Emerson Inspirational-ish Poster

In "The American Scholar", Emerson writes of learning and gives us the brilliant nugget, "Books are the best types of influence on the past"(246). As I have more books than I know what to do with, I found this line to be striking.  More often than not, when I tell someone I am an English major, I am subject to their asinine dronings about how I am paying for a worthless major.  Emerson's words ring true to my firm belief that books are not useless and offer a window into our past and the past in general.  In his essay, Emerson sets out to discuss what makes a great American scholar.  Books obviously are an essential part of learning.  Books can shape our ideas about the past, present, and future.  So take that people who think English majors are pointless. Emerson discusses the many areas of literature and their affects upon a scholar.  He states that "the theory of books is noble," and also discusses how books can preserve the past, yet we bring our modern readings and understandings to the past (247).  When the nugget is taken out of context, Emerson's larger argument is lost.  One misses his other nugget which qualifies the first nugget: Books are the best of things, well used: abused, among the worst (247).  Emerson furthers this argument throughout the text and also shows the downfalls or reliance upon a text.  The nobility of books, yet their inevitable downfalls, is lost when the quote is taken out of context.  As I love books, I was immediately struck by the first nugget, but the following nuggets made me more fully understand what Emerson was trying to say.  It also aided in understanding how books can be crutches and not ways to re-imagine the world.  When the creativity is lost, and people become complacent with the past (e.g., "the English dramatic poets have Shakespearized now for two hundred years", 247) then books are a hinderance.  By losing oneself in a book story, as grand as that may seem, it can have downfalls.  Books cannot give the whole story of the world.  This exercise displays that even by removing this quote from its page and the page following it, the quote can be misunderstood.
*I can't help but remember watching Scooby Doo 2 with my siblings.  As childish as it is, Fred's indignation over his quote being taken out of context was the first thing that popped into my mind when working on this assignment.     

Women's non-existent power in Kingdom of this World

When reading Kingdom of this World, I immediately noticed the juxtaposition of sex and death.  Sex can bring life; whereas death brings life to an end--obviously.  In a world where slaves have their lives continually taken away from them, Ti Noel incorporates sex into his life.  He fathered twelve children.  The masters can literally and figuratively take away the lives of their slaves.  With the slaves having little, if any, control over their lives, sex becomes a way for them to--sometimes--exercise control.  In the case of the slave women, this is not true.  M. Mezy continually took advantage of his slave women.  This may have had something to do with the sexual violence the slaves perpetrated against the white women.  As mentioned in class, this puts both white and black women in positions of little power.  I found the non-existent power women had to be telling of the time, yet it still irritated me.  This made Pauline an interesting character.  She was in control of her sexuality. Some of this may be due to her seemingly absent husband.  Pauline was intriguing because with her sexuality and curiosity,  she was able to be part of the white world and the slave world--in a way.  She took up the slave religion when her husband became sick.  
I found Carpentier's choice to make Ti Noel a rapist jarring.  I did not want to continue reading.  Historically--and today--rape was used as a power-play.  The slave women did not have any power over their own bodies.  The white women were shown to have power, through Mlle. Floridor.  She was shown to be rather sexual and she used this to her advantage.  She did not appreciate her husband's sexual nature and she punished the female slaves for it.  Ti Noel's decision to rape her could be due to that fact.  What I found disturbing was the lack of reason shown why he made that decision.  It leaves it open-ended for the reader.  The reader is given the tough task of choosing why Ti Noel made that decision.
In his novel, Carpentier shows that women have little to no power--regardless of their race.  Pauline is the exception.  Sex is way that he shows the women's lack of power.  

Outdoors with Literature

Guys, I apologize in advance for my "poetry".  I am not a creative writer.  Also, I am snarky, in case you can't tell from the poems.


Obvious Beauty
struggling to be seen
through the plain and dull
yet
the plain and dull
has rugged beauty
it gives life
is that not more important than just beauty?

I haven't allergies--Thanks be!
Yet outside can still be scary
Creepy crawlies
Giant bugs, medium bugs, and small bugs.
Oh my!
Scary bugs and weird bugs and FLYING BUGS!
RUNNNNNNNN
I think I lost it...

What would this be like with allergies?
Runny nose, foggy eyes
My eyesight is bad enough!
Is it time to go inside yet?


This may sound like the prairie was a traumatizing place; it really wasn't.
Also, I did not have to escape a bug attack in the prairie, but that has happened before.

Ben's Grace, Poise and Humility: Gracie Lou Freebush would be proud

Ben Franklin started "Rules by Which a Great Empire May Be Reduced to a Small One" by stating "The science that I, a modern simpleton..."  This is an unusual statement.  Do simpletons usually understand science?  Can they preach about the knowledge of ancient Sages?  Franklin seems to have a balanced ego.  He is able to acknowledge that he is most likely loads smarter than those he is talking to, but, as stated in his bio, he understood that people did not wish to deal with those who were significantly smarter than them.  In this opening line, Franklin is able to somewhat discretely tell his audience that he is intelligent, but he does it without seeming to have a big head.  He spoke in simple terms with everyday language that his audience could readily understand.  "In the first place, gentlemen, you are to consider, that a great empire, like a great cake, is most easily diminished at the edges."  I, myself, found this language a welcome change after some fairly dense reading.  It could be argued that Franklin was trying, with a condescending tone, to present his audience as slightly dim.  I find this to not be the case.  Franklin, obviously intelligent, is advising government officials on how to create a great empire.  They already know he is intelligent--otherwise they wouldn't have sought his council--and they trust his judgment.  He could have easily presented a wordy presentation, and this would have more fully shown the men's lack of intelligence (as compared to Franklin).  Franklin is putting himself on these men's level in an effort to discuss an important issue with them.  If he chose to be a show-off, there would be no point to the meeting.  This is an important issue they are discussing and shouldn't be a time to be petty.  It would not be prudent for him to be rude to these gentlemen.  It is rather difficult to walk the line between the intelligent and condescending at times.  I found Franklin to walk the line with grace, poise, and humility.