Patriot

Patriot is a word that I find interesting because of its use in relation to government today, but I am also curious about its roots and its evolution throughout history.  How could a word that today means “one who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests” hold usage in many revolutions of old; where does a “patriot” actually hold loyalty?  I want to learn more about patriot because it is in the common vernacular, but yet I have no idea of the etymology of the word or its ties to its Latin, French, and Greek roots.  At this moment in time, I believe that the word denotes both governmental and revolutionary connotations.  But how can a word that has revolutionary ties be used alongside government as well?  I will soon find out.

Frankenstein

Review of Critical Survey of Long Fiction
1- Shelly uses a complex and original structure in Frankenstein.  The narratives within narratives are similar to a set of "Chinese Boxes."  Her narrative structure compliments the powerful literary images of Victor and the creature.
2- The critical task regarding the work is figuring if Frankenstein's punishment is merited.  Further, what is this retribution symbolic of?
3- Deals with the relationship between knowledge and evil.
4- The novel is "bloated" with inflected dialogue.  Every sentence is fluttered and theatrical, and is a "drawback" for modern audiences.  The dialogue
5- Some suggest that Victor is Shelly's insight into her husband's own belief in the power of his own intelligence and his destined greatness.  Many have suggested that this book can be read as a biographical reading.

Draft 1

There is not one definition of an epic hero; the word itself is malleable in usage, and its meaning morphs and evolves with time and changing culture.  Notwithstanding, the one entity of an epic hero that remains constant is the cultural diffusion that is manifested by a hero.  One can see the chronological-based shifts in societal values by looking at the heroes that different societies create.  Indeed, these subtleties of change and differences are evident as one moves from the Anglo-Saxon hero to the Anglo-American hero; thus, Beowulf and Batman represent epic heroes of their respective times; although they are separated by centuries, the basic structures of both heroes are relatively the same.  In fact, Beowulf is simply a blend of Batman and Bruce Wayne (Batman’s true identity) with his materialism, physical prowess, and pride.  Because epic heroes—“embodiments of societal values”—have basically remained the same through the years, perhaps the root values of modern Anglo-American society are merely distilled Anglo-Saxon version of what was coveted centuries ago.

            The first evidence of continuation between the two heroes is in the manner in which they regard wealth and materialism, and there is a close association between greatness and wealth in both societies.  For example, Beowulf chooses to introduce himself by presenting the history of his title as an introduction “In his day, my father was a famous man a noble warrior-lord named Ecgtheow.  He outlasted many a long winter and went on his way.  All over the world men wise in counsel continue to remember him” (Beowulf 36).  In Beowulf’s time, there exists a strong stress that wealth and title exist as indicators of a man’s value.  Similarly, Bruce Wayne expresses his “value” with his wealth by living lavishly, donating money to his own charitable foundations, and by flaunting his worth to the citizens of Gotham with his lavish parties. With Beowulf and Bruce Wayne, there are obviously acknowledgements of the close relation of amassed capital to a hero’s manhood.  Furthermore, both Beowulf and Batman are more materialistic in their hero ship.  For example, on his deathbed, Beowulf pleads to his assistant “Away you go: I want to examine that ancient gold, gaze my fill on those garnered jewels; my going will be easier for having seen the treasure, a less troubled letting-go of the life and lordship that I have maintained” (Beowulf 88).  Similarly with Wayne, there exists a strong stress on material value as he actively partakes in various operations in Wayne industries.  As part of their hero role, both men define themselves partly through their material holdings.  In both societies, power is something that is determined by materialistic holdings more than anything else.  Thus, these two works show that the association with wealth and heroics are true values shared by their respective societies.

TBC…

Summer Reading and Great Storytelling

For my summer reading book, I chose the novel A Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley.  Like so many others, I enjoy works of dystopian fiction, such as the enormously popular novel by George Orwell of the same genre.  However, Huxley’s novel greatly deviates from 1984: his artistic vision creates a world with a peaceful dystopian society that is focused on a perfect society created by genetic engineering and the absence of individuality.  Huxley created many pertinent and powerful points conveyed throughout his novel, and thus his novel strongly embodied the iceberg effect—meaning there was much more message that had to be discovered and dug from the text itself, i.e. 8/9 of the novel’s “meat” was submerged beneath the text.  However, what really propelled this book to the next level was how he presented his “meat—” by delivering it to the reader on his golden platter of great storytelling. 

            The most impressive aspect of Huxley’s writing is the offspring of his creative vision.  Huxley births this very innovative society with his writing structure, his symbolic allusions, and through the reader’s introduction to the world itself.  By introducing the novel in a hatchery center, combined with the carefully placed speech given by the director of the facility, he invokes the reader through a symbolic “birth” into his world:

I shall begin at the beginning, said the [Director,] and the more zealous students recorded his intention in their notebooks: Begin at the beginning. "These," he waved his hand, "are the incubators." And opening an insulated door he showed them racks upon racks of numbered test-tubes. "The week's supply of ova. Kept," he explained, "at blood heat; whereas the male gametes," and here he opened another door, "they have to be kept at thirty-five instead of thirty-seven. Full blood heat sterilizes." Rams wrapped in theremogene beget no lambs.

Still leaning against the incubators he gave them, while the pencils scurried illegibly across the pages, a brief description of the modern fertilizing process; spoke first, of course, of its surgical introduction–"the operation undergone voluntarily for the good of Society (Huxley 3).

Furthermore, Huxley created a world filled with his own historical terminology, events, and figures that break up the time continuum into a more realistic novel.  For example, he dubbed “Bokanovsky's Process” and created a “past” to his future of man; however, his most powerful device is his incorporation of the great industrialist, Henry Ford, into the novel.  Huxley replaces A.D. with A.F. (after Ford) and “oh, my God” with “oh, my Ford;” by this, he inserts Ford in the place of God.  In Huxley’s created world, rather than the teaching of God—the meek will inherit the earth, human flaw and weakness, individuality, and mental well being—the notion of “Ford” reflects his world’s industrialized survival of the fittest—where society is streamlined to avoid flaws and to live a comfortable, social, existence.  Huxley’s invocation of Ford sets the framework of his dystopia from the top, thus, he allows his characters to the fill the bottom of his artistic society.

            The next aspect that should be noted about Huxley’s storytelling is his characters;  he cleverly creates characters who are totally unique to one another and who represent different themes and aspects of the society he creates. (That’s all for this rough draft: more to come soon!)

Most Memorable Fiction

1. Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe, has always been one of my favorite boyhood books because of its escapist theme coupled by the castaway story.  What little boy wouldn’t want to be in Robinson’s situation?
2. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Vern, is a book that I would consider to be my favorite science fiction novel.
3. The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephan Crane, has always been my favorite war novel.  It was one of the first novels that I read where I could actually sympathize with the main character.
4. Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, has been the quintessential childhood book that is different time each time I read it; as I have gotten older, the book’s themes and meanings have evolved.
5. Fallen Angles, by Walter Dean Meyer, was a landmark in my life that marked the point were books no longer were innocent in content or conservative with language.  It was also the first book I read that was narrated by an African-American. 

After reviewing this list, I realize that I need to stop reading so many non-fiction works…

Excellent Storytelling

"One cubic centimetre cures ten gloomy sentiments," said the Assistant Predestinator citing a piece of homely hypnopædic wisdom.

"It only remained to conquer old age."

"Damn you, damn you!" shouted Bernard Marx.

"Hoity-toity."

"Gonadal hormones, transfusion of young blood, magnesium salts …"

"And do remember that a gramme is better than a damn." They went out, laughing.

"All the physiological stigmata of old age have been abolished. And along with them, of course …"

"Don't forget to ask him about that Malthusian belt," said Fanny.

"Along with them all the old man's mental peculiarities. Characters remain constant throughout a whole lifetime."

"… two rounds of Obstacle Golf to get through before dark. I must fly."

"Work, play–at sixty our powers and tastes are what they were at seventeen. Old men in the bad old days used to renounce, retire, take to religion, spend their time reading, thinking–thinking!"

"Idiots, swine!" Bernard Marx was saying to himself, as he walked down the corridor to the lift.

This is an exert from Aldous Huxley's A Brave New World--my summer reading book.  In this section, I wish to highlight the use of the repeating dialogue which the narrative uses to portray multiple conversations happening at the same instant.  Some novels struggle with progression; however, this section portrays time so effectively that it becomes fluid, encompassing, and much more realistic.  At the same instant, multiple people are shouting, talking, and walking, thus creating a more omniscient reader who is not limited to one dialogue or scene alone.  Furthermore, with the use of multiple lines, the narrator hands over control of the novel to the “Assistant Predestinator” who becomes an ominous narrator within this 3^rd person narrative; thus, this passage’s structure and delivery, debatably, almost begin to reflect the sort of the “control” theme that exists in many forms in the novel itself.  With all this said, I think that this passage is a prime example of excellent and innovative storytelling.