This month we focused on the topic, the "monsters within ourselves". For this topic we read two books, "The Portrait of Dorian Gray" and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". One of the questions during a Socratic seminar was asking to compare and contrast these two books and the main characters.
First off, the main characters, Jekyll and Dorian Gray. Both males curious about themselves and both act upon that curiosity despite the selfish and negative consequences it leads onto others. In "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", Jekyll was curious about the evil that was dwelling inside of him. He wanted to bring out that evil and live freely without consequences. He acted upon that curiosity by making a potion that would bring out his alter ego, Mr. Hyde. However, is Jekyll himself not evil because it was Mr. Hyde's doing that caused other people to suffer and even die? I think Jekyll is just as evil because without Jekyll, there is no Hyde. I think as humans we tend to act this way. If we wear a mask over face or use a fake ID with a fake name, then its not really us so we shouldn't get in trouble. But who is behind that mask and who is holding that fake ID, the mischievousness one.
In "The Portrait of Dorian Gray", Dorian is this beautiful man who people admired for his beauty and his youth. He was curious about his beauty and youth and had a portrait of himself done so that the portrait would age but he himself would never grow a day older. Dorian's character is evil for his selfish actions, example would be his actions towards Sybil and her brother, and also how he cheats life. Both Dorian and Jekyll cheat life. Dorian does not grow a day older, never experiences aging or the changes that come of it, just stays young and beautiful. Jekyll cheats life by changing not only by bringing out his inner evil, but also by changing his physical form.
I think both stories fit the topic of "monsters within ourselves". Jekyll literally, as the monster was the evil within him, brought out by Hyde. And Dorian who cheated life and was conceited and selfish. I think in today's society, people don't show their monsters to this extreme. People can't cheat life or create a potion to change who they are. To change their physical form, people get plastic surgery. I don't think they do it for evil reasons or have a secret plan to murder someone once the procedure is done, but its just an extreme. Also I don't think we see people as being both a Jekyll and Hyde (Good and Bad). I think we see people as being one or the other. People can either be good with evil lurking in the inside that we ignore, or they can be evil, and nothing but evil. Of course there is a bit of gray area, but overall, that's how we view people.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
"I heard that chivalry was dead, but I think it's just got a bad flue." -Meg Ryan
This month our class has continued to study into gender studies and I noticed that majority of our conversations revolved around the gender studies of marriage. How women are to be wives and mothers, are devoted housemothers, slaves to their families, and what you have you. However, I think there is something else that we miss and that is when women are still young, before they step into the marriage, the dating life. Our class talked about how society was breaking away from the norms about women and their roles in society and I think the same goes into dating life such as in high school. Here are some examples of how dating has changed in society:
- When you would pick up your date for the movies or dinner, it was always proper to get out of the car and knock on the front door. It seems that more and more in this society, men don't always take the time to walk twenty steps to the front door, but instead take the twenty seconds it takes to text "here" to their date.
- When girls get into cars, it would be oh so gentlemen like if her date would come around to her side of the car and open the door for her. We are absolutely capable of opening it ourselves, but its a simple sweet notion made by men. Or opening the door or letting the girl go in front of you.
- This one may be a stretch for some- girls paying for the guy's meals instead of the other way around. I feel like this can go either way of the argument. I've heard men said, "You want to be equal in politics, pay, and rights? Fine then you can pay." Its a slow change in society, but it is occurring. Some women will say that they don't think its fair that men pay all the time and want to chip in too. Times are changing and this is another example of how the dating life is.
- Girls dressing nice for a date. Our society has become very laid back that in the dating life, girls are rarely seen as dressed up or wearing anything different from the norm. It use to be special for their dates, seeing them all dazzled up and what not, but most girls will leave the house with jeans and a t shirt instead.
- ^^This one can also go with guys too. Personally, I like the jeans with button down shirt look. But showing up for date in ripped jeans, a dirty t shirt, and muddy shoes, not my first choice of attire. Men use to put just as much thought and consideration in their outfits as women did, but like women, they've fallen out of the importance of clothing while on a date.
- This one is a personal pet peeve of mine... Dating life use to be between two people, not two people and their cellphones. Girls have the tendency to get wrapped up in their cell phones, chatting it up with their friends, thumbs moving at a million miles an hour. Boys may be doing the exact thing. We as a society have our nose so into our cell phones that we don't always concentrate on the person sitting across from us a table or next to us at the movies.
Personally, I like the more traditionally dating life better than how society has made dating today. So casual like its nothing when it use to be something special, for both perspectives: boys and girls.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
What It Feels Like For A Girl - Madonna
"Of course it's unfair. We're women" (quote from Titanic by Rose's mother)
This month we have been focusing on literature dealing with Gender Studies, mostly directed towards female issues. Our Socratic seminars and discussions revolved mostly around what the duties, responsibilities, and rights of women are, whether they are in America, Europe, fifty years ago, or today. Despite our belief that everyone should be 100 percent free, we still hold onto stereotypes that lock women into specific roles. For example in "A Doll House", Nora had her position as the faithful wife and the good mother, but she was more than that. She wanted to more than that. She had emotions and feelings that went beyond just being a mother or wife, just like Edna in the "Awakening". And I think that maybe it's hard for us, both males and females, in today's society to understand that because we aren't forced into that lifestyle. We are only getting a glimpse of it from the books we read and the movies we watch.
Something I found interesting during one of our discussions is that girls were dominantly answering the questions about how they felt about these stereotypes in regards to females. To me, it seemed like they were offended by them, but not in the sense that you would think. It didn't seem like they were offended that they felt they "HAD" to marry and have children, because most admitted that they wanted that anyway. I think they were more offended that it's what society wants from them too and its the pressure of it.
When the boys were asked the same questions about these female stereotypes, I don't think it was necessarily fair of us to ask them. We ask guys these questions, but we already have in our minds what we think they are going to say. They'll just agree with society's beliefs because they're men and they want us to just be wives so they can be strong and provide for us and all we have to worry about is having children, cooking, and cleaning. Not all men are like that, especially in today's society, but we assume that that's how they think because of tradition. Ryan said these kinds of stereotypes had been engrained in our minds since we came into this world, and it is so true.
I think Madonna's song "What It Feels Like For A Girl" strongly portrays the fact that men see women differently. Whether it be wife, mother, property, or companion, women generally have a different view then men. However in the beginning part of the song, it not only shed's truth on female issues, but male issues as well. Women aren't the only ones breaking from the traditional mold. Males are too, becoming stay at home dad's instead of working a trade or some other "manly" job to provide for the family.
Madonna's song starts off with "Girls can wear jeans and cut their hair short. Wear shirts and boots 'cause its OK to be a boy." We call these girls "tomboys" and we often look up to these girls because they tend to be stronger, less emotional, and even more confident. In today's society, we don't think anything of this. "But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading." If we see a guy in a floral shirt and tight jeans, we bully them and label them. We as a society have not accepted this. We still hold onto the belief that men should dress as men but women can dress as a woman or man. Gender Studies does not focus on just the stereotypes of women, but men as well and I think that we need to get a new perspective.
This month we have been focusing on literature dealing with Gender Studies, mostly directed towards female issues. Our Socratic seminars and discussions revolved mostly around what the duties, responsibilities, and rights of women are, whether they are in America, Europe, fifty years ago, or today. Despite our belief that everyone should be 100 percent free, we still hold onto stereotypes that lock women into specific roles. For example in "A Doll House", Nora had her position as the faithful wife and the good mother, but she was more than that. She wanted to more than that. She had emotions and feelings that went beyond just being a mother or wife, just like Edna in the "Awakening". And I think that maybe it's hard for us, both males and females, in today's society to understand that because we aren't forced into that lifestyle. We are only getting a glimpse of it from the books we read and the movies we watch.
Something I found interesting during one of our discussions is that girls were dominantly answering the questions about how they felt about these stereotypes in regards to females. To me, it seemed like they were offended by them, but not in the sense that you would think. It didn't seem like they were offended that they felt they "HAD" to marry and have children, because most admitted that they wanted that anyway. I think they were more offended that it's what society wants from them too and its the pressure of it.
When the boys were asked the same questions about these female stereotypes, I don't think it was necessarily fair of us to ask them. We ask guys these questions, but we already have in our minds what we think they are going to say. They'll just agree with society's beliefs because they're men and they want us to just be wives so they can be strong and provide for us and all we have to worry about is having children, cooking, and cleaning. Not all men are like that, especially in today's society, but we assume that that's how they think because of tradition. Ryan said these kinds of stereotypes had been engrained in our minds since we came into this world, and it is so true.
I think Madonna's song "What It Feels Like For A Girl" strongly portrays the fact that men see women differently. Whether it be wife, mother, property, or companion, women generally have a different view then men. However in the beginning part of the song, it not only shed's truth on female issues, but male issues as well. Women aren't the only ones breaking from the traditional mold. Males are too, becoming stay at home dad's instead of working a trade or some other "manly" job to provide for the family.
Madonna's song starts off with "Girls can wear jeans and cut their hair short. Wear shirts and boots 'cause its OK to be a boy." We call these girls "tomboys" and we often look up to these girls because they tend to be stronger, less emotional, and even more confident. In today's society, we don't think anything of this. "But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading." If we see a guy in a floral shirt and tight jeans, we bully them and label them. We as a society have not accepted this. We still hold onto the belief that men should dress as men but women can dress as a woman or man. Gender Studies does not focus on just the stereotypes of women, but men as well and I think that we need to get a new perspective.
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