Close Reading (18 November 2011)

High Drama- By Adam Green
http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/jesse-eisenberg-high-drama/

       Adam Green uses precise diction and imagery to create accurate depictions of both Jessie Eisenberg and Nina Arianda that highlight key differences between the two. He begins with a detailed description of Eisenberg, stating he posesses a "brainy, made-in-New York brand of awkwardness". The author creates a deeper image as he describes how Eisenberg "slouched in a seat" during the interview. Eisenberg, writer and star of Asuncion, plays a "cerebral, neurotic loser"; a character supposedly modeled after Eisenberg himself. However, he wants to make clear that the character, Edgar, "is more of a character--his professed anatonical inadequacies... are 'not autobiographical,'". The resulting image of Eisenberg is one of a slightly messy, incredibly artistic person.
       Conversely, Green's depiction of Nina Arianda begins with an engaging introduction: "an unknown actress sets the theater world on fire with a knockout performance". Already the reader notices a sharp contrast to Eisenberg's eccentric description. Green goes on to set up the play Arianda is starring in, Venus in Fur, and continues to praise the young actress: "...Arianda is an unalloyed delight, taking us through Vanda's every transformation with whip-crack precision and a pro's comic timing." The use of "whip-crack precision" brings a sense of razor-sharp clarity into Arianda's depiction, further contrasting Eisenberg's more hazy characterization.

Response to Course Material

       After looking over the poems we wrote our second essay on, I still think I don't have the skill of picking apart a poem and being able to write on it. I think that will be the hardest part of this class.
       I really appreciate the review of the different literary eras because sometimes it's important to revisit basic information like that. However, while Prezi looks cool, I think it's really hard at first to be able to use the confusing controls.
       Analyzing Ceremony will be really different from analyzing the two plays we have so far. I think we will need to focus more on the larger ideas rather than looking at every word and sentence, because of the sheer length of the novel.

The Conch Shell

1970 Also. Choose a work of recognized literary merit in which a specific inanimate object (e.g., a seashell, a handkerchief, a painting) is important, and write an essay in which you show how two or three of the purposes the object serves are related to one another.

       Inamimate objects, such as a flag, can serve a variety of purposes: they can bring people together or represent specific values. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, an important object is the conch shell discovered upon arrival on the island. The conch shell serves as a signal to bring the group of boys together, an object of power and control, and finally a symbol of order on the island.

       When Ralph and Piggy first arrive on the island, they know that some of the boys from the plane crash must also be on the same island with them. The conch shell serves as a auditory signal to bring the boys together. By blowing the conch, Piggy establishes a common meeting point for the group, which in turn creates a sense of community and identity among the boys. The boys begin to exhibit social tendencies found within the adult world, such as the need for a leader and the resulting tensions from the search for power.

       Piggy remains in possession of the conch because, as a stout boy with health issues, he realizes that his only source of power in that primal microcosm of adult society is the conch. The conch, which brought the boys together, continues to be an object of control. By establishing the precedent of the power of speech in anyone who holds the conch, Piggy hopes to create power for himself in a democratic way as the boys begin the deliberations to find a leader.

       The situation on the island remains relatively organized and orderly as the conch shell remains present. The group of boys go about choosing a leader, allotting specific tasks, and carrying out those tasks without any major problems. The conch, however, loses its vibrancy and power as tensions between groups on the island erupt. With the death of the conch's constant guardian, Piggy, the conch is also shattered and pure animal violence breaks out among the boys. The chaos that ensues is a testament to the conch's role as a symbol of order.

       The conch begins the novel as a signal to bring the boys together through its ability to produce sound. It becomes a object of power, specifically for Piggy, and then is revealed as a symbol of order that, when destroyed, releases a wave of barbarity crashing down on the boys. Overall, the power the conch possesses manifests itself in different forms that create various reactions from the boys throughout the novel.

The Jungle's Wedding

       Throughout history, weddings have been a time of love, extravagance, and togetherness. In Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, the wedding scene of Jurgis and Ona exhibits the sense of community and family that was present among immigrants in America during the first quarter of the 20th century.
       The Jungle opens with this wedding scene, immediately creating a heavy emphasis on tradition and alliance within the Lithuanian community in Chicago. Song and dance, food and drink are all authentic of what would appear in Lithuania. Many of the men present are reminiscing about their home country, and that is when the reader realizes that this party is an escape for many of the revelers. The event is costing the young couple a majority of their thin savings, but it is tradition, and as a foreigner to America, one of the few things they have left is there traditions. These traditions, and the celebration thereof, allow that immigrant community to keep their country alive, even if it's only for a night in some bar in Chicago.
       After the opening wedding scene of The Jungle, the Great Depression ensues, and its effects on the new family are clearly illustrated. While the hardships the family endures are incredible, Jurgis stands by his firm values that mandate he do everything in his power to support his family. However the impossible odds against him and his family, including injury and blacklisting in the Chicago stockyards, lead to his failure and the death of his wife and son. It is then we see him depart from his ethics and leave the city.   
       The strong traditions and values that are represented in the first scene of The Jungle can also be seen throughout the entire book. These traditions are presented as essential to the survival of the Lithuanian immigrant culture in early 20th century America.

Response to Course Material

     I really appreciate the historical background info that Holmes is providing. I think an important part of this play is knowing what's comedy and what isn't, and knowing how Albee is deviating from social norm for the sake of comedy is impossible without knowing what the social norms were. Mommy and Daddy present a very interesting situation, in which they are completely average and iconic to that time period, but also appallingly atypical in their fixations and mutilation of the baby. Satisfaction in this play is unattainable, just as it is in real life. Albee is trying to make a point here, I think, that the American Dream is unattianable because the dream is about getting satisfaction, and while Mommy claims she can get satisfaction, really she's in the same satisfaction-less boat with the rest of us. I think we're making very good progress in class as far as digging deeper into the play, but I would like to know more about the 'big picture' themes and ideas.

Close Reading (23 October 2011)

THE SHIRT: When I wore it, I was invincible - By Edith Zimmerman
This article can be found in the October 2011 issue of Elle magazine. (I couldn't find it online, and I'm not going to take the time now to type it up, but if you REALLY want to read it, I'll let you borrow the magazine)

       Remember, when you were a little kid, or maybe in that awkward tween stage, and you wore a certain piece of clothing way too much? Edith Zimmerman does; she recounts and defends her unconditional love for her not necessarily fashionable, but still favorite gray polo. She uses vivid images and details, along with colloquial diction to create a memorable tribute to her beloved shirt.
       At the very beginning of the piece, Zimmerman provides two images that are integral to the meaning of the piece as a whole. First, she describes "The Shirt" as "long-sleeved, gray cotton polo from the men's section of the Gap." While not necessarily a fashionable image, the image begins to define her. We can already deduce that she is sort of a tomboy, maybe not too popular or interested in feminine things. Secondly, she describes her "popular" cousin: "He skateboarded and dyed his hair and wore wallet chains," We are further introduced to the younger version of the author, and our deductions are confirmed. These descriptions, all within the first short paragraph have captured the attention of the reader and incited them to make important deductions. Later on, it is stated that she had "only recently started to befriend the popular girls," so our insecure tomboy now has a motive to purchase a "cool" new shirt, emphasis on the "cool".
      Zimmerman uses relatively colloquial language, in particular the word "cool" repeatedly throughout this piece. The definition of cool that she uses is purely based on the slang connotation of the word. She uses this word mostly do describe The Shirt, but also to describe her "intended... lifetime of coolness". This diction choice brings the reader further into the mentality of a seventh grade girl, who is just trying to be cool.
       To make her piece more appealing to her fashion-oriented audience (this work is found in Elle, a fashion magazine) Zimmerman includes details related to specific designers and past trends. When describing her potential popular friends, she mentions they sport "Doc Martens". If her readers recognize this trend from the late 1900s, they are drawn further into the story by her key fashion reference. Zimmerman reflects her evolved fashion sense when, at the conclusion of the story, she refers to a specific dress that her dad gave her for a birthday present. This "beautiful blue Madison Marcus sueded-silk sheathdress" not only provides relevance and legitimacy to the audience, it also is an important dress, in that it shows how her fashion sense has changed. She also mentioned earlier in the piece that she didn't mind wearing The Shirt when it wasn't totally clean. This background knowledge, along with a description of her modern preferences, lead to her final statement of loyalty: "... I think he'd [her Dad] would be happy to know that I immediately got it [the blue dress] dry-cleaned after dripping ranch dressing down the front." While she appreciates her new fashion articles, the older, and maybe ranch-stained, Shirt has a permanent place in her heart.

Stormy Rochester, Stormy Weather

      Nature can embody a variety of values or moods within a novel. Specifically, it can act as a setting of birth and renewal, or, conversely, it can be a place of raw natural instinct. In Charlotte Bronte's renowned novel, Jane Eyre, nature provides a crucial backdrop that enhances Rochester's emotional tendencies and stages within his life.

      Thornfield Hall instantly causes red flags to pop up in the reader's mind the moment it is described. It is imposing, dark, and spooky. As the story unfolds, we discover that the brooding master is keeping many secrets behind heavy, locked doors, including an insane, exotic wife. The isolated nature of Thornfield is perfect for the unfolding of all of these events. By being far apart from any interactions, except those that are prompted, such as the rare dinner parties held by Rochester, the mansion acts as a center in the novel. All interactions within the Thornfield phase of the novel are traced back to the house and surrounding countryside. This countryside emulates a reflecting screen for the mood of the circumstances presented in the novel. When Rochester declares his love for Jane, it is a sunny day beside the flowing stream, with wildflowers and butterflies abundant. On the other hand, thunder crashes and rain comes down in torrents when Rochester's crazy wife tries to burn him alive. The sheer power demonstrated by the weather in the countryside can be seen also in Rochester when he veers towards the more extreme end of his emotional spectrum.  The country setting reacts in tandem with Rochester's emotions to provide a unique effect on the reader.

       At the conclusion of the novel, we find a destroyed Rochester regaining his sense of vitality in a, yet again, isolated setting. This time he is in a small cabin in the forest. This more humble set of circumstances reflects his fall from grace, more literally his fall from his burning ancestral home, and his recovery in the forest his symbolic of a rebirth. Rather than recovering in luxury, he retreats with his most trusted servant. Possibly more important, his loss of sight allows him to focus on reorganizing himself mentally. This loss of an important sense is seen in the densely wooded, very isolated setting he is in. With the return of Jane, his rebirth, exemplified in the nature-oriented woodland setting, is complete. He is then free to move on with his new life. It is important to note that as he grows in to his new, better habits, he even gains back some of his vision, resulting in the precious moment when he sees the color of his son's eyes.

       The isolated settings in Jane Eyre reflect a variety of character traits in Rochester, including his temper and brooding moods. The weather, as part of the setting, enhances these effects. The slightly different forms of Rochester that can be witnessed in the novel can thus be witnessed in the surrounding countryside.