Fear of Flying

Erica Jong's Fear of Flying was probably my favorite book the entire semester! While I didn't necessarily agree with Isadora Wing's lifestyle of promiscuity, I could identify with some of her feelings. Since I am getting married in a few months, I thought that some of her marriage perspectives were very interesting. One of my largest concerns is that I would lose part of myself after I became a Mrs. Wing seems to feel that same loss of identity, which was interesting. I think it is very common for women to lose sight of their goals once they become married, and end up falling into Wing's category of women needing to be rescued...but from what we are unsure of. It's as though we get so panicked not "knowing" ourselves that in that moment we are in desperate need of saving by a man. I want to be able to keep who I am and what I want, AND be married. Unlike Isadora, I don't think that is impossible. In the 70s it was very common to give up and become the housewife. I feel like in 2008 I am presented with more opportunities. It was nice to see a piece of myself reflected in a character....the worries and the options that I have.

On the Road

In the discussion of On the Road, I liked how someone (maybe Dr. H) brought up the question of male friendships versus female friendships, and which ones last more. I think that it can be seen in this novel that while men may stay "friends," or as I like to think of it, acquaintances, for a long time, you lose that sense of closeness. The two lead characters considered themselves friends, but realized that the friendship really was not a mutually beneficial one where both parties gained positive feelings from the other party. I think that females have a tendency to have fewer long-lasting friends, but the one or two that they have will be deep in meaning and in value. I think it would have been interesting to have more female characters in this novel to see if those assumptions are correct.

The Crying of Lot 49

This novel raises the question, "What is the real plot line?" Has Oedipa uncovered a national mail conspiracy, or are all the occurrences a practical joke of her ex-lover? Better yet, is Oedipa just on one large LSD trip? I think that the majority of the occurrences are a dream-like sequence with the help of some serious drugs. While Oedipa is experiencing many of the "conspiracy" moments, she also suffers physical symptoms that seem to relate to LSD usage. The following are symptoms pulled off of a LSD addiction website:
dilated pupils higher body temperature increased heart rate and blood pressure sweating, loss of appetite, sleeplessness dry mouth tremors

diminished control over thought processes, resulting in recent or long-forgotten memories resurfacing and blending with current experience, or in insignificant thought or objects taking on deep meaning.

To me, with that in mind, it seems as though Oedipa is actually under the influence of drugs, and might be mixing reality with flashbacks.

Ellison and Morrison

For our class assignment we had to read Ellison's Invisible Man. I was amazed, after I finished reading it, how many thematic similarities it has with Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. Both focus on the significance of sight, being able to "see." and eyes in relation to the African American culture. Both make references to the act of incest in their culture. And both make a reference to dolls as symbols of some greater cultural struggle. I think that this might help format my paper for this class. Anyone who has any interesting insights for either one of these novels, or both, please feel free to comment. I welcome everyone's viewpoints!

Stretched Too Thin

This week has been so crazy, it has been one of the few that makes me feel like I am pushing the limits with my time management this summer. I am taking two summer classes, working full time, and planning a wedding to boot. I have had such a hard time keeping up that the stress has been so bad this past week! I have been looking forward to a nice vacation at the end of July, but it just seems so far away. I just have to try to keep things in perspective....
My fiance has been helping me with my one project, which has been a huge help.
My wedding plans have been going without a flaw, which is a big relief.
I have already taken Dr. Carrell's class before, so I know what I'm in for.

I just need to take a big breath...one summer class almost down, just one more to go! :)

The Pretty Little Liars

Since I am going to be an English teacher for high school, I try to keep up to date on what types of books teenagers are reading. For the most part, this "assignment" of reading has been pretty fun...reading Harry Potter and the Twilight series with a good excuse, that is! :) There is a series, however, that has done really well that I chose to read, and was quite suprised by its topics. The Pretty Little Liars series deals with four girls that are being stalked by someone posing as thier friend, Ali, who disappeared years before. The stalker is terrorizing them with her knowledge of all their unsavory secrets, like sleeping with a teacher, the knowledge of a parent's infidelity, cheating, bulimia, and other topics. I was concerned with the things this book was presenting, a life that teenage girls supposedly lead, but I was more concerned with how addicting these books were! I waited for months just to find out who "A" (the stalker) really was. Sometimes it's good to know what students are reading, so that you can ask them what they think about the material. Even though I don't necessarily agree with the books, at least they served a good purpose in my learning curve, as well as a little entertainment, in a weird sort of way.

Different Class, Same Girl!

Hello Advanced Composition students! I used this blog for my English Literature since 1800 class with Dr. Hochenauer, and just thought I'd continue on, rather than starting a whole new blog. Feel free to read past entries, and look for more current postings to come! :)