Mashups Class Book (Section 18)

Mashups

and Other Collisions in Literature and Art Section 18 FRS 1010 When Worlds Collide Professor Jan Kather

Fall 2013

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One Hundred Demons

ASSIGNMENT One Hundred Demons

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sing Lynda Barry’s graphic memoir as inspiration, create a work of art that expresses a “demon” in your life. It can be a personal or a generic demon that plagues society. The form can be a drawing, painting, poem, song, dance, sculpture or comic strip.

Demons Hiding Behind the Mask Emily Presser’17 Norwalk, CT

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“Dad” My biological father wasn’t there for me.

He wrote me and told me cared about me.

If he really cared, where is he?

I’m always haunted by his presence.

Which by the way, he never gave me Christmas presents.

I always question why he left.

Children are supposed to be a gift.

Guess I wasn’t the gift he wanted.

Demons aren’t meant to be positive.

And I’m positive he is a demon.

Allan Wilson’17 Liverpool, NY

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My Demon

Mirror Demon

He comes out for no reason

Dark Tainted Mirrors hold such promise Showing a soft world tainted by vanity A piece of glass that reflects me The monster on the verge of insanity

Sometimes it feels as if I’m asking for treason Why he torments me I don’t know Once I thought he was gone but it wasn’t so.

The struggle I sometimes face is hard to bear Who would want to live in a life of fear But now that I’m away, will he go away I would like to believe that I do not want him to stay Dominique Sears ‘17 Nassau, Bahamas

Who am I but alone with visual darkness Lost in the mirrors stuck with a blade of guilt Hoping for a way out of my own mind While demons break the foundations my heart was built The glass knife in my soul is rotting my heart A tormented mind speaking harsh lies “You are an image not worthy” my mirror says As I believe the voice my blind eyes finally cries I hated mirrors; I hate mirrors, and will hate them They speak so formally with cruelty I feel inferior This mind bleeding burning malice to my heart As I see a whole world of beauty that is superior Why is my mind so cruel to me, its host?

Having a voice destructive and horribly strong I was born in this body and it’s the way I am Still this Mirror says I am everything wrong Every day I fight, allowing my heart to mend itself Still the wounds fester and bleed at the core The mirror is a torture and hellish nightmare Eating my self-esteem and greedily devouring more

Kristen Redaniel’17 of San Jose, CA wrote a song Cheer Up to express her idea of a demon. She brought her guitar and sang to the class.

Hear it on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trghr5cgzp4

What times does a young woman live in?

Where beauty is defined so heavily by the stars All their makeup and diets a lustful show Not knowing their looks became women’s bars I have changed, swayed by the times Wasting time to mimic a standard of perfection Painting a face on in a tedious beauty ritual Quietly begging for no more rejection When I am old will I care about my looks?

Will my mind settle with reality’s facts?

As I stumble my way to end of my time Will I look back at my sad pitiful acts?

Listening to the monster inside beg for more changes Seeing a young woman’s smile fade into an imitation Feeling the anguish of a girl alone in a state of self-hatred Understanding she became the mirrors robotic creation When does it all stop? How will my bitter fairy tale end?

Do I need to chant, “Mirror Mirror on the wall” Will I look at mirror one day and let the pain go Seeing a beautiful ending as my soul stands proud and tall Jade Stevenson ‘17 Columbia, MD

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ASSIGNMENT One Hundred Demons and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

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hen Lynda Barry and Frederick Douglass were children, they experienced collisions with both internal and external demons. Using both readings, give specific examples of demons for both Barry and Douglass.

Support your statements by using at least four direct quotes from the texts. Conclude your essay by speculating about how the collage by German / Argentinean artist Cora de Lang (below) might visually and symbolically represent those demons of Douglass and Barry.

Collage Cora de Lang Argentina/Germany

Excerpt from essay One Hundred Demons and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and Cora de Lang’s collage Artist Cora de Lang does an excellent job with portraying Lynda and Frederick’s demons throughout her art. Cora’s collage depicts a very classy looking woman with a protrusion coming from her forehead. This represents Lynda and Frederick’s demons because the protrusion from her forehead is in the shape of an infinity sign representing that these demons are never ending.

These demons are not only never ending, but they have eyes so they can see what they are doing to you. They can see that you are letting them torment you.

In the cases of Frederick and Lynda they both have numerous demons, playing into the infinity shaped protrusion in Cora’s artwork. The lady within her artwork also looks very classy, which I think demonstrates the fact that demons can torment anyone regardless of their social status. This is seen with Lynda and Frederick, because Frederick was on the lowest tier possible and Lynda was middle class. So demons occur across all classes.

There are various collisions that we encounter on a daily basis as human beings, and these can be either internal or external. These collisions can be classified as demons, because they attempt to torment us on a daily basis. Just as people today encounter similar demons, people in the past did as well. Frederick Douglass and Lynda Barry encountered similar demons, and both coped with them in one way or another. These demons can be seen in artist Cora de Lang’s work, both symbolically and visually.

Morgan Gosciak ‘17 Cheektowaga, NY

Excerpt from essay One Hundred Demons and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and Cora de Lang’s collage The collage by Cora de Lang is quite representative of both Douglass and Barry’s demons. The object on top of the woman’s head is like a mask, once covering her face and now revealing it. The mask is representative of Douglass and Barry’s demons, and how they had let them affect their life before. The mask is hiding their demons, covering up the truth. The mask is now off though, representing how they are revealing their demons to the world. The eyes on the mask look tired, and they represent tiredness of the demons affecting their lives They are also closed more, and that’s not being able to see the whole world the way it is. The eyes below the mask represent a new awakening. They represent being open to more views and open to new ideas and not letting their demons hold them back.

The glasses also support this idea, providing a clearer image. The woman is also sitting or standing up, and that represents standing tall and not letting anything get them down or making them upset. Douglass and Barry don’t let their demons hold them back and get them down. They were so open about their demons, and that collage by Cora de Lange is very representative of that.

Rachael Patten’17 Bolton, MA

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Demons For many of us, there are daily struggles in our lives that we are expected to cope with continually. These struggles can vary greatly from person to person. Authors Lynda Barry and Frederick Douglass were frequently tormented by demons such as these nearly every day of their lives in their childhood years. Although they had very different upbringings, each posed its own unique set of challenges.

Barry was a girl growing up in 1960s Seattle, with a mother and grandmother who were both from the Philippines. She often was forced to contend with being the “different” kid of the group, and struggled to find her identity and place in the world. Frederick Douglass, on the other hand, was a black slave who had been born on a plantation in Talbot County, Maryland. He was continually plagued by many of the trials that faced nearly all black slaves of the time period.

Both of these authors bring to the table important insight into the world of demons that so many of us face, but may be unwilling to come to grips with.

One of the demons that stood out particularly clearly in Lynda Barry’s life was discussed in her chapter titled “Resilience”. She makes it clear to the reader that what many adults see as resilience in children just simply is not the case. She mentions that she “cringe[s] when people talk about the resiliency of children” (Barry 66). So often what is thought of as resiliency is more similar to what Barry refers to as an Inability to forget, but also an inability to remember what actually happened (72). Children are forced to cope with these things, and often push away painful memories, hiding under a dark veil of obscurity, imagining that the dreaded thing never happened. As a result, most children seem to have a way of ‘bouncing back” from terrible things.

This often ends up doing harm in the long run, though, and caused Barry to act out in ways she may not have otherwise, to “give [herself] that feeling of wholeness, even if it lasted only for a moment” (72).

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Barry later moves ahead to a point in her life when she is grown, and she and her husband adopt a dog from the local shelter. They were informed by the shelter worker that the dog was “going to have trouble, but if she can find the right home she’ll be a great dog” (Barry 175). As might have been expected, the dog had severe behavior problems, growling and showing other aggressive behaviors. When none of the generally accepted methods of controlling her worked, Barry was forced to open her mind to the fact that perhaps this was not at all the correct way of taming Ooola and making her into a good dog. Sometimes just simply loving someone and giving them the gift of friendship they never had is enough to help a tortured person to heal and change for the better. She was reminded of her early school days, when her second grade teacher would kindly allow her to stay in at recess when she was having a bad day and draw pictures until she felt better. These seemingly small acts of kindness helped Barry to break free of the painful things that held her back, allowing her to heal and actually for once feel good about something that happened during the school day (which so many times could not be said for most days that

she was in school). As a result, she could put these things that she learned into practice to transform a pained, horribly mistreated dog into a loving, wonderful pet.

On the other hand, we can also consider Frederick Douglass. Douglass’s life was painfully complicated, from early on being riddled with hurtful struggles and seemingly endless trials occurring on a nearly daily basis. One of the first of these was the fact that it was extremely likely that his father was the slave master who owned all the slaves. This was not an entirely unusual circumstance, as it was law at that time for all slave children, even half whites, to become slaves as well; this provided yet one more slave to add to the master’s ranks (Douglass 16). It created an unpleasant circumstance, to be held captive by a parent and forced to work ceaselessly doing a wide variety of jobs on the plantation.

Later on in Douglass’s life, he developed a rare and unexpected skill for a slave: the ability to read and eventually write. It almost seemed to be the kind of accident that is meant to be. His mistress taught him the basics of the alphabet before her husband put a stop to it, telling her that it would make him worthless as a slave. He recognized at that moment that this skill of reading would be “the pathway from slavery to freedom”. Once he did eventually teach himself to read, however, he learned that the gift of the ability to read was a double-edged sword. Over time, when he began reading books that gave him an understanding of how slavery came to be, he had discovered that the “very discontentment which Master Hugh had predicted would follow my learning to read had already come, to torment and sting my soul to unutterable anguish” (Douglass 41). He absolutely despised his position in life, and wished to be free from it forever, but reading had not taught him that answer thus far. All that he could see was the miserable pit that he existed in at the current time.

There is a painting by the artist Cora de Lang that depicts an interesting idea that closely relates to the demons that Barry and Douglass struggled through. The picture depicts a woman, well dressed and seemingly ageless, with a mask on top of her head. Through this mask can be seen a pair of eyes, seeming to glare out at the viewer in an almost shrewd, calculating way. This may be seen as a representation of the “demons” that exist in the minds of all of us, as represented

by Barry and Douglass. The mask seen in the picture is a physical representation of the emotional masks that we put up whenever we are in the presence of others. The glaring eyes behind the mask are a representation of our true feelings, the daily struggles that go on in our minds nearly constantly, and often come to light whenever we feel particularly alone or unhappy. It is these types of internal battles that both Barry and Douglass draw upon in their writing, making the stories come alive for the reader in a way that it does not with other authors.

Adrienne Thomas‘17 Manheim, PA

100 Demons and Frederick Douglass Essay

him. On an occasion she whipped her until blood ran down her body. He was so terrified he hid in the closet. That was Lynda Barry and Frederick Douglass are two individuals an act very horrifying for a young child; acts such as that who both experienced hard ships in their life. Barry would have psychological effects on many people. Frederick was a socially awkward child who grew up in a mentally also faced demons such as depression, which is a bit similar abusive household, whereas Frederick Douglass was a born to the Lynda Barry story 100 Demons. Douglass eventually slave. The struggles they faced were too much for almost moved to Baltimore where he was owned by Mr. and Mrs. any individual to bear. Because of theses struggles they Auld. Mrs. Auld taught him the alphabet but ceased the developed internal and external demons. This essay will lessons, when her husband told her that it made the slaves convey the types of demons that Lynda Barry and Fredrick unhappy. Hearing this, Douglass felt that becoming literate Douglass had encountered, and compare them to a picture would allow him to be freed from slavery. However it made that was drawn by an artist named Cora de Lang. him more aware of his predicament as a slave and depressed him to the point of suicide contemplation. Douglass said,” I From a child Lynda Barry was faced with numerous often found myself regretting my own existence, and wishing demons. One of her robust demons was her mother. Barry’s myself dead.” Ironically his master was right. Even though mom would constantly ridicule her for almost anything she Douglass was faced with many demons he went on to become did. Lynda simply asked her mom if she can to grow her an abolitionist leader, a famous speaker, and an all around hair long, and her mom responded with, “Aie N’ako your successful individual. hair would look like hell.” That is no way a mother should speak to her child. Presumably this led to Lynda Barry’s Lynda Barry and Frederick Douglass are two alluring beings demon of inferiority. Lynda would not get invited to the that had been cursed with demons from childhood. I feel parties of girls that went to her elementary school because as if the picture by the German/Argentinean artist Cora de of how she dressed nor be accepted by them. Barry also was Lang visually and symbolically represented them. The woman faced with an external and internal demon of depression. in the picture seems to be of African-American descent like For a whole summer Lynda Barry would hang out with Frederick Douglass and wears glasses just as Lynda Barry. a boy named Bob. She fell in love with him even though For Frederick Douglass, I believe the mask on the picture she never observed his house: “And there was Bob. That symbolizes the illiteracy Frederick displayed in the presence summer there was Bob. The boyish smell of him, and his of his Masters, but when they were not present he would arms around me. I never saw his house and he never saw do everything in his power to learn how to read and write, mine.” (163) However Bob died and it left a void feeling for whereas the eyes in the mask that seem to be sad symbolize Berry. An external demon of depression for Barry would the great lengths Frederick went through to become literate. be a boy that worked at the grocery store. He did activities For Lynda Barry the mask could represent the “secret life” such as playing the guitar and indulged in the drugs Barry (164) Barry had during that certain summer and the sorrow would obtain in her neighborhood, but once Lynda told in the eyes of the mask could represent the fact that the boy him about herself he departed and never returned. He told she had fell in love with during that summer had passed her that he was “quitting” and that he had a “girl” that he away. Also the woman seemed to have little lip stick on which was in love with (120). Another demon Berry was faced could symbolize the fact the Lynda Barry did not have access with was the demon of escape. From Barry’s early years to woman like things when she was younger. The artist did a she always wanted to be a hippie. As a child when she saw dexterous job creating a picture that has so much significance. hippies drive off in a bus she said, “Take me with you.”

(129) Also she worked with hippies for a while when she Dominique Sears ‘17 got older and endured their negative qualities. I believe her Nassau, Bahamas fondness for hippies is because they are generally a free set of people and she felt that it would be an escape from her hard life. Although Lynda Barry’s life seemed difficult, she seemed to have grown to be a decent woman who has been established as an astounding author.

Works Cited for Demon Essays Another individual who had been faced with demons is Frederick Douglass. Douglass was a man born into slavery; his father was a white and his mom was a slave. He never asked to be a slave yet such a harsh life was bestowed on him. One of Frederick’s internal demons was that he was a child without a mother. He said, “I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger.” Because Frederick was a mixed slave he was sold to new owners. Because of this Frederick never knew his mother and felt a void in his heart. A physical demon of Douglass was Captain Anthony, who would whip his aunt if she ever disobeyed

Barry, Lynda. One Hundred Demons. Seattle: Sasquatch Books, 2002. Print.

Douglass, Frederick. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass An American Slave. Boston: Anti-Slavery Office, 1845.

A Penn State Electronic Classics Series Publication, 2004.

Electronic.

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Collage Cora de Lang Argentina/Germany

Demons in the Lives of Frederick Douglass and Lynda Barry Demons are the personal struggles that every human being inevitably faces throughout life. While everyone’s demons are different, the impacts of them are almost always permanent. Whether the effects are positive or negative, demons often influence how an individual becomes the person he or she is. Lynda Barry and Frederick Douglass are two people that have acknowledged some of their own demons through literary works. Both authors experienced hardships in life and learned from them. Through their works, Barry and Douglass share their stories.

In her graphic novel One Hundred Demons, Lynda Barry describes some of the demons she faced in her life, mostly in her childhood and teenage years. These periods of life are difficult for almost anyone to go through and Barry connects with the reader by sharing her own personal struggles.

Through her expert use of colorful illustrations and colorful language, Barry is able to at once convey a meaningful and inspirational message and shed some humor on her situations. One of the most significant demons that Barry shares is her confusing transition into adolescence. As she became a teenager Barry faced pressures to fit in. She tried to conform herself to please others and was influenced to drink and do drugs. Despite the devastating effects it had on her—both physical and emotional—Barry continued to put herself in difficult positions. “I know this may be hard to understand,” Barry writes, “this compulsion to repeat the situations that harmed you” (71). What Barry described is one of the many paradoxes that come along with being a teenager. Doing drugs and drinking made Lynda Barry feel accepted, so although it was harmful, it was worth being able to hang out with people.

A more physical demon that Barry confronted was her ex-boyfriend, who she does not mention by name. This man made Barry feel inferior by constantly putting her down and, because she had such a low self-esteem, she loved him anyway. “My biggest concern was my boyfriend whose doubts about me only seemed to increase my love” (Barry 23). Barry was only able to get herself out of this unfair relationship when she realized that her boyfriend reminded her of her own mother. Barry’s mother, who was also harsh and condescending, called her names and gave her a complex. Both of these people had a lasting effect on Barry and helped shape her into the person she is.

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As an African-American in the nineteenth century, Frederick Douglass faced countless hardships, which he describes in his autobiographical work The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. The demons that Douglass writes about had serious effects on both his physical and emotional well-being. For example, it was very common for a slave’s punishment to be a lashing and although Douglass does not mention a specific time when he was whipped, it can be safely assumed that he was. The pain that such physical abuse caused him was lasting.

Writing of the first time he witnessed someone being whipped—in this case his own aunt— Douglass confesses, “I never shall forget it whilst I remember anything…It struck me with awful force” (17). Douglass was forced to be “a witness and a participant” (17) in many beatings. The way he incorporates honest and vivid imagery demonstrates the lasting scars slavery had on him.

Frederick Douglass also faced a demon in the form of learning to read. In his lifetime, it was not appropriate for African-Americans (especially slaves) to know how to read and it was strongly discouraged. Douglass overcame this though and taught himself the English language.

While gaining this valuable knowledge had its advantages, it also came with come negative consequences. Douglass explains, “I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing” (41). By having access to information, Douglass discovered the problem of slavery, but he felt frustrated because he did not have a solution. Feeling trapped in his world without an escape had serious psychological side effects. “I often found myself regretting my own existence, and wishing myself dead” (Douglass 42). Based on this evidence, it is clear how having knowledge of slavery—and even slavery itself—was Douglass’s demon.

Demons such as those experienced by Lynda Barry and Frederick Douglass are just some examples of those faced by people around the world on a daily basis. Everyone has their own personal demons, but there are similarities in the feelings said demons produce. A collage from German/Argentinean artist Cora de Lang captures what a demon might be and how it might affect an individual. The subject of the collage is a woman who appears elegant and refined, as evidenced by her pearl jewelry and red lipstick. The woman wears a stoic expression, suggesting that she is emotionally guarded. Her eyes, however, are clear and penetrating, which is symbolic of anticipating the future and looking ahead. In contrast, the eyes of the “thing”—which is arguably her demon—are swollen, squinty, and blurred. The demon’s eyes are perhaps slit in hate and can therefore represent prejudice and intolerance because a person that expresses such qualities never really has a clear view of whom he or she is judging. As for the demon itself, it is a large, dark figure looming in, on, and above the woman’s head. The artist most likely designed it this way because demons cause the most damage when they get inside their victims’ heads. Demons affect thought, behavior, and emotion, and can change how a person views the world. All of these processes occur in the mind, the area that is most affected by a demon.

Lastly, it is important to notice how the woman’s clothing is the same color as the background, almost as if the subject blends in. This is very significant because a demon has the ability to make an individual feel invisible and unimportant.

This collage is a good representation of personal demons in general, but in regards to Lynda Barry and Frederick Douglass, it is especially symbolic. Both Barry and Douglass faced demons based on prejudice and unfair judgment. Their demons made them feel insignificant, especially in Barry’s case because her struggles to fit in and the belittling words of her mother and boyfriend made her feel as though no on cared about her. Like the woman in the collage, both Barry and Douglass looked forward to a better future where they would no longer be tormented by demons. In particular, Douglass longed for the abolition of slavery in the United States and the subsequent freedom of African-Americans. All of these aspects, which are accurately represented in Cora de Lang’s collage, are what make demons so powerful. However, as demons are a part of life, being able to overcome them is an essential trait to have. As Lynda Barry and Frederick Douglass exemplified, it is entirely possible to face down one’s demons and become a stronger individual as a result.

Tom Bragg’17 Gasport, NY

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Passion out of Pain At every step in our lives, we must deal with debilitating obstacles caused by society, individuals in our lives, and other factors outside of our control. All this occurs as we simultaneously try to discover our own identities. These demons, however, help us to grow and have resulted in many great pieces of work - as demonstrated by the emotion expressed in songs about heartbreak, or the passion we can sense in a painting of a deceased loved one. The fervor we experience when our world is inhabited by these demons is what drives us to find solace through creative arts. Both Lynda Barry, author of One Hundred Demons, and Frederick Douglass, author of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass use writing as their means of expressing their struggle with these demons and show that through their struggles, they have formed their identities.

One of the external demons that Barry has to deal with is her condescending boyfriend. She compares the parasitic nature of his personality with that of a sucking louse - slyly using the idea that they both have pretty names to juxtapose this similarity (21). Barry discovers that her boyfriend is much like her mother, in that he feeds on her insecurities in order to feel that he is above her: “Although I’d been making my living from writing and art for years, he saw a lot of room for improvement” (22). After a series of similar patronizing relationships, she finally comes to the realization that she deserves better.

As a child, Barry - like most - had to deal with the internal demon of resilience. She knows from experience that compartmentalizing (putting aside bad memories for a moment) doesn’t mean that a child has overcome the trauma they have experienced. She grounds this idea with an anecdote about her first kiss. She explains to us in various panels how she would sit up at night thinking about the sexual connotations of the relationship she had with the paperboy whom she kissed in a ravine (66). She makes a point of telling us that “when your inner life is a place you have to stay out of, having an identity is impossible.

Remembering not to remember fractures you. But what is the alternative? Tell me.” In searching for that alternative, Barry does some harmful things to herself in order to feel whole. We see that, as an adult, she has observed her unhealthy behavior enough to comfortably speak about her past, showing that she has learned to come to terms with her childhood traumas.

Similarly to Barry, Frederick Douglass had to deal with a person who hindered his ability to get ahead in the world.

At first, his mistress (Mrs. Auld) is a catalyst in his literary career. But she abruptly ends his studies and becomes the main obstruction on his path towards becoming literate after her husband forbids her to teach him; “Learning would - spoil - the best nigger in the world” (36). After this conversation, Douglass compares the dramatic shift in her

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attitude to the difference between an angel and a demon (36). But despite this particular demon, he is determined to learn what his oppressors have been keeping from him.

After reading “The Columbian Orator, ” Douglass discovers what his master meant when he said that learning to read would make slaves unhappy. In saying that “It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy” (41) Douglass touches on the idea of how knowledge has become a blessing (allowing him to not be kept in the dark) and a curse (making him aware of the hopeless state he is in). This demon of knowledge eventually helps him in the end though, since he realizes that staying in this imprisoned state is worse than death and he eventually escapes.

Barry and Douglass’ demons can be symbolized in a collage

by Cora de Lang. Barry, as a child, was forced to live her life in pieces - pretending to be happy while having to deal with some traumatic events. This is shown by the mask that sits atop the woman’s head in the collage. The mask represents the face that Barry had to put on when in the company of others. The woman, herself, can represent Barry’s mother.

She often spent time focusing on her looks while not allowing Barry to do the same. We can see that this woman is wearing makeup and pearl jewelry, similar to Barry’s mother.

Douglass also had to deal with an uncompassionate woman. The two different images of the woman’s eyes can represent the two drastically different sides of Mrs. Auld’s personality. While one is her natural state (the passive expression the collage woman currently wears), the other is her aggravated state that was sparked by her husband (the squinty-eyed expression in the mask). Douglass’ other demon of knowledge is characterized in the collage by the discontented look on the woman’s face (the slightly turnedup corners of the mouth and the far-away look in her eyes) .

While these demons were detrimental to their daily lives, they also contributed greatly to the development of the Barry’s and Douglass’ personalities and life’s works. They both became successful writers who focused on their difficult past as a subject for their writing. And because of their revelations, we can view their work and learn how to develop our personalities in the face of our demons.

Kristen Redaniel’17 San Jose, CA

Everyone Has a Demon Demon is, in this case, a word to encompass a person’s burdens whether it be an internal issue, or a physical aliment, or anything that causes someone to feel less than.

Most people like to keep their demons hidden to avoid ridicule or the possibility of someone using that against them. On rare occasions, someone is honest and shares their demons and experiences regarding them; they try to shed light on particular issues and show others with similar demons that they are not alone. Two writers who exemplify this rare occurrence are: Linda Barry, author of book One Hundred Demons, and Frederick Douglass, writer of the story The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an American Slave. Both stories focus more on the authors’ childhood demons; children tend to avoid revealing their conflicts due to fear and confusion. Barry and Douglass face those demons head on in their writings to assure the reader that they should do the same and, possibly, to prove to themselves that they can do it.

Barry took a jocular route to expose her demons; this alludes to a coping mechanism for her. An example of this would be when she was talking about a boyfriend that was particularly rude and condescending and made her feel less than. She ended up realizing that he was EXACTLY like her mother: “But I was wrong! It was someone from my past but it wasn’t the professor! It was…MOM?!” (Barry 24).

Comparing a boyfriend to her mother was a funny way of saying she was emotionally hurt by people she considered to be ones she loved.

Although the various stories are humorous, the reader will find Barry’s demons are sometimes dark ones, like the “Resilience” demon. The very last panel of this particular demon had an underling meaning as if maybe she had been sexually molested as a child or abducted: “…Even if it lasted only for a moment, even if it got me into huge trouble, it was the closest I could come to…to…I don’t remember” (Berry 72). In the illustration, there is a man standing in front of a very young Barry asking her: “Hey there sweetheart. Do you and your dolly want to go for a ride?”

(72). Barry used her comedic approach to talk about her demons not only to give herself the courage to reveal them, but to prove something to those who may be too afraid to let anything out.

young age, he was able to recognize a mistake in the way of life he had, how it was unfair but that he had to play along anyway; something as simple as knowing his own age was taken away like other things and even his own mother.

Once Douglass taught himself to read and write, he realized how horrible his way of life truly was, how hard he worked for so little, how oppressed he and his people were. The internal turmoil of knowing this but not being able to take action against it was tarring him apart. His demon was knowledge; where something that is supposed to be a wonderful thing, is now a burden. Douglass was so conflicted that he even considered committing suicide: “I often found myself regretting my own existence, and wishing myself dead” (42). Being a slave that could read and write was difficult in more ways than one: it had to stay secret since it was forbidden, it had to be self-taught majority of the time, and it revealed the inequality that the blacks were subjected to.

Comparing Barry’s and Douglass’ to the German / Argentinian artist, Cora de Lang’s, collage helps to visualize the authors’ demons. The collage itself could shed light on the stories of the writers, the chaos of their lives due to their demons is shown through the style of the art, a collage is controlled chaos, in a way. There are different aspects of the artwork that pin point the demons of each writer. The way the eyes are slanted and placed oddly in the mask above the woman’s head exemplifies Barry’s confusion as to why the people she considered people that she loved treated her poorly; the face and hair being that of a statue exemplify her having to be stoic and “resilient” when growing up. The mask above the woman’s head looks like an infinity symbol which, since it is placed on her forehead, could exemplify the infinite knowledge that Douglass had that was looming over him. The drawn on clothing was plain and blended in with the background; this exemplifies Douglass’ childhood, the simple and controlled ways of being a slave.

Sarah Kaschalk’17 Horseheads, NY

Frederick Douglass had an extremely difficult childhood considering it was spent being a slave. What he experienced was nothing short of horrific and it takes courage to write about what he went through; his demons go as far back as a very small child. When he was little, Douglass was deprived of many things from his masters. One particularly interesting demon of his, is not knowing his own age because his masters will not reveal it to him: “The white children could tell their ages. I could not tell why I ought to be deprived of the same privilege” (Douglass 14). At such a

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ASSIGNMENT Creating the New from the Old: The Changing Shape of the Art

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lthough the term “mashup” has been recently coined to refer to the unlikely creation of something new from the combination of preexisting sources, we have seen that humans have been engaged in this method of production for centuries. Using our recent readings*, explain how artists have relied on the old to create the new, whether it is in artistic style, fashion, or worldview. Be sure to use specific information from our readings and cite your sources. *Recent readings, films, web articles: Tristan and Iseult Chapters from Camille Paglia’s Gittering Images: “Luncheon in the Twilight Zone” “Island of Love” “Lord of the Sea” “Satin Knights” Vertigo Melancholia Un Chien Andalou You may also use information from the links on our Facebook Mashup page.

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Creating the New from the Old In art, it is very common for a newer artist to take ideas from an older artist and use it in their own art. One example of this is in the movie Un Chien Andalou.

This movie expresses Surrealist ideas. Un Chien Andalou was one of the first expositions of this idea. René Magritte’s painting, The Portrait, also expresses Surrealist ideas. Together these two pieces of artwork show the powerful effects of the unconscious mind.

Surrealism is art that’s goal is to show off the creativeness of the unconscious mind. “The Surrealists … admired primitive artifacts and works of vision and fantasy” (Glittering Images, Paglia 121). André Breton founded Surrealism, after working in a mental hospital and became convinced that there was such thing as a powerful unconscious. “The Surrealists valued art by psycotics as a direct transcription from the unconscious” (Paglia 121). Surrealists “paid keen attention to ordinary things—random stones or street trash, which they transformed into art pieces” (Paglia 122). Surrealists take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. They go where most people wouldn’t, thinking of things that are humanly impossible and expressing it. Many artists work with surrealism, including Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali.

Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali made the film Un Chien Andalou in 1928. This short movie was intended to express surrealist ideas. During the film, there were images such as ants crawling out of a hand and a guy pulling a piano with dead donkeys on it. The ropes the guy was using to pull the piano also had clergy in them. The film didn’t make sense and had no story line. That was because it was representative of what happens in the unconscious mind. In the unconscious mind, one cannot make sense of things. It’s only in the conscious mind where things can make sense. This was one of the first Surrealist pieces of art, and it was very popular. Bunuel and Dali would not only go on to do their own work, but also inspire others such Magritte’s The Portrait.

René Margritte painted The Portrait in 1935. “A table set for lunch has been invaded by an eye, staring at us from where the marrow bone should be in a ham slice. The meal and tableware are unpretentious, even rustic” (Paglia 124). This painting is obviously Surrealist because it has a mostly normal scene with an unrealistic characteristic. “Unlike Dali, Magritte was interested not in dreams, but in the fluid hypnagogic state between walking and sleeping, where objects vibrate and change shape” (Paglia 124). Surrealism can be interpreted in multiple ways, and Magritte proves this in his painting.

Together, Un Chien Andalou and The Portrait express Surrealism and how the unconscious mind cannot be defined. This movement was very popular, and was very influential on many artists. It’s still being thought of in today’s time, and a good example of is Lars Von Trier’s 2011 movie Melancholia.

Rachael Patten’17 Bolton, MA Work cited: Paglia, Camille. Glittering Images. New York, Pantheon, 2012

Creating New from Old When we take in modern art that we see everyday by any artist either famous or casual, we can look deep into the root of the creation and see where the inspiration originated. The pioneers of art though history have been the ones who put ideas and forms of art into our head. The artists of the modern day can say they are truly original, but without a seed planted in their minds by the artists before, they would not be able to compose what we call art.

Moments like this are very evident in Titian’s piece, Venus with a Mirror. The inspirational root is from the Greek mythology era. The painting brings forth an image of a woman who is in a sensual position with robes covering only the genital region of her body yet she is tempted to cover up. Holding a mirror up to the female are three infant boys, one resembling Cupid for he is equipped with small wings coming out of his back. The woman is looking at herself in the mirror almost as if she is judging what she is wearing.

When the audience looks deeper into the painting, it is evident that she is covering the reproductive area with a fancy robe that looks to be made of a fair silk. She is also depicted as being wealthy because she is covered in elegant jewelry that glimmers and takes the focus of this dreamy canvas. The question that can be aroused by this view of royalty and sexuality is whether or not this goddess-looking woman is truly from money or if she does the work of prostitution.

Venus with a Mirror Circa 1555 Titian Oil on canvas National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

The question of prostitution also arises when the audience notices that one of the infant boys is holding a black cloth that would be thrown over a mirror as if she was mourning the loss of a lover. Since the cloth is not on the mirror, that could mean that the woman is not in a relationship and possibly a prostitute.

From Greek mythology we are taught that the Greek goddess Aphrodite is usually accompanied by a Cupid figure.

Aphrodite from legends is said to be the goddess of desire, beauty, and love.

This portrait of a woman has those features that relate exactly to the Mythology of Aphrodite. Her elegant robes and complexion can be a resemblance of beauty while her half nude body can be pointing out the aspect of desire. And of course the main symbol of love is having a cupid following her, ready to shoot an arrow resulting in love.

Looking into the true art of Titian’s painting, we see exact replicas of art from history mainly related to Greek mythology. He is making a recreated image of the Greek Goddess Aphrodite and he gives us hints throughout his work. The infant resembling Cupid was the first sign but the body image of the woman is truly inspired by the ancient Greek art. The true meaning behind all of this deciphering is that no matter how new art may look and how original the artist may seem, we need to remember that without connections and inspiration from art in the past, there would be no new pieces today.

Anthony LaRusso’17 North Conway, NH Bibliography Paglia, Camille. Glittering Images. New York, Pantheon, 2012 “Greek Gods » Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, Pleasure and Beauty » Paintings, Mosaics and Drawings of Aphrodite.” Paintings, Drawings and Mosaics of Greek Goddess Aphrodite (Venus). N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.

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ASSIGNMENT

Tristan and Iseult - Liebstod

Mandala

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epeating shapes that radiate from a center point create what is known as a mandala.

Mandala (Sanskrit: ‘circle’) is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the Universe.The basic form of most mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point. The geometric and organic shapes intertwine, reminding us of the designs that we saw in illustrations of the Book of Kells.

Khristian Johnson ‘17 Nassau, Bahamas

Using a theme from Tristan and Iseult, create a design by repeating letters until a mandala blossoms. To put us in a meditative state, we will listen to Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde Liebstod, music that is featured in or has influenced the musical scores of films such as Hitchcock’s Vertigo, Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia, and Bunuel / Dali’s Un Chien Andalou.

Morgan Gosciak ‘17 Cheektowaga, NY

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Anthony LaRusso’17 North Conway, NH

Rachel Alibozek ‘17 Hartland, VT

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ASSIGNMENT

C

reate a piece of artwork in response to the emotion(s) that you experience when viewing the Rodin sculptures located outside of the Writing Center in the Gannett-Tripp Library.

This could be an abstract or realistic drawing, a collage, a poem, a found poem, a cut up poem, a piece of music, a dance, a video, sculpture or a photo. Write a brief paragraph that describes in words what you were communicating with your art and how it relates to Romeo and Juliet and the Rodin sculptures Eternal Spring and Caryatid.

I drew in pencil a pair of lips kissing surrounded by a red box and drew blood drops with a sharpie dripping down from above. The lips also have an outline of red where they touch. The lips are the source of love and passion that is heavily expressed in both Romeo and Juliet and the Eternal Spring sculpture. The lips are confined in the box to represent the pressures that Romeo and Juliet went through to keep that love alive; it also represents the burden that is weighing down the figure in the Caryatid sculpture. Red is a color of love and passion but it is also the color of blood which is associated with death, a violent death. The red outlining of their lips touching was to symbolize both the love of Romeo and Juliet and their ultimate downfall that was a result of that love.

Sarah Kaschalk’17 Horseheads, NY

I made a collage for this project. I used a three dimensional heart structure because Romeo and Juliet’s love was at first sight, and once they meet each other, their love was evident. I use the jail cell bars and the words banished to show that when Romeo got banished that he was in “jail cell” meaning that there was a barrier contricting his love for Juliet. My whole collage went off the page in different directions because Romeo and Juliet’s love was unconventional and did not fit what their parents wanted for them.

The images on the page could also refer to the sculptures we looked at because they show struggle and passion.

Maureen Hodder ‘17 Saugerties, NY

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I was trying to represent numerous things in this collage.

I created a face at the very top using eyes with a red shadow that could represent the “power” that is suspended over Juliet by her father. Next to these eyes there is a man that looks enraged and the word power, which shows that her father always has power over her no matter where she is. The lips that create the face are pasted on a white flower, and this represents the fact that Juliet is breaking the “purity” that women in the Elizabethan era were suppose to possess. There is a couple on a crossword puzzle with the words “the ultimate escape” around them.This demonstrates that Romeo and Juliet’s escape from the family feud is the puzzled love that brings them together.

Morgan Gosciak ‘17 Cheektowaga, NY

This collage makes me think of the phrase “committted Love.” The two lovers Romeo and Juliet love each other very much but they cannot be together for different reasons. Two men staring on each cover of the collage represent Romeo. The side with two hands cuffed shows how Romeo loves Juliet but it’s like she is emprisoned and he cannot get to her. The other cover with lots of lips and rings represents Romeo not being able to marry the love of his life.

Sonia Gwaneza ‘16 Urumuri, Rwanda

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Love Is

Strength

Love is a two-edged blade.

The sweetest bliss of youthful devotion Tempered by the weighty burden of sacrifice

When life gets rough I will stand tough When my heart is frail

Love is never free.

Always coming with monumental price Be it limb or be it life

I will prevail When friends aren’t near

Love is like a fire Exploding at once in tempestuous passion Then fading til it is lost in the winds A rose may indeed smell as sweet, But so the pain will be the same.

Adrienne Thomas’17 Manheim, PA

I will not fear When life seems to get hard, many succumb to the struggle and collapse, but the poem is asking for strength in various situations of pain and struggle. This relates to Romeo and Juliet, as well as the Rodin sculpture, Caryatid. All these pieces of art incorporate a type of struggle and the poem symbolizes the importance of strength through times of struggle.

Allan Wilson’17 Liverpool, NY

Video still from Oh Death, a dance correographed by Savanah Beers’17 Savanah Beers’17 of Cairo, NY and Tom Bragg’17 of Gasport, NY. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG4eF3zhDvo&feature=youtu.be 18

“I questioned Dear Romeo”

Coexisting Youth

through Juliet’s lips taste a sad doomed fate

The love of one’s youth may be hard to find Yet it may always be in one’s mind The youthful come off as an enhanced divine But the fire burning love is so defined

death greeted his love with devilish smiles Youthful love sprang high and set thou life straight blissfully fought hatred in loved trials where was intuition when it counted?

Did youthful folly block out all wisdom?

Romeo call love with eyes accounted trust not the teachings of calm decision clearly death won’t host her life with color observe her past the emotional haze

The troubles that may come is oh so rigorous Will it go away with a simple kiss Is that all have we cleared this mist To get thine way one must slit thy wrist The power of love may feel this way Is it all come back to a parallel fray To be together we form clay To build boundaries from the outmost day The symbol of youth is oh so clear Why is it love that most of us fear Shining bright with an obsolete leer Through the roughest times it will still persevere

view and consider life as a scholar Had you, your brood would now crowd and amaze

Dominique Sears ‘17 Nassau, Bahamas

How I wished you called her out of slumber so peace and love could finally wonder Jade Stevenson ‘17 Columbia, MD

I took my favorite quote from Romeo and Juliet “a rose by any other word would smells as sweet” and put it on top. I surrounded the base with quotes and on the inside there is a rose surrounded by a wall with vines so it cannot grow (sitting on top in this picture). The barricade of growth is a symbol of the second sculpture Caryatid where the man was being pressed down and could not stand straight like the flower can not extend and grow.

Emily Presser’17 Norwalk, CT

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ASSIGNMENT

I

n the Gannett-Tripp Library near the Writing Center you will see two bronze sculptures by French sculptor Auguste Rodin (Eternal Spring and Caryatid). If you spend some time looking at the sculptures, they will evoke an emotional response. For each sculpture, find at least one passage in Romeo and Juliet that says in words what you see and feel when looking at the bronze sculptures.

First, copy and paste the passages, and then write a short paragraph that describes in words how the quote relates to the Rodin sculptures Eternal Spring and Caryatid.

Romeo and Juliet (III.iii.116-123) JULIET Madam, in happy time, what day is that?

LADY CAPULET Marry, my child, early next Thursday morn,/ The gallant, young and noble gentleman,/The County Paris, at Saint Peter’s Church,/Shall happily make thee there a joyful bride.

JULIET Now, by Saint Peter’s Church and Peter too,/ He shall not make me there a joyful bride.

Rodin’s sculpture The Fallen Caryatid entails a smooth and feminine figure, collapsing under the burden of her huge stone. The sculpture shows a shapeless figure, to show the burdens that the woman is bearing; this causes her to have a bent form as they are too heavy to carry. Based on the passage, this sculpture can highlight the burdens of Juliet. Juliet experiences deep sorrows from her family that at the end of the play she fakes her death just to be with the one she loves. Additionally, there is a greater burden, and the boulder that she is carrying finally collapses when she sees that the one she loves, Romeo took his own life. Seeing this, Juliet proceeds to do the same, causing her life to be totally meaningless and without shape as seen in Rodin’s sculpture.

Romeo and Juliet (III.ii.196-197) TYBALT And for that offense Immediately we do exile him hence.

I picked this quote because it’s representative of the burden that Romeo now has for killing Tybalt.

Fallen Caryatid looks like someone trying to carry a huge boulder, like a huge burden. Now Romeo has a huge burden of being exiled and being kept from his love after killing her cousin.

Rachael Patten’17 Bolton, MA

Khristian Johnson ‘17 Nassau, Bahamas

Fallen Caryatid Carrying Her Stone A sculpture by Auguste Rodin (French, Paris 1840 – 1917) Modeled in 1881. Bronze.

Located at the Gannett-Tripp Library of Elmira College, Elmira, NY Among the elements from Rodin’s greatest sculptural undertaking, The Gates of Hell, was the figure of a woman bent under the weight of a stone. As an independent work, she has been entitled Caryatid, but she may have originally been called Sorrow. In 1880 Rodin received a commission for a sculptured portal (known later as The Gates of Hell) for a proposed museum of decorative arts in Paris. He conceived the idea of freely interpreted scenes from The Inferno, Part I of The Divine Comedy, an epic poem by the Italian poet Dante (1265-1321). The composition provided Rodin with a vast repertory of forms and images, many of which he developed as independent works. Left unfinished at Rodin’s death in 1917, The Gates of Hell was cast in bronze during the late 1920s. It included isolated figures, groups, and episodes with which the artist had experimented for more than 30 years. http://www.clevelandart.org/art/1946.352

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Romeo and Juliet (I.v.57)

Romeo and Juliet (I.v.27- 32) MERCUTIO “If love be rough with you, be rough with love.

Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.— Give me a case to put my visage in!

A visor for a visor.—What care I What curious eye doth cote deformities?

Here are the beetle brows shall blush for me.”

The Eternal Spring sculpture is a very intimate and sexual piece of artwork; it exemplifies the raw nature that love truly is.

Although Mercutio is being very crude, he is explaining the approach that he believes one must take when dealing with love; one must be forceful and unafraid to be successful in their endeavors. The sculpture says to me “We are taking control of our love, our love is powerful and we are not ashamed.”

Romeo is very much opposite when it comes to love and had he taken Mercutio’s advice, things would have changed drastically. If Romeo had been more take charge, he may have been able to win Rosaline when he still loved her or he may have been able to openly profess his love to Juliet, to their families instead of being secretive.

Sarah Kaschalk ‘17 Horseheads, NY

ROMEO If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle sin is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready to stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss” I chose this passage from Romeo and Juliet because this was a very strong statement. I could feel Romeo leaning in closer to Juliet awaiting the kiss. The kiss felt to me as it would be a rather dramatic, encounter much like the Eternal Spring sculpture. I had a picture in my head of Romeo grabbing Juliet and leaning forward causing her to lean back as they kissed. This sculpture shows exactly the image in which I was given while reading this.

Amelia Butler ‘17 Cobleskill, NY

Romeo and Juliet (I.v.116-118) JULIET Saints do not move, though grant for prayers’ sake.

ROMEO Then move not while my prayer’s effect I take.

[He kisses her.]

Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin purged.

This relates to the Eternal Spring statue because it is when Romeo and Juliet are embracing each other. It is the first time they kiss so it is a very intimate moment. This statue is showing two people being intimate with each other as well.

Tia Peters‘17 Van Etten, NY

Eternal Springtime A sculpture by Auguste Rodin (French, Paris 1840 – 1917 Modeled circa 1884. Bronze.

Located at the Gannett-Tripp Library of Elmira College, Elmira, NY Eternal Springtime was modeled during Rodin’s intense period of activity for The Gates of Hell, but this graceful two-figure work never appeared on the portal: like The Kiss, of which it is a sort of variant. Its subject evokes the happiness of two young lovers, a euphoria too inappropriate for the tragedy being played out on The Gates. With its rhythmic movement reminiscent of 18th-century decorative sculpture, which Rodin liked and had frequently imitated when working for ornamentalists, Eternal Springtime was very successful and was translated several times into bronze and marble. http://www.musee-rodin.fr/en/collections/sculptures/eternal-springtime

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ASSIGNMENT

Romeo and Juliet

Analyzing Gender Roles in Romeo and Juliet

Gender Roles in Romeo and Juliet

breaks a gender Jsheuliet role expectation when herself asks Romeo to marry her:

If that thy bent of love be honorable, Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow, By one that I’ll procure to come to thee, Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite, And all my fortunes at thy foot I’ll lay And follow thee my lord throughout the world.

(2.2.150-55) Using quotes from the play, discuss how this “marriage proposal” goes against the gender expectations for men, women and parents of the Elizabethan era, as well as the gender expectations of today. Elaborate on the topic by specifically comparing: • Juliet’s sense of autonomy : 21st Century woman’s sense of autonomy • Romeo’s loyalty to his father : 21st Century son’s sense of autonomy • Juliet’s relationship to her mother/father : 21st Century woman’s relationship to her mother/father

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Conclude your essay by discussing expectations about marriage proposals today. What is the ritual expected for men and women? How does it compare to the Elizabethan era of the play Romeo and Juliet?

When most think of William Shakespeare’s wonderful plays the first one that comes to mind is the play, Romeo and Juliet. This astounding story of two starcrossed lovers separated by a feud of their families has been used to inspire other works in literature and media. Not only does Shakespeare use the English language so flawlessly but he also demonstrates gender roles during his own time, and arguably our own time, as reversed for the main characters: Romeo and Juliet.

He depicts the male, usually viewed as heroic and brave, as more feminine and emotional and the female, usually considered as one who needs to be rescued by this “hero,” as assertive and rebellious. These personality traits are exhibited throughout the play in various scenes.

In the Elizabethan era men were thought as brave, ready to fight at the chance to defend their families’ honor. However, Romeo was nothing like this, in fact, he was quite the opposite almost challenging the idea of masculinity that has been placed upon him. He, himself, actually states in the play, “Thy beauty hath made me effeminate” (3.1. 123). Effeminate means having characteristics that would be considered more suitable for a woman rather than a man. Romeo with his more poetic language even deems himself more feminine and doesn’t fail to show by his actions. Once Romeo is banished one might presume that by him being forcibly taken away from his Juliet would prompt him to figure out some way for them to be together. Of course this is not the case; he ends up going to Friar Lawrence with the sense that there is nothing worth living for and that banishment is like death to him, crying at Friar Lawrence’s feet. Friar Lawrence responds to his shameless crying: Hold thy desperate hand!

Art thou a man? Thy form cries out thou art.

Thy tears are womanish; thy wild acts denote The unreasonable fury of a beast.

Unseemly woman in a seeming man, And ill-beseeming beast in seeming both!

(3.3. 149) Romeo’s character is viewed as a more emotional man, not ashamed of crying. His solution to nearly all his problems is pouting around, trapped in his own sorrows, not doing anything in his power to change it. Romeo waits for a miracle or outside force to fix his problems, which is seen as a more feminine solution; he daydreams for a white knight and shining armor to save him.

Ironically, today it would seem that more women want their man to be sympathetic and in touch with their feelings. However, men still hold on to the concept of “being the man” in a relationship having this balance between the two. It appears that romance has become harder and harder to find these days, with men trying to fit into stereotypes that society has created for them, not really changing much from the Elizabethan era. The media displays men as creations who spend too much time in the gym getting buff and only desiring and viewing women as sexually objects. Now it is more common for more relationships to be clearly only for sexual desires, just hooking up and having one night stands, trying to exclude any real emotion from them. This makes it seem that men who exhibit any type of emotion, especially crying, is a sign of weakness. There are even songs made specifically stating that men don’t cry. In the Elizabethan era men were seen as tools for battle who were only interested in sexual conquest but nowadays men are expected to be more compassionate and sensitive, demonstrating that maybe Romeo was actually ahead of his time with personality and actions.

During the time when Romeo and Juliet was written women were viewed as less than men.

The concept that men have ownership over the woman begins with the relationship of a father treating his daughter as property; this feeling translates into womanhood when the daughter gets married and the husband then takes ownership. This hierarchy is presented

by Juliet’s father being outraged by her denying his order of marrying Paris: How, how, how, how? Chopped logic? What is this?

“Proud,” and “I thank you,” and “I thank you not,” And yet “not proud”? Mistress minion you, Thank me no thankings, nor proud me no prouds, But fettle your fine joints ‘gainst Thursday next To go with Paris to Saint Peter’s Church, Or I will drag thee on a hurdle thither.

Out, you green-sickness carrion! Out, you baggage!

You tallow-face!

(3.5.167) Juliet exhibits abnormal behavior for women during her time by her dominant, rebellious attitude by following her heart and doing what she believes to be right, something that most women don’t have the courage to do. Not being afraid of rebelling against her family, she takes action unlike Romeo who just waits for things to happen on their own instead of taking matters into his own hands. The standards for ladies during this time were just to be housewives and bear children not even really leaving the thresholds of their house.

Juliet’s family is viewed as a traditional family, however, she doesn’t meet any of the stereotypes expected for the women.

One aspect that has changed quite a bit is the idea that women have to bear children.

Many women nowadays don’t have any children at all and are completely happy with that.

Additionally it is not uncommon to see women who aren’t even married or living entirely on their own. Women have taken a stand over time of not being ruled by the male gender with Women’s rights. Regrettably, stigmas around a woman’s place is still revealed by jokes that have been developed around the essential idea that women belong in the kitchen, quote, unquote, making sandwiches for men. Through a joke one can still see men’s views on women. Even with the laws now giving all women equal rights to men these stereotypes never absolutely leave. There are a great deal of ladies who have Juliet’s charisma and are praised for it. Women like that are the ones who have changed history taking problems into their own hands, not being pushed around to do things they don’t want to do.

Although, into today’s society we adore women with that go get it attitude we still expect certain situations to be taken control by men. A great example of this would be the expectations that go along with marriage proposals today. Most women dream of that day when the man they love gets down on one knee and asks that magical question, will you marry me? There are some differences of the delivery of this; some like it more romantic and out of the box as others want it simpler. There is this tradition in Ireland that on a leap year women can be the ones to ask the man to marry her making it socially okay.

However, there are women who have popped the question first and actually go with their man to pick out their own engagement ring. Women have grown a lot since Juliet’s day and are taking control in their own life. This would be something that Juliet would have been very proud of seeing as a hopeful future.

Savanah Beers’17 Cairo, NY

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Sex Swap: Gender Role Reversal in Romeo and Juliet (An excerpt) The characters William Shakespeare creates through Romeo and Juliet reflect a significant reversal of gender roles: Juliet appears more aggressive while Romeo demonstrates more feminine qualities. For example, Juliet exhibits her masculinity when she is about to drink the potion Friar Lawrence drafted to make her appear dead. As she describes all of the things she would rather do than marry Paris, she shows a certain strength and bravery that was not characteristic of women in her time. She is willing to risk the putrid smells, horrific sounds, and haunting sights of being trapped in a tomb, all to be with Romeo (4.3.35-55). Romeo displays his femininity while he is complaining to Friar Lawrence about being banished. He protests, “Ha, banishment? Be merciful, say “death,” / For exile hath more terror in his look, / Much more than death. Do not say “banishment” (3.3.13-15). Romeo’s exaggeration of the situation is typical of a dramatic young girl, but is the opposite of behavior acceptable for a young man.

These examples demonstrate Shakespeare’s unprecedented ability to distort the usual gender roles within society.

In Act II, Juliet essentially proposes to Romeo when she tells him she wants to get married.

This proposal is not consistent with the gender expectations during the Elizabethan era because typically, the man would propose to the woman, not the other way around. Marriage proposals were viewed as the duty of the man, as he was supposed to be the more assertive, dominant partner in a relationship. Women, on the other hand, were taught to be submissive and passive.

Furthermore, such gender roles were usually strictly enforced in the Elizabethan era, which makes it surprising that Juliet acted the man’s part in her relationship with Romeo. Another factor to consider is that in Romeo and Juliet’s time, marriages were often arranged by the parents. In their time, it was not uncommon for fathers, especially kings and other royalty, to choose their daughters’ husbands, who were also commonly of royal blood. The purpose of these arranged marriages was sometimes to unite two kingdoms, but they were also enforced to ensure an heir to the throne. Because of this, marriage proposals were even more uncommon, further proving that asking a man’s hand in marriage was certainly not the normal and acceptable thing for a young girl to do.

Shakespeare’s representation of gender roles, although surprising to the audiences of his time, are certainly not as controversial by today’s standards. Juliet’s parents and those around her viewed her as foolishly disobedient. Her independence and opposition to an arranged marriage to Paris even enraged her father Capulet. When Juliet refuses to marry Paris, Capulet threatens to disown her. He tells her, “I tell thee what: get thee to church o’ Thursday, / Or never after look me in the face” (3.5.167-168). He even goes so far as to say he would rather her rot in the streets if she did not obey him. While Juliet’s opposition was viewed as disrespectful and wrong, if viewed through the perspective of today’s society, her behavior would not cause such a reaction. Instead, women who follow their own will are viewed as independent and self-reliant.

In fact, women are encouraged to think for themselves. In her time, Juliet was punished for wanting to marry whomever she wanted, but if she were alive today that is exactly what would be expected of her.

Romeo, like Juliet, exhibits a disregard for tradition and societal norms when he confesses that he would give up his name to be with her. He proclaims, “My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself / Because it is an enemy to thee” (2.2.60-61). By taking Juliet’s name, Romeo would be showing disloyalty to his family, something that was never acceptable in his time. Young men in the Elizabethan era typically displayed steadfast honor to their families and their family names.

Romeo, however, ignores these customs to show his love for Juliet. The idea of the man taking the woman’s name in marriage was, and still is, not the norm. Just like in Shakespeare’s time, today it is considered more acceptable for the woman to take the man’s name. One of the stereotypes surrounding this idea is that men who take their wives’ names are effeminate and docile. In today’s society, men who show these characteristics are denigrated. This proves that the expectations for men have remained consistent from Shakespeare’s time to present.

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The instances presented above, of Juliet refusing her arranged marriage and Romeo not keeping his name, demonstrate their relationships with their parents. They were clearly disobedient to their parents and did not agree with the views they represented. In the Elizabethan era, it was not common for children and teenagers to go against the views of their parents. Instead, they almost always did what they were told; they followed the desires of their parents even if it meant ignoring personal beliefs. Although Romeo and Juliet defied the norm when they acted out against their parents, their actions would not stand out so much in today’s world. Twentyfirst century teenagers are characteristically rebellious. Today, it is not unusual for teenagers to contest their parental units, to toe the line and push the boundaries. In fact, it is even expected.

Insubordination has become a natural trait of adolescents, attributed to hormones. While Romeo and Juliet’s disobedience was considered unacceptable in their time, by today’s norms, their actions would not be unusual.

By today’s standards, it is still atypical for a woman to ask a man to marry her. It is still the man’s responsibility to propose to the woman, an idea that has remained consistent throughout history.

The stereotype has even been romanticized, creating high expectations for the man to follow.

For example, he is supposed to get down on one knee and open the little velvet box to reveal the ring. It is also considered proper for the man to ask the woman’s father for permission first.

Furthermore, after the marriage, the woman typically takes her husband’s name, not the other way around. This whole sequence of events has become the traditional and acceptable way of doing things, and is very similar to the Elizabethan era represented in Romeo and Juliet. However, despite the similarities, there is one major difference. Although the actions previously described are the societal norms, straying from them is not looked down upon. During the Elizabethan era, females were admonished for wanting to do things differently, but nowadays, ignoring societal standards is widely accepted. In today’s world, everyone’s situation is different, so there is much more room for creativity. Women are not discouraged from proposing and they do not necessarily have to change their names. In fact many women today do not take their husband’s name; they keep their own names or hyphenate the two names together. Based on this evidence, it is clear that many aspects of societal norms have changed since Shakespeare’s time.

Romeo and Juliet are two characters that are commonly looked at when studying William Shakespeare’s tendency to reverse typical gender roles. They each represent qualities and traits that are usually more closely associated with the opposite sex. However, while their behaviors were not seen as appropriate during their time, the same actions would not be so difficult to understand in today’s society. Shakespeare’s decision to reverse some gender roles was certainly trailblazing, as many authors and playwrights since then have explored similar ideas in their works. Many societal norms have changed over the course of time, due largely in part to Shakespeare’s innovation, and they will most likely continue to change even more. Hopefully, these changes will create a more accepting and diverse culture.

Tom Bragg’17 Gasport, NY

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ASSIGNMENT

Like Water for Chocolate

S

Magical realism. A literary genre that treats the extraordinary as something perfectly normal; incorporates magical happenings into a predominantly realist-style narrative and is often associated with Latin American literature. Like Water For Chocolate belongs to the genre of magical realism.

elect scenes from Like Water for Chocolate that can be translated into sketches or collages.

Write the text from the book that inspires you. The text can be written around your drawing as you saw in the Guillermo del Toro sketchbook pages. You may comment on the text, using familiar terms, such as “I think” or “you will notice...”

Treat it as a private journal full of ideas that you get from reading the story.

Guillermo del Toro sketchbook pages http://www.film.com/ photos/guillermodel-toros-incrediblesketchbooks 26

Sarah Kaschalk ‘17 Horseheads, NY

Tia Peters‘17 Van Etten, NY

Jade Stevenson ‘17 Columbia, MD

Tom Bragg ‘17 Gasport, NY 27

Rachel Alibozek ‘17 Hartland, VT

Adrienne Thomas‘17 Manheim, PA

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Anthony LaRusso’17 North Conway, NH

Amelia Butler ‘17 Cobleskill, NY

Sonia Gwaneza ‘16 Urumuri, Rwanda

Maureen Hodder’17 Saugerties, NY

Kristen Redaniel’17 San Jose, CA

Morgan Gosciak ‘17 Cheektowaga, NY

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When Worlds Collide (FRS 1010) Term I, 2013 Section 18 Mash-ups and Other Collisions in Literature and Art Our history affects how we see the world. How we see the world affects what we want and expect from the world. And when those desires and expectations collide with the desires of others or with nature—

that’s the source of many of the best stories ever told.

From Scott McCloud’s Making Comics http://scottmccloud.com/

Course Description: This course examines episodes of cultural collision, moments when different world views—ideas about human origins, cultural values and practices, systems of politics, theories of science—come into contact with one another. We will study instances of cultural collision and exchange in order to consider some fundamental questions: How are human knowledge, values, and beliefs shaped?

How do they evolve and spread?

What can we learn about the values and belief systems of different cultures when they come into contact with one another?

What can we learn about ourselves by exploring our encounters with other cultures?

Course Objectives: Upon completing the Core Program, students will be able to describe: 1) various ways that human beings come to know the world and themselves, and the various ways in which they express that knowledge; 2) connections and conflicts among and between different intellectual and cultural traditions in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Americas; 3) the major historical transitions and paradigm shifts that have characterized human civilization.

In addition, students will acquire skills in: 4) analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing complex ideas 5) using information resources effectively 6) communicating effectively in speaking and discussions 7) communicating effectively in writing

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Specific Objectives in the Mashups Sections of FRS 1010: 1) Students will examine the conflicts created as a result of discrimination by race, gender, religion, and cultural identity as described in both literature and the arts.

2) Students will participate in creative projects (mash-up collage, graphic novel, video, photography, music, poetry, dance, sculpture, etc.) that will accompany their written essays.

3) Students will contribute selected coursework to form a collaborative class book.

Course Texts and Essays 1) Lynda Barry, One Hundred Demons (Summer Required Reading) 2) Camille Paglia, Glittering Images: A Journey through Art from Egypt to Star Wars 3) William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet 4) Joseph Bedier, The Romance of Tristan and Iseult 5) Laura Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate 6) “Dividing Australia: The Story of the Rabbit-proof Fence” by Danielle Olsen 7) “Race – The Power of Illusion” – from PBS Documentary 8) Chapters 1, 2 & 6, 7 Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass 9) “Notes on the State of Virginia” by Thomas Jefferson

Course Assignments: 1) Weekly short paper assignments / creative projects 2) Four essays (3-6 pages) 3) Mid-term and Final Exam (open book) 4) Submission of poem, image, graphic comic for collaborative book

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Who’s Who Index Page

Student/Hometown

15, 28

Rachel Alibozek ‘17, Hartland, VT

18, 22

Savanah Beers’17, Cairo, NY

8, 18, 24, 27 Tom Bragg’17, Gasport, NY 21, 28

Amelia Butler ‘17, Cobleskill, NY

5, 14, 17, 29 Morgan Gosciak ‘17, Cheektowaga, NY 17, 29

Sonia Gwaneza ‘16, Urumuri, Rwanda

16, 29

Maureen Hodder’17, Saugerties, NY

14, 20

Khristian Johnson ‘17, Nassau, Bahamas

11, 16, 21, 26 Sarah Kaschalk ‘17, Horseheads, NY 13, 15, 28

Anthony LaRusso’17, North Conway, NH

5, 12, 20

Rachael Patten’17, Bolton, MA

21, 27

Tia Peters‘17, Van Etten, NY

2, 3, 19

Emily Presser’17, Norwalk, CT

4, 10, 29

Kristen Redaniel’17, San Jose, CA

4, 7, 19

Dominique Sears ‘17, Nassau, Bahamas

4, 19, 27

Jade Stevenson ‘17, Columbia, MD

6, 18, 28

Adrienne Thomas’17, Manheim, PA

3, 18

Allan Wilson’17, Liverpool, NY

Title page was taken from Emily Presser’s Demon Mask.

With gratitude to artist Cora de Lang for permitting the reproduction of her collage.

Mashups class book was assembled and designed by Jan Kather.

Students retain all rights to their essays and images. ©2013 by Jan Kather

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