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March 28, 2007

Word up: Simulacra

This means in Latin "to put on an appearance of." I thought this was so appropriate because as study signs and the origins of language with postructuralism, we are gaining more knowledge of what's a real solid definition as opposed to a shakey one. Examples could be a picture of something as a substitute for the real "brass-balls" object (to get all manly on you, now I thought brass-balls was appropriate).

Posted by ErinWaite at 2:29 PM | Comments (0)

Do fries come with this burger or just a birds and the bees talk?

Berger, Postmortem for a Postmodernist -- Jerz EL312 (Literary Criticism)
While Berger's writing was very sexually charged, I got a laugh out of the basic humanity he was trying to portray by allowing the characters to discuss their sex lives so openly. Each character seemed to just go off on their own little tyrades and theories about who was right and wrong, but as I read more about the history of postmodernism, I realize that as critics we are those little voices. We each have our own way of looking at the text and interpreting it. To be completely postmodern, I guess you have to be completely open to everyone's interpretation whether you believe in it or not

Posted by ErinWaite at 2:23 PM | Comments (2)

Lay on the couch and tell me how you feel, Captain Happy.

Wright, ''The New Psychoanalysis and Literary Criticism'' -- Jerz EL312 (Literary Criticism)
"...Linguistically oriented psychoanalytic criticism can analyze structures in a meaningful, or should I say meaningless way, whether or not the implied ideology of the method is accepted." (399)
This seems to say that it's good to psychoanalyze the structure of the writing and the language a little so that we can put the writers on a more human level and get more meaning out of the writing instead of just focusing on one aspect. I can see the example of Captain Happy watching the nursing mother as a good example on Wright's part because we can analyze his motives and the characters easier. What I don't know is when is it and is it not appropriate to psychoanalyze text?

Posted by ErinWaite at 2:03 PM | Comments (2)

Oops, I've "ruptured" my Levi's

Derrida, ''Structure, Sign and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences'' -- Jerz EL312 (Literary Criticism)
"Free play is the disruption of presence." (362)

This seems to be all about disruption and as soon as I saw the word "freeplay," I thought it sounded like fun. You can call me Bubbles now, Val :) When I further read into it, I realized that freeplay is really just about figuring out whether we need to decipher and figure out the sign behind it or living without the boundaries of a label and using structuralism to pin it down. Pinning something down to one meaning definitely ruptures the system. Then again, Derrida seems mildly obsessed with rupturing in the beginning. Either way is it so important to pin everything down to one metaphor or one way of presenting a metaphor?

Posted by ErinWaite at 1:42 PM | Comments (2)

Don't f with the system, our flanneled friend is in control!

Keesey, Ch 6 (Introduction) -- Jerz EL312 (Literary Criticism)


"So the system must be already there at the beginning;it must be always already there." (345)
I realize that we are all creatures who respond to signs. When there is a red octagon, we stop or at least tap on the brakes and pretend to. When we see certain faces in South Park, we know it's a laughing matter, but is that really how we are as critics? We could very well be. If everything is already originated from another "sign" or idea, I guess we are not as diverse as we think. It makes me think--Oh, no! What if we run out of ways to criticize originally? Fear not, dear ones, poststructuralism is here to say the day in a flannel a shirt ashing on your lawn chairs--oh yes, he is here to deconstruct the whole poem into one big fat sign that your friends can come over and drink Long Islands around. Sounds like a party, right? Or at least, a more manageable construction site in which you can look at parts of the structure (language being the big boy) and decide where that phrase may have come from or what the real meaning is. Wait, there is no real meaning, because everything we say is a metaphor of something else. Do we really need our flanneled poststructuralist friend, if we're all just a bunch of posers? You decide.

Posted by ErinWaite at 1:13 PM | Comments (2)

March 22, 2007

Word up: Alliteration

It's a mnemonic device used often in poetry. It's when words in a poetry line or perhaps a sentence in a book begin with the same letter and sound. Alliteration is usually used to make the phrase stand out. Think of Peter Piper picking a pack of picking peppers, corny, (in this case of pepers, hot stuff) but you remember it don't ya?

Posted by ErinWaite at 9:04 PM | Comments (0)

Progress Report on Term Project

Thus far, I've went to the library and checked out a bunch of books related to The Tempest and Pale Fire. I would like to do my term project most likely on The Tempest and perhaps the historical context in that, but I'm still unsure. I'm currently working on looking at my essays on Turnitin.com and deciding which is my best. Then, when I get there, I'm going to compile library info with whatever I can find on Ebscohost and perhaps in past works of the authors.

Here's the plan for the next few weeks:

-I'm going to the library to search for more books on my topic, once I choose it.

-I will make an outline of key points and quotes

-I'll then pick an argument and use the books I have to form an argument.

-Once I form my argument, I will develop my thesis and use quotes to back it.

-I will compose a rough draft and have it reviewed by 3 non-partial people

-Then, revise, rehone the argument and keep truckin'

That's all so far, Dr. J :)

Posted by ErinWaite at 8:36 PM | Comments (0)

March 21, 2007

The Heimlich ain't just a manuever:The Presentation Blog

Freud, ''The Uncanny'' -- Jerz EL312 (Literary Criticism)

When I first signed up to present this, I, like David thought that we would get to poke fun at male genitalia and the incest Freud seemed so fond of when I’d read him in my first psychology class. Instead, I found that Freud gave a clear definition of uncanny by starting at the basics with the word “heimlich” and building a strong argument on the fact that we really only find situations uncanny if they are unfamiliar and we feel that they really could happen in our personal lives. He uses Jentsch to back most of his thoughts.

First, he started with meaning and then provided examples. Heimlich means “familiar.” Thus, what is uncanny to us is what is unknown and fearful. This didn’t quite register and I kept wanting to link it to the heimlich maneuver, so to sidetrack a bit, here’s how I think it relates: the heimlich maneuver is done to remove “unfamiliar” objects such like chicken wings or Lego, so therefore it does relate in a twisted way. The definition brings up my first question to you: Does the unfamiliar make you fearful ? Why or why not?

Heimlich is also defined as secretive and the characters of Blade Runner were secretive in their own ways and my blog on the Freudian reading explains this further, but what I learned the most from watching the movie, was the influence that Freud has on our culture as a whole. Here are some of the factors I noticed that he used to describe the uncanny.

1. Automatons-inanimate objects come alive and we are disturbed, by the feeling, but don’t quite do anything about it. Some fun examples to argue whether uncanny or not: The Mannequin or perhaps Splash. Lorin’s blog is an excellent example of whether or not something of the fantasy world can be uncanny if it doesn’t evoke fear. She says of Beauty and the Beast: “I'm sure those townsmen were pretty freaked out when they were getting beat up and then dressed as drag queens by a talking, moving wardrobe and scalded by an animate tea pot and her teacup child. I'm sure uncanny is a good word for how they were feeling at the time. But, once again, the audience does not feel uncanny as a result - on the contrary they feel as sense of triumph along with the castle's inhabitants.” This made me laugh, but it makes for another good question: How do Disney movies relate to Freud’s definition of Uncanny and can you think of some other examples?

2.The Castration Complex-severed limbs, especially ones that move even afterwards are especially disturbing.

3.Déjà vu/Repetition- Denamarie’s blog contained a very good quote on how repetition is uncanny: "...this factor of involuntary repetition which surrounds with an uncanny atmosphere what would otherwise be innocent enough, and forces upon us the idea of something fateful and unescapable..." (390).

4.Omnipotence of Thoughts- “The idea that the world was peopled with the spirits of human beings, and by the narcissistic overestimation of subjective mental processes.” (393). Freud’s example of the old man dying after he was annoyed with him reminds me of the superstitious and vain way we think our thoughts have power over others. Do you think omnipotent thoughts do have any powers and did you see any of that in Blade Runner?5.The Eyes: Tiffany had an excellent blog on this. Do tell. Kevin also explained intertextuality and the eyes.

6.The Double or Fear of Death: “This invention of doubling as a preservation of extinction has it’s counterpart in the language of dreams…” (castration) (387). Do you think that cloning relates to this? Do you think the self preservation made the replicants more human-like in Blade Runner?

Overall, Freud gives us a look at how we can apply his theories in and outside of literature (Thanks, Karissa. Your blog did a great job of explaining this) and that to be uncanny is not necessarily scary. We are not as powerful as we think, but do still get excited when a certain number keeps popping up or we feel like we’ve been in the same place twice. We may not want to commit incest or do the heimlich maneuver but at least we will understand that when it’s uncanny, it is unfamiliar and is more uncanny when it becomes a reality.


Posted by ErinWaite at 8:00 PM | Comments (5)

Peek-a-Boo-Eyes Can See You

Scott, dir. Blade Runner (Director's Cut) -- Jerz EL312 (Literary Criticism
read Freud first thankfully, since the Pale Fire experience, I learned my lesson. I thought it related perfectly to Blade Runner's plot full of eyes, replicants, and Asians. Just how uncanny can you get? Lets see:
The Voight-Kamph test with the eyes was very Freudian indeed. The memory implant concept also made me realize the importance of the replicants having them so they could appear emotional and what I find so funny about it is that Dr. Tyrell thought emotions make people easier to control. I feel that emotions make people even harder to control. Look at the (oh no, repetiton, Freud fans) repression in The Yellow Wallpaper, she went nuts. People see therapists nowadays if they see a kitty commercial and feel sad, so of course emotions make us even more out-of-control. On the other hand, emotions make us vulnerable to other people and can easily make us easier to control because people can use our emotions to their advantage. It's a tough call, what do you think?

Posted by ErinWaite at 5:59 PM | Comments (0)

Blade Runner: Peek-a-boo, Eyes Can See You

Scott, dir. Blade Runner (Director's Cut) -- Jerz EL312 (Literary Criticism)

I read Freud first thankfully, since the Pale Fire experience, I learned my lesson. I thought it related perfectly to Blade Runner's plot full of eyes, replicants, and Asians. Just how uncanny can you get? Lets see:
The Voight-Kamph test with the eyes was very Freudian indeed. The memory implant concept also made me realize the importance of the replicants having them so they could appear emotional and what I find so funny about it is that Dr. Tyrell thought emotions make people easier to control. I feel that emotions make people even harder to control. Look at the (oh no, repetiton, Freud fans) repression in The Yellow Wallpaper, she went nuts. People see therapists nowadays if they see a kitty commercial and feel sad, so of course emotions make us even more out-of-control. On the other hand, emotions make us vulnerable to other people and can easily make us easier to control because people can use our emotions to their advantage. It's a tough call, what do you think?

Posted by ErinWaite at 5:47 PM | Comments (2)

March 13, 2007

Word Up: Semiotics

This a term that Charles Sanders Peirce came up with and it refers to the study of signs and the way meanings are derived from them. This doesn't just mean a stop sign or a no-smoking sign, but rather how someone uses body language (smiles, high-fives) and even clothing to represent feelings, etc. What you are wearing can symbolize to others a certain vibe, so watch out you little hipsters!

Posted by ErinWaite at 12:04 PM | Comments (0)

March 12, 2007

Swann is really just a silly goose

I'm sorry, that was cheesy. But really, he didn't need to kill that many trees to tell us that he feels Benito Cereno is a mystery and that we have to re-read it a few times and become detectives ourselves to interpret the meaning. He used some examples from other works to demonstrate the importance of looking at historical context, thus re-iterating the importance of intertextuality. I just felt like I was slogging through Melville all over again in this criticism, so at least Swann served his own purpose.

Posted by ErinWaite at 1:31 PM | Comments (3)

Frye's reading of The Tempest: We want to be Peter Pan once in awhile

"And it is Shakespeare who gives us, as members of his audience, his island, as one would give a child an apple, but with the further hope that we will not stop with eating the apple but will use its seeds to create for ourselves new seas and even more enchanted islands." (305).

Frye again goes back to the fallen world discussion and also uses a variety of examples of other plays ( hello, intertextuality) to stress his point that what seems like child-like illusion can be reality and vice versa. I liked how he explained that to really get the full dramatic experience, we shouldn't lose our sense of wonder just as Shakespeare tried to strive for. We still get excited over our favorite Disney movies (at least I do) and I believe that's because of the excitement of escape and the idea that while it might not be reality to us now, it seemed like it could be when we were children.

Posted by ErinWaite at 1:09 PM | Comments (1)

"Culler" in the lines

"In my book, he says, they will read themselves and their own limits." (297)

I liked Culler's idea that structuralism is more about how we look at our own perceptions of what "the soul" is and what is symbolic of something else to us. He seems to want to enjoy the way literature effects us. It either expands our minds or hinders us. Thats kind of extreme isn't it?

Posted by ErinWaite at 12:53 PM | Comments (1)

Frye: A Balancing Act

"Criticism will always have two aspects, one turned toward the structure of literature and one turned toward the cultural phenomena that form the social enviroment of literature." (284).

I liked how Frye spoke in the first person and left out alot of the hoo-ha, look at me, "I can use big words" voice that most literary critics use. He (?) talks about the "escape literature" in the sense that we use it to compensate for experiences we haven't had and that we get excited more over the habit of going to the movies and reading. This also reminds me of how much we tend to put all of our eggs in one basket when it comes to lit. crit. We tend to put more effort into a criticizing and looking deeper into works we admire and give rave reviews to the genre we already admire rather than stretching our muscles and criticizing in a manner we're not comfy with. The two aspects Frye focuses on explains how we look at a work in one way or another and try to separate them. I think being a good critic may just being able to combine the two to form a more balanced opinion.

Posted by ErinWaite at 12:24 PM | Comments (2)

March 8, 2007

Imitation is flattering, but can cause floppage

"By orienting the poem toward the world of poetic convention rather than toward the world of empirical reality, they eliminate the problems that haunt mimetic attempts to explain how verbal constructs can 'imitate' this reality..." (277)

Yikes, I don't know if I'm getting the right meaning out of this quote but, what I picked it because it included alot of the terms and discussions we've had previously. I think Keesey could have said, we don't necessarily always imitate reality, but perhaps the artwork of others we admire. I've noticed in some of my writing classes that people tend to stick with the genre they are most comfortable with and mock their favorite writers. I'm not condoning or condemning in this (I'm super-guilty on genre-theft), but I think as critics it's our job to look at whether the author is discussing their own reality or just looking for the right formula that will make their writing fit in with their own favorite authors.

Posted by ErinWaite at 8:42 PM | Comments (5)

Pale Fire: Not so pale, just plain fidgety

I'll tell ya, reading the Intro and the Commentary even before the reading is somewhat helpful, but what we drew me in the most about the writing was the style and his gift for metaphors and word choice. He was a bird-lovin' man and a true Zemblan at that. I have to agree with Karissa that I have no idea what Vlady is doing in this, was he a drinnking buddy of Shade's or what? I liked Lolita (I stopped at the purse part, I swear I'm going to finish it), but I need to know what his role is in this rubber-banded index carded-work of 4 cantos is really about, so it's time for some research, kids! For now, as an "I write favorite quotes on gum wrappers girl," here are some of my favorites, let's discuss:
" Your ruby ring made life and laid the law." (p. 50) This reminds me of his wife's ruling over him almost with just the slightest flick of her wrist, oooh I have a ruby ring, too (lol). I've noticed her kind of guiding him along the bumps and in the commentary the author said she would almost talk for Shade...I wouldn't want her as my wife, thanks.

"A non-dressable in morning dress." (p.54)
This reminds me of his dealing with age, face it as we age we are not so hot-to-trot when it comes to dressing. I'm seeing more and more old men in at Denny's in Rocawear sweats with penny loafers, I don't think they are representing anything or in morning dress, rather just happy to wake up in the morining.

I LOVE the line on p. 66 when he compares himself with Marat as he shaves in the tub. You can't get any lazier than that. It got a little gross after that...
p. 57 "The Year of the Tempest," come on people, we can compare his daughter's death with The Tempest or simply how a tempest is a tough time...now there's a high school paper for ya.

Another favorite is how he compares the 3 chambers of their home in which he, his wife, and daughter shout back and fourth and how that is like a 3-act play. Good metaphor and it reminded me of the happier times with his daughter. Don't we all shout back and forth (sometimes things the neighbors really don't want to hear) to each other because we are too lazy to actually walk down the hall to talk to a family member?

Finally, I was excited for him when he thought someone else shared his death vision, but she saw a mountain. She seemed like one of those women who call KDKA every time the girlscouts ring her bell selling cookies too much or someone's dog fertilizes her lawn. We wouldn't be friends. Speaking of friends, I think the commentary is great for explaining some of the chaotic lines and it depicts the author's close friendship. I'm ashamed to say it, but I actually enjoyed some of the commentary. Especially when he discusses finding frivolous instructions on what to feed the cat and how the blinds should be so as not to damage the furniture. It sounds exactly like the 4-page instructional letter my pap sends us on how to turn on the lights and and unlock his doors in case we randomly decide to drive three hours to sit in his basement while he's living it up in Florida. Better safe than sorry, folks! Please talk :)

Posted by ErinWaite at 8:09 PM | Comments (2)

March 1, 2007

Word up: Icon

I thought this rather appropriate with all the talk of it in the readings this week. It's a sign that shows what it represents by it's similarity to whatever noun it's depicting. A noun, is a person, place, or thing in case you never took English in elementary school (ha-ha). The term is also used to represent religious figures like our buddy, J.C. Some other examples would be the pictures you click on to get somewhere on the computer faster. Hmmm.... how about a picture of a squirrel? Guess what that stands for....

Posted by ErinWaite at 10:10 AM | Comments (2)