Month: May 2024

Sophia Olechowski 

Iterations Final Essay

African American Literature 

4/29/2024

At the beginning of the semester, I thought I was fully prepared for the literature that I was going to see in this class. Having a small background in African literature classes and even my 19th century women’s work course where we read Incidents In The Life of A Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs, I was confident that we would be reading work I was somewhat familiar with and concepts I had dealt with before. After browsing the Brightspace, before class began, I could see how Call and Response and African Fractals had fit into my expectations of what the course was going to look like. However, I could have never predicted a trip to the heating plant, nor could I have placed how The Water Cure was going to fit into the coursework. I’m sure I would have found the literature very interesting if I had fully read it in the beginning of the semester, but I would have had no idea how it connected to the concepts associated with this class. Throughout this semester, I have learned the power of slowing down and paying attention. By connecting each piece of literature to the next, collaborating with my peers, the feedback on my essays and being pushed to participate in class discussions; I have become a more attentive reader and writer. 

When we got to our first essay, based on the seed shape brought up by Ron Eglash in our first book African Fractals: Modern Computing and Indigenous Design, I thought I fully understood the concept. In my original interpretation, I viewed the seed shape and the concept of African fractals as two separate entities. Instead, I should have made it clear that the seed shape is the first iteration for a fractal and when you begin to repeat the iteration over and over, it becomes a fractal. This small detail would have not only made it more clear what the seed shape actually was; it also would have made my arguments stronger. As I analyzed “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker I took a closer look at the main character Dee and her mother as the narrator; claiming “it is crucial to recognize the limiting perspective of Dee’s mother that has been influenced by her own experience and trauma; and how Walker chooses to show this,” (Olechowski, Exploring the Seed Shape). I reflect on the traumatizing past Dee’s mother endured in order to present her as an unreliable narrator. By recognizing the seed shape as the initial building block of a fractal, I would have laid a stronger foundation for my arguments about the importance of understanding the seed shape before reading African American literature. Jumping to the end of the semester, the same concept was brought up when talking about The Water Cure and its narrator, Ishmael Kidder. 

As Kidder struggles with the loss of his daughter, it is unclear as to whether the story he is telling is even true. Constantly questioning the validity and authenticity of the authors and characters in our readings propelled a clear concept in African American studies. Due to the prevalence of Eurocentric tendencies, especially here in the United States, engaging with this literature requires more than just looking at the words on the page. It requires a deep dive into the cultural and historical contexts that shape African American narratives, characters and themes in these works. Take The Water Cure for instance, from the rambling words, sentences with scrambled letters and drawing thrown in throughout, the book truly looks like a mad man’s brain. Without the mini collaboration project and the conversations we had in class, I would have had a much harder time truly understanding the story and how it fit with what we had previously read. 

Upon first reading The Water Cure, I would have never thought to connect it back to Thomas Jerffersons “Query XIV,” given their complexities and contradictions. In Thomas Jefferson’s “Query XIV” he describes someone who is carefree and creative and whose writing is unrestrained, “his imagination is wild and extravagant, escapes incessantly from every restraint of reason and taste, and, in the course of its vagaries, leaves a tract of thought as incoherent and eccentric, as is the course of a meteor through the sky,” and makes it clear this person is not African American (Jefferson, Query XIV). The discussion my group had for the mini collaboration helped me to explore themes of restrained versus unrestrained art, drawing on parallels between Jefferson’s depiction of creativity and his lack of confidence in African Americans to produce creative works. Our discussion led us to a point where we concluded that while African American writers face external and internal constraints and expectations, their creativity and expression can go beyond these limitations. Not only did I make great connections with my peers, but Professor McCoy also played a crucial role in pushing me further in class. 

  After reading The Water Cure, our class found it insightful to talk about the drawings throughout; I commented that the simplicity of them was ominous and creepy. That was the full extent of my thought, but Professor McCoys questions connecting back to Thomas Jefferson prompted me to think about why Percival Everett chose to depict his art this way. It became clear that Everett had read Jefferson’s words claiming African Americans could not even make elementary art, yet Everett produces not only that but also a story filled with seemingly unrestrained and chaotic writing and telling a beautiful story of a man lost in grief. While being prompted to elaborate on my thoughts spontaneously in front of the class is usually anxiety-inducing for me, Professor McCoy’s consistent emphasis on independent THINKing among students proved to be very beneficial to me. Overtime, her reminders empowered me to develop my own perspectives, even if I still had questions to ask. Eventually, her presence became almost inconsequential, allowing the students to engage in meaningful discussions independently and push ourselves and each other to think deeper.

I’ve come to realize that literature and discussions that push us out of our comfort zones or make us slightly uncomfortable are often the most impactful for learning and personal growth. The discussions we had in class, particularly regarding literature and art that initially seemed unconventional or confusing, taught me the value of embracing complexity and ambiguity. 

As I mentioned earlier, the words on the page of African American literature are steeped in historical and cultural contexts. When one can understand these contexts, the literature begins to connect in ways you did not see before. Just like with my experience reading The Water Cure and examining “Query XIV,” I found it necessary to methodically unpack the historical backlash against African Americans by white people. This process helped me grasp the underlying context behind Percival Everett’s writing. My initial reads of each were approached very timidly, as I had heard “just give it the old college try” from a few professors regarding more intricate or dense literature. At the beginning of the semester, this scared me. But after reading through all of that literature and taking the time to engage in meaningful conversations about them, I learned that my abilities were far beyond what I had originally thought. 

Professor McCoy’s emphasis on independent thinking and her encouragement to tackle challenging material with confidence have been instrumental in shaping my approach to literature and class discussions. One key lesson I’ve learned is the importance of slowing down and paying attention to every detail. This became evident when I received feedback on my seed shape essay, where I used diction that didn’t accurately represent my intended message. It was a reminder to be more mindful and deliberate in my writing, ensuring that my words truly reflect my thoughts and arguments. This lesson was also reflected through our study of paratexts and in depth studies and discussions on the authors we were reading in class. Overall, this class has not only deepened my understanding of African American literature but has also expanded my confidence in engaging with complex themes and concepts. 

Throughout the course of the semester, we have studied a number of different works. Finding one text that adequately wraps up all that we’ve been learning is almost impossible. However, The Water Cure by Percival Everett is a novel that encompasses what we’ve been learning in our course and functions well as a final text. The main reason that The Water Cure works so well as our last text is because of the recursion that is evident throughout the novel. Throughout the novel, Percival Everett uses a looping narrative to create a sense of repetition and circularity. This is something that we have been studying and practicing throughout our course. For example, African Fractals. An African Fractal is a pattern that takes on the form of a seed shape. This seed shape pattern is something that will always reoccur. Although the pattern becomes smaller as it grows, the pattern will never stop recurring and is infinite. The Water Cure is a novel that embodies the same concept of recursion as seed shapes. The recursion that happens in the novel and in seed shapes is similar to how our course is structured. Learning how to be able to loop back to concepts and connect them to different works is the biggest way I have grown as a student in this course. This is why The Water Cure serves as a great final text because it symbolizes my semester’s final story by its recursion. 

            There are many examples of recursion throughout The Water Cure by Percival Everett. The first place that recursion appears is in the narrative format itself. The narrative often circles back to certain elements in the story, giving the reader a sense of recursion. The story is centered around Ishmael Kidder, a man who lost his daughter to murder. Throughout the narrative, we are questioning if Ishmael has who he believes to be his daughter’s killer locked in his basement. The reason we are left to question if Ishmael Kidder has someone locked in his basement is because of the way Percival Everett writes the story. Everett does this by telling multiple story lines at once and shifting between the past and present. For example, there is a flashback that says, “It was cloudless and sunny the day Charlotte and I brought Lane home. Shewa’s small, they said, five pounds, but not that small, they said, but I had never seen anything so small. I took it on faith that those little fingers were completed with nails and the very suggestion that they be trimmed with something sharp sent me into a panic. A nurse had seen me studying them, one nail at a time, especially the little toes, and she, being one of those people who find comfort in nervous chatter, said, ““Just wait until you have to cut them..”” This flashback talks about the day Ishmael brings Lane home from the hospital as a bay. However, as we know Lane dies before the start of the story. The next page of the text says, “Secretary of State: Pull my finger..

President: Okay.

I can do what I like at any moment I like in this document or text or however we name it because this is my world, universe, neighborhood, note ((though I hate seeing the word note in my notes), and I can do what I damn well please and fuck you if you think I’m ignoring rules and fuck you if you think that I’m being indulgent and fuck you if you think that references to archaic philosophical notions are mere erudition, which they are not, but fuck you anyway because this is my world and you’re welcome to it if you want to enter and if you don’t want to enter then fuck you twice anyway and if you do want inside then fuck you trice because you fucking deserve it.”. This shows how in the story the narration changes from flashback to present tense. The page before this it was talking about Lane coming home for the first time and then the story jumps to Ishmael being angry because she is dead. This is an example of the recursion that happens within the story because it is not linear. It goes back and forth between past and present. This is similar to African Fractals because they also reoccur. They keep the same shape going over and over again just as The Water Cure goes from past to present over and over again.

Another example of recursion in The Water Cure is the number of times a word or phrase is repeated within the novel. For example, one page of the text says, “The words on these pages are not the story. The words on these pages are not this story. The words on these pages are the words on these pages, not more, not less, simply the words on these pages, one after another, one at the beginning and one at the end, bearing possibly some but probably no relation to each other, but they can, if you desire to find a connection, need to, or if it irresistibly, axiomatically, ineluctable reveals itself to you. When you leave, desert these words, the words on these pages, you might use words very much like these to report what meaning you have found, but not these very words. You perhaps will leave these pages, the words on these pages, with an idea or two and maybe, just maybe, the order of a few of these words and so it goes.” The repetition of “the words on these pages” reminds me of African Fractals because of how they repeat as well. This relates to how I feel about our course. Repetition is something we have talked about plenty during this semester. For example, rereading texts, going back to look at older texts we have read, and going over assignments with feedback. Repetition is something that I have taken into further consideration after this semester because it is very important to look back on old texts and concepts and be able to connect them to other texts. 

The final thing that connects African Fractals and The Water Cure is that both don’t have an ending. African Fractals are mathematical equations that continue in the same pattern without stopping or changing. The Water Cure is also a novel that is left open-ended. The fate of the characters is left up to the interpretation of the reader. Ishmael is still left questioning his life. The final lines of the novel are “I ask only to find the answers I need, but then there are the other questions: Will my daughter grow older in my dreams? Why do reasonable people entertain the ontological l argument? and What kind of dog was it? And the answers are: No, Because they can, and Some kind of retriever.”. This shows that there is no real ending because Ishmael is still left with questions. This is why I think that The Water Cure is a good text to use as our final text for our course. It is left really open ended which I think is how a college course should end because we are never done learning, just as African Fractals never end either.  

Such an ambiguous statement as restrained, has many different meanings. According to  the Cambridge Dictionary, restrained means “acting in a calm and controlled way.” But, it can also mean something else, such as “something that is kept under control, such as a strong emotion or even physical movement” (vocabulary.com).

In the novel The Water Cure restraint is a recurring theme in Percival Everetts’s work, manifesting in various forms across the expansion of the novel, challenging readers to explore the complexities of human experience and society. His skillful use of restraint adds depth and resonance to his writing.

In The Water Cure the term “restrained” is applied literally to the victim “Art.” The victim is called “Art” by his captor, Ishmael Kidder. Art may or may not be restrained by his captor Ishmael, and held within his basement throughout the novel. “Art is tied up down in my basement and will never again see the sun, will never smell a flower again, will never feel the rain, hear the wind, touch a puppy or a child” (Everett 36). Due to Art being “tied up,” Art’s physical movement was restrained. This concept of restraint relates to the definition provided previously, “something that is kept under control, such as a strong emotion or even physical movement”.

In “The Water Cure,” the term “art” undergoes a metamorphosis, adapting to the diverse contexts in which it is invoked. On one hand, there is “Art” the person, a mysterious figure whose presence looms large over the narrative, potentially subjected to capture and restraint. On the other hand, there is “art” in its traditional sense, embodying the essence of creative expression and imagination, often manifested through visual mediums like painting, sculpture, or drawing. This duality underscores the thematic exploration of control, constraint, and the blurred boundaries between freedom and captivity within the novel. Within The Water Cure, Kidder draws a picture of his daughter Lane. The portrayal lacks intricate detail, rendering it akin to the work of a child of merely five years old (Everett 28). Kidder’s struggle to fully depict Lane in his drawing symbolizes more than just artistic limitations; it embodies his psychological and emotional state, constrained by the specter of impending tragedy. His grief manifests in uncontrollable behaviors, further restricting his ability to articulate his emotions and represent his daughter accurately. In this way, the act of artistic expression becomes entangled with themes of restraint and loss, highlighting the profound impact of emotional turmoil on creative output.

In the context of “The Water Cure,” Ron Eglash’s exploration of African Fractals in his book “African Fractals Modern Computing and Indigenous Design” provides a fascinating parallel to the themes of restraint and limitation present in Percival Everett’s novel. Eglash explores the intricate world of African fractal geometry, examining its cultural significance and the political implications embedded within its study. One of the key aspects discussed is the politics surrounding African Fractals and the constraints imposed upon them.

Upon Eglash speaking with chaos theorist Ralph Abraham, he explained that “analog systems were in his view the realm of spirit, the vibrations of Atman ” (193). In contrast to this theory, James Clifford insisted that only “digital representation is capable of the flexible rearrangements that constitute human thought” (193). This battle between theories has been played out in the history of African culture studies. In the 1960s realism was vogue, and what could have been a wonderful exploration of the analog representation techniques in African culture, “was often reduced to romantic portraits of the ‘real’ and ‘natural,’ while African symbolism systems suffered from neglect” (193-194). This clash of theories mirrors a historical struggle within African cultural studies, where differing approaches have shaped perceptions of African representation techniques. In the late 1970s, this began to reverse itself with the escapade of postmodernism. African culture portraits became increasingly focused on discourse and symbol systems, “even at the expense of ignoring analog representations” (194).

The constraints imposed upon these romanticized portraits echo the limitations faced by Kidder in portraying his daughter in “The Water Cure.” Both forms of representation are hindered in their own ways, ultimately failing to fully realize their potential. Kidder’s portrayal of Lane lacks detail, reflecting his emotional turmoil and the overwhelming fear of loss. Similarly, the reductionist approach to African representation overlooks the complexity of analog techniques, restricting the portrayal of cultural richness and diversity.

The restrained aspect of both books connects to the experiment run during class relating to Zeno’s paradox, the dichotomy. The paradox of dichotomy addresses the idea of reaching a distance through a series of continuous divisions of space and time. For example in the experiment in class, there was a group of 5 students with a destination in front of them of 5 Pikachus. The goal was for them to reach the Pikachus but with each step, they must go halfway. It goes as follows, suppose you want to walk from point A to point B. Before you can reach point B, you must first reach the midpoint between your starting point and the midpoint, and so on. In other words, to cover any distance, you must first cover half of that distance, and then half of the remaining distance, and so on, resulting in an infinite number of steps. Zeno argued that since an infinite number of steps cannot be completed in a finite amount of time, motion is therefore impossible. The concept of going halfway implements a restriction on the person trying to reach the destination, as reaching the destination becomes impossible. 

In Zeno’s paradox, the idea of motion is challenged by the notion of continually dividing space into smaller and smaller increments. This concept connects the “The Water Cure ” as the character Art as well as Kidder himself experience a sense of constraint and limitation on their abilities. Kidder’s portrayal of his daughter Lane, lacks detail due to his emotional turmoil and fear of loss, showing that personal restraints can impose on artistic expression. This also connects to Art’s physical restraint as his physical abilities may or may not be restrained. In a similar connection, the reductionist approach to African representation discussed in the context of Eglash’s exploration of African Fractals correlates to the infinite division shown by Zeno’s paradox. Furthermore, just as dividing space into infinitely smaller parts lends to an infinite series of steps, reducing African representation to simplistic portrayals overlooks the richness and diversity of the culture, restraining our understanding of it.

In conclusion, the dive into the concept of restraint in “The Water Cure”  and the examination of African Fractals in Eglash’s work offer profound insights into the complexities of human experience and cultural representation. Intertwined in these narratives we confront the concept of restraint, which can manifest in different forms. These restraints imposed upon characters and cultural representations echo the limitations faced by individuals in expressing themselves. 

Furthermore, the connection to Zeno’s paradox of Dichotomy illuminates the influence of restraint in shaping our understanding of time and space. Similar to Zeno’s paradox, the characters in “The Water Cure ” and the representations of African Culture, challenge the possibility of motions through continuous division. Whether through personal or societal restraints, the theme of restraint serves as a powerful lens through which to examine the human condition. 

Ultimately, the exploration of restraint in literature and cultural studies entices us to reflect on the way in which restraints shape our perceptions and experiences. But by confronting these restraints, we can strive towards a better understanding of ourselves and the world around us. 

Throughout this semester, as we’ve talked in class and read our books, I’ve learned a lot about African American literature and how it shaped the world today. In the very beginning of the semester, we started with “African Fractals” by Ron Eglash, which talked a lot about geometry, architecture, scaling, and how they intertwine in many different ways. Later on, at the end of the semester, we read “The Water Cure” by Percival Everett, which had themes of revenge, malice, and renewal. These two books by themselves seem to have hardly anything in common, but upon further inspection, it becomes clear that we read them for a reason. The lessons I’ve experienced during this course taught me how to bring these books together. Looking back on everything, I can see I’ve learned a bunch about what this class is trying to teach us, and I feel like I’ve gained a vast amount of knowledge I was previously not exposed to.

To start, “African Fractals” delved into the ideas of geometrical architecture, or fractal architecture. Fractals can best be described as a curve or geometric figure, each part of which has the same statistical character as the whole. Using this in architecture gives the buildings a uniquely constructed pattern. The purpose of the geometry shows how cultures produce recursive patterns that characterize their specific social, cultural, economic and political organization. This means that the designs in architecture aren’t just about looks; they also reflect how societies are structured and organized. For example, certain fractal patterns might represent social hierarchies or economic systems within a culture. So, understanding these fractal patterns helps us understand more about the people and societies that created them. Moreover, fractal architecture serves as a manifestation of cultural identity and values. By employing fractal geometry in their architectural designs, different societies express their unique worldview and beliefs. For instance, a culture that values harmony and interconnectedness may incorporate fractal patterns that emphasize repetition and symmetry, reflecting their emphasis on unity within the community. On the other hand, a society that prioritizes individualism and innovation might utilize fractal designs that showcase complexity and diversity, symbolizing their embrace of individual expression and creativity.

In “The Water Cure” by Percival Everett, we meet Ishmael Kidder, a writer who lives by himself after his divorce. His world is shattered when he learns about the brutal murder of his daughter. Fueled by grief and a desire for justice, Kidder embarks on a quest to find the person responsible for his daughter’s death. When he finally tracks down the culprit, Kidder takes matters into his own hands by kidnapping him and keeping him captive in his basement. Since Kidder never learns the man’s name, he simply refers to him as Art. Over the course of several days, Kidder subjects Art to various forms of torture as he seeks retribution for his daughter’s untimely demise. However, as the story unfolds, Kidder’s actions raise questions about morality, justice, and the nature of revenge. In the end, Kidder makes a surprising decision to release Art, leaving readers to ponder the complexities of human emotions and the consequences of seeking vengeance. 

Both “African Fractals” and “The Water Cure” explore the interconnected themes of geometry and renewal in different contexts. In “African Fractals,” the focus is on the use of geometric architecture, particularly fractals, as a reflection of societal structures and values. The way in which different societies utilize fractal geometry in their architectural designs reflects their unique social, cultural, economic, and political organization. For example, certain fractal patterns may represent social hierarchies or economic systems within a culture. By understanding these fractal patterns, we gain insights into the people and societies that created them. Moreover, fractal architecture serves as a manifestation of cultural identity and values, with different societies expressing their worldview and beliefs through their architectural designs. This connection between geometry and culture highlights the role of architecture as a means of expressing and perpetuating societal norms and values. Similarly, in “The Water Cure,” the themes of geometry and renewal are explored through the actions of Ishmael Kidder. Kidder’s quest for justice following the murder of his daughter leads him to engage in acts of violence and revenge. However, as the story unfolds, Kidder’s actions raise questions about morality, justice, and the nature of revenge. His decision to release the man responsible for his daughter’s death reflects a moment of contemplation and renewal. Kidder struggles with the consequences of his actions and ultimately chooses to break the cycle of violence, offering a chance for redemption and healing. This moment of renewal emphasizes the complexity of human emotions and the potential for growth and transformation, even in the face of tragedy. In both cases, geometry serves as a metaphor for the underlying structures and patterns that shape human behavior and societal dynamics. Through the exploration of these themes, both “African Fractals” and “The Water Cure” invite readers to reflect on the interconnectedness of form and meaning in the world around us, and the potential for renewal and growth even in the most challenging circumstances.

Finally, connecting this to my class experience, the exploration of geometry and renewal as depicted in “African Fractals” and “The Water Cure” resonates with my own journey of learning and growth . Just as fractal geometry in architecture serves as a reflection of societal structures and values, my study of literature, mainly African American literature, has offered insights into the underlying patterns and dynamics of human society. Through discussions, readings, and assignments, I have gained a deeper understanding of how cultural, social, and historical factors shape individual behavior and collective identity. Moreover, the themes of renewal and transformation depicted in “The Water Cure” are similar to my own experiences of personal growth and development throughout the semester. Like Ishmael Kidder’s journey towards redemption, my academic journey has involved moments of reflection, self-discovery, and renewal. I definitely have encountered challenges and setbacks along the way, but through perseverance and reflection, I was able to overcome obstacles and emerge stronger and smarter. Overall, the themes explored in “African Fractals” and “The Water Cure” served as metaphors for my own educational journey, highlighting the interconnectedness of learning, self-discovery, and societal dynamics. As I continue in my academic pursuits, I will find inspiration in the patterns and possibilities of growth and renewal, both within myself and in the world around me.

My semester’s story began in the opening week of the course when we were introduced to Ron Eglash, a professor in the school of information and design, and his book African Fractals: Modern Computing and Indigenous Design. We moved soon into Eglash’s content of fractal concepts including Koch’s curve. The first iteration of a Koch curve informed every other text we sorted through in the days that followed. In those days, I found that as the previous iteration of movement became the input for the next, Eglash used the language regarding the repeated seed shape and the sole seed shape as “not special.” The endless yet expected result of the process was exactly what made it indistinct and he further states, “an extremely tortuous curve,” since any shape that didn’t imitate the steep slope for a plot could repeat (Eglash 11). In that process too, being able to see the end while it goes on for infinity seemed to be contradictory, but Felix Hausdorff in Eglash’s attribution to him seemed to resolve this. Hausdorff, one of the founders of modern topology, stated that we could imagine these curves as “taking up more than just one dimension” in the way circles do. In my reflection as well I looked through the files we had once studied and recalled the resemblance between what was drawn on the board on January 22, 2024 to February 16, 2024 and February 6th’s class notes as well as Koch’s curve that Freytag’s Pyramid and Aristotle’s Unified Plot Structure appear comparable. As I peered at the narrative arc that so much of Western culture implemented into the art of storytelling Dr. McCoy highlighted, I took a count of the novels I had been instructed to read in some of my most formative years. I took a big look at what we had read for this course where many of the texts seemed to reach no finality or restoration for the disorder. In that disorder I found joy in the tortuous Koch curve and relief in the literature that expanded past one dimension and interpretation, past the idea that there is only a singular mode of understanding thought and experiences. 

My understanding of the course evolved as I looked back to my essay, “Call-and Response: A Means to Resist Suffering,” for the seed shape of call-and-response that formed as resistance in the face of oppression and atrocity. I realized in my further reference how no text or any form of art can ever reach a definite end, much like the ongoing call-and-response, art exists in several dimensions closer to a circle than anything else. I wandered past shapes in this reflection to look at the natural world to tell us something greater about humanity. At the heart of the course is the principle that no great lesson ends—it is a river of thought that keeps supplying a handful of ideas, those ideas that could never be the same as the last phase of the day when we reached it last. If this sounds familiar, it’s with purpose, in staring at my reflection in the river of concepts and seed shapes, I found Heraclitus’ theory of flux in his book Fragments that within in, he suggests the ever-changing nature of the world around us makes us incapable of stepping in the same river stream twice. Heraclitus believed in change and becoming as waters touching those who go in the same river, so they coexist rather than negate the other if we compare them to a physical feature that we all recognize as constantly flowing, yet named the same body. The pre-Socratic Greek philosopher wrote in his self-named incomplete work about ancient wisdoms, “Most people do not take heed of the things they find, nor do they grasp them even when they have learned about them, although they think they do,” (Heraclitus 17). 

In the past couple of weeks, I’ve reflected on that space in between dimensions and that river analogy while we read Percival Everett’s The Water Cure. In it, Everett’s speaker Ishmael Kidder calls out these fragments imagining that Heraclitus wrote them to just be what they are and not a part of a grander work, but as fragments they are not whole by necessity (Everett 56). Before direct attribution to Heraclitus in the story, Kidder introduces fragments in a visually separated sentence that isn’t a sentence as it lacks the components of a general structure including a subject, verb, and object in that order simply. If we were to analyze instructed by the conventions of what is arbitrarily called “standard English,” we’d note the literary construction of chiasmus as well that appears throughout providing a contrast of words, for instance in one section it is nouns and names (Everett 13, 38-39, 110) and may or may not (Everett 45, 109-110). Ishmael Kidder takes over as the god of meaning as the one who gets to tell us in his art, “all sections are fragments, except for this one because it lives here, in this spot, among the fragments, and has a specified job concerning those fragments surrounding it” (Everett 24). 

His references to the fragments of knowledge not just in logic, but in experience go beyond form or language as they move to his self-portraits (Everett 41, 53, 113) that refuse to affirm or even acknowledge in their creation Jefferson’s commentary in Query XIV in Notes on the State of Virginia. Jefferson professes without support, “never yet could I find that a Black had uttered a thought above the level of plain narration; never see even an elementary trait of painting or sculpture” (Jefferson 9), which Everett subverts conceptually for Ishmael Kidder’s ambivalence and fragmented sense of self are depicted in his Picasso-esque painting. In a signified conversation between Kidder and Jefferson Everett facilitates, I am reminded of another voice in James Snead’s essay, “On Repetition in Black Culture.” So I draw a line between Heraclitus, Ishmael Kidder’s story, Koch’s curves, and further back now for how no text may be uninformed by its influences and references that hide within the output as they are its input. Snead would agree as he starts off claiming a truism among people regardless of culture, “After all, men have by now had to make peace with the idea that the world is not inexhaustible in its manifold combinations, nor life in its various guises and forms” (Snead 146). Snead points us to a broader and recurring issue that Jefferson’s statement only moves past the top of, which is that Europeans during Enlightenment in particular started to define themselves over while attempting to define cultures “belonging to” Europe independently from African culture. In isolation, the “ultimate otherness,” as he calls it, declared this similar idea of being and non-being as Heraclitus of what Black culture was and what it existed as and in opposition to what. We see, however, in Ishmael Kidder’s isolation and immersion in his writings being critical of society, we are told in phases of a conflict between an individual and the collective proving an irony in many of the qualities of said society.

Adding to the handful of instances in The Water Cure that writer Ishmael Kidder discusses fragments, another happens as he unravels Thale’s story using all that he knows from Aristotle’s Metaphysics and De Anima, which allow him to land on it meaning that “Water is the essence of things. / All things have soul in them / The all is divine” (Everett 34). Aristotle, who Kidder falls back on frequently in his rumination, frames—as a critical concept we’ve returned to on many occasions as well—his thoughts of definitions of things that state their essence (Everett 190). A not so distant connection drawn to such a belief is in Kidder’s statement on art and his respective relation to it as he talks about the politics of the world being a source of disarray and atrocity, “right or wrong love it or leave it and it’s a good thing because it’s always wrong but it has taught me to torture…seek definite descriptions precise definitions clear marks of identity or identities…that might or might not exist” (Everett 191-192). So we make our way back to Heraclitus’ idea of indefinition and unity of opposites that everything is and is not at the same time with a possibility of both existence and nothingness. This is all as if to say that, to end on Everett’s novel to put a pin in the semester to come back to after a passage of time, we’ll look at the identity of the course newly and that is a natural consequence of movement of some sorts, forwards and backwards, to and fro. The iterations of this semester’s course came in full-force, but gracefully. At last I think about in Eglash’s African Fractals for the figure captions about measuring nature using fractal geometry to show how across time and space, the curves of the land change. Out of these, African fractals showed strong resemblance with Georg Cantor, who contributed a great deal to set theory and an infinite set (Figure 1.1) and looping as recursion, to create his Cantor set and fractal (Figure 13.1). This occurrence of art and its essential feature of inspiring more art using its inspiration as input to reiterate or recreate has come up significantly. Cantor’s work, according to Eglash, only became useful to the study when Benoit Mandebrot, a polymath associated with the “art of roughness,” furthered the notion of fractal dimension in scaling to measure irregularities in nature. The connection of his contribution in this dialogue between studies pulls us back to Heraclitus for Mandelbrot firstly happened upon a study of “long-term river fluctuations by British civil servant H.E. Hurst” (Eglash 208). Hurst found that the annual floods varied in their scales and couldn’t ever be grounded in an average as the only way to describe these changes was to scale annually and sketch a slope.

We’ve learned to read slopes in this way as we read Everett’s The Water Cure, which confronts a tension of power for who gets to decide the cultural aesthetics and formal narratives of literature that are deemed as canon, relevant, legitimate, worthy, and “art” and the resulting fragments of that art, and therefore people. The logic of Ishmael Kidder’s actions of making himself a god, not only to his captive, but his actual written art is interconnected with the idea of an absolute truth existing for a God and not for anyone else. There’s no truth to an order disorder restore plotline unless we are completely removed from the situation at hand, watching the river pass from above it. So I am left to meditate on the protagonist’s words that tell me about Plato’s saying, “the sense of things becomes that they are true when perceived,” (Everett 114) to believe that change and becoming can accompany one another. I believe that what we consider and value in literature as art can include movements that have kept it running forward. I believe that I can keep up even while I look back on those bends and curves and get caught in the river.

Works Cited

Eglash, Ron. African Fractals : Modern Computing and Indigenous Design. Rutgers University Press, 1999.

Everett, Percival. The Water Cure. Graywolf Press, 2007.

Iterations Final Reflection Essay

Forever repeating, neverending, without a true destination. The concept of infinity has come up in my own personal experience in my class with Beth McCoy, African American Literature, as well as in some of our course topics such as African Fractals by Ron Eglash, and The Water Cure by Percival Everett. African Fractals is a topic we focused on throughout the course, our cornerstone, applying it to each concept. Fractals can be described as patterns that repeat itself, onto itself. This pattern is never-ending, and decreases in scale infinitely. According to Eglash, “African visualizations for infinity are snail shells”(Eglash, 148). This represents their symbol for infinity because of “the scaling properties of their logarithmic spirals; one can clearly see the potential for the spiral to continue without end despite it’s containment in finite space- indeed, it is only because of its containment in a finite space that there is a sense of having gained access to or grasped at the infinite”(Eglash, 148). It is easier to understand the concept of infinity when you can visualize it. This is why discovering infinity in The Water Cure is less concrete. The novel is a satiric comedy/horror novel about the experiences and thought processes of an Ishmael Kidder, who may or may not have a man in his basement who may or may not be the culprit of his daughter’s rape and death. The concept of infinity is used in a more metaphorical way, to describe his desires, and the idea of wanting to achieve something that he can’t quite reach, making that motion towards his desires one of infinite movement. I have had a similar experience when reflecting on my own writing this semester. Approaching the concept of infinity from African Fractals is something that involves discussing my personal experience, and connecting this to events in other course topics such as The Water Cure by Percival Everett.

When discussing my experience in this course, this idea of infinity comes up relatively frequently, especially when it comes to finding a destination and purpose when writing. For example, when I first started this class, I already had experience with my professor, Dr. Beth McCoy. In my previous class with her, she gave me feedback on one of my essays, advising me to slow down. It was at this point in my education career that when getting this guidance, I interpreted it as a way to solely improve my writing and product. I thought of it as a tool to allow me to get my essays done in a more efficient manner, that will help me to achieve a better grade or attain more positive reinforcement from professors. However, through this class I have realized that this feedback from Beth has so much more significance and purpose behind it. 

The importance of slowing down lies in the benefits and growth that you receive from taking time to unpack your thoughts and ideas. Unpacking results in more clarity within myself, as well as increased understanding in the reader, as they can more fully understand my thought processes. My motive should be less about the grade I receive, and more about the purpose of the essay I write. This is emphasized further in group collaborations during this semester, in talking with each other and discussing sensitive topics. Without slowing down, or finding your essay’s destination, your essay goes on infinitely, without true motion, without purpose. For this reason, I have learned to slow down, giving my essay a place to land, giving my thoughts the chance to fully form. With this in mind, I have found the concept of infinity not just in my own experiences, but in specific ideas throughout this course, such as The Water Cure and African Fractals.

When Ishmael Kidder in The Water Cure talks about the supposed man in his basement, the concept of infinity is brought up several times. For example, he uses infinity to describe torture he experiences, torture he inflicts onto the supposed man in his basement, as well as his love for his daughter. When inflicting infinite torture, Kidder places mirrors all around his culprit, and discusses the idea that there is infinite space between the man in the basement and the mirrors surrounding him, forever reflecting his own image. He describes that he “wanted him to have the company of infinite incidence and refraction, unending repetition, the forever drip drip drip of his own image”(Everett, 129). This idea leads me back to African Fractals, as Kidder uses mirrors to visualize infinity, compared to the African symbol of snail shells. Kidder also frequently refers to the theories and work of Zeno, a philosopher who talks about the concept of Dichotomy. The Dichotomy Paradox, as provided to us by Beth, is the idea that to get somewhere, you have to travel half of that distance, and then half of that half, and so on, continuing to infinity. Each step taken, task completed, built off of the one before. This idea is also similar to that of African Fractals, as their patterns are always building off of each other.The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, in describing the paradox, describes the problem that traveling infinitely “must take an infinite time, which is to say it is never completed. And since the argument does not depend on the distance or who or what the mover is, it follows that no finite distance can ever be traveled, which is to say that all motion is impossible”(Huggett, 2024). https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/paradox-zeno/ Kidder applies this Dichotomy Paradox to his approach to torturing the man in his basement, as well as his love for his deceased daughter. When applying this paradox to the man in his basement, he attributes the idea, again, to the mirrors that he has placed around him, and describes that he only experiences the betweens of the mirrors. There is infinite space between him and the mirrors, that he can only infinitely interact with his reflections. He describes this to him, saying “there you are again and again and again and in order for you to appear you have to dissociate yourself from everything around you, but you can’t do that, can you”(Everett, 59)? Kidder is using the infinite images that the man in his basement is seeing of himself to torture him, as well as to hide himself. Furthermore, Kidder uses the Dichotomy Paradox to emphasize his love for his daughter, as well as his guilt and yearning to no longer exist. 

Just like the concept of movement when traveling half of a distance infinitely, Kidder wishes he could punish himself for surviving rather than his daughter, but he describes his problem, saying “you never cut a thing down to nothing. There is never a final cut. Daily, I slice away at my love for my daughter, at my guilt for surviving, at my resolve for revenge and slice away at merely myself, and it remains painfully obvious that I’m all still here, always big enough to be cut a million more times”(Everett, 164). Kidder wants to be with his daughter, but the anger of not being able to do so drives him to commit violence toward himself, the man in his basement, and even the love he has for his daughter. Earlier in the novel, however, Kidder describes his love for his daughter as “this desire for infinite words”(Everett, 18). He elaborates on this statement by saying “you cannot have the desire unless you love infinitely.(Everett, 18)” Again leading back to African Fractals, Kidder again uses another symbol to represent infinity compared to snail shells; words. Kidder loves his daughter infinitely, and wishes to speak to her infinitely. He further describes this love by imagining her daughter at a word shop, possibly with the desire for infinite words but having to purchase them. With only a dollar, she buys a box with four words, and after opening the box and finding it empty, “she marched back into the wordshop and said, ‘THIS BOX IS EMPTY!”(Everett, 121) using her four words. After doing this a second time, she is left with empty boxes, without words. This emphasizes the idea that Kidder wants the infinite ability to speak to his daughter, but any words he speaks to her have no true destination, and travel both endlessly, and with static movement. He imagines that his daughter is having the same struggle. This love that Kidder has for his daughter turns into one of infinite desire, torture, and movement towards an illusory destination. 

The concept of infinity based on African Fractals is one that can be applied to my experiences in this course, African American Literature, and our last topic, The Water Cure. Finding a destination with this essay involved circling back to past experiences, noticing changes in my writing, and applying that to my life as well as The Water Cure, connecting these two concepts through African Fractals. Throughout writing this essay, I have learned that my writing has purpose beyond a grade, and that this class shouldn’t end here, but concepts learned in this environment should stretch to finding connections throughout our lives and in others as well. 

Iterations Final Reflection Essay

African American Literature Studies

Iterations Essay

Throughout this semester and our readings we made many connections. During class discussions and small group discussion there was often a connection of texts happening. The two texts that I will be focusing on during this essay are Percival Everett’s, The Water Cure, and African Fractals, by Ron Eglash. I have decided to focus on the idea’s of recursion, iteration and infinity. What is recursion? According to Eglash, “recursion is the motor of fractal geometry; it is here that basic transformations- whether numerical of spatial – are spun into whole cloth, and the patterns that emerge often tell a story of their whirling birth”. He also defines iteration as, “only one transformation process, but each time the process creates an output, it uses this result as the input for the next iteration, as we’ve seen in generating fractals”. Finally, Eglash defines infinity as, “… it was a limit that one could tend toward, but it was not considered to be a legitimate object of mathematical inquiry in itself. Most Europeans stuck with this definition until Cantor set Europe’s first fractal, created the proper definition of an infinite set, thus allowing infinity itself to be considered.” There are different types of both recursion and iterations. There is cascade recursion which is a predetermined sequence of similar processes. The example that Eglash provided for this was, “there is a children’s story in which a man buys a christmas tree, but discovers it is too tall for his ceiling so he cuts off the top. His dogs find the discarded top, and put it in their doghouse, but they too discover it’s too tall, and cut off the top. Finally  the mice drag this tiny top into their hole, where it fits just fine – the recursion “bottoms out.” – all of these were independent transformations; it is only by coincidence, so to speak, that they happened to be the same”. Another version of recursion is the numeric version of cascading recursion. Eglash defined this as, “we divide a number by 2 in each part of the sequence”. According to him this is not a very strong form of recursion because it requires we know the transformations ahead of time which is not always possible. Second, you have to know what transformation you are going to make ahead of time which is also not always possible. An important variation of iteration according to Eglash is “nesting”. This makes loops within loops. Nested loops are very common for computer programs. Percvial Everett’s novel, The Water Cure, is about a man who’s daughter was kidnapped and raped then brutelly murdered. He spends part of the story maybe or maybe not getting revenge on the man that did this horrible act. He may or may not have had the man in his basement. And he may or may not have shoved him in his trunk. 

A form of recursion that is used in this text is self-reference recursion. This is when symbols/icons are used to represent or refer to something. The example that was used in the text, African Fractals, is “Kellogg’s corn flakes, for example, once came in a box that featured a family sitting down to breakfast. In this picture you could see that the family had a box of Kellogg’s corn flakes on their breakfast table, and you could see that this box showed the same picture of the family, with the same box on their table, and so on to infinity.” An example of self-reference recursion from Everett’s, The Water Cure, is, the man that he may or may not have kidnapped. This man is representing Everett’s anger and grief. He represents the fact that his daughter is gone and not coming back. Everett has to deal with this and learn how to grieve with this fact. That is why I believe the man that he may or may not have kidnapped is a symbol for these things. Recursion is all throughout this novel. Everett is breaking up events in his life to smaller events that all have cause and effect. For example, the murder of his daughter was the cause of Everett maybe or maybe not kidnapping the man who raped and murdered her. An example of this cause and effect relationship with recursion is when Everett is explaining how he used to feel when his daughter was around. For example, “I used to find serenity in the face of my daughter, but that state went missing as did she, turned up missing, as it was put, as if a person, a life, an idea can be discovered by the realization of its absence”. Clearly, there is a cause and effect relationship here. The cause was the kidnapping of his daughter and the effect was him not being able to find peace or happiness after his daughter went missing. Recursion is an important aspect of this novel. Without any cause there would be no effect… there would be no novel.

One example of iteration that I want to focus on is the drawings throughout the novel. As the novel continues the drawings develop more and more until they are completed. This is iteration because he is using each output to be the next input. Everett begins the text with a drawing. It is a singular line on a piece of paper and underneath it, it says, “…so we induce…” on the next page is the singular word “and”. On the page after that is the singular word “find”. It ends with “the arduous nowhere.” The drawing reappears about 25 pages into the text. This time Everett added another line. The picture is now made up of two small lines. This drawing keeps reappearing in the text until it is finally finished at the end of the text. For those of you curious… the drawing ended up being a cat’s head. This example of iteration I believe is to add an abstract component to his novel. The drawing does not necessarily mean anything or go along with anything that the text is about therefore, that is why I believe it is to add this abstract component. This whole novel of Everett’s is very abstract, as that was his goal. When looking at the term infinity and how it fits into this novel there are many examples. I decided to discuss the hatred that Everett feels because I feel that is a very common and never ending theme throughout the novel. Everett has hatred for many people and things. One person in particular is the man who he may or may not have kidnapped in revenge for killing his daughter. Another is president Bush. Everett used Bush as a comparison for many people. It was as though he was taking his hatred out for Bush on anyone he could. He wrote, “The stupid fuck was elected by stupid fucks and supported by stupid fucks and even occasionally fell out of favor with stupid fucks, but stupid fucks, being stupid fucks, either forgot or forgave and again loved the kind stupid fuck who loved war and money and butchering the language while chewing at the inside of his cheek, polluting the air with slogans like, If you can’t find your enemy, create one and When in doubt, fear and hate, though my favorite unused one is It’s Us against Them, too bad We’re not all Us.”  This may seem like a weird example for something that I am saying is infinite. Is there infinity in the quote? Yes. The hatred that Everett is expressing so intensely I can almost feel how extreme it is myself is expressed throughout the text. When Everett expresses his hatred for someone it is in an intense way. He will make it clear who he does not like all throughout this novel. 

This semester I learned a lot. I was/still am new to the English major. This class provided me with many different reading techniques and different ways of understanding texts. Another thing this class taught me to do was make strong connections. All year we have been making connections between texts which is something that was not so familiar with me. Before this class I would not have been able to connect African Fractals to a novel. I didn’t even know what African Fractals were. It is so important to be able to make these types of connections not just for the ability to write an essay like this but just to develop and strengthen your understanding of something as a whole. Sometimes it takes connecting a reading to something else to be able to truly understand it or at least develop some sort of theme you think goes along with it. Looking back at my first essay, Seed Shape Essay, I have noticed many changes. I feel that not only have I become a stronger writer I have also become a more independent writer. I remember with that essay I was very confused. I had never written an essay like that before and had no clue where to even start. Looking at that essay compared to this I feel I have made many improvements and I feel that I am able to make better/stronger connections between readings.

Throughout this semester, and the duration of the course, I have greatly expanded my knowledge of African American literature and its importance. I walked into this course with very minimal knowledge of anything that would come out of this class. As a class, we had many collaborative discussions which have deepened my understanding of several concepts, including recursion, repetition, and the importance of collaboration. 

Ron Eglash explains in his book African Fractals that the concept of a seed shape is crucial for understanding African design and culture. A seed shape is a basic geometric form that has repetition in African patterns, resulting in the creation of intricate designs. In The Water Cure by Percival Everett, we can see a similar pattern. The story starts with simple elements and gradually builds upon them, becoming more complex as we read. This progression is like the growth of a plant from an actual seed, which helps in illustrating how stories, like African designs, can be built upon a simple foundation to create something rich and layered. In addition to the text itself being comparable to a seed shape, and even theoretically to a real seed, the fact that we ended with this text is a seed shape of this course itself. Using The Water Cure by Percival Everett as the final text we tackle is important due to the fact it is a culmination of concepts we’ve spoken of (including repetition/recursion). Though it does not particularly engage with past texts, the piece is a good through-line of what we have done up to this point, as Professor Beth McCoy continuously notes throughout this course, that we are looping back to past content every module. In the first pages of The Water Cure, we see Ishmael spiraling, being that this piece is, in fact, a revenge narrative. This sense of spiraling and a bit of insanity is an idea that continues throughout, but increasingly makes more sense as we read. 

Regarding African Fractals, The Water Cure, and recursion, both works exhibit a commonality in their use of it. In African Fractals, recursion is depicted as one shape serving as the foundation for the next, seamlessly repeating and continuing the patterns. I can rationalize the comparison of recursion to repetition because it helps me understand. This repetition is the act of doing something again (in this case, repetition of the seed shape from one to another for African Fractals). This comparison helps emphasize the relationship between recursion and repetition and how such complex and interconnected patterns also relate to the development of the story in The Water Cure. For example, on page 53 of the PDF of The Water Cure, “It is the dissymmetry in the natural world that creates beauty, the fact that a thing cools down, but will never heat up without an input of energy, that a rock will stop rolling, but will not start without an input of energy, that the days lose meaning and will not mean anything new without an input of energy.” I feel like this is an interesting quote (and a longer one) to focus on as this quote itself lacks symmetry, physically, making it dissymmetrical. 

Next, to turn to our final module in English 337, African American Literature. Professor Beth McCoy has organized the modules of this course to tie into not only the content tackled in the said module but also tying it to the ones before it. This final module, module 7, entitled “Endings that aren’t endings” greets us with a big photo of a colorful infinity sign. In the bio of this module, Beth states that we will be returning to the beginning of the course. This module being a photo of an infinity sign reinforces my thoughts that not only does this class build upon itself, but also everything connects. We began this semester with our first module, which the bio says “You’ll be constantly looping back to previous modules and concepts even as the course moves forward.” (McCoy, 2024). This first module, without the knowledge of any content to come, already formed that infinity sign in my head, unbeknownst to me when this course began. 

Reflecting on in general, my semester through this class, I have learned the benefit of collaborations in other disciplines than the one I am familiar with, for example, I am an education major and collaboration in those courses is different from what I have done in this class. Participating in collaborations with my peers has been key to my success in this class, and I felt positive about collaboration opportunities from day one before any had taken place. I felt so confident in my abilities and opportunities to collaborate due to Beth’s voice in modules. By ‘voice’ I mean, for example, “As part of processing critical issues such as that seemingly minor one, you’ll get to talk with each other in large groups and small groups. You’ll get to write anonymously. You’ll get to write publicly. You’ll get to write collaboratively as well as independently. Yes: you’ll get to do these things because they are precious opportunities” (McCoy, 2024). Beth could have simply given us the robotic typical class introduction like ‘We will be doing group work in this class’, but, she did not. I believe my confidence and success in this course also stem from how Beth presented the course from day one and continued to till the end. Calling collaboration a “precious opportunity” rather than just… collaboration, means so much more than just saying it. Through mature collaborative discussions with my peers, I have seen new insights and perspectives, which led me to see the richness and complexity of African American literature. By working with my classmates this semester, I have gained a deeper understanding of the material provided, and given confidence and kind people who help me understand things I may not have understood the first time I read them. The power of collective and collaborative learning is one thing that has helped me soar in this course. Overall, throughout exploration of Percival Everett’s The Water Cure and the concept of recursion of African Fractals by Ron Eglash, I was able to delve deep into collaborative conversation and see the depth of African American Literature. This course has not only expanded my understanding of the texts but has also deepened my appreciation for the power of collaboration and diverse perspectives. Professor Beth McCoy’s thoughtful course design, emphasizing the recurrence of themes and concepts, has further played a part in my understanding of the course, and my newfound appreciation for thoughtful collaboration with my peers.

My first year of college is definitely one to remember, so much that I learned that I will take with me throughout life, including the concepts that came along with taking this class. Originally I was nervous about taking a three-hundred-level English class, as this is my first year so I was unaware of what to expect, but Professor McCoy made this class during the semester a delight to attend. She made my first college Literature class so easy, and not overwhelming at all. The concepts that were learned and discussed in class will stick with me and they will make the rest of the English classes I need to take so much easier. In the duration of this class, we did tons of thinkING as well, constantly digging into the bigger picture and not staying at the surface. This semester during class we discussed tons of journey of discovery and questioning. Everyone within the class will have taken some part of the class in a different interpretation than others, but ultimately it’s the same concepts. This semester presented me with challenges that forced me to confront my own thoughts on certain topics I knew more about. The completion of this class will open up a gate for my next English class using the same concepts, this can be known as recursion; a concept that was taught in class using the author Ron Eglash, and his book “African Fractals”. 

“African Fractals” refers to a fundamental geometric form or pattern that serves as the basis for the generation of intricate fractal structures. Fractals are geometric shapes and patterns that repeat at different scales, displaying similarity, meaning that each part of the fractal looks similar to the whole when magnified. The process is repeatedly applying a transformation of shapes, which, as a result, creates complex, self-replicating patterns. This process can be brought back to the idea of recursion between English classes here at SUNY Geneseo. In Ron Eglash’s words, “a sort of feedback loop, with the result of one stage brought back as the starting point for the next.”(Eglash, African Fractals). In class, we experience recursion every time we start a conversation on the topic of our previous class and use those ideas to lead into the current class topic of the day. Life as well constantly consists of recursion, and it never stops. As said before, recursion can be seen as a pattern of repetition or self-reference. 

Within African American Literature, our class faced topics such as discrimination, bias, and unequal power dynamics when we were reading. These systems of racial oppression and injustice can exhibit recursive patterns as well. Patterns of oppression often have deep historical roots that perpetuate over time. For example, systems of slavery and colonialism have had long-lasting effects on societies, creating recursive patterns of disadvantage for certain racial groups that persist across generations. In our readings, we discussed these issues. In “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” by Harriet A. Jacobs, recursion is constantly considered. Jacobs explores the recurring themes of oppression and the desire for freedom throughout the narrative. Repeatedly, Jacobs emphasizes how enslaved individuals resisted their oppression, whether through acts of defiance, escape attempts, or efforts to maintain their dignity and autonomy in the face of dehumanizing conditions. This is just one of many readings that discussed topics as such within our class this semester. 

Not only does racial injustice occur in “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” but also in “Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass”, another reading that we discussed in class. In class, we used recursion when discussing these autobiographies; it started with Fredrick Douglass and used his ideas and concepts to move into Harriet Jacobs. Again this can be considered recursion. Douglass’s reflections on his growth and development could be seen as a form of personal recursion. As he recounts his journey from slavery to freedom, he frequently reflects on his past experiences and the lessons he has learned along the way. This process of self-reflection and self-examination can be likened to a recursive loop, as Douglass continually revisits and builds upon his thoughts and experiences.

In “The Water Cure,” Everett incorporates elements of fractal-like complexity into the narrative structure and themes of the novel. The story unfolds in layers, with multiple perspectives and storylines intersecting and diverging in intricate ways. Just like in class, the complexity is grand and it takes time to delve into the bigger picture. So many layers of our class need to be examined for better understanding. There is a connection between the novel’s themes and the concept of fractals as a fundamental aspect of human expression and experience. “The Water Cure” and the concept of African fractals explore the idea of interconnectedness and how seemingly disparate elements are actually linked together in intricate ways. Again, like our class, everything we did was connected, from standing on a line in the hall to the actual readings throughout the semester. All Literature classes that I need to take will be interconnected. “The Water Cure” navigates the fractal-like patterns of power and identity in their lives. Just as African fractals demonstrate the interconnectedness of smaller patterns to form larger wholes, the characters in the novel may find themselves caught in a web of relationships and power dynamics that shape their identities and actions. Grief for example will forever be in his life because of the actions of Ishmael Kidder. Going back to the concept of “seed shape”, the grief that he faces will always connect back to him in his mind. 

Within “The Water Cure” it tells a story that challenges perceptions and forces you to question the reality presented to you. This semester during class we discussed tons of journey of discovery and questioning. Everyone within the class will have taken some part of the class in a different interpretation than others, but ultimately it’s the same concepts. Much like the characters in Everett’s novel, we found ourselves navigating through murky waters, trying to make sense of conflicting information and societal expectations. Just as “The Water Cure” confronts its characters with uncomfortable truths and complex moral dilemmas, this semester presented me with challenges that forced me to confront my own thoughts on certain topics I knew more about. 

Throughout the duration of this semester, there have been recursion.  In the second half of class we would discuss a concept and then continue to pick back up with that concept in the beginning of the following class. This happened every class, nonstop. From the very beginning of this semester we discussed African Fractals and recursion as a theme. This semester presented me with challenges that forced me to confront my own thoughts on certain topics I knew more about. In the duration of this class, we did tons of thinkING as well, constantly digging into the bigger picture and not staying at the surface. This semester during class we discussed tons of journey of discovery and questioning as well. 

I’ll admit, before starting this course, I had many assumptions about Black Art and the types of novels we would be reading in the course. I have always strived to be anti-racist, but what this course has taught me is that any assumption one makes about Black Art limits their experience of it. The literature I read over this semester smashed any assumptions I had to pieces. Specifically, while reading The Water Cure by Percival Everett and African Fractals by Ron Eglash I have come to realize that not only are these books the ultimate examples that Black Art proves all of the Western World’s assumptions to be false, but the ultimate examples that prove my assumptions to be false. 

African Fractals by Ron Eglash goes into great depth on the subject of the mathematical complexities of African cultures. But, after reading, I think the real throughline of African Fractals is the sheer amount of evidence provided by African cultures that proves Western World assumptions about them to be misguided and racist. 

African Fractals disproves two main assumptions that the Western World has held about African societies and their capacity for complex mathematics. The first is that the fractal geometry displayed by African societies is a result of an accident or a mimicry of nature. Eglash reminds us that “most indigenous societies seem quite interested in differentiating themselves from their surroundings.” (Eglash 51) This supports the fact that the displays of fractal geometry in African societies are not the result of trying to mimic the natural environment like people in Western societies think they do.) African societies are just as complex and competent as Western societies are, and that complexity is a result of the profoundly deep minds of African people. “The fact that African fractals are rarely the result of imitating natural forms helps remind us that they are not due to “primitives living close to nature.” (Eglash 53 To think they are “primitive” is to assume a racist ideology that Black people are less than White people. 

The second assumption that African Fractals proves false is the one that claims that the Western World invented/discovered fractal geometry first. African Fractals draws attention to an important timeline of the world’s “first fractal”. The Cantor Set, or the so-called “first fractal” was created by Georg Cantor in 1877. But what African Fractals points out is that a fractal pattern that looks awfully similar to the Cantor Set can be seen atop ancient Egyptian temples, which of course are much older than the 17th century. Eglash makes the inference that Georg Cantor may have even taken inspiration from ancient Egyptian architecture to create his Cantor Set. (Eglash 207) I can selfishly ease my conscience a bit by reminding myself that I did recognize the fact that African societies are much older and thus wiser than Western ones… I am not as racist as I could be. It was fascinating and new to me, to read such explicit examples that prove this fact in African Fractals. I found it even humourous to see such blatant examples (like the use of the Cantor Set in Egypt) of how misguided the Western World’s view of African Societies is. 

Something else in this class I found humorous because of just how ridiculously and shamelessly racist it was, was Thomas Jefferson’s assertion in his Notes on the State of Virginia: Query 14 that “But never yet could I find that a black had uttered a thought above the level of plain narration…” (Query 14) Again, to me, this seems like such a ridiculous notion. Of course, Black people are capable of telling intricate and sophisticated stories that include perplexing examples of narration that span beyond streams of consciousness. I had known deep down that this was possible and did not hold this same assumption, I still had my own assumptions about Black literature. I had assumed that the literature we would read in this course and thus the majority of Black literature would be mostly “fugitive slave narratives”, folk tales, and abolitionist songs/poems/essays. Luckily, I was wrong and have never come across such a great display of this fact as I did by reading The Water Cure by Percival Everett. 

The Water Cure could be read as the diary of a man named Ishmael Kidder. His young daughter has been brutally murdered and Kidder is crippled by his grief. In order to cope with these incapacitating feelings, Ishemeal decided that his daughter’s murder needs to be punished. As the book progresses, the reader comes to realize that Ishmeael “may or may not” be holding a man hostage in his basement and torturing him. 

The Water Cure is anything but “plain narration”. Throughout the book, the story is intercepted by various modalities of interruptions. Some of which include drawings. There are drawings of the narrator’s daughter (Everett 19), Picassoesque self-portraits of the narration (Everett 30 ), and a curious slow-built drawing of a cat that is not fully completed until the end of the novel. (Everett 213) These drawings help the book to function more as a journal of the narrator’s mind. The wild drawings help the reader to grasp just how unsettled and sick the narrator is. The main story of The Water Cure is also disrupted by textual interruptions. There are sections of text in other languages (Everett 8), handwritten poems by the narrator (Everett 61), and riddles (Everett 18). I will admit these textual interruptions are even more distracting to the reader than the visual interruptions. But I think that may be precisely the point. Kidder, as the narrator, is trying to distract the reader from what is occurring in his basement. 

To me, it seems that Kidder recognizes that what he “may or may not” be doing could be considered wrong by some people, and while he is trying to confess his inner thoughts to us as the readers he is also trying to be cautious. I think this is exactly why cases of “plain narration” are few and far between in The Water Cure. Kidder wants the readers to focus on what really matters in his situation, not the man in his basement, but the death of his daughter and the grief he is feeling as a result. One of the few examples of “plain narration” that does come up in the book is when Kidder reads his daughter’s coroner’s report to the possible hostage in his basement. This is a detailed account of his daughter’s injuries, the state and place her body was found in, as well as her suspected cause and time of death. (Everett 200) The report is gruesome and devastating. It is at this point, almost at the end of the book, where The Water Cure grinds to a halt. The readers are forced to ignore everything else that has been told to them. Ignore all the previous interruptions, ignore all of their assumptions about what Kidder is doing, and just simply focus on the death of his young daughter. After finishing The Water Cure, I realized that this book is the ultimate example of Black Art that proves both Jefferson’s assumptions of Black Literature and my assumptions wrong.

The fact that Everett even references Thomas Jefferson in The Water Cure (Everett 35) proves that this book was a direct reaction to Jefferson’s racist statement and intended to serve as proof that he was wrong. Jefferson claimed that Black authors and their writings were not capable of producing complexities or works that included anything other than simple streams of consciousness. The Water Cure absolutely destroys this assumption by telling a deeply moving, emotional, and intelligent story all the while hardly using any “plain narration” at all. 

Looking back at my thoughts on Black literature from the beginning of this course, although I am proud to say that my assumptions were not as awful as Thomas Jefferson’s, I still had them. I had assumed that Black literature consisted only of the traditional “fugitive slave narrative” genre. Historically, that was the only example of Black literature I had read. The Water Cure was the first piece of Black literature where the focus was not slavery. Of course, there are still undertones of this in The Water Cure, but after reading I think that the main point of this book was the grief that parents must deal with after they have lost a child, and how much grief can drive a person to extremes. The Water Cure is not only different from any other book by a Black author that I have ever read, but different from any other book I have read period. It completely obliterated the assumptions of Black literature that I had held and helped me realize that Black literature is so much more diverse than I had previously thought. It’s sad to think that in the past I had been limiting myself and my reading to books and literature that fit into my false and misguided schema. I am so grateful to this course for expanding my knowledge and expectations and teaching me to think critically about my assumptions. While African Fractals by Ron Eglash and The Water Cure by Percival Everett seem to have nothing in common, they both have had very similar functions in my learning about literature over the semester. Both books have functioned as counter-stereotypes and provided evidence that completely shattered any assumptions that I or other people in the Western world have historically had.