great works ii – 2850 jta 12:25-2:05: love letters from the world

Thesis:

The Minotaur myth is depicted throughout the novel Aura as Felipe navigates his way through his own labyrinth, the divide between reality and dream state, as he tries to figure out whether aura is reality or a dream.

The image represents an overall idea of someone going through an inner struggle that is comparable to the Minotaur myth as the puzzle depicts a labyrinth. A labyrinth is defined as a complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one’s way. The cubes on top of  the head are all different shapes and sizes and they are created in a way in which there all interconnected but no one block touches another. This can be seen as an irregular network due to its complexity as the person in the picture is having a hard time figuring the puzzle out  which is shown through her hands gripping her head. This person could easily be Felipe as he struggles internally trying to understand whether Aura is reality or fiction which becomes his own  labyrinth just as the person in the image is trying to navigate their way out of the puzzle within their own mind.

I decided to choose the first fifteen minutes in the play to compare with the actual film because of the set design. When you read the play it gives of a very ominous vibe however the setting is not easily imagined. Because the play is based on a dialogue between Hamm and Clov the setting is often left to the imagination and is implied but not stated. The set design for the play was more dark and ominous than I expected it to be from reading the novel. Due to Hamm and Clov have a master and servant relationship I assumed that the set would be more upscale with a hint of darkness because in order to have a servant I believed a certain stature of wealth was needed. Instead the actual set resembles a cell, with the windows covered by heavy drapery and the concrete walls dark and dim. The set assumes that the walls are closing in on Hamm as he sits in the middle of the room filled with darkness and despair, the set is a direct reflection of Hamm and how he feels.

Julia:“ I grow dizzy when I look down, but down I must. But I’m not brave enough to throw myself; I cannot hold fast and I long to fall–but I don’t fall.” (9)

Jean:“It is horrible! But there is no other way. Go! [Countess Julie goes out resolutely.]” (34)

Throughout the play of Miss Julie one theme is clearly evident and that is identity.  Throughout the entire play both Julia and jean struggle to find their true selves. In these two quotes Steinberg reinforces that Julia is incapable of making her own decisions. In the first quote by Julia we see that Julia is incapable of making any decisions for herself.  She longs to fall but cannot bring herself to commit this action because she in incapable of doing so. Julia caught between her mother’s emotions and her father thoughts see herself as half woman, half men. Truly Julia is a woman but she depicts herself as this because her identity consists of both her mother and father and none of her own thoughts or emotions. This is why Julia cannot fall without assistance because she lacks an identity to call the shots for herself. This brings us into the second quote by jean as Julia is incapable of leaving the manor- unable to throw her, and so Jean must take the authority as the count and send Julia away putting an end to her misery.  Julia caught between her mother and father- half man and women, cannot come to leave the manor on her own thus jean, makes the decision for her and is the one to execute her.

Julia:“ I grow dizzy when I look down, but down I must. But I’m not brave enough to throw myself; I cannot hold fast and I long to fall–but I don’t fall.” (9)

Jean:“It is horrible! But there is no other way. Go! [Countess Julie goes out resolutely.]” (34)

Throughout the play of Miss Julie one theme is clearly evident and that is identity.  Throughout the entire play both Julia and jean struggle to find their true selves. In these two quotes Steinberg reinforces that Julia is incapable of making her own decisions. In the first quote by Julia we see that Julia is incapable of making any decisions for herself.  She longs to fall but cannot bring herself to commit this action because she in incapable of doing so. Julia caught between her mother’s emotions and her father thoughts see herself as half woman, half men. Truly Julia is a woman but she depicts herself as this because her identity consists of both her mother and father and none of her own thoughts or emotions. This is why Julia cannot fall without assistance because she lacks an identity to call the shots for herself. This brings us into the second quote by jean as Julia is incapable of leaving the manor- unable to throw her, and so Jean must take the authority as the count and send Julia away putting an end to her misery.  Julia caught between her mother and father- half man and women, cannot come to leave the manor on her own thus jean, makes the decision for her and is the one to execute her.

Terell Thompson

In Saikaku’s, Life of a Sensuous Woman, the narrator is essentially in a constant dream state as she reflects on her past relationships, in which she was being controlled by men, in a nostalgic tone, while in contrast, Bartleby, in Bartleby the Scrivener, is living in his reality, in a waking state, as strange and quiet as he may be, in so few words he takes control of his own life by rejecting authority and stating what he honestly feels.

Mamasiray Camara

In Saikaku’s, Life of a Sensuous Woman, the narrator in this novel has a strong sense of reality throughout her relationship as she sees things for what they are conversely, in the novel Bartleby the Scrivener, Bartleby strays away from the reality of working on wall street thus living in a dream state.

Stacey Leatham

The narrator in Saikaku’s Life of a Sensuous Woman reverts to a dream-like state of mind when she evaluates her faux relationships, only to realize that what she has with these men are meaningless agreements whereas Bartleby in Bartleby the Scrivener reverts back to reality once he realized he didn’t want to be like every other worker who did whatever it is they were told like a robot.

Ruojun Zhao

Monkey dreams to be free but in fact he is confined with disciplines on the way to get the scriptures just as in Saikaku’s sensuous woman the narrator wants to live a stable life, but this is just a dream because she is financially poor and can only support her own life being a mistress.