Alice is Annoying and Should Take a Children’s Lit Class…

… because then she would know not to use misplaced concreteness.

While reading the seventh chapter of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, I was annoyed by Alice.  Her questioning of the Dormouse bothered me.  However, this is a very important part of the story.  This scene drips with irony because of Alice’s story.  If she would have thought about her own adventures for a second then it would not have seemed strange in the least that three sisters were in the bottom of a treacle well.

This over exaggeration possibly suggests that in our own daily lives, our misplaced concreteness is quite as absurd as Alice’s.  We are conditioned to a definition of normalcy – blind to the similarities between what we view as “absurd” and “normal” life.  This suggestion is profound.

To someone who may be reading our life stories, even the slightest of our misplaced concreteness, may seem as ridiculous as Alice’s at the Mad Tea-Party.

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My Book and Heart Shall Never Part

by: Luke Chueh

One topic that emerged from the film that I find interesting is that of children’s literature stemming from adult nostalgia.  Speaking of nostalgia – check out this monkey!

This brings up interesting historical questions concerning the concept of “childhood” prior to children’s literature.  Also, how does this then affect all subsequent notions of childhood and children’s literature.  As discussed in the work Poetics of Children’s Literature by Zohar Shavit, which can be found HERE, the notion of childhood had to be constructed before children’s literature could be developed.

I find this interesting because nostalgia cannot only apply to children’s lit. How many other forms of literature are influenced by adult nostalgia?

Other than this, I liked the film. However, I was constantly annoyed when an interesting topic, which we have addressed in class, was brought up and quickly and then passed over. Of course this is sometimes necessary when addressing any amount of information or ideas. As mentioned in class, I did feel over prepared to watch this film. It was good as introductory material however.

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Bach Suites

Today in class Raquel played Bach’s Cello Suite #1 Prelude.  I enjoyed this immensely.  I have always been a fan of the cello.  The voicing of that instrument is so mellow and smooth.  It gives me shivers just listening to it.

Other great music with cello in my collection:

Badly Drawn Boy

Sufjan Stevens

hmm… ok that is all I can think of right now.  I know there must be more though. Cello is pretty indie these days.  My roommate insists that flute is going to show up en masse on the next round of indie albums.  I doubt it / hope not.  Anyway, great job Raquel that was awesome!

from http://www.duonouveau.com

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Beginning Alice

This evening I began reading Alice in Wonderland.  I was struck firstly by the simplicity of the narrative.  I soon realized that I would not be reading this book like other literature.  I found myself initially battling waves of misplaced concreteness as the narrative does not follow chronological logic.

Another interesting thing about this story is its ability to isolate the narrative.  For instance, when Alice and all of the animals are having a Caucus race, the hall which they are in (and at one point held great significance) is quite far from the story at this point.

As soon as I allowed myself to put away my questions of logic, I began to enjoy it immensely.

But for some reason, whenever the White Rabbit comes into the story, all I can think of is Flavor Flav.  Um… it’s the clock.

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First Test Grading

Today in class we just graded the exams.  I did about as well as I thought I would.  The first test is always a bit shaky, not really knowing what it will be like.  This wasn’t too bad, and now I know how I’ll need to study for the next test.  Overall it was pretty good, and I liked having to come up with a haiku.  Great Idea!

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TESTING TESTING

The first exam for Children and Young Adult’s Literature will be on Monday the 13th of October.

Stories:

Little Red Riding Hood

Cinderella

Hansel and Gretel

Beauty and the Beast

Little Mermaid

Sleeping Beauty

Snow White

Rapunzel

East of the Sun and West of the Moon

Bluebeard

Juniper Tree

Student Questions:

– Archetypal lady

from Finnegan’s Wake is the Prank Quean (which is a Portmanteau or multi-level word)

– Privileged numbers in fairy tales are 3 and 7

– What is misplaced concreteness? Questions that shouldn’t be asked of fairy tales e.i. Would Rapunzel’s hair really by strong enough for the prince to climb?

– Type 333 in Thompson Arney Index to folktales is Little Red Riding Hood.

– How is the collective unconscious achieved in fairy tales – through archetypes.

– “If you are really

crafty, you’ll get them both” – from Little Red Riding Hood

– Three steps to Campbell’s Universal Quest – separation, initiation, and return

– Three parts of

Goddess – mother, maiden, crone

– Why is there no original – because all literature is displaced myth

– What are you recognizing when you bow? The divine in another person.

– Aladin Genie: “I’m not history, I’m mythology.”

– Grimm’s Version, Cinderella is called Ash Girl

– According to the Index, what category is E of Sun, Beauty and Beast, etc.  – search for missing husband and beast groom.

– No struggle to conceive in Bluebeard

– Mother daughter duo – is of course Demetre and Persephone.

– haiku summary of a fairy tale (3 lines 5-7-5 syllables)

– significance of Bluebeard’s Blue Beard: all of the above.

– Beauty and the Beas

t: Transformed by love.

– An archetype of a talking animal (Mr. Ed) – The Golden Ass

– Why did cupid wake up when Psyche looked at him?  A drop of hot oil hit his shoulder.

– Sisty Uglers is a

n example of what? Spoonerism

– What Romantic poet – know everything yet forgot is William Wordsworth

– What mythical story did Beauty and the Beast come from? Cupid and Psyche

– Bluebeard’s Moral: against female curiosity

– Which Grimm story has a witch? Hansel and Gretal.

– Which author

wanted to marry Little Red Riding Hood? Charles Dickens

– What phrase begins most fairy tales? Once upon a time, in a land far far away, etc.

– Celtic Cinderella is Ewe

I know, I know – it’s a little dramatic

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Rebuttal of Perrault’s Moral

Moral

The beauty of a woman can be bought at a price

Especially those who are dirty and nice.

“But price?” you ask, no price was paid

The prize to the prince when the girl has been laid.

That is the irony and fun of this tale

The girl is naive as if drunk off of ale.

She is queen but only by the look of her skin

And perhaps her parts where things can go in.

Boobies: sure enough – still win their hearts

They possess a man’s mind and some other – lower parts.

Fairies are good for only two things

Making poor chics hot and inconsequential flings.

Surely it is plain to see

Wit should only be a man’s glee.

If a woman wants a loving spouse

She must be willing to shed her blouse.

Therefore: A godparent- unless hot and kinky

is nearly as useless as a severed pinky.

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Moving Day

Today I am home helping my mom move.  I have lived in this house for 16 years and it is a bit strange to see everything clear out.  Corners that I don’t remember ever seeing are exposed, and pieces of furniture are lifted out of deep depressions where they have sat for years.  I could not be more excited for her though, as she is getting married, in less than a month, to an awesome guy that makes her extremely happy.

Here, I have been thinking about many of my childhood memories.  Trying to push into my head all of the wonderful things that happened during those long developmental years.  If I had to define childhood, I would mention a child’s lack of care for physical laws.  It is as if they say, “No, I cannot be bothered with silly rules like gravity.”  Yep, I fell down the stairs, out of the tree, and off the roof (that was intentional).  After occurrences like this happen a number of times, a child knows the inevitable effect of gravity on their life but continues to imagine otherwise.  A world of weightless abandon wracks their imagination and infiltrates their stories.  This is only part of the beauty of childhood.

I pulled a number of books off my bedroom shelf and put them in a cardboard milk box.  Corduroy, lay on top so I grabbed it.  Slowly, I turned the pages and remembered, without reading a word, the suspense of finding his lost button and the frustration that comes as he tries to pull the one from the mattress.  Sitting on a stump in the middle of a field, Corduroy would only be some ground up tree with some glue and coloring – pages and words.  The moment it is read however, memories are formed and stored away.  It has been over a decade since I last read that book, but somehow I know everything that happens to the little bear – everything that has to happen.  Associations are made with those memories and the imagination is allowed another tool to create and soar.  A book is an enticer.

I stood in my backyard and tried to imagine the two huge elm trees that guarded the south end.  The giants held my swing, and later ropes for repelling.  It has been more than six years since they were standing.  They weren’t ideal since they harbored army worms and oozed green sap.  However, they used to tower as citidels – lone and valiant.  Courageously withstanding thrashing gales and chilling cold, Spring’s intrusive hail and Summer’s scorching sun.  When I was a child they were ideal.  They resembled everything constant and strong – powerful and manly.  This is only a part of Nature.

Tonight will be the last night at my house.  It feels weird.  New beginnings always do.

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