BLOG #26

As I’m reading Middlesex and examining this new age, queer theory literature, I find that I am reflecting a lot. Middlesex is our final novel. It represents closure to the class. And it is interesting that the book in itself is a reflection. It relflects on the life of Calliope/Cal and follows the gene that made this person who they are today and why. It made me think about this class and how I have come to be along the course. I have faced many challenges and overcome many things to better myself as a student and as a person in this class.

The history of things I have learned throughout this course began with the most important thing…the monomyth. It represented not just what this course was but also our lives in general. It helped me relate to everything we read and wrote. So as Middlesex follows the history of how a chromosome became a girl, and then a boy, I am reflecting myself on how I came to be because of this class.

A song that fits perfect with this idea of relfecting about your past journeys and how they made you who you are is the song from Anastasia called Journey to the Past. It is the perfect song for reflecting about this class!

1 comment December 7, 2009

BLOG #25

Our discussion on our overall understanding of archetypes and how the book Awakening the Heroes Within helped us made me realize how far I’ve come in this class. I remember taking the archetypes quiz online at the beginning of the semester and being a creator. So I really tried to understand what this meant by both looking at the shadow side and positive side of the creator. I felt it was very relevent to my life at the time. It was the beginning of the semester and I was going to be creating alot. But not only in the work sense was I creating, but also in finding myself. Each semester I feel like I have grown a little more. And it was interesting to see that when I took the test again inside the book the results were a little different. My dominant archetype was Lover. This was an interesting change.

Overall, I feel that archetypes are an important part of who we are. I never have learned about archetypes before this class. I like how in depth we looked into them. It helped me learn more about myself and how I am like others. It’s amazing to see the common archetypes among the class.

A song that reminded me of this rollercoaster of archetypes is “Stand” by Rascal Flatts:

You feel like a candle in a hurricane
Just like a picture with a broken frame
Alone and helpless, like you’ve lost your fight
But you’ll be alright, you’ll be alright

‘Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you’re made of
You might bend ‘til you break
‘Cause it’s all you can take
On your knees you look up
Decide you’ve had enough
You get mad, you get strong
Wipe your hands, shake it off
Then you stand, then you stand

Life’s like a novel with the end ripped out
The edge of a canyon with only one way down
Take what you’re given before it’s gone
And start holdin’ on, keep holdin’ on

‘Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you’re made of
You might bend ‘til you break
‘Cause it’s all you can take
On your knees you look up
Decide you’ve had enough
You get mad, you get strong
Wipe your hands, shake it off
Then you stand, then you stand

Every time you get up and get back in the race
One more small piece of you starts to fall into place – yeah

‘Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you’re made of
You might bend ‘til you break
‘Cause it’s all you can take
On your knees you look up
Decide you’ve had enough
You get mad, you get strong
Wipe your hands, shake it off
Then you stand, then you stand

Add a comment December 2, 2009

BLOG #24

We had to research something called Queer Theory to be prepared for the discussion in class. My first reaction to this was that it would have to do with literary works being based around being gay, liking the same sex, or dealing with a sexual change. But as I researched it further for class I found out that it wasn’t restricted to just that. It was built off of feminist work and the critical review of gay/lesbian behaviors. It has now expanded it really all sexuality examinations and all the ways one is “different” from some sort of norm.

Our discussion in class helped me realize how this potentially new theory is relavent in my life, my classmates lives, and the literary works we’ve examined thus far in the class. For example, how this concept is relevent in The Color Purple. In this novel we can see that Shug is definately different from the “norm” of other oppressed women characters. While the norm at that time was women did what their husbands asked, cooked, cleaned, tended the children, Shug was a vocal, strong, independent woman. We also can look at Celie with this concept and how she is confused about her sexuality. It is a norm to like sex with the opposite sex but Celie doesn’t like sex with Mister yet she likes the sexual attention she gets from Shug. As we can see, Queer Theory is relavent everywhere we look.

Many songs actually come to mind when I think about queer theory, but I felt this one reflected the overall goal of what this theory is trying to accomplish. No matter what makes us different from the “norms” we are all beautiful because of those difference. What a boring world it would be if we were all the same. Christinia Augulera’s song Beautiful reflects this in every way. Queer Theory lets us think critically about our differences and how they make us beautiful.

Beautiful by Christina Augulera

Everyday is so wonderful
Then suddenly
It’s hard to breathe
Now and then I get insecure
From all the pain
I’m so ashamed

I am beautiful
No matter what they say
Words can’t bring me down
I am beautiful
In every single way
Yes words can’t bring me down
Ohh no
So don’t you bring me down today

To all your friends you’re delirious
You’re so consumed
In all your doom
Trying hard to fill the emptiness
The piece is gone
Left the puzzle undone
That’s the way it is

You are beautiful
No matter what they say
Words can’t bring you down
Ohh no
You are beautiful
In every single way
Yes words can’t bring you down
Ohh no
So don’t you bring me down today

No matter what we do
No matter what we say
The sun will shine your way
‘Cause you are beautiful today

Everywhere we go
The sun won’t always shine
But tomorrow’s another day
So keep on looking to the sky

We are beautiful
No matter what they say
Words can’t bring us down
Ohh no
We are beautiful
In every single way
Yes words can’t bring us down
Ohh no
So don’t you bring me down today

Don’t you bring me down today
Don’t you bring me down
Today

Add a comment November 19, 2009