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English 45C - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Nude Young Dancer
        
        Modern jazz clubs offer life and liberation in a stagnant society, and we can see this as Hughes paints a performer to abandon civilization as an inhabitant of a jungle. The environment is hazy and rife with jazz music, and the dancer experiences freedom and physical connection with a purported kiss.
        
        In A Station of the Metro
        
        In this two-line poem, humans are connected despite their being in such an impersonal, modernized space such as the metro station; the faces in the crowd and their stories inextricably connected --- just like petals on a bough.
        
        The Weary Blues
        Our speaker is entranced by the notes of the blues player, focused on the melody that he creates. Because of the overwhelming sadness that is conveyed by the blues player, the speaker is moved by his performance -- even declaring "O Blues!"
        
        This scene speaks to the importance of current spaces like that of jazz clubs, where people could connect with each other, sharing their happiness and sadness alike.
        
        Here, newfangled spaces like jazz clubs and metro stations offer people spaces to connect with each other amidst the hustle and bustle of the modern city.
      - disconnection
        
        ...from nature
        
        The Lake Isle of Innisfree
        
        The speaker finds solace in nature, and away from the roar of modern city life, he fantasizes about a life spent amidst the fields, building a cabin.
        
        There's a sense of sadness evoked in the last line, where he states "I hear it in the deep heart's core", signifying the speaker's innate desire of the natural world.
        
        In the lines previous, Yeats states, "While I stand on the roadway, or on the/pavements grey", reflecting the dullness and subsequent lack of color within modern life. This reflects Yeats' experience, too: he was in London when he wrote this poem, which is a city full of industry, grime, and crime; therefore, he viewed Innisfree (an uninhabited island in Ireland) as a place of solace and escape from the chaos of the city.
      - both
        
        Negro Speaks of Rivers
        
        Focuses solely on the Black experience and history, tracing great empires in the Middle East and Central Africa that were built from the ground up
        
        The Black community has roots that ties its communities together despite the rupture of slavery Reflects continuity of Black history in the modern-day ("I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans")
        
        Harlem
        
        Hughes references the frequent "American Dream", providing multiple consequences should someone table their wants. The poem is fragmented, with multiple similes ("fester like a sore", "stink like rotten meat"), which suggest one's bitterness following the abandonment of their hopes in America. The poem ends with a final rhetorical question: "Or does it explode?" suggesting that the anger/frustration/bitterness that Americans feel towards their inability to attain their dreams will reach a climax --- in other words, they cannot remain peaceful for much longer, because the multitude of issues (wealth inequality, structural racism, etc.) inhibit that peace.
        
        Negro Speaks of Rivers: Black communities remain connected in the modern-day because of their shared tradition and roots.
        Harlem: there is a shared disconnect (a disconnect that connects) all Black Americans from the rest of society. He hypothesized that struggles like redlining (which was all-too-common in Harlem particularly), Jim Crow laws, economic inequality, etc. would then lead to a break in society (hence "or does it explode?"). of course, he was right, and this shared disconnect between Black and marginalized communities galvanized the Civil Rights movement in the 50s.
  - - - Things Fall Apart
        Following the arrival of the British colonizers who seek to “modernize” (aka evangelize + exploit) Umuofia, it is devastated as traditional Igbo life shatters. Existing struggles are exacerbated (familial tensions, gender inequality, lack of streamlined leadership), leading to the collapse of the clan.
        
        The colonists evangelize Nwoye, who is vulnerable to conversion given his deep-seated trauma with Okonkwo, who beat him and insisted on remaining masculine — so much so that he kills his adoptive son.
        
        To Nwoye, Christianity is his saving grace: its gentle, soft hymns and welcoming message are the converse of his father’s belligerent identity and the culture that he represents by proxy.
        
        Once Okonkwo realizes that Umuofia has fallen to the British colonists, and his village will no longer defend their integrity, he resorts to suicide despite it being a major disgrace in his culture, showing the degree of cultural erasure that is to follow. We can also see this on the last page, where the man states that Okonkwo's story could only fit into a paragraph -> traditions + histories are being destroyed to make way for the colonizers
    - - The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
        
        Our narrator is in the midst of a "midlife crisis", spurred by a consumeristic, failing society.
        
        "Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels/And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells" -> despite being somewhat well-off, Prufrock finds no satisfaction within his dull, unfulfilling life, and in a broader sense, within society. His idea of "nights out" are ones spent in sawdust restaurants --- low-quality establishments with sawdust on the floor, meant to sop up spills --- which hint at how his life is devoid of meaningful, emotional experiences.
        
        "In the room women come and go/Talking of Michelangelo" -> shows Prufrock's inadequacy in comparison to traditional Renaissance figures, like Michelangelo, who made something of his life and produced great works. It also shows the rigamarole of modern conversation; the women derive no interest from talking about these long-lost figures; rather, their conversation is full of meaningless platitudes that enable them to play the part of a "high brow" individual. -> As a result, Eliot criticizes modern society by proxy; he believes it to be inauthentic, stagnating individuals like Prufrock from reaching their full potential
        
        Bartleby, The Scrivener
        
        Despite living in a modern city, supposedly full of connection and opportunity, all of the characters in the story are deeply unfulfilled with their lives and work menial jobs, depriving them of all emotion and empathy.
        
        Bartleby grows increasingly disillusioned with society and his job, refusing to eat until he dies; these symptoms are redolent of depression, which reflects society's neglect of the individual.
        
        We can also see this when Turkey and Nippers, rather than asking Bartleby about his condition or providing help, respond belligerently and almost engage in a fight with their colleague, angered that he has not done any of his work.
        
        Mrs. Dalloway
        
        War experiences torment Septimus, especially memories of his friend Evans, who was killed in the war. He is untrustworthy of people, believing them to be incapable of loyalty and kindness.
        
        Perhaps the most significant moment in the novel is when Septimus kills himself, which serves as a critique of modern British society's inability to address people's suffering and pain.
        
        His treatment by Sir William Bradshaw shows that modern society, instead of embracing non-conformity and aiding individuals who may be struggling, ultimately chooses to suppress and silence them instead.
        
        Septimus' experience is not unique, in fact, it's reflective of the hundreds of thousands of veterans suffering from "shell shock" following WW1
        
        Sailing to Byzantium
        I wanted to connect the node from my loneliness branch to here, but that's not possible in the free version.
        
        Here, our speaker grapples with his old age, and finds himself alienated from a modern, decaying culture. We can look deeper into Yeats' history to find that this poem was a reflection of his feelings of Ireland in general, as he was dismayed by the politics of the new Irish Free State, believing it to be too distant from the idealistic spirit of 1916, and Celticism in general.
        
        Despite recent technological advances and the success of the city, residents are often unhappy with their lives, jobs, financial status, etc.
        
        Gov't turns a blind eye to these struggles, esp. mental health -- depression, PTSD, leading to a fraught population
    - - The Second Coming
        
        References the biblical second coming of Christ, with a pessimistic ending as a “rough beast” arrives
        
        Written after WW1, which was marked by a devastating modern look to warfare — 17 million people died in total
        
        The invention of machine guns, chlorine gas, tanks, airplanes, submarines enabled more destruction, death and loss
        
        Led to a feeling of disillusionment following the war and an overall lack of hope, feeling, optimism which Yeats references here
        
        Spring and All
        
        published in 1923
        
        The decay and death that winter represents in Spring and All is chiefly representative of the global devastation felt following WW1.
        "dead, brown leaves", "standing and fallen" -> the shared feeling of hopelessness after the tragedies during the war
        
        A Possible Resolve?
        
        Mrs. Dalloway
        
        Mrs. Dalloway also explores this theme of disillusionment and decay (set in June 1923) in London
        
        At the end of the novel, Septimus commits suicide due to PTSD from the war, but Clarissa feels a profound sense of life and connection with him and his death
        
        Represents a surge of life and beauty despite the tragedy that surrounds her
        
        Spring and All
        
        "dazed spring approaches --- / they enter the new world naked" -> the resolve to the trauma following WW1 is nonlinear, just like how flowers do not immediately spring up on March 21, they must pierce the cold ground
        
        Ultimately, a resolve following this vast trauma IS possible, "rooted, they/grip down and begin to awaken" ->indicates slow, laborious process of renavigating life
        
        draws a stark difference to T.S. Eliot's poem "The Wasteland", which states that this period of growth is worse than the bleakness of winter -- the renewal is too painful and confusing
        
        Easter, 1916
        
        This work is definitely not fully optimistic, but it does show the rapid transformation from regular individual->martyr->idol and how that can unite society, helping bring forth a noble cause.
        
        Though the uprising was a revolutionary "failure", it ultimately led to the eventual partition of Ireland and led more people to disapprove of British rule
        
        optimism
        
        An Irish political cartoon following the Easter Uprising. You can't really see the image here, but the English-favoring press is painting a halo atop John Bull's head while he stands menacingly in front of the grave of those who died in the rebellion (whom Yeats speaks about in his work). Shows how the general public is growing to be more aware of the British's persecution of the Irish, and how those who fell were made martyrs as a consequence.
        
        The Second Coming
        
        The modern world is full of annihilation and extinction — lines like “the center cannot hold” the “falcon cannot hear the falconer” show this, as the collapse of civilization has made so evident. The beauty of the world is bygone, fallen victim to modern warfare, disillusionment, + pain
        
        pessimism
- - - - Sea Rose
        H.D. communicates that a harsh, weathered rose is much more captivating than its fragile, well cared-for counterpart. The rose is a metaphor for women (as flowers often are): those who are harsh, make their voices heard, are "rough around the edges" ... perhaps stereotypically masculine ... are more interesting than dainty women with little to no presence. Could also reflect H.D.'s on sexuality; given that she was bisexual, it makes sense that these overlapping feminine/masculine traits were favorable to her and expressed in her work. Maybe I'm rambling here.
        Their Eyes Were Watching God
        Caddy reflects both feminine and masculine traits, but her overt sexuality and strength make the latter description of masculinity more fitting for her character. Caddy acts as a protector of Benjy, almost paternal, acting in defiance and staunchly defending herself in arguments. Additionally, her climbing the tree represents her authority --- Benjy and Quentin cannot reach her there.
        Oread
        An Oread is a female mountain nymph, and in this poem, the Oread is seen commandeering a forest/ocean, powerfully daring the sea to "whirl up". This rewrites traditional gender roles and puts the focus on a female voice, rather than the commonly retold stories of Achilles, Oedipus, Ulysses, etc.
        
        Also, all 3 texts touch on femininity and the place of women in society, but never concretely--- it's embedded within the subject matter itself, and oftentimes metaphoric w/ natural elements (Benjy's smell of trees is linked to Caddy's virginity, the rose is linked to women). Speaks to how speaking about women's rights explicitly was frowned upon, so circumventing the main point and instead weaving their values within the flaws/strengths of the characters themselves was how these authors communicated their viewpoints. I hope that makes sense??
        
        an oread.
        
        Hilma Af Klint is my favorite artist, and her work often symbolizes androgyny, seen in her swan series (black = masculinity + white = femininity, + despite being polar opposites, they unite). I know that the works aren't super close, but I feel like this embodies the feminine/masculine traits that some of these characters present!
    - - The Dead
        Aunts Kate and Julia are often stifled by their male counterparts, but have dominant positions as heads of the house. Their authority really shines through when the feast is held, with the two constantly walking "over each other's heels", insistent that their guests are satisfied. Their annual feast is a display of their power and influence (perhaps socially rather than fiscally), a yearly opportunity for the aunts to show off the greatness of the affair.
        Then again, we see their authority stifled at the dinner table, where Kate refers to herself as a "stupid old woman" after her argument, which staunchly defends women's roles in the church. Society subconsciously accepts women’s dominance, however, only as caretakers in domestic spaces, and certainly not as active participants in intellectual conversations; this is evinced as Aunt Kate pauses her eloquent speech in anticipation of her male peers’ rejection of her viewpoints.
  - - - Things Fall Apart
        Okonkwo is too embroiled with his preconceived appearance of being masculine that he forgets his humanity. To him, masculinity is unwavering strength (not showing weakness at all), financial success, bravery, and physical capabilities.
        He describes his son as being “degenerate and effeminate” (133). And calls people "shivering old women" as an insult, believing them to be weaker than he is. This is in part due to traditional values which place the man at the head of the household, but also stem from his fear of becoming like his father, who did not provide for the family and was more focused on playing music. In any case, Okonkwo is a belligerent man who beats his children and wives, even on the Festival of Peace, to assert his flawed vision of masculinity, leading to the breakdown of his family and the eventual abandonment of Nwoye.
        Mrs. Dalloway
        
        Peter often fidgets with his pocket knife, signaling his deep unsatisfaction with his life. He is focused on maintaining a nonchalant, cool attitude, but this all comes crashing down when he cries desperately in front of Clarissa.
        
        He still has deep feelings for her despite marrying another woman, and his disenginuity and lack of comfort with his identity (and subsequent coping by maintaining "masculinity") has caused him to break.
        
        Both of these instances portray masculinity as something akin to a performance; rather than being authentically themselves, Okonkwo, Gabriel and Richard are preoccupied with maintaining a set of unrealistic, toxic expectations, which hinder their and others' growth. this is due in part to their own insecurities
    - - The Dead
        Michael Furey, Gretta's old lover, used to sing "The Lass of Aughrim" for her. He insisted that the two of them meet in the rain, despite his already being sick. Since then, Gretta has not felt such intense emotion for anyone, and not her husband, whom she is ambivalent towards. This portrayal of a male as being gentle and caring is especially curious because it stands in such stark contrast to Gabriel's cold, jealous character.
- - - - despair & the search for meaning
        
        Man of The Crowd
        
        Perhaps this is the most demonstrative of all the stories; here, our isolated, unnamed protagonist follows a curious man throughout the streets of London from dusk until dawn, captivated by his mystery. Following a recent bout of illness, he stalks the man -- who either carries a diamond or a dagger --- and is wholly consumed by his unreadable qualities. In his isolation, he spirals, obsessively following the man until he stops, coming to the conclusion that the old man "refuses to be alone. He is the man of the crowd."
        
        The old man himself is alone, too, walking aimlessly around the grimy streets of London with no particular motive in mind. He is so ambiguous, in fact, that, like our narrator implies, we cannot decipher his true "meaning," which he is perhaps trying to find himself.
        
        Waiting for Godot
        
        Providing a succinct synopsis of Beckett's famed play is difficult because nothing really "happens". Lucky ... thinks? Didi and Gogo eat turnips? Pozzo goes blind? There's not much to say. However, the one common thread is that Didi and Gogo always decide that they are waiting on Godot's arrival. Of course, Godot never comes, but the two try to decipher their existence nonetheless. Perhaps one of the most famed moments of the play is when they debate their own suicide, believing it to be an end to their suffering/isolation. They try in the first act, but fail as the belt breaks, and in the second, consider doing so again, but never actually commit to it. This inability, then, reflects life's general lack of concrete meaning, as Didi and Gogo --- like the rest of humanity --- are trapped in a constant cycle of anticipation and waiting, with no final "come-to-god" moment or satisfying death (however grotesque that may seem).
      - ^isolation can lead individuals astray and come to nonsensical conclusions/melancholy
  - - - ...Of Self
      - both women find freedom and solace within themselves following tragic experiences with their lovers, discovering that the panacea to their isolation is not another individual, but rooted in their intentional conscience
    - - Sailing to Byzantium
        
        Our narrator grows isolated in a modern world which favors the young and spry. In his old and ailing body, he feels trapped --- going as far as to call himself merely a "paltry" thing. In his isolation, however, he metaphorically journeys to Byzantium, a utopia where he can find lasting meaning and escape his own mortality. In this way, it's somewhat similar to Waiting For Godot, where Didi and Gogo find death to as an end to their mortal suffering.