The document discusses an English literature class focusing on Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. It includes an agenda covering discussions of Ellison's prologue and "Battle Royal" chapter, as well as introductions to authors like Ginsberg. Key discussion topics are outlined, such as inferences that can be made about the narrator from the prologue and implications of his speech mistake. A reading of Ginsberg's poem "Howl" is summarized, noting its themes of individualism and critiques of American society. Postmodern aspects of "Howl" are also highlighted.
Examine Australian and Canadian Literature in the light of the statement that ‘English literature outside Britain have been considered as individual, national enterprises forming and reflecting each country’s culture’. You should discuss the work of two writers.
“Color Struck”: Racial Mimicry as the Root Jeremy Borgia
Zora Neale Hurston, born in 1891, has emerged as an iconic author in the fields of African-American and feminist literature; most famous for her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston wrote a number of novels, plays, and short stories. Writing from the 1920s to the 1950s, Hurston’s work is predominantly positioned in the era of the Harlem Renaissance, which ended around the time of the Great Depression. She was an influential voice during this time period, working and arguing both with and alongside the likes of W.E.B. Du Bois and Alain Locke, each of whom had a disparate view of the role of art and literature in the movement for black American equality. Locke rejected “propaganda and ‘racial rhetoric’ for the most part as
obstacles to literary excellence and universal acceptance” (Classon 8), while Du Bois proclaimed, “I stand in utter shamelessness and say that whatever art I have for writing has been used always for propaganda for gaining the right of black folk to love and enjoy. I do not care a damn for any art that is not used for propaganda’’ (Du Bois 22). Hurston, however, was
suspicious of her contemporaries’ rhetoric, recognizing the superficial division between these two views. Both men endeavored to artificially bolster the black race by “proving” their merit to white America through literature—propagandistic or not; Hurston, however, was troubled by the notion that black society was being defined against “whiteness” in culture and literature. Indeed, her works demonstrate a criticism of these black leaders: that in their quest for equality, equality was confused with mimicking whiteness. In other words, the movement for equality became lost in the quest for sameness.
Presentation on the history and current state of urban fiction including many examples, covers, and author, and publisher lists. Great for librarians looking to start or expand a collection!
Essay On 1984 By George Orwell. 1984 George Orwell Essay English Standard - ...Shannon Edwards
1984 George Orwell Essay | English (Standard) - Year 12 HSC | Thinkswap. 12 Thought-Provoking Quotes From 1984, by George Orwell - Writer's Digest. 1984 By -George Orwell. Summary Chapter 1 and 2 / ID: 286471. George ORWELL - 1984 by N D - Issuu. How Has George Orwell's Novel "1984" Come True Today? - Owlcation. George orwell 1984 essays - Academic Writing Help – Advantageous Help .... 1984 Final Essay | George Orwell | Mind. 1984 george orwell essay help: George Orwells 1984 Essay Examples. George Orwell 1984 Essay Help, Symbolism essay 1984. Book "1984" by George Orwell / Essays / ID: 750512. George Orwell 1984. - GCSE English - Marked by Teachers.com. 1984 Essay | George Orwell | Politics | Free 30-day Trial | Scribd. George Orwell 1984 Essay Help - George Orwell 1984.. 1984 by George Orwell | George orwell 1984, George orwell, 1984 book. Higher English sample critical essay George Orwell's 1984 and 'A .... '1984' by George Orwell. Analysis of pages 72 until page 77. - GCSE .... 1984, George Orwell | 9781328869333 | Boeken | bol.com. 1984 by George Orwell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays .... George Orwell's "1984": Free Summary Essay Samples and Examples. George orwell 1984. 1984 Orwell Essay Prompts - George Orwell Essay Examples. 1984 - George Orwell on Behance Essay On 1984 By George Orwell
"The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls - Free Essay Example | PapersOwl.com. The Glass Castle Essay | Essay on the Glass Castle for Students and .... English III Dual Credit The Glass Castle Essay topics (You must use. Essay About 'Glass Castle' - Free Essay Example - 531 Words | SupremeStudy. The Glass Castle Essay Bundle | TpT. The Glass Castle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 .... Essay glass castle tyler - google docs. The Glass Castle Essays. The glass Castle by Jeannette Walls - Free Essay Example | PapersOwl.com. Argument Essay - The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls | TpT. Glass Castle Comparison Essay. Independence and Self-Sufficiency in "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette .... ⇉Analysis of Glass Castle Essay Example | GraduateWay. PPT - The Glass Castle- Final Essay Assessment Practice PowerPoint ....
Examine Australian and Canadian Literature in the light of the statement that ‘English literature outside Britain have been considered as individual, national enterprises forming and reflecting each country’s culture’. You should discuss the work of two writers.
“Color Struck”: Racial Mimicry as the Root Jeremy Borgia
Zora Neale Hurston, born in 1891, has emerged as an iconic author in the fields of African-American and feminist literature; most famous for her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston wrote a number of novels, plays, and short stories. Writing from the 1920s to the 1950s, Hurston’s work is predominantly positioned in the era of the Harlem Renaissance, which ended around the time of the Great Depression. She was an influential voice during this time period, working and arguing both with and alongside the likes of W.E.B. Du Bois and Alain Locke, each of whom had a disparate view of the role of art and literature in the movement for black American equality. Locke rejected “propaganda and ‘racial rhetoric’ for the most part as
obstacles to literary excellence and universal acceptance” (Classon 8), while Du Bois proclaimed, “I stand in utter shamelessness and say that whatever art I have for writing has been used always for propaganda for gaining the right of black folk to love and enjoy. I do not care a damn for any art that is not used for propaganda’’ (Du Bois 22). Hurston, however, was
suspicious of her contemporaries’ rhetoric, recognizing the superficial division between these two views. Both men endeavored to artificially bolster the black race by “proving” their merit to white America through literature—propagandistic or not; Hurston, however, was troubled by the notion that black society was being defined against “whiteness” in culture and literature. Indeed, her works demonstrate a criticism of these black leaders: that in their quest for equality, equality was confused with mimicking whiteness. In other words, the movement for equality became lost in the quest for sameness.
Presentation on the history and current state of urban fiction including many examples, covers, and author, and publisher lists. Great for librarians looking to start or expand a collection!
Essay On 1984 By George Orwell. 1984 George Orwell Essay English Standard - ...Shannon Edwards
1984 George Orwell Essay | English (Standard) - Year 12 HSC | Thinkswap. 12 Thought-Provoking Quotes From 1984, by George Orwell - Writer's Digest. 1984 By -George Orwell. Summary Chapter 1 and 2 / ID: 286471. George ORWELL - 1984 by N D - Issuu. How Has George Orwell's Novel "1984" Come True Today? - Owlcation. George orwell 1984 essays - Academic Writing Help – Advantageous Help .... 1984 Final Essay | George Orwell | Mind. 1984 george orwell essay help: George Orwells 1984 Essay Examples. George Orwell 1984 Essay Help, Symbolism essay 1984. Book "1984" by George Orwell / Essays / ID: 750512. George Orwell 1984. - GCSE English - Marked by Teachers.com. 1984 Essay | George Orwell | Politics | Free 30-day Trial | Scribd. George Orwell 1984 Essay Help - George Orwell 1984.. 1984 by George Orwell | George orwell 1984, George orwell, 1984 book. Higher English sample critical essay George Orwell's 1984 and 'A .... '1984' by George Orwell. Analysis of pages 72 until page 77. - GCSE .... 1984, George Orwell | 9781328869333 | Boeken | bol.com. 1984 by George Orwell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays .... George Orwell's "1984": Free Summary Essay Samples and Examples. George orwell 1984. 1984 Orwell Essay Prompts - George Orwell Essay Examples. 1984 - George Orwell on Behance Essay On 1984 By George Orwell
"The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls - Free Essay Example | PapersOwl.com. The Glass Castle Essay | Essay on the Glass Castle for Students and .... English III Dual Credit The Glass Castle Essay topics (You must use. Essay About 'Glass Castle' - Free Essay Example - 531 Words | SupremeStudy. The Glass Castle Essay Bundle | TpT. The Glass Castle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 .... Essay glass castle tyler - google docs. The Glass Castle Essays. The glass Castle by Jeannette Walls - Free Essay Example | PapersOwl.com. Argument Essay - The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls | TpT. Glass Castle Comparison Essay. Independence and Self-Sufficiency in "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette .... ⇉Analysis of Glass Castle Essay Example | GraduateWay. PPT - The Glass Castle- Final Essay Assessment Practice PowerPoint ....
Death of a Salesmen Literary Analysis (600 Words) - PHDessay.com. Death of a Salesman - A-Level English - Marked by Teachers.com. Death of a Salesman - plot summary - GCSE Drama - Marked by Teachers.com. Death of a Salesman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays .... Death of a Salesman Essay - GCSE English - Marked by Teachers.com. Death of A Salesman Essay - GCSE English - Marked by Teachers.com. "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller - Free Essay Example | PapersOwl.com. Death of a Salesman Essay | Psychological Concepts | Psychology .... Death of a salesman and the american dream essay. Death of a Salesman - English texts: High school - LibGuides at Al .... Death of salesman essays. Death of a Salesman Essay | Essay on Death of a Salesman for Students .... Death Of A Salesman Themes Free Essay Example. Death of A Salesman - GCSE English - Marked by Teachers.com. Death of a Salesman Summary - Free Essay Example - 991 Words .... Death of Salesman Summary. (DOC) Death of a Salesmen Analysis | Michelle Elias - Academia.edu. Death Of A Salesman American Dream Thesis Statement : Introduction. Essay On Death Of A Salesman. American Dream In Death Of A Salesman Research Paper : Essay Example on .... English Essay- Death of a salesman - University Linguistics, Classics .... PPT - Death of a Salesman PowerPoint Presentation, free download - ID .... Death of a Salesman as a Tragedy | Tragedy.
By successfully integrating guided wave laser optics, microfluidics and robust data analysis software, researchers at Norton Scientific have invented a proprietary laser-based product that is now being marketed to laboratories and universities around the world.
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Write 50-75- word responses to each of the following. Please write.docxericbrooks84875
Write 50-75- word responses to each of the following. Please write your responses as complete sentences and include supporting evidence where necessary.
· What does Ellison's protagonist (Reading 36.8) mean when he says he is an "invisible man?"
· Why, according to Woolf (Reading 36.10), did Shakespeare's imaginary sister fail to achieve greatness?
· Offer a brief definition of the term postmodern. Which example from Chapter 37 (art, music, literature, architecture) best exemplifies postmodernism? Explain.
· What is meant by "the global paradigm" in art? Which art or literary work in Chapter 38 best fits this phenomenon? Explain.
Format your responses consistent with APA guidelines. Note:You must use your course text as a reference for this assignment. This means that you should include quoted or paraphrased text from your readings to support your response to, and discussion of, the assignment questions. Course readings should be acknowledged with an in-text citation.
If you need additional sources, use the University Library. If you use the Internet to find sources, you should only access credible and reliable Internet sites such as those affiliated with a museum, magazine, newspaper, educational institution, or arts organization, for example. You should not use sites like Wikipedia, About.com, Ask.com, or blogs, for example.
READING 36.8
Q What does Ellison’s protagonist mean
when he says he is “an invisible man”?
READING 36.9
108 CHAPTER 36 Liberation and Equality
experienced by both black and white Americans in the
modern United States.
From Ellison’s Invisible Man (1952)
I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who 1
haunted Edgar Allan Poe;1 nor am I one of your Hollywoodmovie
ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and
bone, fiber and liquids—and I might even be said to possess a
mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse
to see me. Like the bodiless heads you see sometimes in circus
sideshows, it is as though I have been surrounded by mirrors of
hard, distorting glass. When they approach me they see only
my surroundings, themselves, or figments of their
imagination—indeed, everything and anything except me. 10
Nor is my invisibility exactly a matter of a bio-chemical
accident to my epidermis. That invisibility to which I refer
occurs because of a peculiar disposition of the eyes of those
with whom I come in contact. A matter of the construction of
their inner eyes, those eyes with which they look through their
physical eyes upon reality. I am not complaining, nor am I
protesting either. It is sometimes advantageous to be unseen,
although it is most often rather wearing on the nerves. Then
too, you’re constantly being bumped against by those of poor
vision. Or again, you often doubt if you really exist. You 20
wonder whether you aren’t simply a phantom in other people’s
minds. Say, a figure in a nightmare which the sleeper tries
with all his strength to destroy. It’s when you feel like this
tha.
1. ELIT 48C Class 18ELIT 48C Class 18
Disinterested Versus UninterestedDisinterested Versus Uninterested
2.
3. Chair Poet?
I would define poetry
as the rhythmical
creation of beauty.
- Edgar Allen Poe
I would define poetry
as the rhythmical
creation of beauty.
- Edgar Allen Poe
4. AGENDA
• Ellison
– Prologue
– “Battle Royal”
– Historical Context
– Themes and Style
• Lecture
– Introduction to The Beats
– Author Introduction: Ginsberg
– Howl
– Themes; forms and devices
• Author Introductions:
– Gloria Anzuldua
– Maxine Hong Kingston
• Ellison
– Prologue
– “Battle Royal”
– Historical Context
– Themes and Style
• Lecture
– Introduction to The Beats
– Author Introduction: Ginsberg
– Howl
– Themes; forms and devices
• Author Introductions:
– Gloria Anzuldua
– Maxine Hong Kingston
6. Group Discussion 1.What does the reader know
about the narrator solely on
the basis of the Prologue?
Explain both what he reveals
about himself explicitly and
what inferences can be
drawn, justifying your findings
as you go along.
2.Why would the audience
listening to the narrator’s
speech have reacted so
strongly to the narrator’s
mistake? Discuss the
implications of his slip of the
tongue.
3.QHQ
1.What does the reader know
about the narrator solely on
the basis of the Prologue?
Explain both what he reveals
about himself explicitly and
what inferences can be
drawn, justifying your findings
as you go along.
2.Why would the audience
listening to the narrator’s
speech have reacted so
strongly to the narrator’s
mistake? Discuss the
implications of his slip of the
tongue.
3.QHQ
7. The Prologue
• What does the reader
know about the
narrator solely on the
basis of the Prologue?
Explain both what he
reveals about himself
explicitly and what
inferences can be
drawn, justifying your
findings as you go
along.
Invisible Man 1952
By Ralph Ellison
8. QHQ: PrologueQHQ: Prologue
1. What does Ellison mean by being an “Invisible Man”? And
why do people interpret his work as a statement about
African Americans?
2. Is invisibility being used as a coping mechanism to
oppression?
3. is the man really invisible?
4. Why couldn’t the tall, blonde man see the narrator, or why is
the narrator invisible to him?
5. How does being a minority feel like being the equivalent of
invisible?
9. Themes and MeaningsThemes and Meanings
The battle royal episode introduces many of the themes of the
novel: Social Darwinism, which metaphorically encourages
individuals to fight to the finish in order to receive rewards; the
ways in which the black community's strongest and wiliest
members take advantage of their fellows, refusing to cooperate
against the common white enemy just as Tatlock refuses to fake
defeat; the corrupting influence of prizes and praise on the
narrator himself; and the need for the white establishment to
maintain symbolic as well as literal power over the black
community. “Battle Royal” provides insight into thematic crux
of the larger work: how to respond to the cruelty of racism
while retaining one's decency and humanity.
10. “Battle Royal”“Battle Royal”
“Battle Royal” was first published as a short story in Horizon in
1947 under the title “Invisible Man.” It later became the first
chapter of Ralph Ellison's only novel, Invisible Man (1952). “Battle
Royal” provides a fascinating window into the creative forces that
produced Invisible Man.
Grandfather episodes provide the thematic motor that drives much
of the novel: a study of a naïve young man who is wounded by
racism but unsure how to respond. He wants to be a good
member of his family and community but fails to understand the
poisonous effect that southern race relations have on even such
simple acts as delivering a harmless graduation speech. The story
makes clear just what the narrator will face in his maturity.
11. Battle Royal
1. How do the adults respond to the grandfather’s deathbed speech?
2. Where does the battle royal take place?
3. What kinds of men does the narrator see in the audience?
4. What does the blond woman have tattooed on her belly?
5. How is the boxing match made more entertaining for the audience?
6. How does the narrator try to appease Tatlock when the two are
boxing?
7. How do the whites first try to pay the young men for their boxing?
8. Are the coins real?
9. What happens when the narrator accepts the briefcase presented to
him?
10. Who is in the dream the narrator has at the end of the chapter?
12. Why would the audience listening to the
narrator’s speech have reacted so strongly to
the narrator’s mistake? Discuss the
implications of his slip of the tongue.
“Battle Royal”
13. QHQ: “Battle Royal”QHQ: “Battle Royal”
1. What is the significance of the fight scene in
Ellison’s “The Invisible Man”?
2. What does the naked woman represent?
3. Why is the narrator attracted to the naked
woman, but simultaneously repulsed and driven
to violent thoughts by her?
1. What is the significance of the fight scene in
Ellison’s “The Invisible Man”?
2. What does the naked woman represent?
3. Why is the narrator attracted to the naked
woman, but simultaneously repulsed and driven
to violent thoughts by her?
14. QHQ: GeneralQHQ: General
1. What does the Invisible Man say about the
existence of the oppressed?
2. Would Ellison’s idea of invisibility be accepted
by a modernist minority critic?
3. Can the metaphor of being “invisible” be
attached to more than just African Americans?
4. Are people treated equally today, or are we all
invisible?
1. What does the Invisible Man say about the
existence of the oppressed?
2. Would Ellison’s idea of invisibility be accepted
by a modernist minority critic?
3. Can the metaphor of being “invisible” be
attached to more than just African Americans?
4. Are people treated equally today, or are we all
invisible?
16. The BeatsThe Beats
• The literary movement called the Beat Generation burst
into American consciousness with two books published
in the late 1950s. The first, Allen Ginsberg’s Howl and
Other Poems (1956), stirred both controversy and an
obscenity trial for Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who offered
copies for sale in his San Francisco bookstore.
• The second book, Jack Kerouac's On the Road (1957)
had a profound cultural effect when it was published. It
was the Beat Generation’s manifesto.
• The literary movement called the Beat Generation burst
into American consciousness with two books published
in the late 1950s. The first, Allen Ginsberg’s Howl and
Other Poems (1956), stirred both controversy and an
obscenity trial for Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who offered
copies for sale in his San Francisco bookstore.
• The second book, Jack Kerouac's On the Road (1957)
had a profound cultural effect when it was published. It
was the Beat Generation’s manifesto.
18. …was a turning point in American literary history. Ginsberg
created a new, radically different, space and style for writing,
and he pushed back against the narrow modes of expression
acknowledged by the literary establishment.
Ginsberg’s poem, which must be heard to truly be appreciated
and understood, reclaimed the strength and influence of the
poet’s singing voice; it denied those who insisted poetry in print
was most important. Ginsberg used chants to modulate moods
and build rhythmic power through systems of sound, compelling
audience participation.
…was a turning point in American literary history. Ginsberg
created a new, radically different, space and style for writing,
and he pushed back against the narrow modes of expression
acknowledged by the literary establishment.
Ginsberg’s poem, which must be heard to truly be appreciated
and understood, reclaimed the strength and influence of the
poet’s singing voice; it denied those who insisted poetry in print
was most important. Ginsberg used chants to modulate moods
and build rhythmic power through systems of sound, compelling
audience participation.
Allen Ginsberg’s first public performance
of “Howl” (1955)
Allen Ginsberg’s first public performance
of “Howl” (1955)
19. “Howl” represents the birth of the 1960’s counterculture,
endeavoring to extoll its ethics explain its meaning, celebrate its
beauty, and defend its ostensibly aberrant and rebellious
behavior.
The driving force of the poem is the message of community and
tolerance as parts of an ideal America.
He is one of the first to acknowledge sexual “deviants,” radical
activists, extraordinary, unconventional artists, and
experimenters with forbidden substances.
Ginsberg wanted a country that accepted eccentricity and
individualism. He wanted to redeem the society he saw as built
of greed and materialism.
“Howl” represents the birth of the 1960’s counterculture,
endeavoring to extoll its ethics explain its meaning, celebrate its
beauty, and defend its ostensibly aberrant and rebellious
behavior.
The driving force of the poem is the message of community and
tolerance as parts of an ideal America.
He is one of the first to acknowledge sexual “deviants,” radical
activists, extraordinary, unconventional artists, and
experimenters with forbidden substances.
Ginsberg wanted a country that accepted eccentricity and
individualism. He wanted to redeem the society he saw as built
of greed and materialism.
Themes
20. Postmodern AspectsPostmodern Aspects
• A collapse of the distinctions between high and low culture.
• Consider the lines: “Mohammedan angels staggering on tenement roofs
illuminated” and “angel headed hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly
connection to the starry dynamo.” Ginsberg fuses the high imagery of the
angelic and celestial with the ramshackle tenement rooftop, with beat slang
and pop language.
• A fragmentation of the self: a de-centering of the individual as
subject.
• Whilst Part I begins with an affirmation of the subject – “I saw the best
minds of my generation destroyed” – the “I” is soon dissolved in favor of
the “who.” Each descriptive line is no longer the sole possession of the
subject. They all occupy a general, rather than individual space. After only
a few lines of the poem, the self is completely consumed by the descriptive
‘other’: there is no anchored ‘I’, no centered subject.
• A collapse of the distinctions between high and low culture.
• Consider the lines: “Mohammedan angels staggering on tenement roofs
illuminated” and “angel headed hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly
connection to the starry dynamo.” Ginsberg fuses the high imagery of the
angelic and celestial with the ramshackle tenement rooftop, with beat slang
and pop language.
• A fragmentation of the self: a de-centering of the individual as
subject.
• Whilst Part I begins with an affirmation of the subject – “I saw the best
minds of my generation destroyed” – the “I” is soon dissolved in favor of
the “who.” Each descriptive line is no longer the sole possession of the
subject. They all occupy a general, rather than individual space. After only
a few lines of the poem, the self is completely consumed by the descriptive
‘other’: there is no anchored ‘I’, no centered subject.
21. • Altered states of consciousness: Part II of Howl was written
under the influence of peyote.
• Many of the effects of the new drugs of the post-war period
could be seen as ‘de-centering’ the subject (through
hallucination or otherwise) in a postmodern way.
• Pastiche: One good example of pastiche is the channel-flipping
viewer: a successive chain of images appear onscreen but are not
connected by any meaningful narrative; rather it is the sensations
of the surface images that the viewer consumes.
• If we read “Howl” looking for the sensations created by the
language, we can see the disruption of the grand narrative.
Ginsberg flips through images so fast we can barely collect
them much less understand them. He also uses shocking
scenes and offensive language to drive us from moment to
moment. This pushes individuality and eccentricism across or
beyond the modernist grand narrative and disrupts our
understanding of the world.
• Altered states of consciousness: Part II of Howl was written
under the influence of peyote.
• Many of the effects of the new drugs of the post-war period
could be seen as ‘de-centering’ the subject (through
hallucination or otherwise) in a postmodern way.
• Pastiche: One good example of pastiche is the channel-flipping
viewer: a successive chain of images appear onscreen but are not
connected by any meaningful narrative; rather it is the sensations
of the surface images that the viewer consumes.
• If we read “Howl” looking for the sensations created by the
language, we can see the disruption of the grand narrative.
Ginsberg flips through images so fast we can barely collect
them much less understand them. He also uses shocking
scenes and offensive language to drive us from moment to
moment. This pushes individuality and eccentricism across or
beyond the modernist grand narrative and disrupts our
understanding of the world.
22. Themes
• Ginsberg’s attention to radical activists, outrageous
artists, sexual “deviants,” and experimenters with
forbidden substances prefigured the explosion of
variance and defiance of the 1960’s. “Howl” presents this
nascent counterculture and attempts to explain its
meaning and importance, extoll its values, celebrate its
moments of beauty, and defend its seemingly aberrant
and rebellious behavior. The thrust of the poem is an
insistence on the importance of plurality and tolerance as
components of an ideal America—an America in which
examples of individuality and eccentricity would be
accepted so that a society built on greed and materialism
might be transformed and redeemed.
• Ginsberg’s attention to radical activists, outrageous
artists, sexual “deviants,” and experimenters with
forbidden substances prefigured the explosion of
variance and defiance of the 1960’s. “Howl” presents this
nascent counterculture and attempts to explain its
meaning and importance, extoll its values, celebrate its
moments of beauty, and defend its seemingly aberrant
and rebellious behavior. The thrust of the poem is an
insistence on the importance of plurality and tolerance as
components of an ideal America—an America in which
examples of individuality and eccentricity would be
accepted so that a society built on greed and materialism
might be transformed and redeemed.
24. In the first part, according to Ginsberg, he used the repetition of the word
“who” to keep the beat. He built “longer and shorter variations on a fixed
base,” elaborate images that were written for both their meaning and “the
beauty of abstract poetry.” He created energy in “awkward combinations
… disparate things put together.” The repeated “who” operates as a
ground beneath each “streak of invention.”
Ginsberg believed that his “concentration and compression of imagistic
notations” such as “hydrogen jukebox” or “bop kaballa” would function
like a haiku, in which juxtapositions stimulate the brain to stir
connections in burst of energy: he called this “lightning in the mind.”
To establish pace, he used “primitive naïve grammar,” which condensed
phrases by removing unnecessary words, eliminating “prosey articles”
that dampened the rhythm.
The goal of his efforts was to “build up large organic structures,”
avoiding any loose or dead areas that would leach energy out of the
poem.
In the first part, according to Ginsberg, he used the repetition of the word
“who” to keep the beat. He built “longer and shorter variations on a fixed
base,” elaborate images that were written for both their meaning and “the
beauty of abstract poetry.” He created energy in “awkward combinations
… disparate things put together.” The repeated “who” operates as a
ground beneath each “streak of invention.”
Ginsberg believed that his “concentration and compression of imagistic
notations” such as “hydrogen jukebox” or “bop kaballa” would function
like a haiku, in which juxtapositions stimulate the brain to stir
connections in burst of energy: he called this “lightning in the mind.”
To establish pace, he used “primitive naïve grammar,” which condensed
phrases by removing unnecessary words, eliminating “prosey articles”
that dampened the rhythm.
The goal of his efforts was to “build up large organic structures,”
avoiding any loose or dead areas that would leach energy out of the
poem.
25. The second part calls forth the series of images of Moloch
—Ginsberg’s ultimate symbol of the evil and damaging
forces of the modern world.
Each line functions as a separate stanza, the line itself
broken into “component short phrases” or “exclamatory
units”; the repetition of the word “Moloch” acts as a
“rhythmical punctuation.”
The section works toward a climax, presenting individual
concepts as exclamations (“Dreams! Adorations!
Illuminations!”).
The conclusion of part 2 is an explosion of energy that sets
a mood of abandon stirred by a chant designed to
stimulate frenzy.
The second part calls forth the series of images of Moloch
—Ginsberg’s ultimate symbol of the evil and damaging
forces of the modern world.
Each line functions as a separate stanza, the line itself
broken into “component short phrases” or “exclamatory
units”; the repetition of the word “Moloch” acts as a
“rhythmical punctuation.”
The section works toward a climax, presenting individual
concepts as exclamations (“Dreams! Adorations!
Illuminations!”).
The conclusion of part 2 is an explosion of energy that sets
a mood of abandon stirred by a chant designed to
stimulate frenzy.
26. Part 3, according to Ginsberg, is a “litany of affirmation” that
restores the tranquility that the Moloch passages disrupted.
Ginsberg’s repetition of a phrase base (“I’m with you in
Rockland”) anchors the section; the individual units are
surrealistic, and Ginsberg works to express the imaginative,
often oblique sense of existence for which Solomon stands.
The final unit is purposefully too long for one breath unit, and
its textual density is developed to carry the weight of
Ginsberg’s last revelation (“where I open out and give the
answer”). This final unit has no rigid punctuation device, as if to
suggest the beginning of a journey “in the Western night” that
replaces the initial journey into nightmare that was introduced
as the poem began with animage of “streets at dawn.”
Part 3, according to Ginsberg, is a “litany of affirmation” that
restores the tranquility that the Moloch passages disrupted.
Ginsberg’s repetition of a phrase base (“I’m with you in
Rockland”) anchors the section; the individual units are
surrealistic, and Ginsberg works to express the imaginative,
often oblique sense of existence for which Solomon stands.
The final unit is purposefully too long for one breath unit, and
its textual density is developed to carry the weight of
Ginsberg’s last revelation (“where I open out and give the
answer”). This final unit has no rigid punctuation device, as if to
suggest the beginning of a journey “in the Western night” that
replaces the initial journey into nightmare that was introduced
as the poem began with animage of “streets at dawn.”
27. Ginsberg depended on repetition of the word “who” to keep
the beat, an approach influenced by Jack Kerouac’s ideas
about improvisation akin to modern jazz. He then built “longer
and shorter variations on a fixed base,” elaborate images
lifting off each basic measure that were written for their
meaning as well as “the beauty of abstract poetry” and the
latent energy found in “awkward combinations … disparate
things put together.” The repeated “who” operates as a ground
beneath each “streak of invention,” but even with this
technique, Ginsberg worried that it would be difficult to sustain
a long line in a long poem. To put “iron poetry back into the
line,” Ginsberg believed that his “concentration
and compression of imagistic notations” such as “hydrogen
jukebox” or “bop kaballa” would function like a haiku, in which
juxtapositions encourage the brain to make a connection in a
leap of energy, which he called “lightning in the mind.”
Ginsberg depended on repetition of the word “who” to keep
the beat, an approach influenced by Jack Kerouac’s ideas
about improvisation akin to modern jazz. He then built “longer
and shorter variations on a fixed base,” elaborate images
lifting off each basic measure that were written for their
meaning as well as “the beauty of abstract poetry” and the
latent energy found in “awkward combinations … disparate
things put together.” The repeated “who” operates as a ground
beneath each “streak of invention,” but even with this
technique, Ginsberg worried that it would be difficult to sustain
a long line in a long poem. To put “iron poetry back into the
line,” Ginsberg believed that his “concentration
and compression of imagistic notations” such as “hydrogen
jukebox” or “bop kaballa” would function like a haiku, in which
juxtapositions encourage the brain to make a connection in a
leap of energy, which he called “lightning in the mind.”
29. • Was this poem intended to be read by the public since it
is so personal?
• Taking into account the tone conveyed in “Howl”, what
truly is the speaker’s purpose?
• What is the purpose behind Ginsberg’s overt use of
“holy” in the footnote to “Howl”?
• Why did Ginsburg dedicate howl to Carl Solomon?
• If the author was trying to explain his work, why would
he have the poem just overflow with words but what with
words that just went everywhere instead of being
organized and easy to follow?
• Was this poem intended to be read by the public since it
is so personal?
• Taking into account the tone conveyed in “Howl”, what
truly is the speaker’s purpose?
• What is the purpose behind Ginsberg’s overt use of
“holy” in the footnote to “Howl”?
• Why did Ginsburg dedicate howl to Carl Solomon?
• If the author was trying to explain his work, why would
he have the poem just overflow with words but what with
words that just went everywhere instead of being
organized and easy to follow?
PurposePurpose
30. • Do I like this poem? What should I feel about this poem?
Will I be able to understand this poem eventually? (I don’t
know.) Do I want to understand this poem? Is author
considering the readers, or is he just doing whatever he
wants to do in his poem?
• Why is the format so weird?
• Does the stream of consciousness form to Ginsberg’s poem
enable him to address his issue at hand?
• How is Howl a balance between savagery of form/structure
and intricate artistic beauty?
• Do I like this poem? What should I feel about this poem?
Will I be able to understand this poem eventually? (I don’t
know.) Do I want to understand this poem? Is author
considering the readers, or is he just doing whatever he
wants to do in his poem?
• Why is the format so weird?
• Does the stream of consciousness form to Ginsberg’s poem
enable him to address his issue at hand?
• How is Howl a balance between savagery of form/structure
and intricate artistic beauty?
Form and StyleForm and Style
31. • What is the significance of the title being “Howl”?
• Who, or what, is the speaker howling about?
• What does Ginsberg mean when he says he saw the
best minds of his generation destroyed?
• What does Ginsberg mean by exclaiming Moloch! so
often in the second part?
• Is there also an anger, in Part II of Howl, in the way that
queer people were treated? Especially because of the
quote “Cocksucker in Moloch!” showing how queer
people were treated and addressed during the time?
• What are angel headed hipsters?
• What is the significance of the title being “Howl”?
• Who, or what, is the speaker howling about?
• What does Ginsberg mean when he says he saw the
best minds of his generation destroyed?
• What does Ginsberg mean by exclaiming Moloch! so
often in the second part?
• Is there also an anger, in Part II of Howl, in the way that
queer people were treated? Especially because of the
quote “Cocksucker in Moloch!” showing how queer
people were treated and addressed during the time?
• What are angel headed hipsters?
MeaningMeaning
32. • How is madness presented in this poem?
• Who are the “best minds of my generation
destroyed by madness”?
• How does Ginsberg’s experience as a mental
health patient bleed into his writing?
• How is madness presented in this poem?
• Who are the “best minds of my generation
destroyed by madness”?
• How does Ginsberg’s experience as a mental
health patient bleed into his writing?
MadnessMadness
33. • Gloria Anzaldua was born
in the Rio Grande Valley
of South Texas in 1942.
She described herself as
a
Chicana/Tejana/lesbian/d
yke/feminist/writer/poet/cu
ltural theorist, and these
identities were just the
beginning of the ideas she
explored in her work. She
died in 2004 of
complications related to
diabetes.
• Gloria Anzaldua was born
in the Rio Grande Valley
of South Texas in 1942.
She described herself as
a
Chicana/Tejana/lesbian/d
yke/feminist/writer/poet/cu
ltural theorist, and these
identities were just the
beginning of the ideas she
explored in her work. She
died in 2004 of
complications related to
diabetes.
Gloria AnzulduaGloria Anzuldua
34. Gloria Anzaldua moved to California in 1977, where she
devoted herself to writing. She continued to participate in
political activism, consciousness-raising, and groups such as
the Feminist Writers Guild. She also looked for ways to build
a multicultural, inclusive feminist movement. Much to her
dissatisfaction, she discovered there were very few writings
either by or about women of color.
Some readers have struggled with the multiple languages in
her writings – English and Spanish, but also variations of
those languages. According to Gloria Anzaldua, when the
reader does the work of piecing together fragments of
language and narrative, it mirrors the way feminists must
struggle to have their ideas heard in a patriarchal society.
Gloria Anzaldua moved to California in 1977, where she
devoted herself to writing. She continued to participate in
political activism, consciousness-raising, and groups such as
the Feminist Writers Guild. She also looked for ways to build
a multicultural, inclusive feminist movement. Much to her
dissatisfaction, she discovered there were very few writings
either by or about women of color.
Some readers have struggled with the multiple languages in
her writings – English and Spanish, but also variations of
those languages. According to Gloria Anzaldua, when the
reader does the work of piecing together fragments of
language and narrative, it mirrors the way feminists must
struggle to have their ideas heard in a patriarchal society.
35. Maxine Hong KingstonMaxine Hong Kingston
• Maxine "Ting Ting" Hong Kingston grew up in a working-
class neighborhood in Stockton, California. Born in 1940
to Tom Hong and Brave Orchid, Kingston is the oldest of
her parents' six American-born children. Kingston's
parents serve as the primary sources for the imaginative
stories she writes. Part 1 of Kingston’s autobiography
Warrior Woman is “No Name Woman,” a secret story of
an aunt from China that she never knew she had.
• Maxine "Ting Ting" Hong Kingston grew up in a working-
class neighborhood in Stockton, California. Born in 1940
to Tom Hong and Brave Orchid, Kingston is the oldest of
her parents' six American-born children. Kingston's
parents serve as the primary sources for the imaginative
stories she writes. Part 1 of Kingston’s autobiography
Warrior Woman is “No Name Woman,” a secret story of
an aunt from China that she never knew she had.
36. HOMEWORK
Read Gloria Anzuldua pp. 837-38
La conciencia de la mestiza/ Towards a New Consciousness
838-49 and “El Sonavabitche” 858-62
Post #23: Choose One
1.QHQ: La conciencia
2.Discuss themes or meaning in “El Sonavabitche”
3.Discuss Postmodernism or Feminist Theory, or Minority Theory in terms of
Anzuldua
Read Maxine Hong Kingston
Warrior Woman: Part 1 “No Name Woman 793-801
Post #24: Choose one
1.Discuss a theme from the reading
2.QHQ
3.Comment on the text via a critical lens.