The film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb directed by Stanley Kubrick depicts the tensions that the Soviet Union and the United States faced during the mid-sixties. They way that General Jack Ripper spoke about Communism is like to what we have read and discussed in class. In the beginning, it seems that the base that the General Ripper is stationed at is under attack. As part of the emergency code, he sends out a confirmation to the warplanes to attack the Soviet Union. In addition, it is mandatory that the base cuts off all communication with everyone. In the processes of isolating himself, he keeps Captain Lionel Mandrake in the room with him. Captain Mandrake concludes that he’s gone mad and that the base was never under attack by the nation’s competition. The General is afraid that Communism may take over the world and affect the order on a macro level.

This goes back to when we discussed The Diary of a Madman. The insane man believed he would be eaten by the cannibals who represent the elite because he does not comply to the values that benefited them. The man is forced to conform to the values that are instilled in the Chinese society because those values have always been there. During the time of when the film was made, Communism had risen and created an impact on the world, threatening Capitalism and political systems alike. Our nation had a strong phobia towards the political system and the government used their power to prevent any infiltration in the nation. General Jack Ripper represents the cannibals in the film, he forces his ideas of Communism by initiating conflicts between the United States and the Soviet Union creating a domino effect to potentially starting another world war, forcing everyone to comply to his perception of Communism.

Simon Critchley’s message in Surfaciality tries to convey that poets through poetry “return us to familiarity with things through de-familiarization…”. Rather than relying on the repetitive facts or statements that are handed to us, Critchley states that poets unravel the basic meaning of things that have been determined or defined by humans. The author portrays the poets as children or people who are going through a rebirth, making them immune to the “sickness” that the habit of familiarity gives us. They make an attempt to discover the “mystical” or “other-worldly” things that have always been in front of us without much realization of such things. We decide to have things the way they are because it would be more beneficial for us to keep them this way rather than leaving them in the dark. Even though it provides “lucidity”, we are not able to acquire our own knowledge through our senses and experiences.

Clarice Lispector implements Critchley’s ideology in The Daydreams of a Drunk Woman. The woman in the short story depicts the repetitive facts or statements that we already know while the drunk woman depicts the rawness of reality— things that we have uncovered. When the woman is sober, she portrays a person who follows the traditional values who leaves behind their true identity in order to become a house wife to maintain a family. While sober, it seems that she is satisfied of the person she has become because she was able to find shelter by relying on her husband and it is perceived that she was made to fit that role. Although, this may seem to be the norm, it is something that doesn’t represents her. When she is drunk, she unravels her reality which is the dissatisfaction with the person she has become. She is no longer able to do what interests her. Through the rediscover of her identity and her place in the world, this gives her the opportunity to compromise the way she lives her life.

In Endgame by Samuel Beckett, Beckett questions the importance and the knowledge we have of the world. He questions the meaning of living considering we will all die regardless of what we are able to acquire in our lifetime. The two main characters, Hamm and his servant, Clov, show us how confined we are and how we lack control of what we have. Hamm and Clov live with hardships, Ham is blind and is confined in a chair while Clov can’t sit down. Throughout the play they fail to demonstrate any connection by constantly bickering yet having no choice but to rely on each other. The additional characters, Nell and Nagg, who are Hamm’s parents, stay put in ashbins, also lacking mobility.

At first it may be confusing to determine what is the purpose of the play and that is what Beckett is trying to portray about life. He is trying to convey that there is no objective to living. He starts off by naming the play Endgame. This term is used in chess when there are few pieces left on the board, this may represent how we don’t have a lot of mobility. He does this by having the play take place in a room that does not have much other than two windows, two ashbins, a chair and a picture. The setting gives the impression of  emptiness, making the representation of Nihilism and giving the reader the perspective of isolation between humans and the world. Hamm asks Clov if he’s had “enough of this”– meaning his life, Clov answers saying “It may end. [Pause.] All life long the same questions, the same answers” (Botton pg. 768/ top pg. 669). In other words, Beckett informs us that there is constant repetition, yet we decide to follow the flow of how things are, just like there is no purpose of Clov staying around for Hamm. In addition, the language used in the play also contributes to nihilism. Beckett’s wording and form is fragmented, broken, giving the reader the idea that life may not always be filled will fulfillment. Nevertheless, even though it may seem that we can’t control of our lives– meaning we will eventually die, we can decide how we want to live it.

The short film Un Chien Andalou by Luis Buñuel is strange in which there is no plot in the film; no sense of direction. Every scene makes a drastic turn not really correlating with the previous scene. The director uses music to portray a certain vibe in the film as well as substituting the absence of the actors’ voices. The video incorporates surrealistic qualities by adapting dream-like scenes, giving the viewer the impression that the film itself is a dream. Therefore, reason is almost disregarded completely. The short film shows unexplainable and freakish things that takes place in the film such as slicing the eye of a donkey and the male actor pulling two men who are tied to two donkeys on top of two grand pianos. My take on this short film is that Luis Buñuel tried to convey the unusual and unexplainable dreams that we sometimes tend to have and that are difficult to describe or interpret and that not everything must have an explanation.

Ballet Mécanique by Fernand Léger embraces Dadaist and Futurist attributes. The short film also does not provide any plot. Therefore, it may be difficult to determine what the message may be (if any). The short film incorporates repetition and displays what one might assume as random scenes. My take is that there are some repetitive scenes that do not have any significant importance to the film such as the random apparition of shapes. However, there are other incorporations that are displayed various times such as the young and older women. In connection to the Dadaist Manifesto, Tristan Tzara mentions that it’s time to break away from the norms such as men being considered as the superior gender. Perhaps, the director wants the viewer to perceive women equal to men. In addition, the film also shows mechanical gears in a fast motion which represents Futurism. During the display of the gears, there is suspense music which can portray the fast pace of the new era. It shows that the new era of modern technology should be embraced along with the Dadaist ideals.

The Diary of a Madman by Lu Xun is a story in which a nameless man seems to give off the impression that he is a madman by saying that the villagers, including his older brother, will eat him. Xun writes this story to challenge the morals that are instilled in China. The nameless man is exploring society after being a pariah for three decades. Due to not being a part of society, he was able to view his surroundings in a new light, making him a “new man” (Pg. 244). As he explores his surroundings, he comes to realize that the villagers’ behaviors are unusual. Xun incorporates the extreme tradition of cannibalism to portray how unbalanced the hierarchy is and how unethical the traditions are in the Chinese society. Lu Xun conveys a message that correlates with Franz Khafka’s The Judgment, he questions the social norms in Europe –which is how people are perceived based on the actions they make.

The nameless man view the cannibals, who are portrayed as the elite, as unethical people. People would comply with the traditions, fearing that they too would be “eaten” if they decided to disobey (Pg. 250). “Some thought ‘it’s always been like this’…others knew they shouldn’t but went right on doing it anyway…( Pg. 252)”. Even though the people are following the traditions, they’re mentalities are not the same. The author expresses that the ideals and values have always been the same and encourages the people to improve the ideals right away (Pg. 252)”. He argues that regardless of whether or not society wants to make change, “real humans being’s are going to come and eradicate the lot of you… (Pg. 252)”. In other words, those who are rational and ethical will improve China’s traditions.

Franz Khafka’s The Judgment, portrays a similar situation to Lu Xun’s The Diary of a Madman. Georg is considered to be a successful man who always followed the orders of his father, never having any freedom. He is forced to either abide the traditions like getting married or to continue to write to his “friend”. The “friend” is to be the representation of his reflection that describes the opposite of what Georg is considered to everyone. Georg’s “friend” disturbs the norms in his family, causing the dissatisfaction of his father. His father condemns him to drown. Due to the lack of independence, he chooses neither and drowns himself. The nameless man and Georg do not believe in the traditional norms of their society. Therefore, they are look down upon for not complying with the status quo.

On Truth and Lies in an Extra-Moral Sense by Friedrich Nietzsche informs us of the constant battle between the “man of actions” and the “scientific investigators”, and their definitions of the truth. The author mentions that there is no such thing as the truth considering that we are influenced or simulated in what we may perceive as the truth. Nietzsche goes on to question whether language is enough to describe the “expression of all realities”. Different languages may assign the same word or meaning but it may not alway convey the exact definition. Therefore, what we might perceive as the truth might not be completely correct.

Friedrich Nietzsche  goes on to analyze the truth behind concepts. The rational man uses the ability to foresee potential matter unlike the intuitive man who will incorporate their innate feelings. He mentions that science influences rationality by mentioning that “…science works unceasingly on this great columbarium of concepts, the graveyard of perceptions”. In other words, it seems that rationality overpowers the instincts. Nevertheless, those who count on logic need to seek for shelter as there are “frightful powers which continuously break in upon him, powers which oppose scientific truth with completely different kinds of ‘truths’…”. Instinctual concepts interfere with rational thoughts or beliefs.

Furthermore, Nietzsche states that both principles are almost equal because there are consequences for following either principle. The rational man is able to abide by rules to prevent any misfortune but will not encounter happiness. The intuitive man will be able to be expressive by cultivating “illumination, cheer, and redemption” but is likely to suffer more and might not learn from the outcome.

I agree with what Friedrich Nietzsche is trying to inform us in his essay. His statements make me question whether there is such thing as the truth. An important component such as language seems to not always convey the truth. In addition, I find it interesting in how he aligns both the intuitive man and the rational man as one. The intuitive man and rational man follow different guidelines yet they both face misfortune even if they try to prevent it. Will it matter if we decide to follow one principle over the other?

Marquis De Sade’s Philosophy in the Bedroom argues that cruelty is not to be vice but a normal behavior. De Sade’s ideology is that humans should be completely free from abiding laws, which was a radical belief that distinguished him from other Enlightenment thinkers during the time. He approved the use of instincts rather than “reason”. He states that the laws that are to be followed and that define a civilized society are “false”, creating the impediment to live life to a full extent. We act cruel when we are born into this world. However, as the years progress, we leave these innate feelings and actions once we begin to follow the rules of a civilized society.

Based on my understanding, the author seems to faintly depict God as nature and questions what is considered moral and immoral and how nature approves cruelty to create change. He goes on to question what makes it a crime to kill another human and not a specie of animal. Marquis De Sade states that there is a parallel between humans and animals. We have more similarities with wild animals than differences. We are born into the same world, reproduce and age just like them (Pg. 138). De Sade goes on by stating that with the use of cruelty and destruction, it is the  “… primary material for her reconstruction…” (Pg. 139). In other words, to generate the creation of new life, it must arise from destruction. The author goes further to question society as the people contradict themselves when defining murder unethical. He makes a reference to the French Revolution mentioning that the country would not be free without the act of murder. Cruelty and destruction is justified when society finds it convenient to them, such as the expansion of power (Pg. 140)

The Enlightenment Era favored the expansion of knowledge and independence. There is a comparison with Descartes’ ideals and De Sade. Our morals derive from having prejudice opinions and beliefs. Both thinkers believe that we must become independent from an authoritative figure that prevents society from using components such as our emotions to expand as humans. De Sade’s beliefs contradict those to Kant’s ideals, which is to become independent but still be under rule. Rather than progressing to create a better society, Marquis De Sade’s ideology will cause nothing but harm. Not having an established system will create chaos in society, manifesting survival of the fittest.

The oratures from the previous week provided similar morals that may have guided people of different nationalities from around the world to cope with the oppression or overcome the oppression. The oratures of Anansi’s mythical stories provides the importance of having hope, which anyone can relate. The story which was originated from West Africa, uses oral literature to pass on stories to many generations. As the years progressed, the stories of Anansi began to alter from culture to culture. The renditions of the story usually had the same theme of coming on top and overcoming challenges.

Anansi is a spider that is considered to be the underdog of the stories. However, Anansi is able to overcome any obstacle by using its intelligence and cleverness to get what it wants. In All Stories Are Anansi’s, the spider was able to accomplish the job that Nyame, the Sky God wanted in return for his tales. He was able to bring the hornets, the great python, and the leopard to him; it was a mission that the richest and most powerful were not able to fulfill. The way that the Anansi story was projected was influenced by the slave trade. During the 1900s, the African American slaves and those alike did not have the opportunity to read and write. Due to the lack of education of the West Africans, they used stories like Anansi to make them forget about their situation and provide hope to those who were being oppressed by the slave owners.

The theme of hope seemed to be common during the 19th century as the slaves were able to project their ambition, to be able to come out on top through different variations of oral literature such as spiritual and secular songs. In the song, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, the song has a subliminal message that helps the slaves get to the Underground Railroad. The song encourages the slaves to escape the fields and undermine the harsh system that was instilled for years. Intelligence is used in both stories to defeat the oppressor and the taboos among the “inferior”. These oratures give the people the aspiration to achieve any goal even if the odds are not on their side.

Charles Baudelaire’s perceptions created alarm as he portrayed the rawness of his twisted and explicit emotions through poems. He correlated topics that were uncommon and uncomfortable such as sadism and putrefaction (Pg. 467). His objective was to depict detailed images to the reader which were considered outrageous at the time. The poem “A Carcass” provides an imagery of a carcass that is found on a path. The narrator’s tone in the poem is lust towards the dead animal as he states, “Her legs were spread out like a lecherous whore (line 5)”. The depiction of sexual desire towards the carcass is uneasy. Nevertheless, he also mentions the beauty of death and embraces it as he believes that we will become immortal. The poet writes, ” –And you, in your turn, will be rotten as this: Horrible, filthy, undone, Oh sun of my nature and star of my eyes, My Passion, my angel in one! (Lines 37-40)”. In other words, he surpasses the common perception of death and describes it as an art as nature will “cherish your body (Line 25)”. Furthermore, nature will be the “…keeper for corpses of love, the form, and the essence divine (Line 46-47)” which any form made by humans will stay immortal.

During the late 1700s, Europe was in a troubling circumstance to the point that people had to take matters into their own hands. The people were resented of how they were treated due to the detrimental laws that were imposed by the monarchs. During this time, France had wreaked havoc the standard of living under a sovereign. The French began to uprise against the monarchs and abolished the feudal hierarchical system. After abolishing a system that was instilled for centuries, the French National Assembly created the The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. The declaration stated the rights that all men had freedom and eliminated all privileges that were instilled based on birth; to create statutes that are to be best for the people rather than following tradition (pg. 6).  However, this declaration did not incorporate women, having Olympe De Gouges send a message to men and their misogynistic mentality.

Olympe De Gouges was a radical feminist who advocated for those who did not have a voice. She fought for the abolition of slavery, the rights of orphans and the unwed mothers (Pg. 23). De Gouges rejected the The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, she then revised the declaration and called it The Rights of Women. She expressed the equality of the sexes and overcoming the system of oppression. Olympe De Gouges believed that women had the right to be respected by their peers. Women were belittled and inferior to men and did not have any liberty. She argued that women had the right to express themselves in public, such as saying who is the father of their children. She also mentions that no one is ever harmed from what a man says in a speech, then women should have the right to give a speech as well (Pg.26). Laws are to be abided by both men and women to equally benefit them and will be fairly prosecuted if they fail to comply. De Gouges shows that women have overcome hardships and are to be superior than what they are perceived. She encouraged women to fight for the cause because they have natural rights which are not instilled by “fanaticism” and “superstition” as what was once believed. Although her progressive ideas were far too advanced during her time, she became an important figure in the feminist movement which influenced others to obtain equality between the sexes.

Karina Delgado