"I gotta go now."
"Why?"
"'Cause Momma gon' be lookin' for me soon. And if your folks catch us, they ain't gon' let us play together no more."
"I know."
(161).
At this point in the text, Perfect has discovered that she is actually Paul. He is hanging it out with Eva Mae for the first time since his family went back to church and everyone found out the truth. During this particular scene, Eva Mae and Paul are hanging out like they usually do, however since Paul's new identity has come to public knowledge, things are a bit different now and both Eva Mae and Paul recognize this. They are both still close to one another despite the sudden change however, it is no longer appropriate for them to play together because boys and girls are not allowed. Eva Mae is the only friend Paul has felt close to; she is his only community that he has left and in order for them both to preserve their friendship, they have to be secretive about it, otherwise they will be unable to see one another again. As the story continues to unfold from this point forward, the reader is able to see that community plays a large role in people's lives. Without community we are left to feel alone, ashamed, scared and silenced. As an outsider, anything we do wrong can be held against us and further ostracize us from community, family and friends. Community is one of the biggest building blocks for a society and if one person is left out of that community, there seems to be nothing left for that individual. We don't know what community really means until we have lost it.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Annotated Bibliography and New Proposal
New Proposal:
Within the genre of memoir, truth is a theme that is constantly being challenged. Memoirists narrate their lives through memory, while simultaneously referencing metaphor, myth and other mediums outside the “factual” truth of the author’s story, to create a relatable narration of a life or part of a life. In Without a Map, Meredith Hall creates a comprehensible, intimate narration of the past in relation to the present. In telling her story, she informs the reader, “I believe we are accountable, that what we do stays in the world” (200). She believes that as individuals, we are responsible for our own actions and our own lives. For Hall, it is her responsibility to remember the past; it’s not a choice. Without a Map is her way of holding herself accountable. In writing her life, she begins to answer the “why” and the “how” of not only her parent’s actions, but her own. Even though several moments in the text utilize metaphor, these metaphors reinforce Hall’s truth. Tom Larson, author of The Memoir and the Memoirist, believes “that any writer must hold himself accountable for his memoir. And where else should he do this but in the writing. It seems so obvious. But still, few memoirists understand how co-creative accountability and remembrance can be" (107). Hall is one of those few memoirists who understand this relationship.
Annotated Bibliography:
Laron, Tom. The memoir and the memoirist. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press, 2007. Print.
Taking a personal approach to the genre of memoir, Larson's book is comprised of multiple chapters which explore memoir in terms of literature, recollection of memory, personal narration, history and culture. While referencing published memoirs as well as published journals of psychology, he speaks to the heart of what he believes memoir is and how it should be critiqued. Specifically, there are a few chapters in this text which focus on the idea of myth-making, truth, and authenticity within memoir. I plan on using these particular chapters and relating them to Hall's memoir, showing how Larson's ideas of truth support Meredith's views on truth.
Eire, Carlos. "Where Falsehoods Dissolve: Memory as History." Tell me True: Memoir, History, and Writing a Life. Eds. Hampl, Patricia and May, Elaine Tyler. Borealis Books, 2008. p. 163-178. Print.
Carlos Eire's essay discusses the reason behind his publishing his memoir. As a native Cuban who now lives in the United States, he is prompted by the controversy over Elian Gonzalez' deportation to write his story, one he feels that very often goes untold. Frustrated with the ways that history portrays Fidel Castro as a hero, he feels the need to set the record straight by bringing forth the horrors of the Cuban Revolution. He believes the memory best serves in terms of history, bringing the big lies into the light and making people realize the truth. While perhaps, on the surface Eire's story may seem unrelated, his belief in the important relationship between truth, history, and memory coincide with Hall's view of the importance of their interrelationship.
Pals, Jennifer L. "Constructing The "Springboard Effect": Casual Connections, Self-Making, and Growth Within the Life Story." Identity and Story: Creating Self in Narrative. Eds. Mcadams, Dan, et al. p. 175-199. Print.
Throughout this essay, Pals explores the psychology behind personal identity and self-making through "casual connections" which is a strategy people use to create a coherent life story, emphasizing that the life is story is a process of interpretation of past events, relationships, etc. and is always in the making. According to Pals, there tend to be three different ways in which people use this idea of "casual connections" to promote or demote personal growth, the most healthy of which is called "The Springboard Effect." "The Springboard Effect" is a process through which an individual willfully allows himself to open his mind to new ways of thinking about past events, so as to productively change his interpretations of his life story and come to a more positive understanding of his life. I will use this essay to show how Hall uses this precise way of thinking in order to come to a more personal understanding of her past in relation to the present, further supporting her idea of truth.
Smith Sidonie and Watson, Julia. Reading Autobiography: A Guide for Interpreting Life Narratives." Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2001. Print.
In this book, both Smith and Watson explore the history of memoir in terms of autobiography criticism, theorizing, historical perspective, and the various types of life narratives that have existed throughout history. They also spend some time analyzing why memoirists utilize certain narrative tools: how and why they use certain types of memory, identity, etc. and what it means. I plan on using this text to explore the ways in which Hall utilizes these tools in her memoir and how they allow her to narrate as story that she believes is truthful.
Rainer, Tristine. "Your Life as Story: Discovering the "New Autobiography" and Writing Memoir as Literature." New York, NY: Penguin Putnam, Inc. 1998. Print.
Rainer's book presents a practical guide through which to learn how to write memoir, exploring ways in which a writer can delve into and sift through past memories. While exploring the structure of story telling, as well as her own personal understanding of what a story is, she also examines the idea of truth within the genre. I will use this text to explore who Rainer's idea that there is no one right answer in regards to truth within memoir, further supports Hall's personal narrative as truth.
Within the genre of memoir, truth is a theme that is constantly being challenged. Memoirists narrate their lives through memory, while simultaneously referencing metaphor, myth and other mediums outside the “factual” truth of the author’s story, to create a relatable narration of a life or part of a life. In Without a Map, Meredith Hall creates a comprehensible, intimate narration of the past in relation to the present. In telling her story, she informs the reader, “I believe we are accountable, that what we do stays in the world” (200). She believes that as individuals, we are responsible for our own actions and our own lives. For Hall, it is her responsibility to remember the past; it’s not a choice. Without a Map is her way of holding herself accountable. In writing her life, she begins to answer the “why” and the “how” of not only her parent’s actions, but her own. Even though several moments in the text utilize metaphor, these metaphors reinforce Hall’s truth. Tom Larson, author of The Memoir and the Memoirist, believes “that any writer must hold himself accountable for his memoir. And where else should he do this but in the writing. It seems so obvious. But still, few memoirists understand how co-creative accountability and remembrance can be" (107). Hall is one of those few memoirists who understand this relationship.
Annotated Bibliography:
Laron, Tom. The memoir and the memoirist. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press, 2007. Print.
Taking a personal approach to the genre of memoir, Larson's book is comprised of multiple chapters which explore memoir in terms of literature, recollection of memory, personal narration, history and culture. While referencing published memoirs as well as published journals of psychology, he speaks to the heart of what he believes memoir is and how it should be critiqued. Specifically, there are a few chapters in this text which focus on the idea of myth-making, truth, and authenticity within memoir. I plan on using these particular chapters and relating them to Hall's memoir, showing how Larson's ideas of truth support Meredith's views on truth.
Eire, Carlos. "Where Falsehoods Dissolve: Memory as History." Tell me True: Memoir, History, and Writing a Life. Eds. Hampl, Patricia and May, Elaine Tyler. Borealis Books, 2008. p. 163-178. Print.
Carlos Eire's essay discusses the reason behind his publishing his memoir. As a native Cuban who now lives in the United States, he is prompted by the controversy over Elian Gonzalez' deportation to write his story, one he feels that very often goes untold. Frustrated with the ways that history portrays Fidel Castro as a hero, he feels the need to set the record straight by bringing forth the horrors of the Cuban Revolution. He believes the memory best serves in terms of history, bringing the big lies into the light and making people realize the truth. While perhaps, on the surface Eire's story may seem unrelated, his belief in the important relationship between truth, history, and memory coincide with Hall's view of the importance of their interrelationship.
Pals, Jennifer L. "Constructing The "Springboard Effect": Casual Connections, Self-Making, and Growth Within the Life Story." Identity and Story: Creating Self in Narrative. Eds. Mcadams, Dan, et al. p. 175-199. Print.
Throughout this essay, Pals explores the psychology behind personal identity and self-making through "casual connections" which is a strategy people use to create a coherent life story, emphasizing that the life is story is a process of interpretation of past events, relationships, etc. and is always in the making. According to Pals, there tend to be three different ways in which people use this idea of "casual connections" to promote or demote personal growth, the most healthy of which is called "The Springboard Effect." "The Springboard Effect" is a process through which an individual willfully allows himself to open his mind to new ways of thinking about past events, so as to productively change his interpretations of his life story and come to a more positive understanding of his life. I will use this essay to show how Hall uses this precise way of thinking in order to come to a more personal understanding of her past in relation to the present, further supporting her idea of truth.
Smith Sidonie and Watson, Julia. Reading Autobiography: A Guide for Interpreting Life Narratives." Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2001. Print.
In this book, both Smith and Watson explore the history of memoir in terms of autobiography criticism, theorizing, historical perspective, and the various types of life narratives that have existed throughout history. They also spend some time analyzing why memoirists utilize certain narrative tools: how and why they use certain types of memory, identity, etc. and what it means. I plan on using this text to explore the ways in which Hall utilizes these tools in her memoir and how they allow her to narrate as story that she believes is truthful.
Rainer, Tristine. "Your Life as Story: Discovering the "New Autobiography" and Writing Memoir as Literature." New York, NY: Penguin Putnam, Inc. 1998. Print.
Rainer's book presents a practical guide through which to learn how to write memoir, exploring ways in which a writer can delve into and sift through past memories. While exploring the structure of story telling, as well as her own personal understanding of what a story is, she also examines the idea of truth within the genre. I will use this text to explore who Rainer's idea that there is no one right answer in regards to truth within memoir, further supports Hall's personal narrative as truth.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Blog Holiday
Hey All,
Taking a Blog Holiday this week...see you all on Tuesday! Hope you have a great weekend!
-Jake
Taking a Blog Holiday this week...see you all on Tuesday! Hope you have a great weekend!
-Jake
Friday, November 5, 2010
The Good News (p. 147-148)--Matt Mason
This poem is all about the speaker. It is one that I cannot imagine being performed at home, alone in the living room. This is meant for an audience. It is meant to be spoken with humor and vulnerability. It's meant to be spoken with a human voice. It is not meant to be spoken, necessarily, by an avid believer in Jesus, in the strictly conservative religious sense, as this poem could possibly be seen as offensive, as if Jesus were being made into a joke or spectacle.
I think the poem speaks to religion and the many ways in which Jesus can be viewed. I find this poem to be hilarious, honest, frank, tasteful, and beautiful. It's the voice of a man who believes that all in all, Jesus is a good man. He's cool and a great role model: "he's no/show off/That's what I like about Jesus, (stanza 1)." He is someone to admire, to follow. The speaker makes the listener and reader relate to Jesus by using common cultural references. And, isn't that the intention: for Jesus to be someone we can relate to now matter how much time has passed? What would Jesus do, right?
Well, according to Mason he "makes a kickass mix tape" and "loves cows" and "likes blue jeans" like the rest of us. He's a regular person like you and me who has likes and dislikes. But at the same time he's the Son of God. The speaker cannot deny that he is not merely a human. He is omniscient: "Jesus pisses me off with his honesty sometimes. But it's not like he's ever wrong." He uses humor in wanting Jesus to make Diet Coke instead of Wine, making the point that for Jesus, there is no difference between the two, implying perhaps, something bigger in the sense that everything and everyone should be equal. He also narrates the ridiculous antics through which humans endeavor to get into Heaven, which Jesus finds to often times be self-centered and not genuine.
All in all this is a very spiritually rooted poem with an "unorthodox" approach: "Jesus wanted me to tell you he loves you/Jesus also wants you to stop doing that thing." I nearly burst into a fit of laughter with this line because even though Jesus loves you no matter what, he doesn't always agree with the way you live your life and we should all strive to be closer to Jesus. At the same time there is still a hint of human uncertainty and we see that Jesus is still above us: "Jesus tells me I'm saved/Then he laughs real loud/Jesus makes me nervous when he does that." It leaves the audience with a particular uncertainty. I felt a knot in my stomach in the last line. It makes one question the implications. Only a strong voice that believes in the integrity of this poem can perform this piece properly.
I think the poem speaks to religion and the many ways in which Jesus can be viewed. I find this poem to be hilarious, honest, frank, tasteful, and beautiful. It's the voice of a man who believes that all in all, Jesus is a good man. He's cool and a great role model: "he's no/show off/That's what I like about Jesus, (stanza 1)." He is someone to admire, to follow. The speaker makes the listener and reader relate to Jesus by using common cultural references. And, isn't that the intention: for Jesus to be someone we can relate to now matter how much time has passed? What would Jesus do, right?
Well, according to Mason he "makes a kickass mix tape" and "loves cows" and "likes blue jeans" like the rest of us. He's a regular person like you and me who has likes and dislikes. But at the same time he's the Son of God. The speaker cannot deny that he is not merely a human. He is omniscient: "Jesus pisses me off with his honesty sometimes. But it's not like he's ever wrong." He uses humor in wanting Jesus to make Diet Coke instead of Wine, making the point that for Jesus, there is no difference between the two, implying perhaps, something bigger in the sense that everything and everyone should be equal. He also narrates the ridiculous antics through which humans endeavor to get into Heaven, which Jesus finds to often times be self-centered and not genuine.
All in all this is a very spiritually rooted poem with an "unorthodox" approach: "Jesus wanted me to tell you he loves you/Jesus also wants you to stop doing that thing." I nearly burst into a fit of laughter with this line because even though Jesus loves you no matter what, he doesn't always agree with the way you live your life and we should all strive to be closer to Jesus. At the same time there is still a hint of human uncertainty and we see that Jesus is still above us: "Jesus tells me I'm saved/Then he laughs real loud/Jesus makes me nervous when he does that." It leaves the audience with a particular uncertainty. I felt a knot in my stomach in the last line. It makes one question the implications. Only a strong voice that believes in the integrity of this poem can perform this piece properly.
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