"One likely reason for the paucity of critical material on this large and compelling subject is that, in matters of race, silence and evasion have historically ruled literary discourse. Evasion has fostered another, substitute language in which the issues are encoded, foreclosing open debate. The situation is aggravated by the tremor that breaks into discourse on race." - Page 1008
"Haply
for I am black,
And have not those soft parts of conversation
That chamberers have; or for I am declined
Into the vale of years—yet that’s not much—
She’s gone. I am abused, and my relief
Must be to loathe her. O curse of marriage,
That we can call these delicate creatures ours
And not their appetites! I had rather be a toad
And live upon the vapor of a dungeon
Than keep a corner in the thing I love
For others’ uses. Yet ’tis the plague of great ones;
Prerogatived are they less than the base.
’Tis destiny unshunnable, like death." -III.iii.267–279, Page 61
Through this quote in Shakespeare's Othello, one can see how Toni Morrison's argument for the scarcity of race can be seen. Despite the fact that Othello's argument for being black dates back to the fifteenth century, there hasn't been a whole lot in the way of showing race as a problem in literature. Even in Othello, this argument does not pose as a huge argument in the story, because there are other points to the story, and the story is certainly not all about race. Toni Morrison makes it known that there are not a lot of novels that use race as a theme throughout the whole books or novels, instead, they beat around the bush, or just pass by the problem completely. She poses that a huge problem in novels, especially American novels, written by white men, never seem to touch on the subject of race, and this idea is jarring to her. This quote from Othello, helps prove to Morrison that race is not a common theme amongst white men, and that Othello is an example of a book that touches on the subject, but there aren't very many books that look at race as a problem.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
Prompt 1
"For literature to be literature, it must constantly defamiliarize the familiar, constantly evolve new procedures for story-telling or poetry-making. And such change is entirely autonomous of the social and historical world from which the materials of literature are taken." - Page 5
"I am no prophet - and here's no great matter;
I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker,
And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker,
And in short, I was afraid."
"The Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock" by T.S. Elliot
When I read that quote from Rivkin and Ryan, I didn't immediately agree until I read it a couple of times. At first, it seemed to me that they were stating that one must defamiliarize their writing in order to make whatever story they have into a piece of literature, but if I was to write a story about my day at school, and I wanted everyone to understand what I was talking about? I would want my peers to understand what it was like to travel across campus, to cross the Red Cedar, to fully grasp how beautiful that day was. So why would I not want that piece of writing to be familiar to those who wished to read it?
From here I was able to gather that that they act of writing if different from everyone; everyone sees their writing in their own way, and everyone writes differently. Therefore, it would be automatic when writing to put my own feelings and emotions into the work, and not those of others, even if it is for them, and I want them to understand what I am telling them. Looking at Elliot's work written above, I was struck with the answer to my question. To me, that piece of the poem states that he is getting old and that he soon will meet his Maker, and act that he is afraid of, but has come to terms with his inevitable end, in which everyone must face. Reading this passage, I do not know what it is like to be old, and therefore cannot express my fear on growing old and having to die. Although, there is still the fact that everyone faces death every day, and depressing aspect that we all face, but still, something that we don't think about every waking moment. So, I may not fully be familiar with what Elliot is writing about in this passage, but its with deeper thinking and diving into the rest of the poem, or the writing, that a reader can become more familiar with what the author is telling them. So if someone were to read about my day at school, they may have not lived through that experience, but in time they will grasp, understand, and become more familiar with what I have said in my piece.
"I am no prophet - and here's no great matter;
I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker,
And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker,
And in short, I was afraid."
"The Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock" by T.S. Elliot
When I read that quote from Rivkin and Ryan, I didn't immediately agree until I read it a couple of times. At first, it seemed to me that they were stating that one must defamiliarize their writing in order to make whatever story they have into a piece of literature, but if I was to write a story about my day at school, and I wanted everyone to understand what I was talking about? I would want my peers to understand what it was like to travel across campus, to cross the Red Cedar, to fully grasp how beautiful that day was. So why would I not want that piece of writing to be familiar to those who wished to read it?
From here I was able to gather that that they act of writing if different from everyone; everyone sees their writing in their own way, and everyone writes differently. Therefore, it would be automatic when writing to put my own feelings and emotions into the work, and not those of others, even if it is for them, and I want them to understand what I am telling them. Looking at Elliot's work written above, I was struck with the answer to my question. To me, that piece of the poem states that he is getting old and that he soon will meet his Maker, and act that he is afraid of, but has come to terms with his inevitable end, in which everyone must face. Reading this passage, I do not know what it is like to be old, and therefore cannot express my fear on growing old and having to die. Although, there is still the fact that everyone faces death every day, and depressing aspect that we all face, but still, something that we don't think about every waking moment. So, I may not fully be familiar with what Elliot is writing about in this passage, but its with deeper thinking and diving into the rest of the poem, or the writing, that a reader can become more familiar with what the author is telling them. So if someone were to read about my day at school, they may have not lived through that experience, but in time they will grasp, understand, and become more familiar with what I have said in my piece.
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