· Identify a section or passage from your memoir that would be worth analyzing through one of the lenses. Summarize this section briefly, in a sentence or two.
· Then analyze this section or passage through one of the lenses in a few sentences.
· Close your blog post with a lens question related to your analysis, that any classmate—no matter which memoir they are reading, can respond to. (Examples: Is anyone else starting to feel that their memoirist’s memory is unreliable? Is anyone else’s memoirist struggling with his/her performance of gender role norms? Is anyone else seeing examples blurred lines between the “colonizer” and the “colonist”?)
· Respond to at least 2 of your peers’ posts.
Brain on Fire by Susannah Callahan
ReplyDeleteA section from my memoir that I believed was worth analyzing was the narrator's, Callahan, relationship with her boyfriend. One lens that I chose to focus on was gender. In the book, Callahan is seen as overly obsessing over her boyfriend and is seen going through her boyfriend's email. While skimming through his emails, she sees an email from her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend. This infuriates Callahan and is now questioning her boyfriend is trustworthy. This section of my memoir ties back to how people perceive certain genders to act. In the memoir, Callahan is seen as the cliche overly obsessive girlfriend who stalks and watches her boyfriend’s every move. She does not trust her boyfriend to make the right decisions and stresses about the choices he makes. Judith Butler’s gender lens in this case is stereotyping and exhibiting how a women should act when she is encountering an obstacle in her relationship. Question: Does anyone else see gender binary as an issue in their memoir?
I don't really think that it's possible to ignore this "stereotype" in this case. What she's doing to her boyfriend's email is literally an invasion of privacy and I think if she were to categorize her boyfriend as unrtrustworthy than I would also question how trustworthy she is since she can't even give her partner some privacy. Also I feel like there is no distinction of gender binary in this case because for this specific situation a boy would be seen as equally invasive and intrusive.
DeleteUndocumented By: Dan-el Padilla
ReplyDeleteIn a section from Undocumented is speaks on a moment in Dan-el's life when his father left his life permanently. His 'Tia's' began to worry that because he didn't have a man in his life Dan-el wouldn't grow up to be the man that he's supposed to be. So they constantly urged his mother to begin dating to sustain a better life for her kids and to have a male figure for Dan-el's life.
I think this shows how from a young age the social norms for both males and females are already constructed to be a certain way. Boys are always expected to have a masucline touch from the very start of their lives, and if they don't an intial fear begins to grow that dictates that they can become homosexuals or less of a "man". I think it also shows how the dependency of a man is often promoted in Hispanic culture (and possibly other cultures, this is my own). That if a woman or a mother doesn't have a man in their life, then it is assumed that their unstable, will die alone, or will raise rowdy children.
Wow, thats really interesting. It's totally not only in your culture that this happens! It's super crazy to think that we've built men up to be the powerful and most important person in a boy's life when honestly, he could get the exact same qualities of a "man" from his mother. And why does it matter if he isn't so masculine in the end?? Gender roles and expectations play way too much of a role in our society. It's a bit ridiculous.
DeleteI like that your thinking about how they believe that if he doesn't have a man figure he can grow up and be feminine.
DeleteI like how you bring up the point that in Hispanic cultures it is looked down upon if a women does not have a man in her life.
DeleteBrain on Fire by Susannah Callahan
ReplyDeleteOne section of Brain on Fire that I would like to analyze is when Susannah was at the neurologist getting an MRI of her brain when she suddenly came under a trance. She was demanding to be let out of the machine. She screamed "Get me out of this room NOW," and "I will not die here. I will not die with these freaks". The workers at the office quickly removed her and took her to a room.Yes, she was rude and it was totally uncalled for but she found out something that she didn't know before. She had power.
I think that it was really interesting to see the way that she was so excited about discovering the fact that she had power over people. It makes me wonder if she was always taught that a woman doesn't have much of a say in this world which translated into her being subservient. Her sickness caused her to play a role that she hadn't played before and I'm curious to know wether or not she would've made that discovery without her brain being at war with itself.
Are there any moments in your books that you find your memoirist discovering something new about their gender role?
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DeleteIt's really intriguing when the memoirist find out something about themselves they've never discovered before! I think that you're totally right that the simple fact that she found out she had power over these people is really interesting. I think even in our lives we've encountered experiences where we find out we have a power that we never knew we had.
DeleteIn my book. woman are expected to bear a child when they are married and financially stable. That is not the case with Push by sapphire
DeleteWhen I first read the blurb for A Heartbreaking Work of staggering Genius I couldn't grasp the fact that Dave would take care of his little brother. Society has made us think that women mostly takes on such roles when necessary. I think when Dave had to actually do it, he probably looked at himself incapable as well. I think as weeks went by, he discovered that it was possible after all.
DeleteI like that question. In my book, the protagonist is realizing how important of a role he plays in the book because of his gender. Since he is one of the only males in the family, his responsibility is to put the right amount of time on the mats, see progression in his game, and also to juggling with homework that he gets from school. In addition to that, helping out his family back home because his parents are not getting any younger!
DeleteI really like this. Do you think that if this were to never happen to her she would not have assumed the role she has now?
DeleteIn the second chapter of brain on fire Susannah Cahalan describe the moment in her life where she looks through her boyfriend's emails to see if he was doing anything wrong, when doing so she finds some email sent by his ex girlfriend but they are never open. Feeling bad for what she had done throughout the day she asked her coworkers and even her boss if what she had done was wrong all for coworkers said that it was okay and there was no problem that she had done that all girlfriends do that said one of her friends and even her boss said that it was okay but she shouldn't do it all the time. Looking through the gender lens we can see that her coworkers believe that it is acceptable for a woman to look through her boyfriend's emails why is that acceptable? Susannah at first I thought it was a bad thing to do but with a little bit of convincing she agrees that it was something that most women do with their boyfriends . Meaning the co workers have subconsciously been taught that women usually are snooping through their boyfriends thing which isn't true because both genders look through there significant others things. But the question is would her coworkers be as accepting of her if she was a man searching through at his girlfriends things?
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ReplyDeleteUndocumented by Dan-el Padilla Peralta
ReplyDeleteA section I analyzed was when Dan-el's father abandoned his family in the U.S. Since Dan-el's mom wanted to give her children the best education possible, she chose to stay in the U.S.and was then criticized by members of her family for deciding to raise her children without a father figure.
In reference to the gender lens, it's evident that there is a unanimous mindset within the family that deals with cultural gender expectations. One of these is the necessity of a father figure in order to properly raise a family.This expectation doubts the independence and ability of women in raising a family by themselves, something that they are obviously capable of. Without a father figure children are believed to be raised incorrectly which is also not true.
Are there any moments in your memoirs where your memoirist or someone in the memoir is frowned upon for defying norms?
In my book yes, Precious is looked down upon by peers and teachers because she had a baby at a very young age, while still attending middle school
DeleteI find it to be so crazy how this need for a fatherly figure is universal, in all parts of the world single mothers are looked at as incapable of being able to raise a family by herself, what is it that a mom cant do that a dad can ?
DeleteI believe that women do not need to rely on men in order to raise their children. She can do it on her own if she wishes. There should be no oppression in gender when it comes to taking care of children.
DeleteA Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers
ReplyDeleteIn one part of my memoir, it mentions how the memoirist "walks around the campus searching for the Naked Guy ... for the topless women who walk around, daring people to complain, who troll for TV cameras and cops issuing unfair citations. ... but one day we do see the Naked Older Man .. chatting casually on a pay phone, naked but for flip-flops". Looking through the gender lens, its okay for men to be stripped down naked walking around in public but women get citations if they do that. This is unfair in so many ways because women and men are both human beings and if one gets a citation for showing off their body then the other one should too.
Is anyone else seeing this type of gender harassment in their memoirs?
Correct me if I'm wrong, this is just an assumption considering the fact that I haven't read this quote in context, but I feel as if the author is trying to convey a more deeper meaning that of "gender harassment", as a matter of fact, based on this excerpt it seems as if he isn't mentioning anything with gender. Perhaps the author wished to convey a different meaning.
DeleteI completely disagree with Erik. The quote doesn't need to be in context to see that its directly about gender. Men and women are held to a different set of cultural expectation regarding sexuality and promiscuity. The fact that in many places like the one Tasnim described, men can be shirtless and women cannot and literally receive tickets for that shows a society saturated in misogyny. BREASTS ARE NOT SEXUAL BODY PARTS.
Deletethe scene I will be looking at is in the book is precious was confronted by her principal on her way to math class. The principal wanted to see her because word got out that precious was pregnant... Again and wanted to suspend her. Not knowing she didn't want it either.
ReplyDelete(using Post-colonial) I believe that precious thinks that she is being viewed as an other. The way she described the "cold looks" she was getting from the principal really showed how weak she was feeling. She also felt The rhetorical questions being asked were used to make her feel dumb.
I agree with her accusation btw.
QUESTION: Have anybody else seen a character in their book, that view themselves through a post colonial perspective?
When Dave is with his mother, he describes many instances where people view them with pity/lost. It is quite interesting though.
DeleteMy memoirist initially viewed people that he goes to school with as others. Not in a sense of race, but rather in economic standing. The majority of his classmates are wealthy and can afford luxurious things while he cannot. Ironically thought, it is him that views them as distinct rather than his classmates at him.
DeleteWell in my book, I feel as though Precious views herself as ugly. It seems as if the words dark skinned and bad are synonymous in her vocabulary.
DeleteYes, I feel like my memoirst is going through the same problem. I agree with Jessica.
DeleteMy memoirst view themselves through a post colonial perspective because she doesn't believe she is the same type of people as others in prison.
DeleteYeah, in my book everyone others themselves to survive. If they don't other themselves they end up being othered by the guards at the camps.
DeleteIn the book A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave is explaining all the activities that his brother, Toph, does. He goes on to illustrate Toph's Little League team. However while doing so, Dave mentions the two coaches(which is black) and states that this is the 2 black men Toph has ever known.
ReplyDeletePost-Colonial: The way Dave describes the coaches, it is obvious that they are viewed as an 'other.' In a lot of areas, kids aren't used to different races in their neighborhoods. I think this is interesting because Dave never wanted to be looked as an "other" because of his mom, but he is doing it right now to these two men.
Is anyone else experiencing a similar problem with a specific race being more dominant? How are your character's describing them? Good? Bad?
Well, my memoirist describes the people who acted in the holocaust as evil people who did inhumane things to others.
DeleteI totally agree with you Jess. Sometimes people do things without realizing they are doing it and dislike the same people who do those things. If you think about it, it's kind of hypocritical. Also, I think that whenever another race is looked at as dominant, they are automatically looked at as bad because of just they way society is.
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ReplyDeleteIn my book, The author almost categorizes herself as an other. No one around her truly views her as an other but she thinks they do which makes her think insecure. It's pretty weird how you can both be categorized my people as other as well as categorize yourself as other.
ReplyDeletethis is so intresting because my memoirst does not veiw himself as the other despite the overwhelming circumstance that would allow for that feeling. He is a poor black latino in a rich white school. The way he describes is more of a finally feeling comfortable at school.
Delete"Don't nobody ring our door bell 'less it's crack addicts trying to get in the building. I hate crack addicts. They give the race a bad name."
ReplyDeleteI'm just curious as to which race came to mind when you read this quote. *If uncomfortable, just put whether or not a specific race did come to mind*
"Can't you see [I am] a beautiful chile like white chile in magazines... [I am] a blue-eye skinny chile whose hair is long braids..."
POST COLONIAL THEORY: RACE
What is seen here can be compared to what actually happens in real life, where some African-American girls see Caucasians as a standard of living and beauty. Precious, imagines that she is different than how she actually is because in a way it makes her feel better about herself.
Orange is the new black: My years in a woman's prison by Piper Kerman
ReplyDeleteIn one part Piper left her work in the prison with a screwdriver in her belt, it is consider as a weapon in jail. She threw it in the Dumpster and hoped no one will find it. Later an air-raid siren went off, she afraid people will find out it's her. But no one found out it was her because she looked nice, she didn't look like someone was armed with weapon, and people considered as "other" type of people in prison. (Like someone who did bad stuff by accident).
According to Post-colonial theory, securities in the prison considered Piper as innocent type of prisoners instead of killer type based on her appearance. The securities didn't go further investigations on her since they considered her as "others"; however, post colonial theory helped Piper escape the trouble.
Is anyone else seeing post colonial theory actually helped the characters in their memoirs?
I have not however I feel that it has eroded the sense of esteem and pride that my character has as a human being.
DeleteIn my memoir there are some aspects of post colonial theory but it has not actually helped the character. My author others herself because she thinks she is protecting her family when in reality she needs all the help, love and support she can get. So by othering herself she is actually harming herself
DeleteWell I honestly don't know if the post colonial theory is helping the characters in my memoir. In my memoir Dave is the oldest and he has to take care of his little brother Toph and when people ask him if he's the father or anything related to "where's the mom?" he seems to feel some type of way.
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ReplyDeleteMs.Rain is the teacher at the alternative school that the main character attends. She is rather exuberant and actually cares about educating the troubled youth. However, because of this she is characterized as "other". Her compassionate behavior has also been dubbed "acting white". This shows the white standard set in conduct.
ReplyDeleteWho is to blame to this introduction of white standardization in 1980's Harlem?
I feel that this blame comes from how the views of people were during that time and how in most occasion, those views were accepted and seen as normal.
DeleteConsidering that she is being characterized as the, "other" is it really a bad thing to be looked, different? Ms. Rain, as you said, wants to make a change in the society by contributing to help the uneducated youth. No matter if she is white or black you cannot be looking at this situation through skin color.
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ReplyDeleteBrain on fire by Susannah Cahalan
ReplyDeleteIn the memoir, Susannah tends to other herself even when people are trying to treat her like they always would. In one part of the memoir she wrote "I had asked him many times why he stayed, and he always said the same thing: "Because I love you, and I wanted to, and I knew you were in there". No matter how damaged I had been, he had loved me enough to still see me somewhere inside" Stephen had stayed with her through everything and all Susannah had done was push him away. It's understandable that she did that to not make his life hard but why is she constantly othering herself when there are a bunch of people who love her and just want to be there to support her. She thought that the disease had made her a complete different person and that new person would be someone that her loved ones may not like. Why did Susannah think that she had lost herself even though she really hadn't. Do people other themselves with out realizing it? And in Susannah's case, is she othering herself to protect the ones she loves? Is anybody else's author othering themselves without realizing it or do they have a reason as to why they want to be seen as the other?
Memoir: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
ReplyDeletePage 3 and Summary - "They took my mother's stomach out about six months ago. At that point, there wasn't a lot left to remove- they had already taken out the rest of it about a year before." In this section Dave is explaining to us that his mother is going through rough times due to the fact that she has cancer and the kids (Beth, Dave, and Toph) are suffering.
Postcolonial Lens: Since Dave's mother is going through tough times, people seem to pity him and comfort him and his siblings. Dave says that many family, friends, and neighbors come over to see how his mom and kids are doing. They seem to view the family differently because both, the mom and dad, are very ill. They're soon about to die.
Question: When reading I feel like Dave notcies that him and his siblings are being viewed differently and I think this seems to bother him, does anyone else feel like this? Does anyone else feel like their memoirist is struggling and feeling out of place because of his surroundings?
notices*
DeleteYes, I think my memoirist sometimes feels out of place at school because the environment is nothing like that of his neighborhood's.
DeleteYes Laura. I feel that my memoirist is struggling a lot with the illness he has and it's interfering with him becoming a national wrestling champion.
DeleteYeah my memoirist totally feels this way! When she went to prison she automatically witnessed that she was out of place. There were inmates who formed groups and she did not know where she belonged because she did not know anyone. Although she may have struggled in the beginning , she now is know as the inmate who reads.
DeleteNight by Elie Wiesel
ReplyDeleteElie beginnings her book by analyzing the true reason why she wrote her memoir. That reason to her is unknown. She mentions, however, that she knows for sure that without her writing what she went through in the Holocaust, she would've done those who did inhumane things to her by letting them enjoy a victory in getting away with their crimes. The act alone of her not writing about it would help erase from human memory. This relates to Sigmund Freud and his memory theory because Ellie felt that it was her duty to write about her experiences to make them escape from any sort of "distortion to which it might have been subjected to in her actual memory". Is your memoir's Author's purpose similar to that of Elie's which is too make his or her memories more profound?
lol im quite sure the memoirist is a he
DeleteIn my memoir the author also writes down what happened in prison everyday to make her memories more profound.
DeleteMaybe. My memoirist doesn't remember most of her life and so I do believe her book could of been an act of piecing the missing puzzles of her past together. However, her book I think was also meant for a higher social purpose considering she dedicated it to those who like her might not of been able to find a diagnosis for their condition.
DeleteIt might be possible that he knew that he would make himself forget what he experienced, and wrote in self-rebellion.
DeleteIn my memoir, "Night" by Elie Wiesel, the author mentions a powerful emotion that he still remembers to this day, hate. He remembers that hate he had toward the Hungarian police,"That was when I began to hate them, and my hatred remains
ReplyDeleteour only link today. They were our first oppressors. They were
the first faces of hell and death."In this excerpt, Elie and his family have been living in set-up ghettos and the Hungarian police are getting ready to transport the ghetto inhabitants to another location. Freud's theory can applied in this instance for various reasons. The author chooses to remember the Hungarian police in one method and one method only, thus in his memory he associates Hungarian police(from his past) with hate. Can the feelings of the memoirist be considered bias or, furthermore, can the bias be acceptable under certain circumstances?
"6 Minutes Wrestling With Life: A Family's Tragedy to Triumph" by JohnA Passaro
ReplyDeleteAccording to my memoir, there is this wrestler that everyone that was different. Different in a good way. Different in a way in which everybody would remember him no matter what happens. However, he was not even one of the best on the team. Also, "he was more or less very average in most every category." This makes me feel like he is, "other". Im tracing this back to the post-colonial theory by emphasizing that you don't have to be the best for everyone to know who you're. The coach knew he had potential, usually first years don't even get a spot to wrestle in dual meets. I can picture this guy going very far in his wrestling career. Him being known as 'different' is a positive thing for him to use as his motivation in wrestling or it can also backfire on him by letting the pressure flood his mental capacity, then he will be known as, "the nobody". I am eager to find out what is going to happen next and see if spending those extra hours in the mat benefit him in the long run.
Question: Is anyone else starting to realize the difference between the protagonist and the rest of the characters in their memoir? Or is there no contrast at all between the characters?
I agree with when you say that everyone will remember him no matter what happens because that just goes to show that he places so many positive effects on so many people because of how fascinating he is.
Deletethat everybody thought** was different.
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DeleteOrange is the New Black Piper Kerman
ReplyDelete“I tried to pull myself together. Freshly showered and wearing the uniform that I thought was least unflattering, I stood in the flourescent light of the decrepit bathroom and looked at the unfamiliar woman in the mirror. I looked undecorated and to my eye unfeminine–no jewelry, no makeup, no embellishments at all […] What would Larry think when he saw me?”
Kerman is clearly believing that she has to look like a feminine person, having qualities or appearance traditionally associated with women, especially delicacy and prettiness so Larry, her fiancé, does not think of her as someone she is not... but what is it that she is not. She is human but why is she trying to look feminine for a guy... I feel like this too would fall under the category of pursuit of happiness. She is making herself feel better by making someone feel better. She is happy by ascribing makeup on and isn't that what we all seek for… happiness?
Judith Butler’s gender lens in this case is perception of how a women should look, how women present themselves.
Question: Is Kerman alone when dealing with gender binary or is she one of many who feel that she should present herself the way society leans towards?
A scene worth analyzing in my memoir is the scene where Dan-el's mother gets criticized by her siblings that she cannot raise Dan-el because he needs a male figure in his life.
ReplyDeleteIf dan-el's mother was never chastised by her siblings would she have raised Dan-el differently?
Yeah i believe that this is a problem in today's society. Women can raise a well grown up child without the help of a father figure and vice versa. But it is recommended both because then there would be two distinct perspectives if a child would need help... mom and dad.
DeleteIt's interesting to see things that we often think, in the form of text. I think it truly shows the influences in our thoughts, which we often dont pick up on when we are thinking.
DeleteBook: 6 Minutes Wrestling With Life: A Family's Tragedy To Triumph
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the Memoir I am currently reading, the memoirist talks about how people always treated him as different, but in a good way. He explained how they just really admired him and saw him as a fascinating and inspiring person who is always hardworking and just never gives up. In my opinion, I feel that they are viewing him as "other," but in a good way. By that I mean that he is just an inexplicable human being who just wants to pursue his dream of becoming an national champion of wrestling. The idea of being classified as "other" traces back to the Post Colonial Theory. It's related to the Post Colonial theory because we can see that the Protagonist is seen as "Colonized." Being seen as colonized only goes to show that he is exotic, different, fascinating, and I as I said before, inexplicable.
Is anyone else's Memoirist struggling with an illness that is stopping them from pursuing their dream?
Yes and no. My memoirist is struggling with an illness that is preventing her to do many things, including her job. However, she wasn't always this way and so she did once have the chance to pursue her dreams.
DeleteIn my memoir it everyone's dream is to get out alive and getting to their families. In the camps they're treated poorly and they have to deal with a lot of illnesses and aren't treated correctly and aren't given the right supplement of food for them to continue on and survive. So yeah, they are getting blocked but its at an extremer sense than in your memoir.
DeleteBrain on Fire by Susannah Cahaln.
ReplyDeleteIn the book, Susannah's father who isn't described to be very in tuned to his emotions, contains a very distant relationship with his daughter, he would show his fatherly concern through the occasional phone call or visit and yet he hadn't informed his children of his newly acquired wife prior to the engagement. His character change was significant as it progressed along with Susannah's condition during her admission within the hospital grounds. Suddenly the man who expressed concern at a distance, would fall into tears and despair during daily visitations at the hospital, as he and the mother of his child struggled to maintain hope for the return of the daughter they once knew.
Parental fear dismantled the father's emotional lock, designed by years of construction shaped by masculine expectations. To be emotionally kept, is to be stable, lack of emotional display shows strength in character, a rational thinker who is not bothered by the biases and torments of emotion. This emotional stability is masculine as opposed to its contrary. To be feminine is to be stereotypically "crazy", emotionally distraught, historically hysterical but also caring and compassionate and therefore weak as opposed to the aggressive, dominating, ruthless strength deemed to be stereotypically masculine. Whether directly or indirectly, men are cloaked with the expectation to behave in manner that corresponds to their biology and history, to be strong not just physically and mentally but emotionally as well. This perhaps explains the father's experienced character change, displaying emotions in a manner never seen before due to an underlying expectation that had been erased through fear.
When taking a gender lens, did any one else's character experience change due to gender expectations that had been erased when gender norms were no longer a priority?
Brain on Fire by Susannnah Cahaln.
DeleteWhen Susannah first thought something was wrong with her, she went to a doctor. He did a couple of basic tests, eventually determining that there was nothing wrong with her, and that her symptoms are due to partying excessively.
Because Susannah is a woman, and young, the doctor immediately jumped to the conclusion that she is exaggerating her condition instead of trying to discover what is actually wrong with her.
Have you ever thought you were treated a certain way by doctors because of your gender?
Brain on Fire by Susannnah Cahaln.
DeleteWhen Susannah first thought something was wrong with her, she went to a doctor. He did a couple of basic tests, eventually determining that there was nothing wrong with her, and that her symptoms are due to partying excessively.
Because Susannah is a woman, and young, the doctor immediately jumped to the conclusion that she is exaggerating her condition instead of trying to discover what is actually wrong with her.
Have you ever thought you were treated a certain way by doctors because of your gender?
Orange is the New Black by Piper Kierman
ReplyDeleteThe passage I have chosen is where piper finally tells her family and friends about her illegal drug trafficking 10 years ago. While they were surprised, they weren't worried about her going to jail because no one would suspect a young woman doing something like drugs.
I will be looking at this passage through the gender lens. it seems very weird that they would think a female was not capable of doing something as bad or dangerous as drug trafficking. It appears as though it is not lady like to be a drug mule for someone when in actuality anyone is capable of doing something good or bad regardless of their "gender". It doesn't make you more masculine and less feminine if you do something dangerous.
Question: Have any of you guys ever been shocked by someone doing something because they were a certain gender?
Night by Elie Wiesel
ReplyDelete"Excuse me.... Could you tell me where the toilets are located? The Gypsy stared at him for a long time, from head to toe. As if he wished to ascertain that the person addressing him was actualy a creature of flesh and bone, a human being with a body and a belly... he slapped my father with such force that he fell down.."
This quote is when Elie and his father are moved into a new camp block and they seem to notice that it isn't as harsh as the one they were in before so his father asks where the bathroom is. They aren't adjusted to the new scene well enough like the others are and are new to being "othered" so quickly. After all they think they are still human but in the eyes of the people in the camp they are just another person and in the eyes of the officers they are no one.
Has it come up in your memoir when your main characters haven't really soaked in their situation yet?
Undocumented by Dan-el Padilla Peralta
ReplyDeleteLens: Gender
Another theme in the story is how often Dan-el mentions wanting to date girls. And the amount of times he mentions this is borderline obnoxious. One paticular time in Princeton he met a girl that he liked. They went out once, and then the girl told him that they couldn't keep dating. He said that she said that they couldn't tdate because he is black. While this plays into postcolonial theory as well, its important to think about how the girl feels. She didn't feel as though saying 'no' was enough and she had to go out of her way and over explain the circumstances.
Do you feel that boys experience a sense of entitlement when it comes to asking a girl out? By that I mean do boys expect the girl to say yes, and do girls feel the pressure to say yes?