The weeks and Weeks of Literature

[lifelovelit-blog]

(Mis)Re*presentation

In my essay, I used Eula Biss’ braided style to explore the meaning and importance of representation. I had three (sort of four/five depending on how you count) strands.

     1. Susan Sontag--I mostly utilized quotes from “In Plato’s Cave”      2. Alison Bechdel--I used snippets from an interview she did, as well as           content from her book, Fun Home.      3. The word representation--I offered two dictionary definitions, then used this           section to tie the previous two strands together, as well as to bring in real-           world outside examples (such as the Women’s Suffrage Movement and           the Guerrilla Girls). My essay progresses through a several different topic points, with supplementary quotes from Sontag and Alison Bechdel’s interview sprinkled within. My introduction takes some basic quotes from each of my strands to establish a base for my essay. Then, I talk about the trustworthiness of images and appearances (in relation to Alison Bechdel’s family photo on page 16 of Fun Home). I then consider how representation can veil or reveal, and how it is a privilege and an issue in the world (for example: Suffrage, Civil War, etc.). I discuss how face value and truth can be opposites, and how Alison Bechdel was obsessed with truth as a child. In comparison to that, I juxtapose her father’s hidden secrets. After that, I talk about how representation has an impact--and how misrepresentation can have an even greater impact. I point out how misrepresentation can be associated with justice (for examples of this, I used the Suffrage Movement and Guerrilla Girls again), but I also point out how misrepresentation can be associated with avoidance (Bruce and Alison Bechdel are my primary examples here). Finally, I discuss Alison Bechdel’s discovery of the truth (of her personal sexual orientation), and how that affects her personal representation. I sum up my essay with some final comments separately related to each strand in addition to a conclusion. 

Overall, I argued that representation is a process, but despite how nonexistent, hidden, or suppressed it may seem, it usually comes to light, for better or for worse. Representation is powerful, regardless the context: it matters to individuals, cities, states, countries--it matters to the world as a whole.

I really enjoyed digging into the issue of representation and relating it to all of my different essay strands. It was fun to return to our course readings with representation as my primary focus--it was amazing how much material I found!--and then fit it all together like a puzzle.

[lifelovelit-blog]

Since 1992, the U.S. Congress has experienced dramatic change in the demographic makeup of its membership. While Congress is dominantly a male, white institution, the creation of majority-minority districts in the early 1990s resulted in the election of African-Americans and Hispanics to Congress. 1992 also saw the rise of an increased participation of women in Congress, particularly Democratic women, and this number has increased steadily over the years. The expansion of minority and female representation still continues at a slow pace. The electoral advantage of the incumbents presents a stumbling block on the advancement of new groups into the institution. Moreover, to date, few minority legislators have been elected from districts that do not contain a high percentage of minority constituents. Furthermore, women in the profession of politics often express a lack of interest in running for office and they are often subjected to the effect of “career ceilings”. While women and minorities remain underrepresented in Congress, some individual legislators have achieved seniority and enough political clout necessary to move into leadership positions. Among them is Nancy Pelosi who became the Speaker of the House in the Eleventh Congress and James Clyburn, an African-American who served as Majority Whip. This article examines theoretical expectations on the importance of descriptive representation. It evaluates empirical evidence on the impact of race, gender, and ethnicity on the behavior of legislators. The article concludes with a discussion on the important avenues for future research as the level of diversity in Congress increases and more women and minorities enter the ranks of committee and party leadership.

Okay, so this is a very long, scholarly article... but I wanted to direct you to a specific passage: (all emphases mine)

“In her classic work on representation, Pitkin (1967) makes a distinction between descriptive representatives, those who “stand for” a particular group because they share characteristics with the group such as race or gender, and substantive representatives, who “act for” a group by providing representation of the group's interests. Contemporary theorists debate whether the election of more descriptive representatives is a necessary or a sufficient condition for achieving the substantive representation of the interests of minority groups in society. Additionally, other scholars argue that descriptive representation may be neither strictly necessary nor sufficient for ensuring group representation, but it may still be beneficial, and thus it provides advantages that enhance the representation of group interests.” (pg. 243, section on: Theories of representation and the link between descriptive and substantive representation)

I am doing my final essay on representation, and all of its different forms. Prior to this project, I was not aware of the wide range of representation. I found the subtle yet profound distinction between “descriptive” representation and “substantive” representation particularly interesting.

[annejaegeryoungblood-blog]

This is a really interesting perspective on body image, a social construction that particularly targets women in our culture. I think it’s worth the read :)

[lifelovelit-blog]

Annie, thanks for sharing! This was definitely worth the read. The author of the article tackles a lot of really controversial mindsets and situations. 

“Something can be body-positive and at the same time, leave thin bodies out of the conversation. Because eradicating oppression sometimes means decentering the conversation from around the oppressor.”

This quote is found at the end of the article. The culmination of the article really hit me as I was reading this particular line: I would be considered the oppressor in this article. I should clarify that I naturally, genetically inclined toward fitting the requirements of an oppressor--I am white, which is out of my control, and I am also small, which is the result of being 5′ 2″, having a fast metabolism, and making a few key life choices. My choices do not include counting calories--in fact, I do quite the opposite... I really enjoy my Binz ice cream--but instead my decision to work as a swimming instructor, which is a very active position. At the end of the day, though, I chose my job NOT for the added health benefits, but because I enjoy working with children and teaching them an important life skill. With all of that in mind, I am still part of the oppressor group. 

How does that affect my actions? I am certainly more aware of my perhaps unintentional impact in certain situations. Ultimately, it affects my understanding. I haven’t ever formally addressed the issue of fat- vs. skinny-shaming. In my mind, neither “category” really involved me, thus I never made an effort to get to know the argument and search for understanding in it. But in addition to the fat/skinny shaming, the supplementary examples concerning Black Lives Matter and Meghan Trainor, etc., are all a part of our culture. I’ve listened to “All About That Bass” oodles of times... never did I stop to consider the full impact of Meghan Trainor’s words... 

“Because if we’re not prepared to do that hard thinking and work through our own privileges, then we’re not doing the movement any favors either.”

Now, I am more fully aware of my own privileges. And with the understanding and awareness will come the hard thinking that is necessary to help make the world a better place.

(Both quotes are from the article: “4 Reasons Why We Need to Stop Thinking of Skinny-Shaming as ‘Reverse Discrimination’”)

[annejaegeryoungblood-blog]

How ampersand came from a misunderstanding | Dictionary.com Blog

Learn how the ampersand was named and lost its place in the alphabet.

Guys, this is so interesting!!! I was just innocently using thesaurus.com and saw this. It includes word history and etymology and challenges our entire kindergarten-level alphabet education. 

[litbywomen]

Annie found her own thesaurus “rabbit hole”–I warned you this would happen!

[lifelovelit-blog]

This is so cool! I love how Dictionary.com has such fascinating articles on obscure parts of language--with example A being the ampersand. When I clicked on the link to go to the article, I clicked on a new link on the bottom. This link led to a discussion on two more letters that have disappeared from the English alphabet: the thorn and the wynn. “Thorn” stood for the “th” sound, and the letter “y” in the Latin alphabet had the closest resemblance to the original thorn character. (At this point, another tantalizing link promised a new discussion on whether or not y is a consonant...) Since the letter y came to designate the “th” sound, archaic spellings such as “Ye Olde Booke Shoppe” arose--which, of course, translates to “THe Olde Booke Shoppe.” The character “wynn” was similarly replaced with “uu,” leading to its eventual evolution into the “w” we all know and love today. It’s so fascinating that “w” actually originated from a double-u! 

Overall, I’m really glad you posted this! I really enjoyed exploring all sorts of links! 

[sofsocialgood]

Years after her own daughter became a global crusader for women’s education, Tor Pekai Yousafzai, the mother of Malala Yousafzai, remained illiterate. But recently, Mrs. Yousafzai has been learning to read and write — and her husband has been helping more with domestic tasks. “She wants to learn. She wants to get an education. She goes to school five days a week. She does her homework,” Malala said of her mother in a recent interview with New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor. She invited her mother, who has generally shied from the spotlight, to address the audience. Mrs. Yousafzai rose, described her new language skills and how they had changed her life, and said a few words in English. Read more via The New York Times.

[lifelovelit-blog]

How cool is it that education is making such an outstanding impact on this family? Malala’s own other is now enjoying the benefits of an education, and the pride and self-confidence that comes along with it. Equally outstanding in its own way, Mr. Yousafzai is making an effort to help more with domestic tasks. This family is a prime example of typical gendered spheres coming together.

[lifelovelit-blog]

My Keyword: Representation

When I began this project, I knew that I would really enjoy the research portion. I did not know that I would end up as attached to my word as I have over the last week. My word, representation, takes on many forms depending on the context. Representation can be used legally, physically, metaphysically, and more. I am personally fascinated with the visual aspect of representation. 

The original meaning, from Old French and Latin derivations, is “image, likeness.” This implies that the word was initially intended for visual situations. We saw a lot of visual representation throughout Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home due to its “graphic novel” style. Bechdel does a wonderful job pairing dialogue with drawings to portray messages as visually as possible. She also reinforces important parallels, such as her Daedalus and Icarus analogy, through visual representations of her and her father’s relationship. 

The graphs were really interesting to explore, as well, even though they didn’t focus as much on visual aspects. In the NGrams Trends and Interest Over Time graphs, I included words and phrases that I associate with representation and our course: gender equality, women’s suffrage, and feminism. In the NGrams graph, which draws its data from published works, representation is drastically more commonly used than feminism. In contrast, the same words in the Interest Over Time graph, which draws its data from Google searches, are swapped--feminism is more common than representation. One potential explanation for this could be comfort--it is easier to choose to search for a loaded term like feminism on Google in private and to publish vaguer terms like representation for the public. 

Representation was captivating in all of its diverse applications. It led to numerous avenues of thought, and has left me with many different ideas for our final project!

[newgirlnamedgabby-blog]

As I was reading an article for my Rhetorical Criticism class, it discussed the rhetoric used by Starbucks, the “language of love” they employ to draw in more customers. At one point in the article, it describes an ad aired back in the 1960s. The description (featured above) depicts how one husband overturned a hot cup of coffee on his wife’s head because it was good enough, because she hadn’t fulfilled “every wife’s duty.” I have not seen this ad, but simply reading about it made me feel angry, uncomfortable, and disgusted while also showing me how far we have come. Something as small as a coffee advertisement contained not only sexist comments but also violent behavior. What are everyone’s reactions to this? Surprised? Disappointingly not surprised? Would an ad like this be seen as funny by some people today, or would society turn against this ad immediately? 

[lifelovelit-blog]

This ad is horrifying... I can’t believe this was actually approved for mass distribution. I wonder how well it pulled in customers. I realize that the social dynamic was greatly different back in the 1960s, but at that time, weren’t women (traditionally) the ones doing the shopping and household chores? I feel like if I was a woman back in the 1960s, I would not be swayed toward the “Chock Full o’Nuts” brand because of the violence associated with the ad. Instead, I would be repelled and disgusted, much as I am now. If shown to people today, I believe the ad would receive mixed reactions. Most of the reactions would be appropriately horrified, but I think some people would laugh as a tension-relieving reflex because they are so surprised at the blunt sexist violence displayed in the ad. I would hope that society as a whole would turn against this ad, although there are bound to be a few outliers that accept the ad.

[lifelovelit-blog]

This article is really interesting... The US Treasury is going to redesign a lot of the dollar bills, beginning by putting female suffragists on the back of the $10 bill. This new design is planned to be released in 2020, just in time for the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. There are plans for the other US bills as well. For example, Harriet Tubman is slated be featured on the front of the $20 bill, and Andrew Jackson will be moved to the back.

[lifelovelit-blog]

If Claudia Rankine shadowed me...

My life is plain. It doesn’t provide a lot of material to write about… I feel like Claudia Rankine would be bored following me. She could write a lot about my homework habits, I suppose!

But, if Claudia Rankine actually followed me for a day, she would notice that St. Thomas is a primarily Caucasian campus. She would notice that all of my classes consist of primarily white students. If we passed fellow students or even faculty members on the way to class, I would go unnoticed. Instead, it would be the few people of minority that would stand out against the starkly white background. However, I don’t think Claudia Rankine would find a lot of incredibly offensive actions or comments here, primarily because I haven’t noticed any myself. If Claudia Rankine followed me back to my hometown, she would find much of the same environment. I am from a small town with Swedish and Norwegian roots. My church even has an annual Lutefisk dinner for the community! I haven’t noticed much offensive behavior there, either.

So, there would be an obvious lack of diversity in my life. While I don’t notice it, there are probably lots of micro-aggressions around me every day. What would Claudia Rankine have to say about my oblivion?

[lifelovelit-blog]

Busting Travel Excuses - 18 Safety Tips for Solo Women

Busting Travel Excuses – Extra Safety Tips for Solo Women

This Pinterest post relates really well to our discussion on walking and traveling as a solo woman. I personally approve of preventative measures... Some of these suggestions--such as “Don’t walk alone at night”--tie in almost directly with our conversation surrounding the buddy system and the practicality associated with it, but others seem (to me) to begin to cross into potential victim-blaming territory--such as “Don’t dress too flashy.” When a woman is told how to dress, it has legitimate reasoning behind it, but it also carries the question of blame. Whose fault is it if a woman gets accosted when walking alone and dressed in something fancier than “the locals” wear? Is it the woman’s fault for simply wearing her clothes? Especially since this info-graphic is directed specifically toward women, where is the line with the buddy system?

[isabelblogslit-blog]

New Pantene comercial says stop apologizing

(WKRC) -- A Pantene advertisement urged people to stop saying "I'm Sorry." This advertisement goes on to show women giving confident, unapologetic responses....

“Sorry, not sorry.” Interesting considering Eula Biss’ essay on apologies. 

[litbywomen]

Ditto my comment a moment ago: very apropos, given my plans for class today.

[lifelovelit-blog]

I really loved our conversation in class today with Eula Biss and the nature of "apology." It made me think about my own actions, and in conjunction with that, this commercial is scarily accurate.

I am that person that apologizes allllll of the time... It isn't like I try to continually apologize, and I also know that not everything is my fault. Logically speaking, it doesn't make sense to be apologizing. However, it certainly feels like a social courtesy to apologize.

I noticed that when I was at supper later on after class, I apologized at least three times in the span of an hour. What happened? I accidentally kicked my friend under the table and other harmless things like that. My friend, a male, didn't apologize once (not out of rudeness). He didn't seem to notice any of my perceived reasons to say "sorry."

I agree that women say "sorry" more often than men, but I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing. When it starts placing you in a submissive, secondary position, it might be a problem. But for simple social courtesy? I don't see an issue with that.

[lifelovelit-blog]

F is for Feminism

Typically speaking, I have heard the “F” word discussed in non-complimentary terms. It is a word that many people struggle to wrap their minds around: what does it truly mean to be a feminist? There are many different connotations the term can lead to—it ranges from conservative to radical and anywhere in-between. This wide range meaning makes the confusion surrounding the word understandable (at least for me).

Prior to this class, my encounters with the word tended to involve the radical side. It makes sense—I am not avidly outspoken nor am I particularly invested in the movement, so I only heard the most outspoken viewpoints. Those, by the nature of radicalism, tended to be the views of the most avid feminists.

After having been in English 218 for most of the semester, my experience with “Feminism” has expanded to include historical context and various subtle references throughout literature (both old and new) and social media. My personal view is now more well-rounded, and I don’t feel like feminism is a pass-or-fail, black-and-white style of movement.

However, most of my friends have not had the valuable opportunity that I’ve had to refine their own viewpoints. With that in mind, I asked one of my best male friends what his opinion is on “Feminism.” I was curious about the male perspective.

My friend began by immediately acknowledging the negative connotations that are seemingly permanently associated with “Feminism.” While my friend agreed with the overall principles of feminism, he pointed out that the movement seems to be “blown out of proportion” a lot and that it “seems to be forced upon people instead of working with people.” Because of their traditionally dominant standing in society, men aren’t able to freely support themselves; as others are gaining rights (which they fully deserve), it is increasingly socially unacceptable for men (specifically straight white men) to say anything without it being criticized as sexist or as demeaning to others. He noted that you often can’t pay women compliments (such as “you’re pretty”) without the comments being received unfavorably. My friend said that he believes in others’ rights—he just wants people to realize that, for the majority of white men, the viewpoint that white males are “the top” is no longer accurate.

I appreciate his point of view. I believe that it is completely legitimate—and that much of it lines up very closely with my initial perspective at the beginning of the semester. As he was discussing his views, his tone wasn’t discriminating at all—instead, it was hesitant. He’s completely open to feminism, but the pressure from outspoken feminists makes it uncomfortable to discuss the topic.

That, for me, is so sad. Feminism should be an almost natural way to live. It shouldn’t matter how outspoken you are about feminism, and it shouldn’t necessarily require constant thought to be a feminist, either. If feminism cannot be discussed around a dinner table as a safe and positive topic, how will people ever feel comfortable asserting themselves as feminists? It’s a powerful movement, but the value of it seems to be getting over-spoken and over-ridden in the media.

[lifelovelit-blog]

Segovia Amil on Instagram: “"Queen Of Swords" written by Segovia Amil, #segoviaamil #poetry #segoviaamilpoetry #writing #writer #feminism #poetess #poet #prose…”

"A woman like me has a sword for a tongue, night in the heart and room in the body for only the mysterious -the impossible, infathomable things" -Segovia Amil,

I found this quote on my Pinterest feed, and I think it’s really powerful. It’s very unusual and fairly bold to associate traditionally male instruments such as a “sword” with women. It’s also very empowering to attribute terms like “mysterious” and “impossible” and “unfathomable” to the composition of who a woman is. 

[justhalandherthoughts-blog]

Releasing the Death Grip: Why We Need More Stories of Female Friendships That End — The Coffeelicious

Beaches. Anne of Green Gables. Thelma and Louise.

This is a very quick, fun read about an under discussed topic: How and why female friendships end.

[litbywomen]

Another take on female friendship, or what Woolf termed the “Chloe and Olivia” issue. Thanks for posting, Halle!

[lifelovelit-blog]

This is a very interesting article--and something that I have never thought of. 

I have had several female friendships run their course since I began school back in kindergarten. Some friendships seemed to simply dissolve when we gradually stopped playing together on the playground or were no longer in the same homeroom; as I got older, things got more complicated. Like the article pointed out, we would broaden our interests and make more--new--friendships with other girls. Eventually we simply weren’t as close to each other anymore.

As these friendships were shifting, I found it very difficult to let them go. I wanted what we had always had... the fun, laughter, and ease that we had built up over the years. It amazes me how easily men are able to move on from their friendships. It points out a crucial difference between how men and women tend to handle situations: men are oftentimes able to “forgive and forget,” whereas women will try to “stick it out.” 

It’s interesting, too, to read this article with Virginia Woolf in mind. The Chloe and Olivia issue of utmost unity in friendship is hard to maintain without the typical feminine critiques surfacing. I hope that as I get older, I am better able to maintain my female friendships, and that they won’t end as devastatingly.

[bloggingemily-blog1]

The Companion app makes sure you never walk home alone

A safety app called Companion is helping friends and families keep tabs on each other by virtually mapping their whereabouts.

Here’s a really cool app that my friend showed me! It relates so well to our discussion we had regarding our Solnit discussion and walking friends home. It is getting the ball rolling on walking friends home and making sure they are safe - only this time it’s virtually!

[litbywomen]

Fascinating find, Emily! I’ll be curious to learn more about the app’s use and popularity.

[lifelovelit-blog]

I hadn’t heard of this app before, but it sounds incredibly useful! Walking alone, especially at night, isn’t advisable for anyone, male or female. This app reflects the need for a neutral alternative to the traditional buddy system. 

I found it very interesting to look at the mix of students who created the app: I found one picture with the co-founders and a helper, forming a group of two women and four men. Stereotypically speaking, women would be more apt to consider using an app like this--and, in fact, the users were initially about 75% female--but there were only two women on the team that created the app. Does that mean that the men were potentially equally aware of the problem? What was their motivation for creating the app? Do you think that specifically women walking alone was considered as a reason to create the app? Since this app is so gender-neutral in its coloring and design, and doesn’t seem to advertise to women more than men, what does that say about the 75%-female-user statistic?

Below is a link to the secondary website that I used to continue to look into the app. It contains the statistic of female users and the photo that I based my “two females” ratio on.

http://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2015/09/12/u-m-students-create-hot-public-safety-app/72027968/

[thoughtsbyrachelaboutlit-blog]

I love this video for a number of reasons;

It uses women writers as action figures

It’s hilarious

It deals specifically with the conversations we had in class on Thursday about centers and margins

This video I think directly relates to a number of conversations we’ve had in class - most recently, it pertains to women writers, and novels, as being outside of the center of power. The three sisters are shown as not being taken seriously because of their gender. For example, the “evil publisher” says, “Girls can’t write books. Ha ha ha,” and only praises their books when they put on their super-disguise mustaches. They even go as far as having a literary clubhouse that says “no girls allowed” until the Brontesaurus attacks it with its feminist vision and change it to say, “girls allowed.”

Although this is obviously a funny video, it calls attention to the fact that novels we consider to be essential to literary cannon were at first not considered important because of the gender of the author, not because of the writing itself. We can see here how those who were once at the outside of the center, in the margins, have been able to move into the centers of power over time.

Also, who wouldn’t want to have a Bronte sister action figure on their desk, am I right?

[litbywomen]

Rachel, I’m still hoping for an Emily action figure on MY desk. ;)

Also, I’m interested in the phrase “power dolls”–how the video isn’t casting aside the word “doll” but rather reinventing it?

[lifelovelit-blog]

Wow, this video is particularly unique, and it is certainly hilarious! I appreciate the use of children in this video. It’s powerful to connect classical feminist writers to the modern generation at such a young age–it emphasizes awareness.

I also noticed the clear distinction between centers and margins when the woman action figures were pitching their books to the male literary figure, presumably the “editor” (or some other position of power). Each time the “editor” recognized they were female, he rejected all of their work, even directly after praising it while he thought they were men.

The scene when the women turned into dinosaurs especially caught my eye. It didn’t necessarily catch my eye because of its portrayal of centers and margins, but rather for the lace adorning the dinosaur figure. At first I was offended by the inclusion of the lace. However, the more I thought about it, the more I decided I liked it. My original line of thought scorned the lace because it feminized the dinosaur–why did the women need to have a “special” feature on their dinosaur figure? But then I realized that the lace, a traditional symbol of beauty and grace, wasn’t there to make the dinosaur seem less dangerous. It was there to prove that women can take a traditionally masculine symbol and make it their own, and still retain the same destructive power (as evidenced by the dinosaur’s destruction of the “men’s literary club”).

[lifelovelit-blog]

Roxane Gay TED Talk

***Unfortunately, I was unable to link the video to my post. The video can be found at: 

https://www.ted.com/talks/roxane_gay_confessions_of_a_bad_feminist?language=en

I just saw that someone also posted about this TED Talk, but I agree that it is especially appropriate with her visit coming up on Wednesday!

In addition to her humor, I really liked Roxane Gay’s take on inclusion--we are all different, and our differences need to be accepted before feminism can move forward.  

I also liked one of her closing statements about how she “wrote [herself] back together” (Roxane Gay) following an “incident” with boys. Writing has so much power: it’s amazing.

Finally, as I was watching the TED Talk, I noticed that whenever the camera panned out to the audience, I barely saw any men in attendance. Out of curiosity, I began to keep count. By the end of the video, I came to a grand total of three.

Why weren’t more men there? What would happen if more men began to attend events like these? 

Women can’t do it alone. It requires inclusion, like Roxane Gay was saying in her TED Talk.