I thought I should share some of these links that I looked at to find the meaning of the characters names. I found the Irish connections to be particularly interesting.
Deirdre: fear and heart break
http://www.meaning-of-name.co.uk/deirdre/
http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/richard
http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/bridget
And the name Erik is associated with power and Momo is someone crazy.
What are your thoughts on the three epigraphs Stephen choose to frame The Humans from from Hill Freud and Lorca? The theme of fear seems to run through the three quotes as well as the idea of wearing a mask or being two sided. I found that these themes were also apparent throughout the play. Having read Think and Grow Rich (a gift from my grandparents who wanted me to better myself) I can speak to the Hill quote. If I remember correctly Hill stressed the importance of visualization and having the correct mindset to acquire wealth and success in life. If you allow yourself to let your fears dominate your mindset you won’t be successful. This connects to the duality of the other quotes in that according to Hill in order to live your life well you have to let go of these fears and focus on actually living your life. To answer Erin’s question on Erik being so paranoid and the only one who reacts to the thuds perhaps he is in the process of working through these fears. Perhaps there is also a connection to the other two quotes, what are you thoughts?
Finally, given the importance that Deirdre places on religion could the choice of having three citations have religious connections to the Trinity or is that too much of a stretch?
On page 37 Stephen introduces us to Erik’s work through questioning from Richard and responses from his girlfriend. When Brigid responded that the high school that Erik worked at was St. Paul’s I immediately thought of the prep school St. Paul’s in my home state of New Hampshire (although I believe that Stephen is referring to a school in Scranton). Erik and Deirdre’s potential lake house which doesn’t seem to be going to be built as Erik responds to Richard “Uh, no, that’s a long ways away” (38) is similarly revealed through questioning from Richard. I enjoyed how Stephen was able to accurately portray dialogue throughout the play. A question I had while reading the play is if Stephen is trying to make a social commentary on the age gap between Brigid and Richard? Is there a potential connection to the St. Paul’s statutory rape Owen Labrie case? Thoughts?
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/05/business/kendall-jenner-pepsi-ad.html?_r=0
I just thought this controversial add from pepsi featuring Kendall Jenner is worth watching and thinking about especially through the lens of the readings we discussed today.
Looking back on Anderson’s short story “The Egg” I am wondering what the significance of the father’s insistence on Christopher Columbus’ duplicity (237). Is Anderson trying to make a parallel between Columbus’ story and the story of the father? If so, what is the significance?
I found O’Connor’s depiction of nature in the South to particularly compelling in her short story “A View of the Woods.” In her first paragraph she sets the scene for the story set between “the red corrugated lake” and the “black line of woods” (54). Her focus on dirt and clay is apparent throughout the story and I found O’Connor’s description of Mary Fortune on pages 58 and 59 as “being thoroughly of his clay” and with “very fine, sand-colored hair” to be especially interesting. I also found O’Connors varied description of the pine trees to be interesting from “sullen” (69) to “hellish” to witnesses at the end of the story (78).
This story’s central issue is “the lawn” which Mr. Fortune wishes to sell to Mr. Tillman to build a gas station in the name of progress (and also spite Mr. Pitts). Marie Fortune strongly opposes (which is an understatement) Mr. Fortune on his plan as she plays with her siblings on “the lawn” and her father grazes her calves on it. But most importantly she says, “we won’t be able to see the woods across the road” (63). Mr. Fortune is confounded by her insistence on the importance being able to see these woods. These conflicting ideas of nature come to a head on page 70 when Mr. Fortune looks out upon the view of the woods; “every time he saw the same thing: woods – not a mountain, not a waterfall, not any kind of planted bush or flower, just woods….A pine trunk is a pine trunk, he said to himself, and anybody that wants to see one don’t have to go far in this neighborhood” (70). This quote reflects Mr. Fortune’s inability to find beauty in all nature. For him nature ought to be either grand and majestic lie a mountain or waterfall or under man’s control to render it beautiful and orderly.
I wonder what you all think of O’Connor’s emphasis on nature in this piece and what moral message she is trying to express with this conflict over the view of the woods?
I would like to talk about how Cather further develops and dissolves three relationships in this section of reading.
The first is the complicated relationship that is never meant to be between Marie and Emil highlighted in chapter VIII. I wonder about the symbolism of the trees in this section, especially the cherries and the white mulberry, as they discuss if trees bring good or bad luck.
The second is the familial relationship between Alexandra and her brothers developed in chapter X. Their argument over Carl and Alexandra highlights the tension over their property and their sexist perceptions of who deserves the right to it.
Finally in chapter XII the termination of the potential relationship between Carl and Alexandra highlights the intersection of societal norms, wealth and love.