Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
SEMINAR REFECTION
I found the seminar for the book Cat’s Cradle very interesting. I was able to hear many other opinions on parts of the book that I hadn't even noticed before. A main one that caught my attention was religion and science as a parallel. Before the seminar I thought that the book was mocking religion and it was favoring science. How that even scientist live in such a way, to not pay attention to their children, that they are still people that can create amazing things. However, this seminar allowed me to see that maybe these people that are creating things like the atomic bomb are so inhumane. Or how that science is this thing that we put so much trust in to create our reality and how religion is the same thing we put our faith in this belief, which becomes our reality. Some people during the seminar expressed their beliefs in either science or religion and how they sided with one or the other. Another subject that came up was the idea of free will. I thought that this book was used to promote free will. That Vonnegut wants people/readers to see that they have free will to believe in religion or science and that they can find truth in whatever they need to make them happy. Like the religion of Bokononism it made people happy even though it was illegal and they found the truth and faith in the lies of the religion, which made their reality. All my life I have found that I do not believe in religion that I put my faith in science, but now I have been enlightened by the book to see that my faith comes from whatever reality I chose to believe, whatever truth I chose to believe and whatever lies I chose to believe, they all become my reality. Whether I chose to believe in some science but not all, or some religion but not all, it makes up what I know to be true.
A question that I had about this book for seminar was, what role do you think Newt plays in relation to religion. I believe that Newt is meant to represent the followers of religion. Throughout the book he is looked down upon and considered small and everyone around him is and has a bigger role in the book, like the major religions in the world. But in reality the followers of religion are what make the religion possible to exist, without the followers there would be practically no religion. Newt is always talking about Cat’s Cradle, and I see this as him referring to the bible in a sense. He is like reminding people to look back to religion for the faith. I think of Angela as representation of a big religion like Christianity always coaxing and talking down to their followers, telling them what to do. Angela says to Newt, “‘ You’ve got paint all over your face, honey. Go wash it off.’” (Vonnegut, 170) Like she is saying (as a God) you are doing something wrong, you are dirty of your sins, go wash or cleanse yourself of your sins.
Another question that I had from seminar prep was, in this book what is the reality between truth and lies in life? People chose what to believe whether that is the truth or lies. Sometimes it is a mixture of both. A major example of this in the book is the whole idea of the belief of the religion of Bokononism. People have put their full belief in the religion and they trust this information to be true, when it could be a lie. Others know the truth but have kept up the lie for others or for the benefit of the people of San Lorenzo. I think the line between truth and lie is what makes people’s reality. They can't have just truth or just lie. Or what they think is a lie maybe the truth or vise versa. It’s what makes a community or society or religion work. The whole idea of Bokononism is the reality for people on San Lorenzo is built of the truth and lies of truth and religion.
When I think of Cat’s Cradle the first thing I think of is the Hunger Games. It sounds silly but the whole idea of this separate culture that kills people and that has this strange belief system. The secrets that are built up within the classes of the people are similar in both texts, they both work in the same way. The worlds coming to an end at the end of the book(s) all because of the belief system, because of how powerful these beliefs are changes the irrationality of the people. The science in both books is a stretch for connection, but they both use the power of the science to implement the beliefs. In the Hunger Games when people rebel against the beliefs of the capital they get killed, and in Cat’s Cradle if someone believes in Bokononism they get the hook. Also the idea of people wanting to rebel is a common theme in both books, even though the people know they will be killed it is worth it, its like they are believing in their free will to believe whatever they want no matter what the repercussions are. Or how the common people on both San Lorenzo or in the Capital are so oblivious to the fallacies of the people higher up.
Some more questions I have about the book include:
For the seminar on Cat’s Cradle I think that I should receive an A because I actively engaged in the conversation. I asked a few of my questions from seminar prep and I also responded to my peer’s questions with a thoughtful insight on the book, and my personal opinion on the world and book. Even though I strongly believe that religion is just a fallacy I opened my mind to consider its relevance and importance in the book and altered my opinion on the book itself by doing this. I feel that even though I know this is not my best writing, that I expressed my opinion and reflected well on what I have learned from the seminar and the book. I feel that this book has changed me and my opinions on the world; I have been able to open my mind to the bigger picture that Vonnegut is trying to show me.
CHOICE PROJECT
The Follower
Little Newt
Son of a mad scientist
One who never plays games,
but finds interests in a string
A cat and a cradle in a string
Little Newt
Looked down upon
Down from six foot Angela
The leader of the tiny follower
Angel, the caregiver
Little Newt
Told how to live
What to do and what not to do
But has dreams of his own
Towering above, but below
Little Newt
A midget to all else
Enveloped by vast ideas
Believing in his one faith
whatever that is
Little Newt
Covered and blinded by the scuz
To see the cat and the cradle
To believe Adam and Eve
and the string
Little Newt
So, oh so dirty
Look up to the glorious sky
Confess all sins to him
Wash off the dirt and paint
Little Newt
An icon to the whole
and everyone else I guess
Obey and listen and have faith
There’s a man upstairs who controls Newt
Reflection
The poem The Follower reflects the life of a midget Newt who represents the followers of religion. Angela the “Angel” takes care of Newt always telling him what to do, she represents the major religions. I think she primarily represents Christianity, mostly because she says to Newt, “You’ve got paint all over your face, honey. Go wash it off” (Vonnegut,170). In this poem I speak to him “washing” like he is washing off his sins. Christians are told that they must be cleansed of their sins and because Angela speaks to Newt in this way I feel this religion best represents her.
Also the idea of the cat and the cradle, this obscure idea that Newt is passionate about and keeps putting in people’s faces. Religion is basically a bunch of obscure ideas that people put their faith in because it makes sense to them. The cat and the cradle, the string it makes sense to him, it’s his religion and he tries to share it will everyone else.
The cat and the cradle could also be symbols of Adam and Eve if viewed from a religious standpoint. Its almost as if Newt showing people that the end of the world is coming and that they must see the cat and the cradle, the beginning of life… of course only in Newt’s and Felix’s world.
The use of repetition in this poem helps reiterate how small Newt is and how he represents the followers of religion. The followers of religion are so small compared to the larger aspects of religion, whatever that may be. Newt is so tiny in this larger world of many religions, scientific ideas like the atomic bomb, wars, and even the people he interacts with on a day to day basis. This midget has all of these things above him, things that affect him and make him who he is.
My first draft of this poem was more of a poetic story rather than a poem of what Newt is and what he represents. I tried to create what is called a found poem, which is a collection of quotes from the text in the form of a poem to give a bigger meaning. When I started the poem as a found poem, it started out as more like a story and I realized that it was going to take a very long time and it would be very difficult to find all the quotes that I needed to make my point. If I had read the book maybe one or two more times I feel that I would have been able to create a found poem. So I chose to go simpler, I really liked the idea of repeating the name Newt and drilling the idea that he is little into the minds of the readers. So I started from the beginning and each stanza has some what of a theme that alludes to who Newt is and what he represents in this book. Not only does the repeating of “Little Newt” add a constant reminder that Newt is a midget, but it also adds this idea in the back of the reader’s head as they read that Newt is a little follower that he is small than everything that the readers read.
I found the seminar for the book Cat’s Cradle very interesting. I was able to hear many other opinions on parts of the book that I hadn't even noticed before. A main one that caught my attention was religion and science as a parallel. Before the seminar I thought that the book was mocking religion and it was favoring science. How that even scientist live in such a way, to not pay attention to their children, that they are still people that can create amazing things. However, this seminar allowed me to see that maybe these people that are creating things like the atomic bomb are so inhumane. Or how that science is this thing that we put so much trust in to create our reality and how religion is the same thing we put our faith in this belief, which becomes our reality. Some people during the seminar expressed their beliefs in either science or religion and how they sided with one or the other. Another subject that came up was the idea of free will. I thought that this book was used to promote free will. That Vonnegut wants people/readers to see that they have free will to believe in religion or science and that they can find truth in whatever they need to make them happy. Like the religion of Bokononism it made people happy even though it was illegal and they found the truth and faith in the lies of the religion, which made their reality. All my life I have found that I do not believe in religion that I put my faith in science, but now I have been enlightened by the book to see that my faith comes from whatever reality I chose to believe, whatever truth I chose to believe and whatever lies I chose to believe, they all become my reality. Whether I chose to believe in some science but not all, or some religion but not all, it makes up what I know to be true.
A question that I had about this book for seminar was, what role do you think Newt plays in relation to religion. I believe that Newt is meant to represent the followers of religion. Throughout the book he is looked down upon and considered small and everyone around him is and has a bigger role in the book, like the major religions in the world. But in reality the followers of religion are what make the religion possible to exist, without the followers there would be practically no religion. Newt is always talking about Cat’s Cradle, and I see this as him referring to the bible in a sense. He is like reminding people to look back to religion for the faith. I think of Angela as representation of a big religion like Christianity always coaxing and talking down to their followers, telling them what to do. Angela says to Newt, “‘ You’ve got paint all over your face, honey. Go wash it off.’” (Vonnegut, 170) Like she is saying (as a God) you are doing something wrong, you are dirty of your sins, go wash or cleanse yourself of your sins.
Another question that I had from seminar prep was, in this book what is the reality between truth and lies in life? People chose what to believe whether that is the truth or lies. Sometimes it is a mixture of both. A major example of this in the book is the whole idea of the belief of the religion of Bokononism. People have put their full belief in the religion and they trust this information to be true, when it could be a lie. Others know the truth but have kept up the lie for others or for the benefit of the people of San Lorenzo. I think the line between truth and lie is what makes people’s reality. They can't have just truth or just lie. Or what they think is a lie maybe the truth or vise versa. It’s what makes a community or society or religion work. The whole idea of Bokononism is the reality for people on San Lorenzo is built of the truth and lies of truth and religion.
When I think of Cat’s Cradle the first thing I think of is the Hunger Games. It sounds silly but the whole idea of this separate culture that kills people and that has this strange belief system. The secrets that are built up within the classes of the people are similar in both texts, they both work in the same way. The worlds coming to an end at the end of the book(s) all because of the belief system, because of how powerful these beliefs are changes the irrationality of the people. The science in both books is a stretch for connection, but they both use the power of the science to implement the beliefs. In the Hunger Games when people rebel against the beliefs of the capital they get killed, and in Cat’s Cradle if someone believes in Bokononism they get the hook. Also the idea of people wanting to rebel is a common theme in both books, even though the people know they will be killed it is worth it, its like they are believing in their free will to believe whatever they want no matter what the repercussions are. Or how the common people on both San Lorenzo or in the Capital are so oblivious to the fallacies of the people higher up.
Some more questions I have about the book include:
- What are the roles of the humanists in this book?
- What are the roles of the anti humanists in this book?
- What is the meaning of the open birdcage on the front for the book?
- Is Vonnegut religious? If so to what extent and to what religion?
For the seminar on Cat’s Cradle I think that I should receive an A because I actively engaged in the conversation. I asked a few of my questions from seminar prep and I also responded to my peer’s questions with a thoughtful insight on the book, and my personal opinion on the world and book. Even though I strongly believe that religion is just a fallacy I opened my mind to consider its relevance and importance in the book and altered my opinion on the book itself by doing this. I feel that even though I know this is not my best writing, that I expressed my opinion and reflected well on what I have learned from the seminar and the book. I feel that this book has changed me and my opinions on the world; I have been able to open my mind to the bigger picture that Vonnegut is trying to show me.
CHOICE PROJECT
The Follower
Little Newt
Son of a mad scientist
One who never plays games,
but finds interests in a string
A cat and a cradle in a string
Little Newt
Looked down upon
Down from six foot Angela
The leader of the tiny follower
Angel, the caregiver
Little Newt
Told how to live
What to do and what not to do
But has dreams of his own
Towering above, but below
Little Newt
A midget to all else
Enveloped by vast ideas
Believing in his one faith
whatever that is
Little Newt
Covered and blinded by the scuz
To see the cat and the cradle
To believe Adam and Eve
and the string
Little Newt
So, oh so dirty
Look up to the glorious sky
Confess all sins to him
Wash off the dirt and paint
Little Newt
An icon to the whole
and everyone else I guess
Obey and listen and have faith
There’s a man upstairs who controls Newt
Reflection
The poem The Follower reflects the life of a midget Newt who represents the followers of religion. Angela the “Angel” takes care of Newt always telling him what to do, she represents the major religions. I think she primarily represents Christianity, mostly because she says to Newt, “You’ve got paint all over your face, honey. Go wash it off” (Vonnegut,170). In this poem I speak to him “washing” like he is washing off his sins. Christians are told that they must be cleansed of their sins and because Angela speaks to Newt in this way I feel this religion best represents her.
Also the idea of the cat and the cradle, this obscure idea that Newt is passionate about and keeps putting in people’s faces. Religion is basically a bunch of obscure ideas that people put their faith in because it makes sense to them. The cat and the cradle, the string it makes sense to him, it’s his religion and he tries to share it will everyone else.
The cat and the cradle could also be symbols of Adam and Eve if viewed from a religious standpoint. Its almost as if Newt showing people that the end of the world is coming and that they must see the cat and the cradle, the beginning of life… of course only in Newt’s and Felix’s world.
The use of repetition in this poem helps reiterate how small Newt is and how he represents the followers of religion. The followers of religion are so small compared to the larger aspects of religion, whatever that may be. Newt is so tiny in this larger world of many religions, scientific ideas like the atomic bomb, wars, and even the people he interacts with on a day to day basis. This midget has all of these things above him, things that affect him and make him who he is.
My first draft of this poem was more of a poetic story rather than a poem of what Newt is and what he represents. I tried to create what is called a found poem, which is a collection of quotes from the text in the form of a poem to give a bigger meaning. When I started the poem as a found poem, it started out as more like a story and I realized that it was going to take a very long time and it would be very difficult to find all the quotes that I needed to make my point. If I had read the book maybe one or two more times I feel that I would have been able to create a found poem. So I chose to go simpler, I really liked the idea of repeating the name Newt and drilling the idea that he is little into the minds of the readers. So I started from the beginning and each stanza has some what of a theme that alludes to who Newt is and what he represents in this book. Not only does the repeating of “Little Newt” add a constant reminder that Newt is a midget, but it also adds this idea in the back of the reader’s head as they read that Newt is a little follower that he is small than everything that the readers read.
The Monkey Wrench Gang by EDward Abbey
"Vietnam veteran George Washington Hayduke III returns home to the desert only to find his beloved canyons and rivers now threatened by industrial development. Joining forces with Bronx exile and feminist saboteur Bonnie Abzug, wilderness guide and social outcast Mormon Seldom Seen Smith, and libertarian billboard torcher Doc Sarvis, M.D., Hayduke is ready to fight the power and take on the strip miners, clear cutters, as well as the highway, dam, and bridge builders who are threatening to destroy the natural habitat.
With the Monkey Wrench Gang newly formed, the team sets out to destroy eyesores and protect their environment's natural beauty. This wildly funny and infinitely wise novel is among Abbey's most famous works of fiction. It was, in fact, so influential that the term "monkey wrench" became a blanket term for any activity performed in the name of environmental preservation. " -Amazon's book summary
SEMINAR REFECTION
The seminar for the book The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey was interesting and intriguing. During the seminar many ideas and opinions were expressed about the book, some that I hadn’t even thought about. A compelling question that came up during the seminar was, are the characters environmental terrorist and/or are they committing environmental terrorism. While reading the book I had not thought about what the characters on a larger scale like terrorism. The acts that were committed in the book were very destructive and could be considered terrorism. I learned from the discussion that there is a fine line between environmental terrorism and act for environmental justice, and it all depends on how you look at it and who is looking at it. Some may consider what the characters did terrorism because of the extreme destruction to the land and the property, while others will see that the acts against the industrialized areas were to bring justice to what has happened to those areas. Another aspect of the seminar was the motive behind what the characters did and why subconsciously they did them. During the seminar Hayden said, “I don’t think the characters in the book were able to adapt (to industrialization). And they were retrogressive.” Reflecting on what she said now has allowed me to see that the characters were stuck in their ways and belief systems therefore making it difficult for them to understand industrialization and adapt to its ever growing reality. The ideologies of the characters did appear retrogressive for some if not all, they wanted to go back to how it was before the growth of tourist and industrialization, and they did not want to see progression in their land. I believe that Abbey used this characterization to show the extreme beliefs of the characters which also alludes to the idea that they believed in a higher power that is the environment, that the environment should stay how it is, how it was meant to be and that the progression of industrialization is destroying and interfering with that belief.
For my seminar prep I asked the question why did the different values of each character make them work well together? During the seminar I did not ask this exact question however, I changed my question slightly to ask about how the different values of the characters represented main components of American society and culture therefore making the characters symbiotic. I believe that each character in The Monkey Wrench Gang represents an aspect of America. Although they each have different reasons for doing what they do, they all believe that something should be done and that is what brings them together. Like most in American society, the characters believe that they have the right to do what they please and stand up for what they want and believe. The character Doc represents the upper class or wealthy people because he does whatever he wants despite the consequences and he provides the gang with the equipment needed to attempt to destroy industrialized areas of the desert. In the beginning of the book he would vandalize billboards with his young and ambitious lover in order to show that there are no boundaries and to make fun of what the companies and corporations are saying on the billboards. His lover, Bonnie, stands for the all American dream that this is my country and I can do whatever I want, shown in her ambition to help and take part in the destruction of the machinery. She also represents the women in American who fight against sexism. In a broader sense Bonnie is a hippie living in her care-free, weed smoking, save-the-environment world. Seldom-Seen-Smith is the religious
During and after reading this book I was able to make some connections, mostly with the area that the book takes place in. I have been to Utah many times and can practically call it my second home. While reading this book I was really able to imagine myself climbing the rocks and swimming in the water, traveling and doing crazy things alongside the monkey wench gang. I also believe very strongly in protecting and preserving our Earth so I was also able to connect spiritually with the place and mentally with the characters.
Some questions that still remain after the seminar are:
CHOICE PROJECT
Just Earth
Red flushed rocks enclose me
mesa after mesa, arch after arch
the unfathomable canyon floors whisper to me,
their mysteries of yesteryear.
The pure sky stares blankly back at me
telling me the world is exposed
wild and free.
But not mine to keep.
The copious muscle toned rock
forms from her imaginations,
exposing stories of tears that flushed through
the breathtaking creations.
Meager tangled brush stretches out,
inviting me to experience the vast land,
disregarded of its beauty but embraced
by the believers of the power the earth encompasses.
Reflection:
This poem talks about the idea of the environment or earth being a higher power. Some believe in God or multiple gods but for me I believe in the environment. The land that is described in the book, The Monkey Wrench Gang, really resonates with me and so I wrote a poem that showed how I feel about that area. A major, major aspect of this book was environmentalism and acting out against environmental injustice and through my poem I was able to show how valuable and beautiful the earth is. My point of the poem was to share that we need to protect this very special thing called Earth because its not just a piece of land, it has a power.
In my poem I used personification to try and connect the human readers with the environment found in the desert. I wanted people who read it to feel a connection to the earth and understand that it is not just land that it can relate to humans. By attaching the readers to the land I am describing I hope that they will understand the power the environment has. Some metaphor is used in “tangles brush stretches out’, and although the brush doesn't actually stretch out and it just sits there, I was trying to show that the earth wants to grab the reader to bring it into the poem and understand.
My first draft of this was more of a story however I felt that it didn’t capture the true power of the Earth so altered it to really shower the images in mind and how they were affected by the environment. I think my final draft allows for deeper thought and evokes not only strong feelings about the environment but also promotes continuous thought about peoples personal connections to the environment and its power.
With the Monkey Wrench Gang newly formed, the team sets out to destroy eyesores and protect their environment's natural beauty. This wildly funny and infinitely wise novel is among Abbey's most famous works of fiction. It was, in fact, so influential that the term "monkey wrench" became a blanket term for any activity performed in the name of environmental preservation. " -Amazon's book summary
SEMINAR REFECTION
The seminar for the book The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey was interesting and intriguing. During the seminar many ideas and opinions were expressed about the book, some that I hadn’t even thought about. A compelling question that came up during the seminar was, are the characters environmental terrorist and/or are they committing environmental terrorism. While reading the book I had not thought about what the characters on a larger scale like terrorism. The acts that were committed in the book were very destructive and could be considered terrorism. I learned from the discussion that there is a fine line between environmental terrorism and act for environmental justice, and it all depends on how you look at it and who is looking at it. Some may consider what the characters did terrorism because of the extreme destruction to the land and the property, while others will see that the acts against the industrialized areas were to bring justice to what has happened to those areas. Another aspect of the seminar was the motive behind what the characters did and why subconsciously they did them. During the seminar Hayden said, “I don’t think the characters in the book were able to adapt (to industrialization). And they were retrogressive.” Reflecting on what she said now has allowed me to see that the characters were stuck in their ways and belief systems therefore making it difficult for them to understand industrialization and adapt to its ever growing reality. The ideologies of the characters did appear retrogressive for some if not all, they wanted to go back to how it was before the growth of tourist and industrialization, and they did not want to see progression in their land. I believe that Abbey used this characterization to show the extreme beliefs of the characters which also alludes to the idea that they believed in a higher power that is the environment, that the environment should stay how it is, how it was meant to be and that the progression of industrialization is destroying and interfering with that belief.
For my seminar prep I asked the question why did the different values of each character make them work well together? During the seminar I did not ask this exact question however, I changed my question slightly to ask about how the different values of the characters represented main components of American society and culture therefore making the characters symbiotic. I believe that each character in The Monkey Wrench Gang represents an aspect of America. Although they each have different reasons for doing what they do, they all believe that something should be done and that is what brings them together. Like most in American society, the characters believe that they have the right to do what they please and stand up for what they want and believe. The character Doc represents the upper class or wealthy people because he does whatever he wants despite the consequences and he provides the gang with the equipment needed to attempt to destroy industrialized areas of the desert. In the beginning of the book he would vandalize billboards with his young and ambitious lover in order to show that there are no boundaries and to make fun of what the companies and corporations are saying on the billboards. His lover, Bonnie, stands for the all American dream that this is my country and I can do whatever I want, shown in her ambition to help and take part in the destruction of the machinery. She also represents the women in American who fight against sexism. In a broader sense Bonnie is a hippie living in her care-free, weed smoking, save-the-environment world. Seldom-Seen-Smith is the religious
During and after reading this book I was able to make some connections, mostly with the area that the book takes place in. I have been to Utah many times and can practically call it my second home. While reading this book I was really able to imagine myself climbing the rocks and swimming in the water, traveling and doing crazy things alongside the monkey wench gang. I also believe very strongly in protecting and preserving our Earth so I was also able to connect spiritually with the place and mentally with the characters.
Some questions that still remain after the seminar are:
- What is Bonnie’s idea of love? Is it just sex for her?
- Why did they act and talk so negatively towards the Indians?
- Why do you think these “environmentalist” that have such strong values treat the environment so badly?
- Why did the different values of each character make them work well together?
CHOICE PROJECT
Just Earth
Red flushed rocks enclose me
mesa after mesa, arch after arch
the unfathomable canyon floors whisper to me,
their mysteries of yesteryear.
The pure sky stares blankly back at me
telling me the world is exposed
wild and free.
But not mine to keep.
The copious muscle toned rock
forms from her imaginations,
exposing stories of tears that flushed through
the breathtaking creations.
Meager tangled brush stretches out,
inviting me to experience the vast land,
disregarded of its beauty but embraced
by the believers of the power the earth encompasses.
Reflection:
This poem talks about the idea of the environment or earth being a higher power. Some believe in God or multiple gods but for me I believe in the environment. The land that is described in the book, The Monkey Wrench Gang, really resonates with me and so I wrote a poem that showed how I feel about that area. A major, major aspect of this book was environmentalism and acting out against environmental injustice and through my poem I was able to show how valuable and beautiful the earth is. My point of the poem was to share that we need to protect this very special thing called Earth because its not just a piece of land, it has a power.
In my poem I used personification to try and connect the human readers with the environment found in the desert. I wanted people who read it to feel a connection to the earth and understand that it is not just land that it can relate to humans. By attaching the readers to the land I am describing I hope that they will understand the power the environment has. Some metaphor is used in “tangles brush stretches out’, and although the brush doesn't actually stretch out and it just sits there, I was trying to show that the earth wants to grab the reader to bring it into the poem and understand.
My first draft of this was more of a story however I felt that it didn’t capture the true power of the Earth so altered it to really shower the images in mind and how they were affected by the environment. I think my final draft allows for deeper thought and evokes not only strong feelings about the environment but also promotes continuous thought about peoples personal connections to the environment and its power.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
SEMINAR REFECTION
During the seminar for the book Their Eyes Were Watching God there was discussion around the comparison of what Zora Neale Hurston wrote and what two critiques of the book said. A few people in the group argued that Richard Wright was correct in that the book had no plot, while others believed that there was a deeper meaning to what Zora had written. We discussed the messages and motives behind objects, people, and symbols that were written in the book. I personally, after reading the book, thought that the book itself had no plot and was a simple story that was only made complex by the intense dialect. For me, the dialect only made the story more difficult to read and confusing. Another topic discussed in the seminar was the gender roles that Zora may have used to add depth to the book. We talked about how Janie was a powerful character throughout the book that represented the women in South during the post slavery time period. We discussed how the author used the characters and maybe over exemplified them to exaggerate the oppression of women and possibly African American people.
One of my question from my seminar prep was what does the pear tree from the beginning of the book represent. And after the seminar I would like to expand on that question and see how the pear tree carries out through the entire book. During the seminar we did talk about the pear tree and also the meaning and usage of growth that Zora used in her writing. I feel that the pear tree still symbolizes the maturity and womanhood to Janie. After the seminar I was able to expand my thinking on this question I am thinking that the pear tree also signifies the mental and physical growth of Janie throughout her life and experiences. The book describes the tree and Janie’s relationship as, “Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered, things enjoyed, things undone” (Hurston 8).
At the beginning of the book Zora starts to allude to the ideas of Janie and how she grow like a tree throughout her life and the book. How the tree branches out and suffers and thrives under the things that nourish it. Like Janie, the many husbands that abuse and love her, all the experiences that she has changed how she grows as a black woman in the south. In this sense the author does a wonderful job of adding a deep symbol that carries the along in the story and helps paint a profounder character.
While I was reading the book and during the seminar I was constantly thinking about the racial aspect of the book along with the role of power that follows alongside the idea of racial issues. I am still thinking about the power of the black men over the black women and the power of the white people over the black people. These thoughts are constantly with me because some of the bigger issues in the United States right now are surrounding the racial conflicts. There is a lot of violence that is happening in communities and a lot of blame that is happening between races. People are dying and the power that people have, especially authorities is in question. I see the connection between the continuous rising questions that people in the 21st century and the question I have about what happens in the book by Zora Neale Hurston
Some questions that I still have after the seminar are:
1. How does power play a role in this book and story? For example, the power of the hurricane, or the power of the African American men.
2. What do all the locations and communities that Janie lives in and becomes a part of represent?
3. Why did they hate on the Indians?
4. Explore the title a little bit more.
During the seminar for the book Their Eyes Were Watching God there was discussion around the comparison of what Zora Neale Hurston wrote and what two critiques of the book said. A few people in the group argued that Richard Wright was correct in that the book had no plot, while others believed that there was a deeper meaning to what Zora had written. We discussed the messages and motives behind objects, people, and symbols that were written in the book. I personally, after reading the book, thought that the book itself had no plot and was a simple story that was only made complex by the intense dialect. For me, the dialect only made the story more difficult to read and confusing. Another topic discussed in the seminar was the gender roles that Zora may have used to add depth to the book. We talked about how Janie was a powerful character throughout the book that represented the women in South during the post slavery time period. We discussed how the author used the characters and maybe over exemplified them to exaggerate the oppression of women and possibly African American people.
One of my question from my seminar prep was what does the pear tree from the beginning of the book represent. And after the seminar I would like to expand on that question and see how the pear tree carries out through the entire book. During the seminar we did talk about the pear tree and also the meaning and usage of growth that Zora used in her writing. I feel that the pear tree still symbolizes the maturity and womanhood to Janie. After the seminar I was able to expand my thinking on this question I am thinking that the pear tree also signifies the mental and physical growth of Janie throughout her life and experiences. The book describes the tree and Janie’s relationship as, “Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered, things enjoyed, things undone” (Hurston 8).
At the beginning of the book Zora starts to allude to the ideas of Janie and how she grow like a tree throughout her life and the book. How the tree branches out and suffers and thrives under the things that nourish it. Like Janie, the many husbands that abuse and love her, all the experiences that she has changed how she grows as a black woman in the south. In this sense the author does a wonderful job of adding a deep symbol that carries the along in the story and helps paint a profounder character.
While I was reading the book and during the seminar I was constantly thinking about the racial aspect of the book along with the role of power that follows alongside the idea of racial issues. I am still thinking about the power of the black men over the black women and the power of the white people over the black people. These thoughts are constantly with me because some of the bigger issues in the United States right now are surrounding the racial conflicts. There is a lot of violence that is happening in communities and a lot of blame that is happening between races. People are dying and the power that people have, especially authorities is in question. I see the connection between the continuous rising questions that people in the 21st century and the question I have about what happens in the book by Zora Neale Hurston
Some questions that I still have after the seminar are:
1. How does power play a role in this book and story? For example, the power of the hurricane, or the power of the African American men.
2. What do all the locations and communities that Janie lives in and becomes a part of represent?
3. Why did they hate on the Indians?
4. Explore the title a little bit more.
Honors Book Club Reflection
For Humanities Honor Book Club we were to read multiple books that were assigned to us. After reading the books were were to participate and contribute to a seminar with the rest of the book club members, then we were to create a thoughtful and reflective choice project that would reflect the book as well as out thinking. For this semester of book club we were assigned the books Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey, and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. Our seminars consisted of questions and connections that we had prepared, we then discussed in great detail the themes and symbols of the book. We went into depth on what the author wrote as well as morals that we pulled from the book. After the seminar we reflected on what was discussed during the seminar as well as what we thought of the book. Our reflection was more personal than a analytical analysis of the book. We were then to create a project of choosing. We submitted a brief project proposal that outlined our project. The project could be of a variety of things as long as it reflected what we gained from reading the book and the seminar, as well as an analysis of what we read. Our choices for projects included a creative writing response (poem or short story) with an artist statement, an artistic piece with an artist statement, literary analysis essay, and a mini documentation binder. I chose to write two poems because I felt that it was the best way for me to express what I learned from the books that I read. The books that we read had a lot of powerful messages that I thought could be very influential and deep in poem form. While writing the seminar reflections many ideas came to me and so the themes of the poems I wanted to write popped into my head.
I think that reading The Monkey Wrench Gang had the most profound impact on my learning and on my understanding of the world. Because we read this book during our class studies of the environment and energy I felt that this book really allowed me to dive deeper into what we were studying. The book was about destruction of the industrialization of the southwest. Since I felt very connected to the location where this book took place, I was able to really resinate with what Abbey wrote and his motives behind what he wrote. After reading the book I saw the land around me and my popular vacation spots with more concern for the environment. I love these areas so much and after leaping into this reading I became very passionate about protecting the beautiful land that we live on. The book really changed my perspective on the earth and how we treat it. During class, however, I was able to pull content and connections from inside and outside the book to really gain a better, well-rounded, understanding of Abbey's message as well as what other people like Abbey are trying to do.
I think that reading The Monkey Wrench Gang had the most profound impact on my learning and on my understanding of the world. Because we read this book during our class studies of the environment and energy I felt that this book really allowed me to dive deeper into what we were studying. The book was about destruction of the industrialization of the southwest. Since I felt very connected to the location where this book took place, I was able to really resinate with what Abbey wrote and his motives behind what he wrote. After reading the book I saw the land around me and my popular vacation spots with more concern for the environment. I love these areas so much and after leaping into this reading I became very passionate about protecting the beautiful land that we live on. The book really changed my perspective on the earth and how we treat it. During class, however, I was able to pull content and connections from inside and outside the book to really gain a better, well-rounded, understanding of Abbey's message as well as what other people like Abbey are trying to do.