“You can never ever EVER separate history from literature!” This was a statement I heard from my high school AP Lit teacher at least once a class period. It would always make me smile because she said it every time with the same assertiveness and excitement. She NEVER got sick of burning that into our brains. One of the things we have discussed in class this semester is the way primary school students are instructed to view and analyze pieces of literature using the guidelines of new criticism. Their lessons are exam based, and they are graded on their ability to study a single piece of literature as its own separate entity. During this discussion in class, I thought about how my high school English teacher, Ms. Fox, planted a small seed in our brains to encourage a more broadened perspective. Continue reading “History and Literature”
The modern day “chorus”
In class on Wednesday, it was brought to our attention what it means to be part of “the chorus” in “The Bacchae” and what those girls would look, act, and sound like at that point in time. It is an interesting thought to decipher how the group of the chorus girls were seen at the time that the play was written viruses in the twenty-first century as the play being read and reproduced. It is interesting to discuss is the idea of the modern day “chorus” and how they might be seen in today’s society. Throughout the play, the chorus are seen singing and dancing in recognition of Dionysus, while telling stories about his life. This reminds me of the cult-like following that celebrities have in today’s society. While they sometimes are not seen in the best light, these obsessive followings for celebrities like Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, or even groups like One Direction are common and actually pretty normal to see in today’s world. Throughout social media, magazines, and television, it is hard to go through even one day without seeing one of these celebrities’ pop up on your phone and hearing their name come up in conversation.
What is important to look at is how we as a society can look at the chorus in “The Bacchae” and how this is similar or different to the “chorus” you might see today and how that might change your opinion while reading the play. From my own perspective this chorus does not seem so bad. Though they might be obsessive, they also seem like a modern day following. Though from the perspective of Pentheus, they are a group that is being controlled by a god that Pentheus does not even believe in. This idea also raises the question if there are other points that the play is trying to allude to that we are just missing because our idea on what is normal and right has shifted so much over time that we no longer can make a common point to what was written so long ago. The way to accurately look at a play would be to first look up what life was like when the play was written and produced, so confusion like this does not occur.
The indecisiveness of an English major
I often times find myself defending the reasons as to why I chose English as my major. Before attending Geneseo, I was told by many that English was not a major that would bring prosperity. I remember packing for college, contemplating the sacrifices I would have to make for my educational success, even if that meant disappointing some in the process. In spite, I was told countless times by my professor in high school that an English degree would get me nowhere, but in the line at an unemployment office. When asked by most of my friends, faculty members, even esteemed professors at SUNY Geneseo, they ask “Why English?” or they comment “Hmm. That’s interesting”. Their tone of voice is usually greeted with skepticism, rather than in awe. I came to understand why majoring in English develops an layer of uncertainty to those around me, in context, their reactions makes sense.
As Moran discusses in “Interdisciplinarity”, “English does not make a strong connection between education and training for future careers”. (Moran, 18). Throughout reading, Moran explains the value of English as it is a discipline in itself, more importantly, shaping knowledge on numerous platforms. He elaborates on the principle of English being the framework of multiple fundamentals, including higher acclaimed majors such as Physics or Biology. Analyzing the concept of English through Moran’s critical lens, along with my own reaction, reveals that, in distancing myself from English due to outside perspectives, I am hindering my own educational needs. While, at face value, I criticized my own choices because of the opinions of other people, rather than focusing on my aspirations. The dubiousness of the major inspires me to look at my education holistically, instead of pondering over the “what if’s.”
However, upon further contemplation, If choosing English as my major meant taking a risk in my academic career, is it really worth it? In brief, sitting in Professor McCoy’s class has only encouraged my expectations upon myself as an English major to grow, but as always, I still have some doubt.
The Bacchae: Pentheus = “Penthus”
“You have a name that makes you ripe for disaster” (141).
This is a quote by Dionysus to Pentheus at the end of the play, and it questions me what “Pentheus” really means. Continue reading “The Bacchae: Pentheus = “Penthus””
Ambiguity in relation to Dionysus’ power and the English discipline
As is stated in Interdisciplinarity, English as a subject is hard to pin down or define and in some people’s opinion it is not qualified to stand on its own as a discipline. I can understand this confusion, since by nature English as a topic deals with a wide variety of “subjects” (such as death, love, sex, friendship, religion, etc.) and those subjects can be conveyed, explained, or explored in many different mediums, whether by poetry, fictional novels, non- fiction prose, and a combination of others. This uncertainty connects in my mind to the The Bacchae in the sense that Dionysus himself is hard to quickly sum up or fully explain with evidence of facts. His own origin and claim of being a god is questioned, by his mother Semele’s own family. Many people, such as Pentheus consider worship of Dionysus to be degrading. This ambiguity can also be applied to his worshippers, or maenads. How exactly are these women affected by Dionysus is hard to say. To what extend are they under his influence? Continue reading “Ambiguity in relation to Dionysus’ power and the English discipline”
Bacchae: Language and its importance
The Bacchae is meant to make you think; the way this is achieved is through language throughout the play. As we discussed in class, from reading only a few pages we received a remarkable amount of information, but also many questions. What came to my attention, and many others, was how the language can change abruptly. For example, madness is one of the key components within this play as Dionysus has turned women mad to get revenge for his mother as she was slain for him being born. On the other hand, the chorus emits a feeling of joy when they are in his presence because they are his worshippers that he feeds off for power. It is difficult to determine the language as it seems to change from one paragraph to another; two extremely different tones. It also has the audience question if what Dionysus is plotting is truly evil or justice. With his many followers claiming he makes them feel joy, while he is turning women into sociopathic animals, creates a good argument about his own being, his own intentions, and his own worth. Looking through language, there are so many perspectives that can come from within it and contradictions.
Following the theme of language, in the book, Interdisciplinarity, there is an argument of why English can not be one of the disciplines like sociology or philosophy. The Bacchae proves why it can be as the play creates a greater depth to the characters and makes the audience really think what this type of language is trying to “tell” the audience. On page 22 of Interdisciplinarity, literary criticism says “textual interpretations” from books are supposed to be “every bit as precise and painstaking as a laboratory experiment, and to use this newly acquired methodology to challenge the dominance of scientific rationality in society.” The Bacchae is an example of this idea as it challenges the audience to think about right versus wrong and to dig in-depth the language that is used to interpret what they believe is the answer to all their questions. It is based on their feelings and ideas, not others and that is what makes English useful and helpful in that it pushes people to make their own opinions. Without difficult language or weaving together two separate ideas together through language, this would hardly be possible as the audience would not be challenged as they should be and why English should always be considered part of the disciplines.
An Attempt to Connect The Bacchae and Interdisciplinarity
While both texts are fairly different, as one is fiction and non-fiction, I can’t help but to notice a common feature of The Bacchae by Euripedes and Interdisciplinarity by Joe Moran. Given, I may not have understood some of the concepts in both texts due to both of them using “big words” and with Interdisciplinarity being a bit of a dry read at some parts, but I do see a common theme. In both the Introduction of Interdisciplinarity and the entire play of The Bacchae, I noticed that in both cases, there seems to be a struggle to find what should take priority over the latter, may it be the worship of Dionysus or deciding which field of study is more important/ how to create a wholesome study of multiple or single subject fields. While Euripedes certainly went about solving this issue by tearing a man apart (literally), Moran simply describes the academic power struggle that occurred over time. One could also argue that they are also both a kind of history lesson, as Euripedes, like Moran, alludes to events and people that a certain level of background information would help someone understand the text better. Unlike myself, who stopped reading both texts to “Google” many concepts and names while reading. More abstractly, one could say that the combination of both works could resemble the constant battle that academia and religion have, as one is written as a folktale, and the other like a research paper. A bit out there, I know, but it definitely crossed my mind as I attempted to decode the meaning behind each reading.
The ‘Mickey Mouse’ Subject: A Low Blow to English Enthusiasts
After reading the first chapter of Moran’s Interdisciplinarity, I was not only taken back by the low expectations society and professionals had for English as a subject, but whole heartedly angered by it.
Throughout my lifetime, I heard repetitively, “English is so easy” and “Math and Science are hard.” Over and over again these statements were drilled into our brains, so much so that I found myself saying them. I believed that English was easier and I struggled in Math and Science, partly because psychologically I believed that English was the “Mickey Mouse subject” – that it was an easy option. But there came a point after I graduated that I actually had to work very hard in English, in fact just as hard as I did in the Maths and Sciences. There became a point when I was challenged in English, challenged with new ideologies and challenged with “outside of the box interpretations.” But as I rose to these challenges, I began to be confident in my knowledge and interpretations in English courses – suddenly I felt like I knew what I was talking about. I began to challenge ideologies and social constructs instead of just considering them. Continue reading “The ‘Mickey Mouse’ Subject: A Low Blow to English Enthusiasts”
Interdisciplinarity and the Ever-Changing Hierarchy
Often times I’ve caught myself acting self-conscious about the fact that I’m an English major. Usually when I tell people this fact, it’s greeted with skepticism:
“Oh… what are you going to do with an English Literature degree?”
“Are you going to be a teacher?”
I usually follow up these criticisms with the reassurance that “Well, I’m pre-law so I plan on going to law school afterwards”, as if to validate that my studies are going to be “worth it”. In class discussion, it was nice hearing that I’m not the only one who has experienced this. It’s also interesting that there has somewhat always existed an ever-changing hierarchy in interdisciplinarity as far back as Aristotle, with slight discrepancies from today’s educational hierarchy. Continue reading “Interdisciplinarity and the Ever-Changing Hierarchy”
Philosopher Royalty: the Modern Liberal Arts Student
In Interdisciplinarity, Moran draws the development of the disciplines largely back to Ancient Greece. Aristotle created a hierarchy of disciplines, in which productive subjects, such as engineering, and to my disappointment, poetry and fine arts found themselves on the bottom tier. What Aristotle calls the practical subjects, ethics and politics, are in the middle tier. Physics, math, and theology, the theoretical subjects, were what Aristotle held in the highest regard. Aristotle’s stark classification of these disciplines is softened by his belief that “parents should have their sons trained not because it is necessary, or because it is useful, but simply because it is liberal and something good in itself.” Moran mentions that Aristotle had reservations about dividing knowledge, so he named the philosopher as one who bound all of that together in the highest form. Even at this stage, it’s clear that Aristotle is in favor of an interdisciplinary education. This hearkens to the work of his teacher, Plato. Continue reading “Philosopher Royalty: the Modern Liberal Arts Student”