an incredibly impersonal wedding

The wedding scene in Mao II was effectively disturbing. DeLillo took a wedding and made it impersonal. Weddings are supposed to be intimate and personal, a celebration of two people joining their lives together in the presence of friends and family. The mass wedding was the exact opposite. The men wore the same suit and the women wore the same dress in the same design. The couples didn't even know each other and were married in the presence of family...and thousands of strangers. Family members had nothing to do with the planning of the wedding, found out about the wedding last-minute, and even needed binoculars to find their sons or daughters. The couples were married in the Yankee Stadium, which isn't exactly the most romantic place in the world. The wedding definitely presented the tension between crowds and the individual. Within the setting of the wedding, the individual was essentially non-existant; the event was taken over by the crowd. In class, we compared the wedding to an American sporting event. I agree that DeLillo was probably going for this comparison by placing the wedding in the Yankee Stadium. It makes sense: everyone is gathered in one place, for one reason, wearing essentially the same thing, and viewing the event through binoculars. Sounds like a sporting event to me.

American History

For being so short, "American History" is pretty powerful. I learned about the bombings in Alabama in my history class. I didn't learn anything about slaves being hidden under water from the British. Especially with the title "American History," realizing that hit me pretty hard. Obviously, this is part of American history, but it's not something we talk about. The word "redcoats" refers to the British during the American Revolution. A person would have to know American History to know this. Americans were supressing the freedom of a people group while fighting for their own freedom; this is particularly tragic. The last line reads like a slap in the face. "Can't find what you can't see can you?" I think this refers not only to the Africans under the ships but also to parts of American history that aren't discussed. Leaving the poem off with that line is really effective; it's unnerving and makes the reader stop and ponder.

Entropy

"Entropy" was super weird but i kind of liked it. I thought the contrast between the two apartments in the building was interesting. The people in the upper apartment are obsessed with control and calm while anything goes in the lower apartment. I personally preferred the lower apartment; it was more humerous. Just reading about the upper apartment made me feel tense. In the lower apartment, people are yelling in multiple languages, almost drowning in the shower, passing out everywhere, and climbing in windows. Random groups of people keep bursting into the party. I appreciated Pynchon's humor. My favorite lines were: " 'Somebody is trying to come in the windows. A burglar, I think. A second-story man.' 'What are you worried about,' Meatball said. 'We're on the third floor.' "

So, I really liked Adrienne Rich

I know I've already blogged about Rich once, but I'm really loving her poetry. My roommate says i'm on a "feminist kick" lately, so that may have something to do with it. "Snapshots of a Daughter-in-Law" intrigued me, and I read through it a couple times. I wanted to do my analysis paper on it, but there's so much going on in the poem that I didn't even know where to start.I think i would have a better grasp on the poem if i better understood the references to other literary works within the poem.  Rich takes "snapshots" of traditional/ socially acceptable womanhood and kind of mocks them. In the first two stanzas, Rich uses molding wedding cake as a comparison to the more old-fashioned expectations of women to be musically talented, beautiful, and non-thinking, more entertainment than human. The first two stanzas (is that the right term?) made me think of a scene in the move Pride and Prejudice. Mr. Darcy, Miss Bingley, and Elizabeth Bennet are discussing the skills a well-rounded young lady should have. The list was something along the lines of drawing, singing, playing piano, painting, speaking multiple languages, and sewing. Elizabeth makes some remark suggesting that such a young lady probably doesn't even exist. I don't think any of those things are bad; i think having such talents are great, but insufficient in themselves. Lines 40-49 present the struggle to integrate brain-stimulating activities into mediocrity of everyday life, full of cleaning and other "womanly duties" like canning. I thought lines 51-52 were wonderful and a little unnerving, as they compared the constant upkeep of outward beauty to something dead. Lines 60-61 present the fear to break out of the mold and make waves. I think the attitude presented in lines 70-76 is pretty accurate at times. For example, Dannika and I discussed the way the word "feminist" is almost tossed around like a swear word or, at least, an insult. I could keep going, but i feel like i'm rambling now. Those are just some of my thoughts.