Invisible Children

Description and Purpose: The goal of this organization is to generate awareness about the events and people in Northern Uganda. Northern Uganda is in the middle of a civil war between the government and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The LRA is a group that kidnaps children and then trains them into soldiers. They have put together several movements in order to let the people in the US know what is happening in Northern Uganda. Their first activity was called the Global Night Commute and now they are starting an event called Displace Me. The main goal of these different events is to raise awareness and educate the people about what is going on outside our country.

Evidence: The organization has a main website: http://www.invisiblechildren.com/home.php and they have created a movie about their first trip to Uganda.

Claim: The claim of this movie is that there is a crisis going on outside our country and we need to become more aware of it. The children of Uganda are going through something horrible and we should notice and take as much action as we can in order to assist them. It is not easy, and won’t happen in a matter of days. The creators of the documentary believe it is possible with time and dedication.

Audience: The audience is anyone. They have created websites and several different movies. The circumstances that are shown in the movie are really shocking. By creating this documentary, they did not have a specific audience in mind. They just wanted the word about Uganda to reach people.

The Peace Symbol

Gerald Holtom, a professional designer and artist and a graduate of the Royal College of Arts, first designed the Peace symbol in 1958 for the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War (CND). Though it is primarily known as the symbol for nuclear disarmament in Britain, in the US and around the world it is generally known as the peace symbol. A few people are said to have introduced the symbol to the US: Bayard Rustin, a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr., brought it over to the US, on his return from participating in the first Aldermaston March; Albert Bigelow, a pacifist protester, sailed his small boat outfitted with the CND banner into the vicinity of a nuclear test in 1958; and also Philip Altbach, a freshman at the University of Chicago, who traveled to England to meet with British peace groups as a delegate from the Student Peace Union (SPU) purchased a bag of the peace symbol buttons while he was in England and brought them back to Chicago where he convinced SPU to reprint the button and adopt it as its symbol. Nevertheless, it became widely used in civil rights marches, it appeared on anti-Vietnam War demonstrations, and was even seen painted in protest on American GI helmets. It appeared on the walls of Prague when the Soviet tanks invaded in 1968, on the Berlin Wall, in Sarajevo and Belgrade, on the graves of the victims of military dictators from the Greek Colonels to the Argentinean junta, and most recently in East Timor. The symbol, initially created to protest violence, remains for the same purpose; it continues to represent peace in this world and is directed and worn for anyone who will look or listen to its simple message.

Jay-Z & the "Evils"

I'm planning on doing my research paper about the possibility that Jay-Z is a Freemason and that he is a "devil worshiper" and what not, as some people like to believe. I really don't believe this myself, but I find it very interesting that people make connections between the symbols and lyrics he uses throughout his career and the symbols that are associated with the Freemason society.

Claim: Jay-Z uses subliminal messages in his music and other aspects of his life and career to "corrupt"? his audience. He is heavily influenced by the Freemason society and the Illuminati.

Evidence: One of my sources is the song "D'Evils" off of his first album, aka the best album he's ever made, Reasonable Doubt. =] And other songs like "Lucifer". I can also use material on the Freemason society itself and compare the two.

Purpose: To see if this all makes sense and to possibly prove that it is not true?? To show that Jay-Z is not a devil worshiper =]

Audience: Hip Hop and Jay-Z fans, listeners of good music.

Research Post: Hannah Hoch

Okay so for now I am quite interested in researching Hannah Hoch's involvement with photography as well as how she used her art as a means of advocating homosexuality. It may be a fleeting interest but regardless.....

CLAIM: Hannah Hoch's art aided in a revolutionary art movement (Dadaism) and also simultaneously can be viewed as advocating feminism and providing the stepping stones for the acceptance of homosexuality.

EVIDENCE: "Tamar" a photomontage that illustrates the idea of judging on the basis on gender.


PURPOSE: This photomontage circles around the issue of gender and also like her other works she touches base on the issues of homosexuality, feminism, and a lot with women's role in society and how they are viewed.

AUDIENCE: Hoch's audience would be first the german people as this is where a majority of her work was created and so viewed, but on a grandeur scale it appeals to the mass of woman and men as it empowers women and enlightens men of the injustices of the female gender.


http://www.yellowbellywebdesign.com/hoch/gallery.html

Research Blog

(a work in progress at the moment)

Claim: Chain stores, such as Wal-Mart, detail the homogeneity of the American market and the difficulty that "mom and pop" stores face when trying to survive.

Evidence: Marketing campaigns of these companies that divulge the number of consumers (200 million, apparently) the effect these customers can have. Also, I could include background about the rise in franchises in recent history. Furthermore, statistics and other relevant information should speak for itself.

Purpose: The purpose is to showcase the prevalence capitalism in our modern society and how the CEOs of large companies reap the benefits of a populace willing to settle with little diversity in their consumption.

Audience: The audience could include a very wide range of people, but this research paper would probably appeal to the American consumer; also, it would appeal to those who are anti-consumerism.

The Beatles and Civil Rights

1. Claims:

- Beatles songs inspired a generation of civil rights activists to believe and fight for their cause.

- These songs not only inspired a generation, but also gave soldiers another type of response.

2. Evidence:

- The primary focus will be based upon the songs themselves in both the lyrics themselves and the melody of the songs, specifically speaking for the moment: “Blackbird” (Significance of African American oppression), Revolution (revolutions and their consequences)

- Other evidence could be from people that were activists in the war that are still living.

- Historical background in order to give the proper context of the situation.

3. Purpose:

- Show the power of music (as cheesy as it sounds).

- There are many other forms of rebellion other than physical violence.

- Importance of some pop culture figures, and the role that they can play on society

4. Audience:

- Those interested in music history, the general public, people interested in the civil right’s moment.

Research Blog [edited]

The Craft Revival and Etsy.com

Description: I wanted to focus on the DIY (do-it-yourself) revolution that has revived handmade crafts and how this translates as art/action and counter-publics in today's culture. I also want to explore what affect it has had on the views of women in this era, especially views generated relating to the website Etsy.com. 

Main Claim: The notion of DIY has brought on a revolution of arts and crafts that counters our capitalist-consumer society. The website Etsy.com (since 2005) features the buying and selling of handmade items, with over 70,000 sellers, has become a virtual version of the craft fair or art show and is key in the movement. The site has proved to be very successful for being only two years old for not being funded by advertisements, and has been funded by Union Square Ventures and founders of Flickr. Buying and selling of craft products is a form of action against the problems of global warming caused by mass-production and mistreatment of laborers in sweatshops because the items are mostly made of recycled materials and are always produced by its seller. 

Evidence: Websites like Etsy perpetuate the ideas of anti-consumerism and originality that diverts from mainstream and mass-produced products by fostering the selling and buying of handmade products. It takes part in the Handmade Consortium, which is a pledge to buy handmade items (especially during holiday seasons). Participating in this movement is seen as a protest against chain stores that are making the nation mass-produced. Etsy.com also fosters the idea of a craft community, where crafters all over the world can connect in their revolution in the virtual world that knits craft and the Web 2.0 era together.

Purpose: A website the allows users to post, sell, and buy DIY products like jewelry, clothing, accessories, etc. A major example of growing popularity of an underground culture. This craft revival has also influenced the view of the 21st century woman as being resourceful, skillful, and independent. The craft movements knits together previously mundane hobbies like sewing and knitting and fuses it with the need to create a counterculture or counterpublic, forming something new.

Audience: The general public. However, this DIY revolution tends to be more involved with females. The revival can be related to embracing feminism. The idea is to influence as many members as possible to join this craft revival. The site itself attempts to be more visible and accessible in the public, although it does not use conventional advertisements, but word-of-mouth instead.

Steven Spielberg's 'Schindler's List ' and its Effect on the Public

Claim: Steven Spielberg's 'Schindler's List' helped show a side of the Holocaust through the perspective of a German, and through his portrayal of Schindler's character, the audience is able to better understand another perspective of the holocaust as well as get rid of some misconceptions.

Evidence: Schindler's List, the 1993 biographical film directed by Steven Spielberg, telling the story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of more than one thousand Polish Jews during the Holocaust.

Purpose: To show the misconception about Germans and the Holocaust prior to the movie and to explain the effect the movie had on public opinions and views.

Audience: All people in general. People who have seen the movie, read about the Holocaust, or lived through the time period.

Rap Music/Hip Hop

(still a work in progress, i don't know what i really want to talk about yet)

Main Claim/Thesis: Many conservatives believe that Rap Music is offensive to women, uses harsh language, should be more censored. However, there are other types of Rap that gets unnoticed because of this "new school" movement, that do the complete opposite and actually have a strong message. Probably going to talk about the signficance of why people in today's culture use the phrase "Hip Hop is Dead"

Evidence: Lyrics from artists such as Tupac, Puffy, Immortal Technique, and many more. Also going to talk about alot of documentaries about the artists i cover, that focus more on the music and message and sound that they wanted to achieve and give, rather than the sexism and violence they seem to be known for.

Immortal Technique uses his music as a way to advocate his beliefs and morals. His songs tend to be more on the liberal side of politics. He is a very controversial artist who is criticized as being a "terrorist" Most of songs focus on ongoing problems and events that have happened such as 9/11 the Cocaine Industry between Cuba and the United States, the Army being made up of mostly Hispanics and African Americans. He also has alot of good messages about gang life, other rappers, and hip hop music in general.

Purpose: Entertainment, Music, Freedom of Speech. I want to show that Hip Hop music and Rap should not always get a bad name or reputation, just because it uses alot of curse words. Alot of other types of music, such as Heavy Metal, Country, Punk Rock...uses alot of curse words, yet they seem not to get punished for it as much. There is also a theory that Rap causes more violence, and i wanted to show that for some it is a way for people to let go of their anger without doing anything physical. It is also to show that it is a right in the United States to speak about whatever it is they please, and that they do have the right to Freedom of Speech.

Audience: The Audience ranges from child to adult. From the older generation to the new generation that we are currently in. Use of source: Possibly counterpublic/public and definitely the arts music and movement.

Research Blog :] revised! (5/6)

Annotated Bibliography

1. Thesis
Hayao Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli)
Born January 5, 1941 in Tokyo, Japan
Director of many popular animated feature films
Film director, screenwriter, and character designer
Voted one of most influential Asians of past 60 years by Time Magazine
Co-founder of Studio Ghibli
- Animation studio and production company
- Previously subsidiary of Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd. (publisher in Japan established in 1954; company one of largest entertainment publishers until the 1990s)
- Became independent again in 2005

Claim: The use of art as expression, mainly through film and media. Although artists such as Hayao Miyazaki remain unknown in the mainstream culture of the West, artists such as he pave ways for new styles of art – animation. As a cofounder of Studio Ghibli (alongside Isao Takahata), the theory behind the name of the corporation was that it was blowing a “new wind” into the Japanese anime industry. Hayao Miyazaki, although gaining success with his films, sees himself only fortunate to have all the creative control when it came to his artistic endeavors.

2. Evidence

Miyazaki's films incorporate common themes
- Humanity's relationship to nature and technology
- Difficulty of maintaining pacifist ethic
- Protagonists of his films often strong, independent girls or young women
Miyazaki (family life) as inspiration
- World War II: Father Katsuji was director of Miyazaki Airplane (made rudders for A6M Zero fighter planes), owned by brother (Hayao Miyazaki's uncle)
- During this time: Miyazaki drew airplanes and developed a lifelong fascination with aviation (later manifested as a recurring theme in his films)
- Miyazaki's mother: avid reader who often questioned socially accepted norms
- Miyazaki later said that inherited questioning and skeptical mind from her
- Attended Toyotama High School
- Third year there saw film Hakujaden, described as "the first-ever Japanese feature length color anime"
- Interest in animation began in this period
- However in order to become animator, had to learn to draw human figure (prior work had been limited to airplanes and battleships)

3. Purpose

Use art to make claims about every day life. Through film and animation, directors like Hayao Miyazaki are dedicated to their craft. Animation films with interesting plots that question the relationship humans have with nature and the world around them. Miyazaki uses his films to portray themes such as good and evil, environmentalism, anti-war, and in politics (early interest in Marxism; although abandoned while creating Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind manga).

4. Audience

Open to general audience – films however widely popular mainly in Japan. English versions later released in the U.S. by Disney. Hayao Miyazaki does not target a certain aged audience, while most of his stories feature young female protagonists. Animation is also appealing to mostly the younger generations, although it is not limited to be seen only by young people – those of older generations can enjoy Miyazaki’s films as well.

James Bond: Myth vs. Reality

Description: A comparison of Cold War era spies in a Hollywood vs. Reality context and the early film series’ effects on culture and public attitude toward Soviet-American relations throughout the 1960’s and 70’s. Written by Ian Fleming, British author, journalist and Second World War Navy Commander who was the originator of the 14 007-Bond books that would later be translated into film.

Question: Should I focus on several James Bond films released throughout the 1960s and 70s or solely on From Russia with Love, released in 1963?

Evidence: Ian Fleming left a legacy as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century, greatly contributing to popular literature and post-war Western culture. Unaccompanied, Fleming transformed popular detective and spy fiction from the “dark, middle-class heroes of” espionage authors such as Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler to his own elegant world seen through the eyes of secret agent 007, James Bond. (http://www.klast.net/bond/flem_leg.html) However, Frederick Hitz ”points out that Bond, like Clancy's Jack Ryan, is mostly fantasy. http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pwb/00/0110/p/espionage.shtml” The Imperial War Museum’s Ian Fleming exhibition portrays the life and work of the “Bond creator and even delves into the murky world of cold war espionage to show that true stories about spying can sometimes be more exciting that fiction. [The] museum spy trails use the insight of someone who really was involved in intelligence matters. http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/trlout_gfx_en/TRA14007.html” Nevertheless, “From the first appearance of James Bond in a 1954 CBS television production of Casino Royale, Bond films were intimately connected to, and continuously suggestive of, the larger Cold War context in which they were created.” Mulvihill, Jason. "James Bond's Cold War Part I" Journal of Instructional Media, Vol. 28, (2001)

Purpose: To separate the myth from the reality aspect of espionage in the early James Bond films and to account for the effect the former had on public perception of Soviet-American relations and the Cold War on a larger global scheme.

Audience: Espionage, Cold War, and James Bond enthusiasts as well as film critics and the general public.

Use of Source: To educate the general public on the differences between the aesthetic perception and the actuality of Cold War espionage and to dissolve the veil between the scandalous lifestyle of the James Bond character in his films and the dangerous lifestyles of real Cold War spies. To reveal the false perceptions the James Bond films created, to account for the similarities between the real and the not-so-real, and to discuss how Hollywood’s films contributed to the American public’s perception of the Soviet Union and how the films were used as a tool for boosting American morale.

Motivation: Being a first-generation Russian myself, I take great interest in the study of both Russian and American cultures and their relations with one another throughout the past century. As a great James Bond and, in particular, Sean Connery enthusiast, I find this topic very interesting and something I’d put a lot of time and effort into.

MGM Musicals: Singin' in the Rain (1959)

I would like to research on the famously (or infamously?) lavish Metro Goldwyn-Mayer film musicals of the 1940s and 1950s, but I'm not sure yet what my thesis or the narrowed focus of the paper will be. I have chosen an excellent primary source though, which is...

Singin' in the Rain (1959)
Directed by Stanley Donen

Main Claim/Thesis: I don't know what that would mean for this movie, but it probably means the movie's main message, or its main themes. Persistence. Not giving up on your dreams. Unselfishness. Loyalty to friends and love for your art over greed or want of fame. Love crossing over boundaries.

Evidence: Several scenes in the movie. The motives of the characters, and the contrasts between the protagonists(s) and antagonist(s). For example, concerning the last theme mentioned above, Don Lockwood is a major movie star who falls in love with an aspiring stage actress who is still a "common" chorus girl, Kathy Selden.

Purpose of Source: Entertainment, mostly.

Audience/Use of Source by Me: The intended audience was the public, mostly the American public, or more-specifically the typical, white all-American family. I am going to use this source to analyze its details, themes, techniques, choreography, musical characteristics, that are typical of an MGM musical of that time period, also discussing why I think it became so popular and such.

Infernal Affairs/The Departed

Infernal Affairs
NOTE: The Departed is a remake of Infernal Affairs
I decided to make my annotated bibliography on Infernal Affairs instead of both sources for now.

1. My main focus is going to be on Infernal Affairs for now, and compare certain aspects of it to The Departed. Either comparing genre, content, or character.

2. The director Andrew Lau felt neutral about the remake, there were some parts he liked, and some parts he didn't. His co-director Alan Mak wasn't impressed with the movie; he thought it was too similar to the original, and didn't like the happily-ever-after ending.

3. The purpose is to compare how the two movies are tailored to their audience. How Martin Scorsese makes The Departed appeal to an American audience while Andrew Lau makes Infernal Affairs appeal to a Hong Kong audience. I will focus on content, style, score, and differences or similarities in storyline. I will mainly focus on Infernal Affairs rather than The Departed since it is the original.

4. Infernal Affairs is aimed at a Hong Kong audience who have different tastes than an American audience. Around the time the movie came out, Hong Kong cinema was nearly dead, and this movie helped to revive the industry. The Departed was tailored for an American audience who likes their happy endings.

The Film The Killing Fields Provoking Thought and Action

1. Main claim/thesis idea of source/author of source: Director Roland Joffé and writer Bruce Robinson reveals the atrocities of Pol Pot’s regime. The Cambodian genocide is often overlooked, concreting it through film and aesthetic means makes the issues apparent.

2. Evidence: History of the Khmer Rouge :On April 17, 1975, the Khmer Rouge seized power in Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge thought that they could free their people from the conflict in Vietnam which was quickly beginning to reach into their country. The leader of this regime, Pol Pot, had Cambodian citizens evacuated from the cities and put into the countryside, supposedly for their own safety (http://www.nndb.com/films/744/000032648/). Players in success of film: “The film's screenplay, by first-time scripter Bruce Robinson, was adapted from Pulitzer Prize-winning NY Times reporter Sydney Schanberg's The Death and Life of Dith Pran from The NY Times Magazine. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Sam Waterston), Best Director (first-timer Roland Joffe), and Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Bruce Robinson) and won three Oscars: Best Supporting Actor (Haing S. Ngor), Best Cinematography (Chris Menges), and Best Film Editing (Jim Clark)” (http://www.filmsite.org/kill.html).

3. Purpose: The story of war, survival and friendship brings to light the issue of the Cambodian genocide in the 1970’s to a greater audience. The power of film allows awareness and a genuine interest in supporting justice.


4. Audience/ Use of source: The public, historians. Falling under the clusters of art/action and public/counter publics, the topic of human rights and how an art form provokes thought and action was really interesting. The form of film and its resonating significance was therefore the ideal frame in which I could analyze some type of injustice. At first, it was really hard for me to find a topic that I was really interested in, so from the forum, I decided that the passion for the topic had to be personal and worth spending countless hours researching. Since my parents are from Cambodia and experienced the cruelty of the Cambodian genocide, I think the project would be worth a lot more if it delves into family history. Thus, I decided to pick the film The Killing Fields as a starting point in which I could further research an injustice and an “art” that critiques the cruelties.

Star Wars II - first all digital major motion picture

Star Wars Episode II - Attack of the Clones
The first all digital major motion picture

Credentials: The movie is directed by George Lucas, academy award winning movie director and creator of the Star Wars saga. He is also the man who created Indiana Jones.

Claims:
-Attack of the Clones is the first all digital major motion picture
-digital filmmaking is the future of filmmaking
-analog filmmaking will be replaced in the future by digital. Lucas had all theaters playing the movie installed with Christie digital movie projectors.
-can be argued that analog film movies are still better or should still be used to keep to the traditional ways of filmmaking
-to argue that digital filmmaking can create just as good, or even better, quality films
-to argue that digital filmmaking is no better in quality, but more efficient in the process

Evidence:
-an all digital movie, from production through post-production.
-digital video cameras used to shoot the film
-digital editing software used to edit the film
-digital projectors used to project and show the film

Purpose:
-to allow the process of making a movie to be quicker and more efficient
-to incorporate new technology into the art of filmmaking
-to push the future of digital filmmaking

Audience:
-rated PG, intended for every age
-already established Star Wars fans

Shi ji and Shang Jun Shu

Shi ji (Records of the Grand Historian):

The Shi ji was written by Sima Qian during the Han dynasty from 109 to 91 BC, intended as a definitive record of Chinese history up to that time. Sima Qian's the basic premise was to put forth an un-biased, accurate account of history and then use it in order to guide future actions of state. Of his work, he said, "I have gathered up and brought together all the old traditions of the world that were scattered and lost. I have examined the events of the past and present and investigated the principles behind their success and failure, their rise and decay, in 130 chapters. I wished to examine into all that concerns heaven and humankind, to penetrate the changes of the past and present, putting forth my views as one school of interpretation." Throughout the work, Sima criticizes the preceding Qin dynasty, and its 'harsh Legalist' ideology, extensively. Further, Sima presents a detailed description of the political climate of his day, under the reign of emperor Han Wudi - describing how men of ambition are willing to say and do anything, without consideration of the consequences, in order to get their own views implemented into official, government policy.


Shang Jun Shu (The Book of Lord Shang):

The Shang Jun Shu was one of the earliest written works of the Legalist school of philosophy in ancient China. Shang Yang wrote the book sometime between 359 and 338 BC. He was the chief minister of the kingdom of Qin in the 'Warring States' era and enacted numerous Legalist reforms that eventually allowed Qin to conquer all of China and form the Qin dynasty. The Shang Jun Shu covers everything from law, immigration and military strategy to agriculture. In it, Shang presents a meticulous, step by step description of what the government of a state must do in order to survive and prosper - which has come to be known as 'harsh Legalism'. This Legalist philosophy is focused the basic idea that, "A weak people means a strong state and a strong state means a weak people. Therefore, a country, which has the right way, is concerned with weakening the people." However Shang's style of 'harsh Legalism' was abhorrent to Confucians and fell into disrepute in later Chinese history; the author Su Tung Po (1036-1101 AD) said of him that, “[The name of Shang Yang] is in the world like fly‑specks; speaking about him befouls the mouth and tongue, writing about him sullies the paper; when his methods are applied in the world, ruin of the state, misery of the people, destruction of the family and loss of one’s own life follow one after the other.”


I am interested in the way Sima Qian presents the past and uses his comments on historical figures as a way to put forth commentary and subtle criticism of his present political state - which was not necessarily safe to discuss openly. I view the Shi ji as a tool that Sima used in order to try to legitimize political discourse and prevent repressive regimes like the Qin dynasty from arising again. By reading the Shang Jun Shu, one can see that Sima's repeated criticizms of the Qin and Legalism are at most only slightly exaggerated.

afterlife

Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Koreeda's Afterlife (1999) places the dead in an institutional way-station, where they must decided upon a memory from their life which they wish to live on with into the afterlife; Koreeda seems to claim, through the time (the film takes place over a week)given to these rich descriptions of the memories in the film, that aesthetic details constitute lived reality--and perhaps make the living worth it, but he also places the film's more profound question marks on those who can't decide, the employees of the institute. Koreeda's technique is interesting--not only does the stoic institution nonetheless suggest a layered warmth found unexpectedly in the often snow-filled outer courtyard--since the material for the film comes from actual interviews, not with the dead, but with individuals to whom he posed the question of what memory they would live on in. The purpose of this film--tough to say--what Koreeda seems to address and thus to "do" is the question of death, via the idea that in order for death to count, your life memory must also count in some way. Although it is not immediately apparent, the film seems to address youth--even though there are also many aged people who have died, the youthful figures in the film are shocking since we often forget that their aliveness is their deadness, and in a way, their memories serve to frame the poignancy of the elder memories, as well.

Some thoughts on my project: I was intrigued with the idea in Antigone that "death longs," and I thought that in a way, Afterlife addresses the problem of how timelessness is always a problem of time. The film is not one that takes "action" in any direct way, but I am interested in thinking about how even such a "timeless" film can also address political and social issues. Another way of phrasing this is that i am interested in thinking about how death can come to be a social issue...

A few links:

• on the IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165078/
• interview with Kore-Eda: http://www.indiewire.com/people/int_Kore-Eda_Hirokaz_2A6E7.html

Week Five: Assignments

Tuesday April 29
Reading: M.K. Gandhi, Hind Swaraj, pp. 79-120
Writing: Blog post of Research Project primary source: AB and brief description. Don't forget to add labels to your post!! Links and Pictures also very good to include.

Thursday May 1
Reading: Selections from The Indian War of Independence in Humanities Course Reader, pp. 196-204
Writing: Midterm

patience = goodness; technology = evil ?

When I first tried reading the Hind Swaraj, I thought it was going to be really confusing and boring. But as I got past the introductions and the pages with the roman numerals, it became very interesting. The unique set up of reader and editor made it a lot easier to read and understand.
What struck me most was Gandi's thoughts on modern civilization, especially the technology of the railways. He argues that railways will contribute to the physical ruin of civilization. He states that they "have spread the bubonic plague. Without them, masses could not move from place to place (47)." This connects to his idea of patience and that impatience is a characteristic of evil. Throughout his conversation with the "reader", he constantly reminds him to be patient. In this chapter of the railways, he touches on the importance of patience and we can see why he keeps telling the reader to be patient. He believes that patience is part of holyness. People used to travel to far places by using their own two feet, but that did not stop them from going to where they wanted to go because "good travels at a snail's pace (47)" so if their intentions were good, it wouldn't matter how long it took them to get there.
I agree with this because good things take time and a good person wouldn't mind waiting. A selfish person, who really does not want to do something, will rush the certain activity just to get it over with and say that he has done it. Patience also goes along with appreciating what is given to you by God. With technology, people have become lazy and rely on man-made objects for instant gratification. Although technology has helped develop civilization, I agree that it also plays a part in destroying it. Without technology, people would be using their natural talents and skills rather than relying on other things to do the work for them. With technology, people can easily obtain new information without even thinking, making people of modern civilization, especially today, pretty dumb.

Storytelling in Michael Kohlhaas

The thing that struck me most about Heinrich von Kleist's Michael Kohlhaas, was the style in which it was written. Interestingly (I used this word a lot in posting blogs here as well as commenting on the blogs!), it reminded me of books I used to read as a little kid...more specifically collections of fairy or folk tales. It just has that certain air. Not much dialogue is expressed within quotations. The writing seems to have a certain consistent, continuous flow and is filled with constant action, and constantly updates the reader on the usually intense emotions ("extreme indignation," "utter consternation") of the protagonist. This style made the story more fun to read.

I haven't finished reading the entire story yet, but so far, I am surprised to find the character of Kohlhaas not too difficult to relate to. His impatience, his being forced to submit to authorities - especially when he himself has reason to think highly of himself, see himself as an authority as well to some extent (read the very first paragraph on the very first page), and his stunned, angry reaction to the misuse of his own property, force me to recall certain situations in my own life in which I felt strongly tempted to take actions that would possibly ruin the lives of people around me (or at least cause a major disturbance!). Not that I think Kohlhaas' actions were justified...but I can at least understand how he felt...as most people are probably able to.

Gandhi

I found the Gandhi readings very relevant to the present day. There were a couple ideas I could relate to todays politics like the formation of the "moderates" and the "extremists". To me, this seemed like conservatives and liberals. His explanation of "civilisation" was a very good representation of what is going on these days. Especially when he says that "anybody writes and prints anything he likes and poisons people's mind."(36) It's not a laughing matter but I thought it was humorous because it made me think of Wikipedia and other non-reliable internet sites where anybody can just post their opinions on what might they think really happened.
I liked all the examples that Gandhi would use like, the seed being planted is the role the congress played, and the process of waking up was the part the Partition took in Home Rule. Something else I found extremely interesting and was like a flag that popped up was the issue with women. It makes complete sense, although I'm not an advocate of women staying at home, the fact that the industrial revolution did force women to be in factories is very true and this results in women not taking care of their children properly.
The final aspect of Gandhi's writing was what he wrote about newspapers and their influence on people's views. This is exactly what happens with recent elections, certain newspapers or television shows are in favor of certain candidates, so they publish and put forth ideas that are going to be benificial to that candidate.

Hind Swaraj

I think Hind Swaraj was interesting to read, but reading all those footnotes started getting to me since it interrupted the flow of my reading. As others have stated earlier, I liked his idea of passive resistance, because even something as subtle as that can have a huge impact. But I disagree that passive resistance is the only solution because sometimes it can be ineffective. Sometimes one would need to resort to some sort of action, whether violent or nonviolent to make their voice heard. And I am unclear on whether or not he despises modern civilization in general, or just in India. This book is like a combination of all three themes this year; Ghandi puts a lot of thought into his writings and continues writing to explore and question others who oppose him with hopes that is writing will make a difference.

Gandhi: Civilisation

After reading the first assigned portion of Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj, I was most interested in his chapter entitled Civilisation. I found this section to be the most particularly interesting because of Gandhi’s stance on the civilization of a society, more specifically the Indian society. It seems that while Gandhi recognizes and can appreciate the benefits of progression, he ultimately does not feel that such revolutions morally aid mankind. While civilization provides medical benefits and comforts, it also spawns the want for luxuries and creates a temptation that alters a once simpler mindset. Gandhi also envisions the development of more institutions, which he sees as unnecessary and problematic. And although such effects of civilization are prominent today, I can’t help but be accepting of them as it is what I have grown up with and am accustomed to, and so I am interested in further reading Gandhi’s works in hopes of developing a better understanding and appreciation for his view of a simpler lifestyle and the benefits of such, and hopefully he has a notion of how one is to overcome this already established civilization.

Research project

I was thinking about researching, the entire woodstock concert, and exploring the impact it had on music and making political and cultural change.

Or I was interested in Aldous Huxley's, Doors of perception and heaven and Hell. Which might give some insight into an artform that takes place in a persons mind and can only be expressed in words.

Regards

Hind Swaraj

After years of learning about philosophers the idea of Gandhi was always thrown around, but I never quite understood fully what he represented. Simply, he rejects the modern civilisation, and the idea that Britain brings. He wants to, however, to bring back the past governing styles of India. The one thing that I did find particularly interesting was thinking of the older generation and the youth. He says “had not the Grand Old Man of India prepared the soil, our young men could not have even spoken about Home Rule”. This idea formulates how ideology forms throughout the ages. At least in present times, Indian ideology has a culture that highly respects their family, especially their elders. Again, as said in another blog, this really does question the theologies from the older generation to the newer, and the persuasion of people. As the reading further goes on it says that “ One of the objects of a newspaper is to understand the popular feeling and to give expression to it; another is to arouse among the people certain desirable sentiments; and the third is fearlessly to expose popular defects” (13). One of the ideas behind this and the use of the newspaper is the lack of knowledge that goes into reading these articles, or at least hearing about them from the youth; in other words how the youth does not know how to filter out knowledge and not to as Gahandi would say “find out the truth, and follow it”(11). Here he may mean of the past of India and the high values it holds.

Hind Swaraj: Passive Resistance

What i liked most about reading Gandhi's Hind Swaraj, was probably the idea about "passive resistance" in which he focused on a lot. The idea itself means to me as a good way to combat extremely aggressive people because it forces those people to look inwards and find out the monster within them. Once they see this, hypothetically speaking, they will be able to realize the error of their ways, as cliche as that sounds. It is definitely one of the best ways to fight battles in the world today. To actively go and attack someone with pistols and bazookas is madness because of the mere weaponry advantage they have over you. The truth then is to actively go and recruit people to support your ideals regarding passive resistance itself. If you look at it in a different perspective, you can see that passive resistance is an idea which a person is willing to use if they feel like their life is worth it. If you look back at Antigone and Kolhauss and concentrate on the idea whether passive resistance would have been a better option, it would require them to abandon their ideals. So then we come at a standstill in which we can see that both active and passive resistance are based off of the same ideas. One cannot say that a person who chooses to actively resist is more willing to fight for their cause then a person who passively resists the situation in which they put themselves in. I, as a person, somewhat believe in passive resistance. I say somewhat because it can only get you so far. It is definitely a great way to avoid conflicts and not have to deal with the situation at hand. When it comes down to it, if you do not address the problem at hand it can grow and soon become uncontrollable. If you revert back to purest form of resistance, i believe that active resistance developed before passive resistance.

The Reasoning Behind the Horses

The idea i want to start with at this time is the idea of humane treatment of animals. While i was reading the Kohlhauss text, one of the main things that caught my eye was the descriptions of the desolate blacks that were treated poorly. At this time, it may seem like a complete trifle compared to the idea of defiance of a state, but i feel that it is something that is not focused on enough. Basically Kohlhauss had many wrongs done unto him by the Junker Wenzel von Tronka, one of these was the disrespect of his horses. It could be seen from the text that Kohlhauss, as a horse-raiser, was a very respectable and honest person. It can be noted that he had many connections with a variety of high-class noblemen of Dresden. The question presented here is that is this enough grounds for him to go and present a case against the Junker. The fact that even the nobility ignored his request shows the wrongs that were being done in the area. The connection i find between this is that Kohlhauss, like Antigone, are attempting to go against the "state" in order for something that is dear to him: horses? The truth though, is not the fact that it is the horses that are important to him, but the principle. He stands for justice and honor in the story and it can clearly be seen in this.

GANDHI’S HIND SWARAJ

Gandhi’s writings on his beliefs in accordance with the issues between India and Great Britain were quite an interesting read. The interaction between Reader and Editor reminded me of a scholarly debate we as students often participate in. Yet, Gandhi’s most fascinating and well-known discussion titled “Passive Resistance”.
In this chapter, he speaks about “soul-force” and how it is a better alternative than violence in regaining Home Rule in India. Gandhi justifies this method saying, “If the story of the universe had commenced with wars, no a man would have been found alive today,” (p. 89). He does not see violent retaliation as a correct way of gaining control over the nation. In full, he describes it as, “a method of securing rights by personal suffering; it is the reverse of resistance by arms. When I refuse to do a thing that is repugnant to my conscience, I use soul-force,” (p. 90). Instead of resisting outwards towards others, one takes the responsibility of direct action upon themselves. Passive resistance is like defying the laws and government when they are unjust. When this sort of action is taken, it seems to be more effective and less destructive unlike Michael Kohlhaas’ rampage for the injustices he suffered. Passive resistance coincides more with the values upheld by most religions that preach against murder and violence. This is also the method widely used today in protesting controversial issues like animal rights and antiwar beliefs. Gandhi’s views on passive resistance have revolutionized the way we view direct action.

Hind Swaraj

When reading Gandhi’s “Hind Swaraj”, I realized a lot about Gandhi that I did not already know. To be honest, the most I knew about Gandhi and his “passive resistance” was for one, his standup against the salt tax. However, I always looked up to Gandhi, as one of the timeless leaders of our time.

Yet what struck me as something new was Gandhi’s ideas and stand towards doctors and lawyers. Although he studied to be a lawyer himself, Gandhi no longer believed in those who did not truly work towards the truth, and yet still made a profit out their profession. And as I was reading about Gandhi’s view towards a “profession [that] teaches immorality” and that lawyers “advance quarrels, instead of repressing them”, I began to think of my grandpa (Gandhi, 59). He was a lawyer back in the Philippines, and I would hear of how my grandma did not like him practicing law since she thought he “deceived” people. I do however, believe in my grandpa, and the fact that he would not represent a person who he himself did not believe to be telling the truth. I did take in Gandhi’s words, and I understand where he would see the deceptive nature of some lawyers, just like my grandma did.

Either way, Gandhi was able to take a stand, and not back down from it. His ability to explain all his reasons for how and why he thought the way he did, I was able to understand more and more about his life and ideals. Gandhi had an opinion about so many things, such as doctors, the railroad system, even the language that he wished to be spoken in India – and reading the “Hind Swaraj” put everything in perspective for me.

The Urgency of Free Thought

Introducing the necessity of voicing ideas, Gandhi states through the editor “one of the objects of a newspaper is to understand the popular feeling and to give expression to it; another is to arouse among the people certain desirable sentiments; and the third is fearlessly to expose popular defects” (13). I thought this statement was especially significant because – from the early start of the first chapter – Gandhi decides to insert the importance of not only desired free speech, but also the effect that such ideal is suppose to have on public opinion. The function of a newspaper is to “fearlessly” inform, despite the repercussions. The fact that Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj was banned by the British reflects the negative externalities of colonialism and the subjugation of political thought.
Mirroring the ease in which the public should accept free thought, the format of the piece is structured into an easy-to-read dialogue, urging the concrete reader to agree with the urgency of action. Because the text flows from the reader’s thoughts to the editor’s, the ideas presented flow from a continuous train of thought to an elaborated constructive piece on politics. Its relevance today urges the reader to acknowledge that “the knowledge that there is unrest will, it is highly probable, enable [the public] to outgrow it” (24). With unrest and discontent comes that urgent need to end the uncomfortable state of an oppressive government.

Hind Swaraj

I thought the reading was a little different than usual, with the implication of a reader (other than myself) and an editor. I found that the reader posed questions before I was able to pose my own, as well as provide insights I would not have thought of prior. From the reading I felt Gandhi referred to the on goings in India in defense and in relation to the English rule. Gandhi made it seem there influences from the English were not there by habit or by force, but rather by their own choice. Religion greatly affects choice and beliefs; India’s lack of religion is the cause for much of the negative events that have occurred. Gandhi’s word choices and phrasing felt to me as being very prophetic, delivering advice and wisdom to the reader of the story, and of myself. The wisdom the editor seems to preach to the reader makes it seem like the editor is the teacher and the reader the student. The student appears to be younger than the editor, where the older and more experienced editor is sharing his wisdom to teach the younger generations. The use of references and examples produced good mental images of the ideas the editor was trying to portray.

Hind Swaraj

I was a bit upset by Ghandi's opinions of lawyers and doctors... Ghandi preaches seeing the humanity in everyone yet he fails to recognize it in lawyers' motives for becoming lawyers. He says that they are lazy and simply in it for the money. The other idea I did not like was Ghandi's statement that doctors help people indulge themselves and encourage an uncontrolled mind. Ghandi previously had argued that you cant blame someone else for your own actions... here, in criticizing the doctors' actions, he blames them for a lack of SELF-control. This is hypocritical, period.

Hind Swaraj

While reading Hind Swaraj, there were several things that I found very interesting. First, was the genre of a dialogue that Gandhi had chosen. The reader and editor combo makes the information more interesting and easier to understand. The reader asked questions similar to what I was thinking while reading. I believe that the reader is a representative of a large group of Indian people and he is able to express their beliefs and ideology. The second thing that I found interesting was the number of metaphors and comparisons that Gandhi used while trying to explain things to the reader. These metaphors made the explanation more clear because they were very simple. His comparisons were to everyday things that we can relate too. For example, the beginning of chapter eleven deals with the issue of the partition of Bengal. The comparison that Gandhi used was to a seed. He mentioned, "[The seed] works underneath the ground, is itself destroyed, and the tree which rises above the ground is alone seen." This helps explain the reader's question of who laid the foundation of Home Rule. Gandhi implies that there are always things happen in the matters of politics and government that happen behind the scenes. Overall, the genre and use of metaphors help better understand the ideology of Gandhi.

Hind Swaraj

Reading this was one the most difficult things to do. It was very hard to follow because it is in a question and answer format. I didn't really understand what was happening, or in what time period this was going on. However, some things did catch my eye.

In the foreward, the lines " The British Government in India constitutes a struggle between the Modern Civilisation, which is the Kingdom of Satan, and the Ancient Civilisation, which is the Kingdom of God. The one is the God of War, the other is the God of love."

This captured my attention the most because it really made me see the different perspectives a culture can have on another. It made me relate to the things right now in present day with Iraq. Alot of people in the Middle East, because of religion, deem the United States as a evil body of people. They take some of our religions, such as Christianity, and mock it. I have seen documentaries where a crowd of Iraqi's are yelling that the Americans are devils. The phrase "Kingdom of Satan" made me think about how that is the same idea other countries have of American right now. It was really interesting to read some of the things Ghandi wrote about because they were filled with such passion. Every response the editor had gave me the feeling that he knew what he was talking about, and that the editor believed every word he said.

I don't really understand alot of this work we are reading, so i'm pretty excited to learn more about it.

Junker and Kohlhaas

After reading the story, I pondered upon the idea of what kind of man the Junker was. At first glance, he seems like just a criminal, a no-good man with no moralistic intentions. However, after reading about his fleeings and his hiding, it is apparent that the Junker is a coward. This realization made me think about the type of man Kohlhaas was. In class discussion, it was very hard to differentiate between whether Kohlhaas's actions were to be admired or looked down upon. Also, were his actions justified by the loss of his wife and the unfair treatment of the law? I think to answer this, one must really look back upon their own morals. People can relate this situation to people on death row. Perhaps a serial killer murdered 2 families, but his justification was that his father had beat him as a child, is an audience supposed to feel sorry for the killer or angry and disgusted.
Kohlhaas did try to solve the problem by doing legitimate things, such as going to court. But, since the system was corrupt, Kohlhaas never received any unbiased representation. This could be a justification in itself. However, does that equal the lives of family and children that were lost to his rampage of upright anger? This question would have to then be connected to the loss of his wife. Here, I could feel more sympathy than the unfair law system. This is because he lost something he can never get back. A wife, a human being, is bigger and more significantly important than a couple of horses.
So, at the end of my analysis, I ended up with the thesis that the Junker is a coward and the Kohlhaas is someone that cannot be named good or bad, and if one wanted to put him in any category, it would be completely up to a personal bias.

Youth vs. Adult

While I was reading Chapter 1, Congress and its Officials, I realize the difference in wisdom between the reader and the editor. The editor represents the older age generation, while the reader resembles the youth of India. The dialogue showed the lack of respect and wisdom the youth has. This does not only apply to the youth of India, but youth in general. We tend not to show the deserved respect to our elders. In Congress and its Officials, the editor explains how "had not the Grand Old Man of India prepared the soil, our young men could not have even spoken about Home Rule." The reader's lack of respect and impatient draws criticism from the editor, who says that "if we had many like you, we would never make any advance," The editor also uses proverbs and saying to illustrate the difference in mentality between the age difference, and through these proverbs, we see wisdom. The editor reminds the reader to "remember the old proverb that the tree does not grow in one day." He uses this analogy to show the gradual growth of self-rule. It is "a matter of shame for that [the reader] should speak about that great man in terms of disrespect," because, the editor clarifies: "if, after many years of study, a teacher were to teach me something, and if I were to build a little more on the foundation laid by that teacher, I would not, on that acount be considered wiser than the teacher." This is the same case not only for the Old Man, but for other people who paved way for self rule. "If you are tired, it only betrays your impatience," explains the editor, "we believe that those who are discontented with the slowness of their parents, and are angry because the parents would not run with their children, are considered disrespectful to their parents." Because of this, we see the trouble with the youth and its mind-set. Although India wants self-rule, the youth and the adults have different ways of understanding it. This shows the trouble with 'doing' things. We must first think and know before we do. The youth should learn about the roots and seed the tree came from, and realize, "the tree does not grow in one day."

Michael Kohlhaas

I found this story a bit hard to follow; since there were no chapter or even separations between the scenes or anything. I kept in mind the theme of this quarter "Doing" while I was reading it and quickly learned that Michael Kohlhaas was doing something alright, he was doing a lot of things. He was actually doing too many things, that I gave up keeping track. But this story is appropriate for this quarter's theme since everything he does has an impact, whether its on himself, his family, innocent victims, or his followers. He was someone whose every action made a difference. He was a moral and just man who was wronged on so many levels beyond his control, but also became this merciless person who was clouded by vengeance and resentment. It seemed like he started following this sort of selfish philosophy of: If I can't be happy and have to suffer, then no one else can be happy either and will therefore have to suffer with me. I found myself more curious about his thoughts and reasoning than I did about whether or not his actions were ultimately justified. In the beginning of the story, the author makes Kohlhaas seem like a patient law-abiding citizen, but then somewhere along the way he transforms into this revolutionary figure (even though it was probably unintentional) for the citizens. Which sort of reminds me of V for Vendetta, except V was a more clever and interesting character who was actually trying to make a difference. But anyways for Kohlhaas, it seems like the author makes an example out of him; which is something the authorities do to keep the people in line so they won't be encouraged to follow his actions. Although, I guess his death can be justified because went running around setting villages on fire; and I can't recall if the story says there were casualties.

Gandhi

Throughout Hind Swaraj, the reader is able to view the opinions of Gandhi through the dialogue between a newspaper reader and editor; it is understood that the editor is Gandhi and represents his ideals. The selected reading covers the “loss” of India to England, the loss of religious piety, and the dividing power of railways, as well as a host of other topics. Gandhi asserts that India’s status as an English colony is a result of their willingness to “keep” the English rather than the strength of English rule. Gandhi also states that England’s ability to increase the commerce was part of India’s inclination to allow India’s imperialism; he says that the poverty in India drove the citizens to be “tempted at the sight of their silver” (40). He also delves into the religious aspect by insisting that “many problems can be solved by remembering that money is [the English’s] God” (41). Gandhi expands on this idea of religion by stating that India’s poor condition is a direct result of its “becoming irreligious.” And although he admits that religious superstition and the wars it has incited are detrimental to society, he believes that civilization is even worse. He does not deny that the many different religious groups in India have their differences, but rather states that there is no area in the world with a homogenous group of people with the same ideologies. Another fault in civilization that Gandhi addresses is railways that he thinks divide the people in India in ways that weren’t present prior to the interference of the English. Railways are inherently disadvantageous to humanity because they defy God’s creation of man with limited ability to travel long distances; railways are “a distributing agency for the evil one only,” allowing the unfaithful ability to travel to holy areas easily. Basically, Gandhi believes that there are many obstacles that the Indian people need to overcome in order to achieve “Hind Swaraj” or Indian Home Rule.

Michael Kohlhaas: What is the moral of the strory?

So after finishing Michael Kohlhaas, I was left to ponder what exactly the moral of this story is. At first I thought that maybe the story was geared more towards pointing out the injustices in government, as we are told of a man, Kohlhaas, who is trying to make an honest living selling horses but is inhibited by a man of power, Junker Wenzel von Tronka, who then further uses his power to undermine the rights of Kohlhaas. With this idea of injustice in mind, we are able, to an extent, sympathize with Kohlhaas and understand what prompted his actions of revenge; however this complicates things as it turns the once innocent protagonist into, for me the antagonist. Kohlhaas’ actions can no longer be deemed as justifiable, as he is now the one creating injustice amongst the people and towns that he burns. Aside from all this, the story takes an even more interesting turn of events when Kohlhaas comes into possession of a prophecy of the Elector of Saxony. At this point I lose the idea that the ultimate moral of the story are the injustices in government, and I become rather confused with this development in the story as it doesn’t really relate to the rest of the earlier events. Regardless, in the end Kohlhaas is compensated for his earlier troubles although he himself must pay the price of death for the injustices he has caused, and so I guess I am left with the notion that perhaps one of the ultimate lessons in this story is to be aware that power blinds man of what is right. The Junker abuses his power when he undermines Kohlhaas and Kohlhaas abuses his power with his actions of revenge, because these men were in positions of power they exercised this without much regard to the morality of their actions, and so this is why I think that the story of Michael Kohlhaas is a story that elucidates how power corrupts man.

Michael Kohlhaas is crazy

So after reading this "short story" (it's not short enough), I've decided that Michael Kohlhaas can be compared to Antigone as they both act irrationally and take very extreme action to get their points across. First of all, they both break the law - Antigone with the law of not burying her brother and Kohlhaas with his murdering spree. But while Antigone does it for "honor," Kohlhaas does it for "justice." It all relates back to family vs state. Kohlhaas didn't start breaking the law and taking action into his own hands until his wife was killed. The difference between Antigone and Kohlhaas, however, is that I feel that Kohlhaas loses his purpose as the story progresses. It starts with him wanting justice, but then he ends up acting out of revenge. His irrational actions of killing innocent people and burning different towns to find the Junker seemed like it was more for revenge than justice. However, this can be seen as a kind of rebellion against the corrupt government. It is hard to follow this story and the reasons why Kohlhaas acts the way he does, but the most I got from it is that he wanted revenge for his wife, reminding me of Antigone's actions to honor her brother. Even though they are both, in a way, honoring their family, by killing or dying for the death of their loved ones, Antigone never broke out of her purpose. I think that is why Kohlhaas cannot really be seen as the good guy. He is the victim in the beginning, but he makes himself the criminal in the end by acting irrationally and losing his purpose.

discovering tasks

Here are some shorthand notes to the discovery task, if you want to make sure you get what was being asked of you.

1. What information about the author of the article is provided?
Not much. But we do get his university affiliation at the end of the article (as is standard in academic publishing), and we also get a reference to another publication he has on Arnold in footnote 33 (page 35), giving us the sense that he has worked a great deal on Arnold (which might confirm the fact that the article is secretly about Arnold). You can also that these publications are in or on Victorian Literature, giving you a sense that he is (in the language of the academy) a Victorianist. Now, what does this mean?

2. Summarize in a few sentences the thesis and major points that the author covers in the article.
done. see blog posting from Tuesday 4/15 discussion.

3. Is the evidence primarily from primary or secondary sources? Support your answer with examples.
Here it is important to keep in mind the relativeness of primary/secondary sources--secondary sources can also be primary sources. In Joseph's argument, all the Arnold/Hegel/Eliot/Woolf/Drabble texts are both. They are secondary in the sense that they "comment" on Sophocles' Antigone, but their comments on Antigone require the mediation/interpretation of Joseph. Thus they are treated by Joseph as "primary" sources.

4. Name one or two scholars mentioned in the article. Does the author agree or disagree with the scholars he or she cites.
Footnotes 1-37 reference a ton of scholars contemporary to Joseph. But none in the article--Mentioned in article I thought I found: W.F. Barry, author of The New Antigone: A Romance, but when I checked out the footnote, I found that it was actually written in 1887! So there are no scholars mentioned in the article! This is kind of shocking, since then Joseph doesn't do what you're being asked to do, which is to integrate secondary scholarly material with your own claim.

5. What is the subject focus of the journal that the argument in from?
In other words, what discipline does the journal deal with?: Literature--the PMLA is the publication of the Modern Language Association. http://www.mla.org/pmla. (The MLA is the professional organization through which aspiring literature graduate students apply for professorship jobs).

collecting mid-terms

I just want to start collecting material that could be important for the midterm--from lecture, lecture notes, blog postings, class discussions, study questions and the texts themselves. please feel free to post comments with questions or terms--

• the "dark," "darkness" and "death" in Antigone (remember Brecht's little Antigone poem and her stepping from the darkness
• Brecht's "dark times" in "To Posterity" (poem)
• the chorus of the Egyptian Antigone and the problem of spectators
• playing/doing--internal v. external
• who are the "confusers" of Brecht's longer poem from "The Antigone Legend"?
• problem of inaction or not doing anything (re: diagnostic)
• the crime of speaking about trees=not talking about injustices
• the Underworld (what kind of Hell is Hades?)
• glory, as religious vs. personal ideal
• Kowalke as anti-war figure
• Kowalke as symbol of universal sacredness of all human life
• types of claims--summative, descriptive, arguable (claim-y)
• "kerugma" (Kreon, Creon, Junker?)
• touchstones/antitouchstones
• "Doing As One Likes"
• epistemological crisis
• MK study questions--13 (Luther); 14 (social contract/outcast); 16 ("present public opinion and posterity"); 19 (overlapping jurisdictions); 20 (fairy tale from pp 190 on); 23 (significance of statement "are you satisfied with me?")
• Kleist's "we" (page 177, 205, other places?)
• unintentional suffering/casualities of war v. aiding fellow citizens
• revenge/justice
• living in a world that throws you down (psychotic action)
• thinking honorable/terrible in one sentence
• government inaction requires direct action?
• having sympathy for MK (re: Cholly Breedlove, Virginia Tech)
• desire for immediacy in a time of mediation (bureacracy)
• the violence of bureaucracy
• decision/certitude/doubt in MK (re: sense perception?)
• "swaraj"--home rule/self-government/self-improvement
• Gandhi's position on moderates and extremists
• passive resistance
• the role of suffering
• the law of religion (Gandhi's ethics)
• Gandhi's critique of modern civilization

Week Four: Assignments

Tuesday April 22
Reading: Gandhi
Writing: post blog to Gandhi readings, comment with research idea for topic on Research blog, peer review of working drafts

Thursday April 24
Reading: Gandhi
Writing: Final Draft Essay #7

Beginning Researches

Post an idea here--Art&Action/Music&Movements.

Claim Continuum

Here are the paraphrased claims I mentioned towards the end of class--contrast them with what you had, or what the groups had put up on the board. (So these are not "right" so to speak, since claims are very relative).

1 (page 22) Antigone is relevant because it is puzzling.
2 (page 23) Antigone's action (duty) is irrelevant, but her figure is relevant.
3 (page 25) Jospeh uses Eliot to show Antigone as inner needs.
4 (page 30) Even though art does not directly teach, the irrationality of Antigone is its appeal; art attests to the uncertainty of culture.
5 (page 31) Antigone's fidelity is the touchstone.
6 (page 32) Hegel and Arnold are defenders of stable community, Antigone is an anarchist and maybe we should be too.

Michael Kolhaas

Although written in the early 19th century, “Michael Kolhaas” is set in the 16th century, contemporary with the infamous Weinsberg massacre and peasants’ revolt that occurred during the era. Despite the moral foundation of the revolt led by the German peasants and by Michael Kolhaas, each represents a detachment from the initial objective and a shift toward surrendering restraint and acting on frustration and anger. In my opinion, “Michael Kolhaas” offers a sympathetic view of the horse dealer’s ordeal and rather than condoning it, depicts the consequences of rash action. Throughout the plot of the story, the injustices that Kolhaas suffers are quite apparent; for example, he is forced to leave his two black horses as collateral before crossing the border and has them returned only to discover that they have become weak and unhealthy from completing field work for the Junker von Tronka. Kolhaas is not bitter at first, with his “sense of justice […] still waver[ing]” and does not immediately jump to conclusions before hearing both sides of the story (120). Furthermore, Kolhaas is understanding of the “imperfection inherent in the order of the world,” and accepts this apparent wrongdoing; his primary motive for seeking justice is a pure one: he sought “protection for his fellow citizens against such wrongs in the future” (121). The inclusion of this purpose evokes sympathy and prevents the reader from assuming a selfish objective. Finally, he attempts to take legal action against the Junkers, but nepotism overcomes his righteous intentions when the Junker’s relatives’ higher authority hinders his efforts. The German peasants in the 16th century attempted similar legal action with their “Twelve Articles”; however, when the German nobles refused the document, the peasants retaliated by impaling as many nobles as possible. Kolhaas similarly seeks revenge by burning down many towns; in both cases, the noble motives that had initiated the cause are tarnished by the petty attempts at revenge. Both the German peasants and Michael Kolhaas suffer the consequences when higher authorities retaliate with force and end their lives.

'Justice' in Michael Kohlhaas

Michael Kohlhaas suffered injustly at the hand of the law because of Junker Wenzel von Tronka's relations to the law. He was lied to about obtaining a permit, and had his horses and groom abused. Being unable to resolve the problem through the justice system, he sought to take measures into his own hand. His personal revenge set many towns on fire and took many lives. He went through all this for "punishment [for] the Junker according to the law; the restoration of the horses, and damages for what [he] and Herse suffered from the violence that was done to [them]." As Martin Luther explained in the short story, Kohlhaas had "borrowed sums running into thousands, against bills and securities, from Jews and Christians alike, to pay for [his] savage personal revenge. " Luther asks Kohlhaas, "Will you add them to your account as well when the reckoning is made?" This shows the injustice Kohlhaas served to the people by getting them involved in his revenge as he sought for compensation for his. Will the people who suffer at his hand too receive compensation for the chaos and destruction Kohlhaas caused? Despite being robbed of his rights at the hands of Junker Wenzel von Tronka, Kohlhaas took out his anger out not only on Junker, but innocent people. In the end, Kohlhaas is justly beheaded for the violence he caused. Before he is beheaded, upon seeing his horses restored, he assures the High Chancellor that "his dearest wish on earth had been fulfilled," knowing that Junker has undo his injustice. Kohlhaas' death too is, in a way, undoing all the trouble he caused. With this, we see the natural tendency of how justice is served in the end.

Revenge and Justice

Although the prospect of finishing Kleist’s Michael Kohlhaas on a ridiculously sunny weekend was near impossible, I found that despite all the intricate details of the history and the numerous names, the main story (that I personally got out of it) was the distinction between revenge and justice, and the danger of confusing the motives behind the two. To illustrate, the Junker’s detainment of his horses and the eventual death of his wife as an indirect result reasonably angered Kohlhaas. However, his anger was a medium in which he allowed that sole emotion to dictate his action. His method in rectifying the issue was through terror and active force that hindered off of revenge. Even though Kohlhaas “called on ‘every good Christian… to take up his cause against Junker von Tronka as the universal enemy of all Christians’, and promised them ‘pay and other perquisites of war’” (143), his interests were not for supporting justice but rather merely to sate his anger. Therefore, because Kohlhaas’ anger was so excessive, he allowed this passion to take over reason and placed achieving revenge over justice. Convinced that action and justice can be rooted in one source for motivation, Kohlhaas misconstrues individual responsibility and anger, thus resulting in irrational conceptions of justice.

Kohlhaas Reading

In my opinion, Kolhlaas journey is about a man who is out to set right the problems of the government. He also explores the intertwined relationships between people in the government and how this effects the way that law should be properly carried out. Kohlhass personality makes a complete 360 throughout the novel. In the beginning, he is a law-abiding citizen who is very calm and collected in difficult situations. An example of this is when he finds out that a permit is not required. He is not bitter and he calmly goes back to get his horses, not wanting to cause any problems. Later, he sends a letter to the government asking them to punish Wenzel von Tronka for his behavior but Kolhlass plea is turned down because the two government officials are related to Wenzel von Tronka. From this point forward, Kolhlaas becomes a completely different person. He does not listen to the last words of his wife, instead he does the complete opposite. He does not forgive his enemy and goes on to do tons of damage to different cities. Kolhlaass goes to get revenge agaisnt Tronka and in doing so, he becomes a murder and a "vexatious litigant" (a troublesome person that part of a lawsuit). He believes that by taking revenge on Tronka and destroying homes and tones of innocent people, he is going toreceive justice in the end.

Kohlhaas

As I am still in the process of completing the reading of Heinrick Von Kleist’s Michael Kohlhaas, I wanted to reflect on my surprise of the turn of events so far in the story. The story begins by praising Michael Kohlhaas, and by introducing him as an honorable, honest, and well-liked man. But to cause an immediate interest and twist to the story that has only just begun, Kohlhaas is also said to be a terrible man. In the very first sentence to begin the story, it states: “Michael Kohlhaas… who was one of the most honoruable as well as one of the most terrible men of his age.” Not to mention, the first paragraph is concluded with “but his sense of justice made him a robber and a murderer.” The key word in this statement is “justice.” Before continuing on in the story, I am already biased to seeing events, whether they are good, terrible, honorable, or even of murder, as being part of Kohlhaas and his actions for justice. As the story continues, Kohlhaas’ fight for justice is portrayed through his stubbornness to fight for what he believes is right, regardless of the consequences or laws against it. This desire for justice and for what is right is similar to that of Antigone’s desire for justice and what is right; she’s believes her brother deserves a proper burial because it is the right thing to do and regardless of the “laws” against it; Kohlhaas wants to bring justice to Tronka Castle so they can not bring injustice to others that pass through and to fight against the inhuman treatment done to his horses, regardless of the “laws” of Tronka Castle and of the political ties the von Tronka’s have.

Michael Kohlhaas Response

In Michael Kohlhaas, Kleist first describes him as “the most honourable as well as one of the most terrible men of his age.” (p. 114) At this very paradoxical statement in the beginning of the story, one must ask how a man can be both “honorable” and “terrible” when the two characteristics seem to conflict. However, the incident with the two black horses and Junker Wenzel von Tronka explains the cause for the description due to the fat that it alters Kohlhaas’ life forever thereafter. The event was, in fact, an injustice done by Junker von Tronka and that he had done similar damages to other travelers. So naturally, I expected either the Junker von Tronka himself or some form of authority to settle the matter, as it would only be fair. However, neither occurred and Junker von Tronka thought himself too mighty and rich to be required to pay Kohlhaas fairly. And although Kohlhaas was “determined to seek redress in a public court of law,” (p. 126) this goal was never realized. Every single appeal to authority he made was dismissed because Junker von Tronka’s relatives were those in authority. Even Lisbeth, Kohlhaas’ wife, tried to give a letter about the matter with von Tronka, to the elector himself; however, she was struck by a guard’s lance and later died. Up until this point, I was truly sympathetic towards Kohlhaas’ situation. He had done everything in a peaceful, logical manner trying to gain justice for von Tronka’s actions.
But instead of heeding his wife’s last words from the bible, “‘Forgive your enemies; do good also onto them that hate you,’” (p. 137) Kohlhaas did the exact opposite. He never forgave Junker von Tronka and went on a killing and pillaging spree with his followers in an attempt to murder him. At this point, Kohlhaas’ logic had shattered. After losing his beloved wife and selling all his property, there was nothing really left for him to lose. Though his actions were violent, it was the unfair feudal system that drove Kohlhaas towards such action. And if one cannot get the government to help with an issue or injustice, sometimes direct action and protest is necessary. However, I only wish that Kohlhaas found another way to act instead of hurting innocent people. The loss of homes and lives was not worth the two black horses. Kohlhaas should have realized that his wife was trying to tell him to let the incident go and just move on. But also, the government should have settled the matter fairly in the first place. Thus, in a sense, Kohlhaas got his goal by the end of the story, but also had to be executed for his own unjust actions.

Kolhaas

As I read Michael Kolhaas I found that it was tedious at times – all the Earls and Junkers that played parts throughout the story. However, I found the story an enjoyable one, despite all the various characters and intricacy of the many levels of hierarchy.

Kolhaas as a character reminded me a lot Cholly, from Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. Although, the two are not completely similar, both Michael Kolhaas and Cholly evoke a type of empathy, or sympathy towards their character’s dilemma. Morrison decided to dedicate a chapter in her novel to offer background of Cholly’s life, and sort of give reasons for why he became the man he was. Although not meant to justify Cholly’s brutality towards his wife and daughter, Pecola, we as readers are still given the choice to understand how and why Cholly became such a negative and violent person. Kolhaas as well, had reasons for why he did what he did. He led a group of people he convinced to follow him and together they raided a town and caused a lot of havoc, all since Kolhaas did not get the justice he believed he deserved for the pain that was caused him by the Junker Wenzel von Tronka. And so both Cholly and Kolhaas have a background and a reasoning that makes sense to them, for their actions. Yet despite this one similarity, Kolhaas is also quite different from Cholly. While you do feel for Cholly, I did not completely side with him and his actions of abuse towards his daughter.

While reading Kleist’s short story, I found myself rooting for Kolhaas – even sad when he met his untimely end to repent the crimes he committed, all to receive fairness for the ills that were treated him by the Junker Wenzel von Tronka. And because Kolhaas put trust in the Junker when he told him he was to have a permit to cross the border, and leaving his two black horses as collateral, Kolhaas endured many losses - the untimely death of his wife, the later death of his friend and groom Herst, and the unhealthy state of his horses when neglected and used as farm animals. However, despite the violence and damages Kolhaas caused in his fight for justice, I still wanted him to succeed. Kolhaas had his final laugh even in the face of the Junker, having been sent to two years of prison, and having the task of restoring Kolhaas' two "blacks". Even towards the Elector, when Kolhaas strode up to him in his last moments before his execution, and ate the paper within the locket with the contents of important information vital to the Elector. To some, Kolhaas may be a ruthless and unruly man who was wiling to do anything to get what he wanted, but that is just it – he fought hard for what he believed in. And no matter what the cost, Kolhaas, in the end, finally had his horses restored, which was what he had fought for for so long since the beginning.

Week Three: Assignments

Tuesday April 15
Reading: Heinrich von Kleist, Michael Kohlhaas
Writing: Ideas Draft essay #7

Thursday April 17
Reading: Heinrich von Kleist, Michael Kohlhaas
Writing: Working Draft essay #7 (3 copies)

***sign up for office hours: Tuesday 10:30-12:30, 2-4; Thursday 10:30-12:30 (to discuss ideas draft and research ideas)

What is Kohlhaas Doing?

In the story by Kleist, Michael Kohlhaas, the reader is first presented with a description of an extremely moral character. The story that follows about Kohlhaas's issues with the Junker and the courts' bias reflects the impossible situation of two conflicting "rights." The first is that Kohlhaas has been mistreated and should stand up for fair treatment and the second is that there is no conceivable way to handle the situation, according to Kohlhaas, without destroying something. Kohlhaas, as he must, chooses the path to stand up for what is right and goes to harm or kill the Junker. When he kills and harms all of the property of the Junker and the people there EXCEPT the Junker, he moves on to find the Junker and continues to destroy and pillage and plunder everything in his path. Here is where Kohlhaas loses sight of what he set out to do. Here is where his actions no longer reasonably reflect his purpose. Fast forward to the end of the story, when Kohlhaas is killed because of his communication with Nagelschmidt, he pays for taking his destruction too far.

basis for action: doing as one likes?

Joseph presents an argument for the contemporary relevance of Antigone through the lens of Hegel, Matthew Arnold, George Eliot, Virginia Woolf, and Margaret Drabble. This involves a great variety of claims--summative, descriptive, and arguable, as well as implict/explicit. In class we made it through coming up with a research questions. The general question involves the prompt's language of the "basis for action" within Sophocles' drama. Your more particular group interests dealt with:

• antigone as individual, inspired by personal interests?
• law of Creon?
• religion as possible basis for action?
• kinship and loyalty to brother but not husband, kids (or sister?)?
• antigone as egotistical?

You can see that these are not phrased as nicely as your questions in class, but I just wanted to mark our starting point. From here, lots of development is possible, both for your individual papers and ideas and for your groups' collective refinement of the question. We will continue with this work on Thursday, since we did not get to the claims part of the Joseph article.

Note here that you will of course be thinking of how your personal ideas relate to and differ from the things you discuss as a group. You will want to really "use" the group work in terms of getting ideas, but of course the successful essay depends upon your development and elaboration of your own ideas--claims, evidence, and warrants all included!

Please post any questions (words or phrases or concepts you don't quite get) as comments, if you have them. Questions about the essay of course perfectly acceptable.

Antigone in an Ancient Light

Reading Gerhard’s article and Brecht’s poem got me thinking about the contemporary context Antigone would have had in the ancient world. Gerhard claims that Antigone’s defense for her efforts to bury Polyneikes is not strong to a modern audience. This is true, but probably not in the case of ancient audience. In the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one of the four Chinese classics, the main character, Liu Bei, at one point berates his general, Zhao Yun, after a battle. Zhao Yun had charged deep into the enemy lines to rescue Liu Bei’s wife and infant son; however, Liu Bei, angered that Zhao Yun had ‘unnecessarily’ risked his life, exclaims that, ‘Wives and children are as clothing, but brothers are as limbs.’ Sophocles mirrors this sentiment when he has Antigone explain that she would not have gone to the reaches she has for Polyneikes if it was a husband or child that had died – since they can be ‘replaced’, while a brother cannot be.
On another note, the main conflict in Antigone – her desire to bury her brother’s body – can be seen as a subtle criticism of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, which had just lost the Greko-Persian War (498-448BC) by the time Sophocles wrote Antigone (around 442BC). For the official religion of the Achaemenids, Zoroastrianism, forbade burying or cremating the body after death, as earth and fire were viewed as sacred and could not be ‘corrupted’ by the ‘un-pure’ flesh. Instead, the dead were exposed to the elements atop of open-air constructs called ‘Towers of Silence’, where they were left to rot until only the bones remained – at which point the bones could be interred. This belief was the polar opposite of the religious practices of the Greeks, who considered it a most vile act to leave the body exposed. Thus, Sophocles’ Creon can be seen as the Persian ‘King of Kings’ imposing his will over the Greeks if they had lost the Greko-Perisan War and would reinforce the Hellenic prejudice of considering all non-Greeks as ‘barbarians’.