"Language doesn't shape us"

Well guys, we did it! We made it to the half way point. Like all academic years, this one is soaring by. I still remember the first day when I (not very technological) was saying to myself OMG HOW DO I MAKE A BLOG?! Haha embaressing now... anyways! We're half way through some pretty interesting and challenging material. I don't have too many comments to make currently about our english topics, however... in my last cultural geography class my professor did a lecture on Racial Humor. He talked about meaning behind them, how they came about, and he even told some, actually A LOT. Point being, I was slowly drifting into my "not paying attention" zone, staring at whatever could amuse me when he said that the language of jokes is how we express our ethnic emotions and feelings towards one another, and word for word said, "well, its certainly not the other way around. Langauge doesn't shape us" and I was like, "BAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM" you are wrong (atleast according to the post-structuralist knowledge I have) And I have a good laugh about it to myself. I wanted to turn to my fellow classmates and be like "Did you hear that?!" Sadly, it was not possible. But thanks to the good ol' blog, I can still get it back to all of you :) I included this picture with it, for I found it to be very interesting. In my cultural geography, I've learned sooooo much about so many different languages! And when I came across this picture on the net, I had to share it with all you. Take care everyone, enjoy the snow!!!!

Which Thinking Cap Should I Put on Today?

Throughout the term this class has not only allowed me to think outside the box, but compare it's new theories to my other classes. Sometimes, it can be rather confusing though upstairs when being directed in which WAY to think. In my Children's Literature class, its all about looking for symbols and theme's that are connected to the meaning in the story, a very humanist perspective. In my Canadian Literature, I am currently reviewing articles on author's work's that relate them to the biographical meaning of the work and the authors life. This is to support meaning to how the author is linked to the work as an expression of their emotion, fairly humanist as well. And then comes along Intro. to Literary Theory... which certainly requires a new thinking cap. These other classes are the English's I'm used to, very humanist, somewhat very easy logic wise. However this class, not so much. This class seems take the other one's and throw them out the window. It can be challenging, yes, but oddly enough I enjoy this class much more, because it's challenging, and because it's new. You certainly get tired of the same theme's, and the same happy ending in English. These theories reject this, and maybe that's why they came about? Maybe people were too bored with the humanist ways and decided there was more out there? They decided to flip the vision of the world upside down... but here comes my humanism. For I see these theories as the "upside down" version. They will always be second nature to me. No matter how much I study this, I feel like the core part of me will always be humanist. Even looking at the post-structuralist view, I try to apply my humanist one. Post-structuralists would cringe at this, though I will say it anyways; If everything is random and arbitrary then doesn't that link it all together? Anything is everything... so isn't it all in the same realm? Doesn't it all function together? It's hard for me to type out how I am seeing this, I really don't dance through these theories with grace as Scott does. But my main point is that no matter what thinking cap I put on, the Humanist one was always the first, and is always dominant. To throw it away, is merely impossible no matter how much these new theories challenge and excite me. But who know's, one day if I have a child I may put it infront of the mirror and say, "That's you" and smile, thinking nothing of it. Or I may say "That's you" and think, but thats really only an illusion of you...

Beneath the Surface!

When I first made my blog, I was quite self-concious that I did not come up with a good title... until now. Earlier on this week when I was writing my assignment one of my sentances actually wrote, "beneath the surface lies a deeper..." and I looked at it and thought, hmm where did I see that? Haha sure enough it finally clicked that it was my blog title! I was quite happy, dork as it may seem. For I feel like my title very much applys to language, and therefore to life. There are always deeper meaning rather than what is just presented as the surface. It is our jobs as academic students to plunge through this surfaces and find it!!!! I'm hoping that I was capable of doing so in the assignment we just handed in, but you never know I guess. I got the idea that the jar represented conformity of human society, and from there ran with it. It was challenging like all, but never impossible. I'm very interested to see where we go next with all this, and like the last theories interested to see how I apply them through my own perspective. I understand post structuralism, but understanding it and applying it to your own outlook are two completely different things! But I'm always up to give these new perspectives a try!!!! Til my next post on Beneath the Surface!!!! :)

Where to start...

I realized that I have neglected my blog over the last 2 weeks... oops! Haha I have been so very busy between all my classes and after the last assignment, I seemed to put this class on the back burner. However, I did spend much of the weekend trying to plow through this new assignment, though I seemed to come out short. Then all of a sudden I woke up today and somewhat get it! It was amazing how many different perspectives can be taken on a poem! Before yesterday's class, i was dreading writing this essay thinking,"Haven't we talked about this poem ENOUGH" Whereas now, i get why we are using the same poem!Because its amazing! haha it can be molded into so many different things. I just hope I mold it into the "right" kind of thing... mostly not a humanist view. Because I think much of my perspective on literature is very humanist, rather than post struturalist. But like always, I'm up for the challenge!!!

Let's Roll Up Our Sleeves and Deconstruct!!!

The time has come for us to hunch over our laptops, food and caffiene at hand, and write another assignment!!! At least that's my method. My room also gets very clean the few nights before the assignments due... stress relievers we went over in class. I feel as though this assignment might not be so stressful as the last for myself. The last assignment I really didn't grasp the structuralist view when I sat down to write the assignment. Having a clearer understanding of deconstruction I feel far more confident writing this assignment. But still, like anything else, Scott is great at challenging us. I may resent it now, but like after ever other assignment, I do actually learn something. Raising the expectations has definatly makes me work harder, and has even changed my habit of throwing something together the night before expecting to get an A. The struggle i might have is leaving the end of the assignment open ended... I guess that gives me a Humanist characteristic? Becuase I do love my when assignment sums up just right!!! Oh well, I will see how it goes!

FINALLY!

Finally, I understand structuralism. Kind of late I suppose. I was very frustrated leaving class on Tuesday after handing in my assignment. After discussion I felt awful about the product I had handed it because I felt like I had tried so hard to put into a structuralist view that at the time I didn't exactly understand, and I lost sight of the main picture. I guess Scott Pound was right though, my continuous frustration led to me learning something! Sadly, mark wise, I learned it a little too late, but better late than never!!! I realized I grasped this concept today when we were reviewing the topic and I, like another girl in the class, was like, "Whats the difference between structuralism and deconstruction?" That's what did it for me. I closed that gap and the review turned repetitive for me as I was awaiting the meaning of deconstruction. My mood has flipped in this class, because as much as I struggled early in the week with the challenge, I feel as though I did learn something and I have progressed. I can only hope that I progress IN TIME next time, haha so I can do well on my assignment. It's all another challenge for another day!!! :):):)

How Will I Awake the Meaning Behind the Mythical Sleeping Giant?

When we recieved our second assignment regarding the story of the Sleeping Giant, I was very excited! I do not know about any of you, but I personally grew up camping annually with my family at Sibley, and by doing so heard many different stories involving the Giant and Silver Ilet. In fact, I biked and hiked the Giant himself, which I find connects me to the assignment when I've stood on it. Also, Silver Ilet is one of my favourite Thunder Bay tourists spots! (I've enclosed a picture of my friends and I making our annual trip there: hence the gorgeous lake background)On a hot summer day, the water sparkles a miraculous green colour. If you have not been to this local spot, I suggest you do so. For my description really does not justify it's beauty. Now enough of my outdoors rant, the topic is exciting however I feel like it will also be very challenging. Normally I'm used to taking general idea's, and narrowing them down, whereas this assignment is quite opposite. It will be difficult to take a particular idea and expand it on a general level. Though I am up for the challenge. I actually recieved a useful message in my church service last sunday that I'm applying to this, where we talked about how being "comfortable" can be a bad thing. It is when you make yourself "uncomfortable" that you test yourself, and that that is when you achieve success, outside that "comfort" zone. So although the task of this assignment makes me "uncomfortable" it's a great thing!!! That's all for now, see you all in class!!!

Some Jar, In which Field?

I think my highlight of Tuesday's class was definatly the Random Acts of Poetry!!! I loved it!! I think it's awesome that people go out on their own time and do such things! It's displaying a true love for literature, one that I think is completely self rewarding. Further more, the class discussion was also good, however I must say, I feel as though it's a difficult poem to conclude about (Shown in my post title). I mean really, the only way to know for sure is to sit Wallace Steven's down for coffee and ask him, imagine?! That would be pretty cool. But for the mean time, it's really an open ended answer. Maybe that's the beauty of it? Maybe some things are just better left unknown? But then again, being the structured human's we've come to be, we search for endlessly for meanings. I myself like answers, but now and then if I can not find one, I'm content with smiling, appreciating something for what it is, and moving on. I guess what I'm getting at here is that this is the type of poem where each person takes what this wish to from it. Which ever way you spin it, the poem turns into your own mental work, which makes Wallace Steven's look pretty clever. That's all for now!

Am I Homo Seriosus or Homo Rhetoricus?

I hope everyone enjoy todays class as much as myself. I found it to be an interesting lesson, however what was learned was questionable. Yes, I definatly learned something though I may often look like I'm day dreaming away in class, though I feel like a lot of the topic is open ended? Some very logical views were brought up when we were asked to categorize ourselves as either homo seriosus (H.S) or homo rhetoicus (H.R), for as much as a consider myself a H.R, its not to say that I do not fall under the H.S category at all. I took a feminist route of steering away from the H.S group because as a woman why would I put myself in a category that discrimminates myself? And frankly does not apply to me on a GENDER level, little own logical level. However, I do not feel that I entirely fall under H.R on a logical level because I don't consider myself a "bullshitter". Someone in class seperated the two by referring to H.S as "I think therefor I am" and H.R as "I feel therefore I am", I greatly admired this comment in class, though now my opinion on it is that, isn't thinking, and feeling both major contributors to being human? One can not say they act 100% on what they think, because emotions and feelings are incorporated into our thought. Therefore I feel like that two have quite the invisible line between them, yes there are noticeable differences, but really don't people who are "people" apply to both? I'd love to hear some opinions!!!

Battle time: Humanisn vs. Structuralism

The last couple classes have been rather dry in my opinion focusing on what literature is. Because really, literature is what you as your own self belief it to be, or how you apply it in your everyday life. However, I really enjoyed our new discussions between Humanism vs. Structuralism. Personally, I consider myself a humanist. I believe the humanistic view has been present throughout most of my literary student as a student, whereas structuralism only arose in my studies last year when I started deconstructing pieces of literature. In my Women and Gender Studies class last year we actually took a part pieces of literature, in a way that disconnected them from the author. It is taking me a while to get the grip of this theory, but I feel as though this class will help, not update my views exactly, but widen them. Maybe I prefer the humanistic view because it unfies idea's and gives meaning to literature rather than leaving it open ended. Well, the journey of my literary discoveries will continue!!!

A Proper Introduction Into the Blog World

So after exploring much of the blogging world that I've so blindedly entered, I've come to realize that my peers have much longer first blog posts then myself. I'm pretty excited for this class now that I'm starting to get a grip on this blogging method. I think it will be a great way to discuss class topics, ecspecially for myself being a more silent type with large groups. Though, that does not mean I don't have important things to say, at least I hope I do. We will see, for I have high hopes people will enjoy my blog posts as I look forward to checking out theirs.

Intro to Literature

Just made my first Blog ever, pretty easy!