I started reading The World According to Garp, and I love it! It's interesting, thought-provoking, and exciting, so obviously just a great book. I also noticed a lot of interesting patterns and points in the novel to this point.
First of all, I am not sure I completely understand why Jenny completely rejects her family and wealth. I understand her desire to break free of society's expectations and what not, but I feel liker her aversion goes even deeper than that. Why does she want to "unknow" her family as is occurring on page 6. I noticed how she never opens the package her parents give her, although it is interesting that the packages reveal her mother's lack of trust in Jenny. I think that is another reason Jenny estranges her family--to escape distrust and misconception.
Furthermore, I think it is very interesting that Jenny desires almost an immaculate birth, without a mate or a "peter" as she calls him. At the same time, the original Garp (her son's father) consistently masturbates, which is in a sense, intercourse without a partner. Thus, it seems that both desire the product of sex without a partner, and thus come together. It's hard to put into words, but it is an interesting connection between them which may be another reason she chose him as the father of her child. However, I am confused in that she rejected many men for their physical deformities when they originally offered to help her make a child. And yet, in this case, she consummated with a fetal, dyeing man--one of the most physically deformed creatures on the planet. Why did she lose her original superficial restrictions for Garp? What made him different? Was it their no-partner sexual drives?
Quotation to consider: “A baby with no strings attached, thought Jenny Fields. An almost virgin birth,” (page 14). Consider Mary, mother of Jesus. Does this make her son Garp a Christ figure?
Moreover, Garp is born in an almost incestuous setting. On page 22, she says about his father Garp, “She knew he was only a baby—he needed some distraction.” Her emotions were both “maternal and sexual,” (page 24). Thus, as she saw father Garp as a child, Jenny wanted to care for him and breast feed him. At the same time, thought, Jenny desires a real child, and this desire overpowers anything else. As a result, she ends up having the child of a man she originally viewed as a child, her own child. The incestuous beginnings of life T.S. Garp suggest that he will suffer from some genetic defect that results from such activities. Furthermore, it is interesting that he is never really given a first name. Why would the author do such a thing? Does it take away the boy’s identity or strengthen it?
Such questions must be considered when reviewing this section of the novel. It is interesting to analyze Garp’s relationship with his mother as well as her opinions which are dispersed throughout the section.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Invisible Man Chapter 5
It’s so interesting going back through Invisible Man and noticing all the crazy things the author does with imagery, symbolism, language, ect.
When I was rereading chapter five, I noticed that Barbee’s white collar separates his black head and black body, symbolizing that white people have cut him off from his head or prevented him from clearly thinking. This is supported by the fact that Barbee is blind, as revealed later in the chapter.
I also noticed that the Founder might be the original invisible man. For one, like the narrator, his name is not revealed in the novel. Furthermore, both have many Christ-like characteristics and seem to be crucified or sacrificed for one reason or another at some point in the novel. The main difference I can’t pinpoint is whether or not the Founder support collectivism or individuality. The novel describes how he brought many people together, but did he believe you should ignore the individual for the collective? Notice that the main point of the narrator’s invisibility is that he felt that individuality was lost in society. Thus, the answer to the question could determine whether or not the Founder was truly the original invisible man.
Another thing I considered was his discussion about Susie Gresham. The discussion is in italics and seems to have a much different tone and attitude than is expressed elsewhere in this section. This shift makes me think that the narrator’s future, invisible-self is speaking at this point in the novel. Considering this never happens again, why does the author choose to implement this method here? What is the importance? What is the significance of Susie Gresham? I think part of the answer lies in the fact that she blindly accepts the white man’s mandates, thus epitomizing the loss of individuality in society. Also, consider the author’s treatment of women. Many times he highlights the mistreatment of women; however, the narrator often expresses his belief that women destroy male success. With these opposing viewpoints, what is the author’s true opinion of the “women question?” Does he believe women prevent success?
Also, there was a lot of seasonal and Biblical imagery in this chapter. At the very beginning of the chapter, the author uses the difference between summer and winter to distinguish between the birth and death of Christ. Thus seasons bare a large importance at this point in the novel. Furthermore, the author depicts the Founder as a Christ figure who leads a large group of people and is eventually crucified. He also references Saul, a group of men who survived after being thrown into a fire, Moses, and in general, religious tendencies, visions, and profits important to the Christian faith.
Barbee is also described as a Buddha character, which is ironic because Buddha means “the enlightened one” and Barbee is both physically and figuratively blind. The irony might dramatize this difference, although it could also highlight a more knowledgeable side to Barbee that most do not see when initially reading the novel.
When I was rereading chapter five, I noticed that Barbee’s white collar separates his black head and black body, symbolizing that white people have cut him off from his head or prevented him from clearly thinking. This is supported by the fact that Barbee is blind, as revealed later in the chapter.
I also noticed that the Founder might be the original invisible man. For one, like the narrator, his name is not revealed in the novel. Furthermore, both have many Christ-like characteristics and seem to be crucified or sacrificed for one reason or another at some point in the novel. The main difference I can’t pinpoint is whether or not the Founder support collectivism or individuality. The novel describes how he brought many people together, but did he believe you should ignore the individual for the collective? Notice that the main point of the narrator’s invisibility is that he felt that individuality was lost in society. Thus, the answer to the question could determine whether or not the Founder was truly the original invisible man.
Another thing I considered was his discussion about Susie Gresham. The discussion is in italics and seems to have a much different tone and attitude than is expressed elsewhere in this section. This shift makes me think that the narrator’s future, invisible-self is speaking at this point in the novel. Considering this never happens again, why does the author choose to implement this method here? What is the importance? What is the significance of Susie Gresham? I think part of the answer lies in the fact that she blindly accepts the white man’s mandates, thus epitomizing the loss of individuality in society. Also, consider the author’s treatment of women. Many times he highlights the mistreatment of women; however, the narrator often expresses his belief that women destroy male success. With these opposing viewpoints, what is the author’s true opinion of the “women question?” Does he believe women prevent success?
Also, there was a lot of seasonal and Biblical imagery in this chapter. At the very beginning of the chapter, the author uses the difference between summer and winter to distinguish between the birth and death of Christ. Thus seasons bare a large importance at this point in the novel. Furthermore, the author depicts the Founder as a Christ figure who leads a large group of people and is eventually crucified. He also references Saul, a group of men who survived after being thrown into a fire, Moses, and in general, religious tendencies, visions, and profits important to the Christian faith.
Barbee is also described as a Buddha character, which is ironic because Buddha means “the enlightened one” and Barbee is both physically and figuratively blind. The irony might dramatize this difference, although it could also highlight a more knowledgeable side to Barbee that most do not see when initially reading the novel.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Sonnet Paper and Museum Project
I have started thinking about my museum project for Invisible Man, and I am seriously considering doing a food medium, i.e. baking some type of cake, muffins, ect. That would represent the book. I like the idea of doing a baking medium because the book is focuses on the battle between the group and the individual, and a cake or cookie could represent these differences. For example, a bunch of different ingredients comprise a cake/cookie just like many individuals create a society. The difference could help highlight the struggle between individual and society in the novel.
When reading the book, I felt that this struggle encompassed many of the themes throughout the story. For example, many stereotypes demeaned the value of an individual, instead forcing all women or all black people to conform to one group. Thus, entities such as the Brotherhood and the narrator’s school didn’t see individuals, but rather large groups of people. In the end, the narrator’s choice to become invisible and live in a hole is his way of trying to escape such thinking. He wants to celebrate his individuality; however, society doesn’t see individuals so he is invisible.
In creating my project, I might try to contrast the final cake with the many ingredients used to create the cake, presenting both in a relevant and symbolic manner. The cake would be decorated in a manner that would reflect smaller themes in the book related to the demeaning of the individual, and the individual ingredients would be represented in a way that reflects the narrator’s final individualistic thinking. Such a presentation will also present the narrator’s final point that you can’t completely avoid society. In the final pages of the novel, he says that he would like to reenter society. Society isn’t all bad, just as the cake is delicious. However, you cannot create the cake without the ingredients, and the narrator wants to enforce this thinking around Harlem and elsewhere.
This weekend, I also worked on my sonnet paper but am having trouble organizing my ideas. I wrote my rough draft as kind of an idea splurge, just putting on paper everything I was thinking. Now I want to organize these ideas in a logical manner that is analytical and connects to the so-what of the poem.
Some things I noticed about the poem:
I did Shakespeare’s sixtieth sonnet, which appropriately is about time (60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds in a minute). I noticed that he uses a lot of dualities. For example, the “Wave” imagery at the beginning of the poem can reference a hand motion that could signal either hello or goodbye. Furthermore, he describes Time as the creator and the destroyer. Finally, he contrasts the infinite nature of time with finite moments in time (final couplet). However, I am not quite sure what these dualities represent or how they connect to the so-what of the poem. I know that time is the couplet tie, and he uses both the finite and infinite reference of time, but to what end, I am not sure. If you have any suggestions on how I should proceed with this paper, please let me know.
When reading the book, I felt that this struggle encompassed many of the themes throughout the story. For example, many stereotypes demeaned the value of an individual, instead forcing all women or all black people to conform to one group. Thus, entities such as the Brotherhood and the narrator’s school didn’t see individuals, but rather large groups of people. In the end, the narrator’s choice to become invisible and live in a hole is his way of trying to escape such thinking. He wants to celebrate his individuality; however, society doesn’t see individuals so he is invisible.
In creating my project, I might try to contrast the final cake with the many ingredients used to create the cake, presenting both in a relevant and symbolic manner. The cake would be decorated in a manner that would reflect smaller themes in the book related to the demeaning of the individual, and the individual ingredients would be represented in a way that reflects the narrator’s final individualistic thinking. Such a presentation will also present the narrator’s final point that you can’t completely avoid society. In the final pages of the novel, he says that he would like to reenter society. Society isn’t all bad, just as the cake is delicious. However, you cannot create the cake without the ingredients, and the narrator wants to enforce this thinking around Harlem and elsewhere.
This weekend, I also worked on my sonnet paper but am having trouble organizing my ideas. I wrote my rough draft as kind of an idea splurge, just putting on paper everything I was thinking. Now I want to organize these ideas in a logical manner that is analytical and connects to the so-what of the poem.
Some things I noticed about the poem:
I did Shakespeare’s sixtieth sonnet, which appropriately is about time (60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds in a minute). I noticed that he uses a lot of dualities. For example, the “Wave” imagery at the beginning of the poem can reference a hand motion that could signal either hello or goodbye. Furthermore, he describes Time as the creator and the destroyer. Finally, he contrasts the infinite nature of time with finite moments in time (final couplet). However, I am not quite sure what these dualities represent or how they connect to the so-what of the poem. I know that time is the couplet tie, and he uses both the finite and infinite reference of time, but to what end, I am not sure. If you have any suggestions on how I should proceed with this paper, please let me know.
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