Help! I Need A Nightlight!

As Julie has prompted us to delve deeper into the meanings behind nature within this text, I found several instances that evoked a sort of fear/anxiety/terror that actually didn't include a lot of physical description. We discussed in class the possible meaning behind these feelings and the symbolic nature of these settings, and I believe Charles Brockden Brown did an excellent job portraying the current American condition (upheaval, uncertainty, entrapment) through the settings in his novel. Keeping this idea in mind, let's jump into the text.

So, the scene I have decided to discuss is the part where Edgar is about to "re-examine [the] cave" (93). It struck me as an amusing point in the story because he had chosen to come back to this unknown place in the dark, and didn't even notice his lack of proficient lighting until he actually reached the mouth of the cave (94). Edgar is so completely enveloped by his obsession to find out what Clithero is doing whilst he sleepwalks that his common sense has clearly taken the back seat. At the beginning of his venture into the cave, Edgar's mind begins to race: "I began to fear that I should be involved in a maze, and should be disabled from returning" (95). Ok, so Edgar can't see, he senses danger, he fears getting lost, and he recognizes the possibility he won't be able to find his way out- yet he still walks on, unable to save his curiosity for another time. STOP FOOL!

Even though this was pretty stupid to begin with, the quote I'd like to draw your attention to comes after he's decided to sally forth- "Intense dark is always the parent of fears" (95). This is it, my friends. This is the point where we should realize (with Edgar) that while his surroundings are indeed creepy and terrifying and stupidly played with by our hero, we are told that it is the darkness itself that FEEDS the anxiety of his situation. What does this mean? Why is this significant? Get ready. . .

AMERICA IS IN THE DARK AT THIS TIME!!! Wow. But seriously. Charles Brockden Brown fails to include more physical details about Edgar's surroundings on purpose!! He wants his readers to be able to draw connections and recognize his political statements. If he had indeed been more descriptive and focused on evoking fear using more detailed illustrations, then we would have just accepted nature to be seen for what it is instead of what is represents!

So that is why nature is depicted the way it is within the novel. Even if we read it for fun at first, we are easily able to critically analyze it later because of the way that Charles Brockden Brown sets it up for us.

A Baker's Extravaganza

"I'm looking over, my dead dog Rover who's been hit by a power mower!
One leg is missing, the other is gone
One leg is scattered all over the lawn!
No need explaining, the leg remaining
It just sits there on the floor!
I'm looking over, my dead dog Rover
Who I'd never hit before!!!"

Ok, so maybe this song doesn't really encompass TERROR or HORROR. . . it's just kinda morbid. And it was stuck in my head today. But still, the gore illustrated by the carefully chosen words above lead into the first topic of discussion: HORROR!!

So I've never really been a horror movie fan. Actually, when it comes to scary movies in general I tend to avoid all contact. When I first met my husband, he tried to expand my thriller cinematic experience and discovered it was best to leave this one alone. The turning point: his introduction to the THRILLER TORNADO!!! The Thriller Tornado is my go-to move when I watch scary movies, and I do it whether or not we are in public. Nevertheless, my husband decided his pride in calling me his wife was more valuable than his pleasure in watching me freak out.

Back to the point. Horror. I hate to do this, but I think I'm going to. Three simple words: TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. Ugh. If I am remembering this correctly, it took us a few tries to get through this one. Let us imagine that creating a horror film is like decorating a cake, and since this film is based off of a true story, lets start with a red velevet base. Add a women pulling a gun out of her crotch and shooting her brains out, and there we have our rich icing. But that's not all we get. On top of the red deliciousness, we have a random leg sawed off here, people being hung on meat hooks there, victims being falayed: SPRINKLES!!!!! TCM is a truly horrifying film that reaches down your throat and rips your stomach out. It's just gross for people to watch. . . and yet they LOVE IT!!! Sick bastards.

On the other hand, we have red velevet's worst enemy: Mom's favorite TERROR BROWNIES!!! (The box kind). The thing about brownies is: They are SIMPLE! Terror is too. Terror doesn't need all the blood and guts and brains and injured people to get the point across. Terror just subtly slips itself into situations and you as the viewer just can't help the character find their way out of the creepy house where people are trying to kill them for no reason. That's right. This movie sucks, but I think some people liked it: THE STRANGERS. This film is suspenseful, it keeps you on edge (well, not me, but I think some people), and you NEVER SEE THEIR FREAKING FACES!! Ugh. What a sucky end. But the point is, there is no escape, no one comes to rescue them, there is no reasoning behind the attack, and there is no later explanation except: "YOU WERE HOME." Boo. My 2 year old nephew could come up with that one. But some people really feel that it's creepy!! This film plays off the fear of the unknown, which is what Julie discussed in class today. The couple is in an unfamiliar house in the middle of nowhere, alone, and totally unable to defend themselves against the other. One of the biggest aspects about this movie that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats (or whirling like a tornado) is that WE see the strangers in the house, in the background, and Liv and her boyfriend miss it most of the time. They can feel the danger, but they don't see it. . . while we do. So there you have it. Terror is a simple box of brownie mix that just needs oil, eggs, and a pan to complete its deliciousness.

So after this enlightening metaphoric example of Terror and Horror, I just have to ask: Which dessert would you buy at a charity bake sale?

So I don't know how to make my photos stay in one blog- I'm computer challenged, I think. But these two photos clearly indicate that yes, us girls (Stephanie, Amy, Kristi, Carla, and Ashley) we AT Avalanche last night, submerging ourselves into delicious gluttonous ice cream bliss. It was really funny, because like Amy said they bellowed "AVALANCHE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" as they sent the dessert out from the kitchen. We were laughing so loud that one of my other friends heard me from the other side of the room, which was embarrassing cuz we were about to pig out on ice cream.

Anyways, good times, I love my girls, and I am excited to take classes with them again next quarter!!!

Thanks for making extra credit opportunities so much fun!!

Ode to 373

Ahh, what you've all been waiting for!!!

Again, I apologize for the roughness and for the fact that I didn't include everyone, I would have made it better had I thought to do it a long time ago. It's not usually my style to make people feel left out, so I am so sorry if you were waiting for your spotlight stanza and never got your chance to shine. . .

Hearing Kelly's footsteps approach
All notes and readings prepared
Knowing Maurice had an opinion
Every day Julie a little scared.

Not reading the Diamond Age, slacking on blogs
Thesises not being narrow
Julie sighing, Brienne crying
Time we had none left to borrow.

Kristi (and others) too shy to talk in class
While Heather just talked like a wacko
Derek and Tanner threw smart things in here and there
And Stephanie took bites of an apple.

How could Julie have known what was in store
Making her long journey to TC every day
Stressing and coping, praying and hoping
Her class, for once, would have something intelligent to say.

If I had had more hours I would have included
All you other wonderful people in class
But I don't have the time to make it all ryhme
And all I want to do is pass.

Love to you all!!!!
Heather

An Absolutley Amazing Abstract, from yours truly.

Hello my lovelies!!!
I am SO terribly sad that today was the last day we will EVER be in class together again. . . The magic we created within the walls of. . . what was the classroom number again??

But Oh, the magic. That's what we will all remember and take with us- the JOYS of Global Literature and the English Language! We shall be eternally grateful for the knowledge and sanctity of what was said in room. . . . that room. The talk of Capitalism, Colonialism, crazy drugged out people, sex diaries, and Globalism. Could we really have sucked out any more sweet nectar from the core of English 373?

Ok, so my abstract is pretty much what I spoke about in class, I hope I'm doing it right. I can correct it immediately on your word, Julie, so just let me know. :)

Concerning the texts The Mimic Men and Wide Sargasso Sea, my psychoanalytic argument (thanks to Julie, Tanner, and Amy for reminding me of an obvious thing I should have noticed had I REALLY been paying attention to the week on literary criticisms in 302, haha :)) is:
"The alienation that Antoinette and Ralph both experience in their childhood contributes to their continual search for identity for the remainder of their adult lives."

Ralph definitely has some rough childhood experiences that lead him to become reclusive starting in his early years. Cecil bullies him, and on top of that inferiority, he suffers from extreme embarrassment in front of his class. His schoolmates laugh at him when he doesn't think of "wife" when participating in a word association exercise, and this happens again with the letter he had to read aloud to the class concerning his future employment. It is because of this feeling of being on the outside that Ralph begins to live it like it was normal. He accommodates to what his classmates assume, and therefore becomes a "Mimic Man." He changes his name at school, and later on his ability to have healthy relationships with women is effected. He can't make his marriage work, and he has a prostitution problem. He learns to separate his emotions from who he really is. Brian Allen for the journal of Childhood Maltreatment states that "psychological rejection and degradation may also contribute to [. . .] problematic and unstable interpersonal relations" (311). Ralph is a basket case when it comes to thinking of intimacy, as he even expresses, "Intimacy: the word holds the horror" (30). He definitely has issues in dealing with relationships and his feelings that his identity have been lost.

In Antoinette's case, she does in fact receive a lot of abuse at the hands of the children who live on the island, and feels like an outsider. However, it is most evident that her primary source of rejection and alienation was from her mother, and that is what, in the end, seals her fate. So many times she was on the short end of the stick when it came to parenting- not only did her mother not care about her (which is bad enough in itself), but her mother favored her brother. Granted, he had health problems, but Antoinette was still aware enough as a kid to see that she wasn't wanted. She even says to Rochester later, "Between you I often wonder who I am and where is my country and where do I belong and why I was ever born at all" (61). Wow.Antoinette is pretty stuck in a big, muddy pit if she knows where she was born and who her family is and yet still searches to find her identity. In a cool article I found, Laura Choate and Annemieke Hensen stated "psychological maltreatment has been linked to a range of long term mental health difficulties. For example, a history of psychological maltreatment has been associated with general psychological distress, diminished self esteem, interpersonal shame, emotional inhibition (including suppressed/withheld thoughts, avoidant coping styles and ambivalence regarding emotional expression)" (119). Antoinette has a lot of all that going on, and the fact that her own mother had mental health problems does not give us a lot of hope for her.

I know this is longer than a normal abstract, but I'd rather bore you to death with too much rather than leave you confused with too little.