Students, I have once again encountered the presence of greatness this morning. While I was preparing for a nice calming lavender tea at the lovely 5th View restaurant in Waterstones Piccadilly, not one but three literary masterminds walked in. I got the privilege of hearing their riveting debate on the purpose of fiction in the modern world, leading to another discussion on the proper way to tell a story. Swiftly, I gathered my black ink pen and a napkin to transcribe the greatness that was being spoken. As the aspiring students you are, I have chosen to share this riveting conversation with you below. I refrained from entering, quite a few times, but I have included my ideas and thoughts throughout the transcript. What A Lark! What A Plunge! Now to enter the minds of these criminally good authors:
April 2nd,
Ishiguro: Well, thank you for joining me this afternoon.
Joyce: Oh. Yes, Yes. It is but a pleasure to be here.
Woolfe: For some can say, I am well assembled.
(The three burst out laughing.)
*My inner voice: Who knew Woolfe had a sense of humor? I wanted to introduce myself but refrained. I have not assembled myself today!
Ishiguro: Very good Virginia! I wanted to start by saying I have read multiple of your books and thoroughly enjoyed the depth and heart of each character. One of which stuck out to me, Mrs. Dalloway. There was a depth and unknown that cast a shadow throughout the novel. Very Well, I might say. Oh! Mr. Joyce the same goes for you. Your work Dubliners completely blew me out of the water.
Woolfe: My Oh My, well I pulled on aspects of my personal life for that one, which is why there is such depth!
Ishiguro: All great authors pull from aspects within, so no shame from me!
Joyce: Since you have read my work, let me preface by saying that Dubliners, in its entirety, is a remark on the “modern day” Irish culture. I pulled from the depths of my culture rather than one’s interior monologue.
Woolfe: Oh what great treasure! Speaking of interior monologue, Mr. Ishiguro, I read your work Remains Of The Day, and I must say the incorporation of Stevens interior monologue made it a very read story.
Ishiguro: Ah Yes! That reminds me why I have asked you both to join me here today. As you know, I am working on the incorporation of a multi-literary analysis on the great authors of the times. My grandchildren have joined a fond educational program: The International Baccalaureate, in which they are tasked with defining the purpose of fiction in the modern world. By asking you to join me, I am asking you to share your thoughts on how you define this idea. I have given them some of my insight, but Oh No, Grandfather does not know anything. Woolfe, I would be delighted to hear your thoughts.
*My inner voice: Of course his grandchildren are IB Students! Woolfe started to gain thought in her mind, it was very evident that greatness was about to be released on us. I once again refrained from entering the conversation.
Woolfe: Personally, I think the purpose of fiction in the modern world is to provide thought and insight about the inner workings of the world itself. Not everything is perfect. Not everything is assembled. You have to use what you are handed in life and make the best or worst out of it. For example, in your novel, Stevens struggles with his decision to put work above everything else. He misses out on love. He misses out on life in its entirety. People in the modern world are quick to succumb to the idea that only work gets you the places you desire to be.
Joyce: I would have to agree with Ms. Woolfe here. To expand, I would add the purpose of fiction is to tell a story while adding meaning behind. Referencing your book, once again, Stevens loses the one person who would ever fall in love with him. You wrote, “Of course, if two members of staff happen to fall in love and decide to marry, it would be churlish to be apportioning blame; but what I find a major irritation are those persons – and housekeepers are particularly guilty here – who have no genuine commitment to the profession and who are essentially going from post to post looking for romance.” It is in this instance that we realize Stevens is in the act of falling for Ms. Kenton, but he suppressed those emotions because of his profession. Ishiguro, you created a fictional story, yes, but you added meaning behind it. Very similar to the work Araby I wrote in Dubliners. A young man becomes infatuated with the idea of romance that he loses sight of all reality. The fiction side of the story only added depth to the true meaning of this ideal romance.
Ishiguro: Very interesting! As writers, we subconsciously connect the meaning of reality to fiction. Virginia, the meaning of Mrs. Dalloway marrying Richard while having feelings for Peter Walsh connects to the idea of the modern women marrying the safer choice rather than the choice of love.
Woolfe: Choice of love, or an understanding of using marriage as a ploy for the public… Either way, very well connected!
Ishiguro: Oh Oh! One last question, how do you go about telling a proper story? Personally, I believe it is through the use of symbolism and deeper meanings. Since we were all fond of Remains of the Day, I will use that as an example. A symbol I pulled throughout the novel was this idea of banter in connection to Steven’s anxiety. The man was incapable of holding or maintaining any kind of banter. He has to study the idea of banter in order to feel like he has successfully served Mr. Lewis. This showcases work consuming your entire life, leading you to be nothing more than a wheel in the machine. Steven’s ultimately becomes nothing more than his profession. A cold and emotionless man. That was the easiest way for me to share the meaning of the novel, while keeping the readers entertained.
*My inner voice: So, I guess it is settled. Stevens is a wheel and not a ladder. Interesting!
Woolfe: I would say it is exactly that. You incorporate the “boring” literary techniques while adding depth to the story. Those who read us want more than a story. They want life, experience, and reason all encompassed in 200 pages. We must provide that for readers and intellects.
Joyce: Yes! That is it. Depth. Reason. Life. Entertainment. Telling a proper story starts by looking within oneself and pulling from that to draft something real, not fake.
Woolfe: Ah yes! No pish-posh. All real.
Ishiguro: Well, I will be sure to report back to my grandchildren all of what we have discussed. They are sure to be blown away. Now, it is time to enjoy our tea.
Woolfe: As we must!
Joyce: Well, I have one question for you…its about the British Culture in comparison to the Irish Culture…You know….
Yes, Yes, Joyce must blabber on about England and Ireland, which is where I stopped transcribing and admired the three. It has truly been a fantastic day. I got to witness a great conversation about literature while simultaneously transcribing every word to report back to the distinguished IB intellects (as Woolfe would call you). Now, it is time to enjoy some light reading for the remainder of my trip filled with depth, life, and understanding. The remains of the day are catching up ever so quickly.
Enjoy!
Mr. Nigro
All posts by madic24
Trifecta of Paralysis In Araby
Dubliners is a novel that showcases the numbing nature of the city of Dublin. Each chapter centers around the paralyzing nature of the city, whether it is physical paralysis, emotional paralysis, or even social paralysis. Joyce intentionally writes each story to highlight one aspect of Dublin he feels hinders the social construct of the city. In “The Sisters,” Joyce depicts the priest’s physical paralysis and the numbing nature it has on his life. In “Eveline,” Joyce describes the emotional paralysis Eveline felt, causing her to stay in Dublin. These two stories play a prominent role in bringing paralysis to the forefront of Dublin, but it is in “Araby” that Joyce emphasizes paralysis in Dublin.
The story of Araby touches on social, emotional, and physical paralysis. A young boy becomes love-struck with his neighbor’s sister and loses all sense. He promises to go to Arbay, a bazaar that comes into town rarely, just to buy her something. Prior to this interaction, Joyce reveals aspects of the little boy’s life. Joyce states, “North Richmond Street, being blind, was a quiet street except at the hour when the Christian Brothers’ School set the boys free” (Joyce, 22). The word blind in this sentence correlates to a figurative and literal meaning. It refers to the street as a cul-de-sac or a dead-end street. Figuratively, it refers to the nature of the boy and his nativity. Later on, Joyce personifies the various houses on the street, describing them as being conscious of the lives within them. In this sense, the homes are more aware than those living there. This idea correlates with the detached feeling of those who lived in Dublin. Socially, the boy and the Irish people are paralyzed and detached because of the current nature of Dublin.
Emotionally, the young boy is paralyzed. He spends his time in school thinking of the young girl, daydreaming about her, and playing their encounters repeatedly in his mind. Essentially, he loses all sense about him. He is driven by vanity, not by love, causing him to be stuck in a never-ending “love time loop.” This can be connected to the disillusionment and escapism used by those in Dublin to escape the realities of their city. During Joyce’s time, Dublin was a dying organism. It was in the midst of the First World War, and there was an increase in the use of alcohol as a means to escape. This causes Dublin to be a city stuck in a paralyzing environment. Joyce is using Araby as a place for people to escape their reality and fantasize they are in a different place.
Furthermore, the young boy has no means or money to travel to Araby for this young girl, so he asks his uncle to borrow money for a train ride to the bazaar. His uncle agrees but is late getting home to the young boy, causing him to fret and worry about retrieving an item for the girl. This is an aspect of physical paralysis. The young boy is stuck waiting for his uncle rather than being able to go to the bazaar freely. In a sense, this correlates with the feelings of people living in Dublin, who feel like they cannot escape the city. When the young boy arrives at the bazaar, he quickly realizes that his nativity has blocked him from being able to purchase anything. Walking into the bazaar, he gives half of his money away. He enters one of the stores, hoping to find something for the young girl, but is met with rude remarks from the lady running the store. He is frozen, watching her as she counts money and conversates with the two young guys keeping her company. He completely loses focus and ends up leaving the store without anything. In this scene, the young boy is physically paralyzed because he does not fully think through finding something for the girl before promising her he would go. Joyce uses the boy’s physical paralysis to symbolize the debilitating nature of Dublin. Even though the young boy was outside of the city, he was still affected by the paralysis of Dublin.
Ultimately, Joyce created Dubliners to highlight the harsh reality of Dublin. Joyce viewed the city as morally corrupt and led by disillusion. The people in Dublin used means such as drinking and escapism to get away from their realities, which is symbolized throughout the stories of Dubliners. “Araby” is a perfect example of the paralysis Joyce wanted depicted in his chapters. The trifecta of paralysis!
Persepolis is a PUZZLE
Overall, Persepolis was one of the most interesting works we have had in IB English. It not only challenged thought but also provided historical context. My favorite aspect of the graphic novel was how each chapter title tied into the context of the coming pages. In a sense, the titles reflected Marji’s feelings. Starting off strong with “The Viel,” the introduction chapter of Persepolis showcased the start of oppression in Iran pre-the Islamic Revolution. Right off the bat, the readers get an insight into Marji’s rebellion against the rules. The Bicycle reflects Marji’s feelings about the revolution. As the story progresses, the readers see this connection between Marji and the panel titles. My favorite connection is The Cigratte. Marji, being older than she was at the start of the novel, feels this need to find power in her life. Lighting the cigarette at the end of the chapter shows her rebellion against her mother and the regime. In her mind, her mother is paralleling the actions of the regime by punishing her for cutting class. In the United States, smoking a cigarette is traditionally seen as an act of rebellion against society and health. So, Marji smoking the cigarette brings in another aspect of Western culture and ideologies to the novel. To add to that, the entirety of Persepolis is one big puzzle pieced together carefully. I often found myself having to reread sections to fully comprehend what was being said, which is what makes the graphic novel so interesting. I think it should not be easily comprehended because then the reader is not fully grasping the nature of the work. It was a hard novel full of deep topics. It is not just a story about a “rebellious” little girl. It is a story full of hurt, first-hand war accounts, nationalism, religious beliefs, conformity, and forced patriotism. It is Persepolis. The only thing I still wonder about after reading is the choice of a graphic novel to tell this story. Honestly, it is what confused me about the book. Being able to see the physicalities of the situations described certainly helped me to visualize the story. However, having a more left-side brain, I was more focused on analyzing the pictures and choices made by Satrapi rather than the actual text. Like what was her deciding factor in coloring the backgrounds versus not coloring the backgrounds for some scenes? Or, what determined that the graphic novel was not going to be in color? After reviewing the novel in the first question’s context, I think that the emotions of the characters depicted are reflected in the background and foreground coloring. When the character was experiencing something harsh or heavy, the background was completely filled with black. Whereas, if the character was not experiencing these harsh emotions, the background was white. Her choice not to use color probably reflects the time period of Persepolis, but I still do not have a definite answer to that question. Maybe, Marji can answer that!
Persepolis is definitely a book that I will reread to gain a deeper understanding because I am not sure I grasped it in its full glory. I do not have a history brain, so I feel like if I do some more research on the Islamic Revolution, Persepolis will be ten times more intriguing the second time around. I do think this is a book that should stay in the IB English curriculum! Now on to Germany 🙂
Consequence Fate
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Chronicle of A Death Foretold. I think it embodies all of the characteristics of a “good” IB English book. I think it was placed perfectly in the syllabus in the Senior Year because there are aspects of Little Fires Everywhere. Macbeth, and Atonement. I was able to pull from those previous readings to make connections throughout the novel. Chronicle of A Death Foretold was a very thought-provoking novel for me, and I have figured out why. Fate. My idea of fate is skewed in a way. I view fate optimistically, probably because I am a hopeless romantic at heart, but Chronicle challenged my view of fate. I see fate as running into someone you have not seen in years, and you fall in love all over again. Or, you miss the train to go to work in the morning, and you miss a catastrophe. But can fate be used to justify an entire community essentially turning its back on a community? I am not sure. Was Santiago going to die no matter what? Maybe, but the people who did not warn him are using fate to justify their own actions rather than taking responsibility. I can’t keep looking at fate in an optimistic view without taking into consideration the means people will go through just to avoid responsibility for their actions. I think there are two sides to fate: optimistic fate and consequence fate. For example, at Girl’s State, I ended up finding the girl I plan on rooming with in college. It was pure coincidence. We signed up for the same seminar, got lost at the same time, approached the same lady to ask directions, and then we met each other and realized we wanted to go to the same college and study the same obscure thing. In my mind, that is optimistic fate. There was no connection between us prior to that single encounter, and boom, it was like all the stars aligned, and I have found someone with whom I can relate in college. On the other hand, consequence fate comes from the consequences of a person’s actions. In this case, the community would be experiencing consequence fate by not telling Santiago about the plot to kill him. They must live with his blood on their hands for the rest of their lives. Consequence fate brings on an unknowingness of the situation; If I had done this, could I have prevented that? I believe everyone’s actions lead to other actions, but that is not justified by fate. We all chose to take IB English sophomore year. Is that fate? Or is that the outcome of a decision we made? That is what Chronicle of A Death Foretold has forced me to look into. What is considered fate, and what is not? As someone who tries to see the good in everything, it is hard not to justify good things as fate without justifying the bad things as fate. Ultimately, I think it is up to the person to decide if something is fate or if it is a consequence of their previous actions, and if not, to justify it as a consequence fate!
Can Love Be Atoned?
Unlike other blog posts I have written, this one has less to do with the novel we read and more about the lasting thoughts I was left with after reading and analyzing Atonement. Throughout the novel, we see Briony’s journey of atoning for the “crime” she committed. Similarly, we see the journey of Cecilia and Robbie’s love. These two journeys are intertwined, leading to this post’s point. Can love be atoned? I believe there are two approaches to this question in relevance to Atonement. The first is Cecilia and Briony’s sisterly love, and the second is love in an emotional and physical sense. Briony wants to atone for the misunderstanding of Lola’s rape to forgive herself, but also she wants forgiveness from her sister. Cecilia has completely avoided Briony after she accused Robbie of raping Lola. Briony wants the attention and the forgiveness from her sister. Briony even goes so far as dropping out of Cambridge and working as a nurse to somehow gain Cecilia’s attention. This part of the novel connects to atoning for love through actions. Does Cecilia ever forgive Briony? The readers are left unanswered. However, this idea can lead the readers to focus on looking within themselves and their relationships. The definition of to atone is to make a reparation for a wrong or injury. The definition of to love is to feel deep affection for something, someone, etc. What do you do when you have to atone in love? I believe that love is not easily defined. Love has a lot of blurred lines. You can love someone who does not love you. You can love someone platonically. You can love something and let go of it. You can love Dunkin every morning. But love can lead to hurt, which I believe McEwean and other post-modern novelists highlight within their novels. Think about The Great Gatsby, essentially a love story between two star-crossed lovers, and one dies—the End. What leads Gatsby to die is not his personal issues (which there were a lot) but it was his love for Daisy. That green light was Gatsby’s atonement to Daisy. His “I am out here, waiting for you”. However, they are not destined to be together so no atoning can rewrite the course of fate. I do not think love can be atoned. I believe that what is meant to happen will happen. Your life is already mapped out for you. There is no “rewriting fate” or “changing my path”. Your path is set for you. This philosophy is set in the Christian religion and is also a philosophical belief called determinism. Looking at this in correlation with atoning for love, I believe that no matter how much you can atone for something, the person’s forgiveness is already determined. Love and atonement both have a blurry area- making it hard to justify being in love and having to atone. Love cannot be atoned for unless it is already determined. Forgiveness can be a hard thing, which is highlighted throughout the entirety of Atonement. You can forgive someone, but only if you feel it is possible to forgive them. You can say you forgive them, but if you are not at the point where you feel like you can. Then, there is always going to be a part of you that is always thinking about the thing that deserves forgiveness. Briony could not forgive herself, which is why the readers never see a closing for Atonement. We do not see a final ending. The story is now stuck in an endless loop of reading and rereading the novel. Forgiveness, atonement, and love are all connected, but it is up to us to determine our feelings about these feelings (haha!).