Yesterday in class when discussing in groups some of the ways Big Machine connected to large course themes, Andrew Weber brought up an interesting point about the concept of doubt. For me, doubt and faith have always been at odds with each other; however he said the opposite. He viewed doubt as an essential part of faith, stating that without doubt, faith is superficial. Just because we question religion does not mean we lack faith, merely that our faith is deep enough that we can ask ourselves about it without wavering.
Learning How To Blog
Originally, I wanted to dedicate my last blog post to one of the lectures I attended this semester. However, I started thinking about my first blog and how different it is from the rest that I have posted so far. In this last blog post, I will discuss my experience as a first-time blogger.
Writing my first blog post was very difficult for me. One of the major things that made it a difficult experience was my perception of blogging. Before, blogging appeared to me as some sort of area for what many consider to be “free writing.” So when I was given the task to write 10 blogs I knew I was going to have the same experience I did in high school when I had to free write; I was going to be horrible at it. And my first blog post did not tell me anything different. However, the style was just as I intended, Dr. McCoy described it as “open and conversational and thus eminently suitable for a blog post.” So when I received the grade I did I then wondered where did I go wrong? Dr. McCoy’s response to this question was that I needed to “SLOW DOWN” or as she says in class, “now unpack.” I then thought to myself how it was possible to have my writing be conversational but to also unpack its content.
After receiving Dr. McCoy’s advice, I decided to take a risk by writing my third blog post in a more academic tone. I reminded myself of what a typical essay consists of:
- Introduction
- Topic sentences
- Analysis
- Conclusion
Now how would I include all these things in my blog post and keep it conversational? I knew my AP Literature professor told me that a good essay has both quotes and analysis threaded throughout a paragraph. So I figured that the best way to have a conversational blog post and still be able to unpack was to thread the conversational and academic aspect throughout my blog posts. Therefore, I would be fulfilling both parts rather than having to choose one.
I think there is more to learn as I continue to blog. I now know how to intertwine both the conversational and academic parts the I was missing. I am eager to continue blogging!
Is Big Machine Linear or Cyclic?
Throughout the semester we have considered the function of linear and cyclic interpretations of time. It is particularly fitting this time of year as many seniors prepare for graduation. While I view my path as an accumulation of credits toward the eventual walk across the stage, Beth reminds us all of the incoming class that tours outside Welles every day. My journey toward graduation has been linear, though the college engages in continuous cycles of admitting and graduating its students. Thus, the college experience is both linear and cyclic. Of course, Big Machine is too. Continue reading “Is Big Machine Linear or Cyclic?”
Afro-Futurism… What the… Never mind
Throughout our African-American literature class, a common place that I have found my self is in the realm of “what is actually going on.” This is not just a recurring question but an entire “realm” of confusion. Surprisingly I have been becoming progressively more comfortable in my un-comfortability with the texts we have confronted. This process was not easy for me for a number of different reasons, the first being because I had aligned in my own mind, based on my own cultural experiences, what was normal and what was abnormal for all black people ever. Which after typing it out, sounds awfully ignorant. I am pleased to acknowledge that this class has opened me up to texts that I may not have chosen on own prior to this class and expanded my understanding of literary categories and sub-categories. Continue reading “Afro-Futurism… What the… Never mind”
Bloodchild: Master to Slave or Partner to Partner?
After reading Octavia Butler’s Bloodchild and the afterword, controversy was sparked in class over Butler’s dismissal of the reading of her sci-fi short story as alluding to slavery. As I recall, there were a few in class who had interpreted it as such. I’ve written prior blog posts about Bloodchild and really enjoyed the read and how it dealt with Gan’s blooming maturity and the alien (I mean alien in the sense of foreign to me, not extraterrestrial) love shared between him and T’Gatoi.
I don’t agree with Butler that her story can’t be read as alluding to slavery because I feel no right to decide how people interpret something, but at the same time I think there are some key aspects of the story missed by those who read it this way.
Continue reading “Bloodchild: Master to Slave or Partner to Partner?”
Consent.
Throughout the course, there has always been the underlying conversation of consent. We have talked endlessly about how “Bloodchild” by Octavia Butler and Big Machine by Victor Lavalle are connected by the lack of consent given by the protagonist in the texts. As I was flipping through Call and Response thinking of how I could address the issue of consent without being redundant, I came across Harriet A. Jacobs’ slave narrative and began to skim through the text again, as I did this I began to realize that this narrative also deals with the issue of lack of consent.
In Big Machine the lack of consent arises in a way that I think none of us saw coming. Ricky has been impregnated, “the tiny little wound looked like a needle mark, honestly I certainly recognized those. Had I been stabbed, or injected?” (145). In this moment Ricky does not know that he has indeed been impregnated with the last angel on Earth. All he knows is that he has been “impaled” in some way by a creature in the sewers. Although the issue of consent is prevalent in both texts, they are represented in very different ways.
For Harriet Jacobs, the lack of consent appears in the “normal” way one would (unfortunately) expect it to. While reading the editorial introduction to her narrative the editor discloses that, “at fifteen, Harriet quickly discovered the disadvantages of being an attractive black female and a slave. Dr. James Norcom…made repeated sexual advances to Jacobs” (433). This is where the difference comes into play. “He built a house for Jacobs in 1835, a short distance from his own home, and expected her to reside there, take in sewing, and provide sexual favors for him” (433). It is saddening to look back on a text such as this and see that a problem that is (unfortunately) still prevalent today, began all those years ago. It is also enlightening though to see that consent can play a part in areas other than sexually.
“Looking Back While Pushing Forward…” A Reflection
As many of my classmates have stated: it seems only appropriate to end this blog posting assignment with a reflection on what I have already done. Specifically, I’d like to look back on my first blog post of the semester.
“Doubt is the big machine. It grinds up the delusions of women and men.” — Victor Lavalle, Big Machine
Continue reading ““Looking Back While Pushing Forward…” A Reflection”
The Face of Goodness May Surprise You
In class discussion yesterday, Maria Papas brought up this passage from Big Machine to support her argument that the book does not glorify substance abuse:
“Go and tell someone the worst thing about yourself. Cheated on a husband. Abused your child. Or, like in my case, that you’ve been addicted to heroin for half your life. Just tell them that and nothing else. You find that people come up with an entire history based on that one fact. They assume the worst about you.” p.95
To me, this quote speaks about perception and first impressions, a topic I’ve written about before and am interested in. Immediately I was reminded of the quote I picked out last Friday from Big Machine
“The face of goodness may surprise you.” p.265
“Doubt is the Big Machine…” but What About the Other Machines?
I definitely do not have an answer for anything I am about to express here, but it is something I am curious about. In his novel Big Machine, Victor Lavalle constantly engages in repetition and recursion. Many of the people and concepts that were introduced early (or earlier) in the novel travel with us until the very end… faith, doubt, the Washerwomen, Ricky’s relationship with his father… Even Peach Tree. Even the message, “Doubt is the big machine,” is right there on the last page. But what about the other machines?
Continue reading ““Doubt is the Big Machine…” but What About the Other Machines?”
The Hero’s Journey
I’m currently taking American Visions: The Hero in Film with Professor Gillin. In this class we discussed the classic hero structure presented in Joseph Campbell’s The Hero With A Thousand Faces. This book analyzes in depth fairy tales and folk lore across many cultures, looking for similarities in the stories. Campbell boils down the structure of the classic hero adventure tale into segments.
I thought it would be fun to see if I could fit Ricky Rice’s character arc in LaValle’s big machine into Campbell’s theory. Continue reading “The Hero’s Journey”