Tourism is the driving force behind many of the smaller Caribbean islands economies. Barbados, Antigua, Jamaica, and many other islands are dependent on the on the people that come to their islands for fun in the son to keep their fragile economies intact. However, the tourism industry could be killing these small places instead of saving them as long as the tourists do not know what they are doing to the places they visit. Jamaica Kinkaid outlines the problems with ignorant tourism in her short novel “A Small Place”. There are many problems facing these places like pollution from Caribbean cruise ships that could in turn destroy them entirely.
One major way that cruise ships are adding to the pollution problems in the Caribbean is the unbelievable amount of waste that they rack up. “A single cruise ship produces per person, per day, 1 kg burnable waste, .5 kg food waste and 1 kg glass and tin” (Uebersax, 1996). Now take those numbers, multiply them by about 300, and then multiply them by about 4 (average cruise length). That is an ungodly amount of waste. The simple fact of the matter is that that waste cannot stay on the boat. Most of the time a cruise ship will dump that waste deep into international waters to prevent it from reaching shore, which is not always illegal. However, they often do not take into account the strong currents that will pull much of that crap, no pun intended, into shore. Sometimes the cruise ship will just dump their trash in harbor, which is extremely illegal (Uebersax, 1996). This dumping destroys the pristine beach lines and crystal clear blue waters that draw the tourists in the first place. If this problem continues, tour businesses will literally put themselves out of business by killing what people want to see. It also effects the local populations by killing off fish, making resources like drinking water unusable, and making many people extremely ill.
So what can we do to stop it? Unfortunately, the answer is not so easy. The current measures taken on cruise ships to dispose of waste are very limited. Some simply try to recycle their waste so they do not have so much to dump. Most do not. One answer could be incineration. Burning the waste could provide a safe way of disposing of the waste and also it could provide a way of powering the ships in little areas. The only problem with this approach would be that the ash made by burning this waste would have to be disposed of as well and that could be even more damaging if it is dropped in the ocean (Uebersax, 1996). Another solution proposed would be on shore waste treatment plants on the islands. This would prevent the ships from dumping anything into the water at all. While this seems to be the best solution, it is also problematic. The fact is that the locations that many of the ships go to are very poor countries that cannot even take care of their own waste, let alone that from a cruise ship. They cannot do this alone and without foreign support it may never get done (Uebersax, 1996).
In conclusion, the points of reports like this and Jamaica Kinkaid’s novel “A Small Place” is not to tell people not to go on trips and cruises. Instead, it encourages travel, but makes people aware of the effect the make when they travel. Ignorant tourism could cripple the tourism industry and damage some of the most beautiful places on Earth. We must be aware of the footprint we leave when we leave.
Works Cited
Uebersax, M. B. (1996, August). Cruise Ship Pollution in the Caribbean. Retrieved from planeta.com: http://www.planeta.com/planeta/96/0896cruise.html
Monday, December 7, 2009
The History Behind Poets In The Kitchen
Paule Marshall in her essay “Poets in the Kitchen” outlines what it was like to grow up in a family that came from the tiny island of Barbados in the West Indies. She discuss not only the things she saw that made her the person she was today, but also what inspired her to write the way she does. The history of Barbados explains a lot of the experiences that Paule Marshall writes about in “Poets in the Kitchen” and gives an interesting look into that life.
The early history of Barbados is a very fascinating one. The island was first inhabited by the Arawak Indians that came from Venezuela by dugout canoes. One of the things that sticks out about these Indians is the extremes they would go to look attractive. They would tie the foreheads of their infants to slope their heads to a point (Barbados Culture: the Abbreviated History of Barbados ). This is strikingly similar to the tradition that Marshall mentions in her essay of “the bellyband that is tied around the stomach of a newborn baby to keep the navel pressed in” (Marshall, 2001). It seems that the tradition of going to extremes to be, what the people around them view as, good looking did not stay in Barbados when Marshall’s relatives left.
After the Arawak Indians, the Carib Indians came to Barbados. They were cannibals and would use a very powerful toxin on their arrows to paralyze their victims to prepare them to be eaten (Barbados Culture: the Abbreviated History of Barbados ). The Portuguese explorer Pedro a Campos landed on the island in 1536 while he was on his way to Brazil to trade. He did not clam the island but named it Los Barbados which means the ‘Bearded One’. Many historians believe the name comes from the islands fig trees that have hanging aerial roots that give the trees a bearded look (History of Barbados ). The English were the next to settle Barbados in 1625 and it became a British Colony in 1627. The Island was made into a thriving sugar cane producing colony, however the poor living conditions and horrible treatment of the slaves used to produce the sugar was too much. The slaves revolted in 1816, but slavery as a whole was not abolished in Barbados until 1834 (History of Barbados ). The Island remained basically stable until 1930 when an economic Depression hit which caused riots and many of the people to leave to the country. It is quite possible that this is when Paule Marshall’s relatives came over to America. Barbados remained a British colony until 1966 when they declared full independence and joined the United Nations in 1967. Now, tourism, like many of the smaller Caribbean islands, is the driving force behind Barbados’s economy.
While it is always interesting to see where a writer gets his or her inspiration, sometimes it is even more interesting to examine the culture that he or she came from. In Paule Marshall’s case, by looking at the history of the country that her relatives came from we can see where many of the traditions she talks about in “Poets” came from.
Works Cited
Barbados Culture: the Abbreviated History of Barbados . (n.d.). Retrieved from Barbados.org: http://www.barbados.org/history1.htm
History of Barbados . (n.d.). Retrieved from accessbarbados.com: http://www.accessbarbados.com/barbados_history.php
Marshall, P. (2001). Poets in the Kitchen. Johns Hopkins University Press.
The early history of Barbados is a very fascinating one. The island was first inhabited by the Arawak Indians that came from Venezuela by dugout canoes. One of the things that sticks out about these Indians is the extremes they would go to look attractive. They would tie the foreheads of their infants to slope their heads to a point (Barbados Culture: the Abbreviated History of Barbados ). This is strikingly similar to the tradition that Marshall mentions in her essay of “the bellyband that is tied around the stomach of a newborn baby to keep the navel pressed in” (Marshall, 2001). It seems that the tradition of going to extremes to be, what the people around them view as, good looking did not stay in Barbados when Marshall’s relatives left.
After the Arawak Indians, the Carib Indians came to Barbados. They were cannibals and would use a very powerful toxin on their arrows to paralyze their victims to prepare them to be eaten (Barbados Culture: the Abbreviated History of Barbados ). The Portuguese explorer Pedro a Campos landed on the island in 1536 while he was on his way to Brazil to trade. He did not clam the island but named it Los Barbados which means the ‘Bearded One’. Many historians believe the name comes from the islands fig trees that have hanging aerial roots that give the trees a bearded look (History of Barbados ). The English were the next to settle Barbados in 1625 and it became a British Colony in 1627. The Island was made into a thriving sugar cane producing colony, however the poor living conditions and horrible treatment of the slaves used to produce the sugar was too much. The slaves revolted in 1816, but slavery as a whole was not abolished in Barbados until 1834 (History of Barbados ). The Island remained basically stable until 1930 when an economic Depression hit which caused riots and many of the people to leave to the country. It is quite possible that this is when Paule Marshall’s relatives came over to America. Barbados remained a British colony until 1966 when they declared full independence and joined the United Nations in 1967. Now, tourism, like many of the smaller Caribbean islands, is the driving force behind Barbados’s economy.
While it is always interesting to see where a writer gets his or her inspiration, sometimes it is even more interesting to examine the culture that he or she came from. In Paule Marshall’s case, by looking at the history of the country that her relatives came from we can see where many of the traditions she talks about in “Poets” came from.
Works Cited
Barbados Culture: the Abbreviated History of Barbados . (n.d.). Retrieved from Barbados.org: http://www.barbados.org/history1.htm
History of Barbados . (n.d.). Retrieved from accessbarbados.com: http://www.accessbarbados.com/barbados_history.php
Marshall, P. (2001). Poets in the Kitchen. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The Meaning Behind DeLillo’s White Noise
Don DeLillo’s novel White Noise is hailed as one of the greatest postmodern works of all time and is one of the greatest books of the 20th century. However, why did DeLillo call his novel white noise? What does it even mean? The dictionary defines white noise as, “a constant background noise; especially: one that drowns out other sounds; meaningless or distracting commotion, hubbub, or chatter” (White Noise, 2009). With this definition in mind, it is easy to see what DeLillo meant when he called his novel White Noise. Don DeLillo meant that the technology and life in America are a background noise that drowns out what is really going on in our world.
The first example we see of this in the novel is on the very first page. DeLillo describes how a group of college students arrive with an ungodly amount of stuff loaded on their cars. “The roofs of the station wagons were loaded down with carefully secured suitcases full of light and heavy clothing; with boxes of blankets, boots and shoes, stationery and books, sheets, pillows, quilts; with rolled-up rugs and sleeping bags; with bicycles, skies, rucksacks, English and Western saddles, inflated rafts” (DeLillo, 1999). This shows the mountains of stuff that the kids bring with them; most of it completely useless. The American underlying white noise of “buy more stuff, buy more stuff” is made evident here. These kids own things that they will most likely never use again, but own none the less out of some unknown need.
A second example of this definition of white noise is on page 51 of the novel. Murray is talking to the narrator, Jack, about television and how, in a way, it is the essence of white noise. “TV offers incredible amounts of psychic data. It opens ancient memories of world birth; it welcomes us into the grid, the network of little buzzing dots that make up the picture pattern. There is light, there is sound. I ask my students, ‘What more do you want?’ Look at the wealth of data concealed in the grid, in the bright packaging, the jingles, the slice of life commercials, the products hurtling out of darkness, the coded messages and endless repetitions, like chants, like mantras, ‘Coke is it, Coke is it, Coke is it.’ The medium practically overflows with sacred formulas if we can remember how to respond innocently and get past our irritation, weariness, and disgust” (DeLillo, 1999). Murray is basically saying that without us knowing it, things like TV or computers will run our thoughts if we allow them. Just 30 minutes and one commercial could have you buying something you don’t really want or craving some food you don’t really need to be eating.
In conclusion, White Noise can be interpreted as a kind of warning against letting these types of technologies run our lives. When we allow technology to become the background noise of our lives, it can influence us without us even knowing it. I believe that this was Don DeLillo’s purpose.
Works Cited
DeLillo, D. (1999). White Noise. New York, New York: Penguin Books.
White Noise. (2009). Retrieved from Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white+noise
The first example we see of this in the novel is on the very first page. DeLillo describes how a group of college students arrive with an ungodly amount of stuff loaded on their cars. “The roofs of the station wagons were loaded down with carefully secured suitcases full of light and heavy clothing; with boxes of blankets, boots and shoes, stationery and books, sheets, pillows, quilts; with rolled-up rugs and sleeping bags; with bicycles, skies, rucksacks, English and Western saddles, inflated rafts” (DeLillo, 1999). This shows the mountains of stuff that the kids bring with them; most of it completely useless. The American underlying white noise of “buy more stuff, buy more stuff” is made evident here. These kids own things that they will most likely never use again, but own none the less out of some unknown need.
A second example of this definition of white noise is on page 51 of the novel. Murray is talking to the narrator, Jack, about television and how, in a way, it is the essence of white noise. “TV offers incredible amounts of psychic data. It opens ancient memories of world birth; it welcomes us into the grid, the network of little buzzing dots that make up the picture pattern. There is light, there is sound. I ask my students, ‘What more do you want?’ Look at the wealth of data concealed in the grid, in the bright packaging, the jingles, the slice of life commercials, the products hurtling out of darkness, the coded messages and endless repetitions, like chants, like mantras, ‘Coke is it, Coke is it, Coke is it.’ The medium practically overflows with sacred formulas if we can remember how to respond innocently and get past our irritation, weariness, and disgust” (DeLillo, 1999). Murray is basically saying that without us knowing it, things like TV or computers will run our thoughts if we allow them. Just 30 minutes and one commercial could have you buying something you don’t really want or craving some food you don’t really need to be eating.
In conclusion, White Noise can be interpreted as a kind of warning against letting these types of technologies run our lives. When we allow technology to become the background noise of our lives, it can influence us without us even knowing it. I believe that this was Don DeLillo’s purpose.
Works Cited
DeLillo, D. (1999). White Noise. New York, New York: Penguin Books.
White Noise. (2009). Retrieved from Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white+noise
Louise Erdrich’s Style in Love Medicine
Louise Erdrich is a very talented Native American author. Her novels about Native American life on and off the reservation have won her recognition around the country. Philip Roth said about her novel the Plague of Doves that “Louise Erdrich's imaginative freedom has reached its zenith—The Plague of Doves is her dazzling masterpiece” (Roth). However, besides her incredible story telling abilities, what makes her the most interesting is her style. In her short story cycle Love Medicine, Erdrich changes narrators, settings, plots, times, tenses, and even points of view right in the middle of a story.
The first interesting thing about Louise Erdrich’s style is the way she introduces multiple narrators over the course of the cycle. Many times, she even will introduce multiple narrators in a single story. For example, in the last story of the cycle, “Crossing the Water”, Erdrich switches the narrator from Howard Kashpaw to Lipsha Morrissey in just a couple of pages (Erdrich, 2009). This gives a lot of depth to the story. The reader is able to see the story, and sometimes the same event, from the minds of almost every single character in the book. There is no need to guess what the characters are thinking, because likely as not that character will be telling the story within the next five pages or so.
Another interesting thing about Erdrich’s style is the way she shifts the narrator’s point of view in her stories. She frequently goes from third person to first person before going right back to third person. For example, in the first story in the cycle, “The World’s Greatest Fisherman”, she begins the story from the third person point of view. “The morning before Easter Sunday, June Kashpaw was walking down the clogged main street of oil boomtown Williston, North Dakota, killing time before the noon bus arrived that would take her home” (Erdrich, 2009). However, on page seven, the point of view changes to first person. “It was almost hot by the week after Easter, when I found out, in Mama’s letter, that June was gone – not only gone but suddenly buried, vanished off the land like that sudden snow” (Erdrich, 2009). While this sudden switch in point of view could be confusing for some readers, Erdrich makes it so that it takes very little effort to follow along with the changes. It adds yet another layer of depth to the stories. The reader is able see the entire setting in a 3-D, 360 degree sweep. The reader is able to take in every detail and thought as if they were in the story feeling what the characters are feeling.
In conclusion, Louise Erdrich’s unique style only makes her a more interesting writer. She takes the story and shows it to reader from every possible angle. This not only improves the experience of reading Erdrich, but gives us a grand picture of the Native American life in the 20th century. The review of this book by the New York Times says it all, “There are at least a dozen of the many vividly drawn people in this first novel who will not leave the mind once they are let in. Their power comes from Louise Erdrich’s mastery of words… Every detail in this novel counts. (New York Times)”
Works Cited
(n.d.). New York Times .
Erdrich, L. (2009). Love Medicine. New York, New York: HarperCollins.
Roth, P. (n.d.). Louise Erdrich Biography. Retrieved from Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Louise-Erdrich/e/B000APV798/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
The first interesting thing about Louise Erdrich’s style is the way she introduces multiple narrators over the course of the cycle. Many times, she even will introduce multiple narrators in a single story. For example, in the last story of the cycle, “Crossing the Water”, Erdrich switches the narrator from Howard Kashpaw to Lipsha Morrissey in just a couple of pages (Erdrich, 2009). This gives a lot of depth to the story. The reader is able to see the story, and sometimes the same event, from the minds of almost every single character in the book. There is no need to guess what the characters are thinking, because likely as not that character will be telling the story within the next five pages or so.
Another interesting thing about Erdrich’s style is the way she shifts the narrator’s point of view in her stories. She frequently goes from third person to first person before going right back to third person. For example, in the first story in the cycle, “The World’s Greatest Fisherman”, she begins the story from the third person point of view. “The morning before Easter Sunday, June Kashpaw was walking down the clogged main street of oil boomtown Williston, North Dakota, killing time before the noon bus arrived that would take her home” (Erdrich, 2009). However, on page seven, the point of view changes to first person. “It was almost hot by the week after Easter, when I found out, in Mama’s letter, that June was gone – not only gone but suddenly buried, vanished off the land like that sudden snow” (Erdrich, 2009). While this sudden switch in point of view could be confusing for some readers, Erdrich makes it so that it takes very little effort to follow along with the changes. It adds yet another layer of depth to the stories. The reader is able see the entire setting in a 3-D, 360 degree sweep. The reader is able to take in every detail and thought as if they were in the story feeling what the characters are feeling.
In conclusion, Louise Erdrich’s unique style only makes her a more interesting writer. She takes the story and shows it to reader from every possible angle. This not only improves the experience of reading Erdrich, but gives us a grand picture of the Native American life in the 20th century. The review of this book by the New York Times says it all, “There are at least a dozen of the many vividly drawn people in this first novel who will not leave the mind once they are let in. Their power comes from Louise Erdrich’s mastery of words… Every detail in this novel counts. (New York Times)”
Works Cited
(n.d.). New York Times .
Erdrich, L. (2009). Love Medicine. New York, New York: HarperCollins.
Roth, P. (n.d.). Louise Erdrich Biography. Retrieved from Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Louise-Erdrich/e/B000APV798/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Comparison of Breath, Eyes, Memory with Their Eyes Were Watching God
At first glance, the novels Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston do not seem to have much in common. However, with a little bit of deep diving into the text, one can easily see some very similar themes and ideas between the two novels. Both novels put a heavy emphasis on the traditions of the main characters’ backgrounds, but also the journey of the main characters to shed those traditions.
The emphasis on the traditions of the main character’s heritages is easy to see in both novels. In Breath, Eyes, Memory, many of the events, often horrifying things, which happen to the main character Sophie are a direct result of the traditions of Haiti, where her family is from. A good example of this is when Sophie questions why her mother did some of the strange and sometimes horrible things that happened to her as a young girl. “’I did it," she said, "Because my mother had done it to me. I have no greater excuse’” (Danticat, 1994). The only reason she gets is that it is the way it has always been. That is a clear example of tradition in the novel. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, the main character Janie experiences the same thing. Her grandmother wants to marry off Janie right away when she kisses a man (Hurston, 2006). This shows a deep root in the old traditions and beliefs of her ancestors. While some of the time these traditions help to define the characters, most of the time these traditions hinder the character and provide obstacles that they need to overcome.
This is another theme we see in common with these two novels. Sophie and Janie both struggle against their pasts and the traditions of their ancestors in order to discover what their true identities are. In Breath, Eyes, Memory, Sophie does not become a complete individual until she tries to break free from the traditions of her ancestors. She does everything that her mother would disapprove of from living with a man to homosexuality. All the while she is put with the question “’Ou libere? Are you free my daughter?’” (Danticat, 1994). She seems to not know the answer till after her mother dies. Likewise, in Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie doesn’t know who she is until she has tried everything. “‘So Ah’m back home agin and Ah’m satisfied tuh be heah. Ah done been tuh de horizon and back and now Ah kin set heah in mah house and live by comparisons’” (Hurston, 2006). Janie realizes that her experiences while trying to break tradition have made her who she is today.
In conclusion, while these two novels come from two very different people, their themes are very similar. The idea of tradition and breaking the mold are ideas that drive us as people today as well. Almost every action we take is following a tradition or breaking one. It is interesting to see how the traditions in these two characters’ lives affect the outcome of who they are.
Works Cited
Danticat, E. (1994). Breath, Eyes, Memory. New York, New York: Vintage Contemporaries .
Hurston, Z. N. (2006). Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York, New York: HarperCollins.
The emphasis on the traditions of the main character’s heritages is easy to see in both novels. In Breath, Eyes, Memory, many of the events, often horrifying things, which happen to the main character Sophie are a direct result of the traditions of Haiti, where her family is from. A good example of this is when Sophie questions why her mother did some of the strange and sometimes horrible things that happened to her as a young girl. “’I did it," she said, "Because my mother had done it to me. I have no greater excuse’” (Danticat, 1994). The only reason she gets is that it is the way it has always been. That is a clear example of tradition in the novel. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, the main character Janie experiences the same thing. Her grandmother wants to marry off Janie right away when she kisses a man (Hurston, 2006). This shows a deep root in the old traditions and beliefs of her ancestors. While some of the time these traditions help to define the characters, most of the time these traditions hinder the character and provide obstacles that they need to overcome.
This is another theme we see in common with these two novels. Sophie and Janie both struggle against their pasts and the traditions of their ancestors in order to discover what their true identities are. In Breath, Eyes, Memory, Sophie does not become a complete individual until she tries to break free from the traditions of her ancestors. She does everything that her mother would disapprove of from living with a man to homosexuality. All the while she is put with the question “’Ou libere? Are you free my daughter?’” (Danticat, 1994). She seems to not know the answer till after her mother dies. Likewise, in Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie doesn’t know who she is until she has tried everything. “‘So Ah’m back home agin and Ah’m satisfied tuh be heah. Ah done been tuh de horizon and back and now Ah kin set heah in mah house and live by comparisons’” (Hurston, 2006). Janie realizes that her experiences while trying to break tradition have made her who she is today.
In conclusion, while these two novels come from two very different people, their themes are very similar. The idea of tradition and breaking the mold are ideas that drive us as people today as well. Almost every action we take is following a tradition or breaking one. It is interesting to see how the traditions in these two characters’ lives affect the outcome of who they are.
Works Cited
Danticat, E. (1994). Breath, Eyes, Memory. New York, New York: Vintage Contemporaries .
Hurston, Z. N. (2006). Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York, New York: HarperCollins.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
The Character of Nathan in the Poisonwood Bible
The Poisonwood Bible is by far one of the more interesting novels that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. The development of the characters, the interesting setting, and the multiple narrators that give multiple points of view make this novel a truly unique experience. Of all the interesting characters in this novel, one of them really stood out to me as by far the most fascinating. The crazy thing is that this is also probably the most hated character of the novel by both other characters and readers. I am of course speaking of the character of the father, Nathan. The character of Nathan is fascinating because he is the only character that does not change at all throughout the novel.
At the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to the character of Nathan. Nathan is a Baptist preacher who is planning to take his whole family into the middle of the Congo in Africa to minister to who he thinks of as savage, wicked people. Nathan’s first prayer with the people of the Congo shows his position on the people. ‘“O Lord, let us pray,’ he concluded, landing abruptly back down on earth. ‘Lord, grant that the worthy among us here shall rise above the wickedness and come out of the darkness into the wondrous light of out Holy Father, Amen’” (Kingsolver, 1998). This prayer sets Nathan’s stance that these people are living in sin and darkness and that he is the only one that can bring them out of their wickedness. The crazy thing about Nathan is that, while his family’s view on the people change drastically, Nathan does not change at all.
Through out the novel Nathan treats the people of the Congo like lesser people than himself. He talks to them like children, he always looks at them as inferior, and all the while he tries to convince them that his way is the only way to go. Nathan is steadfast in these views and refuses to change for anyone. There is one interesting scene in the book that really shows the way that Nathan views himself as higher than the people. Nathan is trying to convince the people to except western customs, like voting. The people use this idea of voting and vote that Jesus is not going to be the savior of their village. Nathan throws a hissy fit at this and basically condemns the people. “‘Man, you understand nothing! You are applying the logic of children in a display of childish ignorance” (Kingsolver, 1998). Nathan’s stance never changes and he winds up losing his family because of this.
In conclusion, the character of Nathan that you both dislike an feel sorry for at the same time. His rock hard stance that he is above the people of the Congo and that his message is the only thing that will bring them from pit of darkness drives people away from him instead of toward him. He ruins the chance he had to bring the gospel to the people by treating them like inferiors. That is why he fascinates me.
Works Cited
Kingsolver, B. (1998). The Poisonwood Bible. New York, New York: Harper Perennial . Pgs 28, 332
At the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to the character of Nathan. Nathan is a Baptist preacher who is planning to take his whole family into the middle of the Congo in Africa to minister to who he thinks of as savage, wicked people. Nathan’s first prayer with the people of the Congo shows his position on the people. ‘“O Lord, let us pray,’ he concluded, landing abruptly back down on earth. ‘Lord, grant that the worthy among us here shall rise above the wickedness and come out of the darkness into the wondrous light of out Holy Father, Amen’” (Kingsolver, 1998). This prayer sets Nathan’s stance that these people are living in sin and darkness and that he is the only one that can bring them out of their wickedness. The crazy thing about Nathan is that, while his family’s view on the people change drastically, Nathan does not change at all.
Through out the novel Nathan treats the people of the Congo like lesser people than himself. He talks to them like children, he always looks at them as inferior, and all the while he tries to convince them that his way is the only way to go. Nathan is steadfast in these views and refuses to change for anyone. There is one interesting scene in the book that really shows the way that Nathan views himself as higher than the people. Nathan is trying to convince the people to except western customs, like voting. The people use this idea of voting and vote that Jesus is not going to be the savior of their village. Nathan throws a hissy fit at this and basically condemns the people. “‘Man, you understand nothing! You are applying the logic of children in a display of childish ignorance” (Kingsolver, 1998). Nathan’s stance never changes and he winds up losing his family because of this.
In conclusion, the character of Nathan that you both dislike an feel sorry for at the same time. His rock hard stance that he is above the people of the Congo and that his message is the only thing that will bring them from pit of darkness drives people away from him instead of toward him. He ruins the chance he had to bring the gospel to the people by treating them like inferiors. That is why he fascinates me.
Works Cited
Kingsolver, B. (1998). The Poisonwood Bible. New York, New York: Harper Perennial . Pgs 28, 332
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Allen Ginsberg's influence on Bob Dylan
Allen Ginsberg is by far one of the most interesting poets that I have ever read. He dared to rise up against the norm of society and write without borders. Ginsberg and a few other men were all members of the Beat Generation; a group of youth that began to experiment with drugs, sex, and new forms of art. Ginsberg is created with writing one of the defining poems of the so called Beat Generation; Howl. Howl takes a shot at the leaders of the generation he is writing in and calls for the youth of the next generation to rise up. Howl is also responsible for inspiring the 60’s movement and great artists like Bob Dylan and we see this influence in his work.
The first major way we see the Allen Ginsberg’s influence on Bob Dylan is in the language that both artists use. Ginsberg uses a very descriptive form of writing. He uses a sometimes very confusing language to describe his points. A good example of this would be the first very famous lines of Howl. “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix, angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of the night” (Ginsberg, 1956). We see this language mirrored in many of Bob Dylan’s songs. A good example of this is in the song “All Along the Watchtower”. "’There must be some way out of here,’ said the joker to the thief, ‘There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief. Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth, none of them along the line know what any of it is worth’” (Dylan). This is a very good mirror image of the strange but very descriptive language that Allen Ginsberg uses.
Another way we see Allen Ginsberg’s influence on Bob Dylan is the message that both artists are attempting to get across. Ginsberg’s Howl is very politically minded poem. The poem deals with big political themes like Islam, racism, anti-Semitism, Christianity, communism, and many others (Ginsberg, 1956). Bob Dylan, in turn, also discusses many political and social issues that were going on at the time. A good example would be his song “the Times They Are A Changin’”. “Come mothers and fathers, throughout the land and don't criticize what you can't understand. Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command. Your old road is rapidly aging'. Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand for the times they are a-changin'” (Dylan, The Times They Are A Changin' Lyrics ). The song is basically a shot at the older generation who was getting in the way of the progress of the new generation of thinkers. Ginsberg’s influence on Dylan is really quite obvious through their messages.
In conclusion, Allen Ginsberg had an incredible influence on the artists that would drive the changes that would come in the 60’s and 70’s. Bob Dylan was also by far one of the major drivers of this movement. Ginsberg’s influenced helped Dylan shape his style that would not only change the way folk music was played, but would define a generation for eternity.
Works Cited
Dylan, B. (n.d.). All Along the Watchtower Lyrics. Retrieved October 2009, from Bob Dylan: http://www.bobdylan.com/#/songs/all-along-watchtower
Dylan, B. (n.d.). The Times They Are A Changin' Lyrics . Retrieved October 2009, from Bob Dylan: http://www.bobdylan.com/#/songs/times-they-are-changin
Ginsberg, A. (1956). Howl and other Poems. San Francisco: City Lights Books.
The first major way we see the Allen Ginsberg’s influence on Bob Dylan is in the language that both artists use. Ginsberg uses a very descriptive form of writing. He uses a sometimes very confusing language to describe his points. A good example of this would be the first very famous lines of Howl. “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix, angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of the night” (Ginsberg, 1956). We see this language mirrored in many of Bob Dylan’s songs. A good example of this is in the song “All Along the Watchtower”. "’There must be some way out of here,’ said the joker to the thief, ‘There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief. Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth, none of them along the line know what any of it is worth’” (Dylan). This is a very good mirror image of the strange but very descriptive language that Allen Ginsberg uses.
Another way we see Allen Ginsberg’s influence on Bob Dylan is the message that both artists are attempting to get across. Ginsberg’s Howl is very politically minded poem. The poem deals with big political themes like Islam, racism, anti-Semitism, Christianity, communism, and many others (Ginsberg, 1956). Bob Dylan, in turn, also discusses many political and social issues that were going on at the time. A good example would be his song “the Times They Are A Changin’”. “Come mothers and fathers, throughout the land and don't criticize what you can't understand. Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command. Your old road is rapidly aging'. Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand for the times they are a-changin'” (Dylan, The Times They Are A Changin' Lyrics ). The song is basically a shot at the older generation who was getting in the way of the progress of the new generation of thinkers. Ginsberg’s influence on Dylan is really quite obvious through their messages.
In conclusion, Allen Ginsberg had an incredible influence on the artists that would drive the changes that would come in the 60’s and 70’s. Bob Dylan was also by far one of the major drivers of this movement. Ginsberg’s influenced helped Dylan shape his style that would not only change the way folk music was played, but would define a generation for eternity.
Works Cited
Dylan, B. (n.d.). All Along the Watchtower Lyrics. Retrieved October 2009, from Bob Dylan: http://www.bobdylan.com/#/songs/all-along-watchtower
Dylan, B. (n.d.). The Times They Are A Changin' Lyrics . Retrieved October 2009, from Bob Dylan: http://www.bobdylan.com/#/songs/times-they-are-changin
Ginsberg, A. (1956). Howl and other Poems. San Francisco: City Lights Books.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Hurston’s Revision of the Slave Narrative
Zora Neale Hurston began her writing career at a time where the Slave Narrative was the ruling form of African-American literature. The Harlem Renaissance gave African-American artists a great opportunity to express their thoughts through art, music, and literature. Up until this point, the Slave Narrative was the biggest outlet for African-American writers. Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God sought to change the African-American writings from the Slave Narrative to a whole new way of storytelling. While There Eyes Were Watching God does have some aspects of the Slave Narrative in it, it is mostly very different.
The Slave Narrative had a few defining characteristics involved with them. The Slave Narrative normally involves a slave being abused by their white masters in some way. Normally, a child is born from some white man in power raping a black woman under his care. Hurston’s novel does have a few of these aspects in it. Janie’s origin is a good example of this. "Den they’d tell me not to be takin’ on over ... mah looks ‘cause they mama told ‘em ‘bout de hound dawgs huntin’ mah papa all night long. ‘Bout Mr. Washburn and de sheriff puttin’ de bloodhounds on de trail tuh ketch mah papa for whut he done tuh mah mama. Dey didn’t tell about how he wuz seen tryin tuh git in touch wid mah mama later on so he could marry her. Naw, dey didn’t talk dat part of it at all. Dey made it sound real bad so as tuh crumple mah feathers” (Hurston, 2006). This quote talks about Janie’s father and mother. Janie’s father was a white man who rapes Janie’s mother and gets her pregnant. Janie’s mother is also the product of a white man taking advantage of a black woman. Janie has to overcome this and is reminded by everyone around her of her origins. This really is the theme of a Slave Narrative.
However, this quote also gives an example of how this book is not an example of a Slave Narrative. Janie’s father does not try to just up and leave after he makes her mother pregnant. Instead he tries to get in touch with her in order to marry her. The white man takes responsibility for what he has done and attempts to make what he did right. Another example of how Their Eyes Were Watching God is not really a Slave Narrative. Janie, the main character, never plays the victim in this story. She has her issues and is described by the town’s folk as being beaten down like the road (Hurston, 2006). However, she rises above these issues to become a great independent woman. “Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. ... For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men. Now, women forget all those things they don’t want to remember and remember everything they don’t want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly (Hurston, 2006).”
It is amazing that Hurston was able to break the bonds that held African-American literature to a lone style with this one book. Although she was disliked for it by her African-American artist friends, Hurston strode on, just like Janie, in a bold attempt to break from the literature stereotypes of the Slave Narrative.
Works Cited
Hurston, Z. N. (2006). Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York, New York: HarperCollins.
The Slave Narrative had a few defining characteristics involved with them. The Slave Narrative normally involves a slave being abused by their white masters in some way. Normally, a child is born from some white man in power raping a black woman under his care. Hurston’s novel does have a few of these aspects in it. Janie’s origin is a good example of this. "Den they’d tell me not to be takin’ on over ... mah looks ‘cause they mama told ‘em ‘bout de hound dawgs huntin’ mah papa all night long. ‘Bout Mr. Washburn and de sheriff puttin’ de bloodhounds on de trail tuh ketch mah papa for whut he done tuh mah mama. Dey didn’t tell about how he wuz seen tryin tuh git in touch wid mah mama later on so he could marry her. Naw, dey didn’t talk dat part of it at all. Dey made it sound real bad so as tuh crumple mah feathers” (Hurston, 2006). This quote talks about Janie’s father and mother. Janie’s father was a white man who rapes Janie’s mother and gets her pregnant. Janie’s mother is also the product of a white man taking advantage of a black woman. Janie has to overcome this and is reminded by everyone around her of her origins. This really is the theme of a Slave Narrative.
However, this quote also gives an example of how this book is not an example of a Slave Narrative. Janie’s father does not try to just up and leave after he makes her mother pregnant. Instead he tries to get in touch with her in order to marry her. The white man takes responsibility for what he has done and attempts to make what he did right. Another example of how Their Eyes Were Watching God is not really a Slave Narrative. Janie, the main character, never plays the victim in this story. She has her issues and is described by the town’s folk as being beaten down like the road (Hurston, 2006). However, she rises above these issues to become a great independent woman. “Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. ... For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men. Now, women forget all those things they don’t want to remember and remember everything they don’t want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly (Hurston, 2006).”
It is amazing that Hurston was able to break the bonds that held African-American literature to a lone style with this one book. Although she was disliked for it by her African-American artist friends, Hurston strode on, just like Janie, in a bold attempt to break from the literature stereotypes of the Slave Narrative.
Works Cited
Hurston, Z. N. (2006). Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York, New York: HarperCollins.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Stein and Cubism
Gertrude Stein was among the elite writers of her time. She revolusionized the way people looked at poetry and writting in general. However, her ideas were not new ones. Stein was heavily influenced by the artists she surronded herself with; the so called "lost generation" of artists. Artists like Ernest Hemingway, F Scott Fitzgerald, and Sherwood Anderson all played a role in shapeing this art movement. However it was one of Stein's close friends, Pablo Picasso, that had the most influence on her work. Stein was so in love with Picasso's Cubism works that she modled her works to be "Cubism in written form". This written Cubism, later known as Verbal Cubism, spilled over into many of Stein's works including her famous collection of poetry Tender Buttons.
One good example of Cubism in Stein's work would be the poem "Apple" in Tender Buttons. The Cubist idea of resembalence is all through this poem. Picasso and other Cubist artists used shapes and symbols to resemble objects without really showing what the object looked like. Stein also tried convay this idea in her writing. She said that she wanted to describe objects well enough to "not invent names, but mean names without naming them" (Books and Writers). Her poem "Apple" uses this idea to describe an apple. "Apple plum, carpet steak, seed clam, coloured wine, calm seen, cold cream, best shake, potato and no gold work with pet, a green seen is called bake and change sweet is bready, a little piece please" (Stein). This idea of resemblance is a direct reference to Cubism influenced by Picasso.
Another example in Tender Buttons of Cubism is her way of describing Cubism herself in the poem “A Carafe, That Is a Blind Glass”. In this poem, Stein describes Verbal Cubism in detail. "All this and not ordinary, not unordered in not resembling. The difference is spreading" (Stien). "All this and not ordinary" is the very essence of Cubism. The idea that an artist can take a normal object and turn it into somthing that is not ordinary is exactly what Picasso was trying to accomplish.
Picasso and his ideas of modern art were a great influence on Stein. It is obvious to see this in the language she uses. Her decriptions, repitition, and use of resemblance are all Cubist ideas that Picasso used in his art. Picasso must have had a heavy influence on Stien.
One good example of Cubism in Stein's work would be the poem "Apple" in Tender Buttons. The Cubist idea of resembalence is all through this poem. Picasso and other Cubist artists used shapes and symbols to resemble objects without really showing what the object looked like. Stein also tried convay this idea in her writing. She said that she wanted to describe objects well enough to "not invent names, but mean names without naming them" (Books and Writers). Her poem "Apple" uses this idea to describe an apple. "Apple plum, carpet steak, seed clam, coloured wine, calm seen, cold cream, best shake, potato and no gold work with pet, a green seen is called bake and change sweet is bready, a little piece please" (Stein). This idea of resemblance is a direct reference to Cubism influenced by Picasso.
Another example in Tender Buttons of Cubism is her way of describing Cubism herself in the poem “A Carafe, That Is a Blind Glass”. In this poem, Stein describes Verbal Cubism in detail. "All this and not ordinary, not unordered in not resembling. The difference is spreading" (Stien). "All this and not ordinary" is the very essence of Cubism. The idea that an artist can take a normal object and turn it into somthing that is not ordinary is exactly what Picasso was trying to accomplish.
Picasso and his ideas of modern art were a great influence on Stein. It is obvious to see this in the language she uses. Her decriptions, repitition, and use of resemblance are all Cubist ideas that Picasso used in his art. Picasso must have had a heavy influence on Stien.
Friday, September 4, 2009
This week I would like to take a look at the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and discuss whether it is a romantic or a realistic piece of literature. Based on the the setting, language, symbolism, characters, and purpose of the novel, it is my conclusion that the Scarlet Letter is a romantic piece.
Before we begin, I would first like to clarify what separates a romantic piece from a realistic piece in the areas of setting, language, symbolism, characters, and purpose. The setting of a romantic work is considered to be "exotic locale". The location is set in a place that most people would find exotic or mysterious in some way. Some examples would be the wilderness, the high seas, a jungle, or an island. There is also a supernatural element to the setting. Strange things happen that no one can explain. A realistic setting is pretty much what it sounds like; day to day places where nothing out of the ordinary really happens. The language is also different between the two. A romantic work's language is very archaic sounding and alludes back to old English literature. However, a realistic work's language is most often dialect or things that people of the time would say from day to day. The symbolism of a realistic work is very static, meaning that the symbol's meanings do not really change as the plot progresses. There is also nothing that unusual about the symbols. In a romantic work, however, the symbols tend to change or shift their meaning as the plot unfolds. Like the setting, some of the symbols in a romantic work have a distinct supernatural air about them. The characters of a romantic work are pretty straight forward. There is a clear distinction between who represents good and who represents evil. They also have a supernatural air to them. In a realistic work, the characters are not so straight forward. The lines between good and evil are blurred and the hero of the story is almost always flawed in some way. Finally, the purpose of a romantic piece is almost always didactic. There is a moral to be learned from the characters or symbols of the story and the author's morals are blatant. In a realistic work, the lines of morality are very blurry. Right and wrong are often portrayed as subjective and so it is very difficult to decipher the author's morals. Now that we have defined, be it loosely, what we are looking for, let's look at the Scarlet Letter.
First, let's look at the setting. The setting is a small, Puritan community on the edge of a vast wilderness that is considered to be evil. The wilderness is the place that Hester, the heroine, is banished too when she commits the sin of adultery. The wilderness is also a symbol for freedom, fantasy, and the imagination (Hawthorne, Chap. 16), all of which were considered evil by the Puritan community. All of these things are characteristics of a romantic work.
Secondly, the language of the story is very archaic. "'Mercy on us, goodwife,' exclaimed a man in the crowd, 'is there no virtue in woman, save what springs from a wholesome fear of the gallows? That is the hardest word yet! Hush, now, gossips, for the lock is turning in the prison door, and here comes Mistress Prynne herself (Hawthorne, Chap. 1).'" This feels very much like a throw back to old English and therefore puts it under romantic literature.
Third, the symbol of the letter "A" changes very often in the story. The "A" is first used to represent Hester's sin of adultery. It is a mark of shame that she must bare for the rest of her life. However, as the story moves forward, people begin to see the letter change to mean "Able" instead of "Adultery"
Fourth, the characters of the novel are easy to distinguish and there is a supernatural air to some of them. Hester and her lover Dimmsdale are the obvious heroes of the story, they struggle against all odds to get through the sin they have committed. Hester's estranged husband Chillingsworth is the obvious evil. He tries to make Dimmsdale's life miserable and all through the book the reader gets a sense that there is something not quite right about him.
Finally, the purpose of the novel. Hawthorne shows many different moral dilemmas in the story that his characters must endure, but the right path is easy to see. There are no grey ares between what is right and what is wrong.
Based on all this evidence, it is my conclusion that the Scarlet Letter is a very good example of early American romanticism.
Before we begin, I would first like to clarify what separates a romantic piece from a realistic piece in the areas of setting, language, symbolism, characters, and purpose. The setting of a romantic work is considered to be "exotic locale". The location is set in a place that most people would find exotic or mysterious in some way. Some examples would be the wilderness, the high seas, a jungle, or an island. There is also a supernatural element to the setting. Strange things happen that no one can explain. A realistic setting is pretty much what it sounds like; day to day places where nothing out of the ordinary really happens. The language is also different between the two. A romantic work's language is very archaic sounding and alludes back to old English literature. However, a realistic work's language is most often dialect or things that people of the time would say from day to day. The symbolism of a realistic work is very static, meaning that the symbol's meanings do not really change as the plot progresses. There is also nothing that unusual about the symbols. In a romantic work, however, the symbols tend to change or shift their meaning as the plot unfolds. Like the setting, some of the symbols in a romantic work have a distinct supernatural air about them. The characters of a romantic work are pretty straight forward. There is a clear distinction between who represents good and who represents evil. They also have a supernatural air to them. In a realistic work, the characters are not so straight forward. The lines between good and evil are blurred and the hero of the story is almost always flawed in some way. Finally, the purpose of a romantic piece is almost always didactic. There is a moral to be learned from the characters or symbols of the story and the author's morals are blatant. In a realistic work, the lines of morality are very blurry. Right and wrong are often portrayed as subjective and so it is very difficult to decipher the author's morals. Now that we have defined, be it loosely, what we are looking for, let's look at the Scarlet Letter.
First, let's look at the setting. The setting is a small, Puritan community on the edge of a vast wilderness that is considered to be evil. The wilderness is the place that Hester, the heroine, is banished too when she commits the sin of adultery. The wilderness is also a symbol for freedom, fantasy, and the imagination (Hawthorne, Chap. 16), all of which were considered evil by the Puritan community. All of these things are characteristics of a romantic work.
Secondly, the language of the story is very archaic. "'Mercy on us, goodwife,' exclaimed a man in the crowd, 'is there no virtue in woman, save what springs from a wholesome fear of the gallows? That is the hardest word yet! Hush, now, gossips, for the lock is turning in the prison door, and here comes Mistress Prynne herself (Hawthorne, Chap. 1).'" This feels very much like a throw back to old English and therefore puts it under romantic literature.
Third, the symbol of the letter "A" changes very often in the story. The "A" is first used to represent Hester's sin of adultery. It is a mark of shame that she must bare for the rest of her life. However, as the story moves forward, people begin to see the letter change to mean "Able" instead of "Adultery"
Fourth, the characters of the novel are easy to distinguish and there is a supernatural air to some of them. Hester and her lover Dimmsdale are the obvious heroes of the story, they struggle against all odds to get through the sin they have committed. Hester's estranged husband Chillingsworth is the obvious evil. He tries to make Dimmsdale's life miserable and all through the book the reader gets a sense that there is something not quite right about him.
Finally, the purpose of the novel. Hawthorne shows many different moral dilemmas in the story that his characters must endure, but the right path is easy to see. There are no grey ares between what is right and what is wrong.
Based on all this evidence, it is my conclusion that the Scarlet Letter is a very good example of early American romanticism.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Welcome
Hey all,
Welcome to my American Literature Blog.
In this blog, I will be discussing various works from several different American authors for my American Literature class at FSU.
I love feed back, so if you have your own opinion on anything I write, don't hesitate to weigh in. Hopefully we can get some good discussions going.
Thanks
Welcome to my American Literature Blog.
In this blog, I will be discussing various works from several different American authors for my American Literature class at FSU.
I love feed back, so if you have your own opinion on anything I write, don't hesitate to weigh in. Hopefully we can get some good discussions going.
Thanks
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