The Illusion of Perfection

Looking at the poem Harlem Dance, by Claude McKay, I think one of the main idea's it is trying to portray is the illusion of performers. Performers are always actors: they must keep up a facade for their audiences. A sonnet, the Harlem Dancer is a "little song", which says something about the idea behind the poem. The way I look at it, it is almost like the lady who is dancing is almost singing her song. However, because someone else is actually telling her story, her song is subdued and hidden, and must be told by someone else. The illusion she keeps can be seen by the contrast between the last two lines and the rest of the poem.

Applauding youths laughed with young prostitutes
And watched her perfect, half-clothed body sway;
Her voice was like the sound of blended flutes
Blown by black players upon a picnic day.
She sang and danced on gracefully and calm,
The light gauze hanging loose about her form;
To me she seemed a proudly-swaying palm

Grown lovelier for passing through a storm.
Upon her swarthy neck black shiny curls
Luxuriant fell; and tossing coins in praise,
The wine-flushed, bold-eyed boys, and even the girls,
Devoured her shape with eager, passionate gaze;
But looking at her falsely-smiling face,
I knew her self was not in that strange place. 

At first the poem creates an image of perfection- the Harlem Dancer.

Not only do the words describe her actions and "perfection", the words also create an atmosphere of fluency and swaying back and forth. The rhyming of the a/b/a/b (etc.) brings a repetition of movement, and the alliteration in each of the sentences- "Blown by black players on a picnic day" - gives the precise movements she makes as she dances. Also, the things the author chooses to bring up- "picnic day" are of connotations of who she is. The picnic day is always happy, ideal, and sunny- much like the illusion she gives.

As the poem progresses, however, clues are given to her unhappiness. Described as "grown lovelier for passing through a storm" speaks of a past that might not be so perfect. The gauze that she wears could hide her true emotions about her situation.

Also, not only does the dancer keep her illusion, but the audience also does not truly care about her as a person- not as a dancer. This clue is given at the very beginning, as youths come along with prostitutes- it is not a respectable place where she is dancing so perfectly. Later on, the actions of others portray her illusion of perfection, and how they do not view her as a human with value. The phrase "tossing coins in praise" does not feel as though they really care about what she does- she is only worth a few coins, and their praise is not meaningful. The boys are "wine-flushed" and not thinking very straight, and everyone "devours" her, instead of really appreciating her for who she is.

This all leads to the last two lines, as her "falsely-smiling face" clearly solidifies the idea of the illusion of her perfection. Also, the fact that the narrator says "not herself in that strange place", it is not the dancer that is strange, but the place. I think that the "strange place" is not just referring to the location, but the attitude. It is strange, and wrong, to view her as a useless dancer of perfection. The stranger is not her, who should be treated differently, but the people who do not belong, who are erroneous in their actions and perspectives.

This is War

A poem based of this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7XuXi3mqYM&feature=youtu.be



This is War:

One by one, we followed our foes.
We each stopped and listened to the rustle of the trees-
Searching for any sign of something out of place:
Standing still,
                                    the silence is overwhelming.

We strategically sit, stealthily concealed within the jungle.
Black bodies hidden behind a screen of green.

Then-
a sound.

Squatting, our ears perk up. Tense- ready:

Screeches explode, cutting through the air
as we make a dash for our enemy:
                  Shadows flash by-
         Earsplitting eruptions-
The banging of the battle-

Then we win. And we celebrate. And we move on.

This is war.

Idioms from Culture

Amiri Baraka's Expressive Language brings up some interesting points. As he talks about the relationship between speech, literature, and culture, I followed his though processes.

First, he says that language comes from culture. What I like about his that it means two things (much like what he says later about several meanings for one word): that language comes from the culture, and how and why you say things is because of your culture, and also that the language you use in literature, poems, and speech are about your culture- about your life. There are a multitude of cultures, and there are a multitude of meanings. It depends on your social status, the money you have, where you are, what climate, environment, home, people... everything in your life- from the objects to the situation to the environment to the live things- all of that is your culture, and all of this dictates how you perceive things and how you understand things. Like Baraka says, the seventy cents he has for a beer is not the same things as his neighbor who looks hopefully at the garbage. Nor is it the same to David Rockefeller. So the words that we use and choose are not just words, or definitions- but they are speak of our life, culture, and depth. Baraka writes, "It is the users [of words] that establish the world's realities. Realities being those fantasies that control your immediate span of life". Using words reveals how you see the world- and it can be a fantasy reality- and why and how you act the way you do. This is fascinating. Everyone's culture is different, and so there are similar meanings for different words and different meanings for the similar words. Words portray culture and life through their meanings, rhythms, and syntax- it is not only what the words mean that reveal your culture, but the way you say things- and this is very true. Sophisticated people tend to speak in longer, more complex sentences with complicated words, unlike others who use short sentences and get straight to the point, using simple words to describe their thoughts. There are a myriad of ways to say things, but it is culture that gives words meaning. A dictionary of words are merely definitions- without culture, there is no interpretation, individuality, or meaning. It is the ideas and wishes behind those words based on your culture that give speech a certain style.

Recently in a SAT prep class, we were talking about idioms. How Americans say "many a day" or "the coin dropped" or "I broke into my shoes" - and because we had diverse students, some were shocked and confused at these words- for if we only look at the definition of words, the meaning is not clear- the coin dropped just means that a coin dropped- not any sort of epiphany or anything. And breaking into one's shoes is not the same thing as breaking into a house. So culture does play a large part in how we say things and what we mean. This is why it is hard to learn another language. As I learn Spanish, I understand quite a bit, yet I lack the idioms and Spanish sayings that go along with culture. Culture has a large role in how we think and see, and this is clear through how we say things.

World Lit. Ideas

Comparison between novels

Compare the self-imposed isolation of both Gregor and the protagonist of Hunger in the novels Metamorphosis and Hunger.

Look at the use of a few sub-characters that are used to highlight the protagonists in any two novels: The Stranger,Hunger, and/or Metamorphosis. (note: any specific type of characters?)

In Hunger and The Stranger, compare/contrast the use of absurdity among the protagonists and how they are judged for that.

Compare the family in Metamorphosis and those in Hunger.

Individual novel

Examine/analyze the use of light and dark in The Stranger.

In Metamorphosis, look at how Gregor fits in the idea of existentialism and how he goes through a "realization" . (note: broad start)

In any of the novels, Hunger, The Stranger, or Metamorphosis, look at the relationships within the novel and what the author could be trying to say: eg. No one has a "normal one" thus showing the absurdity/fake-ness of the world- or something like that.

Killing an Arab by the Cure

My dad showed me this song Killing an Arab by the Cure.

The writer had based it off of The Stranger, by Albert Camus. Here are the lyrics:

__________________________________________

Standing on the beach with a gun in my hand

Staring at the sea, staring at the sand

Staring down the barrel at the Arab on the ground

See his open mouth but I hear no sound

I'm alive

I'm dead

I'm the stranger

Killing and Arab

I can turn and walk away or I can fire the gun

Staring at the sky, staring at the sun

Whichever I choose it amounts to the same

Absolutely nothing

I'm alive

I'm dead

I'm the stranger

Killin and Arab

I feel the silver jump smooth in my hand

Staring at the sea, staring at the sand

Staring at myself

Reflected in the eyes of the dead man on the beach

(The dead man on the beach)

I'm alive

I'm dead

I'm the stranger

Killing an Arab

________________________________________

It's always nice to hear that the novels and ideas we read about are actually in the world around us.

I found the lyrics quite interesting. Aside from the obvious display of motifs- the sand, the sea, the sky, the sun- the basic idea of The Stranger are represented in the song. "Whichever I choose it amounts to the same/ Absolutely nothing".

The chorus also contains some thought-provoking ideas: the "I'm alive/I'm dead" part. When Meursault kills the Arab, is he also killing himself at the same time? Physically, I suppose the answer could be yes- for he is condemning himself to be hung at the end. But what about spiritually?

What I found most intriguing was how he kept saying "staring at the sea, staring at the sand", etc., and then eventually said "staring at myself". We often notice how much his surroundings, especially the sun and the sky, influence Meursault. What we can add to this is why it changes him. What does Meursault really know about himself? At the end of his days in court, Meursault thinks to himself: "I had the odd impression of being watched by myself" (85). Does he recognize that he does have some emotion? Or is it that what the reader knows about the character is more than what the character knows about himself? We can analyze Meursault's character- an unemotional guy, blocking out any emotions whatsoever, disliking the sun and everything. But what does Meursault analyze? Although he provides reasons for his actions- eg. I slept because I drank too much wine- is that truly understanding himself, or has he just created some sort of bubble to protect himself?

I don't know if I'll listen to the song all that much, but it certainly has provided some thought.

Blog Portfolio March 4th 2011

Coverage:

Since the beginning of 2011, these are the blogs I have accumulated, dealing with the subject of existentialism. The majority of these blogs deal with three novels- Hunger (Hamsun), Metamorphosis (Kafka), and The Stranger (Camus). Other related articles are mentioned. Enjoy.

Light vs. Darkness

My Approach to Writing an Essay

Interpretation of Absurdity

Family Hierarchy

Gregor needs his family and his family needs him- or do they?

Hunger Mind Map

Hamsun and his characters are truly unknowable

Pastiche for Hunger

Hunger Artistry

Humans Need to Advance Themselves Too!

Making My Way Through Existentialism


Depth:

Gregor needs his family and his family needs him- or do they?

I felt that in this blog I came up with a different idea that contrasted with many other students.  Also, I explored something that started with one sentence in my head that transformed into something much more complicated. What I liked about this blog was that the idea became a discussion not only on my blog but one that I could bring to others as well.

Interaction:


Making My Way Through Existentialism

While this wasn't a reply to someone else's blog, I wrote this after we discussed Sisyphus' story in class. A sort of continuation of that discussion/debate, I brought in the whole class' idea on the subject and agreed and questioned different parts. I've tried to give some of the individuals credit for their ideas, although I think the class as a whole developed the majority of the interpretations. This was more of a reply to the entire class- and Nina and Elizabeth were helpful enough to clear up some parts for me and further discuss ideas.

Discussion:


Interpretation of Absurdity

This blog sparked up an exploration of the Kafka movie and Metamorphosis between Elizabeth and me. I especially liked our conversation as we debated my ideas. What I first proposed was examined and questioned to result in a deeper understanding of the two "Kafkaesque" stories.

Xenoblogging:

Self-Respect

What I like about Julie's blog is that she almost always manages to connect it everyday life. This always keeps things real and meaningful, and so I was able to comment a lot on her blog. We started off having different viewpoints of Kafka's novel, and ended up really analyzing and contrasting the characters- especially Gregor and his father. Two quite different characters who have similar roles in the family. Anyways, I think we both understand the novel more now and even have a connection to our lives as well.

Wild Card:

Light vs. Darkness

This was an idea I had always been interested in after I read The Stranger. Since we hadn't blogged on it yet, I thought it was a good idea to set my thoughts straight about the novel itself. Also, I find the subject intriguing, and I may do my essay on this.

Light vs. Darkness.

In Camus' The Stranger, I find the protagonist Meursault very interesting. At first I thought he was some unemotional, robotic guy: completely annoying and uncaring. As I read the second part, however, I started to notice that Meursault was not as unemotional as he appeared to be. There were times where I saw that he really just was a lonely guy.

So upon reading the novel a second time, I noticed more occurrences where he just wanted to be a part of society. The problem he has is this: he wants to be included, to have friends- but he doesn't understand society, and at times is uncomfortable in it. Take the chapter, for instance, where all he does, on a Sunday (which has its own connotations on by itself), is look out through a window at the world passing him by. His whole life, I thought, was sort of nicely summed up by what he says his mother says one time: that he is encased in a tree and all he can see is the sky above him, and he is used to this. So light and dark can represent the two sides: light, where the sky is, where society goes on without him, and darkness, inside the tree, inside his home, where he is comfortable yet unhappy.

There is a myriad of examples of light and dark interacting and contrasting each other- but what I want to focus on are his reactions to both:

It is obvious that Meursault often dislikes the sun and brightness. Every time he steps outside his comfort zone (outside the house, really), he is stunned by its brightness and its audacity. He is uncomfortable out in the openness, where the world exists. He doesn't understand the way people act and think- and so he is blinded by its brightness. At his times of confusion, it is because of the sun, the heat, and the brightness. Right before he kills the Arab, he can't stop looking at the way the light glints off the blade. So the light is society, where he wants to be. What is even more interesting is that one time Meursault is feeling gloomy at the brightness of the day when Marie comments on "what a beautiful day it was", and automatically he feels better: once he is a part of the society, of friendship, even family, he is not feeling so out of place in the light.

The darkness, on the other hand, is him- something that society does not understand or see. When he is in the comfort of his house, in the darkness, alone, he is in control of himself. Ironically, people are usually afraid of the dark, and Meursault in a way represents this- and is prosecuted for his strangeness- his dark, mysterious, abstruse character. The most interesting thing I find about the darkness is that when he is in the prison, he almost enjoys himself. There are no blinding lights here- there is his own cell, a prison yet comforting. Actually, that relates to the Hunger Artist and how he chose his own prison- perhaps Meursault sort of chose his own prison- except for the fact that he at times wishes to step into the light. The prison is a good example of the darkness and light. Although he is more comfortable in the dark, in the prison he still wishes and stares at the light outside in the outside world, the "normal" world. This forces him to realize that he was a bit happy out there. His own "metamorphosis", you might say.

Anyway, this relation between light and dark, Meursault and others, individual and society- it is discussed quite well in the novel, and I think there is a lot to say about it. Hopefully, I can keep an eye out for more of it, and maybe even do something on it. Oh, and I should add this to the class wiki.