Extra: Why Faulkner Makes Me Crazy

and he doesnt use apostrophes when he should, but he is a fiend about writing conjoined words (she cant remember what theyre technically called) as if theyre one word within dialogue, even though they arent, not to mention his run-on sentences. Sentences are long and slow and labor intensive, containing all kinds of grandiose verbiage that makes it often difficult for them to fully understand what he
not a friendly writer to his readers. Although the historical richness and the ties made between this work and other works by him that contain the same family stories and legacies ought to be appreciated, they cant appreciate it very easily when they dont have much information presented in a clear way. They cant understand things like why
but without cheese or butter, crackers simply are dry and crusty, as lacking in flavor as dust rising up in a column from a well-worn summer-driven road. They do nothing to add to my quality of life in the hot, sultry South," he thought, but then he
want to write all blogs, disjointed, as if they were written specifically for him, as ambiguously as possible, and with a few made-up words thrown hither, thither and fronder, as well as imagery that makes them uncomfortable.
would have failed each and every class in which she is enrolled, if he had had the audacity to write them this way, and turn them in to Dr. Davis or Dr. Chinn. Rather, even creative writing with Dr. Garrett, as kind as he is, would have been

Identity Crises are Ugly Things

While Faulkner is skilled at making interesting characters by means of developmental quirks/strangeness, (e.g. Sam Father’s mystique and forest-knowledge and Boon’s repulsiveness coupled with his strange obsession with Lion), a major problem within The Bear is identity and confusion regarding identity. Not only is the main character, “the boy,” only rarely called by name, the story, especially the fourth chapter, reveals a history of racial confusion, moral confusion, and economic confusion, fraught with people using each other and buying and selling things that are not vendible, specifically, land. Meanwhile, Faulkner uses the whole idea of the hunt for Old Ben to give identity to Ike (the boy) and the others as huntsmen...ironic, since they gain their identity through the destruction of a life, much as the McCaslin line of pioneers and slave-owners gained identity from lording over Native Americans and black people. In addition, Faulkner adds to the confusion structurally; not only are chapters one through three and chapter five often ambiguous, but the entire extent of chapter four is comprised of broken paragraphs, interrupted conversations, and hopelessly entwined historical accounts, with Faulkner making no clear efforts to establish speakers or the characters about whom they are speaking.

"Their Eyes" as Bildungsroman

Although Janie experiences a great deal of growth throughout Their Eyes Were Watching God, I am not one-hundred percent convinced that this novel is a bildungsroman. While this story has many of the characteristics, including the crossing of the bridge between single childhood and marriage, some physical growth, and growth mentally and emotionally by learning through experience what she does not like in marriage and what she does like, this story does not seem to have the neat conclusion that many other bildungsromans have. For example, Pip finds out the truth about his benefactor and issues come to a climax with Stella, or Huck chooses friendship with Jim over Hell, tries to set Jim free, and finds out that Jim has already been freed and they can all go home. With Their Eyes, Janie merely loses her only true lover, experiences a court trial that is mostly summarized, not told as a moment-by-moment sense experience, and which thereby denies the reader much experience of it. Despite the wisdom that Janie gains and shares in the end of her conversation with Pheoby, the lack of closure makes it difficult for me to accept this as a classic or typical bildungsroman.

Their Eyes Were Watching God

One thing that made me angry when watching the movie, was the scene, NOT in the book, in which Janie, as a girl, is swimming and looking up at the sky, and when Nanny asks her about it, Janie says that she is "watching God." It feels like this gratuitous inclusion cheapens the phrase because when used at the end of the book, it has several deeper meanings than a girl floating on her back staring at the sky. For one thing, because the characters are in the midst of a terrible storm, they can be "watching God" because they are observing the power exerted in the natural forces. They are also "watching God" to see how he might protect or provide for them, or not, and what he might allow to happen to them. It is also interesting in the "Life or death" aspect of the situation, as they might be about to go to God if they are about to die. However, throughout the entire book, the theme of growth and destiny/the unpredictability of the future plays with the title, as the characters often seem unable to control their situations and the lives into which they've been born.

The Problem of "Men(s)"

It is interesting to note the problem that men play in Janie’s life. Despite their undesirable qualities such as “mule foots,” Jamie continually is linked (or attempts to link herself) to men during her search for herself. She initiates this journey by kissing a boy walking down the road, which leads to her grandmother’s forcing her to marry Logan Killicks. Logan forces Jamie to work for him while denying her any sort of the romantic love that she desires. When Joe Starks comes along, he promises her tenderness and the love that she yearns for, but really, he too attempts to control her as he does not allow her to come down from the pedestal on which he has placed her, denying her the experience of life. In addition, he forces her to work for him and bad-mouths her in front of others on account of his own insecurity. Tea Cake, however, helps her to achieve balance; not only does Jamie only work beside him by choice, she enjoys working beside him because she loves him. Even Tea Cake remains a little unreliable, though.

"Una pieza con una vista" como bildungsromán/ A Room With A View as bildungsroman

"Una pieza con una vista" puede ser considerado como una bildungsromán porque Lucy encuentra muchos cambios. Su viaje a Italia, sus experiencias con los Emersons, y ultimamente, su necesidad para disputar y desprenderse de Cécil, da a Lucy la libertad para realizar su potencial y ser la persona que podrá (?) ser. A pesar del desánimo de Charlotte durante el cuento, Lucy crece en libertad y identidad…algo diferente que el crecimiento físico en muchos otros cuentos que son caractizados como “bildungsromán.”
Por ejemplo, Lucy apprenda a seguir sus pasiones personales a pesar de los protestos de otros (p.e. cuando Cécil le da ordenes en cual tipo de música debe tocar en el piano, ella no le da cuenta y toca lo que quiere tocar), a dar valor a la verdad y ser honesta acerca de sus pensamientos y sentimientos (p.e. en su ultima conversación, Sr. Emerson le alenta a enfrentar honestamente sus sentimientos), y a ver su misma valor artísticamente y intelectualmente (p.e. sus percepciones son válidos, y ella puede tener confianza en sus propios decisiones). Este novela es “bildungsroman” por este crecimiento.

***This was difficult and took lots of time. I'm not sure I'm going to do it again.

A Room With A View can be considered a bildungsroman on account of the changes that Lucy goes through. The potential that she had to be the person she could become is unleashed by the trip to Italy, the interactions with the Emersons, and finally, in her need to challenge Cecil and separate from him and the society that she identifies him with. Despite Charlotte’s oppressiveness throughout the story, Lucy grows in liberty and identity, as opposed to the literal physical growth found in many other bildungsromans. For example, Lucy learns to pursue her personal passions despite the protests of others (e.g. she plays what she wants to on piano instead of what Cecil tells her to play at a party), to value Truth and honestly acknowledge the feelings that she has (e.g. Mr. Emerson moves her to honestly face her feelings in their last conversation), and to recognize her own intellectual and artistic value (e.g. her taste is valid, and she can trust her own decisions). Because of her growth, this novel is bildungsroman.

Una "Nota Bene" Corta

Ahora que sé que voy a ser una de las traductoras para mi equipo de misión en Juárez durante las vacaciones de primavera, trataré de escribir mis blogs en español. Sin embargo, si lo encuentro muy difícil, talvez tendré que escribir en inglés otra vez. Lo siento por adelantado para errores, y yo sería muy agradecida si Ud. me corregía por email, si Ud. tiene el tiempo para hacerlo.
Muchísimas gracias,
Kati

*On second thought, I will try to write them in English also, for Dr. Ossler's sake

The Importance of Being Married

Obviously, marriage is extremely important in a society like Lucy’s, because not only is there no real outlet for women to work on their own (even Mrs. Honeychurch looks down on women writers), women were thought of as needing male protection for their naivety and frailty (but in a fairly condescending sort of way- they still couldn’t vote, and it was probably not accepted to travel alone). It is interesting to note two specific chapter headings; when Lucy becomes engaged to Cecil, that chapter heading is called, “Mediaeval,” while the chapter that shows Lucy married to George Emerson and in the Bertolini Pension once again is called “The End of the Middle Ages.” Although I didn’t necessarily pick up on these until I had read the whole book and seen the whole picture, these show the speaker’s view of the suitors, specifically, the oppressive nature of the snobbishly intellectual Cecil Vyse and the liberating nature of the passionate and untainted-by-convention George Emerson.

Oh, the irony.

One particular element that makes A Room with a View an enjoyable read is the element of the ridiculous/ironic which is especially prevalent in dialogue. Wealthy tourists exclaiming over the delicious dirtiness of certain parts of town, disliking others because they are nice, and absorbing themselves in “tragical” piano-playing (among other things) create a pretentious and self-indulgent world that is ripe for ridicule; this work fits well with other comedies of manners from the Edwardian period, such as Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. However, ridiculousness is not limited to the upper class; even the Signora, who speaks in a horrendous Cockney accent, complains that her children are attending Italian schools where the teachers are ignorant, failing to realize how ignorant she herself seems to her patrons. She even attempts to appeal to the upper class’ taste in her decorations.

Huck Finn: Final Thoughts

Huckleberry Finn is a bildungsroman because although Huck doesn’t necessarily grow physically, he definitely grows spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. For one thing, his identity is solidified as he learns how to separate himself and his ideas from both Tom Sawyer with his crazy-Romantic plots, but also society in general, with its notion of Black people being inferior to White people. Huck grows mentally as he gains confidence in the logic of his plans and doing things efficiently, whether it’s conventional or not. He grows spiritually, because he chooses to do what he feels is right despite the feelings of guilt that society puts on him and his warped perceptions of God and conscience. Finally, Huck grows emotionally because in his travels with Jim, he gains the opportunity to experience a something close to the father-son relationship he has never had, and he is also exposed to the idea that Jim misses his children, loves them, and mourns for them, showing that, despite Huck’s personal experiences, it is possible for a father to care for his children.