tristan-wright-avondale

[tristan-wright-avondale]

It was very windy but this is me at the O.U. library where I found my criticism. Based on these criticisms, I was able to find the places in my book that presented the themes discussed in the criticisms. This experience was very helpful for me because this was the first time I’d done research in a library and I felt that I was very successful. This process was one of the things that I was unsure of for next year but after this trip I am confident in my abilities to find information I am looking for. 

[tristan-wright-avondale]

Picking criticism

Throughout my process on this project, the most challenging thing to do was to find good criticism on H.P. Lovecraft. I had to forge through a mile of fan fiction and long, unnecessary encyclopedias. However, with the help of the student at the O.U. help desk, I was able to find a few articles of literary scholar that actually pertained to my book. After that struggle, reading through them and identifying the major themes was not difficult at all. This made writing the abstracts one of the easiest parts of my project. 

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Here are just a few interpretations of what the great Cthulhu was supposed to look like. As you can see, they all share some key similarities, such as the tentacles and the water, which were key parts of the description, however, each picture is also quite different because the description was very vague. I am sure that Lovecraft intentionally left out so much detail because he wanted the reader to be able to imagine Cthulhu in many ways. Some images depict him very alien or creature like, others, like the last one here, show him standing like a human, which leads you to believe he has other human characteristics. Personally, when I read about him for the first time, I thought of him as little bit of both. This is because, while he shares almost no resemblance to human beings, He does speak to people and seems to understand a lot about humans.

[tristan-wright-avondale]

Dunwich Horror Vs. Call of Cthulhu

While reading the Dunwich Horror, I have begun to realize that Lovecraft is very consistent in his manner of retelling stories as though it is an investigation. This characteristic is interesting to me because it is unique and different from most science fiction I've read in the past. At this point, I think that I would be able to tell if a writing was by Lovecraft after just a few paragraphs.

Some differences between Dunwich Horror and the Call of Cthulhu are clear though. For example, the Call of Cthulhu is a fist person account of events and texts that lead to the climax when Cthulhu is awakened, while the Dunwich Horror is from third person point of view where events are recorded from outsiders' perspectives on Dunwich and specifically the Whateley family. This family is part of the cult of Cthulhu and go out at night to perform spells in his name. My question about them is, why do they worship something that wants to destroy all life? This question is never really addressed by Lovecraft, but I believe he is trying to say something about the way humans follow anything that has power.

[tristan-wright-avondale]

One thing that really stuck out to me was the language and writing style Lovecraft uses. It is interesting because it is very sophisticated for a science fiction short story. This writing style almost gives the reader the feeling of reading a textbook. I believe he does this, not only to show off his vocabulary, but also to intentionally make the stories seem like a historical account. This technique effectively puts you in the world of Cthulhu and makes you read the stories as first hand accounts of real events.

The other theme that I am following about human nature and violence continues to develop, specifically in this passage where Lovecraft describes how you could tell if Cthulhu had risen, "The time would be easy to know, for then mankind would have become as the Great Old One; free and wild and beyond good and evil, with laws and morals thrown aside and all men shouting and killing an reveling in joy. Then the liberation Old Ones would teach them new ways to shout and kill and revel and enjoy themselves, and all the earth would flame with a holocaust of ecstasy and freedom"(367). While I believe that humans are naturally violent, I also believe that we inherently crave law and order. Although we may at times think that we wish to be free from such constraints, we are afraid of what we would become without them.

Lovecraft plays on our fear of ourselves as well as the unknown. The cult that worships Cthulhu is at times much more frightening than the beast itself because they represent what we are minus our thin layer of morality. The more I read, the more it seems that this theme must be connected to some event in Lovecraft's life that I may be able to uncover with my background sources.

[tristan-wright-avondale]

Yes, this image is pretty messed up. It is a scene from one of Lovecraft’s stories, The Dunwhich Horror. However, this illustration has one minor difference from the text; the monster is supposed to be invisible. When I realized that I was not going to get a detailed description of the beast, I was at first disappointed. However, it also made me think about why Lovecraft chose to do this to me. Throughout his stories he tends to create suspense towards the image of a thing, but never describes it, except for saying that it cannot be explained or comprehended by mere humans or that the sight would drive a man insane. I believe this technique is used in order to develop and illustrate his them of “fear of the unknown” or “cosmic horror”. 

I think it is true that not knowing is worse than anything he could describe. Lovecraft does sometimes vaguely describe the great beings’s characteristics. For example, in this passage he describes the voice of the monster in the image above, “From what black wells of Acherontic fear or feeling, from what umplumbered gulfs of extra-cosmic consciousness or obscure, long-latent heredity, were those half-articulate thunder-croakings drawn?”(666) It's enough to give us the idea that it is ancient and not from this earth, but not much else. I believe this method is very powerful because it gives us just enough info to imagine the rest.

Throughout the Dunwich Horror, I felt as though I was simply receiving background on the species that Cthulhu apparently belongs to. Cthulhu actually never shows up in this story, but the Cthulhu cult is a large part of it. This is consistent with some of his works that are simply based in the same universe as Cthulhu, which means that he may not be involved directly, but the events correlate the "Great Old Ones".

[tristan-wright-avondale]

First impressions of Cthulhu

Hp Lovecraft opens the first paragraph with a chilling insight, “We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far”(355). Already, I am certain that Lovecraft will focus on the idea of the “unknown”. I am enthralled by the mystery and suspense already culminating in this story. Throughout the text, Lovecraft adds side notes meant only to create this feeling in the reader. One example of this is when he says, “It was a nightmare itself, and to see it was to die”(365). 

While reading, I could see that The Call of Cthulhu’s primary purpose is to insight the feeling of walking into a dark room alone with no light and no idea what lies inside. However, one other theme that I see developing is violence for the sake of violence and destruction for the sake of destruction. I believe this may reflect something to do with the way Lovecraft views human nature. 

[tristan-wright-avondale]

Debating requires research or at least knowledge of the subject. This is why the style of the tribe changes and must adapt to the subject. For example, in a political debate, people will use terms like conservative vs. liberal or left vs. right and discuss policies and approaches of government. 

The tribe that argues includes politicians, lawyers, and many other professions that intend to change things. Although debating seems easy enough, it actually takes a lot of work and practice to be effective at all. The most difficult thing to do is to change someones mind when they are set in their ways. I am part of the tribe that learns the skills needed to make effective arguments. I am part of the tribe that has a passion for arguing because it is one of the most powerful weapons we have. 

The Tribe that Argues

A lot of people avoid it completely, others state their point and ignore everything that does not support them, but there are some, like myself, that argue with a purpose. My purpose is to open my perspective as well as the perspective of those that are willing to listen. I have started arguments all my life, not with the intent to aggravate people, but with the intent to learn. I am part of a tribe that talks about Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, and Hillary Clinton in a way that is not dismissive, but open. My tribe does not assume they are right, they only infer it from facts supporting beliefs. I am a part of a tribe that is not afraid of a debate. 

My best friend has very different political beliefs than me, but this is not a subject we ignore. I talk about politics with him all the time in order to come to understanding about the opposite side and how people think. We do not get heated and we don’t try to force anything on each other, but you bet we try to change each others minds. Once we talked about gun control for almost a half hour straight, and by the end of it, we both had different opinions on the matter than we had at the beginning. 

[tristan-wright-avondale]

The Tribe that Argues

A lot of people avoid it completely, others state their point and ignore everything that does not support them, but there are some, like myself, that argue with a purpose. My purpose is to open my perspective as well as the perspective of those that are willing to listen. I have started arguments all my life, not with the intent to aggravate people, but with the intent to learn. I am part of a tribe that talks about Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, and Hillary Clinton in a way that is not dismissive, but open. My tribe does not assume they are right, they only infer it from facts supporting beliefs. I am a part of a tribe that is not afraid of a debate. 

My best friend has very different political beliefs than me, but this is not a subject we ignore. I talk about politics with him all the time in order to come to understanding about the opposite side and how people think. We do not get heated and we don’t try to force anything on each other, but you bet we try to change each others minds. Once we talked about gun control for almost a half hour straight, and by the end of it, we both had different opinions on the matter than we had at the beginning. 

[tristan-wright-avondale]

My querencia is my family camp in Potter county, Pennsylvania. This is where I am my true self because I don't have all the distractions and stressors of everyday life or technology. When I'm there, it's just me, my family, and nature. Sometimes we go out and drive through the mountains looking for elk or deer, and other times we just hang out at camp and relax. This place represents my personality because it is secluded except for a few. This is where I feel most safe and it is where I can enjoy myself with only the people I love. It is mine because I don't have to share it with the world and it is limited to the people I care about.

[tristan-wright-avondale]

The land is obviously significant to the Pueblo Indian culture. Therefore, when they see white people take no consideration for it and use massive weapons to get what they want, it causes inevitable tension. Silko contrasts the two cultures because they each have a unique perspective on human existence in nature (white people believe they are more important than nature and Pueblos believe they are a part of nature). One of the most interesting ways she does this is by using Tayo, who is both Pueblo and white, and depicting his inner conflict between cultures. Throughout his journey, he remembers the stories that describe nature in order to guide him to his destination. In the end, the ceremony opens his eyes to the way the world is changing and he resolves his inner conflict. There is not necessarily one right answer to where human beings belong in nature because the line is blurred. 

[tristan-wright-avondale]

Ceremony; Second Half

throughout the second half of the book, I looked closely at the way Tayo interacts with other characters, specifically Harley and Leroy. Although Tayo considers them his closest friends, I get the feeling that he is still distant from them and feels like he doesn’t belong with them. Connecting this to the idea of psychoanalytical criticism, Tayo doesn’t allow himself to get close to anyone after what happened with Rocky. He also disconnects himself from the culture, and from participating in anything but drinking for that matter. I believe this is due to the fact that he had been so immersed in the white culture for so long. It’s not his choice to be disconnected from these things, but how he deals with it shows us more about Tayo as person with mixed ethnicity. Going off to war was his split between the side of him that is white and the side of him that is Pueblo. I believe that the ceremony is the reconciliation for him. 

[tristan-wright-avondale]

Blame: To assign responsibility for a fault or wrong.

Throughout the book, blame is passed over and over again. It is passed from the Indians on the white people and on each other. It is also put on Tayo for just being who he is. Tayo even blames himself for many things. He blames himself for everything he has caused his Auntie and old Grandma; He especially blames himself for Rocky, which is why he can’t hear his name without crying. Blame is a theme in the book that stems from the stories they tell. There is always something to blame in each of the stories and therefore, the Indians feel they need to blame something for everything that happens, including the drought (which Tayo also feels responsible for). Silko shows us the power that shame has on us and especially the Peublo Indians. Auntie knows the feeling of shame because of Tayo and her sister and her brother. Betonie said that the Indians spent most of their time blaming the white people for everything, but they almost forget that it was them that made the white people in the first place. No matter how much blame is passed, it seems that there is always more to go around. I am curious to see how this theme will develop as the book continues and what will change about Tayo blaming himself. 

[tristan-wright-avondale]

Confusing Chronological Order of Events

Ceremony moves from scene to scene without telling us! It was pretty confusing right off the bat, but once I started to understand the flow, it wasn’t as confusing. It is still sometimes difficult to tell exactly when the scenes had taken place, but I have come to realize that what matters is what is happening and then connect the events after I know what happened. This way of reading is new to me, but so far I have found it very interesting because it makes the reader connect the plot in an abnormal way. When it jumps right into a new scene, sometimes it upsets me because I was just getting into the last one. However, it only takes a few minutes of reading to find my barrings and get into the next scene. I initially hated all the transition, but I have now come to enjoy the way it jumps quickly and keeps me on my toes. 

[tristan-wright-avondale]

Why all the speculation?

Atwood consistently leaves things open to interpretation. My question is, why? What does Atwood want us to understand about the text? I want to know what her purpose is for making everything so open ended. Personally, I believe she wants us to see the value of perspective. Throughout the book, we view everything from the perspective of a handmaid. That is one perspective, however, this handmaid chooses to look at every possibility and every possible outcome as a certainty. This is one of the methods Atwood uses to show the usefulness of different perspectives through speculation. Truthfully, I can only speculate at the purpose of the speculation. This is why if I had the chains to ask Atwood one question about the handmaid's tale, I would ask why she left so much up to interpretation and what she wants us to learn from it?

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The question was asked, “If handmaids have all the power, then why don’t they join together and rebel?” Thinking as Janine, I found that I felt powerless. The handmaids might have the power in respect to having babies and being valued for their bodies, but to them, the power lies in the men and only who they give power to. I believe that it is ultimately a direct result of the mentality instilled in the handmaids by all those above them that made them believe they are powerless. As we connected to women and voting in modern times, the handmaids have adopted the value assigned to them by those in power. They continue to do their duties and follow orders not only out of fear, but because they believe that is what they are for. 

Attitude is the only thing that distinguishes between success and failure. I think this is why the men in Gilead decided to put some women in charge of others. This method had shown to be most effective in “breaking” the lower classes. By “breaking”, I mean changing their overall attitude from rebellious to oppressed. This is essential because if the handmaids kept their original attitudes, they would have joined together to rebel. This is why the aunts dehumanize them and blame them for everything that has ever happened to them. 

Atwood uses the handmaids to show the way women accept their status in today’s society. Women accept the role of “princess” allow themselves to be patronized like children especially in politics. She is calling for women to wake up and rebel like we want the handmaids to. Women don’t see the power they have and therefore, don’t use it. As mad as we get at the handmaids for not joining together to fight their oppressors, Atwood shows that we can feel the same way about women who accept their role in society. 

[tristan-wright-avondale]

As you can imagine, the housewives were not satisfied with their role in the Gilead society. We established that essentially their only role was to take care of the child after the handmaid had it, so in reality how are they any different from the handmaids? The handmaids sole purpose is to have the baby while the wives sole purpose is to raise it. I believe that the commander’s wives feel just as trapped as the handmaids by men and the society of Gilead because they are oppressed in similar ways. Also, they treat the handmaids poorly because they are jealous. Not jealous of their position in the society, but jealous of their connection with their husbands. There is no reason that the wives can’t have their own connection, but they do not want to share. These outsiders come into their home and make connections with their husbands which feels like an attack to them. The only thing they can do about it is take it out on the handmaids because that is who they have power over. Every female group in the book has some power over something and throughout the novel we see them use it in order to make themselves feel better. In reality, I think they are displacing their anger of oppression on the even more oppressed.