#cruzcontrol

Hello! Although we’ve been discussing how Shakespeare seems to express  feminist ideals by presenting blatant sexism in Iago’s character, he also expresses Desdemona’s constant dependence on others. While praising her father, she says, “To you I am bound for life and education” (1.3.210). She claims her continual dependence on her father for survival and schooling. Desdemona’s usage of the word, “bound,” portrays the image of her being tied and attached to her father. In another case, Othello leaves her and she says to Emilia, “Be as your fancies teach you. Whate’er you be, I am obedient” (3.3.98-99). Even in the absence of men, Desdemona seeks to follow superior figure. Despite their relationships as acquaintances, Desdemona commands Emilia to take control and claims that she will obey no matter what. As we dive deeper into Othello, I’m excited to continue the debate about Shakespeare’s feminist or sexist ideals!

Hello! I really enjoy discussing the redefinition of the scarlet letter and I would like to present a few more cases in which she embraces the mark she bears. While Hester defends her relationship with Pearl, the governmental authorities refer to the scarlet letter as her badge of shame” (87). However, a badge usually represents an honorable position or achievement. The term “badge of shame” is ironic because badges are given to distinguish or congratulate a person, but the authorities look down on Hester for her sin. Hester wears the badge renews its dishonor by humbly doing good deeds throughout society. She hopes to teach her daughter how to be a better person although she thinks that she herself cannot gain anything. As Hester fears Pearl’s future and contemplates killing her, Hawthorne writes, “The scarlet letter had not done its office” (130). Despite the evil connotations of the scarlet letter, the word “office” portrays a “position of authority, trust, or service, typically one of a public nature” (Oxford American College dictionary). Hawthorne’s personification of the scarlet letter reveals that Hester must fulfill her suggested obligation of the scarlet letter to teach her daughter. Overall, I think Hester’s hopes to redefine the scarlet letter shows her optimism towards her outcast identity and her best wishes towards Pearl’s future. 

Growing up, I had always been interested in writing. Getting thoughts out on paper was a coping mechanism for me at a young age. As I’ve journeyed through adolescence and now young adulthood, life experiences have deterred me from dedicating as much time as I want to my writing. For that reason, I wanted to create an outlet for myself where my writing could thrive. I have recently come to terms with the satisfying feeling of being myself unapologetically and authentically. The process to loving myself the way I do now is not easy, nor does it have a definitive end. I want to share my journey, because I truly feel that at this point in my life I am living for me, as I should have been all along. How did I get here?

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Hi, everyone! While we read the Playwright’s Notes of M. Butterfly in class, I noticed the quotation from David Bowie and Iggy Pop’s song, “China Girl,” which says, “I could escape this feeling with my China girl...” Released in 1983, the song describes Bowie’s dependence and admiration for his “China Girl” and he depicts images of physical dominance and aggression in the music video. The video also reveals Bowie’s very racist actions, as he stretches his eyes to mock characteristically small Chinese eyes. I was very shocked at this scene, as well as others where he grabs the woman and lays down on top of her, as Bowie shows an attitude of conquest towards his lover. After reading Act 1 of M. Butterfly, I see the parallels between Gallimard and Bowie, as they both romanticize the stereotype of an Asian woman and seek to impose a savior-like attitude towards them. However, I believe David Henry Hwang’s intentions were to educate readers on the immorality of Gallimard’s (the white man’s) perspective towards a Song, while Bowie’s music video may be a display of outright ignorance. I am very excited to continue M. Butterfly and examine the ways Hwang will further highlight the wrongs of racism and Asian stereotypes. 

Hi, everyone! As we wrap up our time with Homegoing, I think it’s very important for us to learn more about the author, Yaa Gyasi. Here is a video in which she explains her research, her personal experiences, and inspiration for the novel. https://youtu.be/IDB0y-dWDOE While researching Yaa Gyasi, I found an article about books she enjoyed while growing up, and it’s so interesting to see what inspired her style of writing. https://www.readbrightly.com/yaa-gyasis-5-favorite-books-from-childhood/ Aside from Rainbow Fish (which is also one of my childhood favorites), I hope to read these novels soon and share Gyasi’s admiration for them! If you have read any of these books, have you noticed any parallels between them and Homegoing?

Hello, everyone! I would like to go a little bit backwards to talk about Ness’s chapter and the way Yaa Gyasi describes Ness’s experience with the culture of the Stockham plantation. When she arrives, she TimTam grows attracted to her while the other women become disgusted. Gyasi writes, “the ladies, angry when they thought that she was the object of his desire and even angrier when they realized she didn’t want to be that object, treated her as though she were little more than a strong wind, an annoyance that you could still push through” (74). Both TimTam and the women objectify Ness, seeing her as an “object,” a “wind,” and an “annoyance.” TimTam has a one-sided admiration for Ness and the other women build an unjust, jealous perception of Ness based on her choice to remain independent. Their view of Ness as an invisible wind reveals their carelessness towards her humanity, despite the harsh plantation conditions that require support for emotional and physical survival. Gyasi shows that the other women would want to act as objects of the male gaze and that Ness has no one to depend on. Her situation also may represent the epigraph, as the women are all connected as female houseworkers under the rule of the plantation owner, but they are not united and cooperative. As we have mentioned in class multiple times, I really love Yaa Gyasi’s the epigraph’s universal connection and the way Yaa Gyasi forces us to really analyze her words. 

Hello! After reading the first two chapters of Homegoing, I am so excited to read more and discuss the text in class! Already, sexism and feminism have reappeared as some of the main topics explored by each of the characters. Although there were several instances where a man raped a woman, Effia and Adwoa exhibit female dominance during sex. When James and Effia have sex, the narrator details, “When he approached her, his hands were trembling, and she could see the sweat building on his forehead. She was the one who laid her body down. She was the one who lifted her skirt” (18). James’s instability and sweat reveal his nervousness and incoordination before intercourse. In contrast, Effia takes control by positioning herself and undressing. The narrator intricately illustrates James’s struggles while bluntly stating Effia’s actions to emphasize the James’s complex experience versus the simplicity of Effia’s. Effia receives sexual advice from Adwoa, who tells her to be like a lioness that “mates with her lion and he thinks the moment is about him when it is really about her, her children, her posterity... what does a king matter? Really, she is king and queen and everything in between” (21). Adwoa empowers Effia by comparing her marriage to the relationship between a lioness and a lion, telling her that sex is not about James, but herself. The italics and repetition of “her” emphasizes Effia’s power over James, as she produces the children. Adwoa also suggests that a king does not have as much value as a queen, as she claims that a queen possesses all power. I am so interested in seeing the Yaa Gyasi’s presentation of gender roles in the rest of Homegoing and how later characters will deal with sexism. What have you noticed about how Yaa Gyasi addresses sex and marriage?