Wa-tah' in Beloved and otha stuff too

Beloved by Toni Morrison has extensive use of the archetype of water. A prime example of this is Beloved's rise from the water. Water is archetypal of life. When children are born, its is from water (fluid) that they are released. In this same way, Beloved is "born" out of the water. We soon thereafter realize that she is in fact the ghost of the baby, Beloved, and that she is just in the form that she would have been if she hadn't died.
In the article "The archetype of water," the idea of a vengeful female ghost is discussed. The ghost either emerges of or from water, or has power through her mastery of water. The article also discusses the archetype of water through mythology, like the myth of Perseus and the Medusa, and plays such as Hamlet, where the woman is drowned in water. Additionally discussed is the cleansing power of water and its juxtaposing destructive side. These are things discussed in this article and how they relate to the archetype of water in the novel, Beloved.


http://www2.hawaii.edu/~davink/MYTHOLOGY%20CLASS/WATER/waterindex.html

The archetype of water

Water is the most primal of all archetypes. Seventy-percent of your body is comprised of this vital element. Sufferers from arthritis are said to be able to feel subtle changes in the weather due to the fluctuations of water within the synovial fluids of the affected joints. Across cultures, water is seen as the driving element behind creation; as an archetype, water seems to possess a cleansing, renewing power that is equalled only by its raw power to destroy, as shown in the recent Asian tsunami and hurricanes affecting the Gulf Region of the United States. Flood myths seem to be a powerful metaphor for water's duality as creator and destroyer.

On a scientific level, biologists are still engaged in studies about the primordial soup from which all life arose; forensic anthropologists are investigating ways to provide evidence for a great cataclysmic flood that ties into Noah's account in the book of Genesis. On the political front, the privatization of water in areas such as South America and in the Middle East seems posed to become a global issue as more and more areas across the globe may become affected by long periods of drought--water will become more precious a natural resource than ever.

The water myth in this class:

This semester, I'd like to investigate the primacy of water as embodied by a central myth: The myth of Medusa and Perseus. Modern visions of Medusa seem to harp on her status as a horrible, snake-like abomination, shunned and reviled by the Greeks so much so that her very visage stultified speech and rendered living men into stone. Ovid's version of this myth may not essentially reveal Medusa's strong connections to water, but our reading of Evslin's text may underscore Medusa's complexities as a mythic figure. Intrestingly enough, I'm not all that interested in Perseus, portrayed in Clash of the Titans by L.A. Law's Harry Hamlin--he just seems incidental to the tale, a buff pretty-boy hero hired to take down yet another monster.

Transmission into literature and into pop-culture:

Arguably, the most famous archetype of the drowned woman exists in Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Ophelia, presumably distraught over the death of her father Polonius, and possibly suffering the 'pangs of disprized love' regarding Hamlet, falls into a stream. Literary scholars have always debated whether or not this act was an accident or a suicide. Decide for yourself.

The other famous woman with water-bound associations is Tennyson's Lady of Shallot. The poor lady is cursed; she cannot see the world directly, but is always forced to look at the world via a gigantic mirror (also a potent symbol). On the day that she sees the gallant Sir Lancelot, however, she feels compelled to break the curse and to stare at him directly, which breaks the mirror, and sets about the conditions of her demise. She ends up drifting down the river to Camelot in a water-drenched bier.

In modern film, the drowned woman archetype unifies a central aspect of this course: the archetype of the monstrous woman/the rational woman. Ever since Hideo Nakata released his film Ringu,countless films have explored the idea of a vengeful female ghost whose primary powers stem from her mastery of water. I am fascinated by this concept.

As such, we can raise the following questions about the archetype as it has made its way into pop-culture:

Why are women the vengeful ghosts, and not men?

Why do images of mirrors abound?

Why is the mirror central to many of these myths?

Why are distorted images prevalent in the myth (cameras, videos, etc.?)

What does the well symbolize in these myths?

Why have the central protagonists fighting the evil specter been transposed from men into women?

What are the implications of technology as it has been posited into the films?

Why has the age of Sadako been reduced in the American version?

What are the fundamental differences between American and Japanese versions of these films?

LINKS:

The Ringworld (the Internet's most comprehensive site on the Japanese and English films about Sadako and Samara, and the cursed videotape.

Ju-OnThe Grudge Website (the official website for the film)

Dark Water (the official website for the film)

What Lies Beneath (fansite for the film)

The Past....

"Can the past ever truly die?
Or, is the past always with us?"

The past cannot die, however there are exceptions to that rule. When the event of the past are forgotten, unrecorded, and evidence obliterated, then the past can be killed, but even that is near to impossible to do.
People know there is a past because there is evidence of it's existence. For example, they say the Dark Ages are the worst time in human history because there is no written record of its existence and slight evidence of it existing. However, we do have evidence, so we know of it's existence, and that it was our past.
In "Beloved" the past never disappears either. It continues to exist, even if the physical proof is destroyed, the "rememory" of it from one person remains in that place to flow into the minds of others. Another way that the past cannot die is because it clings to people. For example, Sethe, from "Beloved," cannot escape her past because of the physical proof that it existed on her body. In fact the state of her body n itself is the proof of the existence of her past. What is worse is that Sethe, similar to Bernice, from The Piano Lesson, clings to the past. Here we can apply a little physics. A person drags their past behind them, because the past never lets go, but how can a person cling to something that is being dragged behind them? Dragging is the act of pulling. So clinging to that which the person is pulling requires the person to stop pulling and stand where they are and then cling to the past. Thus, a person is "stuck in the past," like Sethe and Berniece are. (This lesson of physics sounded better in my head.)  This shows how no matter how hard one tries, they cannot leave behind their past, but they can move toward the future, because the past cannot control that.
Recently I have been reading this manga called "Dengeki Daisy" in my leisure time. This manga is about a boy, names Kurosaki, Tasuku (last name, first name, as is customary of Japanese names) who's father died being called a traitor to the Japanese government. So, after learning this truth, the Kurosaki went on to become a criminal hacker who created the perfect virus to use against Japanese governments own secret code. Soon he was caught, but being a minor he couldn't be punished, and then was saved by a giant business and a friend of his father who pulled some strings to help out the Kurosaki, even though he had been the one to brand the Kurosaki's father a traitor. Throughout the manga the Kurosaki grows up and the story takes on a different plot, since he is not the main character of the story, but second to the main character. However, for the entirety of the manga, which is still continuing, Kurosaki cannot forget the crime he committed in his past. He lives in regret and in pain of having committed that crime. He blamed himself for the death of his best friend and the man who saved him from his past as well. They died to protect him, and he cannot forget that. On the other hand, Kurosaki lives on looking at his future and the road ahead. He realizes that dwelling in the past would bring him only sorry and pain. He cannot escape his past, but he sure can move forward. In conclusion, I repeat the the past cannot die, and will always be present, but it cannot affect the future.

Buzzzzz....Incorrect Questions and my Future in AP Lit

Students missed numbers 4, 7, 9, 13, 21, 24, and 54. This is an assumption f their story...
The reason why students missed number 4 is because the diction used and the phrase were complicated to d3c!ph3r (decipher). The reason that people missed number 7 is because the answer choices were mostly similar to each other. For example, A, B, and D could possibly have been used interchangeably, where A is vague, B is slightly more specific, and D serves only to answer the rhetorical function of the passage, though not the question itself. C was the opposite of A and B, and E was kind of random. The reason I got it wrong is because I forgot that the question was asking about the line now Oxford. and the street. This question also has answer choices that are really similar to each other. For number 13, either B, C, or D, could have been answers because of how similar they were where D sums up B and C in a broader aspect. In this way, this is also like the last 2 questions. That and I just didn't understand how it was funny.The reason that a lot of students got number 21 incorrect is because we haven't had questions about the grammatical function of anything for a while, if at all. For number 24, I believe the word idiosyncratic took us for a spin and confused us. There are two reasons that a lot of people got number 54 wrong. The first is that though it looks similar to an SAT styled question, the vocabulary was "interesting," as in they answer choices could have been used interchangeably. A prime example of this are answer choices A and E whose first words say the same thing pretty much, but the second words are opposites. The second reason is that students might have randomly answered when pressed for time.

My goals are to refine my essay writing. I wish to practice on special strategies to increase my efficiency in writing the AP prompts. I plan to do this by following the following strategy.

• Indentifying literary devices
• Clumping and picking specific ones that I can write about
• Asking myself why the author incorporated these literary devices and what effect it has on the piece
• Making an outline of what to write for each paragraph
• and then writing an awesome essay.

These are my goals.

P.S. Mr. Beddingfield, my statistical strategy did work. I had gotten 2/9 questions that I guessed on correct XP

Test Taking Tips 101

Statistics and Probability SWAG ^_^

That debate...

The class won. That's all there is to it. We may have had scrambled thoughts, but that is because we weren't able to converse on the ideas we had completely. All we were able to share were main topics and such ideas. However, even so, we presented much more factual information on the reasons that Huck Finn is a book of quality to be taught in school, with the right guidance. Mr. Beddingfield had very good points as well. He is a very well versed speaker. However, right after the 2nd and around the 3rd rebuttal, his statements just seemed to repeat with additional opinions and details. Where we were able to present a great deal of factual information and details to support our ideas. I end this on a note stating that, if we able to gather and organize our notes, ideas, and information more efficiently, then we would have done infinitely better in the debate.

Arguments on Huck

Jane Smiley,
Say It ain't so, Huck

I agree with Jane Smiley on a few topics. I agree with her on the subject of why people think Huck Finn is a great novel. She says that people only think it is a great novel because the great writers and poets say it is so. The people who have argued against it have gotten stampeded back because of the mainstream thoughts that the book is a masterpiece, because people like T.S. Elliot say so. She goes on to note that T.S. cannot sympathize with Huck because he never played around like Huck and other children did. Thus reasoning that a book is good, just because some famous guy said so, is flawed.
She brings several things to light. She says that there is more to be learned from how the novel is written than from the novel itself. Also she says that Mark Twain didn't realize that his story went from a story for boys, to a novel for men because of the long pause that was taken in writing the book. I agree a little bit on this part because it could have happened. Twain could have been scrapping for ideas and forgot about certain details about the book. This is also why she says that the last 12 chapters of the book were failures. Also at this point, Jim apparently stops developing as a character. All the things depicted in the book seem, to me, to be ideas that seemed to be popular at the time,  and appealing to the readers of that time.
I don't quite agree with the other stuff that she says. For example. she argues a lot about how race plays into the text. In addition to that, she focuses on the development and also the underdevelopment of Jim, "the slave." She seem's to show bias towards Uncle Tom's Cabin and the subject thereof. This is kind of an unfair comparison because the book being discussed is Huck Finn, where Uncle Tom's Cabin is a random book that she likes. It serves no purpose. I believe that back in the day, what Twain wrote is just what people talked about, and what people were thinking, or at least what Twain was thinking. The only thing that I agree with her on is her view on the definition of racism as a definition convenient for the oppressors but not the victims. This is what I think about Jane Smiley's article, and the things I do and do not agree with. 

Irony

http://roosterteeth.com/archive/?id=3763&v=more

This video is called Video Game President. The reason that I know that the video is not serious, is because there is no such thing as a video game president. That and because some topics discussed in the video, simply do not exist and can not occur. It begins making fun of Herman Cain and certain policies he's proposes. The voice in the video makes the scene dramatic, and then calls Herman Cain a Socialist after launching a series of claims against him. Then the sponsoring candidate popes up. He says that he supports 2nd amendment and thing such as that. Then he adds that he will protect video game rights. The man calls himself Chit Cramney, which is a knock off of Mitt Romney. The name mocks Senator Romney. "Chit Cramney" starts off with something simple such as border security, free speech, etc.. Then he exaggerates the statements by adding a comment about video games in after it. Presenting thoughts in this way appeals to the audience that are gamers, and they won't get called out for making political comments, knowing that they are a comedy company. Also just coming out and saying things might make them lose supporters. This is how I know that this video has irony, how, and why the people use it in the video.

Mark Twain found Huck's Berries, and then he gave them to Ah Mary!

Chapters 26- 30
So far in the novel a lot of stuff has happened. Joanna Wilkes questions Huck. Then Huck feels bad about "tricking" such nice women. So he sneaks into the room of the con men and takes the money and takes all $6000 with him. Then Huck hides the money inside Peter Wilkes coffin. It is then, by strange circumstances buried with Wilkes. The con men split up a slave family and liquidate the land. Mary Jane is crying about the separation of the slave family. Huck feels sad for her so he tells her the entire truth on accident. Huck makes her "go to a sick friend's house" for the night. We can tell that Huck has a little crush here. He even reminisces that he still thinks about her. Then the coolest thing happens, the real Wilkes brothers arrive from England. The whole time afterwards the 2 Wilkes brothers and the 2 con men attempt to prove to the lawyer who is who, but in the end everyone goes after all the men. When they get to the grave of Peter Wilkes, they find the money hidden there. With all the ruckus, Huck and Jim sneak away. However, the 2 cons find Huck and Jim. The old con man is pissed at Huck for leaving them and almost chokes Huck. Then the 2 con men argue saying the other left the money in the grave, but they get over their quarrel and sleep.

Dear Mark Twain,
     In class we are reading your novel Huckleberry Finn. In these times there are many people that say that the book is controversial and insulting to some people. They wish it banned. Others respect your work and say that any changes to it would deprive students of what you wanted them to notice. Your intricate writing and use of symbolism, the concept of racism, journey, etc... help shed light at the times at hand. I like how you show the world through the eyes of a semi-innocent young boy and show how he matures through out the story. Another thing I like is how you build up the conscience of Huck slowly throughout the story, and then have him take action following his morals, logic, and conscience to do what is right. This is seen when he notices that humanity is despicable, when the con artists trick the townspeople for the play and the townspeople trick the rest of the town into getting tricked by the con artist. Then his morals kick in when he decides to help out the nice ladies in getting what they deserve back again. This coming of age story, along with the explanation of existence in that time period, are what I believe makes your novel, Huckleberry Finn, a great American classic.

Sincerely an AP LIT Student,
 Dhruval Darji


P.S. The use of the crazy dialects overworking my brain cells. OMG holmes!!!!

Huck "Dragonberry" Finn

The novel "Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain expresses many impressions of people through the eyes of a child. Huck is a kid around the age of 10 or 11. He has some education and has considerable background settled through Mark Twain's, " The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." The things that play a major role in the novel  are education, racism, and the river which represents the journey that Huck and Jim, who is the slave that is running from his rightful master to work in the North so that he may buy his family from slavery, take up the river.

The journey tests Huck's intellect as he learns new things and applies that which he knows. Throughout their travels we see Huck mature and grow up from his childish ways as he learns the morals of society. Huck makes decisions from his experiences, sense of logic, and his developing sense of morality. 

Another thing we notice is how Huck treats Jim and Jim's character in the novel. Huck treats Jim as he was raised too, which is pretty stereotypical and racist. However, as he continues to hurt Jim, Huck realizes the errors of his ways. As the novel progresses. Huck's treatment of Jim  shifts from stereotypical to full of moral sense when they meet the con artists on their journey. The action by the con artists, through Huck's eyes, make Huck feel ashamed of humans. This mainly refers to white people. As a contrast to this, Twain makes Jim, the black runaway slave, seem as if he with his knowledge and superstitions, is more caring and "human" than all the controversial and hypocritical white people. This is shown especially when Jim cries over beating his daughter for no reason when she had actually gone deaf of scarlet fever and he thought she was ignoring him. 

The reason that both Huck and Jim runaway is to get freedom. Huck wants to escape his abusive father, and Jim wanted to be free. However, they realize that even though they are on the path to freedom, the world around them is anything but safe. What with floods, robbers, murders, con artists, etc.. they learn that the world is anything but safe. In fact, they are ironically still surrounded by the dangers that they are attempting to escape. 

These are things that I have picked up while reading Huck Finn. Though, I believe that the kid is crazy, he has a great deal more intellect than most of the people. I can't say that I look forward to the rest of the book, but I do look forward to Huck's antics.