Month: October 2014

Joseph Campbell’s Lunch Counter: Resolving Ideological Conflicts

This post is about the responses to your in-class writing assignment on October 9th, for which many of you invoked the ghost of Charles Darwin, opining that his theories are what would rescue us from the older ideas or founding myths that are sometimes reflected in religious belief systems. Please note that this is not Joseph Campbell’s conclusion in “The Impact of Science and Myth,” and perhaps you learned this after the group exercise since your written responses differed from those articulated later in the class discussion. I thought it would be helpful to note some of your responses, which reflect a “close reading” of Campbell’s chapter. First, I ask you to consider the following quote from a section of the chapter which appears to smack of Eurocentrism.

In speaking of the claims of superiority which appear in some adherents of monotheistic religions, Joseph Campbell wrote: “. . . today, such claims can no longer be taken seriously by anyone with even a kindergarten education. And in this there is a serious danger. For not only has it always been the way of multitudes to interpret their own symbols literally, but such literally read symbolic forms have always been—and still are, in fact—the supports of their civilizations, the supports of their moral orders, their cohesion, vitality and creative powers. With the loss of them there follows uncertainty . . .” So, is Campbell supporting religious extremism, or is he advocating for a more symbolic reading of religious beliefs, or the resolution of these ideas along with scientific evidence of their “falsehood”?

While I realize that you are busy writing your papers this weekend, please take a moment to research (on the library website and if you wish at “.org” websites) the meaning of “biological determinism.” It lies at the core of Darwin’s idea of species development, and is relevant to our discussion of myth and of Campbell’s resolution to the Apollonian-Dionysian conflict. What does “biological determinism” portend for women? And for men? Jot down your thoughts afterward, as we will need to tackle this conflict, as identified by Campbell, in class on Tuesday, and as represented in our discussion of the Daniel Ogden reading, “Perseus.” (The text assigned for Tuesday’s class.) Continue reading Joseph Campbell’s Lunch Counter: Resolving Ideological Conflicts

The Male Quest and Matisse’s “The Fall of Icarus”

Icarus

Henri Matisse’s “The Fall of Icarus” (1943). (Courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art.)

Yesterday, I attended a press viewing at the Museum of Modern Art for an upcoming exhibit called “Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs.” The “cut-outs” are an art form which Matisse (1869-1954) created by painting gouache (similar to watercolors) on white paper, and then, with the use of a pair of scissors, cutting the paper into whimsical shapes. While the “cut-outs” have long been among my favorite works of art, when I again stood before “The Fall of Icarus” (1943), I was reminded of the subject of our class, the search for identity, and our upcoming consideration of male heroism.

If you do not know Icarus’s story from Greek myth, you might want to read it (“Bullfinch’s Mythology” is a good start), as it has all the elements of great storytelling—a romance, a betrayal and the hero’s death and rebirth. Very briefly, it is about the young man and his father, the inventor Daedalus. They escaped the Labyrinth, having been placed there by King Minos of Crete for aiding the hero Theseus. Daedalus made wings composed of wax and feathers for himself and Icarus, and warned his son not to get too close to the sun. If he did, the wax would melt. While at first Icarus heeded his father’s warning, he soon became so entranced with his ability to fly that he forgot how vulnerable he was. His wings melted and he fell into the sea. Continue reading The Male Quest and Matisse’s “The Fall of Icarus”

“Research Paper Lab”

Please remember to bring your evolving research papers to class on Tuesday for a “lab” in which you will engage in a “peer review” and, afterward, a class discussion of selected papers. Below is a copy of the written exercise which we will be using during the peer review. I thought it would be helpful to post it for those of you who wish to complete it before class.

With the exception of the first question, write a two to three sentence response to each of the following questions.

1. Write a headline for your research paper as it would appear in a magazine or scholarly journal.

2. What is the one “big idea” that you wish to discuss in your research paper?

3. Did you arrive at this idea when you originally read the text (either “Bluebeard” or “The Bloody Chamber”) or after you read your sources? If the idea is derived from your reading, name the source, and write about how it illuminated the text(s) for you.

4. Why are you interested in this idea?

5. In what context is the topic you have chosen used by the authors of “Bluebeard” and “The Bloody Chamber”? In other words, explain how your thesis is related to the ideas expressed in these texts.

6. Does your point of view align with those of the authors and your sources? In other words, will your paper argue against or for the viewpoints of the authors and scholarly sources? Why? Provide an example.

7. What is it that you want to convince the reader of in writing this paper?

 

October Class Plan

Nota Bene: This plan represents a complete revision, so please read it carefully. Text purchase dates have also changed.

10/2: In Class: Grammar Quiz. “Research Paper Lab”: Choose one passage in “The Bloody Chamber”; write 1-2 paragraphs to explain (1) how it progresses the plot, and (2) how it refers to a symbolic or allegorical aspect of the narrative. Class Discussion of the passages you chose. Additional class hour: 10-11 AM to continue discussion of Carter. HW: For your two sources, explain in 2-3 sentences how they expand on your thesis. (These sentences must be typed.) Bring these to class on 10/7.

“The Male Quest for Identity”

10/7: In Class: Return of Grammar Quiz. Discussion on the progress of your papers, another “Research Paper Lab,” if necessary. Reminder: Bluebeard/Bloody Chamber Paper Due on 10/14. Papers should be 800-1000 words. Typed, double-spaced, with vocabulary & bibliography attached. HW: Read Chapter 1, Joseph Campbell’s “Myths to Live By,” (Penguin, 1993) Copy, highlight & annotate.

REMINDER: Please purchase BY OCTOBER 9: Ogden, Daniel. “Perseus (Gods and Heroes of the Ancient World)”. London and New York: Routledge. 2008. E-book is $6.45 on Amazon. It looks as though a free download can be found here, but I have not tried it: http://bookmoving.com/book/perseus_69504.html A good overview of the myth is here: http://www.pantheon.org/articles/p/perseus.html. Continue reading October Class Plan

Syllabus and Guidelines

English 2100, Fall 2014: “Guidelines and Policies”
Maria Garcia, Adjunct Instructor

August 28, 2014
[email protected], [email protected]. Office Hour: Thursdays, 10:10-11:10

“Writing is rewriting.” William Zinsser, On Writing Well.

All homework assignments for this class must be typed AND DOUBLE-SPACED. No handwritten assignments will be accepted. Spell-check is required; every misspelled word results in a 2-point reduction in your grade.

Required Texts: (1) Gucker, Philip. Essential English Grammar. New York: Dover Publications, 1996; and The New American Roget’s College Thesaurus (Any Edition), Dictionary Form, ed. Philip D. Morehead, New York: Signet, 2001, 2002. (2) Johnson, Robert A. He: Understanding Masculine Psychology. New York: Harper and Row. 1989. (3) Johnson, Robert A. The Fisher King and the Handless Maiden. HarperSanFranciso, 1993. (4) Ogden, Daniel. Perseus. London and New York: Routledge. 2008. (5) Ihimaera, Witi. The Whale Rider. New Zealand: Penguin Group (NZ), 1987. All books may be printed copies or e-books. (Total Cost: About $50 new. Any student who cannot purchase texts will please see me during office hours.) Continue reading Syllabus and Guidelines

Charles Perrault/Angela Carter Papers

Based our decision to delay submission of your papers on “Bluebeard” and “The Bloody Chamber,” they are now due on October 14th. Remember to include a properly formatted bibliography, and your vocabulary list. You may cite in the text or use footnotes.

A note on your vocabulary lists: (1) Separate them by text, (2) cite your source, which can be the college dictionary you purchased for the course, and (3) indicate the derivation of the word (Latin, Greek, French, etc.)

Unfortunately, it is impossible to delay the reading of the first chapter of Joseph Campbell’s “Myths to Live By,” which we will discuss in class on October 14th. I hope to have that PDF on this site by the weekend.

 

Welcome

Thank you all for coming today to our “extra hour” of study. I enjoyed the lively discussion and all of your wonderful ideas about Angela Carter’s “The Bloody Chamber.” “The Close Reading” is a work in progress, so please check back this weekend. In the meantime, see the next post for changes to our “class plan.”