Subject:  Re: Final Paper Proposal: a more narrow version |
Author:
Prof Yun
|
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 01:56:01 05/09/01 Wed
In reply to:
Mandi
's message, "Re: Final Paper Proposal: a more narrow version" on 14:17:49 05/07/01 Mon
It seems like you are concerned with the idea of examining personal responsibility, and notions of the inner self and outside forces. This itself is interesting if you expand it to consider many issues, as you seem to be doing, such as : ethics, honesty, and self-reflection. Your idea of personal responsibility seems to hinge on a person's ability to be honest with oneself and to take action in the face of defeat (like the lady with the bottle). The question is: how can we be honest with ourselves if we (and our social surroundings) are in love with our fantasies (such as in the examples you provide). Fantasies are not encumbered by "honesty." Fantasies are produced by social forces, such as media, films, literature, politics, education, etc. So this is the most intriguing tension and philosophical question for you. What insight or discussion can you provide on this question of honesty versus fantasy, and WHEN does this become an issue of social responsibility to oneself and others? HOW can we differentiate between fantasy and reality when non-human contact and media (such as internet and cable) has become more and more the daily existence of people ? If Gallimard was in love with the image that art and texts have provided him, then how does he break out of this? Should he? Why and how? (This leads to the deeper question of ourselves-- what will motivate US to break out of our preconceptions, prejudices, fantasies, etc. Is there a responsibility to ourselves and others to do so? If you are Gallimard, why should you change and how would you do it?) So the challenge is to push beyond stating who is to blame for the game of deception (such as with Song and Gallimard). These are just thoughts for you to consider.
>By the inside i am refering to a person's own denial,
>anger and any other emotion or situation where we
>cannot control out actions because we don't want to
>see the whole truth (where we have blinded
>ourselves)to protect what we hold dear. Whether that
>is an image of being a "man" as Gallimard tries to be
>by having Song as a mistress or as in the short play
>on desire that Maxie and I wrote, that the character
>wants to be whole and independent.
>
>By the outside I am refering to people who would wish
>you no success and also, possibly, wish to harm you.
>This people may, like the devil in Faust, offer a
>person all that they desire, however, there is always
>a price. A price that a person may not see in the
>beginning, but later becomes all to clear. For
>instance, when Gallimard ends up losing his position
>and his house because of what Song has offered him
>what her wants, the ability to think of himself as a
>"real" man. Or in Maxie and my story stating that the
>person believes her boyfriend is the reason she has
>lost her independence and even worse her respect for
>herslef.
>
>The inside and the outside perception are undoubtably
>linked, however, they are also seperate. They are
>seperate because of the way we see things. An
>example, would be of whose fault we believe something
>to be and who we hold responsible.
>
>In M. Butterfly, Song is plannng behind Gallimard's
>back, which cause him to loose his house and job and
>even his freedom. But it is also, his own fault that
>he ends up where he ends up because he is too busy in
>showing all that he is a "real" man. He gets so
>caught up in his own personal fantasy that he cannot
>see the truth. He is using Song to gain his own
>personal ends. The fact that Gallimard realizes this
>in the end and begins to go a little crazy in the jail
>is because he is realizing it is really his own fault
>for all that he has lost and not really Song's fault.
>Yet, Song was telling his secrets, but it was he who
>told it to her. From the outside it could be said
>that Gallimard was trapped by a fickle whore, who used
>Gallimard's dreams for his/her own end. That it was
>all her fault that she set him up to tell his secrets
>and get him caught. Song was such a fine actor and
>undercover agent that Gallimard was not able to tell
>that she was a he and that this too is all Song's
>fault and Gallimard is the innocent victim.
>
>In the play that Maxie and I wrote, the woman is
>blaming everything on the bottle and her boyfriend, as
>if she had no responsibility in the situation in which
>she finds herself. Everyone has been mean to her and
>her boyfriend beats her and so she believes herself to
>have lost her independence. Yet, not once does she say
>she will leave him or throw and smash the bottle and
>find the strength within to move on. She is weak
>within. However, it is also the outside factors that
>her boyfriend beats her that keeps her where she is.
>But, it is her weakness for drinking that will defeat
>herself before she begins.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>Mandi,
>>
>>This sounds promising. First, I would suggest that you
>>tailor your idea to the revised assignment. If you
>>didn't get the handout, ask your peers for a look at
>>it. It now specifies the use of one text (not two, as
>>you have below) and one piece of your work. Next, I
>>would push you on this separation between "inside and
>>outside." What are you calling inside and outside, in
>>your understanding of it? Unpack those terms and
>>attempt to lay out your arguments on this, based on
>>the text you choose and your work. Is there really a
>>clear division between our constructions and opinions
>>of ourselves (supposedly "inside") and societal
>>influence (supposedly "outside") upon this? How much
>>of our "inside" thinking is really without "outside"
>>influence? How does one divide the two? This is a
>>place to begin refining your idea.
>>
>>
>>>Mandi Heller April 23, 2001
>>>Eng 451 Paper Proposal
>>>TTH 1:15-2:40
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The enemy of man or woman can be found within the
>>>mind, as well as outside the mind's gates. It is
>>>within the mind that a very formidable enemy may
>>>appear in the form of yourself such as, one's denial,
>>>one's uncontrolled anger, one's inability to control
>>>their emotions and one's inability to come to terms
>>>with the truth of a situation. On the outside
>painful
>>>revelations can come in the form of deception, hidden
>>>agendas and the loss of what one holds dear. It is
>my
>>>opinion that the enemy within the mind is more deadly
>>>than the enemy outside the mind's gates because one
>>>has a tendency to judge oneself more harshly than
>>>others, or causing themselves to go insane. The
>enemy
>>>outside our gates, is a tangible enemy, which one can
>>>see and feel and therefore better defend oneself.
>>>For, how can one defend themselves against
>themselves?
>>> However, either can be just as painful.
>>> In this paper I intend to look into the question of
>>>which is in truth more painful: the enemy of the mind
>>>to oneself or an outside entity to the mind? I will
>>>be comparing these ideas to the books, "Oleanna," by
>>>David Mamet and "M. Butterfly," by David Henry
>Hwang.
>>>I will then compare this idea and these two books
>with
>>>a scene composed by Maxie Lewis and myself on the gap
>>>and awkwardness of unsaid desire, critiquing all with
>>>questions of identity, responsibility, need, neglect
>>>and power.
>>> Questions that I will look to answer in "Oleanna"
>>>are: Is John his own worst enemy? Or is Carol his
>>>worst enemy? Why is John his worst enemy, or why is
>>>Carol his worst enemy? Why is John not able to
>>>control his anger in the end? Is this his worst
>>>slip-up in his fight within himself?
>>> Questions that I will also look into in "M.
>>>Butterfly" include: Is Gallimard his own worst
>enemy?
>>>Or is his worst enemy Song? Why is Gallimard his own
>>>worst enemy? Why would Song be Gallimard's worst
>>>enemy? Why (if Gallimard does) does Gallimard close
>>>his eyes to what Song is? Is Gallimard's worst
>>>weakness in observation or in a deception of himself?
>>> The questions that I will be looking to compare
>these
>>>above question to in my scene #2 are: What is her
>>>worst enemy herself or her boyfriend? Who is
>>>responsible for her current situation? Is she
>>>fighting monsters within herself or outside of
>herself
>>>that are the most painful?
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
| |
Feedback: 