Final Paper Topics from May 1 and May 3 class discussion

Posted on May 2, 2012 by EAllen

1. Does modernity destroy mankind’s humanity?

2. Does the quality of the nurture one receives in early childhood determine one’s character as an adult?

3. Is it realistic to pursue absolute freedom? At what point would one be absolutely free? Is freedom a state of mind?

4. How is identity shaped by social status and economic means?

5. Which is more true, our inner life or the outer appearance those around us see?

6. Are the male portrayals of women we see in these texts misogynistic? Are women viewed as purely instrumental?

7. The texts we’ve read in the second half of the semester include several characters we might describe as narcissistic.  What do these stories tell us about narcissism?

8. What is the moral relationship between colonizer and colonized?

 

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“For Women at Games, Messages Are Mixed” in connection with The Conclusion

Posted on May 1, 2012 by tetiana.pyrig

“For Women at Games, Messages Are Mixed” in connection with The Conclusion.

 

Mrinmayi is an athletic girl, who likes to climbs the trees and running along the riverbanks with the boys. She lives in India in the beginning of 20th century when such kind of behavior is unacceptable for a young girl. Any kind of sport activity, even if is not professional sport is not the thing Indian girl should do. Indian girl of that time, according to their religion and traditions, should sit at home, hidden from the eyes of the boys and men waiting for the moment the parents would pick the husband for her. Climbing on the trees and running with the unbound hair, as Mrinmayi does create her the reputation of bad disciplined boyish girl. No parents would like to see her as the wife for their son, that’s why she is still unmarried. (Despite her young age, a lot of Indian girls her age are being the wives already). “If the boat of some distant zamindar arrived at the ghat, the villagers became impressively alert. As if at a signal, the women pulled their veils down to the tips of their noses, thus concealing their faces like curtains on a stage. But Mrinmayi would arrive holding a naked child to her chest,her unbound hair hanging free.” (Volume E, p.908)

Today we live in the beginning of the 21st century, however in some of the societies we still could see the same type of ban for woman, which prohibit them to be involved in the sport. This type of ban is based on the cultural traditions and religion. The religious scholar claim that the Islamic girls should not be involved in the Olympic Games because  as they are playing on the field they are presenting themselves not only as athletes but also as the sexual objects for the heterosexual man in the public. This is not acceptable by Islamic religion. The physical exercise could also have an impact on the girls’ health which would lead to changes in their reproductive activity. The main thing for a girl in the Islamic society is to be a virgin before the marriage and to become a productive mother after that and if participation in sport could change either of this, the girl should better stay at home and not participate in those physical activities.

“There is still the unsettled case of Saudi Arabia, which bars women from sports, claiming it will lead to immoral behavior, by using tradition and discredited science. The Human Rights Watch report issued in February referred to a religious scholar who said that “the health of a virgin girl will be affected by too much movement and jumping in sports such as soccer and basketball.””. (New York Times, April 25, p.B14)

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“Edwards’s Former Aide Testifies on Their Friendship’s Demise” in connection with The Lady with the Dog

Posted on April 29, 2012 by shelita.bradshaw

The desperate need for a secret life arises in the New York Times article titled “Edwards’s Former Aide Testifies on Their Friendship’s Demise” on page A12, dated April 12, 2012 and The Lady with the Dog by Anton Chekhov. The character in The Lady with the Dog, Dmitri Dmitritch Gurov, takes an interest to a married woman and has an affair with her. He is also married throughout this affair. He admits that love affairs are a charming adventure that leads to problems (A, 897). However, he cannot help himself in cheating on his wife continuously as he goes on to say, “But at every fresh meeting with an interesting woman this experience seems to slip out of his memory, and he was eager for life, and everything seemed simple and amusing” (A, 897).

It is important for one to pay close attention to Dmitri’s statement of being “eager for life.” He feels that by having love affairs with new women, he is “living life”, so to speak. Furthermore, he feels that, “…[E]very man had his real, most interesting life under the cover of secrecy  and under the cover of night… All personal life rested on secrecy…[P]ersonal privacy should be respected” (A, 905). Apparently, every man not only has a need for a private life, but in fact does partake in one.

Finally, in connection with the New York Times article, John Edwards refutes accusations against his former aide for using funds meant to support his campaign to finance and hide an affair with another woman. He was also married during the affair. Based on Dmitri’s hypothesis on a man’s need for a secret life, it would seem that Edwards desperately desired to have something in his life that no one would know about. Could it be because his life was so public? Seeing that women also partake in secret lives and affairs, it could be that all people need a part of their life hidden that no one knows about.

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Not Quite a Teen, Yet Sold for Sex in connection with Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Posted on April 29, 2012 by shelita.bradshaw

In the New York Times article titled “Not Quite a Teen, Yet Sold for Sex” by Nicholas D. Kristoff, there are apparent connections between Brianna (a victim of sex trafficking) and Harriet Jacobs, along with other slaves, in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. The more obvious similarity in these texts is the enslavement that takes place which is against the victims’ will. Kristoff stated Brianna’s pimp told her, “…[H]e was a pimp and that she was now his property.” This statement is very similar to how Harriet describes slave masters’ views of their illegitimate children with female slaves, “They regard their children as property, as marketable as the pigs on a plantation…[P]assing them into the slave trader’s hands as soon as possible, thus getting them out of their sight” (A, 777). Here, the issue of humans treating others cruelly and as property is ostensible.

Another similarity in these texts is the affection shared between enslaved victims and their master. Kristoff states there is “..[A] complex web of emotions, including fear of the pimp but also a deluded affection and a measure of Stockholm syndrome.” Kristoff believes that this psychological treatment is  what causes sex trafficking victims not wanting to escape. Much like these victims, Harriet felt a strong admiration and devotion to her former mistress: “I loved her; for she was like a mother to me” (A, 768). While Harriet appears to have loved her former mistress due to her “kind” treatment, it is important to remember that she is still her mistress’ slave and has limited freedom. Both Harriet and sex trafficking victims like Brianna tend to venerate and look to their masters with respect even though they are treated inhumanely.

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Connections in Incidents in the Life of Slave Girl and Bartelby the Scrivener

Posted on April 29, 2012 by shelita.bradshaw

Throughout Incidents in the Life of Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs and Bartelby the Scrivener by Herman Melville, there are several similarities in Bartelby and Harriet Jacobs. To begin, both persons are in positions of servitude to their bosses; Bartelby is employed as a copyist and Harriet is a slave. However, they both feel they have some aspect of freedom in their respective situations and do not like the idea of being controlled. Bartelby expresses his freedom and defiance when he tells his boss, “I prefer not to,” when asked repeatedly to do work-related tasks (A, 695). Here, Bartelby shows that he feels he has the freedom to do as he pleases. This behavior is also evidence of his contempt for being controlled.

Harriet also expresses her freedom when she chooses to be with a man whom she doesn’t seem to really love and admits that it is better to choose a lover who doesn’t control her. “It seems less degrading to give one’s self, than to submit to compulsion. There is something akin to freedom in having a lover who has no control over you…” (A, 779). This statement by Harriet proves her indifference for being controlled, like Bartelby.

Another connection between these two texts is the frustration expressed by Bartelby and Harriet’s bosses with their uncompromising behavior. In reaction to Bartelby refusing to requested work his boss states, “Imagine my surprise, nay, my consternation, when without moving from his privacy, Bartelby in a singularly mild, firm voice, replied, ‘I would prefer not to’” (A, 695). His boss is in such shock, that he doesn’t know what to do except to go on with his work without Bartelby’s participation. Harriet’s master, Dr. Flint, who lusts for Harriet, is enraged when hearing how she wishes to get out of enslavement: “Have I ever treated you like a negro? I have never allowed you to be punished, not even to please your mistress. And this is the recompense I get, you ungrateful girl!” (A, 777). Harriet and Bartleby’s superiors’ do not understand why their workers will not comply with their requests.

More interestingly, the behavior of Bartelby and Harriet is probably more compelling to their bosses when considering they do not cause conflict in their subtle defiance. Bartelby’s boss even states, “Had there been the least uneasiness, anger, impatience or impertinence in his manner….[D]oubtless I should have violently dismissed him from the premises” (A, 695). Harriet, on the other hand, never displays violent or outwardly rebellious actions towards Mr. Flint, or anyone for that matter. In summary, Bartelby and Harriet both seem to react uncooperatively to their bosses in an effort to convince their selves that they have some freedom in their state of servitude.

 

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Notes from underground (Part 1)

Posted on April 17, 2012 by melissa.german

This story starts off with a man who is admitting to be sick. Although he only discusses  his physical sickness, his handling of the issue along with his issue with dealing with others and opinion about life leads us to believe that he may also have a mental issue as well. He refuses to get any help with his ailment although he knows it is possible to receive some medical attention which may in turn may possibly make him better.

An article in The New York Times paper titled “Mayor of Ailing Detroit Resists Outside Takeover” is similar to that of the “Underground Man”. Detroit is suffering financially, yet Mayor Dave Bing refuses to receive any outside help and insists Detroit will somehow  rebuild itself on it’s own.

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Notes from Underground Part I

Posted on April 5, 2012 by shelita.bradshaw

In The Underground Man the reader is quickly introduced to man that appears to be both physically sick and not fully mentally present. This man has convinced himself (and tries to convince others) that those who think consciously are dumb. He feels he is smarter than everyone else by realizing this truth. The Underground Man even denounces science in stating, “..there is no such thing as choice…science has even now succeeded in analyzing man to such an extent that we know already that choice and what is called freedom of will are nothing other than..” (A, 595). He is adamantly against “going with the grain” and doing what society and science predict what is best for you.

In the New York Times Article, “Mind Games: Sometimes a White Coat Isn’t Just a White Coat” by Sandra Blakeslee, studies claim that when someone puts on a white coat, they are actually smarter. The article states: “The effect occurs only if you actually wear the coat and know its symbolic meaning — that physicians tend to be careful, rigorous and good at paying attention.” This study actually supports the Underground Man’s way of thinking that people act and think according to how a society has led them to believe and not on their own. In this instance, it is that physicians are highly intelligent people. Putting on the white coat evokes people to feel intelligent as well.

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Notes from Underground, Part One

Posted on April 5, 2012 by trudy.ochere

Note From Underground Part One versus Buying Homes by the Thousands(Business Day)

Throughout Notes from Underground, the narrator is constantly demonstrating that he is not capable of making any rational decision with confidence. He is able to think of all the many different consequences that his actions may cause…one might even call him overly cautious. The underground man believes that only people who are stupid will act in complete confidence without questioning themselves. He says “Such a man simply rushes straight toward his object like an infuriated bull with its horn down, and nothing but a wall to stop him.” (Notes from Underground Part one Page587).This can be compared to the article ‘Buying Homes by the Thousands’ because it appears as though the investors are buying a plethora of homes without thinking about the possible consequences. They are acting irrationally and only a wall, loosing lots of money, will stop them. As the article says “Nobody has ever tried this on such a large scale, and critics worry these new investors could face big challenges managing large portfolios of dispersed rental houses”(Buying Homes by the thousands Paragraph 3). It is evident that the critics would agree with the underground man whereas the investors would disagree. By buying many different rental properties that are all spread out, they are taking a big risk because “Typically landlords tend to be individuals or small firms that own just a handful of homes.”(Buying Homes by the thousands Paragraph 3). So not only are the investors taking a financial risk, they are also risking not being successful landlords since they will have so many properties to manage and so many tenants; making it more likely for tenants to become displeased. Even though the investors seem to be making this decision in confidence, critics disagree and believe the market is not so bad that investors should irrationally invest in such vast amounts of property without thinking of the possible consequences

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Midterm Essay Questions

Posted on March 20, 2012 by tetiana.pyrig

1) Does a journey in Gulliver Travels and Candid has a positive impact on the main heros of those texts?

2) Do Oroonoko and Candid declaim against slavery as an institution or do they advocate slavery?

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Midterm essay questions

Posted on March 15, 2012 by ernesto.malave

1) When Shakespeare or Aphra Behn allude to misogynist or racist attitudes, are they endorsing them? Why, or why not?

2) Satire plays heavily in the works of Shakespeare, Voltaire, and Jonathan Swift. Choose two authors’ works and describe both a target of their satire as well as the target audience.

3) Learning and education are present as themes in all the works read thus far. What sort of value judgements are made by the authors? Is education presented as inherently valuable, or is it presented as an institution that often conceals as much truth as it may reveal?

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