· 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 how Callahan categorizes herself as the “other.” This section of my memoir ties back to the Post-Colonial theory. She often questions her loved ones, her boyfriend, why they stay with her despite knowing she has an disease. She’s confused as to why her boyfriend is with her when she herself believes she is different. Her boyfriend loves her for who she is and her disease does not change the things he loves about her. Is Callahan ashamed of her disease? Is she “othering” herself because she believes her boyfriend deserves someone who is much better than she is? From her perspective, she believes her disease makes her different and she does not see herself as she used to when she did not have the disease. Why does Callahan believe her disease distinguishes her from being considered “normal” in society? She does not recognize the good things that are revolving around her life. Question: Is anyone else’s character having doubts about their identity and their self-worth?
I guess this question sort of ties in with what I said to Katelan because my memoirsit seems to question his actions. Like for example, he says e doesn't deserve to be staying home and looking out for his little brother, instead he should be going out with friends, etc. but since it's his responsibility to do so he does it either way.
DeleteYour observation about Callahan's views and feelings are very well thought out. These ideas that you have extracted from Callahan's views are ideas that are extremely relevant in today's society; everyone is extremely self-conscious and questioning of every motive. One could even take it as far as identifying it as paranoid, due to this feeling of being categorized as the "other"
DeletePrecious always brings down her self worth. The environment she's in puts her in a bad state of mind, which also makes her belittle herself\
DeleteMine is. She does not even acknowledge herself as a "somebody".
DeleteMy author deals with a lot of things where he wishes he wasn't here and he was dead. Also he faces a lot of conflicts with his religion.
DeleteBrain on Fire by Susannah Callahan
ReplyDeleteQuote: "I have a gift. I can age people with my mind. This is who I am. And they cannot take this away from me. I am powerful. Stronger than I have ever been in my life"
Summary: Susannah has been in the hospital for a while and her brain disorder is making her think that she has super powers and that she is essentially superior to everyone around her.
Analysis Using Post Colonial Lens: Its intriguing to me that Susannah almost "others" herself. She think thats somehow she is better than everyone else because she has these fake powers (she doesn't realize that they are fake). She is, in this case, the colonizer and she is shaping herself to be better than everyone else because she has the ability to "age" people.
Question: Does any one else notice that their memoirist "others" themselves?
Because the parents of my memoirist died, he is responsible for taking care of his little brother and making sure that everything is going well for him. For example, he needs to make sure he does good in school, take him to places the he wants, and also he needs to make sure that Toph (little brother) doesn't surround himself with 'unusual' stuff. So I do feel like Dave "others" himself because it's not something he should be doing, like he says, at his age.
DeleteBecause my memoirist's mother and father died, he took on the role of taking care of his brother. However, he doesn't treat his brother like a son. He wants to treat his brother as a brother. Therefore, he doesn't force him to clean, they play around all the time, etc. Dave is "othering" himself because no one else is treating a child at this age like that. He know's his brother's friends aren't playing around like them; which makes him completely "other" himself from the rest.
DeleteYes, my memoirist others himself because he is always saying how even though he has a responsibility as a "guardian" for his little brother, he doesn't really because they are brother and not technically his guardian. So yeah, Dave others himself by comparing his status with the rest of the world.
DeleteYes, my memoirist others herself because she believes she is different than other prisoners.
DeleteMy memorrist acknowledges the difference her life fairs in comparison to others.
DeleteA Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
ReplyDeleteQuote: "I assume they're from Mexico, Mexican American, teenagers..." (page 149).
"I mean, I don't know what your status is with green cards and everything, but this could get really *** ugly, you guys" (page 154).
Summary: Dave and Meredith (one of his friends) are at the beach hanging out talking to one another, basically getting to know each other. They decide to have a little fun at the beach and they leave their clothes nearby. Some kids, teenagers, walk by and start harassing them.
Postcolonial Lens Analysis: Before the kids even got up to Dave and Meredith, he assumed right away that they were Mexican teenagers. He also assumed in a way that these teenagers had nothing to do around that time because they were at the beach yelling and going crazy. Once they got up to Meredith and Dave, they started messing around with their clothes and they "stole" Daves wallet. It seems to me that Dave was already expecting this, he seemed to be pretty rude in a way because he automatically assumed that just because they were Mexican, they were up to no good. Does anyone else feel like their memoirist is pretty quick in judging others?
Do your characters get judge too? or they just judge other people?
DeleteMy memoirist was actually pretty quick in judging her inmates in prison. She believed going into prison that everyone was tough and mean. However, a lot of people cared and looked out for her.
DeleteMy memoirist does judge other people, but he is able to somwhow understand them and the reason why they are the way they are.
DeleteMy memoirist does judge other people, but he is able to somwhow understand them and the reason why they are the way they are.
DeleteYes, I do think my character is pretty quick to judging others, but only because her condition makes her paranoid. She others herself and assumes people are talking about her, she judges people in accordance to her disease. Everyone is out to get her and everyone is talking about her behind her back.
DeletePush' Sapphire
ReplyDeleteQuote' “I wanna say I am somebody. I wanna say it on subway, TV, movie, LOUD. I see the pink faces in suits look over top of my head. I watch myself disappear in their eyes. their tesses. I talk loud but still I don’t exist."
Jacques Lacan: Precious is very aware of the fact that she is seen by people in her surroundings. She feels that she is merely just an "object" in their eyes. She wants to be more than what she is but these eyes, without even knowing it, restrict/control her actions.
Does anyone spot signs of their memoirist's actions being influenced by society?
Yes, I do. In my book, the memoirist is trying to dress differently so he can fit in and not stand out and not be seen as the "other" even though he's new to the community.
DeleteMy memoirist's actions are definitely being influenced by society. He knows he has to be really responsible for his brother and it is hard because quite frankly: it is not his child. But with the school's remarks about lateness and friend's comments/ adults stares of disbelief, Dave tries to change his ways a little to go with the flow. He fails miserably, but he is fully aware of society's remarks about many things.
DeleteIn my memoir, my author is most definitely influenced by his surrounding society. His surrounding "society" being the Nazis. And it's not so much of casual influence, it is more of a dominant powerful influence.
DeleteIn some ways I do see my character, Callahan, actions being influenced by society. She believes that because she has a disease she is looked down upon in society.
DeleteIn my book, precious has to act a certain way because of how people view her. that is very sad
DeleteI feel that my Memoirist isn't really influenced by society. He doesn't really care what anyone thinks about him and he just does his own thing.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteYes, my memorist experiences hallucinations in that she hears things that weren't being said. She heard her stepfather call her slut, I think she heard that because its what she thinks of herself and I think that social shaming of sluts is why the idea of a slut was ever placed in her mind.
DeleteEveryone is affected by society. Whenever someone forms an exposition, it is a product of influence, the influence of what they have been exposed to, and the influence of how they have been taught how to perceive that which they have been exposed.
DeleteA Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers
ReplyDelete"The open house is still full - it goes until nine, not eight, as I had thought - and we are both overdressed. We walk in. Toph immediately untucks his shirt."
So basically, Toph and his brother are late to an open house for Toph's school and Toph's brother rushes him to get dressed. Toph put on 3 different outfits and his brother made him change because he didn't look professional enough. When they got to the open house, everyone was dressed in casual clothes while the two brothers were overdressed.
The memoirist is so scared of being seen as the "other" in this new community they moved to that he even wants to dress like them. He was to impress them by wearing fancy clothes. I wouldn't say impress however, more like he just wants to fit in.
How does your memoirist try to fit in with his/her community?
My character doesn't really try to fit into society she herself believes that she does not belong in society and therefore instead of accepting her disease she ignored it and pushes those close to her away.
DeleteIn the memoir I am reading, my character is new in prison and she is trying really hard to fit in order to keep herself safe and out of trouble. She follows every single rule either from a guard or an inmate, stays quiet and keeps to herself.
DeleteMy memoirist tried to fit in with his community through things like cursing and even robbing a retail store. I guess you can say that trying to fit in isn't necessarily always a good thing.
DeleteMy memoirist tends to follow the social norms of the community he lives in as a way of fitting in and feeling as though he belongs.
DeleteMy memoirist is mentally unstable due to a disease, so she doesn't, with the exception of when she tries to calm herself down.
DeleteMy memoirist is mentally unstable due to a disease, so she doesn't, with the exception of when she tries to calm herself down.
DeleteA Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
ReplyDeleteQuote: "The open house is full- it goes until nine, not eight, as I had thought- and we are both overdressed. We walk in. Toph immediately untucks his shirt."
Summary: Dave attended Toph's open house with him. Since Dave never been to one before, he forced Toph to dress up nicely. However, when they arrived, both of them were overdressed.
Jacques Lacan's Mirror Theory & the Gaze: Soon as when Toph and Dave walked into the school, everyone stared. It wasn't because they were overdressed, but because of WHO they were. They were so different to the rest of the kids that they were the outcasts, which made everyone stare. Both Dave and Toph immediately felt uncomfortable when they walked in and realized the casual outfits of the parents and kids. By people looking at them, and them being 100% aware, they fixed their behavior/ stance towards the situation.
Question: In what ways are your characters dealing with unsettling situations? What are their actions?
My author was oppressed and couldn't really do anything during this time. However, he believed by writing about his experience, he is helping humanity to not forget about the horrible acts of his oppressors.
DeleteMy author deals with unsettling situations by looking towards those around him for help and guidance. He does this in order to avoid disappointing or further stressing out his mother.
DeleteOrange is the new black: My years in a woman's prison by Piper Kerman
ReplyDeleteThe part I will analyzed that is my memoirist review themselves as others in the prison because she knows a lot of skills like writing, reading, fixing electronics, etc. Piper gets tons of visitors and letters because she's the most popular woman in prison. Barely anyone visit other prisoners, but Piper gets a lot of visitors; and thus it shows the difference between Piper and other prisoners. Another example of she is better is that Piper fixed another prisoner's fan, then everyone wants Piper to fix everything.
According to post colonial theory, Piper consider her as "other" in prisons because she's more educated, talented, and more famous than other prisoners. She writes and receives letter everyday from outside of the prison.
Question: Is anyone else memoirist considered herself as "other" to people?
Night by Elie Wiesel
ReplyDeleteThere's a part of the memoir I'm reading where the author talks about his experience with the Hungarian police. He describes this moment as a moment he cant never forget. He describes the police as his first oppressors during the holocaust. They reason why he remembers this is because he felt that he was being treated as he wasn't human. This relates to the post colonial theory because these police men saw the jews as people who don't need to and should be treated with respect. They were seen as others. As people who did some sort of crime by just following their religion. The author felt this too. He also describes them as the first faces of death and hell.
Question: Is there a moment where your author feels as they are an other?
In my memoir My author is ill so her family and friends are giving her a lot of attention, which my memoirst thinks is unnecessary and because she is being treated this way she feels like an other
DeleteIn my memoir my memoirist feels like an other. Compared to every inmate she is the one who is getting the most love from the outside world. Her friends, family and family's friends all give her some form of love whether in the form of books, letters, or most importantly the time to go see her. She feels like an 'other' because she has love from the real world.
DeleteOrange Is the New Black : My Year In A Women's Prison by Piper Kerman?
ReplyDeletePassage: "... and then a very random smattering : one Indian, a couple of Middle Eastern women, a couple of Native Americans, one tiny Chinese woman in her sixties. I always wondered how it felt to be there if you lacked a tribe."
Summary: Piper has been in prison for a few weeks and has began realizing how the system of rules and etiquette work in prison.
Postcolonial lens analysis: At this point in the memoir Piper is in prison and is beginning to adapt to all the rules and people. She immediately noticed that racialism was unabashed. All the inmates were either placed into three different groups: black, white, and Latino. Any other person that doesn't fit into these groups were categorized as "others". There is obviously really strong segregation and differences between races and how they treat each other in prison.
Question: Is anyone encountering really strong instances of ostracism between characters or society in their memoirs?
In my memoir, there's a scene in which my memoirist feels ostracized because of the clothes he wears to school. He feels ostracized at school because his shoes and blazer aren't as nice and polished as his peers, while at the same time feeling distinct from those in his community since he looks too preppy. This relates to the post colonial lens because the memoirist is viewed as an other on both sides. At school, his economic standing makes him different from everyone, and where he lives makes him an other considering no one attends a private school there, thus making him seem different from the kids who go to school in his neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Are there any instances where your memoirist is viewed as an other by more than one community?
Yes, my memoirist is being viewed differently because of the personal things that are going on in his life. These views however have positive effects on his life because it helps distinguish his real friends from his fake friends.
DeleteIn my memoir no one really other's each other besides the SS Officers. Everyone in the camps really sees themselves as one and know that that is vital if they want to get out alive.
DeleteMy memoir is "Night" by Elie Wiesel
ReplyDeleteQuote: "Men to the left! Women to the right!"
With this quote, the gender theory can be applied. As Elie Wiesel and his family have arrived at the concentration camp he has been forced to become separated with his mother and his sisters. The Nazis at the camp have begun to separate the males from the females. I have decided to analyze this through the gender lens because in this quote there is a distinction being made between men and women. In some manner, the Nazis are considering men superior to women because the men are specifically chosen and separated because they, being men, are due for hard labor. Is anyone else seeing gender discrimination in their memoirs?
In the Memoir I am reading, there really isn't gender discrimination, but rather equality among the genders. The protagonist in my book is always looking out for his friend, who happens to be a female, by training her to become a better wrestler.
DeleteBook: 6 Minutes Wrestling With Life: A Family's Tragedy To Triumph
ReplyDelete"I sit down and start coaching Jess. Jess's legs are separated by at least two feet. Come on Jess, you can do this... Come on Jess, you can do this... Prove to everyone you are in there."
Judith Butler's Gender theory can be applied here. The protagonist of my book is trying to do anything he could to help this female wrestler achieve her goal as a wrestler. He is pushing her and pushing her so much just so she can be a successful wrestler. He doesn't want her to fail and tries really hard to make her better. This only goes to show that women are not treated differently when it comes to wrestling. It shows how even though she's a female, a lot of attention is being given to her, just so she can turn out to be a great wrestler.
Is there a time where your Memoirist is feeling that not enough attention is coming their way?
I like how you used the Gender theory, I didn't think a lot of people would choose this theory. You did a good job in interpreting the quote and transitioning it into one of the theories we learned.
DeleteI agree with what you said, because your protagonist is a woman and wants to be a wrestler which is thought to be a masculine sport she is getting more attention than she needs since females are seen as weak and fragile and wrestling being an aggressive sport Would harm the protagonist and she wouldn't be seen as feminine as before
DeleteNice interpretation. Referring back to your question, I believe that my memoirist is getting too much attention which in prison, the inmates may be envious by the abundance of love my memoirist is receiving from the real world. Although she is in prison, she is getting too much attention and this love from her family and friends may soon cause a dilemma with the other inmates who may view themselves as the other.
Delete" I wanna say I ain' stupid but I know i am so I dont say nothin'" In this scene, The teacher showed up unannounced to her house and kept on ringing the doorbell. Precious mom got mad and gave her some bad advice and in the process, called her stupid.
ReplyDeleteLacan Theory: This quote makes me confused. As the memoir goes on, Precious is losing more and more of her beauty and taking in more ugliness of the world. In the beginning, she would tell us that she is smart but now Its as though she doesn't believe that anymore. This tells me that Precious memory cannot be trusted.
Has anyone viewed their "memoirist" memory as contradicting to their actions?
Brain On Fire
ReplyDelete"If I could not understand what was making me feel this way, at least I could control the people around me"
Judith's Butlers theory can be applied here because in society men are seen as the powerful ones but in this case, Susannah, a woman, feels like she is powerful because she is capable of getting people to do what she wants. The fact that this is the most powerful the memoirist has felt in her life is kind of saddening because she is a writer for the Post so she should be feeling powerful with her writing not because a waiter followed her orders.
Does anyone elses memoirist feel powerful or powerless in the memoir?
Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan
DeleteThroughout the memoir, Susannah is plagued by a mistrust in the people that surround her. When she is shuffling through her boyfriends possessions in order to detect infidelity, she exemplifies this.
Susannah's lack of trust in others is positively correlated with her lack of trust in herself. Her inability to identify with her memory and emotion, grasping only at the most superficial levels of understanding in the attempts to justify the insanity that consumes her, distorts in her reality.
Has anyone ever felt like most of the problems they had were largely self-induced?
"6 Minutes Wrestling With Life: A Family's Tragedy to Triumph" by JohnA Passaro
ReplyDeleteQuote: "Well, Mr. Passaro, I am sorry to inform you that I have reviewed your daughters CT Scan and she has no brain activity, just like in the Karen Ann Quinlan case. At this time, I want you to start thinking about the quality of her life."
Summary: Mr. Passaro received the heartbreaking news about the severity of his daughter's illness. He didn't want to believe it. I can feel his emotions and feelings that were going through his head. Everything was going good until the doctor told him what was really going on. Mr. Passaro didn't think it would be that serious but now he knows.
Lacan’s Mirror Stage Theory: The daughter and the memoirist "gazed" into each others eyes with concern. She is not going to feel the same anymore. Her friends are going to start looking at her like she is a whole different person with all the machinery she would have to drag along with her everywhere she goes. This is going to limit her everyday extracurricular activities and her studies. Now the memoirist [her father] might look at wrestling a different way now. Maybe he won't take it seriously anymore because of the brain disorder his daughter is suffering from. His daughter will be looked at, perhaps, "different" from the others. But in the memoirist's perspective, she is always going to be the same adorable child that she is. She will never change through the eyes of her father.
Question: Is anybody else reading and they encounter other people judging other characters in a way where it makes themselves look as if they're not the same person anymore because of the way other people are judging them?
memoirist*
DeleteOrange Is the New Black : My Year In A Women's Prison by Piper Kerman
ReplyDelete"When I thought about how terrified I had been of Rochelle, and why, I felt like a complete jackass. I had gone to school, lived with, dated, and worked with middle-class black people my whole life, but when faced by a black women who hadn't "been where I've been, " I felt threatened, absolutely certain she was going to take something from me."
According to Colonial lens, my memoirist is clearly the conalinizer. She quickly felt threatened by Rochelle who only asked for a book. Society has impacted her and she is now learning that even in prison individuals don't have the right to subjugate any other race. I wonder if she were to act this certain way if someone of her skin complexion, white, were to confront her and ask her for a book. Would she react the same way? Would she subjugate her own race? Later my memoirist realizes that Rochelle was an individual who was not to feel threatened by. The almighty saying comes into play, Don't Judge a book by its cover!
"In truth, Rochelle was one of the most mild-mannered and pleasant inmate around, with deep love for church and trashy novels."
Do you see your memoirist change, overtime, when they realize that people are all the same and should not be judged so hastly?
Undocumented By: Dan-el Padilla Peralta
ReplyDeleteMy memorist speaks on a time where he was asked by his buddies to go on an adventure to the projects to get head for $5. He felt very disapponted with himself when he couldn't reach their expectations and get head from a toothless stranger.
This can be seen through the gender lens because of the social standards that Dan-el's friends put on him because of who he is. He is seen as less of a man because he cannot bring himself to an activity that boys normally do in the hood.
ugh yes!!! so important. I think Dan-el is coping with more than just delivering a convincing performance of his gender, I think he is also experiencing a duality in cultural identity. His hood life, in direct juxtaposition with his school life. The things he does with his friends in the hood which you described, and then when he hangs with say Nick, and they go to a play. There must be something interesting in existing in these polarizing circumstances.
DeleteOrange is the New Black by Piper Kierman
ReplyDeletethe passage I have chosen from the story was when Piper was introduced the 3 different dorms that housed the different races within the prison. Dorm A had the white people "the suburbs", Dorm B had the black women "the Ghetto" and Dorm C had the latino women "Spanish harlem"
I will be looking through the lens of the post colonial theory. The prison itself seems to separate the different ethnicities on purpose to cause this sort of divide between. To piper she was greeted by the white women very well and it took her time to become comfortable with the black women when she moved to Dorm B. It shows that this segregation instils fear into Piper and makes herself feel a little bit weaker and vulnerable when moved to Dorm B at first.
Question: Have any of you moved to a new setting and it felt very weird or off because you have never been in that type of setting?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePush- Sapphire
ReplyDelete" I wanna say I am somebody. I wanna say it on subway , TV, movie, LOUD. I see the pink faces in suits look over top of my head. I watch myself disappear in their eyes, their tesses. I talk loud but still I don't exist.
Precious challenges the validity of some of Lacan's principles such as existence for one another and the relationship we have with everyone we see.
Does anyone else's memorists conflict with the principles of any lens we studied?
Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan
ReplyDeleteDuring the progression of her condition, Susannah keeped hearing things that weren't being said. For instance she believed her step father called her a slut, compelling her to want to open the door of the moving car to get away.
Due to her disease, Susannah experiences hallucinations and irrational behaviors and reasoning. But why did she hear "slut" and not something else? Probably because as a woman, "slut" is a term used to objectify women, so out of the many things she could of heard to stir up her need to open the door of a moving car, "slut" was the term lingering in her subconscious mind, brought to the surface by her disease. She was calling herself a slut, reinforcing what she already thought of herself.
Is anyone else's character troubled by gender associated shaming?
Night by Elie Wiesel
ReplyDelete"Comrades, you are now in the concentration camp Auschwitz. Ahead of you lies a long road paved with suffering...That is all. Go to sleep. Two people to a bunk. Good night...Those were the first human words."
Throughout all the harsh things Elie and his father have to face they after a very long time witness and hear some actual words that are really helpful. Looking at this through Freud's lens, it is believable. This statement to me sounded a little weird at first considering that Auschwitz was one of the cruelest camp and here he heard the first human words. But also I feel after writing about it a lot and thinking about it a lot it does make some sense. After all through all of his traumatic experiences I can believe that he would remember something so human surrounding all the madness.
Have you guys witnessed any part of your memoirs where you guys questioned your author?
Yes! My narrator only talks about times where he had happy experiences with his family. I wish he talked about a time that he got into a fight with his mom and not just the times he encouraged her to go to night school, or supported her durring a deadly pang of uberculosis.
DeleteUndocumented By: Dan-el Padilla Peralta
ReplyDeleteLens: Physcoanaylsis
There is a motif in the memoir pertaining to Dan-el's younger brother, Yando not wanting to be like Dan-el. In one specific part, Yando is over whelemed at Dan-el graduation at Princeton. Yando ends up snapping at Dan-el after an overwhelming amount of people start asking if he is thinking about Princeton. This isn't the first time he experiences this. When Yando was applying to highschool, he did not want to go to Collegiate. Yando clearly does not want to live under any expectations that Dan-el has set up for him. Dan-el seems to not comment on this too much and meerly says that he understands Yando. Dan-el's lack stance on this just plays into the concerns I have about Dan-el only writing about his life's events in a romantic light. And if they aren't perfectly rosey then he will gloss over them in an effort to portray a vision of his life in a way he wishes happened.
Is Dan-el a mirror for Yando and Yando's only way of having full controll about his life is to avoid looking into Dan-el and realizing that they might be more similar than Yando wants to lead on? Is Dan-el's naration trust worthy?