Song of Solomon Final Post

I will begin by saying that I loved the book; now I will give some reasons why I love the book.

I think the way Toni Morrison incorporates a kind of mythology into the story through the tale of Solomon and Shalimar is amazing, and it definitely pushed the book even more into the realm of magical realism. In a related note, I love the ambiguous ending which implies Milkman reclaiming his grandfather's flying ability in the final battle between him and guitar. I also like how much he grows over the course of his journey, in the same way that I love the corruption of Guitar. Hagar's ending is especially interesting, as it solidifies the idea of the graveyard love in that she died for love, and the fever brought on by love also feels vaguely magical realist, and it's also an interesting criticism of the society which forces girls to get their value from their aesthetic pleasantness for others (specifically men, and the men they love). I also find her funeral scene to be incredibly moving, and Morrison's incorporation of song into that scene, as well as the Solomon nursery rhyme, made me realized how masterfully Morrison incorporates music into her storytelling in a way that makes it seem much more real, visceral, and meaningful.

One thing I did not like was Pilate's death in the end, though this is more plot based than how it was written; I think she was such an interesting character that it's a shame she was lost just as she was truly beginning to understand her roots. Though I think it's better that she died in the culmination of the fracturing of Guitar's mind (as opposed to her dying even more randomly, carelessly, etc... than dying by a way-word bullet meant for Milkman), I think it wasn't really necessary, and I think enough has been said in the book of men consuming the lives of the women without that, especially since Pilate has always been the most independent woman in the story.

Song of Solomon post 2

The thing that strikes me the further I read into Song of Solomon is how interesting and nuanced the women in the book are. The last chapters we have read have focuses a lot on Ruth, Pilate, Coronthians, and Lena with a little bit on Reba and Hagar. And all of these characters are shown to have a large number of faults and positive characteristics. They are incredibly three dimensional, especially compared to the male characters; I don't find Macon or Milkman to be particularly compelling, and Guitar is interesting but I find the simplicity of his world view to be iritating. What makes it even more interesting is that, while the female characters are the most well developed, I get the feeling Milkman is meant to function as the protagonist. I theorize that Morrison is using his perspective as a critique of misogynistic suppression, and I wonder if he (Milkman) will get better as time goes on.

Song of Solomon 1

To start, the writing of this book is beautiful. I'm getting so caught up in the language and the flow of the words and it's incredible. I especially like the description by Macon of him unlacing Ruth's corset.

I also find Macon as a character to be interesting, and his status as the cold, distant father seems a ubiquitous archetype that Morrison is giving some layers to be revealing his nuanced past with his sister (originally caring for her and loving her intensely). His hatred for his family is also sad considering how much it seems he once loved his wife (and I'd assume his daughters as well).

I also am excited to see how complicated the biblical allusions get with time. There is Pilate, of course, but there are also Macon's daughters (I love the name Corinthians). I wonder how these names will inform their character arcs and the stories and whether Morrison mirrors biblical stories with them (which I assume would be the case, otherwise it's a rather wasted allusion).

Pride and Prejudice Final Post

Though I like the ending of the book, it seems a bit cliché and more on the lines of wish fulfillment (even more so considering the similarities between Lizzie and Austen's lives); however, it is cute and happy, so I do not complain much. Having known Lizzie and Darcy would end up together ahead of time, I was curious as to how Darcy would be made into an acceptable person for her to want to marry, and I was actually rather pleased by the fact that her indictment of his behavior inspired him to become a better person (thus making it possible for her to love him in return).

One thing I just realized after finishing the book was the foreshadowing in Collin's proposal to Elizabeth, when he says that it is a custom whereby a man will ask for a woman's hand, be refused, and then ask again; Elizabeth says this never happens, but it ironically happens to her. I'm also still a little confused by why Wickham ran off with Lydia without the intention of marrying her, and I feel that this part of the plot conceptually felt a bit contrived (though I think Austen handles the story telling in this part of the book well).

Why My Spring Break Was Epic

For my spring break I went on a three city tour of Eastern Europe: Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. I got to see a church that was hundreds of years old, listen to a Mozart concert in the city where Mozart was born, and I got to lounge in an open air thermal spring bath in the center of Budapest. The food was amazing and the cities were all beautiful and unique, so spending hours walking around all of them were pleasures in and off themselves. Not to mention the ruin-clubs that my dad and older sister took me to (clubs in the remains of houses that belonged to Jews prior to WWII and that now remain uninhabited) where they tried to legally get me wasted; unfortunately their efforts were futile, as I do not particularly like the taste of beer (though the hard cider was ok). This was an epic vacation and I'm so glad I got to have this experience with my dad and older sister (my mom and younger sister were enjoying a college tour road-trip across the southeast coast, so they got a pass).

Pride and Prejudice Post 1

I really like Jane Austen's critique of some of the more ridiculous aspects of high society through characters like Mrs. Bennet and the Lady de Bourgh. I think her dry sarcastic humor is brilliant in this regard. However, I find it interesting that Mr. Darcy, who I don't think is meant to be a sympathetic character (at least I hope not, because I find him insufferable, and it saddens me that he and Elizabeth end up together) also constantly critiques the behavior of some of the other wealthy and vapid individuals in the novel.

I also really like the dynamic amongst the Bennet sisters. I might be reading too much into it, but it seems like an interesting a subversion of what I perceive to be a trope of sisters who are incredibly competitive and don't like each other. Especially in the case of Jane and Lizzie, at least so far, I understand their relationship to be one of mutual support and love. However, I think it's a little unfortunate that other women in the novel often times fall into the trope of being empty or backstabbing (really everyone except Jane and Lizzie; even their sisters, while friendly, seem to be frowned upon as "silly" or vapid), although I will admit there is a proportional dearth of good, thoughtful men in the novel as well (Mr. Bennet and Mr. Bingley, I think, are more or less the only ones).

Purple Hibiscus Post 4

One thing I like about Purple Hibiscus is that it doesn't just subvert traditional expectations of what Africa is, it also subverts Western beliefs about what Africa should be. Namely, the fact that Kambili's father and immediate family, which are wealthy, Christian, and ambitious in the traditional expectation by Westerners of what Africans should strive to achieve, are incredibly dysfunctional. The father's insistence on success and exceptionalism (something stressed by Westerners) manifests in an incredibly cruel and abusive system. His intense Christian religiosity, something many Western religious figures like the idea of, results in an incredibly judgemental and excessive worldview. Instead, it's the Aunt's family, which embraces African heritage and culture and other notions that are perhaps unwanted in the minds of westerners, which appears happy, healthy, loving, and safe.