Nazir on Post-colonialism - may even replace my own lecture

White teeth and post colonial literature

When I first heard “post colonial literature” I thought it was about
the era of colonization. Lacking knowledge about this field this
article in short gave me a compact view of what it is. It is about
understanding the perception of the Europeans, who colonized different
parts of the world, that their society and culture were the ideal ones
and superior to all other. Some wrote of it as a mere observation
comparing the colonized people to their European culture and declaring
them as “savages”, while some wrote of it as means of criticizing this
idea of superiority of the white Europeans.

An example of the after effect of colonization is found in the passage
by Millat. He is confused about his sense of belonging because he is
not fit for going and living in his own country and at the same time
he is marginalized by his race in UK. I happened to have known this
feeling among some of my friends in Australia who are third generation
Lebanese Australians. They were born it that country and their parents
were also born in that country and most of them have not even seen
Lebanon yet but still when they roam around in a white eastern suburb
of Sydney some people shout at them “go back to your country”. They
feel confused about where do they actually belong but some of these
white Australians tend to forget they are not the indigenous people of
Australia, they are immigrants as well. A famous quote in Australia,
which was first heard in a Lebanese Australian movie “The
Combination”, when a Lebanese school boy was fighting with an
Australian white boy, is “We came in planes, you’se came in chains”.
The meaning is that the first European white Australians were
convicts.

Following post demands ferocious support OR Assault - will someone do it in a way that will open our eyes? Author Undisclosed

Hello sir,

I have read Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis, and it has given me a profound insight on the repercussions of the American dream. The american dream is a fantasy of many, ready to enjoy its perks,status and high paychecks. But though the downsides are clearly evident , individuals choose not to realize it. Babbitt is one of the best representations, of how the American dream can only be achieved by sacrificing autonomy. One has to pay the huge price of sacrificing autonomy and embracing a conformist life, or else he will me made an outcast in the society. His peers will no more appreciate him, the society will reprimand him and force him to join their league. As only then he would be honored, his intellects would be appreciated. Individuals are confined by the basic norms of the society, the american dream is a autocrat ,who though puts up a fake pretense of democracy will crush every maverick which comes upon it path.

George Folansbee Babbitt, a successful 46 year old, who has let the society shape him into their desired person is made into an outcast, treated as a mere nobody when he espouses his liberal views and chooses to support in what he believes in. In the end, we see he surrenders and returns being the old Babbitt- a solid, confirming standard citizen. He is a prisoner to the American dream and he cannot free itself from its chains. however, when his son Ted Babbitt marries the pretty Eunice and drops out of college to be a factory worker, he consents to the alliance and encourages his son to protect his Autonomy. Babbitt realizes Ted has achieved salvation and is free from the norms which tied Babbitt.

Sir, Babbitt is a detailed satire of the vices of the American Dream but not an eye opener. Even I want a piece of the American Dream and I'm fully aware of its repercussions. We all know implicitly but like Babbitt desire to keep our eyes shut, so we are not exposed to realism. Like Blanche Dubois in the play " the streetcar named desire" we prefer the dim light as it prevents exposure, conceals reality. Maybe we are not mature enough to realize how loss of Autonomy feels or maybe we are naive enough to think we are capable to do what millions have failed to do, bring a change. Some of us are completely fine with whatever it will require to get those big paychecks, from forgetting our morals and views, to instilling in our minds things we don't believe in. Honestly I might sound rude but some us are so shallow that we don't have our independent views on major agendas and are indifferent to the world we live in, so for them there is nothing to loose, and believe me there are many who fall in this particular stereotype. Which group do I fall in?? I do not know. Would I give up my autonomy to realize my dream? I'm skeptic, I can relate myself to Babbitt, you would achieve your goals if you stick to the status quo. Will I be happy in the end?? This is one question I want you to answer me. A 17 year old cannot comprehend what millions have failed to. In the end MAYBE is always the answer.

Thank You.

. ......exposed 

All female warriors - Miss Julie, Medea, Madame Bovary, Hedda Gabler

All are by Nazir.


Miss Julie

In this play the author brings out few different social issues with the story. First issue is extreme feminism which we can understand that Miss Julie was raised up by her mother to despise the male race but ironically Miss Julie tells Jean that her mother believes in gender equality and women’s rights and independence. Her mother either got a misconception about gender equality or she is plainly a hypocrite because she tries to oppress the opposite gender in the same way the male gender does. This feeling of superiority is found in Miss Julie as she loses are fiancé by treating him like a dog. Still these social and environmental influences seems to break loose once her human instincts takes over and submits sexually to a valet, Jean, who is much lower in the social class than her. The play brings out another issue with this incident. The old barrier between the aristocracy and the common people seems to be decimating. We can see that Jean a servant of a count knows how to speak French and drinks wine and Miss Julie the aristocrat is drinking common folk’s drinks and the barrier comes totally down between them after they become intimate. Although the barrier breaks between them it does not mean at that time, during the late 19^th century, this barrier was already lifted but it started initiating then and the influence of this social class distinction was so powerful in the society that we witness the death of Miss Julie for not being able to fight against these environmental and cultural forces. 

It is surprising that the western culture thought about these issues more than 100 years ago because in our culture in Bangladesh we still see these same scenarios. The gender inequality and also the distinction between the social classes are very much visible. I am quite certain that all of us in our culture faced situations that we can relate to this play. For example, still in our culture we have servants and they are not fit to sit down on the same table as us and eat with us. Although the situation is getting better it is still going in a very slow pace to correct the inequality in our culture. One fact is true that most of us do not welcome this change who are benefiting from this social class difference.

Medea

This is a tragic play based on the Greek mythology. Medea is a powerful sorceress who falls in love with Jason and marries him at the cost of abandoning her family and her country. In return after few years of marital bliss Jason abandons her for power and greed and marries another woman for her kingdom and fame. One of the issues brought out in this play by the author, Euripides, is that the ill treatment of women in the society where they had to listen to the men and bend to the command of men without any complains. Medea complains about these issues when she is very distressed and hurt due to the infidelity of her husband. She emphasizes about the difficulty of the role of women in the society where they do not have any freedom or rights. This uncontrollable passion drives her to do the unthinkable.

Medea plots the murder of the bride of Jason and the bride’s father and after that kills her two sons to spite Jason. Here the author tries to bring out another issue: Medea’s and Jason’s own character flaws brings their own destruction. Medea’s passion for revenge and Jason’s greed for power and fame and his committing infidelity, brings both their downturn by losing everything they had. 

I find it very interesting to understand that the author of the play brought out issues in those days (431 B.C) about women’s rights and the role of women in the society. Undoubtedly ancient Greece had a male dominated culture but the authors of those days recognized gender inequality as a problem of society. We can see that infidelity was a major issue even then because some acts are always hazardous irrelevant of what time we are talking about. In spite of all the literatures from that early stage, it seems like there was not much done to bring change to these issues because the western civilization gave rights and freedom to women only in the last 50 to 60 years. Women in their culture could not vote or own properties before that. Although this play is more than 2000 years old we can still relate to the issues brought up to expose the social and cultural problems of that era. I reckon that is what makes these plays immortal.

Madam Bovary

Emma Bovary’s fantasy of the life she read about in the romantic novels distorts her view of the real life. She pursuits her materialistic dream by constantly deceiving her husband for men she thought would make her dream come true. Instead of looking for the fundamental aspects of love she looks for the wealth and riches and lavishness. Her selfishness and distorted view of life end her in being promiscuous and used up as an object of sex and it also put her in great financial debt. Ironically the superior life she dreamed about and chased turned her into an object of town gossip about her extramarital activities and ruined her reputation. Like the other two plays we talked about earlier, this character also ends up in destruction due to her flaws in character. 

It is typical in a situation like this that, although Madam Bovary is in fault, still the men who committed adultery with her did not face similar fate as her. She ended up taking her life out of shame and guilt. There was clearly an issue about gender inequality as the two men who she had a non platonic relationship with had a happy ending with no string attached to their behavior but Emma ends up taking arsenic and killing herself. The genre of this novel is called realism where the author is not objective or passes judgment about any character. Things are portrayed as it is without any embellishment. I now understand the difference between naturalism and realism. Naturalism is involved in Miss Julie where it shows that no matter how much we are influenced by society or environment we still break the rules due to natural instincts. This is related to Darwin’s theory of natural selection because Miss Julie forgot about her status and committed adultery with a common folk because her natural desire took over her while trying to suppress it constantly.

Hedda Gabler

Hedda seems to be a walking destruction wherever she goes. She is not like the other women we have spoke earlier about but, she is well in control of herself and does not give in to temptations. She suppresses her free will to extent that it makes her restless and she cannot stand to see other people happy. She deliberately destroys the life of Lovborg by burning his manuscript which was supposed to give him financial stability and help him get together with his lover Thea. Hedda have feelings for Lovborg and she despises Thea, and she cannot stand the thought of seeing them happy. Her attitude is one of extreme jealousy because she burns the manuscript which Thea and Lovborg worked on together and called it their baby. I think this act can be compared to the one where Medea kills her two sons just to spite Jason. After an act like this Hedda does not stop there but she further has the audacity to give Lovborg a gun to kill himself. Her attitude is that if she is not happy no one can be happy. 

She seems to be also a very materialistic person like Madam Bovary because she talks about the promises made by her husband George, of giving her the lavish life she wants. She also got a commanding attitude like Miss Julie who thinks very superior of her self and above all other. This is the reason she ends up taking her own life when she realizes that Judge Brack got leverage on her and she has no control of the situation. I find a clear similarity between the four women, Hedda Gabler, Madam Bovary, Medea and Miss Julie. They all seem to throw themselves in the path of annihilation and the common reason is power. They all have pressures that do not allow them much freedom of will due to the social framework they are supposed to fit in. If they defile that order in society it brings their downfall and also if they suppress their desires that also brings out other negative aspects.

Example of a Report that shows Challenges Confronted

Sir, I read the White teeth Post colonialism along with other items which I'd be mentioning later. I did understand the first few pages. Things became a bit critical when I came in first and second wave post colonialism. Hybridity became even tougher. And I did NOT at all understand what the text has tried to say, or rather focus on, in transcultural. 


Saif

Report on Araby by James Joyce

In “Araby,” the allure of new love and distant places mingles with the familiarity of everyday drudgery, with frustrating consequences. Mangan’s sister embodies this mingling, since she is part of the familiar surroundings of the narrator’s street as well as the exotic promise of the bazaar. She is a “brown figure” who both reflects the brown facades of the buildings that line the street and evokes the skin color of romanticized images of Arabia that flood the narrator’s head. Like the bazaar that offers experiences that differ from everyday Dublin, Mangan’s sister intoxicates the narrator with new feelings of joy and elation. His love for her, however, must compete with the dullness of schoolwork, his uncle’s lateness, and the Dublin trains. Though he promises Mangan’s sister that he will go to Araby and purchase a gift for her, these mundane realities undermine his plans and ultimately thwart his desires. The narrator arrives at the bazaar only to encounter flowered teacups and English accents, not the freedom of the enchanting East. As the bazaar closes down, he realizes that Mangan’s sister will fail his expectations as well,and that his desire for her is actually only a vain wish for change.Instead of reaffirming his love or realizing that he does not need gifts to express his feelings for Mangan’s sister, the narrator simply gives up.Joyce suggests that all people experience frustrated desire for love and new experiences.

Best regards,

Sadia

Epistemology

Some notes from someone.

Following the links on epistemology from the blog I have gathered the following so far.

Behaviourism: One uses tools to control or alter behavious of another. 

Ways of knowing:

 C.I.P: Processes that break down and help us retain information.

M.R.L: Learning by realting to already learned concepts.

Shema theory: One's mind has information organized in a certain way. The level of organization should be improved to learn more or better.

Bruner's Interactional Theory: This theory emphasizes on thinking rather than the content of the information itself. It uses other sensory senses to help in the process of learning. 

Vygotsky's Interactional Theory: Social interaction forms the basis of this. Enquiry and problem solving is encouraged. 

Constructivism: Certain processes are followed in a specific order to solve probelms together in a group.

Andragogy Theory: Focuses on individual learning and proper planning of the learning process itself. The process is stressed upon, not the content of learning. 

Self-Directed Learning: No external forces are included in the learning process- self motivation is the main key and individual himself persues knowledge on his own. 

Transformational learning: This requires past experiences; information can be learnt from them by deep thoughts and debating over relevant issues from different perspectives. 

According to Karl Popper, theories containing empirical information should be critisized and trested. He states that knowledge has three different worlds (I was thinking of knowledge being 3-Dimensional when I read this). They are the physical world, the world of personal thoughts and the world of products of the thoughts. Each world is connected to the others in different ways and he further goes on to describe how. 

Shababa. 

Cupcake in GRANTA

A strange piece of writing- "Cupcake". (www.granta.com) It shows how consuming excess alcohol is a form of self-destruction. The title draws the attention of anyone who happens to glance at it, put presents something completely different than what the reader expects. The way it's written, I feel, is extremely interesting. Cupcake thinks that he's not a piece of trash right before he dies. The irony here is that his dead body's found in a dump. 

"How to write about Bulgaria" has humourous content and provides entertainment for readers. At the same time it does contain valuable advice. 

Shababa

We are closed till Sunday

This might seem relief to a few - and to a good many a disappointment - I will not hold classes on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So, on Monday - that is 15th August, 2011 - we will have the class. I will try to get a few of my US returnee students on that day. I can not arrange any other dates as I have to leave for Edinburgh on the night of 16th August.

However, I intend to conduct classes over the mail and through the BLOG during the entire 12 to 15 days absence. My Theatre team shall go to Paris and Amsterdam (tow cities I consider inferior to Dhaka in terms of dynamism) - but I will be back to Dhaka by 30th August.  

Please visit the BLOG at least twice during my absence.

Watch out for the next post tomorrow at 11 am.

A ver Fine Site for Writing Techniques

One of the best of its kind.

http://www.northland.cc.mn.us/owl/

Link for Definition Essay

http://www.northland.cc.mn.us/owl/doing%20the%20definition%20essay.htm

The news on The Distant Near in the NEW AGE.


http://newagebd.com/newspaper1/timeout/28913.html

Spaces on the MILE (V39)

http://www.thespaceuk.com/shows/the-distant-near-shakespeare-and-bengals-bard/

From Romana

"Waiting for Godot for me was a very strange strange play."

Shababa's Report and my Inputs

Dear Sir,

On searching for articles related to the Irish and Indian famines, I came across a review on the book "Three Famines", by Thomas Keneally. Keneally is said to have blamed politicians of that time for the terrible fate of the people suffereing from the famine. He critisizes Sir Winston Churchill for being a racist when it comes to Indians. A sense of abbhorence is developed towards Churchill as Keneally points out his inhuman comments on the Bengal population, despite them being an important part of the British troops. Yet another important theme that is held up by the writer is, that nothing had been learnt from history, that is, the Irish famine, where the same factors had led to the sufferings of many. 

Another article that came up from the search is "Entitlement, Shortage and the 1943 Bengali Famine: Another look" by Mark B. Tauger.The article discusses Amartya Sen's approach to famines and their causes. The writer begins by outlining two different apporaoches to famine- one being the actual shortage of food due to natural disasters or failure of crop prodeuction, the other being the availability of the produced food to people. The writer obviously supports the latter. "Starvation is the characteristic of some people not having food to eat. It is not the characteristic of there not being enough food to eat. While the latter can be a cuse of the former, it is but one of many possible causes. Whether and how starvation relates to food supply is a matter for factual investigation."This argument by Amartya Sen is well reasoned and it is extremely difficult to oppose it in any way, clearly validating Sen's perspective of the causes of a famine being a flaw in the structure or political actions in a country. 

Both the above articles provide a new point of view to famines, contrary to the common reaction to a famine which is- "Oh, there must be a shortage of food." They broaden our perspectives, stimulating us to think in a different way, to understand better not only the issue at hand, but also other situations. 

Shababa.

Dear Students,


Please check a few words about a book by Madhusree Mukerjee - Churchill's Secret War. The publication of ths book was angrily refuted by the the official Churchill Museum Authority - only proving that opinions can generate dangerous foes. The article by Pulitzer finalist Arthur Herman (the second link below) is probably one of the lousiest I have read in my recent memory. Will some find the fallacies in his own thoughts? 

Follow the links - 

www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/churchills-secret-war-by-madhusree-mukerjee-2068698.html

www.winstonchurchill.org/learn/in-the-media/churchill-in-the-news/966-without-churchill-indias-famine-would-have-been-worse 


SM

Those who failed to take the test on Sunday + Monday

Here are the ones who failed to appear on MOCKS for Sunday and Monday. It would be very helpful if you could send me mails explaining your circumstances.

Sukanya - Riasat - Sanzat - Serajul - Muntaseer.

Giving the MOCK makes one confident and improves control over the time-management and stress. We will have the 3rd Mock tomorrow. All the above students are requested to participate.

Please also check some VERY important blog-posts made yesterday.

2 Perfect Blogs on Epistemology - Behaviourism

http://philosophyteam10.blogspot.com/

http://www.ue295.com/xtranet/html/organizer/

MUST Read for all.

MOCK test Tomorrow at 7.30 pm

Farhan (Sunbeams), Shanzat, Sukanya, Serajul, Muntaseer, Rizal, Sarah, Rinat, Tanzid, Nazir - You are all requested to take part in the MOCK tomorrow - since you did not appear the MOCK today.

Tomorrow the MOCK starts at 7.30 am and there will be no Essay-writing. Please bring your copy of Princeton - 11 Tests Book; Calculator; Pencil.

Please confirm your presence through an SMS or e-mail.

Dover Beach - A report I liked for its balanced sentences

'Dover Beach'

Dover Beach is a poem through which Matthew Arnold expresses his deep sadness due to the growing impersonality of the industrial age in the mid 1800s, and as a result, the distance created between mankind and their faith in religion, their loss of connection with nature. In spite of the melancholy tone of the poem, the poet did not fail to present the words in a nice manner using alliterations and similes to make it sound rhythmic and lifelike.

According to Arnold, the advancements in science has cast shadows of doubt and confusion in people's belief in God and the Bible. In the opening stanza the poet creates an environment of dimming effects of light (light gleams and is gone) indicating that people's confidence in the concept of religion which was once strong was getting weaker due to the clashes between the religion and scientific theories...and so he finds it painful that 'the sea of faith' has become the sea of despair and desolation leaving suspicion of religion in the minds of people, creating a dark world filled with bewilderment, hatred and no morals. They have no light of hope to guide them ahead, only loneliness and misery. They are mislead by the cravings for materialistic life which seems is mysteriously dangerous....

Arnold believes that only love and intimacy can bring out the world from the darkness of distress and so he calls out to the listener to be honest and true to each other and their principles, because the rest of the world is a misguidance.

Durdana

Epistemological Observation

The most persistent problem in the theory of knowledge, therefore, is not what knowledge is or what it comes from, but whether there is any such thing at all. 

Romana

Of Grammar and Philosophy - Comment invited

There are some linguistic and philosophical problematics associated with the following paragraph. Can anyone identify what are the issues? -

Carlyle explains that the true biographer, his ideal image of what the role entitles, does not merely 'reflect' the image and life of his subject but in addition to giving a clear picture of the protagonist he also subjects his central concern to his own artistic depiction and moulding to ultimately transfer the actual role of editing to the reader. He feels it is a necessity for the biographer to side his view on the subject for this result to be achieved. [Write your opinions in the comments box. Maximum 2 sentences allowed.]

SAT Class on Friday Cancelled

Dear Students,

I have decided to cancel tomorrow's Friday SAT class - however, SAT class will be held at 10.15 am. Please notify those who want to join the SAT class. The Saturday class will repeat the items we discussed in class to day Thursday. So, those who attended Thursday class need NOT attend Saturday Class.

Everyone should send reports.