Kindred

Kindred so far has been my favorite book we have read in class. I was extremely engaged in the story and although we talked about it not really being suspenseful, because the novel started off with Dana being alive and well, I was enthralled throughout the book. I completely forgot that Dana would eventually be okay in the future, so I was constantly worried she would not make it out alive from her 1817 "reality". Also, I began to question whether Hagar would even be born and that Dana's 1976 "reality" would actually never happen. By the end of the novel, I was content with accepting that there was a time paradox and both times were actual realities.

FYI: Visit by a Tibetan monk

For those interested, there will be a Tibetan monk visiting campus on Monday, March 28 @ 7pm in Nunemaker Hall. It is free and open to all. All I've been told is that he will be giving a demonstration... of what, I'm not sure! (Though I have no doubt it will be engaging.)

A Man of His Time

While reading Kindred by Butler, I was always interested in how much people changed in accordance with their surroundings, even when that was the one issue they had refused to let happen. While Rufus was a child, he was much more open to everyone, and there seemed to be a chance that he could be saved from following in his father's path. Eventhough Rufus never made the decision not to be like his father, or least I did not find him to have focused to much on it, Dana had. She had decided she would not let it happen, yet it did. He became a greedy manipulator and a slave owner who followed the customary practices as such. Dana, although she told herself she would never be able to blend in, lost track of where she stopped playing the role of a slave and when she became a very submissive one. Kevin was so changed by his five years that he had great difficulty transitioning back into his present time of 1976. He had such a hard time he verbally lashed out at Dana, and began to throw things. They all seemed to struggle with being real, or atleast what others thought was the real them. Perhaps, we are a product of our time, who are simply unable to accept our real selves of the present. If we were never affected by anything there, would be very little to us as beings. We seem to be always searching for truth to the point that we forget to find it in the present through acceptance.

Past and Present

As I dug deeper and deeper into Kindred, I finally began to see a common trend emerge between all the books we have read this semester, and that trend is the presence of time, both past and present. In this current book, the main character is brought back a century into time to a world much different than hers, along the way experiencing slavery alongside her ancestors. All I can think about while reading this book is an extremely well-known (and my own personal favorite) quote from Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby: "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." Though decades apart, Fitzgerald and the author of Kindred, Octavia Butler, are on the exact same page in believing and writing that who we are today can be accredited to the past, the paths our families and ancestors have paved for us, the things we have seen, and the experiences we have experienced.

origin vs consequences

In philosophy we're currently learning about the beliefs of a philosopher, James, who says that the origin of ideas and things doesn't really matter, it's the consequences of the idea or origin, it's what they produce. This reminds me of part of our discussion of Dana on thursday. The origin of Dana is not only confusing to the reader but to Dana herself. Although she may seem lost her "true" origin isn't as important as her consequences, which would be overall saving Rufus to in turn save herself. This is what should be important to her, I haven't finished the book yet but I believe if she discovers this she will be more at peace with 1976 Dana and 1819 Dana. It doesn't matter which reality she thinks she belongs in but more her actions in both settings that influence the bigger picture. Eventually her two selfs will fall into each other and what time period she belongs in won't be as difficult for her to grasp because she knows who she is, what her life means and also that her consequences are the most important thing.

Random quote relating to our class..

Today I was reading a blog, and I came across a few statements that resonate with our class: "My memory of the conversation is more abstract than actual, and while the words have long since escaped me, the feeling of that interaction is as vivid as anything I remember. As a child it is not often that adults level with you and speak to you simply as a human being and not some lesser thing. At least I remember feeling that way back then." After reading this, I thought of our discussions about memories, especially when we were reading O'Brien's novel, and how events can never be retold exactly how they happened because we are always editing it, even in just our own minds depending on our perceptions. The idea that although we may not remember most of a certain event or conversation, the impression that it made on us can be more valuable and more meaningful than the actual experience itself- and therefore (in relation to O'Brien), a war story resonating that emotion is more accurate and important than a factual retelling of a war. I thought the statements above express this idea quite eloquently, and I was just really excited to find relevance to our class in a favorite band's blog.

What defines a slave?

Clearly we have (adamantly) discussed time travel and the different versions created by different perspectives at our last meeting. The question remains whether destiny has already predetermined a person's actions, which would mean that their actions (as purposeful as they may be) are not affecting what will happen or was meant to happen OR does history (past, present, and future) first depend on whatever actions a person may take (which would create multiple dimensions assuming time travel was even possible.

These questions can not and will not be answered until we are actually able to go back and forth. Even then, we will never be able to tell if somebody "changed the future" because if we decide that "future" is always an event that has yet to happen, if we experience it, go back and change something, and return to that point, the future was not changed but instead the "present" or to the time traveller the "past". The person still hasn't experienced the moment after they decided to go back to the past, and so how would they know if that moment later was always meant to happen or in fact changed due to their own actions? In fact, if time travel were even possible, there would never be a past, present, or future. Everything would be individually questionable. So I guess those questions of whether history determines actions or whether actions determine history (all a matter of controlling our "destiny") will never be answered.

Believe it or not, this post was not supposed to go on that tangent again, but I don't really use the delete button on my laptop, so everything is in my stream of thought. I always think before I type, but I rarely decide to erase something.

Anywho, I started this because I was thinking that actions determine history or vice versa would shape our view of Dana. If she has basically no control over destiny, she technically cannot be seen as weak. She'd just be another human roaming the earth to do what she was supposed to do. However, if her actions are what cause the history in the first place, the reader can definitely decide how to interpret how she acts. I'll just go with the second choice because then I can get to my point quicker (thank Jesus).

Though I have yet to finish the book, I have decided that it could go one of two ways (watch me be wrong). Dana could find a way to separate herself in the slavery era from the Dana in 1970's. This would require her to consciously remember the person she used to be before she was aware of time traveling: the passive, unhappy, woman whose marriage is not accepted by either family, and also the strong, educated woman she wants others to recognize. Though she was still affected by ignorance of others and even some racial issues with her husband, she must overcome these issues and as a couple, Kevin and Dana are in need of growing together. Dana could learn to understand that she does not have to internally accept what is being done to her in the slavery period as her "truth", and just play the game until she goes back to the 1970's. This is more difficult, however, because both she and Kevin are traveling and her decisions do not necessarily affect him internally.

On the other hand (more likely to happen I believe), Dana could be unaware of how easy it is to accept the slavery period as her truth, and be stuck in that role (both there and in the 1970's) until her death. If she is unable to separate one place from the other, the racial issues between both her and Kevin and even the problems with others can escalate. The visit to the slave era can create a realization that she needs to fight against these issues and prejudices, but if she is unaware of this concept, she would feel even more and trapped than before because of her acceptance of the ideas and beliefs of the slaves in 1816.

Though technically Dana is a slave in one time and free in another, the idea of "what defines a slave" comes to mind. Though one maybe is not whipped and by law unable to leave their master, the idea of slavery is also (by definition) a person who works very hard without appreciation. Also, it is a person who is excessively dependent upon or controlled by something. If Dana is unable to separate what she decides to be truth or just a game she has to play IN ORDER to use both time periods and combine them to recreate herself (or continue on her destined path), she will enslave herself in both times and never be able to leave or forget the role of slave. She may give up and allow herself to be controlled by who is deemed "superior" because this is what others in the slavery period have convinced her to believe.

Though legally she is free, Dana may always be a slave to others and (if she is able to control this destiny) even herself.

I used to think that I always thought for myself

Thoughts from Tuesday's discussion continue to visit me. Thoughts about how the class has shaped us, the pressure of choosing a career, and the choice between producing work from you or simply restating the professor's views.

First of all, this class has definitely made me think more critically of myself as well as reevaluate the way I process information. For example: before this class, I used to think that I always thought for myself however, looking back, I also let society think for me sometimes. After realizing this, I stopped bullshitting myself and began to set goals based on what I want from me, and not what the world expects of me.

However, being honest with myself was harder than I thought. I am an art major. I really enjoy expressing myself through art, but lately, being strait up with myself, I can't help but feel a bit like a whore, like a professional people pleaser, simply because of the Art classes I'm taking now that exploit the commercial functions of art rather than focus on its expressive qualities.

A strange connection.

This evening I attended the Kronos Quartet concert over at Tunlane. There were no program notes, so for one of the pieces the first violin player gave a short explanation about how it was written and what the story behind it was. The piece was entitled "...hold me neighbor, in this storm..." and the violinist said that he asked composer, who is Serbian, to write a piece that explained the situation that was happening over there so that he,his group, and the audience could understand what was going on. He said this, and throughout the piece I kept thinking of Tim O'Brien and how he used his numerous books to try and figure out what happened over in Vietnam. O'Brien used words and Aleksandra Vrebalov used music to try and convey the emotional turmoil that they lived through.

When I grow up...

The discussion in class really had me thinking hard today about what I want to be and what i want with my life. As I was thinking I came to the realization that I had no earthly idea of what I wanted to be. I also figured out (as Janelle may have said in different words) that this isn't the time to have everything figured out. It's the time to grow, to change, to become a better person, to discover what a better person really is. I can honestly say that this course is making me reflect upon myself and "truths"... it has made me question mainly everything in everyday life. I can honestly say that now I am a skeptic.

freakonomics

I read Freakonomics for another class, and all throughout it I kept thinking of this class. For those who don't know much about Freakonomics, the book focuses on using economics to question certain quirky questions about the world. I really recommend the book to everyone, even if you think economics sounds extremely boring - I thought the same thing before I read the book. The authors make the material interesting and "provocative" as many of the reviews stated. The authors talk a lot about questioning conventional wisdom, and makes many great points about it, especially regarding parenting. Anyways, it made me think about how we accept certain "truths" about the world, and so many things are seen as general knowledge, but are they really the truth? Research data is questioned in the book, and the authors admit that many experts use information to their advantage for their own gains.. and therefore stretch the facts. The book just reinforced my use of critical thinking, and along with this course, is forcing me to question more than I used to. And because of that, the world, and everything, seems more interesting.

So I finally saw Inception...

And I liked it. A lot. But after taking this course, and sort of knowing what to expect, it wasn't that big of a trip, like everyone said it would be. I didn't lose my cool when the credits rolled; I accepted it. In fact, I kind of thought 'so what?". I'm not sure if it was because of the build-up from everything everyone's said about it or because at this point, thanks to this class, I could just enjoy the effect and not lose my shit. I'm thinking the latter. Maybe Christopher Nolan took a course like this and read Man in the High Castle.
Now my fingers are crossed that Kindred won't make my head spin.

The "truth" will get you an A-, or maybe an F...

Look what I found:
click here

Finally!

So, I have finally been shown how to access this website and post a post. Although it's extremely late, I feel as though in this case it's better late than never. All I can say is that "The Man in the High Castle" was hard to interpret and made class participation difficult (I found myself oblivious to what points were being made in the conversation). Writing an essay on it, however, forced me to use thought processing and helped me to understand some of the points Dick intended to make. I enjoy writing essays... Anyway, I am looking forward to reading Kindred on my plane ride home!

This video might be a little nerdy.
Anyway, this is how this class is making me read now. Focusing more about how effects are made and how the book wants me to think. I don't really see anymore into truth or lies in things now, but I am starting to think more about if effects are intentional or accidental and if things can be different for different people.

What Is Reality? Does It Matter?

I just wanted to comment on what is my biggest problem with understanding this novel and this entire course: the idea of reality and truth. Throughout the entire course we have been wrestling with this idea of what is true, what is real, what is factual, and what do these things even mean. My problem with all of this is that throughout high school most of my english teachers taught me that none of this matters. Most of them were in the reader response school of thought, and taught us that the most important thing about reading a book is your own view of it and what you learned or gained from it, not necessarily what the author actually intended you to think. Although we can all contemplate other truths, we can only experience life from one perspective and that is our own. This is why it only makes sense for Juliana to react the way she does to the revelation that her world is fictional. This is the world that she is experiencing and the only one she ever will, so in her life it is still true. We could all be characters in a fictional world right now, but it simply does not matter because we will only ever be able to experience this world, so contemplating other realities is ultimately frivolous.

The sand art.

This is the video of the woman who does sand art about WWII.

A Stretch At The Truth

Out of all the books we have read this semester thus far, I have to say that this one holds the closest thing to the truth.....just a very, very, very stretched out truth. In this book, the author uses actual, highly noted historical events and twists them around the way that he wants to to produce an alternative "what-if" kind of world, which to me is genius. It's safe to say that all of us always think of the "what-if", from simply "what if I had toast for breakfast instead of eggs" to a more complex "what if I had chosen a different university", etc. The place we're at today, at this very moment, was compiled of decisions we have made in our lives, some easy, some hard. With that, what if the US hadn't won WWII? In an alternate world, would Dick's novel be a history book used in classrooms? It's scary to think about, but hypothetically speaking, would there have been a better world out there if history had run a different course?

Gresham's Law

On page 48: "A Gresham's law: the fakes would undermine the value of the real"

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Gresham%27s+law


Apparently, it's a real thing. I wasn't sure if it was a 'law' that only existed in this Axis-won-the-war world or not so I googled it.

Historicity

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkpGQUflBwU
This youtube link is an example of a number that has some historicity. People actually pay to have this number!! But why? It's just a random number like anyone else's right?
WRONG. This awesome song makes people want the number because a band made this memorable jingle to it. :)
And now it shall be stuck in your head all day. Mwahahaha.

On a more serious note:
When it comes down to historicity VS contemporary.. It makes one wonder why a piece of history attached to an object really matters at all if it is compared to a replica that achieves the same purpose of use or aesthetics. In all honesty, it would make life boring if certain objects didn't hold more meaning. The world would just constantly be moving forward, throwing away the old (this would mean ancient civilizations too), and keep making new objects.
It can be safe to assume that many people enjoy finding deeper meaning in life rather than the surface--and one form of this is holding more meaning in an object once the history of it is learned.
It is not necessarily a bad thing, however it could be more expensive for the person. It creates more jobs (antique stores, people to restore and preserve the items, places that certify that the item is really what it is, etc) , it creates museums.
However silly it may seem that Lady Gaga's sweaty gym sock would be framed in someone's room or that 867-5309 is a number that people want because a band made it popular (even though so many people call this number as a prank!!), it gives a little more meaning to the monotony of life.
Would you agree?

Voodoo Queen

I found the lecture to be enlightening because I really didn't know much about Voodoo previous to the lecture. What particularly grabbed by interest was the Voodoo Queens. New Orleans had Voodoo Queens whereas everywhere else had Kings. He mentioned Marie Laveau, and the people who are from here or this area understood him and recognized the name. As a carpetbagger, the name was unfamiliar, until the other day that is. My family came to town and my mom dragged us to see a cemetery. Looking at the tombs, we noticed one that was especially decorated. Most of the decorates seemed to have been placed there recently, others a while ago. It was covered in graffiti, especially 'XXX'. Apparently the three x's are marked by vistors of her grave with the hopes she will grant them a wish. My family was impressed when I was able to recount what I had learned at the lecture about the Voodoo Queen.

God is to Earth; as author is to book. The powerful relationship

God is to Earth; as author is to book, with information being most valuable, to both the reader in the midst of story, and to the person in reality.However, to the person in reality, the author has only limited power, since the author can only fully appeal to the reader's senses, to intern affect one's personal views. Although, once the reader undertakes the task of interpreting the author's work he/she will undoubtedly incorporate his/her own views, before arriving at a final conclusion.

A broad example would be The Things They Carried, the novel itself. Simply because no one, in Truth Lies and Lit, was in the Vietnam War so, therefore, can not Know it. We have merely been informed of its occurrence, just so that We Might understand the Gravity of its consequence. however, Through gaining knowledge of This war We gain the ability to make inferences, that remain ours. By recognizing the Secondary nature of our educated guesses, or "claiming our claims" we are also able to recognize what we cannot Know. This notion coveys a distant relationship between our literal selves and the material. In other words, the literal, you reading about something that, the literal, you have never experienced displaces, the literal, you, while simultaneously engaging you, the reader, and allows you, the reader, to experience the event with a heightened awareness of the context, otherwise unobtainable.

Sterotypes

The biggest thing I carried away from the lecture on Voodoo was the importance of getting past stereotypes. Coming from the northeast, I knew absolutely about Voodoo or it's followers, and have only seen it depicted in movies on a more radical note. With these portrayals, I expected an old crusty priest from the bayous of Louisiana to walk in and preach about the high powers of his religion. However, the second the speaker walked in I automatically got past those stereotypes and set in to learn more about the fascinating and historic practice of Voodoo, and was fascinated on how well he connected to everyone in the room regardless of religious affiliation.

Voodoo Lecture

I found the Voodoo lecture the other night to be very interesting. Even though I am from New Orleans, I know very little about Voodoo other than what tourists see in the French Quarter. What I found interesting was how Voodoo is passed down through families. Unlike other religions that attempt to spread their beliefs and practices, Voodoo practitioners seem content to keep their beliefs within the family, which says a lot about how they view truth. The speaker seemed comfortable admitting that while he believes wholeheartedly in his religion, others may find truth in other beliefs or religions.