I have seen/read, I am left to believe that his entire life was spent seeking the attention of his father.

Page 69 of this interpretation illustrates the recognition of the players upon seeing that their audience is composed of fairies, goblins, and the like. There is little dialogue on this page, with the main focus being the expressions of the characters. The players experience feelings of surprise, fear, and shock, while the audience members look on with intrigue, interest, and impatience. Theseus becomes so awe-stricken that he must be prompted for his line in order for the play to go on. I feel as though this page is especially significant to the interpretation, as it shows how both the players and the audience react to each others initial presence.

Analyzing Shakespeare: Illustrations and Relations

Part II: Illustrations
A Midsummer Night's Dream as illustrated by Saddleback Educational Publishing

In this rendition of Shakespeare, Bottom awakens from his rendezvous with Titania. (51) He is disoriented and alone and he immediately dismisses the previous night's events as only a dream. This happens within the span of two panels, which show Bottom in his human form with a necklace of flowers. He is sitting in the forest alone. In the first panel, his gestures show that he is groggy from just waking up. In the second panel, his expression implies that he's had an epiphany--he's just recalled the curious events of the previous night. The text is "dumbed-down" and re-written in plain English.

It's clear that this adaptation is aimed towards a wide audience, since it is very easily understandable. However, a lot of the magic of Shakespeare is lost with this interpretation.


Part III: Relations
Helena/Demetrius

The relationship between Helena and Demetrius throughout the play is much like a roller coaster ride. At first, Demetrius sees Helena as a heavy burden, as she is following him to such an extent that it could be considered stalking. It seems as if Helena accepts the fact that Demetrius loathes her, but she still pursues him despite this. She makes many references to her relentlessness in pursuing her love.
"And as he errs, doting on Hermia's eyes,
So I, admiring of his qualities.
Things base and vile, holding no quantity,
Love can transpose to form and dignity."
(Act 1, Scene 1, Lines 230-233)
When Demetrius falls victim to Oberon's plan, he falls head-over-heels for Helena and, even though this is everything that Helena had dreamed of, she is unable to accept his love because she believes that he is making a mockery of her. She is shocked and appalled at his sudden change of devotion and refuses to accept that Demetrius' love for her is true. She demeans his manliness as a result of her confusion.
"You both are rivals, and love Hermia,
and now both rivals to mock Helena--
A trim exploit, a manly enterprise,
to conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyes
With your derision. None of noble sort
would so offend a virgin and extort
A poor soul's patience, all to make you sport."
(Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 156-161)

To preserve or not to preserve...

Shakespeare should not be adapted because adaptations take away from the beauty of the original. By rewording Shakespeare to make it more understandable, readers are not able to realize and appreciate the work that went into incorporating blank and rhymed verse. Also, if readers are only exposed to modernized versions of Shakespeare, they will miss out on a great resource that enlightens us to the vastly different culture of that time period.

Other Interpretations of A Midsummer Night's Dream

Character Illustration

A Queen and an Ass

Awkward Moments in Shakespeare

Language in Shakespeare

Helena (1.1 ln. 181-193)
Call you me "fair"? That "fair" again unsay.
Demetrius loves your fair. O happy fair!
Your eyes are lodestars, and your tongue's sweet air
More tunable tan lark to shepherd's ear
When wheat is green, when hawthorn buds appear.
Sickness is catching. Oh, were favor so,
Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go.
My ear should catch your voice. My eye, your eye.
My tongue should catch your tongue's sweet melody.
Were the world mine, Demetrius being bated,
The rest I'd give to be to you translated.
Oh, teach me how you look and with what art
You sway the motion of Demetrius' heart.

Apart from the first line, this entire soliloquy is in rhymed couplets. According to Debora Schwartz, this signifies that this particular soliloquy is meant to construe a moral or give advice. However, the passage appears to be an expression of yearning, with Helena verbalizing all that makes Hermia the epitome of perfection. She makes it apparent that she desires to possess all of the same traits as Hermia, so as to ensure that Demetrius falls for her.

War Is Kind

Stephen Crane's poem, 'War Is Kind,' portrays an optimistic attitude towards war--an attitude that is often absent in poems of this subject. Even though the poem is meant to express the good things that come from war, the individual words and sentences that make up the poem draw images that are anything but positive.

To be continued...

Scholarly Research: Quotes

"When translated into implications for society at large, nearly 50 percent agree that homosexuality, as a corruption of society, can cause a civilization's downfall" (Klassen/Levitt 32).
Since this article was published in 1970, the information within it preserves the attitude that existed at the time towards homosexuality. If this same question were to be proposed to today's American society, it is likely that a much smaller percentage of people would see homosexuality as potentially causing a civilization's downfall.

"Substantial majorities agree that homosexual men should be allowed to work in the arts and in artistic occupations, but almost equally large majorities believe that they should not be permitted to engage in professions of influence and authority" (Klassen/Levitt 32).
The use of these outdated statistics supports my thesis because I'm arguing that progress has been made in the societal acceptance of homosexuality. The mindset that gay men are only suitable for a very limited number of occupations is likely a thing of the past; today, the controversy surrounding homosexuality seems to be centered around whether or not they should be allowed to marry, not which jobs they should be allowed to hold.

"The traditional view based on the study of homosexual patients is that homosexuality is a neurotic disorder" (Barr/Catts 213).
More recent articles will show that homosexuality is no longer thought of as a neurotic disorder. I think that my paper will benefit from elaborating upon the events that took place in order to dismiss homosexuality as a neurotic disorder. This event is important because it shows that the public is able to accept homosexuals as "sane" people; they function the same as heterosexuals in nearly every way aside from their attraction to the same sex.

"The psychological adjustment of homosexuals and their psychiatric treatment are made unduly difficult by existing community attitudes. The acceptance of homosexuals by society is slowly increasing, but could and should be facilitated by reform of existing laws against homosexual acts between consenting adults in private" (Barr/Catts 214).
Society's former views of homosexuality have been difficult to alter because they are seemingly solidified within the culture. This may be why acceptance is becoming more commonplace from generation to generation; each new generation is able to establish their own standards for what is culturally acceptable.

"Characterizing hostility toward homosexual persons in terms of a phobia implies that those attitudes are based upon an irrational fear" (Herek 2).
Never before had I noticed the heavy connotation that the word "phobia" holds. The implication that homosexuals are something to be feared is almost incomprehensible to me, as I'm sure it is to many others of my generation. The likening of homophobia to an irrational fear seems absolutely inane.

"Lesbians, gay men, and their supporters eventually pressured the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality from its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual as a form of mental illness" (Herek 2).
This article is more recent than the article that addressed the traditional view of homosexuality as being a neurotic disorder. I intend to figure out what happened between the date that the other article was published (1976) and the time when this article was published (1984), as this event was powerful enough to cause the American Psychiatric Association to change their classification of homosexuality.

Multigenre Research Paper: Thesis

Society’s perception of homosexuality has undergone tremendous changes throughout the past century. What was once considered entirely repulsive and blasphemous has recently become much more acceptable. If we as a society continue on this path of acceptance, it is likely that discrimination against homosexuals will become a thing of the past.

Mouse, Mice, Maus

In my response paper, I proposed this question: Why did the author decide to portray his characters as animals? Is the story anymore enhanced because we see animals instead of people? Even though there is not a clear, distinct answer to this question, it isn't difficult to speculate an answer as to why. When reading a graphic novel, the reader is constantly aware of the appearance/demeanor of the characters because of the fact that they are illustrated on the page; they don't have to be concocted in our minds. On pages 100-103, the panels take on a different artistic style and, instead of the main characters being portrayed as mice, they are portrayed as humans. These panels are much more intense and darker than the rest of the graphic novel. When the mice are replaced by humans, the effect of the story is heightened. The reader cannot help but to feel more sympathetic and affected because they see themselves in the characters. When the characters are mice, it's much easier to separate oneself from the story entirely.
Pages 100-103 showcase the comic that Artie drew about his mother's suicide. It is immediately clear that the mood that is to be derived from these panels differs greatly from the rest of the novel. The background of these pages is black instead of white and the illustrations are much more detailed. After seeing animalized characters for 100 pages, the emotion seen on the characters' faces when they are human is almost startling. Even though this comic-within-a-comic is only three pages long, it seems considerably substantial to the rest of the novel. Also, seeing the characters as humans opens up a whole new world of questions. Are the characters that we've grown to know so well actually human? Why would Artie choose to illustrate this short comic in a way that differs greatly from the rest of the novel?
Perhaps these are questions that are to be left unanswered, but one thing is for sure: the use of animalized characters is deliberate and an important factor in determining how we interpret the story.

Close-Reading of Blankets

On page 162 of Blankets, Raina is depicted as being in a state of despair. She is upset over her parents divorce and her inability to cope causes her to seek out someone who can comfort her--in this case, Craig. She drives to see him but gets halted by a blizzard. Since she can't see him, she decides to call him instead. The scene in the phonebooth is filled with restlessness and darkness. The majority of the background is dark, with the exception of a few snowflakes. This darkness allows the sole focus of the panels to be Raina, whose face is strewn with tears. She appears four times on the page, even though it appears that there are only two individual panels. The collage in the first panel illustrates how restless she is; she appears three times in the panel in varying positions. The way that the panel is drawn makes it feel as though these three distinct gestures happen within moments of each other. The second panel shows the phonebooth and better illustrates the treacherous weather that Raina has endured to try to get to Craig. Raina and the phonebooth appear to be entirely secluded from the rest of the world, which is most likely how Raina is feeling now that she knows that she must turn around instead of seeing Craig.



Pages 100-101 illustrate Craig's relationship with himself. When he is offered to smoke marijuana by the only peers who have accepted him, he doesn't hesitate for a moment in denying the offer. He stays true to himself and doesn't give in to the peer pressure that is enveloping him. I think that this is an side of Craig that is unexpected; since he has always had such a hard time fitting in, I thought that he would grasp on to any potential friendship--no matter what the circumstances--in order to experience the acceptance that he so desires to find. The way he handles this situation, though, causes me to think that Craig is more comfortable with himself than he is made out to be in the chapters preceding his time at church camp as a teen.

Glossing Over Text

The plotline of the short story of Winnet and the sorcerer in Oranges are Not the Only Fruit is very similar to the plotline of the story of Jeanette. Eventually, the two stories become so similar to one another that the author decides to use some elements of the stories interchangeably. On page 176, Jeanette concludes that her mother has "tied a thread around [her] button, to tug when she pleased." The idea of the existence of an invisible thread also appears in Winnet's story. When Winnet is preparing to leave the sorcerer's castle, she has a short discussion with a raven. During this discussion, the sorcerer "[ties] an invisible thread around one of her buttons" (148). It is possible that, in both stories, this invisible string signifies the power that both Jeanette's mother and the sorcerer have over Jeanette and Winnet, respectively.

Another element that appears in both Jeanette's world and the short story of Winnet is the attempt to hide from the problems that surround them. On page 142, Winnet "[hides] her nose in her jacket and [tries] not to breathe" when she discovers just how enticing the sorcerer can be. Trying to fight his power, she decides to use this attempt at hiding as a defense mechanism. Jeanette also has the tendency of trying to hide from the world. Her method of hiding is very similar to Winnet's, and, though I can't specify the page of the passage at the moment, there is one point when Jeanette goes so far as to suck on her toes while curling up into this familiar position of hiding.

Even though some may consider their beliefs to play a major role in their lives, that isn't the case for me. I have never been a religious person; rather, I find the whole idea of religion to be overwhelming. Growing up, my family seemed, for the most part, apathetic about religion. I think that this apathy was transferred to me. My lack of beliefs has, thus far, posed no problems. Having no beliefs makes it difficult for anybody to challenge them. I've gotten so comfortable with a life without religion that I think it would be very difficult for me to change and see things from a different perspective.

In Oranges are Not the Only Fruit, strong Christian beliefs are urged and upheld for the narrator, Jeanette. She was adopted by a woman who spent every waking moment dwelling on God and his will. Jeanette's mother adopted her with the intention of conditioning her to be a missionary, doing God's work. For a staggering portion of her life, Jeanette is raised in a sheltered world where all she is exposed to is her church and her family. The bubble that Jeanette is placed in evokes an inability to relate to her peers when she is finally forced to attend public school. Jeanette quickly begins to doubt some of the things that she has been conditioned to believe. She begins to suspect that her mother has been withholding information that is potentially monumental, and Jeanette hungers to know what her mother has been hiding for so long. "She thought I was satisfied, but I was wondering about her, and wondering where I could go to find out what I wanted to know." (75) She knows that her mother won't tell her what she wants to know, so, for the first time in her life, she seeks a new source that does not possess the obvious bias that her mother does.

What are we fighting for?

The texts that we've read so far all contain a common theme of self-perception and how it affects us. If we are able to accept and be comfortable with who we are, we are then able to broaden our focus in life so that it encompasses more of what the world has to offer. If we are unable to establish a comfortable relationship with our identity, then our minds will become obsessed with and constantly aware of this discomfort; we'll spend all of our time thinking about what we can change about ourselves in order to be better, rather than appreciating what we've been given. The fact that this theme appears in the literature that we've read thus far is not uncanny. Our identity is something that we think about every day. As a reader, it is easy to relate to Pecola and Jin because we, too, have established our own self-perceptions, and it is likely that many of us aren't wholly pleased with who we are. At one point or another, we have all experienced thoughts such as: "If I were funnier, people would like me more and I would be happier" or "If my family were rich, my life would be so much better because I wouldn't have to worry about money." Since we are all so familiar with these yearnings, the texts that we've read are infused with a new meaning; we have been in the shoes of these struggling characters. In The Bluest Eye, Pecola desperation for blue eyes is alleviated when her wish is granted. Upon this fulfillment, though, a new yearning manifests in Pecola. Even though she has blue eyes, worry fills her at the thought that there is someone out there with eyes more blue than hers. On page 203, she asks, "But suppose my eyes aren't blue enough?" It is clear that her satisfaction of having blue eyes is merely temporary; it is quickly replaced with a new desire. This desire seems just as dire as the previous. Pecola's newfound yearning illustrates the idea that a person can never be happy with what they have. There will always be something to strive for. Discomfort and dissatisfaction will consume you until you fulfill that desire, and, soon after, a new desire will manifest and take the place of the previous desire. It is safe to assume that this is a part of human nature. American Born Chinese does not support this idea as seamlessly as The Bluest Eye, however. In the end of the graphic novel, the reader is left to assume that Jin has finally come to terms with who he is. This makes the novel seem as though it is unresolved, since we are all familiar with the idea that one cannot be completely content forever. It is very possible that Jin has finally become comfortable with his heritage, but there are many more aspects of the self than that. It is only a matter of time before Jin finds another flaw to focus on.
Overall, it appears that our perception of self is meant to be a struggle. bell hooks might blame this on society. She might say that we are conditioned by society to be uncomfortable with who we are. While I would disagree, I can definitely see where one would get that idea. I blame the problem on the nature of humans; this problem is one that is inescapable in today's world. There will always be something that we want that we can't have; if we don't strive to achieve it, then what are we fighting for?

American Born Chinese, pt. 2

Page 229 of American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang depicts a scene in which the character, Wei-Chen, is having trouble with his identity. The Wei-Chen that we've been familiarized with up until this point is a nerdy, young boy who seems to be immune to the influences of society. He parades through life with a positive attitude and seems to be content with his decision to live on his own terms. On this page, though, we see a different Wei-Chen--one that has clearly succumbed to the outside forces that he has avoided up until this point. He is smoking a cigarette, driving a "tricked-out" car, and dressed in a way that would be thought of as "hip." However, in the fifth panel of the page, we see Wei-Chen as what he truly is--a monkey. This panel is illustrated in black and white to show that it is a step away from reality. What the main character, Jin, is literally seeing is the new Wei-Chen. However, the monkey illustration shows how Jin sees Wei-Chen when he looks at him as more than just an outward appearance. After learning that Wei-Chen is actually a son of the Monkey King, Jin is unable to look at Wei-Chen without seeing his true, underlying identity. Wei-Chen is desperately trying to cover up this identity by putting into practice all that he has learned about fitting in to society.

American Born Chinese

My initial impression of Gene Luen Yang's novel, American Born Chinese, is that the author knows that poking fun at asian-American culture is entertaining to many. In America, we are stereotyped as being ignorant and not caring about any other cultures but our own; this stereotype definitely has a basis, and foreign authors can profit from it. We as Americans find it funny when others have a hard time adapting, since our culture is so second-nature to us. It's hard for us to fathom this lack of knowledge of our culture. Also, we're interested in learning about other cultures if, in doing so, we don't stray too far from what we know. America's egocentricity allows Wang a platform that's both entertaining and enlightening, especially to the American reader.

Page 97 is especially interesting to me, as there isn't any dialogue at all. Despite this, the page says just as much, if not more, than the pages that are full of words. Jin is upset because he believes that Amelia likes Greg. Then he comes up with an amazing idea: if he was more like Greg--or, more specifically, if he had hair like Greg's--then Amelia would like him! Jin's conclusion is slightly pathetic, but it's the first pro-active step he takes in pursuing Amelia. I love how pictures can say so much without literally saying anything at all. This page is a great example of multimodality. The reader must use the pictures and apply them to what they already know in order to interpret the page. It's a different means of interpretation than reading words, which is what we're used to. Despite this means of interpretation being anomalous, it's not difficult to decipher what the page is saying.

White Privilege

While I feel a little uncomfortable reading this list, I also feel that all the points made are very valid and indisputable. They're all things that I take for granted on a daily basis; I feel guilty that I get to have such privileges even though I personally haven't done anything to earn them. Being in the majority is so overwhelmingly full of advantages.

I found that I was able to relate to number seven in particular. It states that, "When I am told about our national heritage or about 'civilization,' I am shown that people of my color made it what it is." This brings back a very vivid memory to me because I remember being fascinated to find out that Christopher Columbus was Spanish, not white. Up until I had this epiphany, I was, for some reason, under the impression that the man that discovered America had to be white.

Fictional worlds open new doors

When reading literature, it is second-nature to apply what we know about the world around us to the text. Even though it isn't always the author's intention for us to view the world they've created in the same way that we view the world we live in, it is easier for us to liken fictional settings to our non-fictional world; it helps us to broaden our understanding of a world that we aren't so familiar with. Sometimes it is hard for us to fathom a place where race, gender and class do not play a dominant role, since it's something that we're so accustomed to in our world.

The beauty of literature lies within the ability to differentiate these fictional places and characters from the world that we're seemingly trapped within. It allows us to escape from normality and, for a short time, live in a world where anything is possible.

Multi - literacy, modality, and semiotics.

Multimodality, multisemiotics, and multiliteracy are terms used to express the idea that humans are changing the way that they communicate. There are clearly more ways to educate than the seemingly ancient "pen and paper" approach, and these new ways of teaching may prove to be even more effective than what we're used to. This new "language" is put into use nearly every second of every day, whether we realize it or not. We are slaves to multimodality. Technology's ever-expanding horizon allows us to learn in ways we never though possible. Computers, television, and video games are just some of the modes that are used to enhance learning, even though they are sometimes dismissed for having negative effects on our society, such as childhood obesity.

McCloud's Understanding Comics embodies multimodality. The linguistic mode is used in copious amounts--wherever a speech bubble appears or any other text. The visual mode isn't difficult to pinpoint, as the book is comprised of cute illustrations that we are urged to bring to life in our heads. We imagine the pictures saying the words that we're reading. The spatial mode of literacy is less distinct but still present, as the author must decide how to use the space on each page in order to convey the right effect. The gestural mode of literacy can be found in the illustrations; the reader must sometimes decipher the body language of the illustrated characters in order to understand them fully. The only mode of literacy that isn't present in this graphic novel is that of audio, but, with all of the other modes wholly present, the reader doesn't feel like they're missing out on anything.

Enlightened by Comics

     The definition of "real" literature is seemingly limitless. Never before had I considered art to be on the same level as novels in the realm of literature, but, after reading the first few chapters of McCloud's Understanding Comics, I can now see that art is as much of a form of literature as the written word. My knowledge about comics and graphic novels prior to opening this book was considerably nonexistent. I've never been interested in comics, and I'll be the first to admit that I've never given them a chance. I always associated comics with a male audience and, honestly, thought comics to be childish. I now realize just how wrong my preconceptions were. While reading this book, I felt as though I was being hit with a million epiphanies simultaneously. Reading a few chapters of this book opened up my eyes to a new realm of possibility for literature. It took me a few pages to become comfortable with reading and interpreting the images; however, once I became oriented with the style, I found it to be enriching and full of a depth that cannot be achieved with just words.

Responding to Images

This response is to La Guernica by Picasso.

     Upon seeing this picture, the first observation I make is that there is a distinct use of contrast. This seemingly deliberate contrast suggests that Picasso wants us to be able to see the various elements of his painting. The initial feeling that this image evokes is that of chaos, tragedy, and destruction. The faces of the humans and animals clearly express a feeling of distress; using Bang's theory, the entire picture provokes an uneasy feeling of chaos because of the plentiful use of vertical lines and shapes. Bang's suggestion that "the upper half of a picture is a place of freedom" leads me to think that this image is not meant to depict any sense of freedom, since the upper half of the picture is much emptier than the lower half; the lower half of the picture does not contain much blank space, which makes the image feel "threatened, heavier, sadder, [and] more constrained." Overall, it's clear that this painting is meant to convey uneasy feelings to the viewer--feelings that can be associated with war, death, distress, and destruction.

Chicago

Chicago, the windy city.

Poetry

A Considerable Speck (Microscopic)
by Robert Frost

A speck that would have been beneath my sight
On any but a paper sheet so white
Set off across what I had written there.
And I had idly poised my pen in air
To stop it with a period of ink
When something strange about it made me think,
This was no dust speck by my breathing blown,
But unmistakably a living mite
With inclinations it could call its own.
It paused as with suspicion of my pen,
And then came racing wildly on again
To where my manuscript was not yet dry;
Then paused again and either drank or smelt--
With loathing, for again it turned to fly.
Plainly with an intelligence I dealt.
It seemed too tiny to have room for feet,
Yet must have had a set of them complete
To express how much it didn't want to die.
It ran with terror and with cunning crept.
It faltered: I could see it hesitate;
Then in the middle of the open sheet
Cower down in desperation to accept
Whatever I accorded it of fate.
I have none of the tenderer-than-thou
Collectivistic regimenting love
With which the modern world is being swept.
But this poor microscopic item now!
Since it was nothing I knew evil of
I let it lie there till I hope it slept.

I have a mind myself and recognize
Mind when I meet with it in any guise
No one can know how glad I am to find
On any sheet the least display of mind.

---

On the off chance that someone has selected the same poem (and because I'm having a difficult time choosing just one), I'm posting two poems in this entry.

---

Mirror
by Sylvia Plath

I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions.
Whatever I see, I swallow immediately.
Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike
I am not cruel, only truthful –
The eye of a little god, four-cornered.
Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall.
It is pink, with speckles. I have looked at it so long
I think it is a part of my heart. But it flickers.
Faces and darkness separate us over and over.

Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me.
Searching my reaches for what she really is.
Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.
I see her back, and reflect it faithfully
She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands.
I am important to her. She comes and goes.
Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness.
In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman
Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish.

What is an American?

     To me, an American is someone who has unfaltering hope and drive to make their dreams a reality. They limit themselves to nothing and acknowledge the idea that, for them, anything is possible. By living in this country of freedom, we enable ourselves to view the world from a much more optimistic perspective than those who do not have the same advantages. True Americans know that they shouldn't take what they have for granted; they appreciate their freedom and do not abuse it. They respect and are thankful for those that make living in America a luxury. Most importantly, though, an American has a love for their country that cannot be rivaled.

Theory

     Last semester, I took a class that dabbled in enlightening me to literary theory and criticism. Even though this wasn't the focus of the class, the little time that we spent learning and discussing theory was, to me, much more memorable than anything else that was taught. Being an English major, it is fitting that I am an enthusiast for all types of literature. My initial introduction to literary theory was exciting because it felt as if a whole new realm was unveiled. I realized that a single novel or poem could take on a multitude of meanings when looked at using various, unconventional theories. To some, my excitement over literary theory and criticism may come across as a bit pathetic. To others, my enthusiasm may be enviable. To me, however, it only seems right to be enthralled with literature and the vast world that it encompasses.

     The literary theories that are especially captivating to me are biographical theory and psychoanalytic theory. Biographical theory grabs my attention because I like to learn about the authors that create such alluring literature. I feel that it is important to understand the lives that they led; by doing this, it is sometimes easier to understand why they portray characters the way they do, or why there are recurring themes in their work. Psychoanalytic theory mostly interests me because I am fascinated with the ideas of repression and the collective unconscious. Even though the repression of ideas and memories is often evoked by something unfortunate, these ideas make for great literature because the author is able to dismiss the personal agony that is tied with the memory while still allowing their story to be told. The literature acts as a therapeutic outlet. The collective unconscious is something that I would like to learn more about, especially after reading Morrison's Beloved. The idea that humans have the capability to possess a collective memory is mind-boggling to me.

Class starts in six hours. I really need to work on going to bed at a reasonable time...

Hannah

First Post

I suppose an introduction is in order, but, since introducing myself is not a strong point, I think I'll settle for considering this a test post.

Testing...1...2...3...

Okay, I think it works. Hooray!