Saturday, December 17, 2016
Racist iconography
I thought this article was interesting for showing the modern day collectors of these racist figurines/toys, that these people have, really, a variety of backgrounds. The article title is "Confronting Racist Objects."
Like we talked about extensively in class, making racism so obvious you can't look away pretty controversial. But the issue with toys is that kids see them as harmless, so putting a racist toy on display to acknowledge as distinctly wrong is how some of these collectors use them.
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Boundaries between love and violence
We have read two books this year that at some point have blurred the lines between what is the strongest love vs straight-up violence. The first example was in Their Eyes Were Watching God when Tea Cake beat Janie after he thought she was unfaithful. Since the reason he hit her was mistake, on the surface level, it is a unjustifiably violent act. But, the whole community perceives it as his love and deeper possession of her, and ultimately gets jealous of their relationship. We get the sense that the couple is so important to each other, that cheating, or being not 100 percent spiritually connected, would cause only a reaction so violent. Something about this moment of beating and then sweet syrupy love is makes it seem like it's the only way to remedy the metaphysical disturbance in Janie and Tea Cake's relationship.
On the other hand, we have a mother-child relationship that is a bit more of a difficult situation, it can really only be understood by Sethe in that moment when the white men came into her home to take her children. Sethe sees her killing Beloved (and planning to kill the rest of her children) as protection, an instinct that is born out of love whereas the rest of the town reacted to her "murder" and socially outcast her. This case is more violent, and there is no positive connotation to possession from the rest of the community, but is similar in the questionable justification Sethe has.
Again, we see what her justification for killing her children was, but only if we look on a metaphysical level. It is a gruesome killing, but her instinct tells her the only true protection for her children is in death, where Schoolteacher cannot get to them. We also see how when Beloved actually comes back to 124, she is determined to love Sethe.
There is also a higher power (kind of christ-like) forgiveness that comes after both incidents, one where Janie is beaten then Tea Cake is very soft and affectionate towards her and the other where Beloved returns to Sethe 18 years after the murder. So with this and other justifications from the first-person narratives of Sethe and Janie, it is easier to understand the line between an act of love and an act of cruelty that both incidents are straddling and bringing together in a way commonly misunderstood. Whether this deeper love is a part of a specific culture( like the Muck or the culture of Ohio/other bordering slave states in the 1800s)? I wouldn't go that far, but comments appreciated!
On the other hand, we have a mother-child relationship that is a bit more of a difficult situation, it can really only be understood by Sethe in that moment when the white men came into her home to take her children. Sethe sees her killing Beloved (and planning to kill the rest of her children) as protection, an instinct that is born out of love whereas the rest of the town reacted to her "murder" and socially outcast her. This case is more violent, and there is no positive connotation to possession from the rest of the community, but is similar in the questionable justification Sethe has.
Again, we see what her justification for killing her children was, but only if we look on a metaphysical level. It is a gruesome killing, but her instinct tells her the only true protection for her children is in death, where Schoolteacher cannot get to them. We also see how when Beloved actually comes back to 124, she is determined to love Sethe.
There is also a higher power (kind of christ-like) forgiveness that comes after both incidents, one where Janie is beaten then Tea Cake is very soft and affectionate towards her and the other where Beloved returns to Sethe 18 years after the murder. So with this and other justifications from the first-person narratives of Sethe and Janie, it is easier to understand the line between an act of love and an act of cruelty that both incidents are straddling and bringing together in a way commonly misunderstood. Whether this deeper love is a part of a specific culture( like the Muck or the culture of Ohio/other bordering slave states in the 1800s)? I wouldn't go that far, but comments appreciated!
Monday, November 28, 2016
Ethnic Notions doc.
Ethnic notions was a really good documentary especially for exploring the most racist caricatures and destructive to all black people, even children. I was shocked by all of the images, but especially the 'pickaninny.' This is not an image we have seen in any of the books we read in class, but- though it seems like one of the worst (as it attacks children) -still resonates today.
Books like 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, for example, is a book I had when I was little. I didn't realize that it had a history, it seemed like innocent monkeys accidentally getting hurt because they were jumping on the bed. If anything, it was a lesson on not being too crazy and jumping with 5 people on the bed. But the original version of that book uses racist caricatures of kids. The original is called "Seven little N--s" and has way more violent imagery like playing with bricks:
And the fact that from african american children, the editors of the book turned the characters into monkeys is telling. Another racist stereotype of african american being portrayed as white people as monkeys that was perpetuated in a kid's book. It's vile that kids, innocent, are both the audience and subject of this racism. These small social effects of songs are what perpetuate the systemic racism, because as the 'pickaninny' proves, racism is totally unescapable.
Another kids song that is still used all the time is Eenee Meenee Minee Mo. This children's saying comes from a racist slave mentality:
Though both of these have been evolved into not inherently racist versions, their origins are difficult to associate with them since they are so mainstream.
Books like 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, for example, is a book I had when I was little. I didn't realize that it had a history, it seemed like innocent monkeys accidentally getting hurt because they were jumping on the bed. If anything, it was a lesson on not being too crazy and jumping with 5 people on the bed. But the original version of that book uses racist caricatures of kids. The original is called "Seven little N--s" and has way more violent imagery like playing with bricks:
"Five little n--s playing dere was war,
Boom went the canon
Den dey was four…"
(original version played in 'Ethnic Notions')
And the fact that from african american children, the editors of the book turned the characters into monkeys is telling. Another racist stereotype of african american being portrayed as white people as monkeys that was perpetuated in a kid's book. It's vile that kids, innocent, are both the audience and subject of this racism. These small social effects of songs are what perpetuate the systemic racism, because as the 'pickaninny' proves, racism is totally unescapable.
Another kids song that is still used all the time is Eenee Meenee Minee Mo. This children's saying comes from a racist slave mentality:
"Catch a n--- by the toe
If he won't work,
Then let him go.
Goo-dum, goo-dee, goo-deedle deedle deedle"
Though both of these have been evolved into not inherently racist versions, their origins are difficult to associate with them since they are so mainstream.
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Ending of White Boy shuffle: Coming full circle
The end of White Boy Shuffle was, as forewarned, quite shocking. Especially the last sentence that concluded the whole story, not just the stage of his life that he had entered once he left college and was living with Yoshiko. I had lost track of Gunnar's father's influence during his adult years, but when he came back in the last few sentences, it felt like someone had suddenly stopped after shaking a bottle of water and all the bubbles were falling to the bottom and disappearing. The pieces set in place, the whole story made sense, but Gunnar's life in perspective suddenly made sense.
Another part that concluded the book really well in the end was Psycho loco's question about why Gunnar had not committed suicide in solidarity of his movement. I think we can see in several parts how that is not in Gunnar's style. Psycho loco, who Gunnar calls one of the best instigators of all time, seems like he would "do the act" to instigate and provoke the movement even further. But Gunnar, who's idea is to not even give white people the chance to be racist, I think sees some kind of dichotomy in the progression of this movement that somehow white people will appropriate and then it, the most extreme form of protest, will become futile. And why give white people the chance to have life easy and not have to check themselves or be aware and empathetic to a variety of people's conditions. This is just my interpretation of his response. But I still haven't totally figured it out- like with the thrashing donkey image: you kill it and bring both the donkey peace (dead) and the people riding the stagecoach a less uncomfortable scenario where instead of having to witness/sit in the moments where the donkey is slowly dying or really in pain, they could just declare the donkey dead and not have it on their conscience anymore. But with each suicide note we read the more painful it is to realize how racist people have not been held accountable enough for their discrimination and how that also is not the answer.
Another example is when one of the Good morning international shows is interviewing him and asks when we is going to commit suicide and instead of making a serious answer he says mildly, "When I'm good and goddamn ready." But obviously his impact was huge, and led people close to him to commit suicide, yet he sticks behind his words.
Another part that concluded the book really well in the end was Psycho loco's question about why Gunnar had not committed suicide in solidarity of his movement. I think we can see in several parts how that is not in Gunnar's style. Psycho loco, who Gunnar calls one of the best instigators of all time, seems like he would "do the act" to instigate and provoke the movement even further. But Gunnar, who's idea is to not even give white people the chance to be racist, I think sees some kind of dichotomy in the progression of this movement that somehow white people will appropriate and then it, the most extreme form of protest, will become futile. And why give white people the chance to have life easy and not have to check themselves or be aware and empathetic to a variety of people's conditions. This is just my interpretation of his response. But I still haven't totally figured it out- like with the thrashing donkey image: you kill it and bring both the donkey peace (dead) and the people riding the stagecoach a less uncomfortable scenario where instead of having to witness/sit in the moments where the donkey is slowly dying or really in pain, they could just declare the donkey dead and not have it on their conscience anymore. But with each suicide note we read the more painful it is to realize how racist people have not been held accountable enough for their discrimination and how that also is not the answer.
Another example is when one of the Good morning international shows is interviewing him and asks when we is going to commit suicide and instead of making a serious answer he says mildly, "When I'm good and goddamn ready." But obviously his impact was huge, and led people close to him to commit suicide, yet he sticks behind his words.
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Boondocks
Random Post!!
Has anyone noticed the themes of Invisible Man in The Boondocks for ex. S1E1 The Garden Party? The humor of Boondocks adds to the connection the way Ellison added humor to the pretty dreary motif of Invisibility.
The grandfather even says to his grandson (about white people): "You gotta learn how to lie, like me"
Here is a link, but the full episode is on netflix:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff1gjuBLRwU&t=47s
Has anyone noticed the themes of Invisible Man in The Boondocks for ex. S1E1 The Garden Party? The humor of Boondocks adds to the connection the way Ellison added humor to the pretty dreary motif of Invisibility.
The grandfather even says to his grandson (about white people): "You gotta learn how to lie, like me"
Here is a link, but the full episode is on netflix:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff1gjuBLRwU&t=47s
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Janie's (infatuation?) with Joe Starks
Although they were married for 20 years, young Janie seems to be more infatuated by Joe than really in love with him. Their meeting, for instance was, on both their parts, a show. They were both fronting in some way- Joe not paying attention to the only house on the street where Janie was standing, and Janie rushing to pump the water.
In the context of that scene, Janie is in a forced, loveless marriage at only 16 years old. She is very resentful of her position and when she sees Joe walking down the road, jumps at the opportunity to get his attention. She lets her "heavy hair" fall over her eyes and the noise of the pump, which she did not plan on getting water from a second before she sees Joe, catches his eye. Once they talk, she is already captured by his mysterious background and his intention, not seeming at all to her like a random freeloader, but like a traveler with a purpose. She is attracted by this ambition, but she doesn't know who he is, which makes me a little skeptical of whether or not she really loved him for his character or his ambitious talk.
Also, the ending of chapter 3 says, "She knew now that marriage did not make love. Janie's first dream was dead, so she became a woman." This is a loaded two sentences, but to explain her relationship with her next husband, Joe, I think her mindset of wanting real love, a colorful relationship came after she learned her first marriage would be totally lacking love. So when she sees Joe, younger/youthful, coming down a long road,from unknown place-- a more abstract and possibly romantic figure-- she was interested immediately.
She is obviously attracted to his upright-ness and direction, as most of their interactions are about what his plans are (building up the community with a store, etc..) or where he came from. There did seem to be more of a genuine connection, but we see Janie's attitude toward Logan change after she starts meeting up with Joe. For example, before meeting Joe she was somewhat less vocal about her spite regarding her marriage (understandably), she now starts testing Logan and puts him on the edge suggesting, "'S'posin' Ah wuz to run off and leave yuh sometime.'" (30) This spite and wanting to leave Logan seemed to be more of an influence on her than a real, soul deep love for Joe.
This also comes out after Joe's death when she recovered quickly and kept working. But, even for their differences, and the eventual break-down of Joe and Janie's marriage, sticking together shows there was effort to work on the relationship and definitely some love for each other.
In the context of that scene, Janie is in a forced, loveless marriage at only 16 years old. She is very resentful of her position and when she sees Joe walking down the road, jumps at the opportunity to get his attention. She lets her "heavy hair" fall over her eyes and the noise of the pump, which she did not plan on getting water from a second before she sees Joe, catches his eye. Once they talk, she is already captured by his mysterious background and his intention, not seeming at all to her like a random freeloader, but like a traveler with a purpose. She is attracted by this ambition, but she doesn't know who he is, which makes me a little skeptical of whether or not she really loved him for his character or his ambitious talk.
Also, the ending of chapter 3 says, "She knew now that marriage did not make love. Janie's first dream was dead, so she became a woman." This is a loaded two sentences, but to explain her relationship with her next husband, Joe, I think her mindset of wanting real love, a colorful relationship came after she learned her first marriage would be totally lacking love. So when she sees Joe, younger/youthful, coming down a long road,from unknown place-- a more abstract and possibly romantic figure-- she was interested immediately.
She is obviously attracted to his upright-ness and direction, as most of their interactions are about what his plans are (building up the community with a store, etc..) or where he came from. There did seem to be more of a genuine connection, but we see Janie's attitude toward Logan change after she starts meeting up with Joe. For example, before meeting Joe she was somewhat less vocal about her spite regarding her marriage (understandably), she now starts testing Logan and puts him on the edge suggesting, "'S'posin' Ah wuz to run off and leave yuh sometime.'" (30) This spite and wanting to leave Logan seemed to be more of an influence on her than a real, soul deep love for Joe.
This also comes out after Joe's death when she recovered quickly and kept working. But, even for their differences, and the eventual break-down of Joe and Janie's marriage, sticking together shows there was effort to work on the relationship and definitely some love for each other.
Friday, September 30, 2016
"Brothers"
Ellison's portrayal of the Brotherhood starts off a lot stronger than it ends. It actually ends in the last chapter when the IM discovers brother Jack was the one who sent the threatening letters about his position. All of these hints, and scenes where IM's trust of the Brotherhood is tested, the strength of the organization is disqualified, although not de-sanctified in IM's mind until the very end.
One of the key moments we see the fragility of the brotherhood is when IM comes back from downtown and meets some of his former "brothers" at a bar. He has casual conversation with the bartender, but when he recognizes some people from the Brotherhood but they respond to him pretty bitterly. It seems as though they were cast out, or somehow got a distaste for the organization because IM claims, "I was certain they knew who I was" (424). But they refuse to call him brother and say, indirectly to IM, "some of us dont think so much of his kind of politics" (426).
The author is clearly critiquing the power structure of the Brotherhood, which, in larger society, was a metaphor for communism. The mistrust of two former believers in the Brotherhood is like mutiny, but mutiny under a benevolent leader is disgraceful, whereas these men--the workers--seemed to believe they were the ones given the short end of the stick.
The ideology of the Brotherhood was just from the beginning, but like many political power structures had deep cracks that could not be filled like that of racial inequality and overall trust issues. All of the instances where the IM did nothing wrong and was criticized, like when he did an interview, or when Clifton died, looked very sketchy compared to Brother Jack's extreme power. And from the beginning we suspected this Brotherhood deal would end up badly. The critique of communism, and other power structures where the main leader has a particular agenda (in this case using the IM and then dumping him) is a clear theme in the book manifested heavily in all of IM's story with the Brotherhood.
One of the key moments we see the fragility of the brotherhood is when IM comes back from downtown and meets some of his former "brothers" at a bar. He has casual conversation with the bartender, but when he recognizes some people from the Brotherhood but they respond to him pretty bitterly. It seems as though they were cast out, or somehow got a distaste for the organization because IM claims, "I was certain they knew who I was" (424). But they refuse to call him brother and say, indirectly to IM, "some of us dont think so much of his kind of politics" (426).
The author is clearly critiquing the power structure of the Brotherhood, which, in larger society, was a metaphor for communism. The mistrust of two former believers in the Brotherhood is like mutiny, but mutiny under a benevolent leader is disgraceful, whereas these men--the workers--seemed to believe they were the ones given the short end of the stick.
The ideology of the Brotherhood was just from the beginning, but like many political power structures had deep cracks that could not be filled like that of racial inequality and overall trust issues. All of the instances where the IM did nothing wrong and was criticized, like when he did an interview, or when Clifton died, looked very sketchy compared to Brother Jack's extreme power. And from the beginning we suspected this Brotherhood deal would end up badly. The critique of communism, and other power structures where the main leader has a particular agenda (in this case using the IM and then dumping him) is a clear theme in the book manifested heavily in all of IM's story with the Brotherhood.
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Resurrection
In the start of the Invisible man's story (after the prologue) the readers are following a plot where he gets exiled or banished into positions where he has no where to go, yet rises up from the ashes of his previous life. Through this trend we see his personal development and growth as an individual.
His opportunities are not always based on his own accord, most of the time he has help. For example the first time he get's kicked out of his establishment is when Bledsoe sends IM to Harlem with "letters of recommendation." After wandering from job inquiry to job inquiry, he finds himself at Emerson's company with reading the fateful words in Bledsoe's letter which had made it virtually impossible to get a job. The fact that he will never go back to school, and was played by the number one person he looked up to, is crushing news for him, yet indicates the first step into his discovery process. From this low point, he channels his energy into finding a job and a place to stay (Mary's).
In one day, his life is turned around again.
At Liberty Paints (where he spitefully took a job Emerson jr recommended), he is in a different caste system where he ends up again majorly injured and thrown out. He survives and explosion, but is in some kind of hospital where they are experimenting with shocking his brain. In this scene the allusion to re-birth is actually overt and he is discharged from the hospital still in a stage of re-learning vital things about his life. But he does not get his job back and is sent to a place where he has little to do and explore, the Men's house. In this stage of his character development, he has vague memories and is re-understanding the world, this time with less illusional perspective. This leads him to mistake a man for Bledsoe and cause damage that gets him thrown out of his situation again. But, this time he has Mary's offer and goes to live with her.
While he is living with her, not really doing anything, he comes across an eviction and speaks out for his race "of law-abiding people," and has such a moving effect, an organization called the Brotherhood contacts him about taking a job. Not surprisingly, he is refreshed with a new identity and place of residence. He has more agency in evoking this change/new chapter in his life than before, and we see the Invisible man start to emerge into a substance rather than the shell he was at the beginning of the story. He is making decisions and creating his own aspirations that are like the narrator we see in the prologue, but also on a much more visible social scale.
At Liberty Paints (where he spitefully took a job Emerson jr recommended), he is in a different caste system where he ends up again majorly injured and thrown out. He survives and explosion, but is in some kind of hospital where they are experimenting with shocking his brain. In this scene the allusion to re-birth is actually overt and he is discharged from the hospital still in a stage of re-learning vital things about his life. But he does not get his job back and is sent to a place where he has little to do and explore, the Men's house. In this stage of his character development, he has vague memories and is re-understanding the world, this time with less illusional perspective. This leads him to mistake a man for Bledsoe and cause damage that gets him thrown out of his situation again. But, this time he has Mary's offer and goes to live with her.
While he is living with her, not really doing anything, he comes across an eviction and speaks out for his race "of law-abiding people," and has such a moving effect, an organization called the Brotherhood contacts him about taking a job. Not surprisingly, he is refreshed with a new identity and place of residence. He has more agency in evoking this change/new chapter in his life than before, and we see the Invisible man start to emerge into a substance rather than the shell he was at the beginning of the story. He is making decisions and creating his own aspirations that are like the narrator we see in the prologue, but also on a much more visible social scale.
This theme of resurrection is so far recurrent in Invisible Man's story, but it leads to the question: how did he end up in the setting of the prologue? Did his public drive fade? Did life circumstances lead him to become out of touch with the system of race and economic class heirarchies that he has been playing in since the beginning of his life? or so in touch with this system that he has embedded himself very deeply and disappeared indefinitely?
Friday, September 2, 2016
Invisible man drug theater
I found the part of Invisible man where he listens to music in his hole smoking weed, an interesting introduction to the book. We talked a lot in class about the assault scene as an introduction, but this narrative about the IM descending into the levels of this Louis Armstrong song reflects a lot more of the racist tension/circumstance he is a part of and his subconscious reflection on it.
I would not dissect this, because right now it is too abstract for me to understand. But, I liked the insight about his moral questioning when he visualizes in the woman who is crying that her master died. He asks her what freedom and she says, "I done forgot, son." (11) In her life, she was so helpless that Stockholm syndrome took over in her mind and she became attached to this master who raped her rather than being able to experience freedom that was such a sweet ideal for slaves. Already he establishes how much his reality (not his reality, but a reality of his culture that obviously affects him greatly) has this helpless, and in some ways invisible nature. This woman who was taken advantage of was scorned by her sons for being in love with their father, and neglected by her master. No one takes care of her, or cares except the IM who is asking her about freedom and her confusing life.
He also mentions "Ras" who I am sure we will meet later on, but I have a feeling he will be important in the narrative of invisibility, because that is the theme of the book, and more specifically the vision, and IM hears footsteps behind him and immediately thinks of this character. I don't know who he is but also the way IM calls him "Destroyer? Rinheart?" (12) seems like he has a specific personality that IM man knows him as.
Any more thoughts on the vision? Maybe in relation to the song as well?
I would not dissect this, because right now it is too abstract for me to understand. But, I liked the insight about his moral questioning when he visualizes in the woman who is crying that her master died. He asks her what freedom and she says, "I done forgot, son." (11) In her life, she was so helpless that Stockholm syndrome took over in her mind and she became attached to this master who raped her rather than being able to experience freedom that was such a sweet ideal for slaves. Already he establishes how much his reality (not his reality, but a reality of his culture that obviously affects him greatly) has this helpless, and in some ways invisible nature. This woman who was taken advantage of was scorned by her sons for being in love with their father, and neglected by her master. No one takes care of her, or cares except the IM who is asking her about freedom and her confusing life.
He also mentions "Ras" who I am sure we will meet later on, but I have a feeling he will be important in the narrative of invisibility, because that is the theme of the book, and more specifically the vision, and IM hears footsteps behind him and immediately thinks of this character. I don't know who he is but also the way IM calls him "Destroyer? Rinheart?" (12) seems like he has a specific personality that IM man knows him as.
Any more thoughts on the vision? Maybe in relation to the song as well?
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
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