Breath Eyes Memory blog

Taylor Kurtz

4/7/2010

Breath, Eyes, Memory: Assimilating to the American Melting Pot

Throughout time, countless stories of immigration and assimilation into American culture have been told, but few have been as well noted as the story of Sophie Caco, the main character in Edwige Danticat’s first novel, and a very well renowned one at that, Breath, Eyes, Memory. Danticat’s story shows a very negative side of acclimation and assimilation based on the trying events faced by the main character. Very few girls endure the kind of struggles encountered by Sophie as she tries to find her place in life. Sophie is a twelve-year-old girl who, in the beginning of the novel, lives in Croix-des-Rosets, Haiti. Further on in the book Sophie receives word that she will be moving to New York in America to live with her mother. Sophie is less than thrilled about the move, and this is where the issue of assimilation arises. Already upset with the move, Sophie arrives at her mother Martine’s house, which is in a very poor neighborhood. Immediately, life in America looks bleak, as her mother tells her that her only chance for success is determinant on a successful outcome in Sophie’s academic career. Thus, in essence, Sophie is swiftly removed from her homeland and comfort zone and thrown into a poor new land, where she has only one chance at success, according to her mother.

Similar to how Sophie struggles to acclimate to her new living situation, she also feels out of place when it comes to her family life and relationship with her mother. As a matter of fact, her mother acts as one of the main factors in Sophie’s struggle for assimilation. For one, Sophie is ashamed she looks nothing like her mother and feels as though she is an insignificant piece of her mom’s earlier years of life. Furthermore, while working a job with her mother, Sophie is told by Martine of how she was raped at a young age, which further adds to the lack of comfort Sophie experiences during her time spent with her mother. The relationship between Sophie and Martine becomes further stressed when Sophie becomes involved in a relationship with a boy, Joseph. Joseph asks Sophie to marry her, and when Martine finds out, she forces a virginity test upon Sophie, which does nothing to make Sophie’s relationship with her mother improve. The test forced on Sophie results in her being kicked out of the house, consequently leading to yet another move for Sophie, this time to Providence, Rhode Island to live with Joseph. These encounters lead Sophie to have a terrible mentality towards sex, as well as serious personal appearance anxiety and issues. Her self-anxiety regarding appearance is so serious that Sophie develops the eating disorder Bulimia. According to an article published by Elizabeth Carten on the Massachusetts General Hospital official website, Sophie is a very popular case to be referenced for young girls with self-image issues: “In her book, Breath, Eyes, Memory, Edwidge Danticat shows how the main character Sophie, through her bulimia, deals with the legacy of sexual abuse that she, her mother, and Haitian females in general have suffered” (Carten, pg 1). Sophie knows she was conceived via rape, and this is an issue she deals with internally for years: “When Sophie moves to the U.S…. she immediately becomes her mother’s sole source of comfort and support…She inadvertently becomes both the bearer of the burden of the rape as well as the witness to it, and… inherits the trauma associated with her mother’s sexual abuse” (Carten, pg 1)

Due to her tenuous relationship with her mother, for most of the novel Sophie feels nearly resentful towards her mother. However, the struggles increase greatly after Martine takes a trip back to her home in Haiti. The trip to Haiti is very trying for Martine and leaves her physically ill and nearly incapacitated. Matters are only made worse when Martine tells that she is pregnant by her boyfriend Marc. However, eventually the relationship is somewhat mended as Sophie, along with her husband Joseph, have a fun-filled day and lunch with Martine and Marc. Shortly after this however, the mom begins to go insane, saying the baby speaks to her in the rapist voice. The insanity gets the better of Martine, and Sophie’s mother ends up stabbing herself repeatedly to death. Consequently, Sophie is never able to find her place in a normal life with a consistent loving mother figure or a peaceful family.

Joseph’s relationship with Sophie begins to struggle due to the anxiety she has about sex. The fact that the sex phobia is an issue even with her husband, the man of her life, shows just how insecure with herself Sophie is and how she has thus far failed to assimilate and find her niche’ in life. The problem regarding sex is so great, that Sophie even goes as far as to seek therapy for her. Thus, something as simple as sex with her husband feels wrong to Sophie and makes her uncomfortable.

Therefore, throughout her entire life, Sophie struggles to fit in and find her own place in life. She deals with moving to poor living conditions in a foreign land, being isolated from her family, as well as a phobia of intimacy due to her harsh relationship with her mother. Sophie is never truly at peace with herself or her past until she attacks the cane stalks in the very same field her mother was raped in, thus destroying the act that lead to her struggles to find her place in life.

Works Cited

Carten, Elizabeth. “Eating Disorders in Breath, Eyes, Memory; Dreaming in Cuban and How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents .” Massachusetts General Hospital. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2010. . A website about the insecurity of girl, addresses the book directly.

Danticat, Edwidge. Breath, Eyes, Memory. New York: Random House Inc., 1994. Print. The text book.

Final Exam Essay Topic 5

Essay Topic 5

While many stories we have read in this class have a protagonist who goes through an extensive evolution as a character, or lack there of, none really go through such drastic changes as Lily Owens, the protagonist and main character in the legendary novel The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Lily’s life takes many unexpected and exciting turns, but in the end, returns to where it originally began, surrounded by bees. Towards the beginning of the novel, it is revealed that Lily lives without a mother figure, but rather with her horribly abusive father, T. Ray. Lily’s childhood is filled of memories of her being forced to act as a mother figure for the children of the house, as well as poor living conditions: “At night I would lie in bed and watch the show, how bees squeezed through the cracks of my bedroom wall and flew circles around the room, making that propeller sound, a high pitched zzzzz that hummed along my skin” (Kidd, pg 1). Thus, early in her life, Lily has no mother and is forced into a terrible living situation.

Lily then finds a mother figure of sorts when a woman named Rosaleen takes her in. Rosaleen and Lily escape their hometown and go to Tiburon, South Carolina, where Lily attempts to learn the truth about her mother’s past and hopes to finally find some stability in her life. In the small town of Tiburon, Rosaleen and Lily end up living with a trio of black-beekeeping sisters, a trait and skill that is eventually intended for Lily. Once again the theme of bees comes up in Lily’s life, as she goes from her childhood house where the bees run loose, to a house where the black sisters keep the bees in control. However, from the beginning of her life, up until this point in the story, and through to the end, Lily’s entire life revolves around her search for a stable mother figure.

Sue Monk Kidd acknowledges Lily’s lifelong pursuit for family in an interview conducted on her official website, where she states she wanted to tell the story of a girl who grows throughout the story as she searches for security and a woman role model: “I knew there was a less tangible, more symbolic search for home and mother that needed to take place: a coming home to herself and the discovery of the mother within” (Kidd, website pg. 1). Furthermore, Sue Monk Kidd states that throughout the story, she wanted the character to develop in a drastic manner that requires Lily to find a power she was not even aware she had: “I knew Lily would have to find an undreamed of strength, and that she would do it the same way the powerful black women around her did it – through the empowerment of a divine feminine presence, in this case a Black Mary” (Kidd, website pg. 1). While Lily’s life is filled with tragedy, this “Black Mary” Kidd references is August, the bee-keeping sister with which Lily bonds the most. August becomes a surrogate mother figure and, after being born into an abusive home, in the end Lily returns to her mother’s home where she finds peace, in addition to a loving and accepting family structure.

Works Cited

Kidd, Sue Monk. “Reflections on: The Secret Life of Bees.” The Monk Kidd: Sue Monk Kidd. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2010. . The official website for Sue Monk Kidd in which she discusses The Secret Life of Bees.

- - -. The Secret Life of Bees. New York: Penguin Publishing Group, 2003. Print. The text book.

Final Exam Essay Topic 2

Taylor Kurtz

Dr. Tatia Jacobson Jordan

AML 3311-05: Major Figures in American Literature

22 April 2010

Essay Topic 2

In order for one to understand the meaning of postmodernism, one must first have a reasonable understanding of modernism as a form of literature. Modernism is a form of writing that exposes the fragmented and disoriented nature of the world and mourns it. Modernism then pieces the world together through art. Based on this definition of modernism, postmodernism is essentially the same in comparison, in that it exposes the fragmented nature of the world, however rather than mourning it the way authors of modernism do, postmodernism revels and celebrates the fragmentation of the world, using it to the author’s advantage in order to captivate the audience in an unfamiliar way. For instance, for a contemporary example of postmodernism, the new film Batman: The Dark Knight, is a perfect example of postmodernism as batman is no longer fixed and stable as a hero and the good guy, but instead he is a dark individual with a deep and creepy voice.

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy offers the ideal explanation of literature written in the style of postmodernism: “[Postmodernism] can be described as a set of critical, strategic and rhetorical practices employing concepts such as difference, repetition, the trace, the simulacrum, and hyperreality to destabilize other concepts such as presence, identity, historical progress, epistemic certainty, and the univocity of meaning” (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, pg 1).

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy’s definition offers a perfect transition into the presence of postmodernism in the widely renowned novel White Noise by Don DeLillo. The definition itself describes postmodernism as something that uses “repetition” in its content, which is more than prevalent in White Noise, as throughout the story as Jack Gladney and his wife Babette Gladney are repeatedly scared of the concept of death and forced into situations where they must confront their mortality, such as a toxic spill that forces Jack to evacuate his hometown in order to protect his safety, as well as having his wife cheat on him for a drug to deal with her fear of death. Towards the beginning of the novel, the married couple often wonders who will die first: “Who will die first? This question comes up from time to time, like where are the car keys. It ends a sentence, prolongs a glance between us” (DeLillo, pg 15). The fact that De Lillo says that this question comes up often “like where are the car keys” indicates the postmodernist style of writing as the bleakness of death is repeatedly brought into the spotlight.

The story is broken into three parts, and in the third section of this terrific novel, the family’s situation is gets much worse and the fragmented view of earth and fear of death comes up again. Jack becomes aware that his wife Babette had been cheating on him with a scientist in order to gain access to a drug that will hopefully combat her fear and anxiety over death. First the issue of modernism in White Noise must be addressed, and modernism is clearly prevalent as the world is portrayed in a fragmented view, seeing as how death, adultery, and natural disaster are common themes that arise in the writing. This style of modernism then brings us to the presence of postmodernism in White Noise as, the theme of death and how the main character and his family are obsessed with death and the fear of their lives ending is constantly being brought up, using the “repetitive” postmodernist style as defined by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Thus, through the use of repetition of the main character’s families fear of death as well as the fragmented and broken down view of the world presented make White Noise a post modern novel that is definitely worth a read and the recognition it receives.

Works Cited

DeLillo, Don. White Noise. New York: Penguin Book Inc., 1998. Print. The Text Book

“Postmodernism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University, 30 Sept. 2005. Web. 21 Apr. 2010. . A site that goes in depth into postmodernism.

White Noise Topic 3 Blog

Taylor Kurtz

4/19/2010

Topic 3: The Postmodernism in White Noise

In order for one to understand the meaning of postmodernism, one must first understand modernism as a form of literature. Modernism is a form of writing that exposes the fragmented nature or the world and mourns it, then piecing it together through art. If this is the correct definition of modernism, then postmodernism is essentially the same, in that it exposes the fragmented nature of the world, however rather than mourning it the way authors of modernism do, postmodernism revels and celebrates the fragmentation of the world. For instance, the new film Batman: The Dark Knight is a perfect example of postmodernism as batman is no longer fixed and stable as a hero and the good guy, but instead he is a dark individual with a deep and creepy voice.

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy offers the perfect description of literature written in the style of postmodernism: “[Postmodernism] can be described as a set of critical, strategic and rhetorical practices employing concepts such as difference, repetition, the trace, the simulacrum, and hyperreality to destabilize other concepts such as presence, identity, historical progress, epistemic certainty, and the univocity of meaning” (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, pg 1).

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy’s definition offers a perfect transition into the presence of postmodernism in the widely renowned novel White Noise by Don DeLillo. The definition itself describes postmodernism as something that uses “repetition” in its content, which is more than prevalent in White Noise, as throughout the story as Jack Gladney and his wife Babette Gladney are repeteadly scared of the concept of death and forced into situations where they must confront their mortality, such as a toxic spill that forces Jack to evacuate his hometown in order to protect his safety. Furthermore, towards the beginning of the novel, the married couple often wonders who will die first: “Who will die first? This question comes up from time to time, like where are the car keys. It ends a sentence, prolongs a glance between us” (DeLillo, pg 15). The story is broken into three parts, and in the third section of this terrific novel, the fragmented view of earth and fear of death comes up again, as Jack discovers that his wife Babette had been cheating on him in order to gain access to a drug that will combat her fear and anxiety over death. First the issue of modernism in White Noise must be addressed, and modernism is clearly prevalent as the world is portrayed in a fragmented view, as death, adultery, and natural disaster are common themes that come up. This style of modernism then brings us to the presence of postmodernism in White Noise as, the theme of death and how the main character and his family are obsessed with death and the fear of their lives ending is constantly being brought up, using the “repetitive” postmodernist style as defined by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Therefore, through the use of repetition of the protagonist’s families fear of death as well as the fragmented and broken down view of the world presented make White Noise a post modern novel.

Works Cited

DeLillo, Don. White Noise. New York: Penguin Book Inc., 1998. Print. The Text Book

“Postmodernism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University, 30 Sept. 2005. Web. 21 Apr. 2010. . A site that goes in depth into postmodernism.

Mid Term Essay topic 9

Essay Topic 9

Modernism is a very unique style of writing that became popular thanks to the authors of the Lost-Generation, including but not limited to F Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and William Faulkner. Modernism, as a writing style, is characterized as breaking away from the old idea, and moving towards a contemporary mode of expression. Modernism not only challenges older ideas, but almost embraces an inversion of these older ideas. Rather the old ideas are replaced with fragmentation and isolation, thus exposing the dark reality of the world and the limits in our understanding of it. Lili Milton Ph. D. describes modernism as a style of writing that moves away from realism: “Modernist literature is an opening up of the world in all of its forms - theoretically, philosophically, aesthetically, and politically. Before Modernism, the world was thought of in a Realist's fashion- an image of reading of which projects the world in an objective fashion” (Melton, pg 1).

The modernistic style of writing is more than evident in several works of American literature, but incredibly apparent in Ernest J. Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying. Towards the beginning of this novel, a young black man named Jefferson meets two men on the way to the bar and decides to accompany them to the liquor store instead. Following an argument with the storeowner, a shootout follows, leaving Jefferson as the only survivor and the three others dead on the ground. Jefferson does not receive a fair trial and is essentially assumed guilty, thus landing him in a jail cell on charges of murder. A characteristic of modernism is the protagonist no longer coming out on top, but rather being victim to the real-world circumstances they endure. The violent beginning of the novel in itself is a display of modernism, as the main character no longer comes out on top, but faces a harsh reality of life during these racist times and ends up in jail.

Modernism is further prevalent later in the novel when the narrator, Grant, visits Jefferson in jail, only to see that the young man has lost all hope and confidence in himself and has succumb to Black Naturalism and conformed to the way whites want him to be. During their visit in jail, Jefferson has taken on a hopeless outlook on life, not even recognizing himself as a human: “That’s for youmans…I ain’t no youman…Hogs don’t give nothing. Hogs don’t leave nothing…I be glad when it’s over…Old hog get him some rest then” (Gaines 140). Jefferson’s remarks show that he has been degraded to the point of not even seeing himself as a human being, but rather a hog, or animal.

The hopelessness displayed by Jefferson during his jail-time discussion with Grant uses modernism to portray the hopeless situation this character was put in by being involved in a murder. Despite being innocent, he is not given a fair chance to trial due to the fact he is Black, and thus, undeserving of the same rights given to white citizens. The main characteristic of modernism is fragmentation and isolation, which is obvious in this scene, as Jefferson’s life has been completely fragmented due to his involvement in the murders, and as a result he is isolated from the rest of the world in a jail cell. He struggles to recognize himself as a human being, much less an equal citizen. Jefferson’s trial and time in jail reveal the dark reality of the world during these times, which is a key component to the modernistic style of writing.

Therefore, Ernest J. Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying provides a perfect example of a modernistic piece of literature through the depiction of Jefferson’s struggles with the biased legal system and the isolation he experiences during his time in jail.

Works Cited

Gaines, Ernest J. A Lesson Before Dying. New York: Random House, 1993. Print.

Melton, Lili. “Modernism in Literature and History.” Helium. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2010. . An article describing Modernism in literature and its impact on history.

Mid Term Essay topic 7

Essay Topic 7

Everyone is aware of the struggles endured by African-Americans in the south prior to the Civil rights movement, and this topic is explored by Alice Walker in The Color Purple as well as Earnest J. Gaines in his masterpiece A Lesson Before Dying. Both novels speak of the difficulties experienced by blacks during this time period and opens the readers eyes to this lifestyle through the perspective of the novel’s characters and narrators.

The narrator of The Color Purple is a young, black, fourteen year old, girl named Celie who is experiencing the harsh reality of being black and growing up in the rural south of America in Georgia. Throughout the entire novel her father, Alphonso, abuses Celie. The relationship between Celie and her father is so bad that she is repeatedly beaten and even raped and impregnated by Alphonso. Celie is continuously abused throughout the story yet remains passive and does not attempt to fight back, until she befriends Shug, who teaches her to stand up for herself. The novel focuses heavily on the notions of racism that existed in America and certainly also has feminist aspects to it. Celie’s story is told through a series of letters to God, many of which express her frustrations with being a young-black girl growing up in the oppressive south: “I can’t move fast enough. By time I git back from the well, the water be warm. By time I git the tray ready the food be cold. By time I git all the children ready for school it be dinner time” (Walker 2). This passage offers a first-person view into the stress put on this young girl. Due to the death of her mother, she is forced to take over a role of incredible stress, which was not rare for a young girl during these times in the south. Walker’s work was so impactful that it was made into both an award-winning movie as well as a highly acclaimed Broadway play.

Similar to how The Color Purple tells the struggle of a young African-American’s life growing up in the south, A Lesson Before Dying does the same by telling the story of Jefferson, a young black man who is unrightfully accused of murder. This story is very reflective of the Jim-Crow era, in which Blacks had their rights legally restricted. According to an article published by Ferris State University, there were actually laws in place to control the interaction between Whites and Blacks: “A Black male could not offer his hand (to shake hands) with a White male because it implied being socially equal… Blacks were not allowed to show public affection toward one another in public, especially kissing, because it offended Whites” (Pilgrim, 2000). The laws were incredibly restrictive and allowed Whites to continuously oppress Blacks in a legal manner.

In A Lesson Before Dying, Jefferson is on his way to a bar when he comes across two other men, who he decides to accompany to a liquor store. At the store, the two men and the owner get into an argument and gunfire follows, with Jefferson being the only surviving member of the exchange. While Jefferson was not involved in the murders, the white prosecuting attorney saw things differently, putting the blame directly on Jefferson, simply due to the fact that he was black and would not receive fair trial: “The prosecutor argued that Jefferson and the other two had gone there with the full intention of robbing the old man and then killing him so that he could not identify him” (Gaines, pg 6). Later on in the trial the prosecutor goes as far as to refuse to acknowledge Jefferson as a man, saying he was simply a boy: “I would call it a boy and a fool. A fool is not aware of right and wrong” (Gaines, pg 7). This horrendous treatment of Jefferson and lack of fair trial is a prime example of the oppression endured by Blacks in the pre-Civil Rights south.

While the poor treatment of Blacks in the pre-Civil rights south in America is well documented, Ernest J. Gaines A Lesson Before Death and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple offer a firsthand view into the brutality of the racist south. In Gaines’ epic tale, Jefferson is flat out denied a fair trial on the charges of murder and is basically assumed guilty due to his skin color. The difficult lifestyle of a young black during this time period is also seen in Walker’s masterpiece, as Celie struggles to fight for her own rights and well-being while also having to raise a family due to the death of her mother, a common scenario for young black girls in the south prior to the Civil Rights movement.

Works Cited

Gaines, Ernest J. A Lesson Before Dying. New York: Random House, 1993. Print.

Pilgrim, David. “What Was Jim Crow?” Jim Crow: Museum of Racist Memorabilia . Ferris State University , Sept. 2000. Web. 3 Mar. 2010. . A website detailing the harsh rules placed on Blacks during the Jim Crow era.

Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. Orlando: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1992. Print.

Mid Term Essay topic 3

Taylor Kurtz

Dr. Tatia Jacobson Jordan

AML 3311-05: Major Figures in American Literature

4 March 2010

Essay Topic 3

The impact had by Allen Ginsberg, and more specifically his famous piece “Howl”, on the American literature scene is unmistakable and quite well documented. The influence of “Howl” is so great that it has reached several impactful members of society, including but not limited to Bob Dylan. Together Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg were able to make Beat poetry mainstream in the 1960s.

Ginsberg’s masterpiece is broken up into three separate parts and also includes a footnote. However, it is the opening part that most shows the influence had on Ginsberg by the people he met in the decades prior to the story’s publication. Bob Dylan openly states that he did not even think of writing poetry or music until he was already out of high school. Dylan states that when he was eighteen years of age, he discovered Ginsberg and inspired him to begin composing poetry and eventually lyrics. Eventually, in the year 1961, a journalist and mutual friend of Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg named Al Aronowitz introduced the two and an instant mutual admiration and friendship was formed.

When it comes to Bob Dylan’s music and poetry, the most impactful mark made on it by “Howl” was definitely the rhythm, which from the very beginning of the poem is marked by having noticeably long lines: “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked…who poverty and tatters and hallow-eyed and high sat up smoking in the supernatural darkness” (Ginsberg, 1956). Bob Dylan’s music and writing is also best known for his long stanzas, as well as deep, metaphorical lyrics that are often used as a social commentary describing the issues he sees in the world.

Dylan and Ginsberg became so close of friends that they took on almost a father-son relationship. They even went as far as to collaborate on several projects, including a few songs in which Ginsberg would take over lead vocals as Dylan worked the guitar, back up vocals, and harmonica for the music. Additionally, on Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue tour, which later became a DVD available for sale, Ginsberg can be seen joining Dylan on stage to perform the song “This Land is Yours.”

Dylan’s respect for Ginsberg was mutual, with Ginsberg having great admiration for the way Dylan was bringing poetry back to the mainstream public: “Ginsberg praised Dylan’s work as returning poetry to the human body through the medium of music… he [even] wrote three poems in praise of Dylan” (Willis 90-93). Thus, not only did Ginsberg’s “Howl” become an American literature classic, but also had a great impact on music in such a way that it brought poetry back to the mainstream American public.

Works Cited

Ginsberg, Allen. Howl and other Poems. N.p.: City Lights Publishers, 2001. Print.

Willis, David. “Father & Son: Allen Ginsberg and Bob Dylan.” Beatdom. N.p., 2007. Web. 3 Mar. 2010. . An article describing the relationship of Ginsberg and Dylan and the impact they both had on poetry.