Some feminist readers critique the Twilight series on the grounds of domestic abuse--they claim that Edward Cullen displays attributes that are common among men who commit acts of violence against women.
The issue of violence and romantic relationships was prominent in pop culture last spring, when Chris Brown beat Rihanna. Reactions to this situation were varied. This New York Times article discusses some disturbing fan reactions to the incident. Recently, both Chris Brown and Rihanna gave interviews to discuss the incident. Watch snippets here.
I'm curious to see what connections you see between the popularity of the Twilight series and the views of relationships it includes with issues of domestic violence. I'm also curious to see how you might connect these issues to the Chris Brown/Rihanna incident, as well as to our previous discussion of rape culture.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
wom 203: reading for monday, november 9, 2009
Hi All!
For next Monday's class, I'd like you to read the first four chapters of Stephenie Meyers' draft of Midnight Sun. Of course, you can read more, but we'll talk about the first 89 pages or so.
While reading, I'd like you to consider how the story shifts when told from Edward's point of view. How do we view Edward and Bella's characters differently? How do we make sense of the relationship and the attraction between these two characters? Does Edward's behavior make more or less sense? And, how is gender constructed for both Edward and Bella?
For next Monday's class, I'd like you to read the first four chapters of Stephenie Meyers' draft of Midnight Sun. Of course, you can read more, but we'll talk about the first 89 pages or so.
While reading, I'd like you to consider how the story shifts when told from Edward's point of view. How do we view Edward and Bella's characters differently? How do we make sense of the relationship and the attraction between these two characters? Does Edward's behavior make more or less sense? And, how is gender constructed for both Edward and Bella?
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
wom 203: vampire diaries
In the wake of Twilight, teen vampire series--both textual and visual--have proliferated.
On Monday, we're going to watch an episode of The Vampire Diaries, a new series on the CW, which is based on the novels written by LJ Smith. The first trilogy was originally published in 1991, and in 2009 a related trilogy was published.
I wanted to show you the first episode in the series, but it is not currently available. Instead, we will jump into the middle of the season with episode six.
While watching, consider how the male and female characters compare to Edward and Bella. Compare the relationships, how each gender is portrayed, the scary/creepy/sexy aspects of the vampire in particular, and anything else of interest.
After class, write a one page freewrite building on a feminist comparison of the two series. We'll discuss on Wednesday, and I'll collect the freewrites.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
wom 203: feminism and philosophy
For a solid overview of feminist history, but particularly the history of feminist ideals and philosophy, check out the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
wom 203: have we come a long way?
Here are several images and links to popular culture artifacts mentioned in the first two chapters of Feminism and Popular Culture. Enjoy!
A vintage Lysol ad
A WWII homefront propaganda poster
Rosie the Riveter
Vargas Pin Up Girls
Red-Headed Woman
Hattie McDaniel's Oscar Acceptance Speech
Mildred Pierce
I Dream of Jeannie
Splendor in the Grass
Miss America Protest in 1968
Beatlemania
"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?"
"Respect"
A vintage Lysol ad
A WWII homefront propaganda poster
Rosie the Riveter
Vargas Pin Up Girls
Red-Headed Woman
Hattie McDaniel's Oscar Acceptance Speech
Mildred Pierce
I Dream of Jeannie
Splendor in the Grass
Miss America Protest in 1968
Beatlemania
"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?"
"Respect"
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Dr. J's Exam Week Office Hours
Wednesday, May 13, 6:00 pm-8:00 pm in the Commons (Study Night)
Thursday, May 14, 4:30 pm-6:30 pm in my office
Friday, May 15, 11:00 am-1:00ish pm in my office
Monday, May 18, 10:00 am-noon in my office
Thursday, May 14, 4:30 pm-6:30 pm in my office
Friday, May 15, 11:00 am-1:00ish pm in my office
Monday, May 18, 10:00 am-noon in my office
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
eng 278: ceremony
Shell shock. Battle Fatigue. Combat Stress Reaction. PTSD. All are names give to the psychological and physical symptoms manifested by soldiers like Tayo, who have lived through wartime battles and now must grapple with their survival.
VA resources on PTSD
VA resources on PTSD
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
classic rhetoric: making an argument
One sure-fire way to construct a solid argument is to use tools from classic rhetoric: ethos, logos, and pathos. Being able to combine all three appeals in one argument can help you create a solid argument. The following website explains all three appeals and gives some humorous examples of ethos, logos, and pathos at work:
http://www.rpi.edu/dept/llc/webclass/web/project1/group4/
Here's another website that explains ethos, logos, and pathos more thoroughly:
http://courses.durhamtech.edu/perkins/aris.html
And yet more examples!
http://www.public.asu.edu/~macalla/logosethospathos.html
http://www.rpi.edu/dept/llc/webclass/web/project1/group4/
Here's another website that explains ethos, logos, and pathos more thoroughly:
http://courses.durhamtech.edu/perkins/aris.html
And yet more examples!
http://www.public.asu.edu/~macalla/logosethospathos.html
Monday, March 30, 2009
How to Read a Poem
Emily Dickinson, circa 1846 or 1847, courtesy of Wikipedia
HOW TO READ A POEM
a love of learning talk by Jessica Lyn Van Slooten
March 31, 2009
7:00 p.m.
Hillside 204
UW-Manitowoc
in celebration of National Poetry Month
In order to figure out how to read a poem, we must first know why we are reading a poem. Are we reading for pleasure? For a special occasion? For class? Do we have to read the poem aloud--to an audience? to ourselves? Do we have to read it silently? Discuss it? Analyze it?
Tonight we're going to read several poems together, applying a variety of skills to the poems to read them successfully, and, more importantly, to enjoy reading.
Let's start by reading the Billy Collins poem "Introduction to Poetry." You may read the poem however you'd like--aloud, silently, etc. Then we'll discuss your reading process and what the poem itself tells us about reading poetry.
Now, here are a few misconceptions about reading poetry, taken from a useful handout on How to Read a Poem:
1. We should "get" a poem after one reading.
2. The poem has a secret, hidden meaning that we can uncover if we know the "code."
3. The poem can mean anything.
Why are these statements false? Who says if a reading is "right" or not? How can we begin to read a poem in order to both create meaning and pleasure?
Here are a few steps I like to take when reading poems:
1. Look at the poem:
What shape does it make on the page?
Is it a "skinny" poem? A long, breathless poem? A concrete poem with a definite shape?
Does it have more than one stanza?
How are the lines arranged?
How is the poem punctuated?
Do the last words in each line rhyme?
2. Listen to the poem:
Where do I naturally want to pause?
What kind of rhythm does the poem have?
What kind of sounds do the words make?
How does the poem feel as I say it aloud?
3. Consider the poem:
What does the title tell me about the poem?
What do I know about the poet?
When was the poem written? And where?
What is the cultural context of the poem?
What kind of literary devices are used in the poem?
4. Gauge my reaction to the poem:
How does the poem make me feel?
Do I like the poem? Why or why not?
5. Compare the poem to other texts:
How is the style different?
How is the subject treated?
Does the poem remind me of other works?
6. Offer up conditional meanings:
What do I think the poem is about?
How do I support these readings?
7. As the "How to Read a Poem" handout suggests, there comes a time to simply "embrace ambiguity" and enjoy the process of reading and the connection with the poem.
Robert Frost reading "The Road Not Taken"
Robert Creeley reading "Kore"
Allen Ginsberg reading Howl, part III and Footnote to Howl
The Bluest Eye
Today we start discussing Toni Morrison's novel The Bluest Eye in class.
Let's take a look at the Spark Notes guide to this novel:
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/bluesteye/
It can be a good place to start if you're confused by the novel. But, it can also be limiting if you read only summaries and not the novel itself. You'll miss the artistry of the novel and the fullness of the story. And, while the analysis of the novel can be helpful, it also presents only one view of a certain passage. So use such resources thoughtfully and carefully.
Now, for some photos of Shirley Temple, that supposed icon of American girlhood, whose image entrances Pecola:
http://www.shirleytemple.com/
And a video of Shirley and Mr. Bojangles.
And some examples from the Dick and Jane readers:
http://faculty.valpo.edu/bflak/dickjane/spot.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_and_Jane
Let's take a look at the Spark Notes guide to this novel:
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/bluesteye/
It can be a good place to start if you're confused by the novel. But, it can also be limiting if you read only summaries and not the novel itself. You'll miss the artistry of the novel and the fullness of the story. And, while the analysis of the novel can be helpful, it also presents only one view of a certain passage. So use such resources thoughtfully and carefully.
Now, for some photos of Shirley Temple, that supposed icon of American girlhood, whose image entrances Pecola:
http://www.shirleytemple.com/
And a video of Shirley and Mr. Bojangles.
And some examples from the Dick and Jane readers:
http://faculty.valpo.edu/bflak/dickjane/spot.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_and_Jane
Monday, March 9, 2009
Ecofeminist Approaches to Ruth Ozeki's *All Over Creation*
Lady Lilith, painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1863Ruth Ozeki’s All Over Creation and Ecofeminism
What is Ecofeminism?
Ecofeminism is the merging of ecocriticism (critical approaches that focus on environmental issues) and feminism (critical approaches that focus on women). There are many versions of ecofeminism, and each one has a slightly different twist on the subject.
Here are a few key Ecofeminist ideas:
* Much Western thought, especially Enlightenment thought, but also reaching back to Aristotle, emphasizes dualities like culture/nature, man/woman, reason/emotion, mind/body, God/man. In these dualities, the first term is privileged and then the second one is degraded. As you can see from the examples above, this leaves nature and women in a secondary position.
* The Enlightenment emphasized a Great Chain of Being, in which a hierarchy was established, with God at the top, and lesser beings falling in line afterwards.
* The Enlightenment also traded in earlier conceptions of nature as an organism to nature as a machine. This was, after all, the Age of Reason and the dawn of the Industrial Revolution when order and mechanization were revered.
* Ecofeminist scholars are reacting to the various dualities, hierarchies, and privileging of some kinds of knowing that persist long after the Enlightenment.
* Ecofeminist thought is sometimes in line with Deep Ecology, which is the belief that everything is interconnected and equal, that a change in one minute part of the ecosystem causes ripple effects elsewhere.
* Ecofeminists sometimes celebrate the identification of women with nature, and other times they distance themselves from this equation.
* Ecofeminism sees the oppression and/or degradation of nature and women to be intimately related.
Here are a few quotes from Ecofeminist scholars that illustrate these ideas:
Carol Adams: “Ecofeminism stresses relationship, not solely because it has been women’s domain, but because it is a more viable ethical framework than autonomy for transforming structures that are environmentally destructive.”
Ynestra King: “Capitalism, the preeminent culture and economics of self-interest, is homogenizing cultures and simplifying life on earth by disrupting naturally complex balances within the ecosystem...[in Western culture there is] a deep ambivalence about life itself, our own fertility and that of nonhuman nature, and a terrible confusion about our place in nature.”
Carolyn Merchant: “The image of the earth as a living organism and nurturing mother had served as a cultural constraint restricting the actions of human beings [...] As long as the earth was considered to be alive and sensitive, it could be considered a breach of human ethical behavior to carry out destructive acts against it.”
Winnie Tomm: “The view of both women and nature as raw material to be used according to the desires of others underpins exploitation of both.”
Susan Bordo: “By Descartes’s brilliant stroke, nature becamse definedby its lack of affiliation with divinity, with spirit. All that which is God-like or spiritual--freedom, will, and sentience--belong entirely and exclusively to res cognitans. All else--the earth, the heavens, animals, the human body--is merely mechanically interacting matter.”
Why use Ecofeminism to interpret literature?
Ecofeminism can help us understand how issues of nature and women are interwoven, and it can give us a new perspective on reading literature.
How does Ecofeminism apply to All Over Creation?
Ozeki’s novel is filled with symbols and images of nature and women--let’s make our own list! These symbols bring a greater depth to the novel than just an engaging plot.
Life, birth, death, passion are all prominent themes that are explored through female characters, the male characters who try to control them, and the children--both literal, figurative, and absent--that fill their lives.
Ozeki seems to be asking some big questions about these themes--what is the value of life? Who has power over life? Are some lives worth more than others? That she uses potatoes and issues of genetic modification to frame these questions places her novel squarely in the eco-lit camp. And we can make the case for this novel as a feminist statement as well--how many of the main characters are women? Who sets chains of events in motion?
Now, what particular characters, symbols, events, and/or places seem to lend themselves to an ecofeminist reading? Let’s test some Ecofeminist readings of the novel!
Here's a link to info and paintings of the Hindu Goddess Kali, who we see in Duncan's office towards the end of the reading. She's a great ecofeminist and multi-cultural symbol in the novel.
http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses/kali.htm
What is Ecofeminism?
Ecofeminism is the merging of ecocriticism (critical approaches that focus on environmental issues) and feminism (critical approaches that focus on women). There are many versions of ecofeminism, and each one has a slightly different twist on the subject.
Here are a few key Ecofeminist ideas:
* Much Western thought, especially Enlightenment thought, but also reaching back to Aristotle, emphasizes dualities like culture/nature, man/woman, reason/emotion, mind/body, God/man. In these dualities, the first term is privileged and then the second one is degraded. As you can see from the examples above, this leaves nature and women in a secondary position.
* The Enlightenment emphasized a Great Chain of Being, in which a hierarchy was established, with God at the top, and lesser beings falling in line afterwards.
* The Enlightenment also traded in earlier conceptions of nature as an organism to nature as a machine. This was, after all, the Age of Reason and the dawn of the Industrial Revolution when order and mechanization were revered.
* Ecofeminist scholars are reacting to the various dualities, hierarchies, and privileging of some kinds of knowing that persist long after the Enlightenment.
* Ecofeminist thought is sometimes in line with Deep Ecology, which is the belief that everything is interconnected and equal, that a change in one minute part of the ecosystem causes ripple effects elsewhere.
* Ecofeminists sometimes celebrate the identification of women with nature, and other times they distance themselves from this equation.
* Ecofeminism sees the oppression and/or degradation of nature and women to be intimately related.
Here are a few quotes from Ecofeminist scholars that illustrate these ideas:
Carol Adams: “Ecofeminism stresses relationship, not solely because it has been women’s domain, but because it is a more viable ethical framework than autonomy for transforming structures that are environmentally destructive.”
Ynestra King: “Capitalism, the preeminent culture and economics of self-interest, is homogenizing cultures and simplifying life on earth by disrupting naturally complex balances within the ecosystem...[in Western culture there is] a deep ambivalence about life itself, our own fertility and that of nonhuman nature, and a terrible confusion about our place in nature.”
Carolyn Merchant: “The image of the earth as a living organism and nurturing mother had served as a cultural constraint restricting the actions of human beings [...] As long as the earth was considered to be alive and sensitive, it could be considered a breach of human ethical behavior to carry out destructive acts against it.”
Winnie Tomm: “The view of both women and nature as raw material to be used according to the desires of others underpins exploitation of both.”
Susan Bordo: “By Descartes’s brilliant stroke, nature becamse definedby its lack of affiliation with divinity, with spirit. All that which is God-like or spiritual--freedom, will, and sentience--belong entirely and exclusively to res cognitans. All else--the earth, the heavens, animals, the human body--is merely mechanically interacting matter.”
Why use Ecofeminism to interpret literature?
Ecofeminism can help us understand how issues of nature and women are interwoven, and it can give us a new perspective on reading literature.
How does Ecofeminism apply to All Over Creation?
Ozeki’s novel is filled with symbols and images of nature and women--let’s make our own list! These symbols bring a greater depth to the novel than just an engaging plot.
Life, birth, death, passion are all prominent themes that are explored through female characters, the male characters who try to control them, and the children--both literal, figurative, and absent--that fill their lives.
Ozeki seems to be asking some big questions about these themes--what is the value of life? Who has power over life? Are some lives worth more than others? That she uses potatoes and issues of genetic modification to frame these questions places her novel squarely in the eco-lit camp. And we can make the case for this novel as a feminist statement as well--how many of the main characters are women? Who sets chains of events in motion?
Now, what particular characters, symbols, events, and/or places seem to lend themselves to an ecofeminist reading? Let’s test some Ecofeminist readings of the novel!
Here's a link to info and paintings of the Hindu Goddess Kali, who we see in Duncan's office towards the end of the reading. She's a great ecofeminist and multi-cultural symbol in the novel.
http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses/kali.htm
The painting at the top of this post is of Lilith, a powerful and mythical woman, said to be a lust-inducing demon, a chil killer, and, by some accounts, Adam's first (and rejected) wife.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
eng 278: mla citation example: article from database
Here is the template for an article found using a library database:
Author's Last Name, First Name. "Article Title." Periodical Title volume number.issue number (Publication Date): Page number-page number. Database Name. Service Name. Library Name, City, State. Date of access.
And here's an example with the information filled in:
Smith, Caroline J. "Living the Life of a Domestic Goddess: Chick Lit's Response to Domestic Advice Manuals." Women's Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal 34.8 (Dec. 2005): 671-99. MLA International Database. EBSCO. University of Wisconsin-Manitowoc, Manitowoc, WI. 4 Mar. 2009.
***note: the formatting is not working. you should use reverse indentation--that is, every line after the first one should be tabbed in.***
Monday, March 2, 2009
eng 278: all over creation
Ruth Ozeki's novel All Over Creation (2003) responds to cultural concerns about agriculture and the food chain.
See Michael Pollan's article "Playing God in the Garden," which Ozeki alludes to on page 85. Pollan is regarded as the food politics journalist of our time, raising consciousness about agricultural practices.
Towards the end of today's reading, we learn of the NuLife Enhanced potatoes--genetically modified and capable of repelling pests without many inputs. The NuLife is based on the New Leaf potato, introduced by Monsanto in the 1990s. See this graphic on Monsanto's website for a visual representation of how they see the potato working. For a little history on these potatoes, see this website from Cornell University.
And, to see a real collection of seed savers, look at the Seed Savers Exchange website and catalog.
See Michael Pollan's article "Playing God in the Garden," which Ozeki alludes to on page 85. Pollan is regarded as the food politics journalist of our time, raising consciousness about agricultural practices.
Towards the end of today's reading, we learn of the NuLife Enhanced potatoes--genetically modified and capable of repelling pests without many inputs. The NuLife is based on the New Leaf potato, introduced by Monsanto in the 1990s. See this graphic on Monsanto's website for a visual representation of how they see the potato working. For a little history on these potatoes, see this website from Cornell University.
And, to see a real collection of seed savers, look at the Seed Savers Exchange website and catalog.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Today we begin reading Laura Esquivel's novel Like Water for Chocolate.
First, we'll explore how the novel is framed--from the epigraph, to the seasonal/chronological organization, to the use of recipes, and chapters, Esquivel provides more than one frame for her story. Additionally, I want to explore the novel as an example of a romance, using Pamela Regis' eight essential elements of romance novels.
Consider the setting of the story: during the Mexican revolution. How does Esquivel use this setting to express other themes in the novel? What other revolutions do we see?
Finally, we need to explore how the novel uses magic realism.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
eng 278: hema and kaushik
Today we finish reading Jhumpa Lahiri's short story collection Unaccustomed Earth. As we discussed on Monday, the last three stories are connected, chronicling the lives of Hema and Kaushik.
Monday we discussed the importance of Point of View. Here, Hema and Kaushik each have their own story, "Once in a Lifetime" and "Year's End," respectively. The third and final story, "Going Ashore," reverts back to our omniscient narrator--this time giving us a peek into each of our characters minds--and then back to Hema's first person narration at the conclusion. What is the significance of this switch in Point of View? What kinds of intimacy and distance does Lahiri create through the narration?
I also want us to situate Hema and Kaushik's story within the whole collection--how does their story fit in with the themes and issues we've read? Can we begin to draw some conclusions about post-colonial identity, about love and marriage, and cultural intersections, about place, home? Have all of our characters built their lives on "unaccustomed earth"?
Also, to best understand these stories, it helps to look at several key symbols:
water/swimming/drowning/tsunami
photography
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
eng 278: jhumpa lahiri, "only goodness," van eyck, and post-colonialism
The Arnolfini Portrait, painting by Jan van Eyck, 1434. painting is in the National Gallery, London. image courtesy of wikipedia. In today's story, "Only Goodness," Sudha and Roger meet while looking at this painting. Roger guides Sudha's exploration of the painting, helping her notice the subtle layers within the scene, including the figures reflected in the mirror. What story do you create from this painting? Can you fit Sudha and her family into the world depicted by Van Eyck?
Today we'll also discuss the movement in the story--the trifecta of London, India, and New England marks out a certain post-colonial space that the Bengali families in Lahiri's stories inhabit.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
welcome to spring semester!
Hello! I hope that you've enjoyed a pleasant, long winter break, despite the long, cold days. I'm excited to be back in the classroom, and I'm really excited about my classes: English 101: Composition, English 102: Composition, and English 278: Multi-Cultural Literature in America.
I'm also excited about a few campus-wide events:
February 4 and 5: National Teach-In on Climate Change Issues
This evening (Feb. 4) and day long (Feb. 5) event will bring everyone on campus together to explore the issues facing our environment from a variety of perspectives. Grab a cup of free coffee (bring your own mug to really be green) and settle in for some awesome presentations.
April 1: Poetry Day
UW-Manitowoc celebrates National Poetry Month with a day long infusion of poetry. The day will include open-mike time to share poetry, a viral poetry initiative, and a workshop and reading by acclaimed poet Chuck Rybak.
I look forward to spending this semester with you!
Friday, January 9, 2009
haikuproject
You're cordially invited to check out haikuproject, a collaborative project created by my winterim poetry class.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
eng 255: william blake and john keats
John Keats' poem "Ode on A Grecian Urn," is a classic discussion of the art/life dichotomy. In this tracing of the Sosbius vase, we see a moment frozen in time--all potential, with no direct action. Is this better than the action completed, and potential depleted?William Blake was famous for creating illuminated manuscripts of much of his poetry. You can find digital images of these marvelous works of art at the online Blake Archive. For a brief biography of this talented, radical visionary, see the Academy of American Poets website.
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