For this Blog post, I want you to “read between the lines” and work to analyze and examine the material that is NOT found in a story. Specifically, you are to write 2-3 paragraphs of careful, in-depth analysis, and the aim here is for you to: 1) Use your critical thinking skills to build upon the ideas of Chimamanda Adichie in her well-known TED talk on “The Danger of a Single Story” 2) Practice your skills in critically reading a story of your choosing – skills of the very kind you will be using for your next formal writing assignment. With these goals in mind, here’s what I want you to do for your Blog post: First up, I want you to pick out a narrative “text” that is either written BY someone from another culture, or written ABOUT some person or occurrence from another place. You might, therefore, select a literary story or some other form of media narrative (a feature news story or even photograph would qualify here). To borrow from Adichie’s words, in reality “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.” So, in looking at your chosen story, what other stories are there but do not get told? What are some of the most important gaps or omissions in your chosen story, and how can you tell? Perhaps more importantly, what are the ramifications of these gaps for what the reader perceives to be the “reality” of the situation, the “truth” of the society in question? Putting things even more simply, if you “read between the lines” and deconstruct the narrative (in terms of what is seen but also NOT seen), what do you find – and why is this so important??
Interrogating Social Identity
In recent ‘Readings’ classes, we have been considering the challenges of “stereotype threat” through the ideas found in Claude Steele’s Whistling Vivaldi. In hand with that exploration, we have been introducing the Critical Thinking concepts of ‘paradigms’ and ‘assumptions’. This Blog post is an extension of that work, and in many ways the hope is that you tie these various threads together in some way by offering up your response to your Interview and, in that response, negotiating the assumptions and paradigms at hand as well as exploring the stereotypes or “threats” felt by your interviewee. As mentioned on the assignment sheet, your task is to explore the experience of someone with a different set of social contingencies than your own, and to report what you’ve found in an insightful way. So, taking into consideration the additional details found on your assignment sheet, please present your interview and share your thoughts about just how we ARE all living “under a cloud” (to use Steele’s terms) as a result of our identity contingencies.
Myth Making in the Movies (version 2.0)
Since the earliest years of the cinema, fantasy has been one of the most common filmic modes — and it is no coincidence that many (or indeed most) fantasy films feature significant elements of myth and/or tragedy. For your final Blogpost of the semester, you have three options: 1) Returning your attentions to the ‘Wizard of Oz’, just how does the film fit with some of the key archetypes or heroic adventures we have seen so far this semester? Be specific and detailed in explaining your answer. As an alternative here, if you’d like to address some characters or themes in another early American movie with “mythological” elements, that would be just fine. 2) In the wake of our fun-filled screening on Monday of ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’, it would be interesting to hear some more words on the mythological (or tragic) elements, characters, or themes of George Lucas’s influential film. Again, if you want to address some of the ideas, heroes, or symbols in one of the other ‘Star Wars’ films that we did NOT watch (or maybe even ‘Star Trek’), that would be useful as well. 3) Finally, what do you make of the myth-making in J.R.R. Tolkein’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy and/or the Harry Potter franchise? Since it is your final Blog of the semester, I have deliberately left this prompt a little bit open-ended, but I’ll be interested in hearing your thoughts on some of the most famous (cinematic) “myths” created in the (post)modern world!
Literary Adaptation and Filmic Fairy Tales
In our third and final unit of ‘Games of Thrones’, we are going to be thoroughly exploring the ways in which the seeming realities of the Premodern world have been re-imagined and appropriated by the creators of fantasy stories and fairy tales. Throughout this process we will be considering cinematic “texts” that were, in fact, based on literary originals. Hence, for this Blog post I want us to consider the subtleties and challenges of literary adaptation in a very specific context. Namely, for your response, I want you to trace a particular line of descent by comparing and contrasting two versions of fairy tales. As we have seen in class, the most famous and influential fairy tales ever written are likely the versions found in Grimm’s Fairy Tales, which was published by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in 1812 (originally under the German title of Kinder und Hausmärchen, or ‘Children’s and Household Tales’). For most of us in this class, however, your sense of fairy tales is NOT driven by the Brothers Grimm but, instead, by the wildly popular movies produced by the Walt Disney Company. Fairy tales are SO incredibly popular, however, that they have also increasingly been (re)modernized in versions marketed for a more adult audience (as in Snow White and the Huntsman, Maleficent, or Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters). For this response, I want you to bring into conversation two selected fairy tales of your choosing, and preferably two different versions of the same story. To do so, you must choose a particular “text” from two of the three categories above (that is to say, a Grimm’s Tale, a Disney “Princess” movie, and/or a recent live-action “re-boot”). The Brothers Grimm were especially interested in religion, class, family, childhood, and power, but there are a number of themes (if not morals) that can be identified in their textual originals, and the same is true of the later movies (whether Disney or otherwise). In your response, then, you should offer a thematically-oriented comparison, in which you discuss the modes and meanings of cinematic adaptation(s). Hence, you might consider such questions as: What are these stories and versions about, and in what ways are they notably similar and different? What are some of the key tropes in your selected films/texts, and how do they differ from one another in terms of theme and technique? How do your chosen works project the Premodern world (both in “imaginary” and “realistic” ways)? Do these “texts” ultimately suggest different ideas and definitions of “fairy tales”? How/why so? Finally, what social and political ideas do your “texts” seem to project, and more to the point, what is the “moral” of each story (both for their own original time and audience and our own purposes in 2015)?
Folktales of the American Frontier (Version 2.0)
Having examined fairy tales from the European tradition, we are now moving on to the folklore of America. There are countless “tall tales” from far and wide in the fledgling United States, and the folktales of this country are simultaneously exceptional and unusual while also being discernibly connected to prior tales and traditions. To examine these fascinating stories, you have two options: 1) In response to the stories assigned for Wednesday (4/8), you should identify and choose a significant theme or image from a specific tale that you find to be particularly intriguing. Then, I’d like you to do a little (research) reading into the historical time period in question and the issue in question as it relates to that age. Next, move on to examine the issue as it appears in the story and offer a brief interpretive analysis of just what the author seems to be doing by way of rendering that issue for the reader in this tale. 2) The second option for this response is offered in the spirit of light-hearted fun that infuses these American “tall tales.” For those of you with a creative spirit (and/or those who simply to try out something a little different), I’d like you to write a short “story” of a kind. Specifically, put together a brief excerpt that presents another “story” featuring one of our three characters for Monday — Davy Crockett, Paul Bunyan, or Daniel Boone. In your story, try to adopt the tone, diction, and narrative style of your chosen source, and then offer a tale that may somehow seem “authentic” in its representation of this character and type of story. If you would additionally like to give us any overview of your thoughts and approach in writing your story, of course you may feel free to outline that for us as well. Have some fun with this!!
Fairy Tales: The Brothers Grimm vs. “Uncle Walt”
Probably the most famous collection of premodern fairy tales was Grimm’s Fairy Tales, which was published by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in 1812 (originally under the German title of Kinder und Hausmärchen, or ‘Children’s and Household Tales’). Grimm’s tales offer fascinating resources for various historical subjects, but especially topics revolving around childhood and family. It may come as no surprise, therefore, that these themes are writ large in the other most famous series of fairy tales ever produced: namely, the various films by Walt Disney and his company that are based upon fairy tales. For this response, then, I want you to have a little fun with these tales, which ARE simultaneously meant for entertainment while also engaged with educating readers/viewers about certain moral ideas. I thought it would be interesting to see what might happen if you precisely and directly bring the tales of the Brothers Grimm and the films of “Uncle Walt” into conversation. Thus, I want you to somehow compare a single, specific story (or character) from Grimm’s Fairy Tales with a particular movie (or character) from the Disney universe. What are these stories and versions about, and in what ways are they notably similar and different? What did you find shocking or surprising in these stories, and why? Do these “texts” ultimately suggest different ideas and definitions of “fairy tales”? How/why so? Finally, what is the “moral” of the story for your chosen “texts”, and more importantly, what social or political ideas relative to the early nineteenth century (vs. more recent times) do your selected stories seem to subtly highlight and comment upon?
Tragic Shakespearean Characters vs. Medieval Mythical Heroes
By now, you are all aware that your next paper is going to be a compare and contrast paper on a ‘premodern’ mythological hero (or idea, theme, etc.). Hence, to practice the skills involved in comparison, I thought it would make some sense for your final Blog post of Unit Two to be comparative in nature. Accordingly, for this response I want you to compare Othello (or another character from Shakespeare’s tragedy of the same name) with some other figure we have encountered of late. Among the possibilities, then, would be some kind of comparison featuring Charlemagne, Joan of Arc, Sigurd, Roland, Thor, Odin, King Arthur, Lancelot, or maybe Guinevere. Whichever figure(s) you choose to use as the basis of your comparison, the key is not just to note that there are similarities and differences at play but to illustrate them, and investigate them. In so doing, you must demonstrate how bringing your two characters together reveals something about them (their beliefs, their world, etc.) that would not have been clear otherwise. Thus, much like your second major paper, this response is asking you consider how bringing the two characters helps to illuminate their (respective) meaning and significance; it highlights why it is important to read them together and explains what gets learned through this comparative and analytical negotiation.
Celtic Connections
In a classic study of the Origins of English History, Charles Isaac Elton offered high praise for the wonders of Celtic mythology. In a notable passage, he proclaimed that the writing and “religion of the British tribes has exercised an important influence upon literature. The medieval romances and the legends which stood for history are full of the ‘fair humanities’ and figures of its bright mythology. The elemental powers of earth and fire, and the spirits which haunted the woods and streams appear again and again as kings in the Irish Annals, or as saints and hermits in Wales.” Having just begun our second unit with the powerful Anglo-Saxon legend of Beowulf we have made a transition in our course, not only moving forward in terms of our chronological timeline but also addressing texts written in Britain – a place, as Elton suggested, with a rich literary legacy and a place from which we trace our own “mother tongue.” In this Blog post, then, I want you to do the following as a way to forge some meaningful connections between various legends written in Great Britain. Specifically, I want you to present a single quotation from one of your assigned Celtic myths, and use it to draw thematic connections with Beowulf. How does your chosen quote offer us a window into understanding not only the Celtic myth itself that you are drawing from, but looking back, how might it provide an interesting way into making sense out of the complex text of Beowulf? Drawing on your chosen quotation, what connections can you make between the great Anglo-Saxon legend and the much shorter Celtic tale in question? In what ways are these two works similar, and in what ways are they noticeably different, and what might we learn about the myths and legends of Britain from these similarities and differences?
Observations on Ovid
In the Art of Love, Ovid writes that “He who has enjoyed kisses, if he does not also enjoy other things, deserves to lose even those that were given to him.” This whimsical line perfectly embodies much of Ovid’s verse: playful and provocative to the very core. Ovid was willfully suggestive in his writing, and he found himself in “hot water” in his own lifetime, as he was exiled from Rome in part (it seems) because of the controversial nature of his (often satirical and sexually-oriented) verse. No one can be sure what happened to him after his death, but the great medieval poet Dante places Ovid in Limbo in his Divine Comedy, found in the first circle of hell in a “splendid school” of writers who lived before Christianity and thus cannot ascend to heaven. But one might well wonder whether Ovid would have been divinely blessed had he been born at a later date, given the controversy and tumult he seemed to create/invite during his own day and age. Bearing in mind the mixed reactions that have greeted Ovid for thousands of years, in this post I want you to offer your own two cents’ worth about this important and influential poet, a writer far more controversial than any others we have considered in Unit One. What is YOUR impression of Ovid as a writer? More to the point, how does he fit the overall arc of our study thus far in class? In what ways do his works serve to continue and further cultivate key ideas and approaches to mythological writing that we have seen over the first few weeks? On the other hand (and perhaps more importantly), what marks him as an author who is doing something different, something that pushes the very bounds of mythical writing and takes this generic type in new and fresh directions? When answering such questions, it would be useful if you cited lines from his writing in order to illustrate and support your over-arching perspectives on the writer whose full name was Publius Ovidius Naso.
War & Peace in Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ (version 2.0)
The importance and influence of Homer’s works to Greek culture and history simply cannot be overstated. He has been labeled the “teacher of Greece” and he was widely lauded in his own day, as he continues to be in our day and age. Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ is a monument of world literature, and it is a vitally important example of Greek mythological writing. It is also fascinating as a kind of political document, a manifesto about war and peace, imperialism, violence, hatred, and so on. Although the Trojan War was an imaginary conflict, its depiction by Homer (in both the ‘Odyssey’ and ‘Iliad’) is vivid and harrowing, and this may be because, depending on when Homer was really writing, the horrors of war might have been all-too-real in a land where civil strife and conflict amongst city-states were common. With this possibility in mind, I want you to think about the ‘Odyssey’ not strictly as a mythological text but as a kind of political document, a creative act that negotiates the day’s crises of power and authority. Hence, I would like for you to explore something related to war and peace as depicted by Homer and articulated through his many character dialogues and speeches. Specifically, I want you to address a particular war-oriented theme – such as violence, hatred, justice, mercy, authority, violence, surrender, and negotiation – and examine that theme as presented in a particular passage from the ‘Odyssey.’ Pick a quotation or two from the text and then discuss it in terms of its political content. In your discussion you should identify the central issue of your chosen lines, and detail the challenges and logic of characters concerning the subject; then, you must offer some thoughts on what YOU think about the topic within the context of the story (if not the culture of Greece more generally). To borrow from one translation of the opening lines of the text: “Tell me, O Muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy.” Tell ME, fair students, about the trials and tribulations of this hero, and tell US what you think the text has to say about war and peace in the context of Greek myth (and/or Greek society). I shall be curious to see where the “muse” takes you in this response!
Response to Online “Tour” of the Premodern World
For class on Wednesday, 4 February, I have put together an online “tour” of the premodern world for those of you in my ‘Games of Thrones’ class (which I have e-mailed to all of you). In all likelihood, few of you in class have been to Europe or had substantial, visceral encounters with arts and artifacts from the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Hence, the basic gist of this activity is that I want you to “experience” the premodern world, at least insofar as that is possible through fragments offered on and through the internet. Unfortunately, there is a significant difference between experiencing such objects and places first hand as opposed to a mediated forum, but all the same, this activity will (I hope) help to attune you to our period of discussion and get you immersed in the period in a different and insightful way. In simple terms, in this Blog post I want to hear your (carefully focused) thoughts about the experience. I’m hoping that your posting offers us some sense of both your intellectual and emotional response to the places, spaces, and artifacts under consideration. By exploring the sites and “stuff” of this era and then writing about it, I hope that this activity helps you to register the relationships between time and place that are part and parcel of the very idea of the “premodern”, and in turn my wish is that you form some meaningful realizations about how specific places or works fit in a larger context and suggest certain ideals.
In more specific terms, I want you to respond to two particular “objects” in particular ways. Your response should broadly be broken down into two sections: 1) a section on a place, and 2) a section on an object or artifact. You should select a place and artwork that really piqued your interest, or that you found especially powerful in some way, shape, or form. Then, your response should offer some thoughts about just what these places/things seem to “mean” in your estimation. On the subject of your place/space, which location have you chosen, and why? What really stands out to you about it, and why is it so important and interesting? More to the point, what does your chosen place/space suggest to us about the premodern world and the people who lived there? Regarding your piece of art, you might track similar ideas and questions, as well as thinking about the minutiae of your chosen artifact. For instance, who created it, and when? What are central characteristics of that individual artists’ style, or how does this object suggest the stylistics of the day? How do you think it would have been used and understood by individuals in premodern society, and how might we reflect upon it from a twenty-first century perspective?
Overall, then, what have you LEARNED by exploring your selected places/objects, and what do they seemingly TEACH us about the premodern culture(s) of Western Europe??
The Myth (or Epic?) of Gilgamesh
The Epic of Gilgamesh is often hailed as the earliest masterpiece of world literature. More to the point, it is often seen as one of the finest myths of the ancient world. Yet the title that is typically used for this (historically un-named) legend specifically suggests that this story is an EPIC, and not a myth per se. With this in mind, your first possibility for this Blog post is to view and frame the story of Gilgamesh as an epic. Just what IS an epic, exactly, and why does this text qualify? How does it compare to other epics you know about, and what important things do we learn about the tale when viewing it through an epic lens? For your second and third options, you might hearken back to our work from last class, when we discussed the all-important theories of Aristotle (on tragedy) and Joseph Campbell (on the “monomyth” of the hero). More to the point, I would like to see you carefully and critically apply the ideas of these thinkers to The Epic of Gilgamesh. If you are interested in the key notions of Aristotle, you might show how the plot of this Mesopotamian masterpiece fits certain “tragic” modes (such as leading toward a kind of “catharsis”), or work to view Gilgamesh (or perhaps Enkidu) as a kind of “tragic hero” according to the terms laid out by Aristotle. Finally, you might tell us about how Campbell’s theories regarding the hero’s quest help us to understand the journey undertaken by Gilgamesh. What key ideas or issues get raised via a careful application of Campbell’s ideas about the stages of a hero (i.e. separation – initiation – return) to this ancient myth/epic?
First Myth Post of 2015 — What IS a Hero?
In today’s day and age, the term “hero” frequently gets used and over-used in our popular media. In fact, one may question whether or not the use of this term in popular discourse is consistently accurate or even useful. As you shall learn via your class readings, the great scholar of myth Joseph Campbell offered a vital template for heroes and heroism, and once said that “The achievement of the hero is one that he is ready for and it’s really a manifestation of his character. . . The adventure that he is ready for is the one that he gets.” In his scholarship, Campbell provides a model for the hero and his adventure that is sweeping and highly convincing. But it also suggests that the heroes of myth and legend are, in certain fundamental ways, discernably different than those “heroes” we see in everyday life. With this idea in mind, for your first Blog posting of the semester, I would like you to offer your own definition and justification for a real-life “hero.” This concept is crucial to mythical writing and thus central to our studies this semester, yet it truly is often misunderstood or misperceived. Hence, I’d like you to answer the following question (taking care NOT to rely on Campbell in your own unique explanation): in simple terms, just what IS a hero? In answering this question, you should define, discuss, and illustrate your notion of hero and explain what it means to be heroic. In time, we will test these ideas by seeing how your notions are similar to – or different than – the ideas of Campbell, as well as the actual heroes depicted in myth and legend throughout the ages.
Myth-making in the Movies
Since the earliest years of the cinema, fantasy has been one of the most common filmic modes — and it is no coincidence that many (or indeed most) fantasy films feature significant elements of myth and/or tragedy. For your final Blogpost of the semester, you have three options: 1) In the wake of our fun-filled ‘Star Wars’ screening on Wednesday, it would be interesting to hear some more words on the mythological (or tragic) elements, characters, or themes of George Lucas’s influential film. Alternately, if you want to address some of the ideas, heroes, or symbols in one of the other ‘Star Wars’ films that we did NOT watch, that would be useful as well. 2) On the ‘Wizard of Oz’, just how does the film fit with some of the key archetypes or heroic adventures we have seen so far this semester? Again, if you’d like to address some characters or themes in another early American movie with “mythological” elements, that would be just fine. 3) Finally, what do you make of the myth-making in J.R.R. Tolkein’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy and/or the Harry Potter franchise? I have deliberately left this final Blog a little bit open-ended, but I’ll be interested in hearing your thoughts on some of the most famous “myths” created in the (post)modern world!
Connecting ‘1984’ to 2014
During our first day studying the masterful novel ‘1984’ I gave you all a handout featuring an article that states, simply, that “We live in a world that George Orwell predicted” many years ago because his ideas “about a tightly controlled totalitarian future ruled by the ubiquitous Big Brother” are indeed “quite apt.” America in the age of terror is, in many ways, a surveillance state wherein freedoms are often restricted and the government has vast amounts of legal and political power. The Blog posts last time went well, and the general mode we adopted then is equally useful for a consideration of ‘1984’. So, for our final Blog of the semester, I want to work in a similar manner. This time around, I want you to: 1) Outline and explain a key idea or issue from Orwell’s novel. This could relate to politics, education, the media, or whatever you find interesting and important. Illustrate your chosen issue by quoting directly from the novel, and then offer some words about just what, exactly, Orwell is trying to say and why (especially as it relates to the post-World War II world in which he was living). 2) Detail a specific modern-day example or situation that the novel seems to suggest, or a problem it appears to bring to light. In other words, try to draw a connection between 2014 and the “future” Orwell was projecting in his imaginary ‘1984’, and highlight some important way in which he was, in fact, interestingly predicting the future. Then (and most importantly), please tell us a little bit about what YOU think about this particular issue. In what ways does your topic suggest we are – or are not—being watched by “Big Brother” and/or are less free than our Constitution might suggest?
Folktales of the American Frontier
Having examined fairy tales from the European tradition, we are now moving on to the folklore of America. There are countless “tall tales” from far and wide in the fledgling United States, and the folktales of this country are simultaneously exceptional and unusual while also being discernibly connected to prior tales and traditions. To examine these fascinating stories, you have two options: 1) In response to the stories assigned for Monday, you should identify and choose a significant theme or image from a specific tale that you find to be particularly intriguing. Then, I’d like you to do a little (research) reading into the historical time period in question and the issue in question as it relates to that age. Next, move on to examine the issue as it appears in the story and offer a brief interpretive analysis of just what the author seems to be doing by way of rendering that issue for the reader in this tale. 2) The second option for this response is offered in the spirit of light-hearted fun that infuses these American “tall tales.” For those of you with a creative spirit (and/or those who simply to try out something a little different), I’d like you to write a short “story” of a kind. Specifically, put together a brief excerpt that presents another “story” featuring one of our three characters for Monday — Davy Crockett, Paul Bunyan, or Daniel Boone. In your story, try to adopt the tone, diction, and narrative style of your chosen source, and then offer a tale that may somehow seem “authentic” in its representation of this character and type of story. If you would additionally like to give us any overview of your thoughts and approach in writing your story, of course you may feel free to outline that for us as well. Have some fun with this!!
Exemplifying Power-Politics of the Modern World
In class on Monday, we did some work trying to tie particular texts and ideas into contemporary issues. That was interesting and productive, I thought, so I want to do more of the same for this Blog post. In this case, I would much prefer that you use/discuss one of the readings assigned for Wednesday, Nov. 12. If, however, you feel strongly that you want to go back and re-consider one of the texts assigned for the 10th, I would allow it. That said, I want you to follow a similar process as we did in class, with a few tweaks. Here, I’d like you to: 1) Outline and explain a key idea from your chosen author/text. Quote from the text and discuss just what, exactly, your selected author is trying to say, and why. 2) Offer up a specific political example or historical scenario that might be used to explore and critique the argument of your chosen author. 3) Negotiating the scenario and situation you’ve provided as your test case, explain and support YOUR view of the issue at hand. What do YOU think, and why?! This Blog is a little more wide open than we’ve done so far in class, but I think that’s a good thing and I’ll be curious to see what kinds of issues and ideas you come up with.
Exploring ‘Grimm’s Fairy Tales’
Folktales and fairy tales are fascinating documents that speak to primal urges of survival and selfhood, while also highlighting the beliefs and social anxieties of people living in particular times and places. Arguably the most famous collection of fairy tales ever produced was Grimm’s Fairy Tales, which was published by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in 1812 (originally under the German title of Kinder und Hausmärchen, or ‘Children’s and Household Tales’). Grimm’s tales offer intriguing resources for historical subjects, most notably issues related to families and childhood. This makes perfect sense, given that it was in this general time period that the genre became frequently used for the moral education of the young. Previously, these tales were typically meant for a more general, adult audience, and thus we see that Grimm’s tales are somehow poised between adulthood and childhood, maturity and innocence. This helps to explain the content in these works that is often seen as shocking, ,harsh, and unnecessarily violent in the eyes of many post-modern readers. But this was NOT really the view of most nineteenth-century readers, and rather than trying to somehow sanitize them (like Walt Disney would eventually do) we should try to understand them in the context of their time and place. Consequently, for this response I want you to pick a single tale from the Grimm’s collection and share with us your thoughts about it. You might consider why these arguably gruesome and disturbing tales were included in the volume, and examine just what defines them as fairy tales. What are they about, and what stood out to you in reading the text? What did you find shocking or surprising, and why? Finally, what is the “moral” of the story, and more importantly, what social or political ideas relative to the early nineteenth century does your selected story seem to subtly highlight and comment upon?
Contemporary Applications of Marxist Thought
In a text offering “Reflections on the ‘Communist Manifesto’ ” (published in the journal International Socialism), writer Lindsey German proclaimed that “the groundwork provided by ‘The Communist Manifesto’ was invaluable in providing a unique introduction to Marxist politics and to the theory of revolution. It remains one of the great political texts which still inspires new generations of socialists and it can still serve as a guide to action.” This writer recognizes that, because of its connections with the development of communism, Marxist thought – as espoused by Max Weber, Friedrich Engels, and especially Karl Marx himself – has long been seen with considerable ambivalence in the modern world. But, no matter what you think about communism or socialism as political doctrines, the simple fact is that Marxist ideas have had a MAJOR impact on the development of the modern world. Therefore, it is important to take a long and close look at the subtleties and realities of central Marxist thought in order to fully appreciate its doctrines (for good or ill). In that spirit, for this Blog I want you to pick a major theme or social concept that Marx and his fellows somehow bring to the fore in their wide-ranging analysis, whether it be an issue related to education, politics, banking, agriculture, militarism, labor, and so on. Try to explain what, exactly, Marxism has to say about that issue, and do so by directly engaging with the words of Marx/Engels/Weber. What is their view of your chosen issue, and what is their basis for that view? Finally, come up with a contemporary example or application of this premise. In other words, how might this “Marxist” premise bring rise to understanding and exploring a modern-day problem or challenge? And what do YOU think about the matter? I will be very curious to hear your thoughts in this Blog response!
(A Comparison of) Joan of Arc, Othello, etc.
As you all know by now, Essay #2 is going to be a compare and contrast paper on a ‘premodern’ mythological hero (or idea, theme, etc.). Hence, to practice the skills involved in comparison, I thought it would make some sense for your final Blog post of Unit Two to be comparative in nature. Accordingly, for this response I want you to compare Othello (or another character from Shakespeare’s tragedy of the same name) with some other figure we have encountered of late. Alternately, you may choose to compare Joan of Arc with some other heroine or character explored in our recent readings. Whichever figure(s) you choose to use as the basis of your comparison, the key is not just to note that there are similarities and differences at play but to illustrate them, and investigate them. In so doing, you must demonstrate how bringing your two characters together reveals something about them (their beliefs, their world, etc.) that would not have been clear otherwise. Thus, much like your second major paper, this response is asking you consider how bringing the two characters helps to illuminate their (respective) meaning and significance; it highlights why it is important to read them together and explains what gets learned through this comparative and analytical negotiation.