Week of February 9 - February 13, 2000

Tuesday:

You will be getting a lot of handouts--on archetypes, a review, and a short story. We will go over some of it in class. With the remainder, you will be on your own.

This is a last chance to ask questions before the test on Thursday. Any of the material in the blog entry below this particular entry is fair game--along with anything we have tied it to in the past. I'll also give you an introduction to Zen Buddhism and we will see how that applies.

You will also receive a copy of the short story, "The Rocking Horse Winner." This story needs to be analyzed from the archetypal perspective of the Fatal Woman or, perhaps, as The Earth-Mother. Maybe she is a little of both.

Homework: Study for the test.

Thursday: Test. Then we will have a discussion about all the connections.

Background Information for Analysis of Lewis' Novel

• Know the story of Echo and Narcissus and how it applies to the novel.
• Know the story of Pygmalion.
• Know about the two types of scapegoats and how that applies.
• Know about the other following archetypes. Quoted information comes from Oliver Evans and Harry Finestone's The World of the Short Story: Archetypes in Action. New York: Knopf, 1971.

• Shadow: "appears in dreams as a dark personification, sometimes veiled or hooded. It represents...aspects of the personality that one is reluctant to admit to oneself and thus acts as a corrective to the persona....it may operate as a beneficent or malignant influence; when the latter, it takes the form of compulsive behavior of a destructive kind, as in the phenomenon known as daemonic possession. Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (which was inspired by a dream) is a classical literary specimen of this archetype" (12).

• Persona: "the mask one wears in public, the outer self that represents the conscious ego. When an individual tends to identify too completely with his persona, neglecting the claims of his deeper self, the Shadow rears itself" (12).

• Fatal Woman: Femme Fatale. A temptress, vampire, witch, or succubus. Usually very pale-skinned. She seeks and tortures and destroys those weaker than herself. Examples in Greece: Clytemnestra, Medea. She is tied with the anima in Jungian psychology.

• Anima: "the female element in the male psyche....[According to Jung:] ' In dreams it is personified as a female figure or image. The materials composing this archetype come from...the male's experience of his mother and the [cultural/historical/ ancestral] idea of woman that he inherits as a part of his collective unconscious, derived from man's experience of woman in the past. [He projects this archetype] upon persons of the opposite sex in whom he conceives an interest because they correspond to this image, little suspecting that its source is in himself....The Anima is typically enigmatic or Sphinx-like: in art she may appear as a Mona Lisa, in myth as a Siren..., and in literature as a femme fatale. In her beneficent aspect, the Anima, as the feminine element in a man's unconscious, frequently rescues him from logical dilemmas because of her superior intuition, and sometimes leads him, as Beatrice led Dante, to a knowledge of the highest spiritual values" (12).

• Animus: "counterpart of the Anima,...the masculine element in the female psyche, formed from the woman's experience of her father and from the inherited image of man in her collective unconscious. In myths and fairy tales he often appears as a prince who has been transformed by sorcery into a beast or monster and who is enabled to recover his identity through a woman's love. In romantic novels he may assume the role of a Byronic hero. In his negative aspect he may be a robber or a murderer. Animus figures are frequently dangerous (Bluebeard in folklore) and sometimes multiple, while the Anima is always solitary. Often he possesses a devilish sort of charm for the woman who has thus constituted him in her unconscious, like Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, who may well have been an archetypal projection of Emily Bronte. The case of Heathcliff...shows that archetypes may exist in combinations with other archetypes: Heathcliff could also legitimately be considered as a Shadow figure. On the personal level, the Animus, as the masculine element in woman's unconscious, may function positively as a corrective to impulsiveness, moodiness, and indecision; negatively, it may express itself in an unnatural rigidity of outlook or in the form of unalterable convictions that have little relation to reality. Under Animus domination a woman becomes stiff and unyielding; she complains constantly of being 'misunderstood' by men;...and because of her domineering tendencies sometimes acquires the reputation of being a shrew or termagant, like Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew. Projection of the Animus onto eligible males (and some who are not so eligible) follows exactly the same patter as for the opposite sex, sometimes with the same unfortunate consequences" (13).

• The Earth-Mother: "in Greek mythology Gaea, or the Great Mother, is the first deity to emerge from Chaos" (57). Earth Mother is often paired with Sky-Father. "She may appear not only as a personification or the creative source, but also as a superhuman being or goddess--although this frequently is a personification through anthropomorphous (the Virgin Mary, for example). She may also appear as an abstraction, disguised in the form of an ultimate ambition or goal, especially when the goal takes the form of a longing for Heaven or a death-wish....She may appear in the form of a political, religious, or social institution that offers the protection of a collective identity (a nation, religion, school, or fraternity). Frequently in dreams and myths she appears associated with or in the form of certain objects, mother-symbols, of which the commonest are caves, wells, and still water generally; gardens and ploughed fields; eggs and milk; grain (especially corn and wheat), gourds and baskets; fruit (especially pomegranates); vessel-shaped flowers (roses and lilies); and animals of a helpful kind, such as cows and bees" (57-58). [Maybe ants too!] She has a "dual aspect....Gaea plotted the mutilation of her husband....In her negative aspect the archetype may appear as a witch, may combine with the archetype of the Fatal Woman, and may be represented symbolically by a devouring and entwining animal, such as a dragon, a large fish, or a serpent....In literature, the Earth Mother, in addition to being fecund, is typically self-sacrificing and forbearing; she accepts everything and usually forgives everyone. Since these are qualities that invite exploitation, she is often paired with a mate whose character is parasitical and whose function, within the framework of the narrative, is to demonstrate through contrast the degree of her selflessness. She is inclined to be attracted to failures....She is usually of a placid and serene disposition, sometimes exhibiting astonishing strength in adversity. Her general influence is to sustain and nourish, and her peculiar virtue is that she endures....A [negative] manifestation [is] the mother [who] proves domineering and possessive; the relationship is reversed and it is she who becomes the parasite: spiritually she devours her progeny and threatens to destroy anyone who attempts to come to their rescue" (58).

• The Alter-Ego: anthropological and psychological. Anthropological: "a collective manifestation in religion. Psychological: collective manifestation of folklore. "The belief in the multiple-soul....In one form,...a man is thought to have a 'bush soul' incarnate in a wild animal or tree, with which he has a kind of psychic identity. In another form, the individual soul is thought to consist of several parts, separate but linked" (89). The good and bad angels. "Perhaps the commonest form of the Alter-Ego archetype is that in which an individual is believed to have a counterpart or double. Ralph Tymms...distinguishes between doubles-by-duplication and doubles-by-division, but....observes that...the two are constantly mingling. The belief in doubles...may have arisen as an attempt to explain dreams or hallucinations in which the individual seemed to perceive himself as a separate being. A rational explanation for this...may be a visual memory on the part of the dreamer of his own shadow or reflection, and he cites Levy-Bruhl to the effect that primitive man often believes that his shadow 'is his spiritual double, and forms an extension, and vital part of him.' Sir James Frazer notes that in some cultures it is believed that one can inflict harm upon an enemy by striking at his shadow, so that in primitive thought the latter comes to be identified with the soul, which when separated from thebody results in death" (89). "'Another widespread theory of the soul...visualizes it as being neither shadow nor reflection but as a creature with the same features, the same gait, even the same dress as the man himself.' This being may roam about independently of the owner when the latter is asleep, ill, or dead, though if violence is done to the owner's body or corpse the double is affected correspondingly.... Psychologically, the splitting of the human psyche is a well-recognized phenomenon that in extreme cases result in neurosis or even insanity. Psychology has also tended to identify the concept of the Alter Ego with the unconscious self....Jung identifies the negative aspect of the Alter Ego with the Shadow archetype, which may...manifest itself as 'daemonic possession.' [Usually, however], negative and positive aspects...combine frequently [and lead to] the archetype of Transformation" (90).

SPEAKING OF ARCHETYPES, there are some interesting parallels with Tarot cards. See how these apply to our novel. The following information came from Fronteras, Adam, The Tarot. New York: Carlton Books, 1996.

• Card XII: The Hanged Man: represents Dionysus. Greek--Dionysus was hung upside down. It was meant to ensure fertility of the crops. Numerology: #12--a three number (12 = 1 + 2 = 3), "representing creation and the development of the soul" (54). "The figure hangs from a tree, tied by his right foot. His left foot forms a cross with his leg, suggesting spiritual crucifixion....the card is very much about the use and misuse of intuition" (55).

• Card XVI: The Tower: Lightning strikes a tower. (16 = 1 + 6 = 7), "numerologically a magic number, the number of...soul development....spiritual rebirth in life....The tower is sturdy, the firm foundations that should be able to survive an attack from the outside" (62). "However, the flames, caused by the lightning, are gutting the building, forcing those inside to jump into the rough waters where, probably, they will drown" (62-63). "All the elements...point to destruction, but it is a card that relies on the strength of the foundations of the seeker to determine how he or she will cope. This card shows the seeker is going through a very destructive phase in life, an aspect that perhaps needs to be swept into the past....Although this is a traumatic time, he or she will be able to start anew. It represents a change in the old values, but out of this comes hope" (63).

• Card XX: Judgment: "also known as Resurrection. It often depicts an angel appearing over tombs from which naked bodies are rising...Saint Michael,...awakener of the dead, blows the trumpet that heralds the last judgment. The cross on the flag attached to his trumpets is his emblem. A naked man, woman, and child rise from the grave,...their spiritual souls to be judged, not their outward aspects of life, and the union of the two, the child representing the reconciliation of these forces. The bodies rise out of the grave, signifying rebirth, [a spiritual rebirth]" (70).

• The Fool (Card 0): "Alpha and Omega, both the beginning and the end of the major cards....He is pure spirit and air, searching for a direction, a new life. He is the acolyte looking for initiation into life's mysteries, but when he finds it, he is still a fool. His quest is naively pure; to be pure is to be wise, so the fool is also wise. He derives from the horned god Bacchus (or the Roman Dionysus), the incarnate power of spiritual revolt and rebirth and the god of wine....Exempt from royal retribution, the court fool's jokes were often outrageous" (30). "The Fool represents someone throwing off people and restrictions from the past, and setting off in search of new pastures. In contrast, it can also reflect the attitudes of others toward the subject, their belief that his decisions and actions are foolish. They will try to hold him back. The card generally indicates that someone needs to start again, taking no decision lightly, avoiding the disaster that impulsiveness should cause. If all choices and likely outcomes are honestly considered, the result will be positive" (31).

• The Sword: "Fire. Active, energetic, determined, dynamic, achievement-oriented, ambitious. Needs perpetual movement to feel alive. Ruthless, insensitive, volatile, angry. Inclined to naivete. Flamboyant, extroverted, demanding of attention. Power-seeking" (74).
• Cups: "Water. Passive, mutable, dissolving, feeling, maternal. Cups represent the emotional environment--the power of understanding through intuition, sympathy, and empathy. Functions by relating to and responding to instinctual urges. Expresses an emotional spectrum from love to hate. Feminine, caring, nurturing. Adapts to the mood of the moment" (75).

Speaking of symbols and allusions, consider I Corinthians from the New Testament. In this case it comes from The Catholic Bible, Jean Marie Hiesberger, general editor. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.

"1. If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing symbol. 2. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

"4. Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, 5. it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, 6. it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. 7. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8. "Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing. 9. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, 10. but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. 12. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. 13. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

And Lewis would say that the greatest kind of love is charity.

February 2 - February 6, 2009

Tuesday

I just realized that the program is NEXT week--not this one--so you will have until THURSDAY to get half-way through the book. Make sure that you have a book in class, though. You will be given time to read it in class.

Hand-out: the story of Pygmalion. We'll talk about the parallels. Also, handout on "The Scapegoat." Some of you remember this from sophomore year when you read the short story, "October Island."

Thursday: Quiz. Then we will see where we will go from there. Bring cookies and cakes if you like. Discussion. Finish the novel by next Tuesday. We will have a brief didscussion. Expect a test next Thursday.

Friday: Study for the test.

January 29--NOTE CHANGE

I will take roll and then we will go to the computer lab to do a survey. We will then return to room 234.

We will watch "A Man for All Seasons." It has to do with Henry VIII and Sir Thomas More.

Homework: Get at least half-way through Till We Have Faces. There may be a reading quiz on Tuesday.

You need to read through chapter 14 by Tuesday and to have finished the novel by Thursday.

January 12-16

I don't know what happened; I posted this blog earlier today. Oh well, here goes.

Tuesday
No quiz. I just did not have the energy. You will, however, receive a hand-out. Fourth Period: You are getting one that asks you to compare one set of sonnets with the other. Make sure that you highlight the specific parts and that you write out what it is and why. Don't use broad generalizations, but specifics.

When you finish, you'll get a second on. It will remind you of some of the rules of Courtly Love. It will also tell the story of Ovid's "Echo and Narcissus." You will be asked to make parallels.

You will get two new sets of poems, a single one by Petrarch and two by Shakespeare. You must answer the questions--again, including the specific words and phrases.


Thursday

We'll go over the sonnet exercizes and then talk about what has happened over the last semester.

Friday
Review.

Questions/Information about reading assignments 1.6-1.8

The Early Modern Period
1. Know about the English version of the Reformation.
2. Which pagan philosopher’s belief about the shape of the cosmos was adopted by the Catholic Church?
3. Know that “a person’s place in society tended to be fixed at birth” (391).
4. Where did most people live? How did most people support themselves?
5. Which Protestant factions dominated England? Which ones dominated Scotland? Which ones dominated Ireland?
6. How were English Catholics treated?
7. Which other sects had “religious doctrines [that] called for massive social change”?
8. How did physics and the practice of medicine and understandings about biology begin to change?
9. Who was Sir Francis Bacon?
10. What did he do?
11. How did cities develop and what kinds of social changes did they create?

“The Humanist Renaissance and Early Modern Society”

12. Know about the painting on p. 393 and the name of the artist.
13. What role did secular culture play?
14. Who was Francois Rabelais?
15. What role did pre-Christian culture play in a new understanding of the world?
16. How did instruments for measuring time and space change?
17. What was Sir Walter Raleigh’s contribution?
18. Who was William Drayton? What was he known for?
19. How did this have an impact on one of William Shakespeare’s play? Which play?
20. How did Johann Gutenberg change the world?
21. What was Desiderius Erasmas’ contribution to literature and philosophy?
22. In what major way did Protestant doctrine differ from Catholicism when it came to reading the Bible?
23. What was the name of Henry VIII’s first wife? What was the name of her child, the one to eventually become queen?
24. How did this queen treat her subjects—those of a different faith?
25. Discussed previously in class: Why did Henry have to make a plea to the pope in order to marry his first wife? How did he use that same plea to try to get the marriage annulled?
26. With whom did Henry replace his first wife?
27. What was the name of the child she bore—the one to eventually become queen?
28. How did this queen treat subjects born to another faith?

“History and Epic”

29. Who was the first Tudor monarch?
30. Who did he defeat in order to become king?
31. Which groups participated in the War of the Roses? By which color rose was each represented?
32. Who was Oliver Cromwell?
33. Why is he reviled by most Irish-Catholics?
34. What happened in 1585?
35. How did this document benefit Great Britain?
36. What was the name of Edmund Spencer’s great work?
37. What was the name of John Milton’s greatest work? In what year was this work published? What is the work about? What is the name of the sequel?
38. Who was Sir Francis Drake?
39. What almost happened on November 5, 1605?
40. Who succeeded Elizabeth?
41. How was he greeted by the English? Why?
42. Who was Charles I? What happened to him in 1649?
43. Who were the Levelers? What were their objectives? Who led them?
44. Who were the Diggers? What were their objectives? Who led them?
45. Who were the Quakers? What were their objectives? Who led the Quakers?
46. Who were the Ranters and what did they believe?
47. What great work did Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, publish in 1704?

“Drama and Social Satire”

48. Marlowe and Shakespeare
49. What two kinds of theater did Londoners enjoy? Describe them.

“Lyric Poetry and Romance”
50. For what kind of audience were these works composed?
51. How were they circulated?
52. What kinds of subjects did they write about? What kinds of genres?
53. Which conventions did they imitate? How were they different?
54. Name two women poets.
55. What role did romance play in literature?
56. What role did travel narratives play?

“Changing Social Roles”

57. Describe the “social ladder” and its constituent parts.
58. How did men of this era view women? What qualities or vices were attributed to women?
59. How were attitudes toward men changing?

“The Business of Literature”

60. Who was Ben Jonson and what did he do? How did he affect the language?
61. What role did comic pamphlets play?
62. What was the Ciceronian style? Describe it.
63. What was the Senecan style? Describe it.
64. What did Francis Bacon say about the Ciceronian rhetoric?
65. Whose “reforms influenced English pedagogy and were further realized in” what academy and in which year?
66. How did language style and habits of thought change from the medieval period to the early modern period?
67. How did the views of the world, the planets, and psychology change?
68. Who was Nicolas Copernicus?

“The War and the Modern Order of Things”
69. How did Thomas Hobbes’ challenge the thinking of his era?
70. What were the Cromwellian wars?
71. What happened to Ireland in 1801?

Background on Sir Philip Sidney J(590-592)

According to Sidney, what should poetry do for us?

Who were some of Sidney's famous friends and influences?

Why was Sidney sent to the Netherlands?

What is the basis for the story/poem, "Astrophil and Stella"?

Happy New Year--January 6-9, 2009

Tuesday

Have your books with you. I want you to read up on the historical/cultural background of "The Early Modern Period" as well as some works. In my next blog, I will give you some questions to answer and some terms to know. Expect a quiz on the material, as assigned. For example, any material that is to be completed in class on Tuesday is subject to a quiz on Thursday.

All the questions will be taken from the blog or discussed in class.

Begin reading "The Early Modern Period" (pp. 391- 411). Next, read the background on Sir Philip Sidney (pp. 590-592). Finish for homework.

Thursday:

Very likely a reading quiz. Then we will read the excerpted parts of Sidney's "Astrophil and Stella." Next we will read a little about Isabella Whitney (p. 611). We will read her poem "I. W. To Her Unconstant Lover" in class.

For homework, read the background on Queen Elizabeth (pp.616-618).

Friday:
Begin reading about "Government and Self-Government" (pp. 632-633). Read about William Tyndale and the excerpt from his "The Obedience of a Christian Man" (pp. 633-634). Read about Juan Luis Vives and his excerpts from "Instruction of a Christian Woman" (634-635). Read about Sir Thomas Elyot and the excerpt from "The Book Named Governor" and "Defence of Good Women" (635-638). Definitely expect a quiz on Tuesday.