Government Censorship

When Oedipus' brother in law comes to Thebes with news of how to dispel the drought, he is hesitant to tell in front of all the people. Could this be related to government today and how they sometimes don't want to tell us the truth? Should they tell us the truth about everything they do? Why or why not?

What's Up With Poems?

Poetry in a form of literature that has existed for thousands of years, it is used to express feelings, ideas, and thoughts in a more intimate, intense setting that of normal writing. Syntax, diction, and trope, and scheme are very important and scrutinized thoroughly to develop the overall structure of a poem.  What purpose do poems serve in literature? Why would an author chose to write down his or her ideas in poem as opposed to an essay or novel? What makes poetry so meaningful and powerful in relaying a message? For this blog write down your thoughts on poems and poetry, or write your own poem about any topic of your choice. Or if your creative enough do both at the same time. 

Poetics

Here is the text of Aristotle's Poetics.  Please read the first twenty (XX) sections for Monday.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1974/1974-h/1974-h.htm 

Other from another Mother

Jordan was supposed to blog this week, but I forgot to remind him on Thursday, so I'll start us off instead.  We had a little detour with the practice AP exam, outside reading book presentations, and Gear Up, but I want to return to our discussion of the Other as we finish up our study of Wide Sargasso Sea.  According to theorist Emmanuel Levinas, "The relationship with the other is not an idyllic and harmonious relationship of communion, or a sympathy through which we put ourselves in the other's place; we recognize the other as resembling us, but exterior to us; the relationship with the other is a relationship with a mystery"  (1987: 75).  Interestingly, this could also be said of most of the "scary creatures" in our movies and stroies. As we have seen with vampires, scary villains often represent certain repressed desires of humans.  Furthermore, there is an element of mystery to the Other, and mystery, of course, is central to many "horror" stories, as evidenced by those of the "father" of the genre, Edgar Allen Poe.  Both of these ideas are certainly present in the portrayal of Bertha in Jane Eyre.  I know we already had a blog topic on what terrifying creature you think resembles you, so I won't do that again.  What I would like you to do is choose a terrifying Other, an archetypal mythical creature (vampire, centaur, zombie, etc.), and explain why it has remained in our lore for so long.  What makes them so scary?

Also, since I like scary movies, and am interested to know, what's your favorite scary movie?  (said in best Ghostface [Scream killer] voice).

Classics

 In conclusion to the class discussions on 'Jane Eyre', a novel that has been acclaimed as a classic for a great number of years, I felt it fitting to discuss the reasons as to why this book has reached such high esteem. Often artists and writers do not live to see their work gain the fame we see today or see a great boost in their popularity after their death. For example, it was only a few years ago that Michael Jackson died. Before his death his level of popularity was null compared to the heights it reached after his death. J.K. Rowling also was repeatedly rejected with her book 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' which became the base for the literary and film juggernaut which later rose to catch the imaginations of readers across the globe. In short, what makes a book or piece of art a classic? Is it possible that some works gain a boost due to the "novelty" of their age?

Goodbye Plain Jane!

We have obviously been discussing Jane Eyre for quite some time now, and I think we all understand the basic concepts of the story. We realize that her gender played a large role, along with the time period and strict environment she was in. The question I am going to ask is simply, what would you have done? If you are a female, put yourself in Jane's position, what sort of man would you have looked for? Would you have gone to the same men Jane did, or would you have gone to a stronger, or gentler man? As for males, Would you have gone for Jane? Did you like her submissive personality, or would you have gone for more pizzazz? If you did not like her personality, tell me how you would have changed her to make her "better." Do not be afraid to be ruthless, because she is a make believe character who cannot get her feelings hurt.

Bildungsroman - This Week's Blog

It appears Jake is still out of commission, so I will step up and initiate a blog topic this week and let Jake focus on his convalescence (look it up).  I don't know if it will quite compare with monsters, but you should be able to have some fun with it.  We will focus on something you are all familiar with, whether you know it or not: the bildungsroman.  Judging from the vocabulary quiz, though, some of you are still having a little difficulty with the term.  So, hopefully, this will help you internalize it.

According to The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms (which is the go-to-book for all things literary criticism), bildungsroman is " a novel that recounts the development (psychological and sometimes spiritual) of an individual from childhood to maturity, to the point at which the protagonist recognizes his or her place and role in the world" (39). It literally means education (bildung) novel (roman) in German. You are probably more familiar with the English term coming-of-age, which is used more in regard to movies and has a similar connotation.

Jane Eyre is, of course, a prime example of a bildungsroman.  Some other examples I can think of that conform to the pattern are:

Books
Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man
Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
Khalad Housseini, The Kite Runner

Movies
The Lion King
Stand by Me
Almost Famous
Good Will Hunting
Juno
The Breakfast Club

Songs
"Strawberry Wine" - Deana Carter
"Thunder Road" - Bruce Springsteen
"The Swiss Army Romance" - Dashboard Confessional

Okay, here's your task.  Come up with an example of a bildungsroman of your own to which you can relate and explain (1) how it "recounts the development (psychological and sometimes spiritual) of an individual from childhood to maturity, to the point at which the protagonist recognizes his or her place and role in the world" and (2) how it reflects the bildungsroman in your own life.