The Final Blog Post! Short Stories this Semester

For the last blog post, i'd like to discuss some of the short stories we have read this semester. I feel that some of my favorite stories are "The Yellow Wallpaper," "Mrs. Spring Fragrance," and "The Foundations of the Earth." I feel that each of these stories really summed up some of the themes of this class.

In "Wallpaper," we discussed the issues of a woman's isolation and mental health. Jane's husband, a doctor, does not feel she is really sick and his negligence actually causes her mental break. Jane states that her husband does "not believe i am sick!." This story is important to me because i feel that it criticizes not just her husband, but the society in which she lives in that does not understand her as a woman.

In "Spring Fragrance," we saw a healthy relationship between a husband and wife, something which is rarer than i would have guessed when discussing gender roles. Although the couple has their difficulties, i rooted for this couple, especially in the passage when Mr. asks Mrs. to continue talking of her matchmaking: "It is not important to me now,' returned Mr. Spring Fragrance, 'I prefer to hear again about...'" (514). I loved this couple and was glad to see the man-bashing discarded for this story.

In "Foundations," we talked about one woman's struggle with the news of her grandson's homosexuality.  I loved this story and thought that it was touching and did not feature her complete acceptance of the news she is given, but rather details her journey to acceptance. This is a more realistic, deeper story, and is one that is extremely relevant for anyone trying to tell his/her family about him/herself.

I feel that many of the stories we've read this semester are extremely similar and give the same man-bashing message i was worried about when taking this class. However, i do feel that the three stories i've picked out are some of the stories which are different and have deeper themes about gender and sex. I enjoyed these stories greatly and am glad i was exposed to them.

Last Blog Post :(

I was wondering if anyone had found any intersting articles on Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" and or the feminism in the short story. I am writing my critical essay about "The Yellow Wallpaper" and the feminism in it. I am mainly focusing on Gilman's life and comparing it to the story. Also I am going to focus on John in the story and try to explain how understanding John will help us better understand Gilman's feminist message in the story.

If anyone has found any articles I would greatly appreciate knowing about them. Also, if anyone needs a book on Gilman and feminism, I have a great one that I borrowed from the library about it. It's been very helpful for my paper and I would not mind sharing it with anyone.

I have very much enjoyed this class and reading everyone's posts and hearing what everyone has had to say in class. I'm going to miss my Monday, Wednesday, Friday morning class. Good luck on exams, everyone! See you tomorrow :)

Will the family curse ever end?

We talked a little in class about whether Oscar's death ended the curse that seems to have fallen on this family. It seems the answer is no.  Yunior gives a dreaded premonition that it will carry on to the next generation affecting Lola's daughter. Lola's daughter wears a necklace to protect her from harm "But on a string around her neck: three azabaches: the one that oscar wore as a baby, the one Lola wore as a baby and the one that Beli was given by La Inca" (329). Yunior implies that this necklace will only be able to shield her for so long. He says "One day, though, the Circle will fail," (330) and when it does Isis will be exposed to the No Face Man. But Yunior also is hopeful in that she will be able to stop the misfortune that has fallen the family "And maybe, just maybe, if she's as smart and as brave as I'm expecting she'll be, she'll take all we've done and all we've learned and add her own insights and she'll put an end to it" (331). Yunior's insight gives the book a very ambiguos ending leaving the reader to question if this family will ever break free from this curse.  It has affected every generation of this family. It didn't end after Abelard was tortured to death at the hands of Trujillo. It didn't end after Beli was nearly beaten to death. It didn't end after Oscar was beaten to death. So what will Isis be able to do to put an end to it?

Last Thoughts I Wanted to Share

For my last post, I'd like to get some thoughts about my paper on here. I'm talking about the female embodiment in texts by Fanny Fern and Lucille Clifton. Both of these women were awesome. They used writing to deal with life situations in their own ways.

Fern manipulated societal rules in order to accommodate her own comfort and health and to help fight social injustice. She was a cross-dresser. She wore men's clothes not only for her own comfort, but also to challenge the laws stating that women could not wear pants. Her article "A Law More Nice than Just" chronicles a time when she stepped out in her husband's clothes rather than sitting at home or catching "a consumption dragging round wet petticoats" (Fern 2106). She went against social norms to protect and comfort her own body. 


Clifton's poems reveal a powerful exploration of the female body. Her poems were progressive even for readers in the late twentieth century. The poems “to my last period” and “poem to my uterus” establish the female body as the core of the female identity while managing a distinction between that core and the woman as a whole. She wrote these in response to her upcoming hysterectomy which was being performed to induce menopause. She was coming to terms with her impending loss of "womanhood." 
 

These women used personal situations in their writing to comfort themselves and other women experiencing similar situations and discomforts. Without their contributions to literature, people might not feel the same way toward female embodiment. These women are my heroes. 

Hatin on Abelard

Dr. Hanrahan asked us about why we hate Beli so much and why there is so little for Abelard. This got me thinking and while Abelard is generally likeable, I have decided to hold him in contempt.

Abelard, as we know, is a genial man. He has friends, he's intellectual, he's well off, and he is Dominican. He has a mistress in whom he confides and (apparently) loves. We keep saying that with each evidence of the fuku the person brought it on themselves, Beli with messing around with a married man, Oscar with returning to the DR, Abelard had escaped out notice. It seems like he just had the bad luck to have Trujillo's eye fall on his daughter, but he did bring it on himself. He dithered. He wasted his time when he could have acted boldly and saved both himself and his family from the fuku that befell them. In short, he Hamlet-ed in a grand way. He did it twice; once initially when Trujillo notices the absence of his wife and daughter and a second time when he knows the doom is coming. Diaz says "For the next three months, Abelard waited for the End." (223) Instead of acting, even when he knows the doom is coming, he simply waits. It's not for lack of options, his mistress suggests they flee to Cuba, they could have left for the States, gone back to Mexico, any number of things. He worried about it before his first real contact with Trujillo and he simply waited for the end after.

Rather contemptible, don't you think?

Final Thoughts on Oscar Wao

I was hoping this story would have a happier ending for Oscar, but was foreseeing the ultimate end way prior to its fruition. I actually found the non-traditional style Diaz took in telling the story of this family, through many different lenses, enhanced the effects of the text. I felt it also aided in getting to know this family as a whole. I enjoyed the insertion of Spanish dialogue into the text (and enjoyed looking it up in the translation app I have on my phone- there are some BAD words!). I want to take a few moments to discuss my views on two of the complex characters within this story even though I know, through class discussions, that some of you may disagree, but that's okay.

Oscar had been chasing girls since he was in preschool. He was described as a "preschool loverboy who was always trying to kiss the girls" and give them "...the pelvic pump" (Diaz 11). As he grew older, his weight became the obstacle between him and the girls. He still remained intrigued by them and in continual pursuit of them. He ultimately sacrificed his life for one, Ybon. Was it an act of true love or his one opportunity to get laid that he couldn't pass on (even though it would bring death)? I believe that Oscar's choice to return to Ybon was a conscious suicide. He knew he would be murdered, but didn't care. I believe he wanted to die but could not die a virgin so he went to the place where he could accomplish both objectives: get laid and die. I felt sorry for Oscar but would have liked it if he had been strong enough to resist the hyper-masculine views of his culture and embrace himself as an individual. It's idealistic, I know, because we all suffer the same dilemma but I would have liked to see Oscar's character mature and emerge from the stereotypes and Diaz didn't give that to me.

 Beli is the character I attached with the most. Maybe it is because she is a mother and I am a mother, maybe it is because we both suffered traumas as a young person. Whatever the case, I admired her ability to break away from her country and start a new life. It wasn't an easy life and she wasn't always the best mother (I would NEVER say those horrible things to my children), but I understand the motivation behind it. As I said in class, I believe that when you become a parent you strive to bring your children to the finish line in the best possible position for life. Sometimes, you look back on your own life for guidance. In witnessing the choices Beli makes in parenting her children, I believe that Beli feels that if La Inca had been harder on her the outcome would have been different. It may not have been different, and I certainly don't advocate abusing children, but both of her children went to college and had a brighter financial futures then Beli ever did. Does that make her a success as a mother? I don't know, but somehow I respect her for her strength and overwhelming love for her children. She didn't always show it, but I never questioned whether it was the fuel to her fire.

My Final Post (One Last Look at the Identity Crisis Present in Modern Texts)

            For my final blog post, rather than talk sully about The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, I will also incorporate the theme that my research essay revolves around.  As I mentioned in my previous post, and in class on Friday, I believe that Oscar’s family is suffering from the loss of identity.  This loss, I believe, is represented in both fuku and the faceless man.  Coincidently, I am also writing my paper on the loss of identity that is present within The Sun Also Rises.  This realization of loss in a character’s life is largely present in a number of texts that we have read this summer.  When analyzed thoroughly, it is generally the main catalyst or issue of the story.

            According to author Daniel J. Singal, “Modernist thought represents an attempt to restore a sense of order to human experience under the often chaotic conditions of contemporary existence.”  Not since the time of the Enlightenment had a time period brought forth so many major changes as did the 20^th century.  Events such as World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II left individuals feeling lost, confused, and often times angry.  The years 1914 through 1945 proved to be an emotional rollercoaster for many, with ideas of nationalism being crushed by the Depression, only to be reignited with the start of another war.  These historical events clearly played a large role in literature.  Due to authors feeling out of touch with the zeitgeist, they reconciled by crafting characters who were desperately searching for their place in the world.

On the issue of modernity and its importance in literature, literary critic Martin J. Plax writes:

“Modernity was an interest in change and the measurement of change.  To speak of Modernity, therefore, means to speak of two novel ways of perceiving, thinking, and judging.  While the sciences seek certitude about Nature, the novel investigates the existential and aesthetic truth about human experience” (Plax 275).

This search for aesthetic truth is still present in 21^st century literature, which Junot Diaz clearly demonstrates.  This feeling of loss is something that has lingered, and in some ways grown, since the 1930’s.  An individual’s loss of identity is now a common theme amongst many novels.  Even in our own lives as college students we are searching for our place in the world.  Perhaps by reading texts such as what we have read this semester and in previous classes we will have a better perception of this struggle?  Either way, the issue of an identity crisis never ceases to craft an interesting character for readers to indulge.