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!!!