A Wrinkle In Time - June 22, 2010

I found Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle In Time to be a novel that is both ideal and unsuitable for children. The sophisticated language and references to relevant cultural phenomena is not capable of being understood by a child. However in contrast, perhaps the reason I do not think it is the best choice for a children's novel was my inability to fully understand and visualize the events taking place. This is where the mind of a child may have the advantage. Children's imaginations have yet to be tainted by maturity and therefore, are much more likely to believe and further formulate the imagery of A Wrinkle In Time. This fundamental innocence possessed by a child is what separates them from the rest of society. It is a difficult and rare task to find a novel that has been successfully designed to specifically to cater to the minds of the youth while simultaneously confusing the ignorant minds of the adult. Despite my dissatisfaction with a Wrinkle In Time, I will admit that Madeleine L'Engle has mastered this technique.

The use of scientific research to support the peculiar actions of the main characters put a sense of realism into the novel. I enjoyed the L'Engle's ability to take the implausible and link it with the discovered in an attempt to merge the two ideas into some kind of skeptically believable realm. Society today is very situated around the use of scientific facts and the incapability to believe anything with out proof. A Wrinkle In Tine was able to take advantage of society's weakness to willingly believe science. By taking scientific findings and applying them to illusory acts, the reader is confronted with a paradox of what to believe. Trust science as we have for many years or listen to reason and remember how impossible such things may be? This notion of persuading adult reader's to believe in the unknown is what allows A Wrinkle In Time to be a novel that can be read not only by youth but universally by all ages.

Never Let Me Go - June 14, 2010

Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go was quite different than the rest of the novels that have been covered in class thus far. I enjoyed how the notion of a freak wasn't blatantly pushed upon the reader throughout the duration of the plot. Rather than viewing the characters as foreign objects, I was able to view them as individuals equipped with all the characteristics that accompany what it means to be human. Perhaps it was the ability to relate to these characters that appeared to be more capable now than before which allowed the enjoyment of this novel to come much easier than the rest. Through references to the reader as a possible member of their illusory civilization, a connection was made linking the society we inhabit today with the one we encountered in Never Let Me Go. With the capacity to view these characters through a lens that could apply to current society, the connections made between audience and observers allowed for the treatment of the characters to have a direct impact those following their journey.

I credit my overt satisfaction with this novel to the narrative style provided by the main character Kathy. By using language and imagery that is easily understood, the text was able to allow for descriptive imagery to be created on a continuous basis. Furthermore, the notion of hearing the story from the standpoint of a 'freak' permitted the classification of such a category to expand from a distinct to an ambiguous heading. I discovered a universal hierarchy was created which entailed both the standard members of society and those that do not conform. Those who receive the donations of the organs (us) occupy the preeminent position. In terms of those who supply the apparatus' to the public, a hierarchy exists between this sub-section. Hailsham occupies the top position, enforcing the members of this lower class to achieve means similar to those received by higher occupants. This ability to mimic the lifestyle of a norm, forces the reader to view the clones of Hailsham as just that. Geographically the world of the clones is separated from the general population however mentally and physically the similarities between these two groups is uncanny.

Freaks - June 7th, 2010

Although I have yet to watch Tod Browning's Freaks, I believe the summary by John Hawkins will be sufficient enough to provide some form of analysis. I found Freaks to appear to fall somewhere between the spectrum Geek Love and Nights at the Circus. The film involves a freak show which has been naturally created without any modifications, as was the case for the travelling show in Nights at the Circus. However with the mutilation of Cleo in the film's conclusion as a deliberate interference to create a freak, similarities to the Binewski family in Geek Love are prevalent. Furthermore Cleo's character appears to have vast similarities with characters from both novels. She is an "androgynous creature" quite similarly to Wasler's perception of Sophia Fevvers. Cleo also demonstrates similar personality traits to Al Binewski and Colonel Kearney with her greed and desire to become wealthy regardless of the measures taken to achieve this. In order to produce this wealth, each scenario entails a 'normal' individual using a freak to receive capital gains. This notion of a hierarchy amongst members of a freak show is an indication to how society treats those who they perceive to be different.

Society today is structured around the idealistic desires of the general public. Social construction has corrupted the minds of the public in order to instill in them some form of hierarchy. It is from here that the misguided and belittling treatment of freaks is derived. The characters in both novels and the film abuse their feelings of entitlement they feel over those who are disadvantaged in order to commodify them and produce a profit. Freaks are therefore observed as incapable of releasing themselves from any form of objectification created by society's norms.

Freaks are feared, they are often even compared to monsters, so why haven't they risen up and put a halt on their ill treatment from the norms? This questions may not entirely have an answer. However in both Nights at the Circus and Geek Love, the circus performers never banded together to overthrow their powerful dictators. Perhaps it is because they enjoyed the positions they held in the show or perhaps it is because they enjoyed the feeling of sharing their company with similar individuals. Regardless of the reason, the settling of the Freaks only further contributed to their objectification and capitalization. I believe that if the freaks were able to unite and conquer their leader, they would defy social norms and finally solidify themselves with no longer a feeling of impunity but instead a feeling of superiority

Nights At The Circus - May 31, 2010

Nights at the Circus strikes me as a well written theoretical novel which masks the heavy underlying meanings with a steady captivating plot line. I found it appropriate that such a feminist writer as Angela Carter would create a main character that defies such gendered stereotypes. Sophia Fevvers is depicted as a female in a body designed for a male who both resists and embraces the notion of what a true 'lady' should be. With a combination of her masculine build, towering height, poor table etiquette, infinite appetite, poor manners, and lack of humility when passing gas, Fevvers appears to genuinely disagree with the popular notion of femininity. However her character is not as unpretentious as it seems and therefore to classifying her into one category seems ill fit. In contrast to this she also resorts to various measures to reaffirm her sexuality as the typical seductive female. This can be observed with her elaborate make-up, revealing wardrobe, and motherly instincts. The dynamic character that Sophia Fevvers encompasses has been constructed to cater to the affirmation and invalidation of gender stereotypes.

Angela Carter's use of symbols in Nights at the Circus is the focal technique which allows the text to contain an alternate agenda apart from the storyline evident. It is apparent that not all of the underlying motives are perceptible and I am unable to completely decipher some of Carter`s messages. Such as water for instance, in terms of its use as a rescue method for Walser on multiple occasions. The action of spraying water from the hose is always used against the perpetrator of violence so it can be presumed to share a connection with the abomination of an offender. Similarly to Fevvers` sword from Ma Nelson, water has become a symbolic tool catered specifically to the defence of Walser. An alternative form of symbols found in Nights at the Circus does not necessarily appear in the form of tangible objects but rather an allusion through words. The consistent reference to Greek mythology when describing characters, provides the audience of readers with a elaborate mythological theme to magnify the grandness of the situation. Referring to Fevvers, for example, with terms used to describe the Gods of Greek mythology further emphasizes the majestic significance of her being. From Cupid to a Warrior equipped with a sword (both metaphorically and literally), the magnitude of Sophia Fevvers is consistently reaffirmed.

Geek Love - May 24th, 2010

Katherine Dunn's Geek Love is a uniquely twisted story that I found to be both liberating and disturbing. Consequentially, the two previously mentioned terms are also descriptors for the concept of carnivalesque which is evident in this novel. The generated travelling freakshow in Geek Love is centered around the degradation of deformity. Each offspring of the Binewski family symbolizes the pharmaceutical inventions of Al and Crystal Lil. These 'inventions' become the focal points and economic producers of the carnival. With the children supporting the family, the natural social hierarchy of the family has become inversed. This primarily occurs with Arty who occupies the highest position within the family. Arty feels it is necessary to control his competition in order to alter this mock authority into a seemingly permanent structure. He does this by using his influential power over his siblings through provoking and manipulating the insecurities of Oly, Chick, Elly and Iphy. The parodist nature of this carny family and its followers alter to fit into the mould Arty has specifically designed. This reversal of authority provided Arty with ultimately a monarch status which lead to the success and sequentially the demise of the family legacy.

Despite the intrigued social construction of the travelling carnival, I found the initial idea behind the family business to be the most intriguing aspect of the novel. The notion of creating a freakshow is a violation of human ethics; however Al and Lil justify their actions throughout the novel to keep the reader from reaching such conclusions. The outside world is not as forgiving as the employees of the Binewski family appear to be. This is evident in Vern Bogner's attempted murder of the entire family, excluding Al. Ironically, even after this episode occurerd, Al and Lil fail to acknowledge the public's disdain for their actions. Instead they claim to have done their children a favour by physically preparing them with the necessities for a guaranteed life-long career.

The commodification and capitalization of the Binewski children become the very trait that link the family together. Al's love for Chick is directly linked to the amount of money he is able to earn or save his father from spending. It is not for the obvious reasons this carny family is not like the masses of society, they differ from everyone else in the way that they value one another. From incestual to revenue-hungry underlying motives, the relationships between the members of the family are a far cry from healthy. However this does not mean that there is any absence of love. The family of six never fail to cater to one another's needs in a desperate attempt to please each other (some characters more than others). I believe this continuous theme of undying love is why I truly enjoyed the novel as much as I did. It is evident with Lil and Al at the beginning of the novel through to the end with Oly's actions towards Lil and Miranda. The desire to please the ones you love in a despairing attempt to receive some form of love in return is the driving force behind the characters, the plot line, and the schematics of Geek Love.