Crafting Creative Concepts with Charlotte

 Before I get into this, I want to start by pointing out that Jill was #1 on my most likely to die list, and she is the one who died. It feels wrong to congratulate myself, but I am a little bit proud. The ending was quite satisfying. It felt almost too good and peaceful for the end of such a wild and tragic novel. Nearly the entire group survived, they moved on from their ghosts of the past, and they have great resources that they can begin their Earthseed community with. I'm a little upset that Lauren is still in a relationship with Bankole, but it's good that there are so many relationships within their community as they plan for the future. The most surprising part of the ending was when Lauren discovered that Greyson, Emery, and their kids are all sharers. I was not expecting this at all, because sharing was Lauren's most unique trait. However, it does alienate her less from the rest of the group, and it makes the former slaves more united with the rest of the group. T...

 I probably should've expected this, but Lauren is spreading Earthseed really quickly among their rapidly growing group. Some are warier than others, but everyone is picking up pieces of Earthseed ideologies and beliefs. Lauren's ideas are unique and intriguing, but I think there are outside factors that are making Earthseed more appealing than usual to Lauren's group. To quote Taylor Swift in her song Soon You'll Get Better , "Desperate people find faith."  Lauren's group is a mishmash of desperate people. In a world where they are constantly fearing for their lives, everyone is searching for something to cling to. Earthseed allows them to cling to faith while staying entirely practical in their day-to-day lives. The idea of God that Earthseed provides is comforting, but gives believers the space to recognize that they need to act for themselves. Earthseed is the perfect religion for Lauren's time.

 Right now, everything in Parable of the Sower  is very stable and calm. Lauren's group is quickly expanding, and everyone trusts each other right now. They're safe, well-armed, and well-supplied. I'm tempted to think that it'll be smooth sailing from here on, but this is a dystopia so there must be something big and horrible coming. I think it's quite likely that at least one member of the main group will die in the next few chapters, so I am going to rank each character in terms of how likely I think they are to die, and explain my reasoning for these rankings. 1. Jill: she's in shock, unarmed, and weak from what we know. Also not a significant character yet, so killing her off would be easy for Butler to do. 2. Harry: his death would completely shake up the book, and further Lauren's detachment from her neighborhood (which would push her further into Earthseed). He's also not cautious enough. Butler has sprung some huge changes on us, and this would...

 I can't believe that we're almost halfway through  Parable of the Sower . It feels very fast-paced and sluggish at the same time -- does that make sense? Lots of things are happening, but they happen in predictable and regular patterns in a way that makes them almost mundane. Now, however, we have a huge mix-up that has significantly boosted my interest in the final sections of the book. Like Lauren predicted, the neighborhood was destroyed. In the chapters leading up to this, there has been a purge of the biggest supporting characters: now that purge is complete, and we have a new set of companions for Lauren. This change reminds me of Brave New World , when our core character group didn't come into focus until we were deep into the book. I was not a fan of Lauren's family members, so I'm hoping that her new survival group sticks together and stays loyal to each other. It's exciting to meet new characters, and it would be a shame if we lost them as well. Side ...

In this reading, two of the most important characters so far died: Kevin and the dad (we have no reason to believe that the dad is still alive, even though his death hasn't been officially confirmed). Now we have an interesting situation where there is no "man of the house" or authoritative, grown-up male figure to lead the community or the family. I am really excited to see what Octavia Butler does with this situation, and I would love to see a stronger feminist narrative emerge.  The second implication of the dad and Kevin dying is that Lauren's biggest barriers in promoting her Earthseed beliefs are gone. The only person left with any authority over Lauren is Cory, who is too emotionally distraught to take any control. Lauren has two options now: share the Earthseed with her community and invite them with her outside, or leave her community alone (her original plan). I'm curious to see if she'll take the first option, because she doesn't feel right leav...

The most recent reading focused largely on the narrator's expectations and plans for the future. She anticipates a scenario in which her neighborhood will be forced out of their homes, and wants to prepare for survival without the few modern comforts they still have access to. However, as soon as she tells people about her plan they push back strongly, convinced that such a situation will never form. The furthest she gets is with her father, who recognizes that an evacuation is inevitable but wants her to stay out of it.  Throughout the first chapters of Parable of the Sower , we have seen a longing for the past, particularly in the adults. Their longing for better times clouds their ability to see the future. This nostalgia creates a generational divide within the community. This reminds me of current generational divides that are fueled by nostalgia. Perhaps the most obvious example of this is the "Make America Great Again" slogan of Donald Trump. This idea that the pas...

Our generation grew up during the explosion of dystopian young-adult novels. From  The Hunger Games to  Divergent , these types of books defined my elementary and middle school years. Reading the first four chapters of Parable of the Sower  filled me with a strange feeling of nostalgia. It was almost comforting to be reading a dystopian novel with a teenage protagonist again. It was also nice to get out of Winston's brain - he was a terribly drab narrator, in my opinion. This also got me thinking about how authors, particularly young-adult authors, often borrow themes and ideas from previously successful books. The Harry Potter series, for example, is largely based on Lord of the Rings saga, which in turn is based on a Richard Wagner opera, which is based on Germanic folklore. I wonder if some of the dystopian novels that I loved so much are based on Parable of the Sower . I'm excited to see what other parallels I can draw between this book and the more familiar, watered-...

 I think the fact the 1984  is still relevant is actually really positive. We all know that history tends to repeat itself, so for 1984  to be able to address concerns raised by WWII and keep these concerns relevant for so long is significant. So, my answer to this question of avoiding an Orwellian future is simple - remember and learn from history. We also need to make sure that we maintain a form of government where the people have power, because as soon as citizens begin to lose their voice in the government it's a very slippery slope. I think this historical relevance is a huge part of why 1984  is still popular and Brave New World isn't. WWII nearly led the world down the path towards global authoritarianism, while the technological developments of the early 1900s had nearly none of the effects that Huxley predicted. I don't think we need to obsess over the possibility of becoming an Orwellian society (like some people do) but we need to keep 1984  in the b...

Sorry, that was clickbait. I don't actually have a list of 1,984 reasons to hate Orwell, but I do have some big problems with him that I'll be hashing out here (aka ranting). He is obsessed with torture. 1984 is a study in human nature. However, Orwell chooses to study human nature through the lens of torture. I understand his desire to make Oceania such a deeply horrific society, but I think he goes far past the point of appropriateness. He seems like part of that group of creepy old-school psychologists who thought that any lengths could be taken in the name of science. Even though everything in 1984  is obviously theoretical, it's unsettling to me that Orwell has mentally worked out so many intricate details about the brink of human sanity in relation to torture. Creep. He is sexist.  I think I've already written a post about this one, but I'll say it again: there is no female independence in 1984 . All the social and political leaders are men, and the only femal...

In terms of optimistic book passages, I can't say this one is at the top of my list. Basically what we learned from chapters III-V of Part Three is that the Party will rule the world for all of eternity, and there is no situation in which they will not succeed. Winston protests when O'Brien tells him this, arguing that the Party will self-destruct at some point, or at least some spiritual force in the universe will prevent the eternal rule of the Party. However, O'Brien just mocks Winston. O'Brien makes a very convincing case for the Party, but there is one potential loophole that could topple the Party - decreasing devotion to the cause.  In revolutions, the most passionate generation is the one that actually revolts (obviously). In 1984 , that is the group that is currently running the Party. However, as authoritarian regimes pass down through the generations, this revolutionary fervor dies down, and those in power either loosen their grip enough to destabilize themse...

 "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." - H.P. Lovecraft I decided to start this blog post with a quote, because I think that this particular quote pinpoints an aspect of human nature that Orwell is both exploring and exploiting at the beginning of Part 3. Winston first hears whispers about Room 101 in the general jail, and these whispers reappear throughout his imprisonment in the Ministry of Love. The most memorable scene that includes Room 101 is when the emaciated man does everything in his will to prevent the guards from taking him there. However, we never are told what is inside Room 101. Even when Winston asks O'Brien directly, O'Brien will not answer. For Winston, his fear of Room 101 is a fear of the unknown. Not knowing exactly what he's afraid of makes the fear worse. It's the same reason why so many people are scared of the dark and of death - this fear of the unknown...

 After reading Brave New World  and seeing the openness of Huxley's futuristic society towards female equality and empowerment, I was optimistic for similar trends in 1984 . Boy, have I been disappointed.  Our only real female character is Julia, who serves as a distraction, an object of desire, and a companion for Winston that won't make him look stupid or less important. She is essentially a fantasy for Winston - a beautiful woman who he can sleep with and then plot to take down the Party with. She comes across as naïve because rebellion looks different to her than it does to Winston, and we never see her as an individual outside of the male gaze. I know that it was common for female characters during this time to exist only within the context of the men, but Orwell is writing a book that takes place in the future . If he can be so creative with his envisioning of a dystopian world, surely he can find the imaginative capacity to see women as more than toys for men. Do y...

 So. A LOT happened in this section. The worst thing Winston had done at the end of section one was write in his diary. Now he's having sex with Julia, working with the Brotherhood, and even drinking black market coffee! However, I'm quite dissatisfied with Orwell's depiction of Winston's path so far. Everything seems to fall perfectly into place for Winston, to the point where it seems wildly unrealistic given the setting. I think that Orwell has overly romanticized Winston's life, and thinks of Winston as a version of himself if he lived in Oceania. Winston lives a pretty valiant life: he is an inconspicuous guy who fights against the government while conducting an affair with the most beautiful woman he knows. He knows it's only a matter of time before he gets found out, but this doesn't dissuade him from his life of rebellion. How upstanding of him. Perhaps the scene that irked me the most was when Winston and Julia go to O'Brien's flat to offici...

 Oceania is clearly a Communist country. In chapters 7-8 there was a strong emphasis on community, with Winston mentioning how risky it was to even take a walk alone because it suggests individuality. However, even with all of the pro-community messaging, 85% of the population lives in slums. The proles seem to be the working class from the pre-revolution world, and are allowed to lead somewhat normal lives as long as they do their jobs. These seems strange to me because Oceania flaunts itself as the perfect communist society, but the proles are on a distinct tier that makes class divides significantly harsher in Oceania than in capitalist society. I'm not going to pretend like class mobility is very legitimate in our modern society - it's extraordinarily difficult to alter your financial situation so significantly. However, there is at least the prospect of it happening - in Oceania, the divide between the proles and the Party members is impassable. The proles are treated like...

 One of the most prominent themes in Brave New World was encouragement of promiscuity in society. Aldous Huxley clearly saw society headed away from traditional Christian morals. However, George Orwell paints a sharply contrasting future in 1984 . In the first six chapters, I am shocked by the way in which the Party stifles sexual desires. There are many taboos in our current society surrounding sexuality and promiscuity, but the amplification of these taboos into organizations such as the Junior Anti-Sex League seem much more dystopic to me than the stigma-less sexual freedom in Brave New World . I also appreciate Orwell's ability to see a more nuanced future than Huxley. Huxley took everything he felt was going wrong with society and amplified it - Orwell was able to identify the more threatening aspects and amplify only those. Orwell's dystopia is also clearly influenced by World War II and the resulting paranoia regarding authoritarian regimes. (Is it just me, or does his d...

 Something that we talked about a bit right at the beginning of our reading of  The Plague  (and in class today) was Camus' intention to make this book an allegory of the Nazi occupation of Europe in World War II. As someone who has read extensively about the Nazis' role in WWII, particularly the Holocaust, I was excited for Camus to provide a thought-provoking parallel. However, I was thoroughly disappointed by the direction in which Camus took this parallel. And while The Plague  is a fascinating novel through which to examine human nature and deadly plagues, it is inaccurate and even offensive as a WWII metaphor. First of all, fascism is rooted in extreme government control. In The Plague , the government is very neutral and rational, eliminating this most basic and foundational piece of fascism. Furthermore, in the novel everybody is unified against the plague, which disrupts the parallel between medical teams and resistance groups, since resistance groups were a...

Today in class, we talked a lot about how Camus establishes the setting for The Plague . To be honest, a lot of the first section of this book blended together for me - the middle-class French men with unmemorable names, the rats (and then humans) gruesomely dying in the streets, the conversations among medical professionals - many of the finer details are difficult for me to recall. However, the description of Oran stuck with me. The narrator describes one of the blandest and ugliest towns I have ever imagined, with not very nice humans living in it.  At first, I thought it was strange that Camus had selected such a boring setting for his book. Then I realized how intentional it was, and how important. Camus is using the story of the plague as a medium through which to analyze fascism and the Nazis. That is his primary focus, and in order to fully focus on the plague he needs to eliminate all distractions (e.g. a noteworthy setting). He is isolating the variable by placing it in a...

"It is awfully easy to be hard-boiled about everything in the daytime, but at night it is another thing." This line uttered by Jake is fascinating to me, and not only because he compares himself to a cooked egg. First of all, this is one of the few scenes where we see Jake admitting that he has any emotions - he spends the majority of the novel trying to be nonchalant and as stereotypically masculine as possible. We mentioned in class that a perk of Hemingway's bland style is that emotional breakthroughs are much more significant. We experience one of those breakthroughs here, where Jake is finally admitting that his personality and attitude is a façade that he hides behind. However, the thing I really want to talk about is the term 'hard-boiled' and why I think it's such an accurate description of Jake. So, I'm assuming we're all familiar with hard-boiled eggs. Hard shells, soft insides, cooked in pots of boiling water. By calling himself hard-boiled,...

 Before we get started here, I'd just like to say that The Hours  is a really good film. The plot, though slightly disjointed at times, is captivating and deeply emotional. The acting, of course, is top-notch (how can you go wrong with Meryl Streep?). Though the ending was rather dissatisfying and lacked closure, I still think that this movie is worth your time.  One of the most fascinating aspects of the movie for me was the portrayal of relationships. Each of the three plotlines features a romantic relationship, plus at least one platonic relationship. Despite what you might think when a relationship is referred to as "romantic", all of these relationships were quite cold. Even Clarissa's relationship with Sally in the modern timeline seemed distant, and Clarissa was clearly not sharing a lot of things with Sally. The relationships in the earlier two timelines were significantly worse, with both women struggling severely with their mental health and living in times ...