Assignment #8

Alan Moore’s graphic novel Light of Thy Countenance might not normally be considered a literary text. Many people hear the phrase “graphic novel” and automatically think of comic books and children and so dismiss its possible literary relevance. However, this graphic novel, and possibly many others have a very literary form. One might be surprised at what elegant and difficult language Alan Moore uses to paint a picture, which brings his story of the role television plays in our lives. The novel speaks on this topic using many literary devices, amongst these are figurative language and point of view. Not to mention that Moore is providing a great social commentary through this graphic novel. The question really arises, what could possibly make this not literary? It seems foolish to think that if something has a lot of pictures and it’s text is broken up into a different form, that it is not a literary text. Not to mention that the pictures are not mere cartoons or normal comic book characters, in fact, each page brings a new work of art, which works with the text to add things and bring comprehension to the reader. At one point Marlene Cooper apocalypses up through space, appearing as a bright light in the distance. The pictures bring us closer and closer until the edges of a television screen come into view. This not only introduces what the novel is really about but works as a visual metaphor comparing the television to God. This theme of saying the television has taken the place of a God to many people is carried out throughout the rest of the novel.

Assignment #6

A main difference between RUR and Frankenstein I feel, is that the production of the robots is by several people and they are mass produced, where as the creature is only created by Victor and there is only one. Also the Technophilia aspect is consistent in Domin throughout the whole novel, even when the robots are about to kill him he still believes it was good idea to make them and that he did the right thing. It is characters such as Helena, Nana, and Alquist who adopt a sense of technophobia and realize that creating the robots was a horrible thing for all of mankind. In Frankenstein it follows a different pattern of Victor being enthusiastically technophiliac and then becoming extremely technophobic and regretting what he has done. Victor also chases after his creature and they both hate each other. In RUR humans have come to depend on the robots completely and the creators do not really hate the robots but have a strange affection for their creation and the dreams they hope to achieve through them. Even when the robots attack and kill all of mankind the most of the engineers at RUR feel that the robots could have really benefitted mankind, something just went wrong. It is unclear whether Victor had grand dreams of benefitting mankind when he started, but from the time the creature was created he hated his creation and knew it was a huge mistake that could never help mankind, only hurt it. Frankenstein seems to take a little more direct approach in speaking against the evils of technology, while RUR is a little more satirical and comedic. They destroy the human race with blind ambition and feel hardly any remorse in the end, or so it would seem, besides of course Helena and Alquist.

Assignment #5

Technophobia/ Technophilia

“After days and nights of incredible labor and fatigue, I succeeded in discovering the cause of generation and life; nay, more, I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter” (Shelley 34). In the beginning of the book Victor Frankenstein has a fascination with science and technology. As is shown here, he dedicated much labor and many hours to discovering and creating his being. This shows his original Technophilia and obsession with technology and increasing scientific discoveries. In the start of the novel, Victor thinks the world of science and gets wrapped up in it and carried away.

“ ‘Seek happiness in tranquility, and avoid ambition, even if it be only the apparently innocent one of distinguishing yourself in science and discoveries’” (Shelley 186). This is what Victor Frankenstein tells Captain Walton before he dies. This is the wisdom of a man who was once enthusiastic about technology but whose life has been destroyed by the thing he created. This is obviously from the point of view, which Victor grows to have, of technophobia. He advises Walton to not have lofty ambitions but simply be able to live in tranquility with the natural world around him.

“M. Waldman inflicted torture when he praised, with kindness and warmth, the astonishing progress I had made in the sciences” (Shelley 48). This is an example of Victor’s technophobia after his creation of the creature. He used to be a highly esteemed student of science and now whenever scientific things are mentioned it causes him torture and in most cases to almost have a nervous break down. He once delved into science and discoveries but now that he has witnessed the evil that it can create, he wants nothing to do with it.

These three pieces of evidence tie into the theme in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein of too much technology being bad and that the real way to find enjoyment and satisfaction in life is to live in tranquility amidst nature. This theme is seen over and over again throughout the novel as Victor comes to despise scientific pursuits and his only solice is found in the moments he has alone in nature. This novel stresses the natural intelligence over artificial intelligence and promotes a healthy fear of technology, lest it should be underestimated.

Assignment #4

The opening of the story “Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is related in third person objective. I believe this is to give a sort of overview of the situation without having any bias. It does something interesting in this because readers naturally look for the protagonist and want to be on someone’s “side” in a story. However for at least the first two paragraphs they are unable to do this. Around the third paragraph the narration starts shifting slightly to be more subjective. As it describes the man who is about to be hanged in more detail, giving the reader a feeling of familiarity with this character above all the others.

By part two of the story the narrator seems to have shifted to a more omniscient stance and stays this way through most of the story. This allows the narrator to describe each unique emotion and twinge of pain that Peyton Farquhar is feeling after being hung and falling into the water and trying to escape. The interesting thing is that the reader is being asked to sympathize with a man who clearly knew the consequences of his actions and is in favor of slavery, as is revealed in part two. Yet, it is hard to avoid being on his side and wanting him to escape.

The author is able to do a lot with this poem through its chronology. It is not told in proper order which increases the mystery and intrigue, such as in television shows when there are flash backs to reveal some important detail that wasn’t previously known. The author is also able to manipulate the reader into thinking that Peyton Farquhar has escaped, so it comes as a great surprise to the reader when the last line takes them back to the bridge where Peyton is dead and had imagined his whole escape.

Assignment #3

When a poem is machinima-ized it takes on slightly different properties. On one hand it can help to increase the understanding and meaning behind the poem, especially for someone who wouldn’t understand the poem normally. On the other hand, it may shift the meaning of the poem and cause the viewer to not focus on the poem by itself but reflect more on what they see on the screen and the meaning behind that. No matter what, I feel that a machinima will not be able to encompass the exact feeling and meaning that the author intended because it is using characters and video games that already have their own separate story and connotation, depending on who is viewing it. However, for a lot of young people who are more interested in video games than they are in poetry, a machinima might heighten their interest and help them to understand it a lot better. So it seems that there are pros and cons to using a machinima to represent a poem, ultimately however, it is not the truest form of the poem.

A moment in popular culture that references poetry is when the Simpsons recite the poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe. This is acted out by different characters in the show. This reading of the poem helps not only to increase understanding of the poem but also to give it a comical twist. It changes the tone of the poem a bit to accomplish this but it still does a good job of intertwining the literary world and the cartoon world.

Assignment #2

In the poem “All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace” by Richard Brautigan there are two ways to possibly read it: as an anti-technology poem or as a pro-technology poem. This poem can be read as being anti- technology because it discusses dreams of places that are natural such as meadows or forests. However it has turned them into a “cybernetic meadow/ where mammals and computers/ live together in mutually/ programming harmony”. Though this may sound positive it can be interpreted as the dissolution that computers and machines have over humans today. Where poets used to write about the beauty and complexities of nature, now they have fallen in love with technology, like the rest of the human race, and place it as an equal to nature.

This poem can also be read as pro-technology because of the positive tone throughout the poem. It speaks of the merging of technology and the natural world and having them live together in harmony. This is most clearly seen at the end of the poem where it speaks of “a cybernetic ecology/ where we are free of our labors/ and joined back to nature,/ returned to our mammal/ brothers and sisters,/ and all watched over/ by machines of loving grace”. This shows a clear desire for a relationship between humans and technology that is a trusting and nurturing one.

I personally feel that this poem is best read as being in favor of technology. It does not say anything that is outwardly negative about technology and seems instead to be trying to repair the damage done to technology’s reputation out of fear. It speaks almost lovingly towards computers wanting them to not be feared but embraced as much as the natural world is. Computers can have a dark side, just like nature such as with natural disasters and animals attacking, but in this poem it is compared to the softer side of nature. This seems to suggest that the two ttruly aren’t that different.

Assignment #1

book of myths, camera, knife, scuba gear, schooner, ladder, shipwreck, he/she, flippers, breathing mask, sea life, mermaid...

In Adrienne Rich's poem "Diving into the Wreck" The diver leaves their own “sun-flooded schooner” and dives under the dark water to explore the ragged and dirty ship beneath, which mirrors the beautiful one above. These two images work together to bring a message to the reader and help with interpreting the poem. The diver comes to realize that the wreck is a reflection of them self and mankind; that we are “the half-destroyed instruments/ that once held to a course”. Rich put two realities together, the beautiful outer layer and the truth that lies beneath it, this causes the reader to question their emotions and their sense of self. Rich is juxtaposing the two ships as a way of suggesting something about humans, that they may go on a journey searching for truth and themselves, when really the grim truth about them is lying just below the surface. The bright and shiny schooner is described as a place of light, speeding across the surface of the water. This represents the wonderful thing that everyone sees. The shipwreck seems to suggest a hidden and dark truth as the diver realizes that it is a reflection of them self. It is unclear what Rich is wanting her audience to do, possibly just be brave enough to take the journey to face their inner demons.

Here I am God, mold me and make me yours...