Outside Reading: Herland #4

     I've reached the end of Herland, and much of what I feared would be left open has been accounted for. The reasons for returning home are explained, and as for whether Herland becomes open to the rest of the world, it is left a possibility. Connections with other time periods are virtually the same as they were before, so I won't go into too much detail there. Basically, trends which related the book to Rationalism, Romanticism, and Puritanism continue.
     Once again, it is with Realism where this book truly makes a connection. Throughout the last three chapters, one topic in society which is discussed greatly is the concept of God. Gilman implies that society's view of God and religion is similar to that of Herland's, but gives a few areas where American society could improve. Gilman seems to believe that religion should be a driving force rather than a restricting force, and should permeate everything that people do not simply as a "being" but more so as a "power." One area which describes this in more detail is when Gilman writes, "Here was a religion which gave to the searching mind a rational basis in life, the concept of an immense Loving Power working steadily out through them, toward good" (98). Here, it can be seen that religion is viewed more in terms of logical ways to go forward and progress. Gilman seems to include these details of religion not only to encourage religion as a strong part of society but also to relate religion with human progress. In addition to discussion about religion, there is much more discussion on equality between men and women, eventually branching into sexuality (which I won't go into any detail about, as I don't have quite as skilled a way with words as Gilman). Perhaps the largest commentary on society, however, is put forward when the downfalls of American society are truly brought to light, shown when Gilman writes, "Now, in my efforts at explanation, I began to see both ways more keenly than I had before; to see the painful defects of my own land, the marvelous gains of this" (116). Here, a sense of shame can be seen from Van of his own society as he truly comes to appreciate the perfection of the society in Herland. Again, as I've said before, by contrasting the societies of America and Herland Gilman identifies faults and encourages improvement.
     The "American Dream" in these last three chapters seemed to be that one day, society in America and the rest of the world will improve to a point where they can eventually have safe communication with Herland. Though it seems Herland has remained closed after a good many years, as Van is recounting this story seemingly years later and is still protecting the country's location, the possibility remains that Ellador may come back with a positive report and a passage to the country may open.
     In terms of connecting with other books, I found these last three chapters to connect with McTeague: A Story of San Francisco, by Frank Norris, particularly at the part involving Terry's little mishap. Here, a loss of control over instinct and desire can be seen on Terry's part, similarly to how McTeague was unable to control himself and kissed Trina while she was unconscious on the operating chair. Though the incidents are on perhaps different degrees of severity, a very similar loss of control due to desire can be seen by both characters.
     In conclusion, I found the ending to be satisfying. I'm not sure where Ellador went exactly, as she is always mentioned passively, if at all, wherever Van breaks from his narrative and describes his present situation. In fact, I'm not sure whether Van is writing the story in Herland or in America, or whether anyone returned to Herland at all. Nonetheless, the ending allowed for both optimistic and pessimistic endings to the story, which I thought was clever, and overall the book had both a strong and (surprisingly) highly entertaining social message involving women and equality.

Outside Reading: Herland #3

     The last three chapters of Herland (about three-fourths through the book now) have definitely become more interesting and have picked up in terms of plot where the three chapters prior seemed to be lacking. During this reading, the author transitioned from a very obvious feminist message to a message much more subtle, reasonable, and relatable, which I found to be a relief. In terms of connections with other time periods, they remained generally the same as before. Exchange of information continues between the women of Herland and the men, and a fair amount of intelligence is demonstrated on both sides, connecting once again with Rationalism. With Romanticism, Gilman has added to her motherhood affection a more truly romantic affection between the protagonist, Van, and one of the young women of Herland which Van and his friends met in the beginning, Ellador. This relationship becomes very interesting as the story progresses, but I'll get to that later. In terms of Puritanism, you see the desire for a utopia now more on the men's side, whereas before it seemed to be more of a focus for the woman of Herland.
     Once again, Gilman has demonstrated strong characteristics of Realism in the past three chapters with her focus on society. However, whereas in the last reading she seemed to be focusing on general characteristics of Herland which made it a superior society to America, she now chooses to put a stronger emphasis on the concept of motherhood to which the women of Herland attribute their success. Though she mentioned this in the chapters before, the concept is truly brought to light in this part of the book. The importance and apparent success of motherhood in their society can be seen when Gilman writes, "All the surrendering devotion our women have put into their private families, these women put into their country and race. All the loyalty and service men expect of wives, they gave, not singly to men, but collectively to one another" (81). Here, when considering just how perfect and utopian the society of Herland is, Gilman sends a powerful message of not only of the potential of the womanly power of motherhood on society but also the potential of the dedication women have (in this case towards to things like husbands) when applied to other members of society for mutual benefit. Going back to the subject of the romantic relationship with Van and Ellador, an interesting point is made in this situation concerning a clashing of cultures. This clash can be seen when Gilman writes of their inherent societal differences: "Visibly we were not mothers, nor children, nor compatriots; so, if they loved us, we must be friends" (82). In this Gilman demonstrates the difference between the kind of romantic love between man and woman which American society is so familiar with and the motherly and sisterly love which is the only thing that the woman of Herland know. In addition to questioning the morality of altering another's way of life with this issue in mind later in the book, this helps to create a slightly more interesting plot. Finally, some form of conflict in the story surfaces again.
     Concerning my American Literature definition, similar ideas of the American dream can be seen in this reading as with the last reading. Van gets more information on how Herland was able to become so successful of a society through their emphasis on properly raising their children, and some comparison is made between the successes of Herland and the downfalls of American society. Gilman seems to be making suggestions on how the education system, as well as the general way in which American children are raised, can be altered in order to achieve a more perfect society, which connects with aspects of the American Dream in that the author is seeking improvement of America's general well-being.
     I was able to make connections between Herland and Lorraine Hansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun" once again in this reading. This time, however, it connected with Gilman's subject of motherhood. Similarly to how Gilman puts emphasis on the importance and influence of motherhood in her book, Mama (or Lena) in "A Raisin in the Sun" acts as a prominent mother figure to virtually all other characters of the play, and plays an important role in how the characters solve their moral dilemmas as well as in how they make decisions. With both of these aspects of the book concerning the manner in which the children were raised, a clear connection can be seen.
     As I approach the final chapters of the book, I'm interested to see how Van's adventure in Herland will come to an end. Gilman has already made clear that Van and the rest of the men return back to America at some point, and has also hinted that Ellador may accompany Van on this journey. This poses clear problems, however, and leaves much open for speculation. What will happen to Herland one they return? Will the male element be added back to their society after 2000 years of success with only women? More importantly, will the men make their discovery known to the rest of the world? The last question I doubt, as Gilman (from the perspective of Van) has resorted to secrecy as to the country's exact location on several occasions throughout the book. Nonetheless, I'm ready to find out how the story will reach its conclusion.

Outside Reading: Herland #2

     At this point in Herland, many of the connections with time periods I made in my first reading have remained the same. Connections with Rationalism can be seen throughout still, as the last few chapters have consisted of interrogation and a pursuit of knowledge on behalf of both the women and the men. Characteristics of this time period can be seen especially in areas where the men are being interrogated about aspects of American society which conflict with the society of Herland, in which the women basically use logic to and reason to identify what they see as faults in American society. Romanticism can be seen in the strong affection the women have for children in their society, which differs from the first reading in that less emphasis is put on describing the beauty of nature. As for Puritanism, the same connections can generally be made with the fact that the society is very utopian.

     Perhaps the most significant connection I made with this book and what we are learning in class is with Realism, as virtually the entire past three chapters have consisted of an indirect criticism of American society. The author tried to make the message more subtle by granting the Herland women an inhuman politeness, such as when she writes, "As I look back now, knowing them better, I am more and more amazed as I appreciate the exquisite courtesy with which they had received over and over again statements and admissions on our part which must have revolted them to the soul" (60). Here, I saw an obvious attempt by the author to make the women seem not annoying in their superiority. Nonetheless I deduced, quite easily, due to Gilman being a woman writing from a male perspective and due to the subject of the book being on a society of perfect women, the impact she was trying to make on the reader (I will say this got bothersome at times as the message was practically shoved down my throat). Gilman attempted in the past few chapters to identify problems in American society, especially those concerning differences in gender, by contrasting these problems with the perfect society of Herland. I would throw in a few quotes to give examples of the problems she tries to address, but they are very numerous and range from animal cruelty to sanitation to caring for children to poverty to unwarranted male superiority. In making this criticism of society, however, Gilman makes a strong connection with Realism, which is a time period mainly focused on society and societal issues. One of her most prominent suggestions was removing some of the differences between males and females in society, which can be seen in her characterization of the women of Herland: "These women, whose essential distinction of motherhood was the dominant note of their whole culture, were strikingly deficient in what we call 'femininity'" (50). Here, the suggestion is made that, when looking at how well the Herland society is doing, removing these distinctions between men and women might not be so bad.

     These past few chapters have made a gradual connection with the focus of my American Literature definition of the American Dream. The women of the Herland society strive to make a perfect society through their idea of "motherhood," as well as their ideals of "Beauty, Health, Strength, Intellect, [and] Goodness" (51). Gilman uses this as a basis for defining how she thinks Americans should strive to achieve a perfect society, showing Gilman's (and likely other women's) American Dream. Similarly to how the inhabitants of Herland hope to achieve a greater sense of happiness and improvement through these things, Gilman tries to make the impression on the reader to strive for a better society by similar means.

     In terms of relating to other books, I found the largest correlation to be with McTeague: A Story of San Francisco, by Frank Norris. This is mainly due to the criticisms of American society that are made throughout that book and Herland. McTeague: A Story of San Francisco emphasizes downfalls of society such as greed and malice by portraying these in the characters of the story, and Herland does so in a similar way by discussing aspects of society such as poverty and economic competition while the men are being questioned about America.

     I'm about half-way through the book so far, and I have to say I didn't enjoy the last few chapters as much. There was some interesting content regarding the history of Herland, but the majority consisted of identifying the wrongdoings of American society with the author hiding behind the identity of a male protagonist. Now, I don't believe males should be completely superior to women in any way, but there is a limit on how much feminist ideas I can take thrown in my face. These past few chapters, I nearly reached it. I understand that this was a different time when conditions for women were worse, but the author started hitting below the belt when she made generalizations of how Americans don't parent their children well enough or *wipes away tear* how we treat our dogs like prisoners. In addition to all of this, I'm not so sure that the author's society is as perfect as she makes it out to be. Herland seems almost to be a communist society done right, in a way, but there's a line between perfect coordination and acting like the alien race from Ender's Game. I hope something dramatic happens soon as I continue reading through the rest of the book, as my interest and patience with the author are wearing fast.

Outside Reading: Herland #1

     Herland, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, is different from anything I've read in class so far in many ways. However, from my first reading, I could immediately see connections between the book and other time periods we have studied. Firstly, there was a connection to Rationalism in that the three protagonists all have scientific professions and are making an expedition for the purpose of research. In addition, the protagonists try to explain the peculiar characteristics of the land they discover with scientific reasoning. This can be seen especially before they arrive in the land when they are hypothesizing about how a society filled with only women can exist. In addition, there was a strong connection with Romanticism in the description of the nature of Herland. The numerous descriptions of beautiful gardens, fields, and forests all help to support this. A connection with Puritanism can be made as well, mainly due to the fact that the story is centered around what seems to be a very utopian society.
     There have been several connections with realism so far, which is what seems to be the focus of the book, mainly involving stereotypes of women in society. Throughout the beginning of the story several generalizations of women are made. One example of this is when Gilman writes, "We seemed to think that if there were men we could fight them, and if there were only women--why, they would be no obstacles at all" (18). Here, a clear stereotype of women can be seen. The men are under the assumption that women are always weaker than men, and apparently by a large margin considering how they seem to be infinitely outnumbered by women at this point in the story. They believed going into the country that they could subdue the women, as women at this time generally held roles subordinate to men in the society, when in fact this was not the case. In addition to these generalizations, stereotypes of the ideal woman can also be seen. Terry, for example, calls the women "old" as an insult, not necessarily because they are old (their age at this point seems to be unclear) but because the women don't necessarily fit society's description of an ideal woman. The women have short hair instead of long, removing some distinctly feminine characteristics, and many of the women aren't necessarily beautiful and aren't young-looking as much of American society believes women should be.
     The young girls at the beginning of the story seem to contradict this idea, but even they in their youth and beauty defy some societal norms. They, too, have short hair, and they also seem to hold some boyish characteristics, which is indicated by Gilman when she writes, "Her interest was more that of an intent boy playing a fascinating game than of a girl lured by an ornament" (14). Here, Gilman not only removes some femininity but also defies a stereotype of women's attraction to jewelry. The book seems to be making a statement about women by removing some distinctions between women and men, but at this point it is unclear exactly what the author intends this statement to be.
     One story which we've read in class that this book connects with is the play "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry. Similar attempts are made by the authors to remove stereotypes of women and minorities in society, such as when Beneatha in "A Raisin in the Sun" strives to become a doctor, which is significant not only due to her race but also due to her gender due to the limitations of both of these characteristics set by society. Similarly, the women in Herland seem to take leading roles in their utopia.
     Connections so far with my definition of American Literature are vague, so I don't feel I can fully comment on that yet, and as for what will happen next in the story (I'm about 1/4 through), I can't say for sure. It's unclear whether the intentions of the women in keeping the men are good or bad for the protagonists, as the society that they discover is cloaked in an air of ambiguity. On one hand the women treat the men like royalty, giving them the highest care and supervision. On the other hand the men were practically imprisoned, and the unnatural strength and intelligence of all of the women seems very threatening. Either way the story is turning out to be quite interesting, and I'm eager to see what happens next.

"Snake" Response

     Theodore Roethke's descriptions of the snake in his poem, "Snake," reflect at first a sense of stillness and relaxation. Uses of words like glide, limp, still, and shade all give the poem a very lax atmosphere. In the second half of the poem, however, the energy level is heightened momentarily as the snake goes away. This transition is demonstrated in the narrator when Roethke writes, "I felt my slow blood warm." Towards the end, the author demonstrates some admiration for the snake, and says that he hopes to one day be the snake.
     This poem demonstrates some characteristics of the American Dream (which is the focus of my American Literature definition). In longing to become the snake, the author is showing his hopes to achieve a certain lifestyle. In the beginning of the poem, the snake itself is dwelling in a calm and serene atmosphere, which implies that the author wishes to achieve a life of comfort. Ideas of achievement such as this are reflected in many pieces of American literature, and connect strongly with some of the core concepts of the American Dream. As for when the snake goes away, this could perhaps reflect a desire for isolation in the author, which isn't exactly relevant to American Literature, but is nonetheless worth noting.
     As for the picture, the snake seems to be in a more prominent, proud position than in the poem. The overall energy level is higher, and the snake itself is cloaked in sunlight rather than shadow. This somewhat contradicts what is represented in the poem, but could still reflect aspects of the American Dream in a desire to achieve fame or importance, which seem to be the ideas that come across from this picture.

Outside Reading: Cat's Cradle #4

     I have reached the end of Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut, and must say that the ending to the book was completely unexpected. Not for a moment did I think the end of the book was actually going to involve the end of the world, despite the constant talk of the super-weapon known as "ice-nine." However, I found myself extremely satisfied with the ending, as it was both interesting and meaningful in terms of offering explanations for the book. All this aside, however, during my last reading I was able to relate many more components of the story to things that we have been studying.
     One of the main things I noticed in this reading (which I should have realized before) was that Bokonon himself was a representation of Postmodernism. Bokonon literally viewed everything in his own way, and left everything that he wrote to be interpreted by his readers as they wanted it too. He tells people that what he writes is a lie so that they can find their own truths out of his books, while not being forced to take what Bokonon himself sees as truth. This idea came to me towards the end of the book when the protagonist begins to read the books of Bokonon (Vonnegut also constantly hit on how Bokonon himself viewed his advice as false, forcing the reader to consider why this was so and what this meant.) In terms of how this connects with American Literature, it embodies the Postmodern perspective on how readers should be able to interpret literature.
     I found a connection with Romanticism again with the tragic ending of the story: the end of the world. After the entire world being destroyed in an instant and after days of uncomfortable shelter with the protagonist's beloved Mona, they discover the rest of the population of San Lorenzo dead, except for Newton Hoenikker and the Crosbys who are found later. On top of this, Mona decides to join the dead in a way which I thought almost mocked the main character. Even I was depressed, and I'm not usually one to be moved by books. The description of nature and the blue-white ice-nine covering the earth after the cataclysm also demonstrated some Romantic qualities in the book.
     In terms of my definition, I think the material from this final reading that will be most useful is what I've gathered from Bokononism's symbolism as well as the symbolism of San Lorenzo. San Lorenzo, in some ways, was much like America in that many aspects of the citizens lives were overdramatic and untrue. Bokonon's commentary on such a society (or what Vonnegut writes of Bokonon's commentary) represents an interpretation of a national identity from Vonnegut's Postmodern perspective. Since my definition deals with American identity, I found this to be valuable.
     Overall, I enjoyed the book, and was able to make several connections to American literature as a whole. Though I went into the book thinking that it was going to have ideas that mostly related to Postmodernism since it was a Postmodern book, I was surprised to find several parts of the book that related to other time periods and philosophies as well.

Outside Reading: Cat's Cradle #3

     Where I am now in Cat's Cradle (page 216) the story has taken a turn to a place I didn't expect it to go. The main character, who is the narrator, has agreed to become the next President of San Lorenzo, and it seems that he will have a brand new life ahead of him. Before all of this happens, though, Vonnegut cleverly places a few bits of philosophical advice throughout the book, and I did my best to recognize them and try to determine their meaning.
     From what I have gathered, much of what Bokonon, the leader of Bokononism and in some ways the father of all San Lorenzan tradition, teaches in his holy books is a lie. In fact, he tells the reader that he is lying in his books, which confused me at first. However, as the story went on and I learned that Bokonon being a religious leader was a lie, along with his rivalry with the island's previous leader, McCabe, it all started coming together. What Bokonon was trying to say was that people such as the San Lorenzans who otherwise have little to live for can be made happy by being fed lies, which is supported later in by Julian Castle in his recollection of stories of the fake drama in San Lorenzo devised by Bokonon and McCabe. This idea tied together as well with Newton Hoenikker's discussion with the author about the deception of the Cat's Cradle knot. He points out that there is neither a cat nor a cradle in the knot, and yet it still brings happiness to many children.
     The ideas that these lies bring happiness reminded me immediately of Romanticism. Though Romanticism doesn't necessarily deal with lies, it does embrace imagination and all good things that come from it. There were some other things in this reading that connected with Romanticism as well, such as the focus on Mona, who is a symbol of beauty and perfection, and the tropical setting of San Lorenzo, which the author chooses to describe as before in great detail.
     Vonnegut introduces a man when the narrator arrives at his hotel named Phillip Castle, son of the extremely successful Julian Castle. Phillip has a sharp wit, and often says things that are very philosophical. For these reasons, I found a strong connection between Phillip and Henry from "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail," by Robert Edwin Lee. As with Henry, Phillip's comments question people and society for what they are perceived to be, making the reader think. Though Phillip isn't necessarily a Transcendentalist like Henry, I still found several similarities between these two characters.
     Another story we've read in class that I've found similarities with is "Thanatopsis," by William Byrant. Much of what Bokonon teaches in his religion is related to interconnectedness between people as well as destiny. In "Thanatopsis," the author basically argues that we are all destined to die and be buried in the earth, and that since this is the fate of everyone, we are all connected in this way. Though the destinies represented by "Thanatopsis" and Cat's Cradle are not the same, the idea of interconnectedness between people present in these destinies is significant in both pieces.
     As it stands, the end of the book could hold anything. I certainly did not expect for the protagonist to become the president of San Lorenzo, nor did I expect the entire story of Bokonon to be a fraud, so I'm hesitant to make any assumptions about what is to come.