I find the way the story commences to be intriguing. It starts out with a story of the ideal American family playing like a broken record. Jane lives in a beautiful green and white house, she has two parents and a cat and they are all very happy. Her mother is nice and her father is strong. Jane is perfect and has a kitten and a dog. It appears as though Jane is the perfect contrast of Pecola Breedlove. Jane has security. Pecola has none. The first chapter is a titled from a line from this song, the song most of us hear as a painful backround to our lives......to be cont'd

Beg. of thesis

Through distinct literary and artistic devices Gene Yang creates a masterpiece exemplifying a universal struggle to find self acceptance in a world comprised of unrealistic expectations. In contrast the Bluest Eye exhibits a similar but equally powerful notion through poetic and metaphoric facets wholly tragic and mature. Is one mode of representation more effective in portraying the repercussions of a distorted identity ?

Listening to the conversation

I feel as though many of the texts we explored in class are interrelated. The theme of " American Born Chinese" and the excerpt we explored in class from Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay on self-reliance are similar. These pieces converse with each other and both bring forth insightful observations concerning identity and self-acceptance. In Emerson's essay it is stated that, "There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide." Although this statement is rather ambiguous the observation can be made that a definitive risk exists in concentrating effort solely on being another person and not taking the time to explore or embrace who you truly are. In furtherance of this, if an individual is trying emphatically to imitate another person they may lose themselves in the process. They may forfeit their soul. It is here the overlapping of themes can be witnessed. As I sit here attempting to listen to the Dove commercial, Emerson's essay, American Born Chinese, and a variety of other contrasting modes of representation converse. I have come to a conclusion. I hear them all saying relatively the same thing but in different ways. Due to this each time a new participant enters this perpetual conversation within my mind, something unique is revealed that provides new insight transcending what a singular mode of representation could provide on their own. It is comparable to a color wheel; the red of Emerson's Essay on self reliance when coupled with the blue of the Dove commercial produces a majestic purple derived from an enriched understanding concerning the nature of self-acceptance in contemporary society.

American Born Chinese part 1

My initial impression of American born Chinese is; very intriguing. I liked how the story begins by capturing the audience through the use of mythological elements. The monkey king is a character who possesses human interest appeal. I can personally relate to the monkey king and his desire to be like the superior immortal beings. When he is not admitted to the party because he is a monkey and he is not wearing shoes a window to glimpse this situation in the context of reality/contemporary society is presented. I think most people feel (during one time in their life) a desire to fit in, an inkling of envy or a small bit of vindictive sentiment. This theme becomes increasingly more apparent as parallelism unveils itself. The monkey king and the young Chinese boy introduced in the second chapter are both fighting in the same struggle. This struggle is void of self-acceptance and comprised of societal alienation and a strong desire to be another person/being.

Thoughts on Hook's ideology

By focusing on popular culture and representative forces utilized in the media, Bell Hook is shedding light on the concept that the media does indeed manipulate the audience. Through certain social constructs an ambiance is created on the screen to stimulate the viewers and make them feel a certain way. I do think this is a true notion. Not only does this manipulation occur through racial facets, it occurs on a variety of different levels and the danger of perpetuating certain belifes is very real. In scary movies their a certain music played to make the audience feel a sense of foreboding. Many factors in the media are used to tap into our sensibilities.

The painting La Guernica elicits many emotions to rise to the surface within the observer observing the scene I feel saddened, tense and as though a cloud of unalterable foreboding is above me. The authenticity of bang's insights concerning the emotional value of artistic elements is proven as my eyes briefly rest on Picasso's work. The lines in the painting do indeed "...imply tension." The darkness consuming the scene in its entirety feels unsafe to the observer. The picture is crowded, an upper half is non-existant, there is no freedom or happiness only chaos.

What are real books ?

Real books are a mode of expression. They represent a diversified way of communicating. This can mean broadcasting an idea to oneself (diary), informational data, or fictional stories. This is a rather limited denotation. The meaning of books encompassess so many facets in my life, I can not possibly articulate what books mean to me in a realistic time frame.

As I mentioned previously in my "considering the cartoon man" blog, I am fond and rather used to exploring literary works void of pictures; books in which you are left to your own imaginative devices. Due to this I have never read any literature comic in nature and the stereotypical predispositions residing remain. I must admit one of the primary reasons I have not curled up on my couch with a comic book in the past is because I did indeed view comic books as " kiddie." But my opinion concerning the nature of comic books is changing.

An exploration of multiliteracy and multimodality

The delectable smell of ham and golden brown marshmallows covering sweetened yams aromatically descends upon the house. Out of my window I see my neighbor’s customary green and red lights adorning the shingles of their home. Laughter fills the house and the volume rises in proportion to the relatives entering it. I feel warmness enveloping me like the welcoming embrace of an old friend and from these things I know before even placing one anxious toe out of my bed, today is Christmas. In response to the question, “In what everyday situations might you encounter multimodality?” I attempted to take myself back to a time and place in which I had an “old school” multimodal experience. Although I am sure almost every one of our daily happenings has multimodal elements I was looking for something distinct and I immediately thought of the arrival of Christmas. I am now (with the longing of a hungry college student trying fervently to budget their money) preoccupied with thoughts of a Christmas dinner. Putting the ham aside though, this is my perception of the new concepts I have just been introduced to. Multimodality is when the environment communicates something to an individual by engaging their senses. For example when my environment clued me in that Christmas had arrived through smell, sight and touch or when I watched a presentation in my literary interpretation class in which an orange and various questions were used to effectively portray literary theory. To be multiliterate is to have the ability to understand how the orange is representative of literary theory. In essence it is having the capability to analyze and understand through sensorial information, messages sent to you via your environment. To become a true master of the art of multiliteracy you must be able to speak multimodalguese (not a real word, but the first one that came to mind :). You must be able to use multimodality as a means of communicating and channeling ideas.

Considering the Cartoon Man

I have never before read any comic book style novels and I have found “Understanding comics,” to be quite interesting. I enjoy Scott Mccloud’s conversational style of writing. It feels as though he is jumping about on the page, pointing at things while staring me straight in the face and systematically addressing every one of the preconceived notions I had concerning comic books. My biggest challenge as a reader is the fact that I feel a little overwhelmed, letting this cartoon man pull me into a new world is different but at the same time enticing. The fact that I am enticed surprises me. I have always loved books with no pictures, books in which you are left to your own imaginative devices. But I think comic books bring something intriguing to the table. Further exploration is warranted. I do feel (in light of the new concept of multimodality) that comic books offer a reading experience that is more multimodal than anything residing thus far on my literary repertoire. In “Understanding Comics” Scott Mccloud is animated and I mean this in more than just the literal sense of he manifests himself as a cartoon. He has a voice, it is neat to watch him as he interacts with his cartoon world.

Literary Theory in Contemplation

As I read over the various literary theories and the elements they were composed of, one distinct phrase continued to come back to me in my ruminations. In a religious perspective literature can be read as though jewels of "eternal truth"can be found within the text. Upon reading this a lightening bolt of personal insight struck me in the very seat in which I currently reside leaving the upholstery rather charred. Reading is (for me) an innately spiritual act. In a multitude of instances books have been soul food, a mode of self-discovery, even a safe haven. Through the lense of limitless characters I have found an ounce of truth. I almost implicitly gasp to make such an audacious claim. For, what is truth ? And yet I dare, because the stories I have read represent one of the most fundamental forms of "truth" I know. Oh, the irony of finding solidified authenticity concerning the human condition in the plights of (in most cases) fictional characters; characters such as Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom, Sir Orson Scott Card's Abner Doon and countless others.
Another literary theory that adheres to my sensibilities is the reader response theory. It is only natural to look at a text through glasses that are colored by our own world views, opinions, and subjective experiences. When I look at the above paragraph I just wrote, I can see that this way of looking at literature is already a prevalent component in my interpretive style. Who knew ? A couple of minutes ago I interpreted " eternal truth, " as something completely different than what is customary. For me "truth " had nothing to do with religion, discerning our origin, or the Holy Grail. For me "eternal truth," means enduring characteristics of the human experience.

In furtherance of " What is an American ?"

It is impossible to encompass everything an American is in words... the diversity of America is formidable when considering how to articulate it. Even in "Travels With Charley," John Steinbeck skimmed the surface of what characterizes American people, and he traveled across the entire country making observations. I believe Walt Whitman's poem about the American people offers an interesting glimpse at one person's perspective, but I do not think (as Langston Hughes acknowledges) it includes many components of what an American is.

What is an American ?

An American is an individual who possesses the freedom to exercise intellectual elasticity. A person who when hearing the colors red, white and blue almost instantaneously brings forth from the neurological archives a picture of a flag swaying in the wind. Americans often express their patriotic sentiments by either loving the president, or being passionately opposed to the president, for in both cases one is being patriotic. More significantly an American can engage in making an opinionated decision without fear of immediate death as a direct result. Americans are as diverse as an ecosystem at the bottom of the sea, with a multitude of different colors and textures, but ultimately we are connected by the fact we are miles under the surface together, we can swim freely together, and as we idly swim in the vast open areas we can be eaten by sharks together.

The Kushiel's Dart Trilogy is one of my favorite fantasy series. A friend introduced me to the books a couple of years ago ... and I have never recovered from this initial exposure. Jacqueline Carey tells an amazing tale.