Responsibility

     A sense of responsibility is seen very clearly in Guitar, who feels responsible to his parents to rectify the injustice they experienced by taking every injustice committed against a black person as a strike against him. His involvement with the Seven Days stems from his responsibility to his people. Milkman is scared by the intensity of Guitar's devotion, and Guitar is scared by Milkman's complete lack of identity as a black man. In fact, in the first section of the book, Milkman has no discernible sense of responsibility to anything or anyone. His only loyalty is to himself and his desire to obtain material objects for his own pleasure. The first time there is a breakthrough with Milkman occurs in Danville, where his eyes are opened to a world much bigger than him. He finds a culture in which he belongs, not because of his fancy clothes or  socioeconomic status, but because of his ancestry. He finally begins to feel responsible for his family, owning his race and his heritage. Had he not felt so bound by the legacy of his grandfather to avenge his wrongful death, he would not have been able to push himself through the mud and rocks to discover the cave. The Milkman prior to his speaking with the Reverend and Circe would have fled to the safety of his hometown reputation as soon he encountered even a remote challenge. However, the evolved Milkman is motivated by something larger than himself and his desire for the gold. He finally feels the responsibility to his people he had been lacking for all his life, and he thereby gains purpose both for carrying on in his mission to find the gold and purpose for his life in its entirety as he learns to see the people around him as valuable.

Good and Evil

     In Song of Soloman, the battle between good and evil is not quite as cut and dry as it may be in other works of literature. While the main over arching good is the innocent man, in most cases the black man, and the evil is the man committing acts of discrimination and cruelty, it is not all black in white. Milkman is the central character of the novel and while he may not be evil, he is not likable for at least over half of the book. He cares far too much about material possessions and far too little about the people around him. Then Guitar, his foil in the beginning the book, has the passion and sympathy Milkman lacks, but he is plotting the mass murder of innocent white school children. His need for vengeance comes at a very high price and cannot be regarded as honorable as he seems to know his actions are not only morally wrong, but also will not improve the plight of the black man. The good and evil in this book can not be attributed to one sole character but rather the social constructs of equality, awareness, and self-discovery, with the evil being the negative character traits inhibiting their achievement, like Milkman's egoism and Guitar's bloodlust. The blurring between good and evil, while at times frustrating, is an indicator of Morrison's strong ability to create multifaceted rich characters without running the risk of being flat.

Qualifying Poetry

            I think that poetry is the use of language to create meaning through art. I originally substituted words in for language, but I find that poetry uses much more than words. Poetry is full of poetic devices and carefully placed spaces all to create one cohesive final product. As time has passed, poetry has evolved from the very structured haikus and sonnets to a much more free flowing medium. I think what makes an arrangement of words poetry is that at least one person can find meaning in that particular assortment of words. What leads some people to dislike certain poems is perhaps their own inability to find the meaning the poet or other readers found. Even those who find the meaning can dislike the feeling that that meaning arouses within them. Certain poems evoke a feeling of sadness or loneliness that readers do not want to confront. Other poems are repellent to people for superficial reasons, like a dislike for the complicated language or odd format that can be discovered on a surface read without attempting to search for meaning. It is for this reason I think that people’s opinions of poetry can change. At one point in their life they may not have the experience and insight to find the meaning in a poem, but revisiting it years or even just minutes later with a changed perspective can allow them to see the poem in a new light, with new appreciation.

Toni Morrison Repsonse

            The concept of having a work written about a targeted group of people, whether that be a certain race or gender, and still being universal is an interesting idea posed by the quote from Toni Morrison. I think the point Morrison is trying to illustrate is that when a work is centered around an often misrepresented grouping of people, in her case black people, is has a tendency to focus on explaining and justifying certain aspects of their life. In order for a wider audience to be able to relate, black authors feel responsible to cater to the knowledge and viewpoint of a non-black audience. However, Morrison believes that allowing her sincere perspective as a black woman to guide her writing, without wasting pages gentrifying her characters to make them appeal to every audience, she allows her characters to act naturally and the plot to develop around them. Through raw, honest portrayals of black life, she tells her story unapologetically. This draws in a diverse audience as instead of using sentences to explain what it means to be black, she highlights black life through action. A white reader could enjoy a novel written by Toni Morrison almost blindly, having race playing an intrinsic role as it is woven into the central being of each character rather than inserted in awkward explanations. The reader could sometimes forget the race of the characters, as it comes as a natural second nature to their existence.

Milkman's Memory of Mother

"'My mother nursed me when I was old enough to talk, stand up, and wear knickers, and somebody saw it and laughed and- and that is why they call me Milkman and that is why my father never does and this is why my mother never does, but everybody else does. And how did I forget that? And why?'" (78).

Milkman asks a very good question in the last sentence of this quote: why did he forget that his mother breasted him past the age when it was socially acceptable? When the incident of him being caught breast feeding occurring, he would've been old enough to remember it. It is clear in this quote he does remember, but that memory has been suppressed deep within his mind. Milkman clearly cares for his mother, enough to strike his father, risking being hit back harder himself.  Even at that young of an age, Milkman must've been able to recognize what was happening between his mother and himself was wrong and blocked the memory because it brought him embarrassment and shame. He knew the memory would make him look at his mother differently, for the worse, so he got rid of it as to allow himself to love her as a son should a mother. His father bringing up his mother's unnatural actions towards her own father forced Milkman to confront this memory and realize the unhealthy relationship Ruth has with not only her male family members, but perhaps an overall unhealthy relationship with sex.

Title

I predict that the title the Song of Solomon will become significant as the plot moves forward. I would like to do a follow up blog post after completing the novel to examine the true, intended significance of the title. However, I would also like to examine the title currently having only read the first four chapters of the book. Song is introduced within the first chapter with the mention of the italicized lyrics of the son about Sugarman flying home written out. The songstress behind this delivery is described as woman wearing a quilt in place of a winter coat, who can be assumed to be Milkman's eccentric aunt, Pilate. This song reappears in the second chapter when Pilate, Reba, and Hagar sing it for Milkman. Now the song lyrics are written out longer, as Milkman watches in amazement. Music often has a positive connotation, and in this case the sing almost seems a little magical as it enchants Milkman. Pilate represents a side of the Dead family Milkman can identify and bond with, unlike his own father from who he feels he could not be more different. Song in general, not specifically the Song of Solomon, seems tied to the women of the Dead family and a source of wonder for Milkman. In fact, the sound of Hagar's voice alone nearly makes Milkman faint because he has such a strong reaction to the power of the music.

Telling is Listening

     A major takeaway I received from this article, "Telling is Listening: Ursula K. Le Guin on the Magic of Real Human Conversation" by Maria Popova, was the idea that in a conversation communication is "intersubjective." It is interesting to analyze human conversation next to robot transmissions of modern technology. What makes human conversation so powerful is the continuous and natural flow between listening and speaking after being compelled by what was heard listening. This automatic, adaptive quality of speech isn't as regulated and black and white as the coding of technology.
      One thought I have about the article is that the author does not mention much about the power of silence. While she speaks about the significance of the sound of speech, she does not speak about the significance of the sound void of speech, or silence. Silence is a lack of sound, but when shared in a space between two people it can communicate something. Silence can indicate unfamiliarity among two people who do not have enough in common to speak or tension among two people who do not have the right words to speak. It would have been interesting to read a stance on silence and what that states about human communication.

McCarthy on Puncuation

      After dealing with the comma splices earlier this week, I can be sympathetic to McCarthy's decision to strip down punctuation to minimum to avoid unnecessary bumps in the road. I say this somewhat playfully, as in actuality I cannot imagine writing entire novels without quotation marks. McCarthy claims that his minimal punctuation brings maximum clarity to his work, but as a reader so accustomed to heavy punctuation, it is perhaps a bigger distraction to become strung up on where a semicolon may be missing. I think that punctuation, as long as used properly, can deviate from the bare minimum of McCarthy to a more fruitful approach. The subtle pauses and emphasis created by punctuation contributes to an authors unique voice. However, I think it may be slightly too brash for McCarthy to dismiss all other punctuation besides "capitals, periods, and commas" as cluttered as this punctuation has been used with purpose by many talented authors and playwrights preceding him.

The Significance of Estha and Rahel's Physical Unity

"They knew each other before Life began. There is very little that anyone could say to clarify what happened next. Nothing that (in Mammachi's book) would separate Sex from Love. Or Needs from Feelings" (310).

From the very beginning, it is established that Estha and Rahel are not destined to be people, but rather a person. Physically, they are in separate bodies, but they share a "siamese soul." At one point, Estha's thoughts are described as "Not finding words which to tell her that for them there was no Each, no Other" (215). The implied sexual encounter is not meant to be merely disgusting or incestuous by Roy, but rather a final union between Estha and Rahel's bodies, allowing there adult beings to truly combine, linking them freshly as they were when inside Ammu.  The select capitalization of Life, Sex, Love, Needs, and Feelings references the Big God, meaning that the feelings experienced by Estha and Rahel are not as small as them but rather universal. They did not only know each other before their lives began, but before Life on earth began. Sex and Love were not only not separate for them, but for the world. This interaction happened between them, signifying a ruling by the Small God, but it meant much more that just something between them, channeling the realms controlled by the Big God. The union between Estha and Rahel, as created in physical embodiment in a sexual encounter was far bigger than just them, rather it was a fate predetermined by the Needs of the world, the Need for their union to be centered.

Sophie Mol

The character of Sophie Mol is alluded to more in the book in death than actually described in life. Yet, despite her lack of words, she has a large impact on Estha and Rahel. Perhaps it is not so much Sophie Mol who impacts them, but the idea of Sophie Mol, both in life and death. The week preceding her arrival is described as the "What Will Sophie Mol Think? week" (36). This shows that the Ayemenen house held Sophie Mol's name to high standard, as a half white girl from a more privileged background. In her arrival and after her death, there is a focus on the fact that she was beautiful while she was alive. Estha and Rahel do not seem to like Sophie Mol, based primarily on the idea of her, as they see their relatives drawn to the beautiful young girl, dividing the limited quantity of love the twins believe exists in a person. However, despite being from a different world, Sophie Mol does not come across as entirely stuck up. She takes interest in befriending the twins, too young and innocent to see the difference between them despite the tales of bastard children from her mother. Sophie Mol actively wants to join the twins escape plan, convincing them if she leaves with them Ammu will feel truly guilty. However, her death almost signifies that Estha and Rahel are only ever meant to have each other, and anyone who tries to join their siamese soul is destined for something awful. Furthermore, the death of Sophie Mol marks the loss of the twins innocence, as they have to learn to be accountable in the following years. In the opening of the book, Rahel believes she sees Sophie Mol suffocating from her burial, not her drowing, signifying that Rahel struggles it believe it was her, or rather their, in reference to the unit of Estha and Rahel, escape plan that lead to her drowning.

The Small God and Foreshadowing

The Small God, the book's namesake, it introduced as the God who rules personal despair. The Big God controls all of society and the movement of the earth as a whole where as the Small God causes events that affect a human being, rather than the human race. The book begins with Rahel and Estha's life being ruled by the Small God. It is stated that "personal despair could never be desperate enough" (20), acknowledging that the tragedies individually experienced by the characters can never sum up to the tragedy caused by the Big God to the world. One such tragedy appears to be approaching as references to "The Terror" began to pile up up on the pages. Quotes like " The memory of a swollen face and a smashed, upside down smile" (32) and "lying on the broken church floor, dark blood spilling from his skull like a secret" (8) hint that both Rahel and Estha possess dark thoughts in the corner of their collective brain, perhaps stemming from memories of an event created not for them by the Small God, but for their people by the Big God.

The Connection Between Estha and Rahel

     It is established early on in the novel, that Estha and Rahel do not have a normal brother-sister bond. Rather, the two are linked, seemingly sharing a brain, which their individual memories becoming shared ones. In describing how Baby Kochamma categorizes the twins, the narrator says, "Anyway she thinks of Estha and Rahel as Them, because, separately the two of them are no longer what They were or ever thought They'd be" (5), making it clear that the two act as a unit. The Estha and Rahel the community knew as children were only those identities because of their overall shared identity, which was created from the thoughts flowing through the shared minds of the twins. However, the twins are separated, forcing each child to learn to function alone. As the two are pulled apart by miles of distance, the connection dissipates, leaving each twin with his or her own thoughts. For Estha, who has grown mute, being alone with his thoughts almost brings him a sort of peace as he is in control of his own mind. Rahel grows independent, but is still fiercely attached to Estha, which is revealed when her sole reasoning to return home, after not refusing to return for family funerals, is finding out Estha has been Returned. I initially predicted Rahel's return would be positive for Estha, but it almost seems the opposite. "It had been quiet in Estha's head until Rahel came. But with her she had brought the sound of passing trains, the light and shade and light and shade that falls on you if you have a window seat. The world, locked out for years, suddenly flooded in, and now Estha couldn't hear himself through the noise" (16). Estha had been content with the silence in his head, not having to think to translate his feelings to words, however Rahel's return once again merges their minds, forcing Estha to be confronted with Rahel's experiences as he feels that he is on the train in her place. Estha's inner voice was clearly very weak from the start, explaining why it never had the power to be vocally translated, and with Rahel's more dominant voice and inner analysis of every experience pouring in, Estha's quiet thoughts are drowned out.

The Irony of the Treatment of the Untouchables

Hinduism utilises of system of karma. It is commonly belived that one's actions in the present lifetime will affect his or her future life when he or she is reincarnated. This makes the cruel treatment of Bakha and the untouchables difficult to understand. Calling Bakha phrases like "dirty dog," "careless, irresponsible swine," and "son of a dog," hardly seem like words coming from people concerned about upholding a high moral standard. What is ironic is these cruel actions could make these upper caste people untouchables themselves in their next lifetime. Meanwhile, Bakha is apologetic and docile, being polite even when enduring the malice verbal abuses. Perhaps as an untouchable, Bakha is more concerned with his behavior as to be reincarnated out of his outcaste state and into a life where he will not have to spend his days cleaning refuse in the hot sun.  Meanwhile, the upper castes who are unconcerned about changing their status do not think as much of how their actions will affect their future lives.

Untouchable FRQ

In many novels, socioeconomic status affects the character development as characters decide whether they will try to change their ranking or come to acceptance. Social classes can not only affect the protagonists perception of his or herself, but also the treatment he or she receives from society over the course of the novel. Explain how Bakha's socioeconomic status altered his views of Indian society as a result of Indian society's treatment of him.

Bakha's Shift

While Bakha from the vey start of the book is critical of the caste system and the rigid roles it categorized life into, he still falls into the mannerisms of the untouchables. When he accidentally brushes into an upperclass citizen on the street, an act of physical contact that is forbidden, he automatically accepts the berating words of the man, cruel words that should not be exchanged between two humans for an act as small as an accidental bump. "He was about to apologise. He had already joined his hands instinctively" (47) describes just how trained Bakha and his fellow outcastes had become to accept their place in the hierarchy. However, once he is slapped in the face by the Lalla who he accidentally brushed against, something powerful awakens in Bakha giving him the strength and courage to develop a rage in the place of submission. "The strength, the power of his giant body glistened with the desire for revenge in his eyes, while horror, rage, indignation swept over his frame" (50) offers a description of change gripping Bakha from the inside out, allowing for his eyes to open to the unjustifiable indignities he has been subjected to all his life for a reason he cannot control. Instead of suffering silently, never questioning a better life, he now has the fire within him to take action to break free. As a side note, it is interesting that the concept of revenge is brought up. Perhaps before Bakha would have relied solely of the Hindu belief of karma to carry out revenge for him.

The Role of Anglophilia for Bakha

From the very start of Untouchable, Bakha is introduced as an "anglophile," through his deep interest in the English way of life, or at least his perception of English life. "The leather-worker's son, who oiled his hair profusely, and parted it like the Englishmen on one side, wore a pair of shorts at hockey and smoked cigarettes like them" (10) introduces Bakha. The use of "like the Englishmen" and "like them" is interesting as the narrator draws a deep distinction between the Untouchables and the Englishmen, a distinction that Bakha seems determined to overcome, despite the clear difficulty. He sacrifices his own comfort to use more English products, in his mind elevated himself from his class and towards the sahibs. However, spending his little money on English clothes and enduring sleepless nights shivering from refusal to use the warm Indian quilt over the thin English blanket, does not bring Bakha any closer to actually moving up in the social class system. Perhaps as a child of modern India, Bakha has new ideas on how to break the caste system and escape his "non-congenial" life through acquiring a full English suit. However, the English clothes are also tied to a fantasy that offer Bakha a mental escape, if not an actual escape. Remaining crisply dressed while doing the lowest jobs of the untouchables, like sweeping the latrines allows Bakha to believe he is different and above those who he is technically equal with in the eyes of the upperclass. Buttoning his shirt each morning and carrying himself as he perceives an Englishman would, he allows himself to take pride in his work, imagining that it is work worthy of the way he is dressed.

The Psychology of Story Telling

"The imaginative application of the paradigmatic mode leads to good theory, tight analysis, logical proof, sound argument, and empirical discovery guided by reasoned hypothesis. But paradigmatic “imagination” (or intuition) is not the same as the imagination of the novelist or poet. Rather, it is the ability to see possible formal connections before one is able to prove them in any formal way."

-Jerome Bruner

     This quote from the article The Psychology of Story Telling stuck out to me in how it applies the class of AP Literature and Composition. In class we read works of fiction written by a novelist or poet in an imaginative state and as a class we enter an imaginative state through creatively pulling out literary devices. Creating a hypothesis then supporting this hypothesis with a carefully reasoned argument filled with quotes and analysis is imaginative. It takes a strong imagination to read through a work and be able to pull out a distinct interpretation, seeing elements of the piece others might overlook. There is an element of imagination involved with visually the piece and finding the author's purpose. However, the imagination of the author in writing the literary work is a different imagination that the type exercised in AP Literature class. The author also has a vision and a purpose unique to him or her, but imagining a story and creating a setting and plot out of the blank white of a page is its own form of imagination. The author's imagination is the ingenuity of developing complex characters and using language to present a vision otherwise untranslatable. The reader's imagination is the ability to pick up on the subtle flecks of tone and metaphoric language that give the piece life. Furthermore, it is even possible for the reader to uncover themes that the author did not know were there.

C.S. Lewis: Response

I recently read the Brain Pickings article which quoted the writer C.S. Lewis in his explanation of why we, humans, read. One take away I had from reading his quotes is his idea that reading  and gaining ideas that are not one's own does not change one's self, but rather improves and increases that self. "The man who is contented to be only himself, and therefore less a self, is in prison," Lewis says of those who do not read. Reading literature not only enhances knowledge, but improves one's own internal being. Taking other's stories and ideas and learning from them does not make one less oneself, but rather allows that person to break free of the prison of being ignorant and one dimensional. "Here, as in worship, in love, in moral action, and in knowing, I transcend myself; and am never more myself than when I do," Lewis comments of his life post literary experience. Allowing the stories of other people, other cultures, and other time period to impact one's mind only makes that mind more unique and true to the individual. How I perceive what Lewis is stating is that because one is allowing outside ideas to enter his or her brain, he or she can then process and form opinions on the literary works, opinions unique to the individual. Reading a novel does not mean that the reader will agree and conform to every point made by the author, in turn becoming the author, but that the reader will run the text through his or her individual brain and take away the points that interest, challenge, or support his or her preconceived sense of self.