Last Posting

The literature we have read has been all very interesting. When the theme of the course is revisited we come across how the idea of change in society really has been pervasive in the texts and in the lives of the characters we have read about. Sometimes we witness how dramatic these stories can be since we take a journey to a time so much different than our own. The institution of slavery is a real part of history, yet we cringe at the struggles and hardships endured by slaves when reading slave narratives and sometimes would prefer to sugar coat this reality. I find the story that struck the biggest chord with me was Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper because it was not at all censored.” Perhaps it is because my mind seems to be so preoccupied with medical knowledge being a student of nursing, but I’m drawn to the story because it illustrates a change that has already happened in how we perceive women’s emotions and physiology. Yet, at the time this page was only beginning to turn in the lives of women. The post partum depression that inflicts the narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” was so misunderstood and it pains me to read the story knowing what needs to be done is not! In essence, this story documents a woman’s gradual decline. I liked this story because as all literature does it allows you a glimpse into the human psyche into behavior and subtleties that in the conscious world we may not be aware of in people. As a nurse this is helpful because it aids the assessment process and we may be able to gather an understanding of our mental patients by a previous insight from this story. A psychologist, I feel, should be very versed in literature to be able to draw the universal themes, emotions, and dreams that present themselves to all of us. Overall, very good reading.

Gilman and Wharton

To say the least, in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the timeframe of the narrator’s existence encompasses the four ideals of womanhood, which included piety, purity, domesticity, and submissiveness. These ideals of womanhood serve as the backdrop of the tone that is set. The tone always accomplishes an air of intimacy probably due to the epistle like construction of the prose. It is in essence a secret diary that the narrator writes, therefore the diction of the narrator can be observed and used as a measurable documentation of her progress toward insanity. The development of such a mental state is indicative of the role women were expected to fulfill.

Initially, the narrator expresses what appears to be a distaste for the yellow wallpaper. There are also numerous examples where the role of woman as subservient intellectually inferior beings is reinforced. Take for instance the narrator’s prohibition of writing in the following line, “I did write for while in spite of them;but it does exhaust me a good deal having to be so sly about it, or else meet with opposition.” This not only implies that a woman should not preoccupy herself with mental strain, but also is left to go about mental stimulation in a clandestine sort of way. Thus, this is where her literary exploration of the yellow wallpaper is born. Could it be that the narrator’s experience is post partum depression coupled with isolation? Baby blues is a normal sequence after childbirth, however more than 10 days, “We have been here two weeks, and I haven’t felt like writing before, since that first day,” could be an indication of this type of depression.

Freeman and Chesnutt

I find it amazing what a person is a capable to doing in the name of love. The story of Chestnut’s “The Wife of His Youth,” was very heartfelt and inspiring. Although “A New England Nun” had an unexpected outcome it was still a love story nonetheless. I will dwell on Freeman’s reading more in this blog because Louisa reminded me much of the main character from one of the movies I saw this weekend, the “Ugly Truth.” The plot of the story is humorously criticizing men and women’s perception of relationships and ideas of courtship. The main similarity however was not in the plot, but in the character of Louisa and Abby, a television producer in the “Ugly Truth.” Both characters are very clean and neat women with type A personalities that lead their lives in total control of their environment. Somehow they embody the pure and proper women with pious ideals. Both characters have made a life for themselves by their own hard work and independence. When Louisa finds that she made a promise to Joe that she would marry him upon his return from Australia she plans do so even though the reader get the impression she does not love him. In the Ugly Truth, Abby detests working with Mike, a man she disagrees with for his unforgiving perception of women and relationships, but does so since the ratings of her show have increased since his segment has aired. Both women find themselves tied to a situation they cannot control- a test to their integrity as characters. In the end of the story we discover love to be the great mediator and healer as Louisa realizes the love between Joe and Lily and makes the decision to break her promise and live as a nun. The last line of the story captures very well this catholic allusion. "Louisa sat, prayerfully numbering her days, like an uncloistered nun.” Since nuns are celibate, solitary, and very disciplined by their own will this embodies Louisa very well. As for Abby, she discovers she is in love with Mike, which is strong enough to break down the barriers both characters have built regarding how men and women really are. Lets face it in modern relationships and today's world no one would make the decision to become a nun! Try watching the film yourself and see if you can pick up on any of these similarities. Perhaps it is something I just constructed by direct association since I had just watched the film!

Chopin

I was fascinated by Chopin's stories. They were very captivating and really express another side of the human experience that we have not seen in other works we have read. Borrowing from the prompt that was posted I do see the strong references to sexuality, marriage, and intimacy. Reading a story like “The Storm” in today’s society is no surprise and appears as novice work compared to the sexually charged films that are produced. However, when it was written we must recall that it was done so in a time in which women were held to different standards. During the late 1800’s of southern Louisiana a woman could not vote, did not have rights and much less had any place expressing her sexuality as a woman. For Calixta, in “The Storm” Chopin makes evident that her desire can be embraced regardless of society’s standards of virtue and that an act of nature is inevitable in its physical sense as well as its literary setting. Alcee, her lover also points out, “if she was not an immaculate dove in those days, she was still inviolate, characterizing her as pure of heart regardless of her state of chastity. Again, we are starting to see a new acceptance of women not only as mothers and domestic caretakers, but also as lovers. The idea of the storm is very interesting because it is a part of nature as is a woman’s sexuality and plays out as an extended metaphor throughout the story. In essence, the literary struggle of man vs. nature is at play.

Mark Twain-The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

I find that these stories are very entertaining. Perhaps sometimes it is more enjoyable to read about an isolated situation of a story as you have it then trying to analyze long difficult to read literary work and draw political or national critique. Nevertheless, in someway this is also accomplished in The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. We see that in a small community such as the one Jim Smiley is in people can occupy themselves with theses games of gambling and frog racing. It reminds me of my grandfather who lives in a small rural community in Mexico and on afternoons spends the entire evening at the local town store chatting it up with other elderly gentlemen. What other things are there to do then just tell stories and perhaps drink or gamble when you live in such a small community. Yes I can think of other more constructive activities, however people are social beings and it is much easier to socialize when we are drinking or playing a game. This depiction Twain portrays is kind of a look into the simple life again, a contrast from Industrial America.

Life in the Iron Mills- Davis

In order to get a real picture of what it was like to live in the age of the industrial revolution I will be recommending people read Davis’s Life in the Iron Mills! As compared to today’s society I get the impression that people were much stronger in those days. Their work was a labor of change that they wielded with their own hands. The tears and sweat that was shed by workers such Wolfe Hugh came with sacrifice. Most people in today’ society rely on technology and we suffer from an obesity epidemic laden with Diabetes and Heart Disease and though we may have a surplus of food are world can still be bad. It is easier to be good when you are not hungry and most crime nowadays is because of poverty; however Davis points out that the type of hunger those living in the Industrial Revolution endured was beyond humane and unlike anything else. Yet, like many authors we have studied, the strength of the human spirit is salient as we witness Hugh make art in the form of a korl women statue. The narrator notes she has kept the statue in the corner of her library. I can only imagine creating art to be a way to maintain his sanity in the mills and I’m sure Poe would agree except if he would of wrote it he would of made a gruesome scene out of the factory machinery! The interesting part is that we never learn who the narrator is yet she is optimistic writing “ God has set the promise of the Dawn.”

Melville Post

After reading Melville’s Benito Cereno I pictured myself on board with Johnny Depp on the set of Pirates of the Carribean. There is an air of gothic imagery the way in which the ship is portrayed. Delano stated it reminded him of an old ruined castle. It was a bit difficult to read at first, however as I began to get accustomed the 3^rd person narrative I was able to get a feeling for the characters and the plot. I gathered that what took place was a slave rebellion. The reading was exciting and suspenseful and in many ways struck me as an attempt to give slavery some justification at least from Delano’s point of view. The reader can see in many ways how he is annoyed by Cereno’s carefree attitude in running the San Dominick. One example is when he witnesses a black boy hitting a white boy, which to him is an alarming situation. Cereno merely views this occurrence as child play. This suggests that there is a dichotomy of thought and could be a political interpretation of how slaves should be perceived. All of the characters, mainly the slave workers were also very interesting to follow and became growingly intimidating as the reader discovers they were the ones who ran the ship. The Ashanti conjurers in particular are very frightening! I would hate to be on the same ship with them. Throughout the short story they are depicted as sharpening their hatchets very ominously. Don Benito Cereno I find to be the least threatening and somewhat lax.

Douglass Narrative

As we have seen in previous orations, the spoken word is more compelling and profound than any other narrative of the time. Douglass paints a portrait of the experiences he had as a slave and uses specific detail of the day to day circumstances. In many ways, it is like a documentary of slavery. There is a show on MTV that I sometimes watch called True Life, in which an individual is followed from the moment he/she wakes up to the moment they go to sleep taking into account their daily struggles, activities of daily living, and psychosocial responses. Many times they are dealing with a special circumstance such as having a disability or addiction. Frederick Douglass's narrative speaks that he used corn bags to keep warm because he had so little clothing to use. I cannot even fathom sleeping in a corn bag! They are rough, itchy, and often smell of cow manure. In addition, he was always hungry and reacted in beastly retaliation in protection of his food when he was feed. This an instinctive response that depicted slave owners treatment of slaves as creatures of burden. Douglass accomplishes the portrayal of slavery in the most raw and uncensored account of cruelty from the perspective of the black man. It is difficult to determine if whether women or men had it worse as slaves. I rather not even consider giving pity, the human condition is just the same to me, however we learn from Douglass that the black man was a undeniable target for much violence and callousness.

Harriet Jacobs

As we learned at the very fundamental level, the strategy that the author uses to write his/her narrative has a considerable impact on how we as readers perceive the text. Something that is written as an autobiography or journal as Jacobs "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl," allows for an in depth look at the life of the writer as if we are reading their most inner thoughts and emotions. Although, Stowe accomplishes an excellent way of transcending the inhumane treatment of slaves and poses universal questions of motherhood, it cannot achieve what a first account testimony of one person who experienced being a slave can. When text is written in the first person, the author is able to use all of their senses to convey their ideas. Linda, as a young girl of 12, was able to see her mother die, describing it as seeing "the cheek grow paler, and the eye more glassy..."Without this rhetorical strategy readers may not be able to fully grasp what she went through. I think it is very interesting how in class we mentioned their were 16 accounts of crying in Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin,"however to empathize with a slave's experience and cry from hearing about it from Stowe is much different than getting a personal description of what Linda experienced, felt, touched, and saw. In essence, the latter is a much more powerful statement. In addition, no one can describe love without first experiencing it or not experiencing it! It is this way that, Jacobs can make her story so genuine. When I read Jacobs account of Linda my heart melted much faster than it when reading Stowe!

Stowe

Stowe’s interpretation of slavery during her time is without a doubt captivating the human emotional struggle in “Uncle Toms Cabin”. Her use of rhetoric and careful observance of each character allows the reader to invest in the emotion of their lives. In essence, because Stowe’s book was such an influential and popular work it had to have hit a familiar chord with its readers. With Lincoln’s presidency it may be that the movement toward change was steadily on the rise, but Stowe’s book was definitely a catalyst that hasted the change of slavery’s perception as unethical. The most influential exchange happens in Chapter IX between senator Bird and his wife.

“You ought to be ashamed, John! Poor, homeless, houseless creatures! It's a shameful, wicked, abominable law, and I'll break it, for one, the first time I get a chance; and I hope I shall have a chance, I do! Things have got to a pretty pass, if a woman can't give a warm supper and a bed to poor, starving creatures, just because they are slaves, and have been abused and oppressed all their lives, poor things!” “But, Mary, just listen to me. Your feelings are all quite right, dear . . . but, then, dear, we mustn't suffer our feelings to run away with our judgment; you must consider it's not a matter of private feeling,—there are great public interests involved,—there is a state of public agitation rising, that we must put aside our private feelings.” “Now, John, I don't know anything about politics, but I can read my Bible; and there I see that I must feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort the desolate; and that Bible I mean to follow.”

Here slavery is condemned as going against Christian morals vs the claim that it was better for society to have laws protecting slavery. Again, the idea of change, more specifically change of thought, re-emerges as individuals are encouraged to think for themselves and say slavery is wrong if they feel it in their inner conscience to be so. The fact that Mr. Bird’s wife was a person who like many good women lived the word of God felt the laws protecting slavery could not condemn her for treating slaves like human beings. In many ways, over time this perception of slaves being treated as people, gradually loosens the seem that kept slavery intact. I believe as more people began to read Stowe, her ideals became a part of cultural thought. Stowe gives slaves a name, a heart, and emotions we can empathize with and ultimately proves their incompatibility with the idea of slavery.

Poe

After reading the selection of works assigned it was very evident that the underlying theme of Poe's short stories were of the human mind and psychosis. I have experienced talking to and learning from people with mental illnesses in my mental health course in nursing school and I remember very clearly how the senses can be heightened in individuals with schizophrenia and paranoia. These individuals may make out seemingly innocuous objects to be dangerous or threatening. In the "Tell-Tale Heart, " Poe creates a situation in which the narrator commits a murder, however as reader I am amazed that he admits to "loving the old man. " The narration is centered around the eye of the victim and how its appearance was vulture like, a pale blue with clear film. Somehow as a reader, the narrator is able to justify his murder making it seem that he did a good thing by ridding his victim of the "evil eye." In many ways his language depicts how the eye was its own entity. When it appeared closed, his passion to kill it was subdued. Ultimately, his paranoia gets the better of him. The act of his murder does not appease his mental illness like he believed it would. It is outstanding how creating so much focus on the victims eye that vexed the narrator, Poe could transform a little considered feature into a motive for murder. Towards the end of the story, the eye becomes a nuisance and it is the beating heart of his victim that he imagines to sound from the floor boards. Without creating errie settings as he does in his other short films, Poe manages to still frighten his audience in this tale of mental psychosis.

Hawthorne "Young Goodman Brown"

In his work, “Young Goodman Brown,” Hawthorne accomplishes the task of engaging the reader and maintaining his attention on the moral standing of Goodman Brown. As I read, I was very curious to discover whether Goodman would fall into the temptation and lure of the man in the forest. We know through the text that Brown had mixed feelings about going into the forest, however he pursued his “present evil purpose” through his justification that he could “cling to the skirts” of his wife Faith, appropriately named, and follow her to heaven. It was difficult to narrow down a specific passage that I could use as an all encompassing vehicle for the interpretation of Hawthorne’s work, however I discovered that the entire setting used in the story can serve to understand the theme of secrecy. With the knowledge that Puritan society abided by a strict moral code I came to think that the curiosity for that which is forbidden or unknown is inevitable in human nature. Although ministers were the authority on religious instruction of the time, many puritans had their own secret ideas on how they could practice their religion. Brown traveling to the forest appears to be an allusion to Eden in pursuit of the forbidden fruit. The man that walks with him carried a staff in the shape of a serpent more so represents a devil figure. In many ways it is the perfect analogy to puritans that yearn for their own meaning using a story from the Bible good Christians would be more than familiar with. In the story of Adam and Eve there is a fall of innocence by eating from the tree of knowledge. Similarly, Brown is guilty of following his desire to enter the forest while his wife Faith, more of a symbol of his own faith, looses her innocence, as Eve, for being discovered in the Sabbath. I feel as though 19^th century readers would have found Hawthorn’s work to be an enlightening tale since it spoke of an idea that perhaps was on everyone’s mind, but was just kept as part of the secret self.

In all actuality, one cannot escape the tendency to be a free thinker of one’s own mind. Today, we are lucky to live in society that nurtures free thinking and innovation, however when people are oppressed to any degree they must live in secrecy to hide their inner thoughts and impulses. What we must learn from Hawthorne is that with more knowledge comes more responsibility and we must remain rooted in the ideas we value most. I believe this is best captured when his wife is about to be initiated and he states “look up to heaven, and resist the wicked one.” Here Brown fears loosing his spiritual faith, that which may be diluted by more reason and more knowledge.

Apess and Emerson

While reading both Apess and Emerson’s writings I found myself reading out loud by the end of the first pages. Both works are done in a way that sound as if they are meant to be spoken, however only Emerson’s American Scholar is an actual address. The significance of this style of writing is not very clear to me, however I feel that both serve as templates that allows the reader to be moved by what is said. I was very moved by “An Indian’s Looking Glass for the White Man.” In many ways, it not only speaks of the injustice faced by the native Indians, but encompasses the idea of humanity, the meaning of the human spirit, and a spiritual perspective on the concept of love. My initial impression of this work came from the understanding that Apess speaks not only for himself, but for every person that is disregarded as a citizen. I find that his use of Bible scripture as basis for his argument on equality is an ingenious way to demonstrate the irony of white man’s social injustice. Those men who followed the Bible as good men of their time believed “He who loveth God loveth his brother also.” (1 John 4.21) We know to well though that the native Indians were not treated with the respect of a brother. If we compare Emerson’s work here we will see that his work is also ironic, but in a different way.

Although I was also very inspired by Emerson’s use of words and language at times it was very difficult to follow and grasp his ideas. I gathered the overall concept of the American Scholar through his discussion of nature, books, and action, but also gave note to the fact that he consistently addressed the scholar as man or “man thinking.” I believe that he writes with an androcentric mentality deliberately excluding women from the school of thought and intellect. In section III, Emerson writes that society degraded clergymen as scholars of the past by comparing them to women. "I have heard it said that the clergy . . . the scholars of their day--are addressed as women" One would imagine that a man thinking such as Emerson could fathom the idea that women were of equal mind of men, there in lying the irony.

It is difficult to give a definitive answer in the way both works compare, however I find that the greatest significance of studying these writings together is their contrast. Both demonstrate use of irony as I understand it and question our interpretation of equality. I cannot imagine a time where one could believe another person to be inferior because of gender or race; however we learn that it can be a subjective arena that many writers have used to express their opinions and perceptions of society.

Letter of Introduction

Hi! My name is Santiago Mercado and I am a senior nursing major from Arlington, TX. I sometimes go by Santi. I really do not have a preference it is just a matter of what people have an easier time saying! I was first interested in TCU as a senior in high school when I did some research on health science programs. My initial major was in nutrition, however I quickly discovered that nursing was more my speed and made the change during orientation. I have a wide variety of interests, which include literature, mythology, and science. I am a very open minded person and enjoy learning about the experiences of others. I enjoy traveling and learning new languages. At the same time I need to be around my family and spend much time at home. When I graduate I hope to enter the field of oncology or critical care nursing. I am not a big fan of Grays Anatomy, although ER is pretty good. I am much more of a M.A.S.H. fan. Three things I'd like to learn from the class are where you are from, what are your interests, and what is your favorite thing about TCU?
In this course I hope to of course fullfill my literary tradtions requirement, but at the same time read literature that I would not have read on my own if it was not for this course. My choices in reading usually consist of nursing journals, I enjoy reading the newspaper on my break at work, and also have recently begun reading books on meditation and self help. I sometimes write down random thoughts or ideas I have throughout the day and later revisit them. Also, I occasionally will write down my dreams as soon as I wake. I find that doing this helps me recall them better. Aside from those forms of writing, I do a lot of texting, which hopefully hasn't completely diminished my vocabulary! I Sometimes feel that the method in which we communicate in todays society as created a barrier that we are unaware of. I sometimes enjoy writing letters to my friends during the summer because it is something fun that I feel no one does anymore! I have to admit an email is much easier, but a letter seems to demonstrate a considerate jesture that is genuine and thoughful.
As a final word, I understand that the underlying theme for this course is the idea of change. I, as anyone else I would imagine, would like to express my individuality and voice. I have chosen for my blog to hopefully represent me in a way that seems inviting and gives me a forum to share my ideas in a clear and intelligent manner. At the same time, I want for my blog to be a pleasant environment to share my views and those of my classmates in order to find new interpretation to literature and societal views. With this in mind, I intend for my blog to meet the requirements of the course and gain a better appreciation of major american writers.

I have read, understand, and agree to the terms of the course syllabus, which I see as a contract for our course.