Criticism of Criticism August 29, 2008

            As we read the reviews of Wuthering Heights we must all keep in mind the time period during which they were written, and the state of society at this time.  This novel by Emily Brontë was written during the Victorian Age.  It is crucial to remember that some of the ideas seen in Wuthering Heights would have been seen as shocking.  These are ideas that many people felt uncomfortable discussing at the time, and therefore were rarely put in writing.  It was also shocking that a woman at this time wrote such a controversial book.  Women were not seen in the same light during the Victorian Age as they are today, and it was extremely rare for women to be leaders in society (such as writers).  Therefore, Brontë was required to write under the name of Ellis Bell in order for her novel to be taken seriously.

           

Since it expressed new ideas, several critics in 1847 saw Wuthering Heights as “disagreeable” (Athenaeum), “strange”, “baffling” (Douglas Jerold’s Weekly Newspaper), and “inartistic” (Atlas).  However, even though the critics found it shocking, many of them also praised it for being “clever” (Athenaeum), “fresh”, “original” (Douglas Jerold’s Weekly Newspaper), and “a work of great ability” (unidentified review).  The mixed reaction to Wuthering Heights is evidence that society was in a state of change in 1874.  It was changing from a time of agriculture and male dominance to that of industry and women’s rights.  During this change, many authors began incorporating social issues into their writing.  His allowed their audience to connect to the novel, and to relate it to their own lives.

           

The critics describe several reasons for why the people responded to Brontë’s novel in the way that they did.  One reason that continually stands out in the reviews refers to the gothic nature of the novel.  It is tainted by intense darkness and gloom.  One review goes as far to say that the novel had “a sort of ‘haunted house’ appearance” (unidentified review).  The critics respond negatively to the ample amount fear and cruelty present in Wuthering Heights, even referring to it as “a perfect misanthropist’s heaven” (New Monthly Magazine).

 

Although there were several negative reactions to Emily Brontë’s novel, Wuthering Heights, it was still very influential during this time, and recommended by critics.  There was “nothing like it before” (Douglas Jerold’s Weekly Newspaper) and despite all of the “gloom”, readers found “delight…in the perusal of the work itself” (Unidentified review).  Critics received the novel well, overall, considering the state of society at that time.  It became very influential and allows us a glimpse into the Victorian Age.  This allows us to learn from the past, and make wise decisions for the future.

 

This reminds me of what I just wrote 5 minutes ago for history… August 27, 2008

• The Victorian period can be characterized as a shift from a life based on ownership of property to a more industrialized life with a modern economy based on industry and trade.
• The shift is called the industrial revolution
• The industrial revolution caused massive changes. One of these was a major shift in population from the countryside to the cities.
• Movement of the masses to cities caused overcrowding, and therefore, an increase in the number of poor people living in slums.
• This all occurred in the mid to late nineteenth century
• People also saw challenges in faith, new scientific discoveries, and a change in the role of women in society.
• As a result of all of these issues, Victorian literature was born.
• Victorian novels emphasized a “realistic portrayal of social life”
• New controversies also arose since Victorian novels “gave voice to those who had been voiceless”
• The change in their social position created new opportunities for women
• Writers in the Victorian area often wrote to give a voice to something that had gone unnoticed in the past. (ex. Elizabeth Gaskell wrote about Manchester’s poor)

The Industrial Revolution

• Industrial revolution resulted from the invention of things such as interchangeable parts. This caused a transition from hand labor to machines and labor in factories
• Cities grew rapidly
• The people that moved to the cities made up a working class that worked for long hours at low wages.
• Women and children worked for less than men
• Many Victorian novelists called attention to the hardships of the working class (Fredrich Engles, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Charles Dickens)
• This caught the attention of the government who began regulating harsh factory conditions. They paid particular attention to women and children (child labor laws)
• Slums were even compared to forests in Africa. (In Darkest England)
• Was the industrial revolution good or bad? It initially made the economy boom, but then led to numerous hardships.

The Woman Question

• The Victorian period motivated discussions about the changing role of women in society and their political rights
• Women slowly began getting rights such as the right for married women to own property.
• Women often found jobs outside of the home in factories as well.
• Women were still seen in the same way, even thought they were changing. Queen Victoria was still pictured as a perfect feminine model even though she was the queen of the powerful British empire
• The “debate” over the changing role of women became very complex

The Painterly Image in Poetry

• We perceive truth by what we see. (See it to believe it)
• As a result of this, author began illustrating their literature
• The inserting of pictures created a specific style that became a distinct characteristic of literature in the Victorian era
• Even more changes occurred when inventions such as the photographic camera came into play
• New inventions worked hand in hand with literature to display emotions more vividly
• Te insertion on illustrations made a bond between painting and poetry. Paintings also became subjects of poetry
• There was a special link between pictures and words during this period that formed a close relationship between the two arts

Victorian Imperialism

• Great Britain was the center of a great empire where cultures from all over the world meshed
• Almost one fourth of the world belonged to the British empire at one time
• Even as colonies began to break away from their mother, the empire continued to grow
• Empire building was known as new imperialism
• Britain became more and more dependent on global economy and trading
• Imperialism was seen as a corrupt and “debasing enterprise”
• The colonies began to see their own transformations
• Britain could get away with conquering new land because it claimed that it was “taming a beast”. What they were doing was moral and ethical.

This reminds me too much of Walden… August 20, 2008

• Romanticism is the evidence of a “shift” in the way that people thought in the eighteenth century.
• Romanticism requires new emphasis on one’s imagination and feeling.
• Major shifts in thinking such as those seen in romanticism usually were the result of influential political, literary, and religious changes.
• The process of thinking changed from reason to feeling.  People began following their gut feelings more strongly instead of reasoning through situations.
• People yearned for a certain kind of “liberation” that was the result of romantic thinking.  They therefore abandoned traditional thoughts.
• William Blake thought outside of the box when he suggested that children had a particular “insight” that adults lacked.  (WHOA! The Little Prince!)
• One cause of the romanticism movement in Europe was the French Revolution.  However, it is certainly not the only cause.
• Conflicts concerning human rights were the cause of both the French and American Revolutions.  These conflicts made revolutionaries realize new human possibilities.
• In Gulliver’s Travels, Swift made a distinction between ideal concepts and feelings and what humans make them into.  Ex.  We often view lawyers as corrupt liars, but the concept of law itself was designed for the betterment of human life.  The ideal concept of law has been corrupted by human greed over the years.
• People began to question all major institutions including systems of government.
• The things that people thought were “stable” in society were suddenly under heavy criticism.  They were seen as systems that were stable in the past, but would not be as effective in the ever changing future.
• Revolutionaries became very powerful.  Their ideas sometimes even had a “religious authority.”
• There was a new born sense of possibility that encouraged more and more individuals to think outside of the traditional box.  They took on an attitude demonstrating that the possibilities were endless.  They thought beyond what was considered “normal” at the time.
• For example, women became revolutionaries that fought for women’s rights. (Mary Wollstonecraft)
• Many principles were thought to be “self-evident”.  Revolutionaries thought beyond these principles into what new ideals could advance mankind. 
• Romanticism brought on a new sense of “uniqueness” that applied not only to individuals but also to nations.
• Along with a change in ideals and thought processes came changes in industry and the economy.  People invented new forms of manufacture and industry that led to the development of a middle class.  The “newly monied” used their backgrounds and insight to develop different uses for their money.
• Instead of following the traditional track, they took the road less traveled.  They “educated the children of the uneducated” and used their money to break the traditional barriers in social classes.
• Inventions multiplied with the development of new ideas and needs
• Many people congregated in cities rather than spreading out through agricultural regions as a result. 
• Writers such as Blake and Kant saw the negative repercussions of each progression.
• These thinkers were already thinking beyond the new to the “newer” that was even farther into the future.
• Kant- German philosopher who questioned the reason as the best path to pure knowledge.
• Kant was another revolutionary leader because his ideas were different from the revolutionaries before him.  He believed that we can “locate authority in the self rather than in society.”
• Rousseau agrees with Kant.  He elaborates on his ideas explaining that we are all unique.  People could now find comfort in their uniqueness rather than in their similarities with everyone else. (a conformed group)
• Individuals could now see themselves as inherently good as well.
• Rousseau expressed the idea that since individuals are good, “institutional restraint”, or the restrictions of society could be dangerous.
• People now saw external control as threatening and recognized the importance of individual rights.
• New emphasis on individuality led to several advances in literature
• Placing a value on the mind rather than “human capacities” led to such “revolutionary” ideas as equality among men and women even though the prejudices remained.
• Gothic novel- often placed young women at the center of the action.  Popular by the end of the 1700s.  They portrayed women overcoming obstacles that do not fall in the usual category.  They overcame “insurmountable obstacles” that seemed impossible for women at the time.
• Romantic love became popular not only in novels but in poetry and drama as well.
• Some writers also explored relationships beyond the norm.  Such as relationships with children, big ideas, heaven, and dejection.
• Many women excelled in writing poetry and novels that were rich in powerful emotions. 
• Many women pretended to be men during this period so that their writing would be taken as seriously.
• The negative consequences of revolutionary ideas began to appear in the mid 1800s.  Science became confusing, the middle class became immoral, and civil war broke out.
• Slave narratives became very powerful forms of writing.
• People began caring about originality with the “high value” attached to imagination.
• “The genius” became a term that described a talent or gift.
• Newness became “a measure of value”.  People would compare themselves and their ideas to ancient Rome so that they could see the new “value” of their ideas.
• Nature came to mean something “new” because writers could use it in imagery and to explore new creativity.
• Nature is powerful because it easily evokes powerful emotions.
• Romanticism led to the idea that humans held infinite possibilities.
• Society became an entity that would hinder progress
• Romanticism focuses on the “sacredness” of the individual, rejection of society, expressing individual feelings, simple ways of life, and valuing imagination.

 

 

Questions:

 

Are there still revolutionary (Romantic) ideas in our society today?  What “new” ideas would we take so far as to call them revolutionary?

 

I understand that nature was used in literature during the Romanticism movement.  It was used to allow to author to illustrate ideas and feelings.  Does nature really apply in the social aspect or romanticism?  How did nature affect how people thought of society?

Riding Off Into the Sunset…. August 18, 2008

Bright shades of blue, orange, pink and purple splash across the sky.  The clouds seem to disappear in the beautiful swirl of colors dancing towards the heavens.  What is this majestic phenomenon?  It’s the sunset.  Sunsets are very powerful images in the lives of many people, including the Little Prince.  The Little Prince “really likes sunsets”, and even spends entire days watching them.  He is appalled when he discovers that earth is too big to see more than one sunset in a day, and mentions that he “once saw the sun set forty-four times” in one day.

This time of day represents a feeling of satisfaction that ironically has the ability to brighten someone’s mood.  The Little Prince and many individuals with child-like minds find this aspect of sunsets very magical.  However, “grown-ups” tend to take it for granted.  They do not see nearly as much beauty in the sunsets as younger individuals do.  Children allow their imaginations to run free when they witness such a miraculous event, and the possibilities are endless.  They could see anything from excited dancing, singing, and jumping to elegant flowing, graceful swimming, or peaceful sleeping.  On the other hand, when adult minds see a sunset, they see pollution in the air, refraction, and the long wavelengths of the light spectrum.  They take it for face value, and do not allow their minds to see anything different.  This is exactly the kind of thinking that hinders them.  Adults assign one value to each thing, and refuse to deviate from that particular train of thought.

Sunsets inspire a particular kind of excitement in the Little Prince.  They mean so much to him that they invoke very strong emotions such as disappointment, happiness, anticipation, and longing.  For example, when the little price visits the king’s planet, he becomes very excited when he realizes that the king has the power to watch “not forty-four but seventy-two, or even a hundred, even two hundred sunsets on the same day, without ever having to move his chair!”  This realization causes the Little Prince to remember the sunsets on his planet, and he becomes “rather sad”.  In turn, he longs to see the twilight and requests that the king “command the sun to set.”  The adult mind may see this event as unimportant, or forgettable, but to the Little Prince, it is a powerful exercise of the imagination.

Sunsets also come into play when the Little Prince meets the lamp lighter.  They are such a big part of the Little Prince’s life that he can easily apply the strategy used to see more sunsets in one day to help the lamplighter “take a rest”.  Even though it was not the kind of rest that the lamp lighter was looking for, it was still a way for him to be “faithful and lazy at the same time”.  Without his love of sunsets, the Little Prince would have never known how to make time stand still on the lamp lighter’s planet.

Ultimately, it is a child-like mind that allows us to find true beauty and happiness in the simplest things.  A child-like mind allows us to see things for what they could be, and not necessarily what they are.  A sunset may be the mere refraction of light, but with an open mind, it can become anything that we can imagine.

Word Count: 561

Number 4 August 17, 2008

            1991. 17. 7064611672. 36115. 4023. 500. 3. All of these numbers are very important in my life.  Everyone has some numbers that are meaningful to them.  Whether it is their age, address, telephone number, or account number, there is always some number that is significant.  Numbers are everywhere.  The Little Prince meets one man in particular through his travels whose life is completely dictated by numbers.  He is a businessman, and makes it very clear to the Little Prince that he is “a serious person.”  In fact, 5 is the number of times that he reminds the Little Prince of this.  Numbers, seriousness and ownership seem to be the only aspects of the businessman’s life.  The Little Prince does not understand this.  He has “very different ideas about serious things from those of grown-ups.”  Through his “different ideas” he has the ability to show his audience yet another change that occurs when our minds grow.

            The narrator observes before he meets the Little Prince that grown-ups do not care as much about art and expression as much as they care about “geography, history, arithmetic, and grammar.”  He discovers this when he shows the grown-ups his drawing Number One and drawing Number Two.  They “discourage” him and force him to “abandon” his way of expression.

            Grown-ups also feel compelled towards ownership.  The businessman believes that he “owns” the stars.   He argues with the Little Prince on this subject.  The Little Prince sees no point in the businessman’s argument that he owns the stars because they belong “to nobody.”  The businessman leads a very circular, repetitive life.  He claims that the stars provide him with wealth so that he can buy more stars.  This simple idea consumes his life, even though I see it as pointless.

            I believe that the businessman simply wastes his life counting the stars from his planet.  Night and day he counts and recounts; his only reasoning being that he is a “serious person.”  But what does it even mean to be a serious person?  The businessman hides behind this fact, repeating it as to show the Little Prince that he is not weak or incompetent.  His life serves no purpose other than to be able to say that he owns something, is wealthy, and is a “serious person.” The Little Prince points this out with his argument about usefulness.  The businessman is of no use to the stars.  He may claim that he owns them, but what does his ownership represent?  The stars would be exactly the same if he did not “own” them.  On the other hand, the Little Prince is useful in the ownership of his flower and the volcanoes.  He takes care of his flower.  If he did not own it, the flower would die.  If he did not rake his volcanoes, they would erupt.  There is a meaning to his ownership, and therefore a purpose to his existence.

            The Little Prince’s interaction with the businessman shows the audience that many people lead pointless lives.  This may sound harsh, but I believe that it is true.  So many people go through life claiming that they serve a distinct purpose, claiming that they are “successful” or “serious.”  However, in reality, they are useless.

            Children do not usually live useless lives.  There is a purpose in everything.  In the instance of the narrator, his purpose from an early age was to develop a “magnificent career.”  His drawings may have seemed like useless doodles, but they meant something to the narrator and his plans for the future.  His open mind is what allowed him to have a constant purpose in life.  He was not restricted to numbers, counting, or “seriousness”.  This allowed him to open up to his options and continuously have a reason to live.  As our minds develop and grow as we become older, it becomes harder for us to see true purpose in our life.

Word Count: 653

Facebook, little old ladies, BBQ and mind-altering changes. August 15, 2008

Heaven Colton “hits the nail right on the head” as well in her response to Nicholas Carr’s article: “Is Google Making Us Stupid”.   She recognizes the minute changes in her own life as well as ours, and explains the reasoning behind them.  Colton relates to her audience with references to Facebook, Wikipedia, and the use of the “synonyms” tool in word.  All of these conveniences play a key role in a majority of our lives.  Through this connection, Colton can effectively not only tell, but show her audience exactly what she means by modern technology “hindering our own abilities to think.”

I agree with her observation that “my generation is beginning to lose all reason to pass on history and information.”  As technology advances and finding information becomes easier, I have noticed — just like Colton — that we do not internalize nearly as much information as we used to.  At first, I myself thought that it was not such a big deal that we no not retain information as we should.  I thought “why bother memorizing if I can just look it up?”  After reading Carr’s article and Colton’s response, I now realize what a detriment “not bothering” can be in my life.

I remember going to that small town museum with Heaven.  Even though there were historical documents, artifacts, figurines, and murals everywhere, I remember most clearly the “old woman” who spoke to us.  She had such a deep passion for the stories and facts that she told us, that it made us take an even greater interest in the museum.  To be honest, if she had not been there to capture our attention and spread her excitement for history, I never would have really seen or learned anything.  My deepest thought the whole time would have been “do I want Italian or BBQ for lunch?”

I think that it is a shame that I do not have the same passion to internalize information as she did.  It will take some effort in order to remold my mind to think like that, but it is not entirely impossible.  There is not doubt that we can still “enjoy all the convenience and luxury technology can provide”, but it is also important that we realize the effect that it has on us.  Once we realize this, we have the power to change how we think, and begin to advance our minds once again.

The People VS. Conveinence August 14, 2008

            In our modern day and age, people everywhere – of all races, genders, and nationalities – rely heavily on the convenience of the internet.  E-mail, blogging, networking, and shopping are only a few of the luxuries that the World Wide Web offers.  Where it may have taken days to send a letter across the country in the past, we can now send an e-mail across the world in just a few seconds.  The internet provides us all with numerous luxuries that make everyday living considerably easier.  However, for this convenience we pay a price.  At first, I concluded that anything that made life “easier” in the short run was automatically beneficial, but I had not yet considered what effect it would have on me, and what I ran the risk of loosing.  With the arrival of convenience, came a unique change to the way that we think altogether. This change is what made authors such as Nicholas Carr question the reason behind it, and whether or not it is for the better.

            In his article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Carr reflects on his observation that reading literature has become more and more difficult.  He sees that we often become “fidgety”, “distracted”, and “struggle” to concentrate on the text.  We have now become so accustomed to reading small snippets on the internet before jumping to the next article, that we find it difficult to concentrate on more than a few paragraphs.  I have noticed this phenomenon in myself.  It is imperative for me to take numerous breaks while reading or writing anything.  If I do not do this, I find myself wasting time distracted by the simplest things.  The dust sitting in the corner, the condensation dripping down the sides of my glass, the Olympics playing quietly in the background, the flashing of the cursor on the screen – all of these things, however small, become major distractions. 

I often skim long articles to catch just the main points, or decide against reading a recommended book because I deem it “too long”.  Although reading only the minimum leaves me more time to do other things that I see as more important, I pay a hefty price.  Skimming may seem to be the most “efficient” way to read, but I loose out on the artistry and finesse that the author intended me to see.  Without these things it is hard to appreciate the literature to the fullest and apply it to my life.  Since I do not spend enough time focused, I loose the chance to loose myself in the text.

I now realize that my sense of “efficiency” is what drives me in the wrong direction when it comes to literature.  In the past, I was always the student who chose the shortest book over the one that got the best reviews.  My philosophy was that I could finish sooner, and not have to “waste” time reading.  Recently, my views changed.  I realized that I should care more about the process of reading and enjoying the story than how quickly I can move on with my life.  Do all things necessarily have to be the most efficient? Can’t we still find enjoyment in a process that is long?  Just a few days ago I discovered for myself the answers to these questions.  I read a series of books that was probably longer than everything else I have ever read put together.  Through these books, I could see into myself, and what I want for my life.  I also developed a new respect for the art of writing.  In only a few pages, the author was able to capture me, and make me fall in love with the story.  I read between the lines into my own life, and was able to recognize things that I would have never seen if I had just skimmed the SparkNotes.  I also felt a sense of accomplishment after I finished reading, and an immediate urge to tell everyone how amazing it was.  This is the kind of feeling that is lost in the “luxuries” of the internet and that is essential in encouraging us to continue in our education.  Although I read a fictional story, my mind continued to grow in the process. 

Things that may seem as if they are helping us may actually deter us from our initial goal.  For example, I read an article on the internet about how the earthquakes in China destroyed the panda research center.  All around the page were hyperlinks that connected me to pictures, videos, and more articles.  After just a few clicks, following a few random whims, I found myself reading about the expectations for Michael Phelps in the upcoming Olympics in Beijing.  Although my initial intent was to read about the destruction of the panda research center, I was easily distracted.  A situation such as this would not occur without the massive technology of the World Wide Web at my fingertips.  The internet allows us to follow even the slightest whims, distracting ourselves, and jumbling together the thoughts and ideas of several authors.  When we read one article all the way through, we can analyze each idea thoroughly, and draw our own conclusions based on the organized information given.

Through my own reflection on Nicholas Carr’s article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid” I have been able to draw my own conclusions and form my own opinions on the topic.  I have come to realize that new technologies such as the internet have their benefits, but also have negative aspects.  Through recent technologies, many new doors have opened providing us with an ample amount of information, but this information also has the capability to hinder us in our literary thought process.  Our minds have reshaped to think in a new way that is easily distracted.  It all simply comes down to a matter of convenience versus the personal growth that we find in the art of literature.  Which one will you choose?

Word Count: 996 Words

I think I have found the reason that I don’t like reading… August 13, 2008

• It now seems that our minds are changing, and it is harder to concentrate on and loose ourselves in the same things that we did in the past (literature for example)
• The internet has become an integral part of our lives.  It simplifies things that were very complex and time consuming in the past.
• Even though the internet can be helpful, our minds morph to expect that kind of information flow.  Instead of swimming through the “sea of words” that we find in literature, the internet encourages us to skim the surface.
• A dependence on the internet and loss of interest in literature could possibly be more than a change in the way that we read, but rather a change in the way that we think.
• People now tend to skim passages that seem “too long” and look for the main points.  Instead of reading an entire literary work, people can quickly skim multiple internet articles.
• Studies have shown that on several popular research sites that people have a tendency to skim an article quickly before bouncing to another.
• We may be reading more now than people in the past, but it is not the same kind of reading.
• The “efficiency” and “immediacy” of the internet may interfere with our ability to think deeply.
• Neurologists say that the brain is constantly changing.  This is what allows our thought processes to change and the way we read to influence the way we think.
• We begin to take on the qualities of the technology that we use.  For example, we begin to plan our physical behaviors around the concept of time.
• The internet is so powerful that it includes the printing press, typewriter, calculator, telephone, and television all in one.
• Our attention is defused due to the blinking ads and hyperlinks placed all around the text.
• The internet influences changes in television and newspapers as well.
• The internet simplifies the work that the mind must do and makes it more efficient.
• In Google’s view, the more information that we can access faster, “the more productive we become as thinkers.”
• Google can be compared to a form of artificial intelligence.
• The human brain is an “outdated computer”
• It is in the economic interest of many web sites to distract the reader.
• The internet allows us to follow the whims in our mind as we read, instead of listening to the thoughts of one author.
• Our own intelligence can transform into artificial intelligence.