HUM LIT Blog Central

Pro/Con

Find a relevant passage and make prepare to make the case (5 min):

1. McMurphy’s ward-mates are justified in losing faith in him, seeing him as the self-serving instigator and con-man described by the nurse.

2. The decision to adminster shock therapy, unless he “admits he was wrong” is reasonable therapy (for the time).

3. McMurphy’s stubborn readiness to endure shock treatments shows he is trapped in his role as ward hero.

4. McMurphy’s final attack is justified and noble, despite being effectively a suicide act.

5. Chief’s smothering of McMurphy is a sacrifice benefiting the men, not an act of mercy.

HW:

Read first 15 pages of Sherman Alexie for a content quiz Friday.

I have selected a few examples of digital literature from an new “online anthology” sponsored by the Electronic Literature Organization. Their plan is to select and introduce work they think promises to become classic — which will prompt us to ask questions about how to read these works of a future ENGL 121.

1.) What are we invited to do in reading it? 2) What idea of an “author” lies behind it? 3) What implied function does it fulfill (entertain, please, teach, inform, raise questions, move emotionally…)?

Faith

Project for Tachistcope

Fall of the Site of Marsha

Storyland

Be sure to read part I of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest for Wednesday.

This week we’ll continue the discussion of Garcia Lorca’s play, Blood Wedding, which I introducted to you last week.

As a heuristic for active reading, we’ll focus on a number of intertwined thematics throughout the play:
1) violence
2) gender roles, masculinity and femininity
3) marriage
4) the name, inheritance, blood
5) home, domestic space

I.2

For Monday’s class, we’ll begin with a focus on Act I.2, looking at how Leonardo’s violent entry into the domestic space of his own home underscores what’s socially expected and how his character violates the space. How does the surreal lullaby contribute to the tone of this scene?

I.3
What do we learn about traditional ideas of marriage, the needs of individuals and the larger social functions as the betrothal takes place? In particular, how is the Bride exposed as a character struggling with her own subject position?

As you read Act II, look for moments when characters reveal elements of their conflict, their fear, and their hope. Often the language can be enigmatic at these crucial points (e.g. “Why do you look at me that way? With a thorn in each eye.” 66) Look too at points where the characters express feelings about why this wedding must come off.

We’ll conclude our discussion of Allende today by considering the historical reference to Chile 1973 that brings the book to a close.

How does the novel lead up to this political moment? How does it shape our response, knowing the occasion for Alba’s flight and her need to remember a family past? Does the playfullness, magic, and absentmindedness of some characters take on a new light? What do you make of the explicit celebration of female power in the closing pages?

—- 

For Friday, I’ll ask you to post thoughts to the blog about power, culture, and the author in Allende. In class we’ll do some collective brainstorming and in-class writing for next week’s “take-home” mid-term.  The test will entail four medium-length essay questions (1 to 1-1/2 pages each) focusing on Allende and Silko. If you bring good ideas Friday, you may shape the exam (which will I’ll post over the weekend, and which will be due a week from today).

Culture can be defined as a whole way of life, the practices and habits and values that characterize a group. As such it is the horizon or field upon which subjects act and sets the terms for whether they receive praise or blame. We take up our roles as subjects within a culture by internalizing the structures of praise and blame: structures which are informed by and communicated through literature.

Let’s look at several sections in chapters 4 and 5.

1. The meeting of Blanca and Pedro Tercero (104); Pedro’s education (138-141); and their coming of age (146-147)
2. Pedro’s becoming a singer (154-5);discussion with his father over the law of God (163)
3. Clara on change (168); and acceptance (170); and Pedro Segundo’s pride ( 175)

Be ready to discuss (or perhaps be quizzed) on chapters 6-9 for Monday.

Don’t forget to assemble your Blog Portfolio for monday; printed versions of all your posts (and any comments you have made). Please paste this into word rather than giving me a skinny column of text 100 pages long!

Please remember that we’ll begin discussing Allende this coming Monday. The first section we’ll discuss will be pp. 1-102, about which you can expect a quiz.  Please read beyond this, though, as we will move have 4 classes designated for our discussion — which means you won’t be able to keep up if you’re only at page 102 by Monday.

Other useful divisions are: Chs 4-6; 7-10; 11-end.

Please begin reading ahead in the next novel, The House of the Spirits. It is an easy read but not a short one. We’ll be finishing up Cortez and take a “poetry break” this week, but you will need to read ahead. You may find this INTRODUCTION useful.

Prompt: You may post freely on Cortez, or you may respond to this prompt: What does the circulation of a corrido through its many singers and versions tell you about one of the uses of literature? Can you think of most literature as having this kind of social use? Why or why not? Does this tell you something about literature or its audiences?

Don’t forget to post comments to the blogs of two group-mates.

Reread the story passages and post two paragraphs to your blog — discussing the importance of “story” for this novel, the character of Tayo, or Laguna culture. This should be your third blog post — unless you’re an over-achiever!

(pp. 1, 2, 13, 37, 46, 53, 71, 81, 105, 113, 128, 132, 139, 142, 151, 153, 170, 180, 182, 206, 247, 255, 257, 258, 260, 262)

Here are a few interesting responses: Casey N, Dan P, Maureen S, Joe V, and David Z.

This novel charts the psychological and cultural journey of a young Laguna man returning home following WWII.  His conflicts include those of a returning soldier, those of Native Americans of the 20th century, and specifically the issues brought on by his bi-cultural heritage (his unknown father was Anglo, making him marginal within his own home and community).  In broader terms, Tayo must find a place for himself and a way to live, survive in a world of violence and conflict — that is, to understand his own place in the cosmic story.

Characters are named infrequently.  You may want to mark them with post-its.  A quick summary: Uncle Josiah and Auntie - T’s caretakers.  Rocky - their son, Tayo’s cousin; killed in the war. Robert, trustworthy uncle. Grandma.  Friends and acquaintances include returning veterans: Emo, Pinkie, and Harlie.  Helen Jean is a brief romantic interest and also recalls T’s mother. Night Swan, is a dancer, an uninhibited figure who also is bi-cultural. Ku’oosh, Betonie (Shush), and Descheeny are healers and elders who assist T. in some way.  T’seh is a love interest and spiritual force.

Plot.  The novel is not divided in to chapters, though careful attention will show you spaces where the action or location shifts.  Broadly, it will help to remember that the novel takes place over the course of a year or less following WWII.  But because it deals with Tayo’s efforts to make sense of his world, past and present, it includes many flashbacks. It seems too simple to speak of post-traumatic stress or hallucination …. but it will be helpful if you have these ideas in mind. Specifically, when Rocky speaks — this is a dream or memory, since the actual Rocky has died.

The structure of the novel may confuse you at first. Remember that it is comes from the perspective of Tayo, an young man who is experiencing torment and confusion.  His task is to chart a course, identify his place, decide whether he can pick up the story (cf. oral tradition) and find a place in it.  So one way of understanding the need for the weaving and shifting — is that it gives the reader an experience like Tayo’s.

Key Terms: We, I; community, sickness, stars, cosmic or collective problems; drought; tradition, story, vision; witchery; cattle.