Blogging Portfolio December 2010

Reading the novels which were based on the same theme, as well as related, short stories, allowed me to slowly develop thoughts and concepts over time. Blogging allowed a free expression of these thoughts with freedom unshackled by set formats so common in structured essay writing. Below are some of my best work which, “demonstrates my intellectual engagement with the assigned reading,” and overcomes the loneliness of writing by inviting a responsive debate or discussion.

Coverage

Silence is Golden

23” Waist is a Waist of Time

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall who’s the fairest of them all? The Beauty Myth Busted.

Be Careful What You Wish For. You May Just Get It!

What's Love Got To Do With It?

Fact or Fiction?

What Goes Up Must Come Down

Fact or Fiction?

The blog post “Fact or Fiction” is interesting as it comes after all the assigned novels and readings were completed and therefore allows a blanket coverage and reflection from We to The Road. How apt that my blogs are the road I have taken on this literary journey of discovery. Somewhere along this road well travelled, I discovered something about myself, and so a little part of me remains in this blog, as well as the normal reaction to the writers comments. The blog also comments on writing which is apt when my own musings come to a close and I can take the comments made by James Wood personally and to heart.

Depth

Be Careful What You Wish For. You May Just Get It!

While the title in this blog is a little tongue in cheek, do not allow this to fool you. This is a serious blog on feminism and being a young woman who will soon embark onto the real world it is a reflection that is personal and true to my heart. The blog shows great depth as I was able to think out of the box and draw on knowledge I have gained outside the sphere of this article and incorporate this general research into my thoughts. I have modern day references to the speech made by Hilary Clinton on not receiving the nomination for President but cracking the proverbial glass ceiling as the number of votes she received and how Sarah Palin was often ridiculed in a manner her male counterparts did not have to face. Further, I have included my knowledge on medical treatments such as IVF and made biblical references to bring my point home.

Interaction

Love: Necessity in the lives of women

While the blog was detailed and informative in relation to the novel, I felt it necessary to add that when we are talking about the topic of love in general we must be careful not to simply over generalize. There are always exceptions to the rule and we must be aware of this and be ready to point this out to complete the analysis and prevent it becoming one sided or biased.

http://iloveenglishmorethananyone.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/love-necessity-in-the-lives-of-women/#comments

Discussion

Be Careful What You Wish For. You May Just Get It!

My blog on feminism invoked a response which sparked a lively debate from my end and allowed me to further expand on my thinking and ideas. The questions encouraged me further find solutions to the problem as opposed to simply detecting the problems. The debate is definitely not over and should continue offline or online.

Xenoblogging

The Comment Primo

We can’t think of something that doesn’t exist

After reading this blog I felt compelled to reply and in doing so both praised the writers’ insight but pointed out a few points which I felt she had overlooked. This sparked a response and explanation to clarify her stand.

http://adrienne-hlenglish.blogspot.com/2010/10/we-cant-think-of-something-that-doesnt.html#comments

The Comment Grande

Love – A Commentary

While Nina gave a detailed and in depth  analysis of the Handmaid’s tale my Comment Grande was an expansion on the points she had made and offered further food for thought on the mind set of the protagonist Moira and the rationale behind her actions.

http://3nina.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/love-a-commentary/#comments

The Link Gracious

Love: Necessity in the lives of women

The musings in this blog helped me to establish and reinforce my own ideas and thoughts. I was quite taken aback and maybe disheartened by the realism of the comment “men have other businesses other than love and love is only a small part of love,” but admitted how true to life this sounds which gave me a base in which to begin my blogging thought process.

http://iloveenglishmorethananyone.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/love-necessity-in-the-lives-of-women/#comments

Wildcard

What Goes Up Must Come Down

As an American citizen now residing in India I felt compelled to write this blog on the fate of America. In the wake of Indian terrorism as paralleled to September 11, and the rising fortunes of India post this and recent visit of Obama and the CWG games to name a few events, my mind was filled with musings of why and how the news channels applaud the rise of nations such as China and Shining India both of which are deemed third world nations, while chanting the never ending troubles of the nation traditionally considered to be the greatest and richest in the world.

What Goes Up Must Come Down

Has the present day only remaining only super power, America lost its Kryptonite ?

            From Newton’s laws and our application of physical forces of gravity we have learnt from the basic principles of physics that what goes up must come down!  This notion can be applied to the greatest nations of the world.

            They say that Rome was not built in a day, and indeed its greatness was awe inspiring. How proud Caesar must have been to survey the great Roman city with a string of conquests in his pocket. And yet Rome burnt and was mostly destroyed in just a day. In the same way it was proudly claimed that the sun never sets on the British Empire. Well, the sun did set and in the cold light of day, Great Britain was not so great after all. After conquering and ruling a large part of this planet, the empire is a mere poor relation that acts on the whims of its neighbor, USA across the pond. How the mighty fall, and the higher heights you reach the greater the fall and impact on landing. It may sound a tad clichéd but every dog has its day, and this brings to mind the present and only “super power” of America.

            History has shown that when a nation reaches dizzying heights, they are unable to see the wood for the trees. Success breeds contempt and arrogance as the nation in question believes that she is now invincible. Victory after victory rests on her shoulders and the weight of power becomes a load hard to bear. In the case of America, this was shown in the steely determination and rather crude methodology of Bush in invading Afghanistan and Iraq with the warning to his allies, “ you are with us or against us ”.The end result of this dictatorship government built on arrogance was that  billions were spent on the “war on terror” and America went to bed each night fearful of the “axis of evil”. In the meantime the government failed to read the mood of its people or the other nations. While someone “slept at the switch”, a major economic catastrophe in the form of the credit crisis and housing market collapse was on the horizon, and the world united in its mistrust of this fallen power. I can almost hear Bush muttering to his advisors in the oval office, on being told the people have no bread, “let them eat cake”. They say America sneezes and the rest of the world catches a cold. And true to form the economic downturn spiraled in a domino effect to the rest of the world. In the midst of this madness, came a Messiah heralding hope and change and we all fell to the charm that is Obama. But two years down the line our hopes faded as Obama was unable to sprinkle magic dust on the nation’s woes, and we learnt that inspiring speeches do not always lead to fruitful changes. With the housing crisis intact and unemployment reaching 10% it seems right that Forbes voted the most powerful man in the world as China’s leader. The king is dead long live the king! Yes, China (followed on the heels by India) are fast emerging as the next successor to hold the mantle of super power. But will America give up this mantle without a fight? And yet the nation that once boasted of having the highest, biggest and tallest something in the world has fallen to the wayside. What happened to the American dream?

            It remains to be seen if history will repeat itself or if America can rise from the ashes like a phoenix. Only time can tell.

Fact or Fiction?

            The extract Narrating taken from How Fiction Works, by James Wood gives a detailed analysis of the various writing styles of fictional literary works such as first or third person. While such in depth analysis is interesting to a point, I personally feel that too much analysis can distract and destroy the sheer joy of losing ones self in a piece of fiction, which the author surely composed for the readers unapologetic pleasure and not analytical post mortem. However, studying literature compels us not simply to enjoy but dissect each written word and of course there is merit in doing so. After all in doing so we stretch our minds and invite debate that challenges us beyond the simple thought of did we like the piece of fiction or not?

            Woods recalls the writer Sebald had once revealed to him that “Any form of authorial writing where the narrator sets himself up as a stagehand and director and judge and executor in a text, I find somehow unacceptable.” Therefore for writers such as Sebald third-person omniscient fictional works are a form of fraudulent writing and that first person narration is “ more reliable than unreliable and third person “omniscient” narration is generally more partial than omniscient.”  I think it matters little whether the author uses first or third person narrative style as long as the writer is prolific enough to connect with the audience. We need to be able to get under the skin of the character, feel what he feels, be privy to his most private most thoughts and therefore the style adopted to achieve this is secondary. However, is it wrong as Woods criticizes that the author uses language or thoughts which may not be fully the character’s but some of his own. Some of this was analyzed by Zamyatin in On language where he questions if the author is playing the lead role as an actor or is he the director? Often writers need to research or use language true to the characters background such as low class uneducated colloquialisms when the author may be high class. But essentially some of the author will creep into his works as it is difficult to totally remove himself when he is so closely involved in the creation. After all are not writers allowed a certain poetic license? They after all are not writing about factual events for historical archives, so surely we the reader can cut them a little slack and forgive them. As Woods states, “thanks to free indirect style, we see things through the character’s eyes and language but also through the author’s eyes and language. We inhabit omniscience and partiality at once. A gap opens between author and character, and the bridge- which is free indirect style itself-between them simultaneously closes that gap and draws attention to its distance.”

Woods use many extracts from varying fictional authors such as Austin’s Pride and Prejudice and James’s ‘What Maisie Knew’ to effectively illustrate his points. Using my own analysis having just recently read ‘ The Road ‘ by McCarthy which is written in free indirect style and in third person :it is interesting to note that McCarthy tells his tale using a very diary documented way of writing without revealing the innermost thoughts of his two protagonists which he simply calls the man and boy. This style allows himself to be emotionally detached from his characters but at the same time the reader is more so moved by their plight and feels their pain in the unspoken words. McCarthy is simply a spectator of the events and not a judge or executioner which allows the reader to assess the situation free of the authors entanglement. This increases the shock value of the novel and allows the reader to become more involved as our minds question, ponder and debate on a subconscious level.

            Again whatever the style taken the job of the author is to engage the reader to such an extent that fiction becomes fact. Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction, but often fiction is stranger than the truth!

What's Love Got To Do With It?

            The extract taken from Margaret Atwood’s, The Handmaid’s Tale is a quiet reflection of the private musings of the protagonist. After the proposal from the Commander to have private and secret liaisons with himself, she ponders over her previous life which included immature and now foolish hopes of romantic love with a man. Written in first hand simple narrative she allows her mind to wander and allows the reader into her private thoughts and past experiences which she cleverly expresses by the use of her tone, diction and well developed metaphors.

            Atwood employs tone of her voice to show her quiet acceptance of the new predicament. Her tone is matter of fact and shows no bitterness towards her past or her present. Though the reader is made privy to her private musings, her tone shows that her narrative is not directly spoken for the benefit of the reader, but more to herself to release her thoughts and analyze without bias what she believed love to be. Her mental voice shows no emotion, and is without joy or malice and without pre-planning she allows her train of thought to freely meander without any conclusion. Her tone however, shows some sadness in her reflections of her life with her lover and we can almost hear her sigh in her quiet reflections. In fact the beginning of the extract commences with that she does not need to reveal her thoughts to the reader or to herself but to do so is a form of therapy to accept a situation she cannot challenge or change. Her tone is of resignation and quiet despair.

            Further Atwood’s potent use of diction as a clever play of words to elaborate further on her private most thoughts. She uses the latin quote, which translates to, do not let the bastards get you down to almost laugh at her predicament as how can she’ fight’ the system which she has no control over. Her musings on “falling in love” uses a play of words on “falling.” As she reflects that a woman falling in love is a weakness in which there is loss of emotional control that makes a woman both easy to manipulate and control. Romantic love is an illusion a childish daydream that does not always translate well in reality. She takes comfort in putting aside these daydreams and sees that perhaps a business deal with the Commander is perhaps a better situation in which she can benefit without pain or heartache. She needs to justify her new situation and relationships without moral misgivings. After all in her past, “ I loved you” would also become past tense showing that love does not last and may be transient and we may look back on it as a human failing, “dumb thing to do”  a “frill” or “whim” or “incarnation.”

            Atwood’s utilization of metaphors and similes to further bring home and illustrate her thoughts. For example, “ a creature from outer space” and “like a mutant” is how she visualizes women who fall in love who seem no longer to be part of the real world as they lose sense of reality and become inebriated by the potency and strength of their feelings. Further, “we are falling women” illustrates that being in love is akin to the physical act of falling where the part prior to landing can be exhilarating but the landing can be painful. Also, “love, like heaven” is used to show that being in love is something we work towards or aspire to but sometimes only experience fleetingly as constant true love is as hard to attain as heaven is. This is further elaborated by, “love is God” as we all worship this heady emotion but often this remains elusive as God is.

            The extract capitalizes on the fact that the protagonist has come to terms with her new situation and has accepted her lot in life and realizes that she cannot escape or fight her new life. In fact she feels she does not need to share her thoughts with the reader or herself but does so to act as a form of therapy and to clear the cobwebs from her mind. Also the musings of her past loves help to justify that love is an unnecessary emotion that she can live without. She is filled with self doubt and recalls how she would wonder if her husband Luke even loved her at all. Thus she is able to embark on her business sexual relationships with the Commander or later on with Nick without moral obligation or guilt.

Be Careful What You Wish For. You May Just Get It!

            The article Blame it on Feminism questions the theory that women are not better off despite the success of the women’s movement which has made great strides and yet made women no happier. Yes, while improvements have been made without a doubt since let us say Victorian times, women still have a long way to go. This is because women are still the minority in the ladder of success in any field and though fifty percent of the world’s population is women, the other half still holds the majority of power. Men who believe they created women from the rib of Adam, still give minorities a token gesture towards equality. So while America has seen its first African American president hailing change. Hillary Clinton was reduced to making speeches on, how there were at least cracks on the glass ceiling, and Sarah Palin was reduced to defending her accent and fashion sense. The fact is that despite a few success stories average women still make less than their male counterparts and lower level jobs such as receptionists and secretaries are still seen as female domain. The point is women are still considered as being tied to the kitchen sink despite their success stories and still expected to keep on their traditional roles as mother and homemaker while holding down demanding jobs. Men are not expected to or expect to part of this and still expect a hot meal after a days work. The idea of the superwoman is further enhanced by ads that show women juggling work and home with ease adding to women’s woes.

            Of course the idea that career women have missed the boat in terms of husband and child bearing adds to women’s miseries. Men who do not fight a biological clock and who are portrayed as distinguished as they age face none of these concerns. However, on the positive front women are in more control of their bodies and with the advent of IVF treatments and egg freezing they are able to concentrate on their careers and put childbirth on the backburner till a much later date. The backlash of this is still the stigma and labels that society assigns to women of a certain age who are still single, which just adds to the pressure in a viscous cycle, until women are back to where they started from. But the question remains is, are these pressures brought upon women themselves or by men? Are women paying for the price of their success or have they still to taste true victory? Can women have it all, or can you never have your cake and eat it too. After all while women make demands of equality and equal rights they still expect men to hold the door open for them and pay for dinner. Little girls still dream of their perfect wedding as they play with their Barbie dolls and never about their dream jobs. They dream about their dream home but not their dream office. Women have made strides in liberation but they cannot be truly free until they themselves let go of some notions holding them back along with the support of men otherwise they will need to be careful what they wish for they may just get it!

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall who’s the fairest of them all? The Beauty Myth Busted.

           The Article The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf explores how women have evolved in society. While they have fought for freedom and equality with the feminist movement and fought for the right to vote and have rights over their own bodies and the like, they still remain shackled in society by male dominance. Women while achieving so much like becoming prime ministers, doctors , lawyers etc still have not been able to break the glass ceiling. They still have to justify their existence and are criticized for not being married or if married not bearing children. If they bear children they are criticized for leaving the children in daycare and when they return home they are expected to be superwomen who look after home and hearth. Men have none of these pressures. So women have not yet reached true freedom and are bound by archaic almost stone age ideals that women are the home makers and have a limited use to society. On top of all this women have beauty to contend with. Men want to keep women in their place and dominate them by giving them insecurities and competition among their peers to deal with which is propagated by images in the media. A woman may become an executive but her most pressing thought when she wakes up is to check the scales and wonder if she can afford to eat that doughnut. While men spend a minimum amount of time on getting dressed a woman has to apply war paint before she can face the world. A woman needs to be beautiful and present her best face forward to be of value. A woman needs to be sexually attractive to hook a man where a man can be hardly the stereotype of good looks or charms he just need to be successful with a big checkbook to secure women by his side. Are women at fault here, that they put so much value on their looks, or are they simply victims.? Well the other side of the coin is that beautiful women are often not taken seriously. It as if genetics has deposed that a woman can only be blessed with brains or beauty but never both. Darwin would tell you this is not the case but at times a beautiful woman feels she can rely on her looks alone and lets her brains fall by the wayside thus helping to propagate the myth. If women are feminists they are portrayed as ugly, butch and man haters and possibly lesbians. When these women protest against the demeaning of women in beauty contests, society wonders why beautiful women never protest with banners. Why is it the ugly stereotype that does not possess the beauty in the first place protest ?  Again does this stem down to competition, jealousy and of course insecurity. Women have a cross to bear and are always fearful of their lack of perfection or losing their looks to age. Images are plastered on billboards of youth, beauty and vitality, creations of Photoshop. And yet women fall for this fantasy and dream of attaining this perfection, thereby losing self control and self esteem. And yet men are allowed to age gracefully and even are described as distinguished in old age while women are has been old hags. Biology plays a part as men remain fertile into old age while women fight a biological clock. As long as you are fertile, you are both desirable and of use to society. Menopause signals that women need to be sent out to retirement homes and so women fight the clock, preserve youth by any means and of course lie about their age. Instead women should be celebrating that the burden of female problems has ended with menopause and herald a new era in liberation. Older men on the other hand are thought of as being socially and financially stable and sexually experienced and therefore age like old wine but women age like withered up peaches. Were men threatened by women’s freedom and liberties that have fought so hard to obtain that they created the obstacle of beauty, to reassure and maintain their dominance? And when will women stop asking themselves, “mirror, mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all?”

23” Waist is a Waist of Time

The articles, Klaus Barbie and other dolls I’d like to see, and Teen Mags; How to get a guy, Drop 20 pounds and Lose Your Self-Esteem, both written by women take a personal and researched viewpoint of the pressures of being an adolescent teenage girl in modern times; where being thin, white and pretty are the key requirements to success and happiness. Both viewpoints rue the fact that such shallow benchmarks of perfection lead to low self-esteem demean females and propagate women as second class citizens in a male dominated world.

            This situation was fictionally depicted in Margaret Atwood’s futuristic novel, The Hand Maids Tale, which took an extreme case of where we are heading, where women will be reduced to the nothing state of a womb for sale whose minds are no longer of consequence. How seriously and how affected are young girls by unrealistic ideals of perfection, such as Barbie dolls or airbrushed models? Well, surely this all depends on the peer pressures faced and the home upbringing and environment. Some impressionable or gullible young things will fall prey to the whims of society, leading to low self image and self loathing. Many will become victims of eating disorders such as anaeroxia nervosa and bulimia which could lead to hospitalization or even death. If these women survive, they will never be fruitful in society, failing as mothers and wives and will ultimately pass their insecurity and vanity to their daughters, and therefore the cycle continues. Others are able to take the pressures in their stride and are able to rise against it, leading fulfilled adult lives of success, independence and self confidence. But exactly how important are our looks. Well from an early age girls quickly realize that being cute or pretty allows them to manipulate and take short cuts. It is hard to reprimand or scold a pretty toddler that pouts prettily with puppy dog eyes. Yes, sometimes women are not the manipulated ones as the articles suggest but at times can be the manipulator. Other times women reach adult hood only to find that they are condemned for their “too pretty, or too sexy looks, which may not be artificially created but genetic and still are blamed for. Pretty women complain they are never taken seriously in the workplace, are deemed stupid and any success is cribbed about as due to sexual favors being given to the boss ! Unfortunately, there are women who use their looks unfairly to their advantage and revel in the illusion of stupidity for personal gain of a rich husband or a lucrative glamorous career. These women pass on burdens to the pretty women who simply work hard and strive for success and do not depend on their good looks. However, what happens to the women who society deems as fat and ugly? Well they can climb the ladder of corporate success unhindered and not care about their physical failings, or spend a lifetime at the gym and fad diets which makes them miserable and offers no change in their waistlines. The life we lead is our own and our choices are our own, but self respect for ourselves and others and, peace of mind is far more valuable commodities than perfect legs and a 23” waist. Our focus should be on longer time frame such as the development of our minds and souls as looks are transient and temporary.

            The articles also touches on the racist ideals of the Aryan super race of white blondes, as widely used as the role model in magazines and dolls. I think that today this backward mindset has come leap and bounds as other races are now accepted as successful and beautiful ideals (case in point, Michelle Obama), but I feel that taking the steps of having a transgender doll etc is taking things a little too far. Allow little girls to have their girly fantasies of being a princess. As long as there is a balance in their lives such as sports and a strong education system at home as well as school then intelligent, stable women can make the right choices in adult hood, understand the pitfalls and grow out of shallow daydreams. After all it is possible to use Mother Teresa and Hannah Montana as role models simultaneously as both have a place in society and women should want to grow up like a little piece of each.

            The moral of this story is as the song lyrics show, “learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.” No one is perfect, but only when we learn to love ourselves, can we give love to others. Be happy as obsessing over a 23” waist is a complete waist of time!

Silence is Golden

            The Hand Maids Tale by Margaret Atwood along with the extract Talking Back by Bell Hooks, and Sins of Silence by Mai Kao Thao, deals with a similar theme: women from childhood onwards live in a male dominated world and are trained into silent submission, thereby allowing complete control by their male counterparts.

           

            Speech in itself whether it is verbal or written is a powerful tool. In fact this is coined by the popular phrase, “the pen is mightier than the sword.”  Speeches from history to the present day have inspired nations into war or peace, such as Hitlers’ prolific words that instigated. hatred or Gandhi’s’ words that inspired peace. In fact, it is not just politics where the word is potent, but religions often have their humble beginnings in words that have such prophetic life changing meanings, that millions of followers abandon their way of life for their new belief system. Where would Christianity be without the verbal teachings of Christ or the Bible. But it is interesting to note that while it is evident that speech is such a powerful tool, just how much of history takes into accounts the profound words of women. Very little in fact and barring a few examples men seem to dominate the sphere of using words to move a nation. So why are women so traditionally suppressed into not submitting their thoughts? We need to begin with values and traditions some of which are derived from nature while others are created by mankind. Women are the baby making machines and this aspect is highlighted in the Hand Maids’ Tale. Therefore, women’s role and usefulness is considered to be the nurturer where silence is golden. It was not considered necessary for women to express an opinion as most of their time was spent in the confines of the home. This suits men as a support system for their needs both physical and mental are fulfilled without condition or question. By allowing women to speak, work out of the house, express an opinion or question things, be educated, men are in real danger of losing their comfort zone. This is a risk they are not prepared to take so from early on in childhood women are groomed and trained to be silent. Women submit as they are normally physically weaker species who look at the examples of their mothers and fear the repercussions of rebelling. It is ironical that despite many landmarks improvements and change, still today in modern day society women still face a glass ceiling, and backlashes from being too opinionated. Modern day examples of the Hand Maids Tale exists in the form of the Burka society ruled by the chauvinistic Taliban, who convinces women that control is for their welfare and protection. I wonder how many generations need to pass by until real equality is reached? But that depends on women voicing an opinion and setting their demands. Change is scary and the path to enlightenment is often long and weary.

Blogging Portfolio - A Reflection of Thoughts

The new age art of communicating with the world at large, courtesy of modern technology-welcome to the world of blogging.  The quote by Robert Niles says it all, “Anytime you post online, you publish.” How apt, as each entry I have made floats in cyber space for eternity for infinite number of people today and tomorrow to chew on. Each blog I have made is actually a voyeuristic view into my innermost, private thoughts. The beauty of my blogs is that no planning is involved as in an essay or research project. No, just as I write this introduction, my blogs are an instant knee jerk reaction to writings that affect my psyche in some way. Each thought expressed starts in the deepest most folds of cerebral hemisphere as a nerve signal that extends to my fingers that move to keep up with my tandem physiological and psychological thought process. It is not a written piece of work in the true sense of the word, like an article or novel but is a conversation that invites debate, and discussion. It is not easy to choose what is termed as my best blogs, as honestly as each blog takes shape in my mind, I feel an attachment to it. Would a mother be able to choose among her children?  Each blog is more than just a creation born of a seed in my brain, it is a glimpse into my soul. Each blog says, I have a voice, I matter, and I have spoken.

Coverage

Politically Correct Speech

As a child of controversy, I hope I have not been politically correct in writing this post. My idea was to give my own ideas strongly and without apology to give an opinion that gives an open invitation to debate and discussion. While covering the many pointers of this highly in depth article and covering its many nuances, I have gone beyond a simple reaction to an opinion. In effect the blog demonstrates my understanding of this complex article but I have not just made a simple summary to show this understanding. I have been able to respond by agreeing or disagreeing with points made but have also managed to link these thoughts with my book readings, such as Orwell’s 1984 and with modern day links such as speeches made by J.F Kennedy in recent history, to present day commentary on President Obama’s speeches.

http://sabrina117english.blogspot.com/2010/09/politically-correct-speech.html

Depth

Inconvenient Truth

While my title may have been inspired by Al Gore’s Oscar winning documentary, it holds true for this post. Often truth is stranger than fiction, and often the truth is inconvenient to us as it is hard to accept or face the cold harsh reality of life. While this posting examines how truth is manipulated in the novel, 1984, it goes beyond and above this. My posting shows an in depth analysis that researches and reflects on present day dealings as reported in the media. And while no specific articles are referenced, I felt this was un-necessary as an overall general comment on the state of affairs was required rather than endless examples that would simply confuse my message. My musings also show my own thoughts based on life’s experiences such as children being taught to believe in the tooth fairy.

http://sabrina117english.blogspot.com/2010/09/truth-hurts.html

Interaction

Truth…does it exist?

It was interesting to comment on Adrienne blog as her thoughts were well conceived and developed, and this lead to my extended train of thoughts making me compelled to discuss and debate her viewpoints. While I agreed with her musings in general, I commented on some disagreements I had such as her insanity claims and that science is never objective truth. A strong, headstrong and definitive entry is always a pleasure to respond to rather than a vague vision of ideas. No apology should ever be made for ones opinion and this format as followed by Adrienne gives an open invitation to post an equally well thought out counter argument where no punches are with held.

http://adrienne-hlenglish.blogspot.com/2010/09/truth-does-it-exist.html

Discussion

The Write and Wrong of Writing

As stated above my strong well defined ideas did allow an open invitation to Adrienne to comment and discuss on my reflections. Her questions were thought provoking and I enjoyed responding to them. I felt my answers were definitive but open ended which always leaves room for further table tennis comments, which I welcome with open arms. Discussions are a healthy way of sharing opinions, and comments lead to extended interactions with visitors that may not have expressed their views otherwise. If only this form of communication existed in earlier times. Oh how I would love to blog with the likes Shakespeare or Dickens!After all in the world of blogging, there are no write or wrongs! 

http://sabrina117english.blogspot.com/2010/09/write-and-wrong-of-writing.html

Xenoblogging

Born and Raised in a  North Korean Gulag

Monique’s general question, “What Is human ?” allowed me to demonstrate the comment informative. Of course being human myself was a strong criteria for me to show my own in depth analysis of this topic, but more than this the question was so thought provoking, that I was compelled to respond.

http://hlenglishmonique.blogspot.com/2010/09/born-and-raised-in-north-korean-gulag.html

Born and Raised in a  North Korean Gulag

Again, using Monique’s blog I offered the comment primo as her thoughts were so well constructed that it invited debate. The article on freedom was of great interest to me as I felt that being free is a very subjective state of mind and not just body. I felt that my own spin on things would definitely start the ball rolling on a very lively discussion.

http://hlenglishmonique.blogspot.com/2010/09/born-and-raised-in-north-korean-gulag.html

Truth…does it exist?

Adrienne’s entry invited by its very nature inspired the comment grande on my part. While I could have written reams, my words though precise and to the point spoke volumes not in quantity but on quality. My comments were open ended as I welcomed and definitely compelled others to keep the fires of debate well alive and kicking.

http://adrienne-hlenglish.blogspot.com/2010/09/truth-does-it-exist.html

Wildcard

Poem: Confession

Though not a typical blog in the true sense of the word, this poem does as my other blogs do, allow a sneak peak into my innermost thoughts. Though short and sweet (pun intended), I feel my reflections of guilt will strike a chord among many who have succumbed to temptation of any kind. After all, who among us are not guilty? I feel bloggers will smile and share their own experiences after reading this blog.

http://sabrina117english.blogspot.com/2010/10/poem-confession.html

Poem: Confession

The lure of temptation is so hard to resist,

That even strong men unclench their fist,

And reach out to taste what is heaven sent,

A sugary delight made by the devil to tempt.

Forbidden fruit, suddenly becomes even sweeter,

When the thief finds thrill in being the cheater.

But who can blame, at the sight of delicious cake?

As smells fill your senses and urge you to take.

Now caught, I hang my head down in shame,

But secretly know my hand, you can never tame.

Freedom is a State of Mind

            The New York Times article Born and Raised in a North Korean Gulag deals with a little boy, Shin, who grows up in a prison camp, facing hardship and torture until his escape. Due to his conditioning from birth he feels the life he leads is the norm, and therefore does not question his existence until he hears of the outside world. However, once on the outside he feels alienated and a misfit, and often misses his old torturous life as freedom and independence comes with a price.

            This modern day true life story has many parallels with the theme and general storyline of Orwell’s 1984. Here the protagonist Winston holds no family bonds and has even betrayed his parents and sister, and turned his back on his father. This also holds true in the article. Again through the brainwashing by a totalitarian state, Winston and Shin get through their mundane controlled routine of the drudgery of daily life, without question or complaining about their pathetic excuse for a life without a soul. Until, that is a chance meeting with a person that changes their outlook and entire perspective. They go through a journey of self discovery and awakening which involves human emotions and frailties, such as love and hate, fear and joy. Both are imprisoned and shackled and are watched and monitored both physically and mentally and offer little resistance. The hold that this state of being has on both is so strong that they can never be free, even when freedom is reached. Strangely when Shin finds his way to the outside world he is unable to adjust to normal life and at times wants to return back. Psychologists tell us that this is not uncommon. Even kidnapped victims develop a bond with their tormentor and want to return. They feel as Shin would have felt strangely safe and protected in their bubble where life’s choices are simple. In the real world there are hardships of other kinds such as choices, decision making, competition, financial burdens, peer pressure. Prison life for the accustomed involves a life where you are told what to do, and is simplistic. This transition then becomes hard for the concerned person to make as they feel loyalty and a comfort level for their old life.

            Happiness is a state of being and is a neither black nor white. In the same way freedom is a subjective state of mind which does not involve shackles of the body but the shackles of the mind. No man is truly free until he has reached a state of peace, and this both Winston and Shin discover the hard way.

Inconvenient Truth

Truth is often stranger than fiction. In fact truth is often subjective and depends on your view point. While facts can often remain the same, opinions can vary. A famous US divorce lawyer so rightly once said, “There are three versions of each story, his, hers and the truth.” Often we distort the truth to make our version of events suit our immediate needs, thereby consciously or subconsciously manipulating the listener for self gain. This idea of manipulation of the truth to gain control over someone by playing psychological mind games with a person’s memory is the cornerstone of George Orwell’s 1984.

            In 1984 Big Brother would change past events to show the regime in a good light, thereby maintaining the unquestioning faith and support of the people he controlled. In one instance while chocolate rations were reduced to 20g and reported correctly, just as quickly news reports blatantly lied by false claims that chocolate rations had in fact been increased to 20g. Either way the people were receiving 20g rations of chocolate but through manipulation their disappointment quickly changed to euphoria. This manipulation was caused by poor short term memory, and belief and trust that whatever they are being told verbally by people in authority has to be true. Further, the changing of the written word in newspapers, or other forms of media and communications in 1984 becomes objective truth. It was reported for example that Oceania was at war with East Asia and allies with Euro Asia and vice versa to the whims of Big Brother. People believe their eyes far more than their ears, and believe that if it is written as so then it must be so. However, this is not always the case as we see even today there is much false reporting from the media to sell papers. A trivial case in point are the reported alliances and break ups of movie stars as reported without concrete proof in the popular press.

            One of the greatest manipulators of the truth as shown in 1984 is governments, and this continues even today. False claims of victory over enemies or showing the economy in a better light than reality are happening in present day leaderships. This occurs often to buy vote of confidence that will win elections and retain power for the current administration. And as people we often believe, as it is a far easier pill to swallow, as yes indeed, the truth warts and all, often hurts, and we cannot handle the truth. This subtle manipulation often starts at an early age, when parents protect children by creating a candy floss perfect world. For example we are eager to believe in Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy and that our pet dog has not died but gone to a retirement farm. In this same vein the citizens of Oceania want to believe that Big Brother is their Santa Clause, there to protect them. So people do not die or disappear from Oceania, they simply never existed. This helps to maintain the smooth natural order without any ripples in the ocean of everyday life.

            Between the white of the truth and the black of the lie is a great chasm of grey that one can manipulate. And if indeed the truth does in fact hurt, or is inconvenient then why not believe the lie.

Politically Correct Speech

In Politics and the English Language George Orwell stated that the written word has become elaborate without basis. He particularly used the example of political speeches of his day to drive home his point. He preached, that we all need to utilize some rules to make speech more user friendly for the listener without clouding real messages or meanings with sugar frosting that does not add to the narrative, but simply confuses him. He wants us to stop using ready made metaphors, long words, passive language, foreign phrases, scientific words or jargon. Further, he argues that political writings tend to justify bad deeds while failures of the current administration are misconstrued as victories or at least work in progress. The type of language used misleads the common man into unquestioning support for the government who they falsely believe can be trusted on faith and fancy rhetoric alone.

While Martin Luther King’s famous I Have a Dream speech and John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address keeps in most part to Orwell’s rules, the two Georges, Wallace and Bush speeches blatantly break these rules. King’s speech while powerful, emotive and provocative is still simple in approach and makes its point visually without compromising on factual information or truths. On the other hand George Bush’s State Of the Union Address in the aftermath of the September 11, attacks is full of half truths and distortions and false bravado of victories of the war on terror. The truth was the US troops were not winning the war in Afghanistan, and conditions for the locals were far from the picture perfect impression his speech gave. Further, in  his speech the language used is longwinded, “across oceans and continents, across mountaintops and caves” showcasing unnecessary word usage where simplicity would have sufficed. Bush in fact was often admonished and even mocked as having very little command of the English language in spite of his Anglo Saxon heritage. The media coined his many gaffes as Bushisms which has now been accepted in Webster dictionary as a new word.

New words and phrases parallels Orwell’s novel 1984 where Newspeak and entries into revised dictionaries were an intricate part of his plot. In his novel Orwell showed that by simplification of the current language and the deletion of many words, this would allow the government of his futuristic city to control the people who would simply not have the vocabulary to protest. Therefore, I am a little surprised by his article as it is as if he has become ‘Big Brother’ himself and is taking away our right to express ourselves freely without constraints or rules. Again as I stated earlier in my last blog, metaphors and the like add colorful imagery to our words and are emotive and capture the readers or listeners attention. While political speeches need to be clear and concise there is always a little room for artistic flair to bring life as well as meaning to our words. Just look at the brilliant speech writing of Obama whose words alone allowed him to create history by becoming the first Black American President “Yes We Can”, will go down in the annals of history as a much copied and used phrase to much effect. Are you listening Mr. Orwell?

The Write and Wrong of Writing

George Orwell’s article Politics and the English Language states there is a general decline in English language usage in the way we express our ideas and thoughts in written form. Orwell feels the main culprits are our politicians who sabotage the English language for their own gain. This is done to cloud the truth and fool the masses in the righteousness of their actions by being vague and ambiguous. He states that this is done by over usage or incorrect use of metaphors, phrases, foreign and scientific words, and long or difficult words.

I do support his theories on political misleading writings. After all, politicians are trained never to answer a difficult question directly, but beat about the bush until you forget what the original question was. This holds true of all our political world leaders today who need to sell their ideas like a used car salesman. A striking example would be the charismatic musings of Obama, who captivated the world with his mesmerizing speeches and gave us all hope without actually giving the logistics of his plans. His words spoke volumes and a willing nation lapped it up. Perhaps religious books are political speeches in disguise. While his article is thought provoking, I do not fully agree with his opinions on general expression by prose, primarily because I am guilty of the crimes he speaks of. Yes, when you need to make a point in business like terms then language should be simple, concise and to the point. I hate the way the legal profession dupes the public into believing they are stupid by using senseless jargon that has no place in modern day society. However, I enjoy in being colorful and using phrases ETC in my writings and this is not done to confuse but to express in an educated way my thoughts, and I want the poetic license to continue to do so without derision. So I make no apologies for my ramblings as I want to celebrate the richness of the English language.

After all, Shakespeare was a literary master in inventing words and phrases that we commonly adopt today, and he is lauded for this. Today, we have new words and phrases such as “Google” that respected dictionaries are adding to their new word list, some of which I must admit appall me as this does represent the real destruction of the English language I so revere. I am also outraged by modern day slangs and Americanisms that have filtered into the modern day mainstream English language and are accepted as the norm. The modern day media who should covet the written word are often so guilty of glamorizing or coining incorrect or new words and making them the norm. An example of this is when they highlight George Bush’s errors in word usage as Bushism and in doing so condones his faults. However, language will inevitably change with time and new words will be used and many old words forgotten as our society changes. After all we no longer speak or write in the tone of “ how art thou”. Language evolves with time and will continue to do so. While George Orwell gives some good advice on how to improve our writings I feel this advice is limited to scholars, students, politicians ETC.  Language is in fact decreasing as we text or twitter our messages within a confined space but obviously this was before George Orwells’ time. If George Orwell witnessed modern day writings of the public at large today, he would beg for more metaphors as he turns in his grave.

The Inner Mindset and Relationship between Author and Reader – A Novel Concept

The Psychology of the Novel article goes into an in-depth analysis of the psychology of the author and reader and the intertwined relationship they share.

As any person who has read a novel that has gripped them from beginning to end knows and as the article rightly states, you analyze, ponder and cannot wait for the story to unfold. The proverbial question on your lips is what happens next? Interestingly, this question occurs even when you abhor the novel, and like a car crash you cannot look away. The reader has invested time, money and far more importantly has made an emotional commitment which impels him to move forward and turn page after page. A novel is a far more intimate experience than a play or movie. You are much more connected to the private thoughts of the characters especially the protagonist whose journey you keenly follow. You are not on the outside peeping through the keyhole, but you are actually on the set so to speak even as part of the furniture. As you read with only words as your companion you create your own canvas of images. And while the author is the producer and director you certainly become co-director or a partner with the author as you create mental images in your head. There are separate relationships being created depending on whether the novel is written as a narrative or first person, but the creative journey is the same path taken by the author. You retrace his careful steps in the writing process and in doing so develop a bond. Newer generations might need convincing of the merits of reading a novel in this high tech world where we demand mediums where our images are created for us in 3-d and 4-d and instant gratification is received. However, as any cerebral person who has lost themselves in a novel knows reading is a habit which is difficult to break.

The experience of writing as seen through the eyes of the author is just as interesting. He needs inspiration to unleash the creative flow while still breaking for breath to concern himself with the obvious logistics. The author has a message to deliver which he needs to justify as he begs for the attention of the audience. A novel is not just written to fulfill the creative needs of the author, he also writes for his readers and he needs assurance and affirmation. He needs a response and reaction whether positive or negative. His attention seeking narcissistic nature seems to cry out love me or hate me, but do not ignore me, hear me out. A novel that has never reached publication or has never been read is like a still born child. A mother nurtures the child in the woman, develops a close bond and mourns for what could have been. However, beyond his relationship with the reader, there is a relationship he shares with himself. The writing experience is like sitting in the chair of the therapist and getting things off his chest. It is a release of pent up emotions and emotional baggage that he has been carrying around. With this release he is free and at peace with himself. He has spoken and he has been heard.

The author and reader without knowing each other are inextricably bound, just as the leaves of the book are bound. They share a special enduring relationship that feeds each others needs. When the author starts the writing process and the reader the reading process the psychology of both are changed forever. Finally, I am reminded of the age old adage, never judge a book by its cover. Certainly not, allow the words to reach your soul as you float over the intricate canvas and then pass judgment. Like it or hate it you are richer for the experience.



Forests

Forests The Shadow of Civilization by Robert P. Harrison gives a detailed opinion of the importance of forests in the depiction of the development of our civilization, whether it be historical or fictional. Harrison uses many examples to prove his point using references from epic literary pieces and legends as well know historical events. Many of these references have parallels with the novel We.


The main theme deals with the concept that the‘forests came first. As illustrated in poetry, it is shown that Rome and in fact all cities started as a forest and needed to be cleared to create a community. This clearing allowed for the science of enlightenment to form. The analogy goes on further to compare ‘forest and city,’ where forest represents the uncivilized and undeveloped world, and city represents the modern developed world. Both entities are separated by a wall figuratively or otherwise. This was evident in We when the city boundary had a green glass wall that shut out the jungles of the forest. Development can only take place if we abandon our archaic ideals and primitive way of life, “Rome can become Rome only by overcoming, or effacing, the forests of its origins.” And yet the forests or nature eventually overcomes its defeat and encroaches upon the city. The author I feel means to explain that as we develop we inadvertently manage to destroy ourselves. This destruction could be in wars as in the case of Ancient Rome, or today in global warming where we are depleting the Earths natural resources. We are playing with the natural order and inviting the wrath of Mother Nature, who shows her fury with destroying the newly created world. Today environmental concerns such as the destruction of the Amazon rain forests is leading us to the first step in annihilation such as melting glaciers and the extinction of many species. Similarly, in We the city gained greatness just as Rome had done before it, but ended in being overcome with the forest encroaching.

The metaphorical comparison of forests is shown in our everyday sayings and phrases such as ‘family tree’ and ‘tree of life'. This shows how symbolic and significant, tree and forest references have become to our psyche. Despite our concrete jungles and our overcoming the laws of nature, ultimately we are ancestrally born of the earth and through our burial rituals we return there. Therefore order and balance is maintained and life comes full circle.

Relationship between Questions of Conquest and Freedom and Democracy

Questions of Conquest and Freedom and Democracy both deal with mans’ attainment or loss of freedom and its subsequent consequences. Freedom is defined as the right of self or the individual, to express himself without any pre-conceived notions, and to follow his own desires and dreams without influence. Freedom means choice and decision making without burden and being an individual.

In Questions of Conquest the author discusses in great depth how the ancient civilizations of the Aztecs and Incas were destroyed ruthlessly by Spanish invaders. This was preceded by Columbus stumbling upon the Americas in his search for India. The writer, a native, questions how life would have been different for his country if these ancient tribes were left alone, and if the modern day creation of Peru was for the best. The question is rhetorical, but a deeper understanding of mans’ freedom is brought to the forefront. The tribes though primitive and archaic were still developed and sophisticated in many ways. However, they were ruled by their leaders and their way of life and acted as a whole and not as individuals. Upon loss of their leaders in battle they effectively gave up to their Spanish aggressors. Like children, they could not think for themselves and faced insecurity without authority. Invasion meant their ant like society was destroyed and freedom in its infancy was born. However, today modern day society in Peru is happy to be the new invaders. With their own hands they do not want to preserve their tribes and traditions, as they feel it is a handicap to progress. They embrace westernization, little realizing that they are still held captive, figuratively speaking by their invaders. There is little freedom when they have to conform to white mans ideals for success and acceptance globally.


In Freedom And Democracy some of the ideas above is discussed but on a more general level relating to man kind in general, and his socio development and how it relates to the notion of freedom. The article states the opinion that modern democracy has meant the loss of the individual. Every thought or desire we have comes with pre-conditioning, and that we are automans who have lost their self worth. It discusses that this conditioning begins in our childhood with our parents and teachers, and that education robs us of the right to think for ourselves. In fact, we learn to conform to what society expects of us and deviating from this means being classified as ‘abnormal,’ which in turn leads to self doubt and insecurity. We are suppressed of our rights to be our true self. This suppression takes many forms such as sexual, emotional sense of tragedy, original thinking, truth etc. We have in effect given up on spontaneity and our individuality to be part of the pack, and have no free will, but convince ourselves we have to keep our peace of mind.


In essence, man from the Ancient tribes to the present day has not been able to achieve ultimate freedom. The tribes of South America were invaded and lost their way of life to become puppets in the hands of their invaders, and today we still dance to the tunes of others expectations.

Correlation between Zamyatin's On Language and We

Zamyatin’s essay On Language critiques, analyzes and gives advice on how to write the perfect novel that will capture the reader through its style of writing. In his own novel, We was he able to remain true to his ideology? I believe he did keeping in mind the constraints of his novel. In his novel he discusses the style of famous writers such as Dickens and Tolstoy who were able to draw on sources and historical references, in terms of language and settings to bring to life their characters. He advises the writer must draw on primary and secondary sources and even live among the locals of a provincial setting, if the novel is set there, for inspiration. Zamyatin’s novel is science fiction and set in a time where all events, language and thought process of his protagonist can only come from the imagination of the author. In fact, the reader with no experience of such a time or place cannot verify the authenticity of his work. However, he did draw from his personal experiences of Communist Russia, the Revolution, and oppression to derive a futuristic, modern satire, making his work highly original and hard - hitting.


Zamyatin discusses in lengths, that there are no longer divisions in poetry and prose, but that division only exists in lyrical and epic works. I believe We is an epic work in which he aptly, as discussed in the essay, gets into the skin of the character, D-503. However, he is not totally ‘invisible’ as he advises authors to be, as the essence of his complex, multi-faceted protagonist is again inspired from his own feelings about the regime he faced in present day Russia. He uses this novel to give a political message, through his own vision and opinion. In On Language he compares the author to an actor on stage, “the writer must be a great and talented actor, a dramatic genius.” In We he certainly has been able to transform himself into a mathematician who lives a controlled robotic existence. His usage of language where D-503 uses mathematical formulae such as X to describe I-330 expression that he fails to interpret is genius on his part, “but in the eyes, or in the eyebrows –I could not tell –there was a certain strange, irritating x, which I could not capture, could not define in figures,” (6). How accurately he portrays D-503 as an almost android being that cannot fathom emotion, and is frustrated if unable to solve his equation of life. Yes, he was able to practice what he preaches, and “reincarnate himself wholly into the characters, the milieu he is portraying.”

Zamyatin in his essay discusses the spoken and written language and the difficulties writers face in translating real spoken language, and fleeting thoughts into a literary piece as dialogue. This problem will exist more in modern or historical novels where living speech is as rightly stated more fluid, dynamic, without complete sentences, and only proficient writers can successfully capture this on paper. However, in We D-503 has been trained to think like a computer with careful thoughts. Further, each chapter is written as a diary entry where he carefully sits and plans his thought plan. D-503 writes to explain his way of life to the aliens where his diary is being sent. In this clever form he indirectly speaks to us the reader and describes events, landscapes, surroundings etc, so that we are able to understand, as his way of living is alien to us. He also creates neologisms such as “unifs” but breaks his rule and distracts with footnotes. He does however, as advised in his essay, portray thought and allows the reader to be “a participant in the creative process,” by breaking up sentences, such as “but why was it that I, too ….I?”(17).

Zamyatin in his fictional novel in part has created an autobiography of his awakening in Russia. In terms of language, the writer has mostly been able to practice what he preached in his essay On Language, thus far. He has successfully written a complex, powerful, provocative, satire. Though Zamyatin’s We is futuristic, it deals with basic human emotions such as tragic love as the backbone of the novel, which is universal and relatable to the reader.