LitImaginationmf2308a

Topic 4: The meaning and significance of "beauty" in Rita Dove's Thomas and Beulah and Brian Turner's Here, Bullet

Concept: For this blog, I want to explore the concept of beauty in Dove and Turner's works, how they are similar, how they are different, and how they relate to an outside poem famous for its beauty. I have picked the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, because not only is it an old work of beauty, I think that it has a lot to contrast and compare itself to Thomas and Beulah and Here, Bullet.

Thesis: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, say many, but in the eyes of a poet, beauty can mean everything. Whether making a poem about the horrors of war in Brian Turner's Here, Bullet or the love of a man and his wife in Rita Dove's Thomas and Beulah, beauty can be found anywhere and the best of poets can express that love to the most shallow of skeptics. But what is beauty, and what about it appeals to so many of us? That is perhaps the hardest question to answer, as beauty is often the world's most complex idea (next to love), but through out the works of Dove and Turner, beauty can be seen and identified.

# The love Thomas and Beulah share, leading into the tough times that they endure

#The beautiful words used to describe a woman on life support not being saved

#The beauty in Beulah's father coming home drunk and making critiques about Thomas

#The Rubaiyat, why it is beautiful, and how it is similar in atmosphere to Turner's work

#The Rubaiyat, why it is an authority on beauty, and how it is similar in spirituality to Dove's work

#How love can and can't be beautiful

#How Turner's beauty is different from Dove's beauty

#The relationship Turner shares with his work, and why it is beautiful

#The relationship Dove shares with her work, and why it is beautiful

#Probably some other things

Conclusion

Two Internet sources:

http://www.therubaiyat.com ; This site has several translations of the Rubaiyat

http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/dov0bio-1 ; This site has an extensive biography of Rita Dove

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/entertainment/poetry/profiles/poet_turner.html ; This site outlines some information about Brian Turner and has a link of him reading two of his poems.

In the novel, The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, there are many concepts brought up that can be written an entire volume on their own. Some of these are African Dictator History, the American Dream, American Reality vs. Stories from home, culture-shock and Love. Use one of these, or your own concept, and pick one of the main/minor characters and explain the character''s relationship to any concept. IE, Sepha and his fatherly love for Naomi.

I believe that James Baldwin's Essay, "Down at the Cross" challenges many of the religious and racial assumptions of lexicon and vocabulary in the English language. First of all, this seems to be a very deep theory that Baldwin has. A theory that is hard for me to comprehend altogether. Baldwin structures his essay like one I've not seen before. The paragraphs are long, sometimes as big as pages. I really like how the structure is, since as a reader I can really get surrounded by the content and just learn --or live what Baldwin writes.

The language that Baldwin uses seems to be very colloquial, and that is very unique and enjoyable about his work. Baldwin uses lexicon that brings in his unique African-American culture. But also, he talks to the reader. Like a story about his life and not a bland non-fiction essay. Speaking about the African-American culture, Baldwin says something that I've never even considered before and really brings out a point from the Nation of Islam. The African-American culture is an ethnic group. But unlike the Israelis, or the Kurds, or the Greeks, or the Danes, this group is lost to perhaps never have their own nation. The African-American population is clearly a unique ethnic group, but unlike those forementioned groups, what are the possibilities that the US government will give Alabama or Northern Florida away to create an African-American Nation ---as pushed by the Nation of Islam.

We really need to focus on what Baldwin focuses on and look at his work through his perspective. As someone who grew up with white American English, just as Baldwin grew up and then found his own voice, I read Baldwin through my lexicon knowledge. The proposal of an African-American nation through secession of US States sounds crazy to me. But to see it through Baldwin's words, when he explains Elijah Mohammad's views for example, actually has a strength to it. Why should a nation of people be denied a state of land when in today so many advocates out there are demanding all ethnic groups have a state. This is perhaps the most important understanding from Baldwin, since it really is a gateway in understanding the African-American struggle that can't be seen through conventional English but needs poetic and colloquial translation in order to be comprehended.
 

When Malamud ends "The Assistant" he leaves a lot of questions unanswered. The very questions that made us want to keep reading his interesting book! I personally wouldn't mind if it did go on for several more pages, it was enjoyable fiction to read.

First of all, now that he is circumsized, WHAT is to happen with Frank & Helen? I think that in the last quarter of the last chapter Helen really started to garnish the respect for Frank that he deserved. Maybe now knowing that Frank circumsized himself and pretty much became Morris's definition of a Jew (not stealing and being a good person) Helen would even marry Frank. The problem that I can only think of is...how does Frank tell Helen that he is circumsized? Worse yet, how does Frank convince Ida that he really is Jewish without Morris around to backup his definition and the fact that telling her that he circumsized himself may also be awkward. Maybe for that reason Malamud stopped writting? I don't know, but it would be nice for Frank and Helen, who FOIL eachother so well, to actually end up together.

Without Morris in the picture the book is missing a very central character. To bring him back would be a blunder. I mean, to physically bring him back from the dead would kill the realistic factor in the book, and to bring him back in long-stretched memories that Ida and Helen have (or any of the minor characters) just sounds boring. Even if they talk about some great adventure Morris went on that was more interesting than all the Indiana Jones movies; without him there, it just doesn't work. The worst way of all, though, that I see Morris coming back, is him waking up and his death is a dream. The story got so complex and interesting, that would just make me mad. So I guess that Morris is out, but maybe someone else could come in?

Frank is considering to open a restaurant. I would enjoy to see how this situation progresses, especially with Frank's tendency to screw up and how he didn't seem to screw up at all since falling on top of Morris's grave. Maybe Frank would have to hire some unique character to work at his restaurant, not in the way that Frank worked for Morris, but in a different way. A cook with a long story, or something like that. And his only role is to somehow have Helen fall in love with him. Then there is conflict again. Frank treats him harshly at his restaurant, not like how Morris was kind, until Frank kills this chef or harms him in a way that Helen wouldn't want to be with the chef anymore. Then, Frank becomes decent again, leaves Ida and Helen for good, since Frank can no longer love himself or anyone after killing out of jealousy. Wow, I am getting carried away, but I like this. Then, just as he came with bad news, just as he stayed committing many mistakes, Frank would leave Ida and Helen in their sadness.

As far as Ida's character goes, I think that without Morris she has no one to really contrast and will quiet down. Ida would make a bigand final buzz when Frank, if Frank, decides to wed Helen, but it could be her chance to embrace her 'son in law' and thank him for all he did for Morris, her, the story, and all he will do for Helen. I like this happier ending a lot more than the one I just wrote about, but with Frank's tendency to always mess up, I have a feeling that the one where he kills a cook and leaves Helen and Ida is more logical....which is unfortunate, so thank goodness that this is a story and not reality!!

I hope that you liked this, Meghan!! Have a great day, and I look forward to reading and responding to your blog!

Hey Stephanie! How are you? I hope that you enjoy this question!

Kate Simon was brought to America with hope of a better life, the allure of the American Dream, and for her family to be reunited. When Kate got off the long and tragic boat ride, her mother ridden with typhoid, the sweet chocolate kisses of her father were perhaps the first "tastes" of this new American freedom. However, Simon Came to America seemingly long ago. How does the American Dream differ in your opinion nowadays from the American Dream experienced by Simon