class presentations week 2

last blog! so sad! :(

Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris [Group 4]

I like how this group had a lot of different topics about the same book. Some of the theses overlapped a little bit -- but overall I was impressed with the various paths the group members decided to explore.

The first thesis presented about rampant depression in the American office is a really interesting one that is very applicable to America's situation right now. There are so many first hand testimonials in all forms of media documenting these feelings of workers across the country in all sorts of fields.

Also, the fact that the book is in the "we" format is a component that is unique. I've never read a book written like this, so I think that exploring the two different "we's" is cool idea. The corporate world is so multifaceted and I think that by looking at what this "we" stands for, a lot can be discovered about not only this book, but big business in general.

The middle section of the novel - the part about the boss with breast cancer - seems to humanize and personalize this corporate "we" that is the basis of the book (not that i've read it, this is me merely making random connections that i see). I think that it is easy to hate bosses of large corporations since they are notorious for greed and corruption. But this section of the book (from what i've gathered) seems to allow the reader to have a connection with a higher-upper in this corporation. Readers are able to sympathize with her and see her as a human being with all of her flaws and fears.

Class Presentations week 1

Group 2: The Postcard Killers by James Patterson and Liza Markland

So...I didn't write down who presented each thesis. When I was taking notes, I simply labeled them "Thesis A, B, C, etc," so forgive me for not knowing who's topic is who's. :(


Thesis A: I think that drawing parallels between artists and the serial killers should bring up some intriguing arguments about their intelligence, pride, and confidence. Obviously the killers must think very highly of themselves if they are replicating such famous pieces of art.

Thesis B: Juxtaposing America and Europe is always intriguing to me. This book (although I've never read it) seems like it holds a lot of typical stereotypes - which relates to Thesis C as well - that are pretty common in all forms of media and will be easy to pull out of this book.

Thesis C: The idea of trying to figure out the "formula" for creating a bestseller is a really cool idea! There are soooo many examples of these kinds of books. I found it really bizarre that there is actually an instructional-type book about creating these sorts of novels. 

Thesis D: Since I'm not too familiar with the book, I can't really provide too much insightful feedback about whether Dezzie(?)'s decision to not interview the killers is justified. However, I can say that taking out just one part of a multi-faceted book is a good idea. This will allow you to really dive into her character as well as journalistic ethics in general without getting involved with too many subjects/ideas (which can get really overwhelming really quickly).

Thesis E: This idea is much like the first thesis listed, and again, I find it to be a very interesting concept. The psychology/backstory of killers is always intriguing - everyone wants to know their reasoning behind their cruel actions. This should be an gripping paper as well.

Perfect Peace

"Sugar Baby took the other chair, and they sat there in silence as though attending a wake. Sugar Baby couldn't tell Gus the truth. Gus was his only friend in the world and he didn't want to lose him. He knew Gus meant to use that gun and, if he did, he'd probably be sent away forever. Then, the Peaces would be destroyed and Sugar baby would be completely alone" (245).


This is right after Paul was raped in the woods and Gus ended his hunt for the attackers. Sugar Baby, who saw the event, welcomes Gus into his home to stop him from doing anything tragic. He does not want to tell his one friend, Gus, the truth about what he saw in the woods because he knows that Gus will reciprocate with violence.

To me, Sugar Baby represents the community as a whole. He always seems to see and hear everything that occurs around the town. He watches the attack that precedes the expert above, he also sees Eva Mae running from the fire she set on the attackers' home. The small town in Arkansas that the story takes place in is a breeding ground for gossip. Especially for Paul, who drama seems to follow like a lost dog. Sugar Baby and his ominous, "I am everywhere" role in the book, could easily be a symbol for the community as a whole. Like the rest of the town, he sympathizes with Paul and his predicament and only wants what is best for him and his family (despite it's brokenness).

annotated bibliography!

Thesis

      Throughout time, societies viewpoints of teenage pregnancy have slackened significantly. Today, we celebrate shows like 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom, both of which show case the lives of teenage motherhood. These reality television shows document the parents' reactions to the pregnancy - some take it well, offering to assist the mother with her long journey; others turn away completely, shutting their daughters out of their lives because of her mistake. In 2010, the ladder seems insensitive and uncaring. In 1960, this was considered normal. Whenever the media (television, movies, books, etc.) portrayed pregnant teenagers in the mid twentieth century, there were many universal messages for both the teens and the parents. The teens were expected to  be turned on their own without help from their family, and the parents were supposed to turn away from them out of unbearable shame and disappointment. Meredith Hall's shunning by her family in her memoir Without a Map, was indicative of the era of her adolescence.

Benson, Mark J. “After the Adolescent Pregnancy: Parents, Teens, and Families.” Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal Oct. 2004: 435-455. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. University of New Hampshire Lib., Durham, NH. 9 Nov. 2010 <www.search.ebscohost.com>.

This article was written for social workers to outline how they should handle teen pregnancies. Helpful parts for my argument include the profiling of a typical pregnant teenager, which is very indicative of Hall’s teenage years. Since this literature was written in 2004, the information is relatively up-to-date, it can easily be contrasted with Hall’s experience from the 60s. It also touches on the issue of regret after giving a child up for adoption, which Hall suffered from herself.

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Davis, Joy B. and Laurie MacGillivray. “Books about Teen Parents: Messages and Omissions.” The English Journal Jan. 2001: 90-96. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. University of New Hampshire Lib., Durham, NH. 9 Nov. 2010 <www.search.ebscohost.com>.

This source is a critique of seventeen short stories and books that address the issue of teen pregnancy. It points out eight common themes that occurred throughout this literature, such as, “Don’t have unprotected sex, even once!” and “When you are pregnant, you are on your own.” Both of these themes directly relate to Hall’s experience. The article even points out a “me and my baby against the world” attitude with Hall embodies throughout her months of shunning. It also points out the parents disappointment and anger when discovering that their daughter is pregnant, as well as some of the typical ways they deal with it.

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Emge, Diane. “I’m Pregnant! Fear and Conception in Four Decades of Young Adult Literature.” Young Adult Library Services Winter 2006: 22-27. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. University of New Hampshire Lib., Durham, NH. 9 Nov. 2010 <www.search.ebscohost.com>.

This article provides a brief overview of how teen pregnancy has been portrayed by fictional characters in books throughout the past four decades. Emge explores the options that were available to each character, such as adoption, abortion, marriage, and parenthood. She also remarks about the availability of birth control and American society’s acceptance of premarital sex. I could use this source as evidence of the commonality of the cultural taboo against sex out of wedlock. As literature from the 1960s and 70s shows us, Hall’s family was expected to hide her away during her pregnancy in shame. She was supposed to feel embarrassed and dirty by her actions.

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“Forced to Give Up Their Babies.” People Weekly 18 Sept. 2006: 159. Student Resource Center – Gold. Gale Group. University of New Hampshire Lib., Durham, NH. 9 Nov. 2010 <www.find.galegroup.com>.

This article tells abbreviated stories of three middle aged women who became pregnant as teens in the 1950s. Like Meredith Hall, two of the three were shunned by their parents and sent to homes for expecting teenage mothers. All three were forced to give their child up for adoption and pretend that they were never pregnant. These three women all struggled with reconnecting with their children after they reached their 40s and 50s – it was an extremely emotional experience. I could use this source to show that Hall was not the only mother sent away during her pregnancy and forced to give up her child for adoption. There are many strong connections between these women’s stories and Hall’s.

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Ojeda, Auriana. “Preface to ‘Is Teenage Pregnancy a Serious Problem?” Opposing Viewpoints: Teenage Pregnancy 2003. Student Resource Center – Gold. Gale Group. University of New Hampshire Lib., Durham, NH. 9 Nov. 2010 <www.find.galegroup.com>.

This article is a brief overview of statistics about teenage pregnancies during the 1950s and 60s in the United States. It also addresses society’s shift in understanding and acceptance toward pregnant teens. I could use this source for some concrete data about single parents in the mid twentieth century – such as how many teenage girls were pregnant then as compared to 2003 (the articles publication). I can also talk about why American culture has become more tolerant of child-bearing out of wedlock since the 60s, and why we never hear about girls being shunned because of their pregnancy.

THICK by Sonya Renee (p. 10) II

Another literary element that jumped out to me in this poem was the divine imagery. I mean, it was practically screaming at me! Especially in the 7th stanza, Renee pulls out a lot of references to Christianity. She introduces this thread of symbolism earlier in the poem when she is expressing her self-proclaimed "THICK-ness". She says, "Not to be sarcastic but I died / Was resurrected last week / So as a poet, I am past sick" (stanza 5). This is the first hint that she is going in a direction that includes very direct connections to the Christian religion. I believe that these connections between her earthly and voluptuous body juxtaposed with imagery that is connotative with innocence and purity is a way for Renee to empower her sexuality even more. By referring to her body as heavenly and directly comparing herself to Jesus Christ, she in turn gives herself more power.


Renee speaks of how God has blessed her with her curvaceous and thick body with wide hips because He "knew / I would need to birth enigmatic knowledge like / How she can be both Father and Son at the same time / Seated at his own right hand side" (stanza 7). Again, this is an example of how she believes that her body is divine and should be revered by fearing admirers. It should also be noted that she is not giving birth to other people, she is giving birth to knowledge and understanding about herself - still bringing the attention back to her. This is followed by her claim that she is basically Jesus and everyone should fear her power, as well as her sexuality.

The poet also includes lines like, "I am THICK / Like reading the Bible from beginning to end" (stanza 8). Like the Bible, she is admired and worshiped by others. She is overwhelming and intimidating to others. This empowers her even more. Renee relishes in the spotlight, using her body and sexual power over others who are easily threatened by it's curves, as well as her sharp wit and intelligence. By comparing herself to the Bible and to Jesus, Renee makes herself more powerful and self confident. 

THICK by Sonya Renee (p. 10)

This was one of my favorite poems of the book because of how empowered Renee is by her body. She realizes how awesome she is and does not have any intentions of giving it away for free. She respects her body and self worth, and I think that is a message that all women can learn from. I believe that Renee is addressing this poem to men who objectify her, taking control of her body away from them and protecting it for herself.

Throughout the poem, Renee often refers to a "you." And she is not very polite or soft hearted to this "you", she is tough and crass and teasing. And it is awesome. After her first stanza, where she introduces her predicament - that all men want from her is sex - she comes after them saying that she understands why: because she is "THICK." I picture her with a man who attempted to charm his way into her pants, walking around him like a female interrogator. She says, "I'm THICK / Like molasses / Pouring slow out of that bottle / Onto your mind, saturating you with poetic time / And with ever word I coat your brain / Yet you're still only able to watch the way / I pour from that bottle" (stanza 2). Overflowing with sexual imagery, I can sense how she is taunting the listener with a you-can't-have-it-but-you-know-you-want-it attitude.

She also compares herself to the listener's "Aunt Sarah's pound cake" that is "filled with sooo many enticing ingredients that / You never bother to ask about / Given that you only want to eat" (stanza 3). Again, this is dripping with sexual undertones. The "you" would be the men that do not want to be with her for the long run, but are merely attracted to her body. Renee points out ingredients such as "Charisma, abstract eccentricity, [and] power", highlighting parts of her besides her breasts and thighs that are just as important to her being (stanza 3).

She calls the listener out for his shallow intentions, saying "If you stared as intently at my thoughts / As you do my thighs / Maybe on day you might be able to get in them / But I doubt it" (stanza 4). Renee teases the listener, continually stringing them along and dashing their sexual fantasies in one fell swoop. She uses her confidence and her power with a pen to her advantage. I feel like she is calling out all of those men who look at her like an object with this poem. She is letting them know that she knows what they are all about, but they should be warned that she is so much more than a pair of boobs. This is why she is THICK. She even says, "while your thinking may be thin / I am THICK" (stanza 7). Her body is only one facet of her being. She is empowered by it and not ashamed of it, but she knows that her self worth comes from within, that it has substance. So when she is talking to these shallow and narrow-minded men, this poet is not afraid to call them out and let them know that she is not what they expect, because she is THICK.

Without a Map

For this paper, I was thinking about exploring how the role of parenting is portrayed throughout "Without a Map". Throughout the novel, Meredith Hall is continually vocalizing her regrets about giving up her baby. Before she even met Paul, she remarked how she failed as a mother because she was unable to protect her son. She was not there for him. She left him in the nursery so ultimately alone. Twenty one years later, when she meets Paul and finds out about his abusive father and scared mother, the wave of guilt runs over her even more heavily. She was unable to protect him from this fate, unable to help him through it, to be his caregiver.

Of course, this guilt and sadness all links back to her own parents abandonment and shunning of her when she became pregnant as a teen. When she needed their protection and love the most, they turned their backs. Hall's parents were not there for her. However, when their bodies begin to fail them and the end of their lives seem near, Hall makes an effort to mend their relationships. Neither her father nor her mother make an effort to apologize for turning her out. Her father seems nonchalant - as if seeing his daughter 2 times in 30something years was not a big deal. When Hall's mother was diagnosed with MS, Hall immediately became the caretaker - the protector. In her mother's time of need, she embraced the difficulty, the role of the protector.

Why did her mother and father push the idea of protecting their daughter away? Is Hall just instinctively a guardian for her loved ones? She seems to be hardwired to be there for her children (and her mother towards the end of her life). The way she acts so protectively of her children, whether she raised them or not, seems ingrained in her - instinctual. I would like to explore the actions and feelings Hall expresses throughout her memoir to see what qualities she seems to possess as a caretaker that her own parents lacked.

Any type of story with absentee parents - parents who are emotionally and/or physically distant - will be awesome secondary sources. I can look at Bechdel's "Fun Home" for example. Actually, that book would be perfect. Alison's parents unwillingness to accept her homosexuality (not to mention her father's) is a solid parallel. Instead of embracing her in a vulnerable and scary time of her life, her parents seem to dismiss it as a phase.