Skipped

Today in class, Professor Sexson went around the room and told everyone in the class how much of a treat it was to have them here this semester - except for Jen Pursell and me. So I would like to take a moment to say Jen, it has been an honor to sit behind you each day in class and I thoroughly enjoyed your presentations as well as your blogs. I'm really sorry you did not make it into the graphic design program, but maybe this will just give you the opportunity to find something that you enjoy even more so than art.

That is all. Have a nice finals week, everyone.

The Last Blog

It's a wee bit late, but this will be my final blog. This class has proven to be the most exciting and rewarding class that I took all semester. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I am taking Professor Sexson's Mythologies class in the fall. Coming to this class each day, I know I was going to look at whatever topic we were discussing from a different perspective by the end of the hour, or I was going to learn something new either about myself or about a work of literature. I was also impressed by how intelligent all of my peers were. Everyone seemed to know quite a bit about literature before coming to this Intro. To Lit class. This class was a breath of fresh air compared to all of my science classes and I hope that my Mythologies class this fall will be just as beneficial.

Just a little something

I don't expect this to count as an actual blog entry, but I thought it was humorous take on a not-so-humorous play. Enjoy!

South Park

In class, it was mentioned that the part of the episode of South Park we watched was similar to a plot in a Greek tragedy. While this may be true, when I watched South Park, I can't help but think back to Joyce Carol Oates. She wrote the story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" after reading about the Pied Piper of Tuscon and all the horrific murders he Chalrles Schmid committed. Anyone who keeps up with the television show South Park knows that their episodes are very topical and up-to-date with what is happening in mass media (i.e. the Tiger Woods sex scandal, the Terri Schiavo case, Al Gore's advocacy for global warming, etc.). I've seen interviews with Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the creators) where they have been asked if after 14 seasons they ever feel like they're going to run out of ideas; and the answer is no. Every story is just a retelling of a previous story and when these news stories are broadcast to the public, it creates the perfect timing to portray that story in a different way.

I think Oates and the creators of South Park do exactly what Emily Dickinson once advised: Tell the truth, but tell it slant.

Jungian Psychology

A concept that I was introduced to that I found extremely interesting was Carl Jung's theory on psychology - or analytical psychology. In fact, I find his "shadow" theory to be more plausible than Freud's (not that I don't think Freud was an intelligent man). The idea that we all possess this unconscious complex of repressed feelings that represent our "darker" self is so fascinating and so undeniably true. At least for me anyway. According to Wikipedia's page on Carl Jung, each individual handles their shadow in four different ways: denial, projection, integration and/or transmutation. Overall, I would say that I perfectly fit the description of the "introvert" - I'm quiet in class, hate drawing attention to myself, and would much rather sit on the sidelines and watch that participate in all the hullabaloo.

The reason I thought Yevgenii's paper on the shadow archetype was so interesting is because I often feel like I possess the repressed, darker feelings in my subconscious. I feel like we all seem pretty nice on the outside and appear to have good intentions, but deep down I don't think there is any denying that we all have a Fyodor Karamazov hidden beneath the surface. Have you ever had an experience where someone was rude to you and you wanted to say something incredibly harsh and vile to them but choose not to because it is so beyond your persona and would break the social norms? I think that perfectly sums up the repressing of one's dark self. Any "acting out" I've ever done is completely passive-aggressive and typically goes unnoticed by everyone else. I'm more of a only-think-mean-thoughts-rather-than-say-them kind of person who represses her shadow, I guess.

Really?

This is a short and pointless blog, but it has to be said: the cattiness is unnecessary. I don't see why we all need to start calling each other "unintelligent" and bashing the presentations of our peers. Constructive criticism is wonderful, but throughout the past few days, I think it is pretty obvious that everyone worked hard on their presentations and don't deserve to be put down for what they said in class. And I apologize to any of my classmates if they were unhappy or bored with the fact that we had a "pre-planned speech" - having notecards was not intended to make us seem uninteresting.

Anxiety of Influence

Aw jeez. I really hate presentations. Not watching them, of course, but being in them. It makes my stomach turn, it makes my heart race, it increases my rate of respiration. For as long as I can remember, presenting in front of a group of people has been my biggest fear and college is really forcing me to get over this fear, but it's been a rough process.

All of the presentations in class have been so wonderful, it makes me anxious about our group's presentation. I think we've concocted a pretty creative idea and it's not that I don't have faith in the people in my group, it's just when it comes my turn to speak in front of the class, I'm sincerely hoping I don't flop.

I walked in late on the first group presenting on Monday (the one that was a debate) but I think both sides made some pretty interesting points. I would never write someone off as uninteresting because they've never or rarely read books. I think listening to people's experiences is very intriguing. But hearing someone's opinion's or thoughts on a book and how is relates to their own life almost makes for richer conversation. Analyzing themes of a novel forces you to think outside of your own experiences, outside of your own box. While going outside and living life is always a plus, there are some experiences that one can only get from reading a really profound book. But then again, I don't want to spend my entire life on the side lines, reading, while my life is passing me by. I think it's healthy to have large quantities of living and reading.

On Being Ignorant...

This literature class has given me the ability to comfortably admit that I am ignorant. I know some people in the class became highly offended when Sexson announced that we all are ignorant, but honestly, we are. We are not all-knowing beings, hence we are all ignorant to a certain extent. In fact, I would much rather have a conversation with someone who freely admits that they don't know everything, but are willing to explore and learn more about subjects that they aren't already stubbornly fixed on.

Yeah, okay, you like reading long novels. Congratulations. You're still just as ignorant as me and everyone else.

It might just be an opinion, but people who don't think they are ignorant probably aren't self-aware enough. Admitting that you know nothing is the first step to wisdom, in my opinion. Reading is a wonderful way to break from ignorance, and the Brothers K. is a novel that excels beyond most that I've read in that are. And you know what? It's not because it's a 700+ page book. If you start reading it, and really getting into the the content, you almost forget just how long the book really is. It covers every topic that makes for great literature and overs insight into issues that are still considered taboo today (I think it's safe to say that Dostoevsky was ahead of his time, no?).

I've read several books that are on-par with The Brothers K. that were half the length. I guess that I'm trying to say is that even though reading and finishing the Brothers Karamazov was a gratifying experience, I don't feel like I've suddenly become "un-ignorant" or whatever. Do I feel like I've made progress in understanding that there is so much about the human condition that can never be understood? Yes. Did I learn to look at life the way Dostoevsky does in his novel (that is, that we are all responsible for everyone else's actions)? Absolutely. Do I feel like I've been struck by an all-knowing bolt of lightning because I finished a long book? Of course not. Reading this book was an insightful experience, but it's only a small stepping stone towards abandoning ignorance. I feel like every book you read has that effect. Not just the long ones.

I simply feel like I know a little bit more about a world I will never fully understand.

Presentations + More on Thesis

After seeing the presentations on Friday, I was rather impressed. I really liked how the first group incorporated the theme of "retellings" (essentially the main theme of the class) with modern references in film. After taking this class, I too have noticed that I have an especially keen eye for reenactments in literature and film. I thought the first group definitely used their resources well (powerpoint, video, interactive game show with the class).

The second presentation was wonderful. I think they did a really good job at keeping the class entertained while still providing some informative instruction. I think that was the ultimate goal of the project is to do something that can be silly and fun but still benefits the class. I would say the bar has been set pretty high and hopefully my group's presentation doesn't fail to entertain and inform as well.

But on to my thesis statement for the class: I don't think I like mine anymore. After Professor asked everyone what their thesis statements were in class, he seemed to have a very positive reaction to everyone's ideas. However, when he came to mine, it seemed as though his reaction was fairly lukewarm. So for my new thesis I will be discussing the dynamic roles of women in the Brothers K. and how they are different and yet similar to the brothers of the story. And why they are attracted the the Karamazov men, and why they keeping going back and forth between them, trying to decide who they really love. I want to further investigate on what Dostoevsky is trying to say about the women in the story. So, ultimately, my paper should end up being an analysis of the main female characters in the Brother's K. I'm hoping this thesis will work better. Maybe.

God Loves Puns - BK Thesis

I loved when we were talking in class about how Shakespeare was quite fond of using puns in his plays. It's true, for some people, puns are often eye-roll inducing but it's the nerdiest and most fantastic form of humor I can think of. And trust me, not just anyone can come up with a really good pun. My friend told me a really good one the other day (in relation to Star Wars) : "Lookin' for love in Alderaan places." As lame as that may sound, you have to admit that it is pretty witty.

Now on the wonderful work of literature by Dostoevsky himself...

I really want to do a thesis relating to Ivan Karamazov. For me, he has been one of the most interesting characters in the story and throughout the book, I can often see apart of myself in this character. While I don't consider myself much of an intellectual, throughout most of high school, I struggled with the idea of God while all of my friends were devout Christians who lived and breathed for Christ. Personally, I never had an "eye-opening" experience and I've never been reborn as a believer in God. And I don't know if I ever will. But at the same time, I so badly want to believe in a higher-power that is responsible for all the complexities and unanswered questions in the universe. However, like Ivan, I refuse to accept a God that would allow the torturing of innocent people.

So for my thesis (and I don't know if this will work, but it's a start) I want to discuss the middle Karamozav brother and his beliefs. I think it will go something like this: "Whether or not Ivan chooses to believe in a God, he will constantly be in a state of despair due to theodicean views of God."

It's still kind of a work in progress, but I think I've got the ball rolling a little bit on this paper. Also, does anyone know if "theodicean" is the proper adjective form of theodicy? I just threw in what I though sounded correct.

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

So I'm dropping a fair amount of eaves around campus, trying to spy in a an argument between a male and a female, when I remembered a little movie that perfectly describes conflict between male ad female. When Harry Met Sally perfectly sums up all of those arguments we've either had or seen with someone of the opposite sex. And the funny thing about it is that no matter how hard we argue our point, the person of the opposing gender is NEVER going to be able to understand because a female's perspective can't always be translated to a male's point of view (and vice versa) for obvious reasons. I now refer you to the "Why women and men can't be friends" scene in When Harry Met Sally.