Helena's final paper about coincidence was so interesting to read and reminded me of oral traditions when Dr. Sexson said (I don't remember exactly) something about everything being a coincidence. There aren't really any coincidences we just make them up. This is meant to be humorous in terms of my blog because I swear I am always coming up with things that I think to be coincidences. But are they really or do people just force themselves to find striking similarities withing everyday life?
Helena went on to say, "it is hard to tell when coincidence stops and fate begins". I loved this line from Helena's term paper because it reminds me of what I said before. Also, where do we draw the line between coincidence and fate? If I were to describe the two I'd say that coincidence is something we make- up to please ourselves, to somehow find connections to things that are not there. It is like when you lose someone and all of a sudden everything you see or do or hear points to them. These things were ALWAYS in front of us but now that we don't have that one thing we find ways to hold onto it, I could go on and on but I won't. Fate on the otherhand is meant to be, it is something that you are not able to control, you don't foresee it and you can't run away from it. Some people though have a hard time separating the two and therefore force themselves to find a "coincidence" and they call it fate. It's a complex topic, but thrilling to say the least.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
More individual presentations
The last day of presentations was fabulous. Though I thoroughly enjoyed Helena's presentation, doug's very intelligent yet complex presentation and Christina's paper reading. Jon's presentation was hilarious and entertaining- very nice impersonation...
Individual Presentations
Jared: Transparent things and death
Jessica: Beauty and pity. Lolita/ pale fire- these 2 works help us to understand the work between fantasy and characters such as Humbert.
Kris: Unreliable narrator, it is more life than novel. Narration- deception, self-awareness, overall
Amanda: Gradus- short story
Rebecca: very indepth powerpoint presentation discussing consciousness, unconsciousness and reality. She also talked about how the unconscious takes over the conscious. Listening to her presentation was not only thoroughly entertaining but exciting because it brought to mind a presentation I did with a group in oral traditions regarding dreams, the unconscious and the conscious...very exciting to say the least.
Riley's presentation was intriguing because he wrote about a book we have not yet read, inspiring me to read it soon. The fact that he took all the notecards out of the original Laura and read it four times is amazing. I loved that he was so excited about this too. The excitement level of the presenter makes or breaks it.
Jennie Lynn has brought up Edgar Allen Poe many times in class, so when I heard that she was focusing her presentation upon Poe and Nabokov I was very interested. She discussed similar obsessions that they have such as "amorphous nuances" with reality and being. Both also have a fixation with death. Jennie Lynn is a fabulous speaker, intelligent and carries with her so much confidence. I can't wait to read her term paper more in depth. Brittini's term presentation was hilarious and I just have to say her personality made her presentation as well!
Jessica: Beauty and pity. Lolita/ pale fire- these 2 works help us to understand the work between fantasy and characters such as Humbert.
Kris: Unreliable narrator, it is more life than novel. Narration- deception, self-awareness, overall
Amanda: Gradus- short story
Rebecca: very indepth powerpoint presentation discussing consciousness, unconsciousness and reality. She also talked about how the unconscious takes over the conscious. Listening to her presentation was not only thoroughly entertaining but exciting because it brought to mind a presentation I did with a group in oral traditions regarding dreams, the unconscious and the conscious...very exciting to say the least.
Riley's presentation was intriguing because he wrote about a book we have not yet read, inspiring me to read it soon. The fact that he took all the notecards out of the original Laura and read it four times is amazing. I loved that he was so excited about this too. The excitement level of the presenter makes or breaks it.
Jennie Lynn has brought up Edgar Allen Poe many times in class, so when I heard that she was focusing her presentation upon Poe and Nabokov I was very interested. She discussed similar obsessions that they have such as "amorphous nuances" with reality and being. Both also have a fixation with death. Jennie Lynn is a fabulous speaker, intelligent and carries with her so much confidence. I can't wait to read her term paper more in depth. Brittini's term presentation was hilarious and I just have to say her personality made her presentation as well!
The soul...that is all there ever is....
I have been thinking constantly about the soul since I came up with my paper topic. Now though, my thoughts are consumed with Thomas Moore's idea that the soul is not able to be changed. Quite honestly, this is difficult for me to comprehend. Doesn't everything change? Some people are simply afraid of change so they deny the fact that it ever will- not that I know this from experience.... :) How does the soul not change if it goes through various chambers, always moving beyond a different vale? I understand the idea that we must learn to live with our feelings, even those that are disturbing, but do feelings not change the soul itself?
Gamelan
I dread writing this blog because I can honestly say that World Music is perhaps the worst class I have ever taken at MSU. I think it had potential...but no perhaps we were all just doomed. When I met with Dr. Sexson this past week, we looked at a map of a gamelan performance held here. Dr. Sexson was interested in this and said that it sounds like something Nabokov would say..these words are complex and unordinary...are they even words? Gunung, angklung, jegogan...I was reviewing my notes on the gamelan (mainly because if I don't pass this stupid music final I will be increasing to 21 credits next semester to graduate...bitter tone inserted). The instruments in the gamelan and the songs themselves "help us to remember". Again, connections. Everywhere I go, I think of Nabokov or The Shade cast, but mostly Humbert. I swear I have seen more Humberts in my life the last month (we will skip past this point because it is rather disturbing to me to think that perhaps these really could be HUMBERTS!). Similar to Frye's levels of understanding, the gamelan too is composed levels in which the music becomes something more...more important or more spiritual. You have to become nothing to really appreciate the music or in the case of english majors the text. It is not only about appreciating the music or text, but understanding it to a degree one never thought possible. Thanks to everyone who has corrupted my mind and allowed me to now read too much into things. I need to become nothing again.
I had a discussion with Dr. Sexson the other day after class, that really opened my eyes to eveything I have been doing for the last 3 1/2 years...which sometimes feels like...buying time until I really know what I want to do. Anyways, I have come up with a temporary plan to ease my anxiety about graduation and future life (whatever that is). I have been lucky enough to have Dr. Sexson as a professor 3 semesters in a row and adding 2 more of his courses to that list next semester. Any topic we discussed connected to another of his classes. Dreams, soul making, levels of interpretation, negative capability...I could go on and on. Nabokov and his works also connects to all of these courses. All I can say is thank goodness Dr. Sexson was the professor I had for all of these, otherwise I feel that connections would not have come so easily. "It all connects", so pay attention and remember.
Frye's levels of interpretation
Nabokov: Obsessive compulsive, hinged (similar to Edgar Allan Poe)
Dr. Sexson began talking about Northrup Frye and Plato on our last day of class. While I enjoy reading Plato's argument against poetry, he upsets me to some degree. Plato bans poets, referring to them as crazy, liars- out of their minds. Thankfully, my spirits were lifted when Dr. Sexson mentioned Northrup Frye, whom I consider to be one of the most interesting people that I have studied thus far in my english education (let'so omit Keats from this statement, we all know he tops the charts). Northrup Frye calls to attention out level of interpretation including: literal, analogical, moral and of course anagogical. The ultimate level of interpretation of any text is the anagogical- by that he means the mystical. A level of timelessness which Nabokov Of course believes in. This also reminds me of Keats, why wouldn't it?! You only get through this level (the vale is lifted) through divine madness...poets. The 3rd existential level, speaking to us across our own death (Hazel Shade). What lies beyond that level (or can I say Vale)?
Dr. Sexson began talking about Northrup Frye and Plato on our last day of class. While I enjoy reading Plato's argument against poetry, he upsets me to some degree. Plato bans poets, referring to them as crazy, liars- out of their minds. Thankfully, my spirits were lifted when Dr. Sexson mentioned Northrup Frye, whom I consider to be one of the most interesting people that I have studied thus far in my english education (let'so omit Keats from this statement, we all know he tops the charts). Northrup Frye calls to attention out level of interpretation including: literal, analogical, moral and of course anagogical. The ultimate level of interpretation of any text is the anagogical- by that he means the mystical. A level of timelessness which Nabokov Of course believes in. This also reminds me of Keats, why wouldn't it?! You only get through this level (the vale is lifted) through divine madness...poets. The 3rd existential level, speaking to us across our own death (Hazel Shade). What lies beyond that level (or can I say Vale)?
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