Roxanne

     When we heard the major songs from the "Roxanne Wars" I was struck by a certain similarity to a work I had heard of before: Cyrano de Bergerac.  The French playwright wrote a fictionalized account of the life of the seventeenth-century poet and sometime soldier Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac.  First performed in 1897, the work was immediately successful, and remains performed to this day.  It inspired many adaptations, including a musical version, several operas (the most famous, Franco Alfano's of 1936 was performed this month at the Met), several films, including the adaptation starring Steve Martin, Roxanne.  The basic plot point concerns the large-nosed hero Cyrano and the various people competing for the affections young woman Roxane, who is part of the upper-class group of précieuses who appreciate witty proper speech and sophisticated literature.  Christian, a cadet, and Cyrano are both captivated by her, and, as Cyrano realizes that Roxane does not and can never love him because of ugliness, he decides to help Christian woo Roxane, as Christian does not have the intellect, wit, or command of language required.  Christian has the looks to win her heart, Cyrano, the words.  Roxane falls in love with Christian because of the beautiful poetry and love letters he sends her, which Cyrano wrote.  Though there are several comedic moments, the play ends tragically due to other developments, and Roxane realizes the truth too late.  (It should be noted Roxane is not portrayed as entirely vain.)

     Despite the different spelling of the name, I wondered if the similarity between the rap and the play was entirely coincidental.  Roxanne, the woman pursued by the rappers of UTFO similarly criticizes the suitors on the weakness of their rhyme, suggesting that the way to gain her respect and affection is through better poetry. Interestingly enough, one could draw parallels between this story and that of Melanie, who is drawn to the more "Street" Nick, and chooses him over the more intellectual Benji.  (This appeared to be for other reasons, though, not the least of which being his mistakes at his aunt's house.)  However, I doubt that was the entirety of Whitehead's reasoning to add the episodes into Sag Harbor.  Whether the similarities are intentional or coincidental, I still find them interesting.

Ouroboros

     I particularly liked the ending of Black Swan Green.  Like the authors of many (if not each!) of the books we have read this semester, Mitchell leaves the novel intentionally open-ended.  Like Stephen, Holden, and Esther, we see Jason at the end having coming far in dealing with his problems, but staring into an unknown future, and we, like Jason, do not know what will happen.  It is interesting that in "disco", the chapter before the last, most of the problems plaguing Jason have been resolved: his desire to be popular, bullying, his infatuation with Dawn Madden, his grandfather's watch, to name just a few.  Though this would seem an ending itself, Mitchell chooses to end the book with a peek at what Jason will have to deal with next year: his parents' divorce, a new town, a new school, and many other problems.  However, I am optimistic that Jason is equipped to handle all of these.  He will certainly have to face issues to those throughout this novel, but he has gained some incredibly valuable insight, which cannot be taken from him.

     As he prepares to leave Black Swan Green, Jason muses on life.  Eventually, he comes to an analogy comparing "hidden steps" and developmental progress, that our faults are unseen steps which we continue to trip over until we learn from them, and fix them.  Though he remarks that after we fix one fault, we are immediately confronted with another, I think that Jason has learned from his experiences, and will not make the same mistakes to the same degree.  Jason tried several times to ingratiate himself to the popular group, and he gained only misery.  Only when he finally saw them as "hairy barbarians" was he able to be free from that.  We can surmise there will be more cruel kids at his next school, but I think he has taken this lesson to heart, as he can articulate this trend in development so clearly.  That is not to say he will not trip over the same stairs--he probably will--but we can hope it will take him less time to realize what he is doing.  This can be applied to most of the problems he faced in this book.  For instance, he has a crucial insight into what causes his stammer and realizes that if the listener judges him, he should not be ashamed.  Though we do not really see this put into action, he is at least better equipped for the future.  Jason--and all of us--will have to work through similar problems at different times is true, and this repetitive structure of time underlined by the many mirrored scenes in the novel's structure: Jason goes to the House in the Woods and meets the woman, he meets Squelch/Merv by the lake, he goes back to Mr. Rhydd's shop (and orders the crystallized ginger he had mentioned during his earlier trip there), he looks up to Julia like he did Hugo (the same line is used), and, the novel (and Jason's parents' marriage) ends with the divorce, which hearkens back to the phone call opening the book.  In this way, Mitchell presents a sort of cyclical development, as Jason goes through similar experiences, but learns from them, and then moves on to more, though some may come back, somewhat like a wheel rolling on the ground: the wheel moves in a circular pattern, coming back to itself constantly, all the while moving forward.

Coming of Age and Philosophy

     One parallel to Robinson's Housekeeping did not become apparent to me until the end of the book.  The book could be summarized as a sort of manifesto for a certain philosophy wrapped in one or, depending on your view, several stories of coming-of-age.  When I thought of the book this way, I was reminded of another book with a similar setup: Candide.  Though the books are fundamentally different, I still find it interesting that they both concern the maturation of people and are heavily steeped in philosophy.

   Published in 1759, Candide is Voltaire's most famous work and is a critique of the time.  Despite its age, many of the subjects it tackles are still alarmingly apparent today: freedom of speech and religion, religious discrimination, and human subjugation are just a few of many examples.  Highly satirical, the main purpose of Candide is to disprove the extreme optimism put forth by Leibniz.  The story is rather simple: a young (but illegitimately born) nobleman, Candide is banished from the Eden-like palace in which he grew up and has to learn to get along.  He wanders throughout the world, learning about many different people and their circumstances.  As he is confronted with the great cruelty and injustice present in the world, he questions what he had been taught by his tutor, Doctor Pangloss, who represents the optimism of Leibniz.  After many horrific experiences (and seeming resurrections), Candide affirms that "it is necessary to cultivate one's garden"--a statement to be read both literally and figuratively.

     While this may not seem very similar to Housekeeping, they both share the aspect of philosophical exploration coupled with coming-of-age.  The differences lie in style and subject matter.  Candide is a satire, and constantly makes fun of just about everything, while Housekeeping, with its odd humor, still definitely has a more serious tone.  (This is not to say that the arguments or meaning of Candide are not serious.)  Candide is feels like less of a bildungsroman than Housekeeping, as the story does not seem to serve much purpose other than to illustrate the philosophy.  The story of Housekeeping does reflect the philosophy described in the book, however, it reads more like a novel than Candide.  Voltaire parallels Candide's development with his philosophy, and we see him grow up mentally in part by forming his ideas and questioning what he knew before.  Robinson is philosophical from the beginning, though the ideas she discusses are often paired with the protagonist's experiences, and in some ways explain the character's development.  In this way the two works are similar--they put forth philosophical ideas and develop them at the pace of their narrator's development.  They are two very different books to read (one reason being that Candide does not induce quite the same existential questioning as Housekeeping), but they both give philosophical insights through the story of young people's development.

Esther's Shoes

     While still in the middle of The Bell Jar, I was somewhat perplexed by Esther's mention of the shoes she was wearing.  She usually gave the same description about them:  her "black patent leather shoes."  The first time she mentions them is on the second page, along with "a black patent leather belt and black patent leather pocketbook to match."  For whatever reason, it seemed to me an odd detail to bring up so often.  Part of that was because I was unfamiliar with the phrase "patent leather," but for whatever reason, the shoes stuck with me.

     

     Apart from a few casual mentions at the beginning, and during the assault by Marco, the most notable section with Esther's shoes is in Chapter 12.  The first mention is when Esther considers ending her life by cutting her wrists.  Esther cuts her leg, and watches the blood pool into her shoe.  The next time she mentions her shoe is again in Chapter 12, when she considers drowning herself.  She leaves her shoes on the beach, and says, "It pleased me to think they would be perched there on the silver log, pointing out to sea, like a sort of soul-compass, after I was dead."  Esther seems to hold some regard for her shoes, as they are what would remain if she were to die as she was planning.

     

     While Esther is contemplating her death, the chill of the waves makes her "[think] longingly of the black shoes on the beach."  Then, as she decides against drowning, she says, "I picked up my pocketbook and started back over the cold stones to where my shoes kept their vigil in the violet light."  The idea of the personified shoes' "vigil" is very interesting, as it implies they are in some way watching over her.  To be clear, I am not trying to imply that the shoes stop her, but the human quality she gives them is quite interesting.  

     

     The next time she mentions her shoes, blood is pooling in them again, only, this is after her encounter with Irwin, while she is on the road to recovery, and the bleeding was not started intentionally.  Interestingly, Esther also mentions her shoes just before she goes into the interview to be released.  This creates a sort of book-end effect (especially when one considers the blood), and her shoes are with her during everything she goes through.  Another interesting detail is that Plath starts "Daddy" with an address to her "black shoe" which "[does] not do/ anymore" and which Plath "[has] lived like a foot/ for thirty years, poor and white,/ barely daring to breathe or Achoo."  This again stresses that her shoe has been with her throughout her experiences, and is an interesting detail along her journey.

Gin a body catch a body

     While reading The Catcher in the Rye, I was curious about the source of Holden's desire to be a "catcher in the rye."  He and Phoebe have slightly different explanations for the source; he says it is a children's song, she says it is a Burns poem, both of which are correct.  The phrase "if a body meet a body coming through the rye" (which Holden misremembers as "catch") comes from the Robert Burns poem "Comin' thro' the rye."  However, there is a children's folk song of a similar nature and same title which predates Burns.  Several versions of the text of the poem (and the song) exist.  Here is the the poem as listed on its Wikipedia page (highlighting added for emphasis): 

O, Jenny's a' weet,^[A] poor body,
Jenny's seldom dry:
She draigl't^[B] a' her petticoatie,
Comin thro' the rye!

Chorus:
Comin thro' the rye, poor body,
Comin thro' the rye,
She draigl't a' her petticoatie,
Comin thro' the rye!

Gin^[C] a body meet a body
Comin thro' the rye,
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need a body cry?^[D]

(chorus)

Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro' the glen
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need the warl'^[E] ken?^[F]

(chorus)

Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro' the grain;
Gin a body kiss a body,
The thing's a body's ain.^[G]

(chorus)

Ilka lassie has her laddie,
Nane, they say, ha’e I
Yet all the lads they smile on me,
When comin' thro' the rye.

^A weet – wet
^B draigl't – draggled
^C gin – if, should
^D cry – call out [for help]
^E warl – world
^F ken – know
^G ain – own

     

     Though many versions of this poem exist (and ones from more reputable sources), I decided to include this version because it seems to contain the most of the motifs of the different versions, as well as the notes on the Scottish words ("ilka" means "every").  If you would prefer to read a translated version, you can access that here: http://www.thehypertexts.com/Robert%20Burns%20Translations%20Modern%20English.htm . In addition, here is a link to a recording of the song, sung by Marian Anderson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfNuSPSEmlo .  The notion presented by the announcer that the "rye" referred to is a river is erroneous.  

    Where this gets interesting is when one compares it to Salinger.  The poem and song deal with a romantic encounter while "comin thro' the rye."  This theme is repeated in several other places, through the glen, and through the grain.  The narrator bemoans that he or she does not have a "lassie" or "laddie," but the rest of the people still are kind to the narrator.  That the narrator is alone in their lack of a companion is a weak parallel to the separation and disillusionment Holden feels toward general society, and is a parallel to his solitude.  It is likely not possible to know whether or not Salinger intended this.  It is also important to note that, of the many versions of the song, some emphasize the romantic aspect of it, to the point of adding implicitly sexual elements.  This is an interesting comparison to Holden's glorification of childlike simplicity.  Whatever, if anything, Salinger was trying to allude to with his selection of this poem/song, we will probably never know.  However, I think it is very significant that it is traditionally a children's song, considering the importance of childhood in the novel.  As to Holden's view of the poem, that it is so bizarre and based on a misquote makes me suspect that Salinger himself had a similar reading of it from his younger years.

Joyce and Sound

     One of the striking aspect's of Joyce's narration in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is his (and Stephen's) attention to sound.  This appears in several ways, but is most prevalent in the following: Stephen's noticing of onomatopoeia in words and reflections of that in their meaning, and Joyce's meticulous transcription of sound.

     First, let us look at the way young Stephen associates words' sounds with their meanings.  There are several words he does this with.  First, on page 8, he associates the meaning of the word "suck" with the sound made when the action takes place.  "Suck was a queer word...But the sound was ugly.  Once he had washed his hands in the lavatory of the Wicklow Hotel and his father pulled the stopper up by the chain after and the dirty water went down through the hole in the basin. And when it had all gone down slowly the hole in the basin had made a sound like that: suck."  Then, on page 12, "That was to kiss.  His mother put her lips on his cheek; her lips were soft and they wetted his cheek; and they made a tiny little noise: kiss."  Already Stephen associates the meaning of words with sound, which shows both deep contemplation into language and a close attention to the sound of language.  We see this in other parts, as at the end of Chapter I, when he describes the sound of the cricket bats and compares it to water.

     There is one instance, in Chapter four, when Stephen associates happenings in his life with sound.  In Chapter IV, while he leaves the quasi-college visit with his father, he feels content with his decisions, and we read the following passage, on page 178:

It seemed to him that he heard notes of fitful music leaping upwards a tone and downwards a diminished fourth, upwards a tone and downwards a major third, like triple-branching flames leaping fitfully, flame after flame, out of a midnight wood. It was an elfin prelude, endless and formless; and, as it grew wilder and faster, the flames leaping out of time, he seemed to hear from under the boughs and grasses wild creatures racing, their feet pattering like rain upon the leaves.

In this we see Stephen literally translate his feeling into music.  In addition, he associates the sound of the music with the image of running animals., an interesting parallel, considering his "flight" in the book.  This shows the extraordinary way Stephen perceives sound, and presages how Joyce uses it in his later work.

     This heightened sense sound adds another interesting angle to the book.  It is worth mentioning that before deciding to become a writer, Joyce considered being a musician.  It makes sense that the young boy associating sounds of words with their meanings (we can assume this is fairly autobiographical) would eventually coin the word "quark" to represent a seagull's cry, and spell a cat's cry "mkgnao".  Joyce even uses sound to enhance the plot: take the end of Chapter II with all the assonance and "s" sounds during Stephen's encounter and its contrast with the highly clunky, consonant-ridden beginning of Chapter III.  In the end, we see (and hear!) a bit of how much sound influences Joyce's writing, and the integral place it holds therein.

Martyr Stephen

     One of the first notes provided in our edition of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man mentions that the name Joyce chose for his protagonist--Stephen Dedalus--connects the first Christian martyr with the Classical pagan artist/inventor, a juxtaposition which is proving central to the development of Stephen and to the novel itself.  While reading about the Saint Stephen, I came upon an interesting parallel in the life of the martyr and in Stephen Dedalus.

     The historical and liturgical Saint Stephen was a prominent figure in the early Christian church.  He was called before the Sanhedrin on blasphemy charges, for preaching and subsequently stoned to death.  This happened after he said he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  In short, he gave a speech defending the divinity of Jesus and then was brutally murdered.

     In Portrait, Stephen is caned in one scene by his schoolfellows for supporting the poet Byron, who was deemed a heretic and libertine.  This attack by his classmates was prompted from a teacher finding heresy in Stephen's essay, and Stephen simply changed the phrase he used, and therefore, the meaning of the phrase, to mend the error.  From this we get an interesting parallel, as both Stephens are called heretics and defend someone they believe in, however, the saint's defense is religiously celebrated, and Dedalus' seems immature, or at least the product of Stephen's indulgently brooding manner.  I don't know whether we can assume Joyce actually planned this parallel; my guess is that he probably thought about it, but it is not the main point of his choosing the name "Stephen" for his character.  It is possible Joyce was trying to poke fun at the Catholic Church by satirizing its first martyr in a scene, or possibly just a touch added to heighten Stephen's aloof brooding behavior.