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I definitely agree with Angela's post regarding Morrison's attempt to purposefully make the reader uncomfortable right from the get go. Not many stories start so shockingly, but by opening the story in such a shocking, uncomfortable way, Morrison can instantly give readers the same uneasy feeling the inhabitants of the Bottom feel on a daily basis. I also agree that some things change and others do not, and that Morrison wanted to highlight this, but Angela's post got me thinking about whether or not suicide really is worse now, as opposed to when the opening of the novel takes place. Certainly we are more aware of suicide among marginalized communities like the black people living in the Bottom. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the bulk of the population did not care about the conditions minorities endured, and they certainly did not care if they lived or died, and how it happened. In fact, we see this demonstrated in the novel when the white man finds Chicken Little's body, and remarks (I'm paraphrasing) that if it hadn't been a child's body, he would have left it in the river. Angela's post did a great job of making me think about the ways we have changed as a society, and the ways we have remained the same.

Blog Post 6

I was not expecting Sula to start the way it did, but I think I understand why. "1919" was about National Suicide Day and the story of Shadrack and how he founded this day. I was surprised the story started like this, I don't really know what I was expecting but when the first line I read was talking about suicide awareness I was brought back a little. Relating to today's society, suicide has become one of the leading causes of death. This story takes place in the early 1900's I feel like shows how some things change while others don't. For example, in "1920" Helene mentions the bathroom for colors. Although racism still greatly exists, times have definitely changed for the better in regard to race. However, with suicide, it has only gotten worse. In the chapter "1919" the story of Shadrack made me think of how many people there are that have PTSD and that suffer from depression and thoughts of suicide who went to war. Along with the people who did kill themself. I found this chapter to be eye-opening reading in today's society because the world has changed greatly but the topics that are touched on in this story thus far are prominent in today's world.

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I really find what Angelica said in this post to be really interesting. The fact that she identified Jon as the hero is really fascinating, as I never really latched onto any character as a hero, but I did want to. I agree that the characters in Watchmen stand in an interesting contrast to the typical superheroes we envision when we hear the word, but obviously our framework and expectations surrounding the genre conventions can be difficult to shake, as even when we recognize the characters are not people we should admire, some part of us (or at least some part of me) wants to identify the hero and watch them vanquish the bad guy. Jon's apathy makes him not only not a hero, but a relatively passive character in general. For a character that is as close to God as this novel has, the major action for his character (barring his murdering of Rorschach) is to teleport to Mars; which is the equivalent of running to your room and slamming the door really hard for a normal person. Overall, I thought Angela's post did a good job of looking at the differences between standard comic book heroes, and the "heroes" in Watchmen.

Blog Post 5

In chapter 3 of Watchmen, I notice that thus far in the story Jon is portrayed as the hero. He continues to be the hero of the story, however, Laurie describes him as not caring about anything. In stories that revolve around a hero and a villain, it is common to view the hero as the best character. They are usually the one who seems to care about everyone and try to make a difference. In this story, however, the hero isn't being the ideal "hero" one thinks of. Laurie after breaking up with Jon was heartbroken but Jon continued with his everyday life. I thought this was meaningful in the story because it shows a part of Jon that maybe a lot of heroes have but viewers just don't notice. It's interesting to differentiate Jon in this story compared to superheroes we think of, such as Superman, Spiderman, etc. Jon seems to be not as selfless as heroes are usually made out to be.

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Blog Post #8: CYOA Oscar and the "Player" Mentality

This scene in the book takes place on page 265 is a good example of the real reason Oscar is single. Certainly the fact that he is in poor shape and socially awkward is a factor, but I would argue the fact that he views women as purely sexual objects is an even greater factor in his loneliness. Any woman that would date Oscar, he considers a woman that he can't "date openly". If he were more physically attractive, he would have no issue dating (see Yunior, Abelard, etc.), but he is unwilling to date anyone that is "in his league".

The reason he is unwilling to "openly date" these women is because of the panopticon he, and all the men in the novel, have subjected themselves to. Right in the beginning of the novel, you see Oscar being encouraged and cheered on when he is seen "romancing" Maritza and Olga. There is a toxic masculinity that is encouraged at every level in the world around Oscar. This toxic masculinity is central to the Fukú in the novel. Everyone in the novel either views the people around them as objects that need to be controlled and dominated, or is subject to this domination. Oscar finally breaks the mold when he goes back to the Dominican Republic to see Ybón and doesn't use her, but listens to and supports her. It is worth noting that before he heads back, he sheds his weight and leaves behind "everything but the essentials". Of course, by essentials Oscar means his books, collectables, etc., but he also means his predetermined ways of thinking about, and of viewing the world. He no longer lets his life be dictated by the panopticon surrounding men, specifically Dominican men. By doing this, he is able to connect with a woman who has been used, and is currently being used by her husband. Oscar is able to change the way he views the world around him, and in doing so, changes the way the world views him.

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Blog Post #7: CYOA Americana and the Death of Plum in Sula

Plum's death scene, which takes place on pages 45-48, was one of the most powerful scenes for me when reading through the book, and I think this has to do with how Morrison constructs the scene, and invokes certain images of American consumerism within this scene. What I find particularly interesting are the items Morrison chose to place in Plum's room, "a half-eaten store-bought cherry pie. Balled-up candy wrappers and empty pop bottles peeped from under the dresser. On the floor by her foot was a glass of strawberry crush and a Liberty magazine." (46). Each of these items conjures a strong image of classic Americana in the mind of the reader. What's more is, excepting the magazine, each of these items is a sugary, unhealthy snack food that can be bought for cheap at any convenience store. Plum is a Heroin addict, and he uses Heroin as a coping mechanism to escape his memories of the war, and in this way, we can see these cheap, sugary foods as another coping mechanism that is made readily available to Plum. The strawberry crush on the floor is not actually soda, but blood and water. I find this really interesting as this classic symbol of Americana, the glass soda bottle, becomes a testament to the horrors Plum has endured; his pain and blood is now stored within this icon of American consumerism.

I was unfamiliar with Liberty magazine, but after looking into the magazine, I found that it advertised itself as "A Weekly for Everybody." Morrison's use of this particular magazine feels interesting in this regard, as it plays into a theme that pops up a lot throughout the novel: African-Americans, and as an extension of this minorities in general, wanting to have the same freedoms and equality that White Americans enjoy, and having to contend with the fact that this equality feels eternally out of reach (Jude's desire to work the tunnel, and Helene's desire to conform to the "right" way of living are both examples, but there are countless others). Is this weekly truly for everybody? Does the magazine have a diverse writing staff that can create content that allows for a variety of cultural views? This scene takes place in the 1920s, so I think not. I also find it conspicuous that as the fire engulfs Plum, he imagines an "eagle pouring a wet lightness over him." (47). The eagle obviously being the bird that is symbolic for America, as if only in death is this dream of equality is recognized.

The invocation of American imagery in this scene really provides a lot of insight into Plum's character, and the ways that war can permanently change people. It also examines what resources people dealing with trauma have at hand. Plum turns to Heroin and cheap, accessible food to deal with his pain, as he does not have access to the resources he needs. In many ways, Plum is consumption; all he does is consume. Perhaps this is why he doesn't get the help he needs, as society values him more as a consumer than as a human being.

(The meme is in reference to Eva drinking the strawberry crush that is actually blood and water)

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Studium & Punctum

For the image that most spoke to me in regards to the studium and punctum in the image, I had to go with the scene where Adrian Veidt analyzes the tv screens to decide what he should invest in. When I first saw this image, I immediately focused on the studium: Adrian, Bubastis, and his servants and then briefly looked over the screens before moving on. Initially, I wanted to take another look at this image because I thought what was on the screens would be interesting, but what I noticed upon examining the punctum of the image is the framing of the entire image. This framing makes it seem as if Adrian and company are within a tv screen of their own, and we are the viewers. Touching on the tv screens, there is one image that stands out, and it is one of the ones that Adrian mentions, namely the "oiled muscleman with machinegun". What I find interesting about this image is, whether intentional or not, the figure resembles Adrian, and I think this can be interpreted as a demonstration of Adrian's inflated ego. Considering the framing I mentioned earlier, when I first saw this panel, I didn't even realize there was a framing, but the fact that the entire image is surrounded by pillars and flowers not only frames Adrian, but also somewhat reflects what Adrian sees on the tv screen; "violence and infantile imagery". Perhaps it is just me, but I associate pillars and a lot of the décor Adrian chooses to use with a history of violence, like the Romans and Egyptians. The picture of the statue on the wall creates another frame that deals in a similar subject matter.

I would say that what I noticed when I first saw the image, and what I see now upon re-examining the image reflects the pace at which I read the comic. It was difficult at times to slow down and absorb the panels when the story was as compelling as it was. The fact that I chose this image because I knew it was very busy visually, but I didn't slow down upon my initial viewing interests me because I am, at least subconsciously, aware of the fact that I am missing details because I am so invested in the dialogue and story.

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Blog Post #6: CYOA Rorschach & Dr. Manhattan

The final interaction between Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan is a really interesting one that frames both characters in a really fascinating way. Both characters show change in a major way in this scene. Rorschach is incredibly emotional, no longer using his monotone, emotionless voice and instead letting down his mask, both literally and metaphorically. Dr. Manhattan acts with purpose and momentarily sheds his apathy. I find Jon's decison to kill Rorschach really interesting in this final scene. What are the chances that Rorschach is actually going to make it back to America from Antarctica. Wat's more, his pose resembles the same pose he has when he watches the Comedian murder that woman, and the Comedian asks him why he didn't stop him. When Veidt asks him about Rorschach moments later, he sidesteps the question and doesn't tell Veidt that he killed him. This makes the murder seem more personal, as if Jon killed Kovacs for pleasure rather then in service of protecting Veidt's secret.

It is also worth noting that the palm tree is clearly in view in this shot, and Rorschach had previously called attention to this palm tree, before Dan refocused him. This really makes readers reflect on just how pointless Rorshcach's investigation was, he didn't accomplish anything and all of his leads were wrong. In the end, he is completely powerless in the face of the stronger powers before him, and all he can do is stick to his ideology. Even then, the fact that he decided to take his mask off as he died shows that he no longer sees the world in black amd white, and he soesn't want to live in a world of gray, even though he sees that Veidt may be correct in his solution to the mounting tensions surrounding the arms race.

Overall, this final scene recontextualizes both of these characters, and provides an interesting look at Watchmen's considerations of morality and nihilism. There is no objective good or bad, and even Veidt the "smartest man on Earth" is ultimately unsure if he did the right thing, and looks to the closest thing he has to a God in order to get an answer. Kovacs has nothing if he doesn't have Rorschach and Roschach's black and white view of the world.

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3/24-Tumblr Assignment 1

Rorschach: The first thing you notice about Rorschach is the lack of color surrounding him, which is in stark contrast to other characters, and the novel in general. This aligns with his mask, black and white, which is how Rorschach sees the world. Everything is good or bad, there is no grey, no color, just right of wrong. What's more, unlike every other character, you see nothing human or relatable about him, he is completely covered up. Later he refers to his mask as a skin, and I think this is indicative of how Rorschach is always Rorschach, his alter ego is practically non-existent. I also would point out how he is framed by jagged glass all around him, in many ways I think this highlights how Rorschach views the world, dangerous and full of threats that surround him at all time. It also gives the reader a sense of how dangerous this character is.

Dr. Manhattan: Obviously the first color you notice with Dr. Manhattan is blue, and while I do think this color is associated with science, I would argue that, in Dr. Manhattan's case, it is very closely associated with being blue, as in sad or down. Dr. Manhattan has a very faint blue, which feels less scientific and energetic, and this association is touched on in the comic when Dr. Manhattan is going to go to the Q&A. The producer tells him he isn't blue enough for the cameras, and this is an example of him changing to appear more colorful, as I'm sure most people associate him with being a bright and energetic blue, not a faint, melancholic blue.

Ozymandias: Ozymandias is literally the golden, statuesque figure of American industry. I also find the fact that he wears purple, the regal color of the Romans. Ozymandias looks down on the city, just as Dr. Manhattan does when he is introduced, and I think this represents that they are both towering, powerful figures, just in very different ways. Dr. Manhattan is the most powerful being in existence, but he doesn't understand people, and is apathetic. Ozymandias is not only ambitious, but understands the world around him and how it operates, and I think the novel highlights that they are very similar in terms of their power in how they are introduced.

Nite Owl: Nite Owl is introduced in his run down secret lair, and he is the most "normal" of all of the heroes. He looks like your average joe, and if you cropped the owl costume out of the picture, you wouldn't really be able to see anything interesting or unique about this character, unlike our introductions to every other character. Everything is brown and an ugly shade of yellow when we see the Nite Owl, the same colors as his outfit, but fading and the walls around him are decaying. This highlights his own fading hopes as he has lost his ability to do the one thing he really wants to do. He just seems mundane and sad, which is an interesting contrast to many of the other characters.

Supplemental images for Silent Session (3/24)

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3/24-Tumbler Assignment 2

The juxtaposition I chose to highlight are on pages 149 and 150 respectively. The two images here are Rorschach's first person perspective and the character from The Black Frieghter's first person perspective. These images are almost opposites of eachother, one is in motion, the other is static, one is looking past something unpleasent (the bloody sail), and the other is looking at the disgusting piled up dirty dishes. Both are looking at indicators of time, but where time is seen is very different. In Rorschach's mind, he sees himself as the character in The Black Frieghter does, that is to say as a man fighting against the odds to save something; for Rorschach that is the world, and for the charachter in TBF that is his wife. Rorschach sees the world around him as death and filth, and the character in TBF is literally making his journey atop death and filth. The differences suggest that while Rorschach may view himself as a hero that is doing the right thing, he is, in reality, just as bad, if not worse, than those he considers "filth".

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Blog Post #5: CYOA Frames of Reference in The Picture of Dorian Gray.

In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde often plays with the way characters are referenced in the novel. This is so frequent that oftentimes Wilde will refer to the same character in a variety of different ways in the same paragraph. Early in the novel, for instance, Basil Hallward is referred to by his full name, his first name, his last name, and simply as the artist. I would like to think of this as a framing of the characters, and how there framing changes how we interpret them; how is Basil Hallward different than the artist?

In many ways, I think our society relies heavily on labels in order to organize and understand the world, and the way Oscar Wilde decides to refer to characters highlights this. I would like to consider these labels as frames for our understanding of what, or who someone, or something is. Dorian is also referred to as the painter, and what is the difference between an artist and a painter? Our associations with these words can paint our perceptions of the characters in subtle ways. The artist is much less personal than Basil, and Basil Hallward is much more formal. We label ourselves, and others, constantly in our day to day lives.

When you Google The Picture of Dorian Gray, and I find this somewhat amusing, one of the first things you see is the question, "Is The Picture of Dorian Gray inappropriate?" And within that there is a blog that has collected bad reviews of The Picture of Dorian Gray. The review that Google finds the most prescient to this question is one that espouses how "corrupt" and "disturbing" the novel is because it is, as the writer of the review puts it, "homosexual fiction". My point with this example is that the writer of the review does not refer to Oscar Wilde as an artist, or author, but instead simply says that "it was written in the 18th century by Oscar Wilde". This may seem minor, but by referring to Oscar Wilde in this way strips away the artistry and authorship. Anyone can write something down, and so the writer of this bad review has created a frame of reference for Oscar Wilde that defines him in our minds as we read the review. Wilde does the same thing when he changes the reference of a character, such as when Basil and Lord Henry attend Sybil's play with Dorian. As they get up to leave they are referred to as, and I'm paraphrasing here, two young men, and only two days later when Basil speaks with Dorian at his house, Basil is described as the old man. These frames of reference and how we choose to label things says just as much about ourselves as it does about the things we label.

(Sorry this post went a little long, I struggle sometimes condensing larger ideas and concepts like this one. Every pun was very intentional.)

Link to the bad review below:

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Blog Post #4: Making Metapictures

The photo I chose for this blog post is The Red Ceiling by William Eggleston. Eggleston is famous for promoting color photography as a respectable art form. What I find really interesting about this specific picture is that Eggleston has never seen a reproduction of this photograph that he thinks matches the original that he made. What's more, I've heard that the red looks different on the original print, and that seeing the image through a screen alters the color you see. Obviously we've been discussing reproductions of art in class, and I've always thought this picture was an interesting example of what can get lost when we reproduce things. When you first see the picture you might think, " A lightbulb and a red ceiling? This seems like a dumb picture." But the fact that what we are seeing is not a true copy of the image means we can't really judge the image, just the re-creation. Some people may not like the image, but the composition and stark contrast of colors is what makes this picture my favorite.

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Blog Post #3: Visionary Deformance

The thing that stood out the most to me upon putting 50 pages of Whitman's poem into Voyant is how much the word page is used. 45 times the word page is used, but I didn't feel like it was being used that often while reading the poem. It makes sense that this word is used as much as it is as Whitman's life has obviously been very deeply shaped by writing, but even then, the word is used many times. Something I found really interesting was the way Voyant decides which words are "special" and which are not. The word me is used 147 times, but Voyant considers this too common a word to be recorded and noted the way page is. Knowing the content of the poem, I would argue that me is much more important than the word page in this poem. The website disagrees, and chops up the poem without a second thought, and in doing so decides what is and what isn't worth paying attention to.

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Blog Post #2: Meme-ing the Cube

I chose this meme to place a quote over because I really like the expression the man has in this meme, it's one of my favorite images. The joke behind this image is pretty straight forward I think, the man has a funny face. I actually think this picture fits really well with the line from "Song of Myself" because it was roughly the expression I had when I read it. This image paired with Walt Whitman's description of him making love to his soul is interesting, because I think this is the sort of reaction generated by the line, whether or not that's what Whitman intended. I think this image, and the juxtaposition of the serious subject matter and the goofy image, makes the line pretty humorous.

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Blog Post #1: Mapping, Memory, and Misfit

For this assignment I drew my Grandmother's house, which is the first place that comes to mind when I think of my childhood. I think the major differences between the two pictures is the amount of intimacy regarding the house they display. On Google Maps, there is a distance from the house, and you can't see what's going on inside, the layout, which room is where. Not that this is a bad thing, but the idea that we can see pretty much any place on the entire planet at a street view on our phones, yet still feel so distant and unconnected from the place is interesting. Both maps, and this is true of all images to an extent, are unable to truly show the viewer what it feels like to inhabit the space. Neither map can show you the small details, for instance, I carved my initials on one of the bricks in the planter box and put it back face down when I was younger, but these details are difficult to communicate in an image.

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The Oval Portrait

The first five paragraphs of "The Oval Portrait" not only establish the setting and characters, but really sets the eerie tone of the entire story. The shock, disgust, and the obsession the protaganist has with the portrait of the young woman is a poignant statement on how we consume, not just art, but all creative media. Imagine if you were watching tv, and suddenly the person on the t.v. turned and looked at you as if peering into your soul. I think this is what happened to the protaganist, at least in his mind. Paintings, and art in general are a medium we observe, and to get the feeling that art is so life-like that it can observe you in a way, is an interesting idea, and I think that is part of the point the story is trying to make.

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Field Note Reflection

I liked what my "curator" said about my work, there weren't really any negative feelings since my "curator" only said positive things. Making sure that I had all of the required angles for pictures definitely changed the way I looked at what was photo worthy. The subject not only had to look interesting, but also had to be able to be framed in a way that the assignment demanded. The fact that every picture would be closely displayed on Tumblr was a major factor in how I took pictures, since I knew that if a photo wasn't as good as the others it would really stand out. Because of this I tried to keep the pictures of a similar quality so that they would work better together. What I was doing was showcasing my interests and fascinations to the world using the medium of photography, and in this way, I was also creating a vision of myself, and how I view the world. To a degree, I was and am as much on display as the pictures I took.

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SUNY Oswego: The Path Unseen. Oswego, New York. 2020.

Description: The artist uses night photography and pictures of her friends to give viewers a sense of her experiences at her school, SUNY Oswego. The artist uses the medium of photography to explore how winter has impacted both campus life, as well as her own life. The collection of images really lets you get a sense of the artist's life at SUNY Oswego. The artist captures the world as it has been affected by herself and others.

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2/1-Anthony Butterfield