So as the crossing is coming to an end, I still find myself less than fascinated with it. I think that maybe I am a "airport reader". I need action and adventure, not ten page descriptions that could easily be summed up in a paragraph. However, I do see the big excitement in the "literary world" about this text. (A strange world that is, one that I certainly do not belong to!)
As far as the journey that is written about in the text. I find the whole novel to be like The Bible in its life messages. I know now that some of you reading this are thinking,"Did she really go there?" And yes, I did. I know that this subject all together can be a touchy one, but as I am reading this novel, I can not help but to compare the two. The Bible, some might argue, is a book of morals and journeys. It tells the story of a man, I believe to be the son of god, and his journey and hardships through the land and world at that time. The Bible gives the reader an understanding about the meaning of life and the do's and don'ts in society.
Some critics believe that The Bible, is solely a book of morals and is minimally factual. Whether that statement is true or false, is ones personal opinion. However, one cannot deny that The Bible does teach morals. In The Crossing, the author uses the passing of characters and their interactions to teach young children the ways of the world, the meaning of life. In some ways, it documents a journey, and the consequences of decisions. Much like The Bible, this novel uses conversations and paths crossing with characters to teach these lessons. In class on Thursday, we chose philosophical passages that had certain "lessons" and interpretations. I found it interesting how many of them referred to god and the journey of life. Perhaps this would have been something to write a final paper about. Perhaps not! All the same... I'm glad I sat through the torture of reading this novel. I am proud that I finished this one.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
GOD AND JOURNEY
P. 230 (Last Paragraph at the End of The Page)
In interpreting this, my partner and I believe that the Premadonna is talking about a higher power. We viewed this whole passage to be talking about some "predetermined destiny". A road or journey that might have some higher direction or meaning that one cannot understand. We thought that this whole passage referenced to the meaning of life and ones travels. The control that the world has over its passengers.
In interpreting this, my partner and I believe that the Premadonna is talking about a higher power. We viewed this whole passage to be talking about some "predetermined destiny". A road or journey that might have some higher direction or meaning that one cannot understand. We thought that this whole passage referenced to the meaning of life and ones travels. The control that the world has over its passengers.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Wolf v. Cow
The wolf, as a symbol in “The Crossing”, in my interpretation, is that of an animal that is ruthless in its pursuit and smart in its existence. I was intrigued when reading about the wolf’s sporadic yet somehow perfectly orchestrated way of traveling about the area. At times I felt like the wolf was smarter than those hunting “her”.
In the text it refers to the way the wolf wonders about in search of food and survival in a way that is beautiful and can almost be seen as humanistic- if that’s a word. I was overwhelmed by compassion by the part of the story talking about the wolfs persistence to stay with her fellow kind. Not wanting to desert her kind under any circumstance. Only after being lashed by one of her own did she turn and leave. The wolf’s main anger with the cows is their laziness their ignorance. The text reads, “The wolves in that country had been killing cattle for a long time but the ignorance of the animals was a puzzle to them” (25). The text goes on to talk about the almost seeming revenge or vendetta the wolves have for cattle. In my opinion this “violation of an old order” is the cow’s inability to fight for their lives, to be strong in their existence. As if the laziness of this species infuriates the being of the wolf. I believe in their killing this symbol of weakness and laziness they are taking some revenge for the struggle they go through as a species. And I could be way off here, but it’s a beauty that revolves in the circle of life. Revenge, jealousy, and the need to settle the score even when the one being penalized has no direct control of the perpetrators situation.
In my opinion that’s the beauty of the animalistic way. I will conclude with this beautiful explanation “But which cannot be held never be held and is no flower but is swift and a huntress and the wind itself is in terror of it and the world cannot lose it” (127).
In the text it refers to the way the wolf wonders about in search of food and survival in a way that is beautiful and can almost be seen as humanistic- if that’s a word. I was overwhelmed by compassion by the part of the story talking about the wolfs persistence to stay with her fellow kind. Not wanting to desert her kind under any circumstance. Only after being lashed by one of her own did she turn and leave. The wolf’s main anger with the cows is their laziness their ignorance. The text reads, “The wolves in that country had been killing cattle for a long time but the ignorance of the animals was a puzzle to them” (25). The text goes on to talk about the almost seeming revenge or vendetta the wolves have for cattle. In my opinion this “violation of an old order” is the cow’s inability to fight for their lives, to be strong in their existence. As if the laziness of this species infuriates the being of the wolf. I believe in their killing this symbol of weakness and laziness they are taking some revenge for the struggle they go through as a species. And I could be way off here, but it’s a beauty that revolves in the circle of life. Revenge, jealousy, and the need to settle the score even when the one being penalized has no direct control of the perpetrators situation.
In my opinion that’s the beauty of the animalistic way. I will conclude with this beautiful explanation “But which cannot be held never be held and is no flower but is swift and a huntress and the wind itself is in terror of it and the world cannot lose it” (127).
An Unlikely Friendship
Within this overly long winded writing, in the first part of the novel, we embark on a journey. What the reader does not expect is to read roughly 100 pages about this “wolf hunt” which ends up being almost non-existent. I found it slightly moving to see the bond that Billy forms for the wolf.
I think the challenge the wolf brings to its huntress allows for a respect to be born. I also believe that the freedom to roam, discover, and risk lends to creating a bond between Billy and the wolf. His ability to provide for her and care for her well being make him form an attachment, give him a purpose. I believe that the bond began after trapping her, when he viewed her in her most vulnerable state, not necessarily as a killer, but something in need of compassion and care. “He talked to her a long time and as the boy tending the wolf could not understand what it was he said he said what was in his heart” (105).
Then the text goes on to explain perhaps what forms the strongest bond between the wolf and Billy and it reads, “She watched him with her yellow eyes and in them was no despair but only that same reckonless deep of loneliness that cored the world to its heart" (105). In my opinion that sentence explains it all.
I think the challenge the wolf brings to its huntress allows for a respect to be born. I also believe that the freedom to roam, discover, and risk lends to creating a bond between Billy and the wolf. His ability to provide for her and care for her well being make him form an attachment, give him a purpose. I believe that the bond began after trapping her, when he viewed her in her most vulnerable state, not necessarily as a killer, but something in need of compassion and care. “He talked to her a long time and as the boy tending the wolf could not understand what it was he said he said what was in his heart” (105).
Then the text goes on to explain perhaps what forms the strongest bond between the wolf and Billy and it reads, “She watched him with her yellow eyes and in them was no despair but only that same reckonless deep of loneliness that cored the world to its heart" (105). In my opinion that sentence explains it all.
Monday, April 9, 2007
To Suffer for Love Gives Women Strength
The short story The Woman Hollering Creek was the first in the book to convince me of the novel portraying women as strong, steadfast, brave creatures. Prior to reading the story I was skeptical, and am still overall. However this story was beautiful in that it depicted tragedies in life and a woman's ultimate overcoming of abuse, neglect, judgement, and fear.
One sentence that in my opinion captured a large theme in the novel reads, "Because to suffer for love is good. The pain all sweet somehow. In the end" (45). Many of the short stories in this novel show love as being paid for by pain. It is never easy or beautiful in this novel. Love is often distorted, neglected, abused much like the female characters throughout the novel. All the women suffer greatly, be it because of abuse or because of a man who loves other women. I also relate that quote to the tragic love story in Never Marry a Mexican. I find that the women in these stories are strong in their attempts to suffer through love, instead of changing their own fate. Does this ultimately make them weak? I'm not sure.
In The Woman Hollering Creek, Cleofilas is not only strong in that she willingly suffers in love, but that she ultimately does change her fate. She leaves. She goes back to her father, even though she knows the ramifications of crossing Hollering Creek in the opposite direction. This to me was the first time I saw a woman not as a victim, but as the decider of her own fate and destiny. I found this story to be heart wrenching and undeniably tragic, but one of a journey to become a strong Mexican Woman.
One sentence that in my opinion captured a large theme in the novel reads, "Because to suffer for love is good. The pain all sweet somehow. In the end" (45). Many of the short stories in this novel show love as being paid for by pain. It is never easy or beautiful in this novel. Love is often distorted, neglected, abused much like the female characters throughout the novel. All the women suffer greatly, be it because of abuse or because of a man who loves other women. I also relate that quote to the tragic love story in Never Marry a Mexican. I find that the women in these stories are strong in their attempts to suffer through love, instead of changing their own fate. Does this ultimately make them weak? I'm not sure.
In The Woman Hollering Creek, Cleofilas is not only strong in that she willingly suffers in love, but that she ultimately does change her fate. She leaves. She goes back to her father, even though she knows the ramifications of crossing Hollering Creek in the opposite direction. This to me was the first time I saw a woman not as a victim, but as the decider of her own fate and destiny. I found this story to be heart wrenching and undeniably tragic, but one of a journey to become a strong Mexican Woman.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Strong or Weak?
After reading and discussing the first two passages assigned in Hollering Creek... by Cisneros, I found myself obsessing over the weakness of self-esteem and worth shown in both stories. While I cannot argue that the women represented in both stories were not strong in some ways, I also cannot deny their inability to demand more and expect more from their relationships and life.
In both readings, they women are illegitimate lovers who in some ways seem content with watching the ones they love, care deeply for others. Both have given up power over their own destinies and in some ways have settled for a fate of being from a certain social class or economic situation. These women are not confident in their abilities as women, instead they are prisoners to their situation and in some respects the men who only love them "in the dark". I see this as a reoccurring theme in Cisneros works. Women and restrictions based on social scaffolding.
One women, a poor farmers daughter is only "worth" being an illegitimate lover to a prestigious man, the other in the same predicament because of her race. While reading I found myself wondering why these women settle for being second, third, or even tenth? They become obsessed with their lack of title and respect, yet their obsession is what mentally empowers them. In my opinion, this obsession controls them and in some ways inhibits them from full living or experiences. I feel like the women in these stories are sort of ghost-like. Living a life that doest really exist, only in the dark in the privacy of their homes. Its a sad, horrible existence. I think another large theme in Cisneros writings concerns women as victims to men and predicament.
Finally, I have enjoyed reading Cisneros work up to this point. I remember reading The House on Mango Street some time ago, and seriously enjoyed it. I am seriously considering further research into these writings.
In both readings, they women are illegitimate lovers who in some ways seem content with watching the ones they love, care deeply for others. Both have given up power over their own destinies and in some ways have settled for a fate of being from a certain social class or economic situation. These women are not confident in their abilities as women, instead they are prisoners to their situation and in some respects the men who only love them "in the dark". I see this as a reoccurring theme in Cisneros works. Women and restrictions based on social scaffolding.
One women, a poor farmers daughter is only "worth" being an illegitimate lover to a prestigious man, the other in the same predicament because of her race. While reading I found myself wondering why these women settle for being second, third, or even tenth? They become obsessed with their lack of title and respect, yet their obsession is what mentally empowers them. In my opinion, this obsession controls them and in some ways inhibits them from full living or experiences. I feel like the women in these stories are sort of ghost-like. Living a life that doest really exist, only in the dark in the privacy of their homes. Its a sad, horrible existence. I think another large theme in Cisneros writings concerns women as victims to men and predicament.
Finally, I have enjoyed reading Cisneros work up to this point. I remember reading The House on Mango Street some time ago, and seriously enjoyed it. I am seriously considering further research into these writings.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Beauty by Camera Angle
When thinking about Eisenstein's film, one scene in particular continues to play in my mind. The scene that I am referring to, takes place at the end of the film. There is a woman walking down a long set of stairs. The action in the scene is not what interest me. Its the way the scene was shot.
The camera view in the scene is one that was taken from above. Not a few feet, but like 20 feet above. The way it is shot makes the woman look very small, very fragile. To me the way that Eisenstein's films were shot is what made them a beautiful portrayal of Mexican actuality. I found myself watching an ordinary woman and sympathizing with how small she is in a "big world". I think that was the purpose of shooting this scene in this manner. As to show how small individuals really are in the general scheme of things. But in Mexican life these small almost unimportant people are seemingly in a world of fusion of past and present created by them.
Anyway, Eisenstein's way of causing the viewer too look at an ordinary situation in a different light makes the film beautiful, dare I even say I work of art.
The camera view in the scene is one that was taken from above. Not a few feet, but like 20 feet above. The way it is shot makes the woman look very small, very fragile. To me the way that Eisenstein's films were shot is what made them a beautiful portrayal of Mexican actuality. I found myself watching an ordinary woman and sympathizing with how small she is in a "big world". I think that was the purpose of shooting this scene in this manner. As to show how small individuals really are in the general scheme of things. But in Mexican life these small almost unimportant people are seemingly in a world of fusion of past and present created by them.
Anyway, Eisenstein's way of causing the viewer too look at an ordinary situation in a different light makes the film beautiful, dare I even say I work of art.
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