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.

Outside Reading: Cat's Cradle #2

     So far in Cat's Cradle (pages 72-144) many new things have happened. One of the main things that I took notice of, however, was that Kurt Vonnegut once again chose to introduce a fictional representation of society through his explanation of the Republic of San Lorenzo. This country is very small, and very different from other societies in ways such as government, law, and ethnicity. Apparently, and I'm still not quite sure if this is true, the penalty for all crime in the city is a hook through your stomach, which keeps everyone in order. Even the people seem surreal, as one woman named Mona Aamons Monzano, who is supposedly one of the most beautiful women on earth, is described as having the dark skin of an African while having "platinum" blonde hair. Given how obscure this new place is, I think that it connects strongly with Postmodernism, as it gives much interpretation of the society and its relationship to the rest of the world up to the reader. I find that Vonnegut always leaves some gaps in his explanation of these fictional representations in order to leave some interpretation up to the reader, and I enjoy this freedom as I am reading greatly.
     I noticed a connection to Romanticism as well in the effort Vonnegut puts into describing the island of San Lorenzo. He paints a very clear picture of the island being marshy, uneven, unattractive, save how the entire island supposedly makes a near perfect rectangle. He gives similar detail in his description of Franklin Hoenikker's model city that the narrator finds in Jack's Hobby Shop. This also gives an artistic air to Frank Hoenikker, which is a somewhat Romantic quality.
     This reading focused much more on America as a whole than the last, which helps the reading connect to my American Literature definition. When the narrator (presumably Vonnegut himself, though I could be wrong) talks with the Minton couple on the plain ride to San Lorenzo, the Mintons discuss how they had written a letter from Pakistan insulting the way America interacts with other countries. They criticize America by saying that instead of forcing other countries to love the United States, the they should just learn to accept other countries' disapproval. Though I think this makes a stronger connection with the theme of the story and the overall message Vonnegut is trying to convey about the atomic bomb and American morality, I saw it as important mainly in the way it showed how many Americans think, relates to the American identity portion of my definition.
     I should note that Vonnegut also discussed the origins of Bokonon and Bokononism briefly as he was reading a sort of San Lorenzo encyclopedia. Bokonon turned out to be a black person, which I thought was interesting considering that the book was written around the time of the Civil Rights Movement.
     I hope to read more about Bokononism later on in the book, because much of this fictional religion is still unknown where I am now.

Outside Reading: Cat's Cradle #1

     I had recently read a book called Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut, and I found his humor as well as his unique perspective on world events to make the book enjoyable. Because I enjoyed this book so much I decided to choose Cat's Cradle, also by Kurt Vonnegut, as the book for my second quarter. Throughout what I have read so far (pages 1-72) Vonnegut has not disappointed in terms of comedy, and the topic of science and World War II has kept me interested.
     Similarly to his invention of Tralfamadorians in the book Slaughterhouse Five, Vonnegut has created a fake religion in Cat's Cradle called "Bokononism," which I still don't fully understand. However, in the book he talks about how this religion has given him a different, more enlightened perspective on the universe, giving several quotes from a the fictional religion's book that attribute to the ideals represented by the religion. This connects strongly with Postmodernism, since Bokononism seems to be very unique and very much against the societal norm, which are both qualities of the Postmodern philosophy.
     Another part of the book which I have found to resemble Postmodernism is the focus of the story, Dr. Felix Hoenikker. This man is very depicted as extremely intelligent, to the point where they sometimes refer to him as inhuman. In addition to this quality, however, he is very different from everyone else in terms of how he views and interacts with the world. He interacts with society in ways which are unexpected and abnormal, and asks questions which aren't normally asked. For these reasons, Dr. Hoenikker is almost an embodiment of Postmodernism. Though he is innocent and immature for the most part, many people view him as a killer due to his work on the atomic bomb, and whether or not the main character in the story believes this himself has yet to be seen.
     This book is focused mainly on Postmodernism, so it doesn't connect with readings we've done in class very much. However, if I had to connect it to one of our class readings, I would say it is most similar to "Young Goodman Brown." In "Young Goodman Brown," the protagonist demonstrates conflict over whether to view society as good or evil, which is similar to the moral issue demonstrated by the atomic bomb in Cat's Cradle.
     My American Literature definition doesn't demonstrate too much similarity to this story so far. My definition discusses mainly the American Dream and the foundations of American identity throughout the time periods we're studying, and so far most of what I've read focuses mainly on the individual. There have been a few places where Vonnegut has humorously written that most of American society is ignorant and such, but this isn't something that I can reasonably apply to literature.