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COMLIT 100A - Coggle Diagram
COMLIT 100A
NARRATIVES
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A SMALL PLACE
Jamaica Kincaid, 1988
a creative non-fiction novel divided into 4 sections to express the reality of Antigua and the long-withstanding effects of colonialism SECOND PERSON NARRATION
- directly speaking to the dominant Western audience
- takes place only a couple years after Antigua declares independence = memories of colonialism still prevalent in community
NONFICTION WITH CREATIVE STORYTELLING TECHNIQUES
- author forcefully places reader in role as Western tourist in Antigua despite their background
- aimed at pointing out pressing issues in community caused by tourism that need immediate action = nonfiction storytelling from witnessing these problems first hand = reliability
COLONIZER VS COLONIZED
- Antigua's identity is largely shaped by its relation to the West/ previous colonial power
- consequences of having this dependent identity
- present issues result of previous colonial presence
LIFE AND DEBT
Stephanie Black, 2001
documentary giving insight to the effects of European intervention in Jamaica GLOBALIZATION
- effects of globalization in the late 20th century going into the 21st century
- globalization tied to colonialism and continuation of imperialism
- extent of damage to developing countries
DESIRE
A RAISIN IN THE SUN
Lorraine Hansberry, 1959
play set in 1950s Chicago as a low income black family responds to receiving an insurance check from the father's passingDREAMS VS DESIRE VS SOCIAL INEQUALITIES
- a raisin in the sun represents the dreams of the characters in the play as well as the communities of people oppressed in society who cannot achieve their dreams = with time the dream/raisin gets smaller and dries up more and more ...but never disappears
- role of social inequalities in the pursuit their dreams
WALTER
- desire for financial stability
- the most idealistic family member // has the imagination necessary to form dreams + faith that they are possible to achieve
- desires for upward mobility leads to downfall for himself and family = how much of the blame goes to him
- Inevitability // social pattern = when men like Walter trying to reach dreams it backfires
BENEATHA
- connection to culture
- dreams are shaped by role in society as woman of color // desire to prove social stereotypes wrong
- education and elitism in society
RUTH
- desire for financial stability and home
- comes off as most realistic when it comes to reaching dreams = clashes with husband
MAMA
- matriarch of family
- desire for family home and to uphold her late husband's wish
- contradicts with her desire to support her son's dreams
PARASITE
Bong Joon-ho, 2019
traces relationship between 2 families of distinct socioeconomic classes CRITIQUE VS ABOLITION OF SOCIOECONOMIC CLASSES
- film focuses on the attitude and treatment of upper classes to the lower classes
CRITIQUES...
- manners
- need to constantly reassert power
- ignorance
- insensitivity and lack of empathy
DOES NOT CRITIQUE...
- the class system itself
- their wealth or how they got it
THEREFORE..
wants to improve relationship and compassion between the classes but not to abolish them
MADAME BOVARY
Gustave Flaubert, 1859
follows Emma, who grew up reading romance novels in her rural farm home, and her journey with romance and marriage which ultimately ends with disappointment and her deathDESIRE FOR WEALTH & ROMANCE IN BOURGEOIS WORLD
- shaped by major changes going on in France during the time = modernization and development of bourgeoisie
FANTASIES
- traces Emma's journey with her fantasies, both the development and later on attachment to them and how they eventually lead to her downfall
- also known as "fairytales"
- development = influenced by...
- reading books and media she consumed growing up
- social norms that push for marriage to man -
attachment =
- stayed resilient in pursuing her dreams even as she continued to get older
- marriage was not enough and when she had a child she admitted to being unmoved
- downfall =
- role of her fantasies play a role in her ultimate downfall
- failure to recognize and separate fantasy from real life
- could optimism or the loyalty to achieve one's dreams be negative ?
- debt caused for her to take own life // her story can be seen as a tragedy
REALISM
- expressing reality of the complexities of life and people's experiences
- questions morality with characters, asks many questions for the reader
- realistic approach to the concept of adultery which is usually depicted in the same negative light
- contrast to the fictional romantic stories Emma is reading
FOCALIZED NARRATION
- unknown narrator
- difficult to distinguish thoughts and feelings of characters
- pro= insight to the relationship between the characters and the author
AUTHORITY
ANTIGONE
Sophocles, ~441 BC
Greek tragedy of Antigone, daughter of the previous Theban leader, as her brothers kill each other fighting for the throne and she deals with Creon who is trying to seize the crown himself
AUTHORITY VS TYRANNY
- Eteocles and Polynices: relationship with each other leads to bloodshed and both their deaths
- desire to rule vs duty to protect and do what is best for Thebes
- duty to each other as siblings
- who is the most authoritative? brothers or Creon
DUTY TO FAMILY VS MORALITY
- family and kinship comes with duty to mourn them // what happens when this duty contradicts one's other duties, ex: citizen or morality
CREON vs ANTIGONE
- clash in differing perspectives of mourning
- Creon = trying to make Antigone understand that brothers were not good people and threatened Thebes
- Antigone = adamant to familial duty to mourn them // loyalty initially seen as positive and humane but Creon challenges this duty
TRAGEDY:
- novel influences the structure to follow of tragedy in literature
- role of chorus: impact on storytelling by being uniquely placed between reality and the story // between the actors on stage and the spectators
THE DISPOSSESSED
Ursula Le Guin, 1974
utopian story based in and between 2 neighboring planets with distinct societies, Urras and Anarres as a physician, Shevek lives and travels between them INDIVIDUALISM vs COLLECTIVISM
- collective Anarres vs individualistic Urras
- capitalism vs socialism
- Sheveck's experience challenges and brings to light the complexities of both ideologies
THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW
- never loses focus from protagonist, Sheveck
- creates and builds up emotional relationship with main character where reader is interested and invested in what he experiences
ANARCHY
- stems from an original anarchist, Odo
- storytelling of anarchist story in a capitalist dominant world = preconceptions of anarchy when reading
UTOPIA
- much more rare in literature compared to dystopia, why?
- hard to imagine a utopia that would be universally agreed upon // every individual has different perspectives of utopia
- easier to imagine the worst vs the best
- expect reader to have preference of one planet over the other based on own values and perception of idealism // revelation of the nuances in each respective society complicates question ex: does either offer freedom