Hi all,
Please post a question or area of interest for discussion on 5/20 here by Wednesday @ 6 pm. Texts we'll potentially cover for section include: Chacon's Calm After the Storm, Chopin's "La Belle Zoraide," and Sollors and Shell's "Introduction;" we'll also begin to discuss Wharton's House of Mirth. Feel free to pose questions/areas of inquiry around one or several of the texts, in relation to larger class themes, or in response to each others' posts.
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Hi everyone,
ReplyDeletein regards to Calm After the Storm, what role/importance does nature play in this story?
Also, it seems like there are a lot of references to Don Quijote, did anyone else notice that?
I was a little confused about who the narrator is, does anyone know who the narrator is?
I found the differences in styles between House of Mirth and what we have read previously to be interesting. What does the change in focus, away from American identity and idea and towards societal issues, do to change the way we read these stories?
ReplyDeleteI found House of Mirth to be similar to Israel Potter, in the sense that it seemed to be written as entertainment for the general audience. The difference between the two lies in type of entertainment, as Israel Potter is more slap-stick in its chapter by chapter telling and House of Mirth is more a tale of potential scandal where readers can view a life that they don't actually live, like a 19th century Gossip Girl. Why did such tales of glimpses into the upper crust of society become popular and did Wharton write this as a critique of the upper class or entertainment for the lower classes or both? What would have the actual upper class thought of this novel, did it strike a little too close to home?
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if Mrs. Dorset's letters to Seldon count as dead letters? I'm not sure if i quite understand Professor Gruesz's explanation of them or if they could contrast to The House of Mirth
ReplyDeleteWhat is the significance of Americana in House of Mirth? I would also like some clarification as to what the focus away from American identity and towards societal issues means for the overall themes of the class? Also could we go over more in depth on how House of Mirth can read this as an allegory for war as Professor Gruesz mentioned?
ReplyDelete-Rebecca
I was just wondering if maybe we could talk more about the genre of The House of Mirth, specifically about what Professor Gruesz was talking about in lecture--that it is a novel about warfare. I can kind of see the connection, but I was wondering if this can be explained more in depth, or perhaps in a different way.
ReplyDelete-Holland
How do the ideas of the metaphors and types of metaphors (discussed in class today) affect the readers interpretation of the novel? Do Chacon or Chopin use similar types of metaphors to add depth and understanding to their characters? Does this use of metaphors actually reveal anything significant about the characters?
ReplyDelete-Alexis Robles
I would like to talk about House of Mirth. Is it bad that I am completely annoyed by Lily? She just seems so dumb and destroys all her chances of getting married even though she says that's what she wants. idk, I just find her character annoying. Am I alone in that?
ReplyDeleteIn regards to Werner Sollors' "Introduction", why is it that there is a denial of a multilingual past in America when there are several areas in the United States that employ bilingual or multilingual environments today (i.e. Chinatown in Los Angeles or Santa Ana, CA-where the majority of residents speak both Spanish and English)? Sollors says there is a fear of lingual disunity amongst citizens, but there is lingual disunity all over the U.S. What need is argued to perpetuate lingual unity?
ReplyDeleteIn the Chacon and Chopin pieces, I was wondering how the aesthetic differences between the pieces in regards to how they each incorporate a foreign language affects how the reader receives and understands the role they serve within the piece? (i.e. in Chopin French Creole is incorporated directly into the text, whereas in Chacon, there is a full translation of the piece but it stands apart as its own text. What affect does this have?
ReplyDeleteHey Melissa,
ReplyDeleteMy question: Is the idea of what is hidden (ex: Lily's hidden lack of money) mirrored to the idea in literary theory that meaning is obtained through what is hidden or missing in text?
-Laura Weiss
Chopin's story seem to offer a conclusion to Zoraide's story in that it says that she grew to be old and pitied. since the theme of the week for this reading is Fable of flirtation and the Female Flaneur, coupled with being right after fables of fidelity, what is the significance of offering Madame Delise and Manna-Loulou's conversations in English then "how they really spoke"?
ReplyDelete-D.I.S.
from ryan corrigan:
ReplyDeleteThis may be a touch broad, but I'm wondering what everyone thinks about the ostensible criticism of the upper-crust in "House of Mirth". I'm wondering if it is truly a criticism, or do we as readers, and the author, have a perverse attraction to it.
I was interested in what Professor Gruesz was saying about the style of narrative in HoM, and the subtle slipping between the consciousnesses of characters.
ReplyDeleteRegarding House of Mirth, would housewife themed shows such as 'Housewives of Atlanta' relate to House of Mirth in a larger discourse of aristocratic femininity? How Why Where When??
ReplyDeleteI am having trouble placing the genre of House of Mirth, I wouldnt call it sentimental fiction, and I can't think of any other texts we have read that compare.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to House of Mirth, why is Lily constantly displeased with her romantic options? Does it say more about her character or about her list of reject bachelors? Is her dissatisfaction a foreshadow to her inevitable fate?
ReplyDeletePersonally, I agree with nat.pinto: Lily is annoying and takes for granted everything she has.
I felt that House of Mirth (as far as I have read so far) is a typical historical fiction story. Besides the setting taking place in America and the topics being about the worth of Americana, the aspirations and plots of the characters seem to not be unique and different from other dramas I have read from English writers such as Jane Eyre. If we consider this book a representative of the American Canon, (once again) how can we evaluate it as something unique and significant to the American canon, that seperates itself from the English novel?
ReplyDeleteHow does doubling act within calm after the storm as opposed to william wilson or other gothic tales. it seems positive and uplifting to begin with, but ends badly. did the gothic take on a different meaning or voice in latin countries
ReplyDelete