My I-Search Word: Mercy

The reason that I chose the word "mercy" is because of Toni Morrison's A Mercy, one of my favorite books of all time. The word "mercy" appears in Morrison's novel in the excerpt: "It was not a miracle. Bestowed by G-d. It was a mercy. Offered by a human." This very passage is one of the reasons that I love the novel so much. It seems to imply that a "mercy" is the human form of a miracle, which is, by Morrison's definition, divine. (This made me realize that "miracle" would've been an interesting word choice as well). But is Morrison's use of "mercy" always what the word means? When I think of "mercy", this passage comes to mind first, and then I think of the childhood game "mercy" where two players try to hurt each other's hands until one of them declares defeat by yelling "Mercy!" In this context, the word signifies giving up; this definition certainly does not seem to correspond to Morrison's definition of a form of a miracle. I am really curious to research how one word can have such seemingly different definitions or usages that are actually related. I want to know if the word was always used in these two different ways or if one branched out of the other.

Summary of Barbara Johnson's "My Monster/My Self"

Johnson sets out to explore the relationship between the questions of mothering, the woman writer, and the autobiography.

Parenthood:

• Johnson relates parenthood to monstrousness and explores how although Victor was raised by loving parents while the creature was abandoned by his creator, they both "reach an equal degree of alienation and self-torture." She seems to state that monstrousness is an inherent quality of parenting. 
• She also asserts that society's views and ambivalence towards technology/technological advancement are similar to the love-hate relationship we have with our parents. 
• Johnson also states that maybe Victor's disgust with his creature is similar to postpartum depression and maternal rejection of a newborn infant, suggesting that in this way, the entire novel reflects Shelley's doubts about motherhood especially given that she lived through an unwanted pregnancy and other situations.

Woman writer/autobiography:

• Johnson relates the idea of the woman writer and the autobiography by proposing that Frankenstein is in some way an autobiography of a woman, particular a woman author, struggling in society. This idea is a bit ironic considering that the book is actually composed of three fictive autobiographies of men (Walton, Victor, and the creature).
• The ambivalence towards motherhood is an autobiographical element that Shelley included.
• Johnson draws a parallel between Shelley's creation of the book and Victor's creation of the creature because many people thought it very strange that a young woman could write such a disturbing book. The two processes (Shelley's and Victor's) are similar in many ways. ("Frankenstein, in other words, can be read as the story of the experience of writing Frankenstein.")
• Victor attempts to steal the role of women by creating a being instead of allowing a woman to give birth to it, and he produces a monster. Does that mean that a woman that does what was considered a man's job of writing a book can only produce a monster? Shelley explores this question. 

Note: Barbara Johnson's criticism also discussed these same questions in regards to two other books, but for purposes of this assignment, I focused on her discussion of Frankenstein.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Blog: Draft #1

Lauren Chanen

Coon

AP English

October 2011

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Blog: Draft #1

            Although Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a late fourteenth century medieval romance, many comparisons can be drawn between that story and situations, events, or literary pieces of today. The reason that many aspects of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight are still seen in current situations is that many issues that arise in the story relate to universal truths or questions about human nature. For example, one central message of the story is that of forgiveness. This message is demonstrated through the encounter between Sir Gawain and the Green Knight at the end of the story. Earlier, Sir Gawain had made a deal with the host with whom he was staying that the host would go out and hunt during the day while Sir Gawain would stay at home with the women, and at the end of the day, they would exchange what they had received. However, when the host’s wife gives Gawain the magical green girdle, Gawain does not even tell the host about this gift let alone give it to him as their arrangement had dictated. In the end, when Sir Gawain meets with the Green Knight, the Green Knight knows about Gawain’s dishonorable sin of not abiding by the rules of the deal, so he says that Gawain has a “cowardly and covetous heart” and that “in [him] is villainy and vice, and virtue laid low” (162). Although the intensity and harshness of these statements demonstrate that Gawain’s transgression was seen as incredibly shameful, the Green Knight excuses Gawain’s sin very quickly and without difficulty. This easily granted forgiveness could be compared to the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.

            Yom Kippur, the day of atonement and repentance, is a time when Jews are supposed to regret their sins, resolve never to do them again, ask for forgiveness from the persons whom the transgressions were against, and confess the sins to G-d. If they do so, G-d will forgive them, and the people whom they have hurt are supposed to do so as well. Similarly, as soon as Gawain simply confesses to his sin and asks to be back in the Green Knight’s good grace, the Green Knight says, “I hold you polished as a pearl, as pure and as bright as you had lived free of fault since first you were born” (162). In both cases, the simple acts of confession and asking for forgiveness are extremely powerful; it is so powerful, in fact, that in Judaism, on Yom Kippur, if someone asks a person whom they have hurt through a sin for forgiveness three times, and each time, the person refuses to grant the sinner forgiveness, G-d still forgives the sinner because he made an effort to ask for forgiveness.

The fact that someone can transform from being viewed as a lowly coward to as pure as a pearl after saying just a few sentences is a somewhat easier process to achieve forgiveness than that of Yom Kippur; Yom Kippur requires that the sinner truly regret the sin and never repeat it, but in Gawain’s case, readers do not know whether he truly regrets what he has done or simply wants to regain his honor. The fact that he is forgiven suggests that he probably did something to demonstrate a sense of guilt in order to prove that he learned his lesson from the situation. Before his journey, he was a knight, but he did not represent the ideal of knighthood well because he was not very humble or honorable in that sense. However, in the end, he wears the green girdle as a sign of his own sin and failure, and this action demonstrates that he deserved to be forgiven even though he had sinned. Thus, this story and Yom Kippur both teach that what one has done in the past cannot be changed, but so long as the person learns his lesson from his previous sins, does not repeat them, and acknowledges his own failure and flaws, he deserves forgiveness.

A Brief History of Profanity in the English Language

• Profane = "outside the temple"
• Swearing exists in all languages (and even among animal species)
• Has always been part of English, even in Bible
• Linked to many other languages (Norwegian, Swedish, and French in the case of one particular word)
• Most historians/etymologists trace its first written English use to a poem titled "Flyn flyys" (1475 AD)
• Code is used to disguise the word
• 1503: first appearance in dictionary 
• 1795-1965: not in a single dictionary
• Although additional meanings have evolved over time, and the severity and censorship of has varied throughout the years, some bad words have always been considered as such
• Some of today's swear words weren't originally considered profanity
• 14th century: Chaucer uses a swear word to mean befouled
• 1600: word became vulgar and began to signify some of today's meanings
• Additional definitions were added up to 1936

Strengths of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

            One of the greatest strengths of Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is its ability to offer something different to each reader depending on where he or she is in life. Everyone can take something different from the story. For example, a young child would see the story as simply an entertaining mystery novel that poses questions about gaining independence and growing up. Teenagers the same age as or older than the narrator can put themselves into Christopher’s shoes and experience empathy when imagining how difficult life would be with the mental problems that so obviously affect Christopher’s ability to live in mainstream society. Even adults could benefit from the book because their parental instinct and desire to help the young narrator would be the driving forces throughout their reading of the story, so the book would teach them about life in yet a different way. The novel is complicated and has many levels and can therefore be enjoyed more than once, and in a different way each time. No matter what level the book is read on, from the most superficial to the most complex, it poses questions about life on a larger scale through the medium of a very simple story. Not only does it pose different questions depending on where the reader is in life, but it also poses universal questions to all readers such as how to cope with loss. The genius of the book lies in the fact that it seems to be a very simple novel, but when dissected, it reveals deep insight about life and how different age groups have different perspectives and read stories in a different way while at the same time, no matter how young or old and no matter how mentally able or disabled, some life questions stay the same.

            Another incredible strength of the novel is the way it allows the reader to feel for a short time that he or she is in the position of someone with the medical condition that Christopher has. For a book to convey the experience, mindset, and thought-processes of a person with Aspergers or autism or a similar disorder is a difficult job because it is so unrelatable and unimaginable for those of us without such disabilities. The way that the author accomplishes the complex task of allowing the audience to relate to Christopher in such a way is to give him many characteristics that the average reader can relate to. For example, despite his many differences from the typical teenager, at his core, he still maintains the spirit of a rebellious teenager who desires independence and adventure and has difficulty obeying the rules set forth by his parents. He also has the goals and aspirations of a normal teenager in that he wants to do well in school so that he can live on his own and provide for himself. Many readers can relate to these aspects of Christopher’s personality, which therefore helps them understand his unusual, distorted point of view in a deeper way. Instead of just noting that many of Christopher’s beliefs or thought processes, such as his theory that whether a day is good or bad depends on what cars he sees that day, are completely unreasonable and irrational, readers begin to understand his logic behind such beliefs instead of just seeing him as crazy. Through this strength of the book, Haddon was able to give a voice to a group of people tat are not usually heard and help increase understanding and therefore acceptance.

Most Memorable Books

In no particular order...
1. Dear American Airlines by Jonathan Miles: The entire book is written in the form of a complaint letter to American Airlines because the narrator's flight got cancelled, and according to him, missing the flight essentially ruined his life. As someone with a lawyer's personality who loves to complain, I will always be inspired by this 180-page complaint letter.
2. Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier: It was my ID book; therefore, it is stuck in my mind forever. Every time I see the cover of it in a store, my heart drops because it reminds me of writing that paper. Despite the torture I went through with that book because of the paper, I still thoroughly love the book, and if you can love a book after being forced to write a 36-page paper on it, it must be a pretty incredible book.
3. Mitch Albom's books including The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Tuesdays with Morrie, and For One More Day: They are all extremely short (less than 200 pages) and unbelievably simple. In fact, the story of each book is explained by the titles. One is about the five people you meet in heaven; one is about a boy who spends his Tuesdays with an old man named Morrie; and one is about if you could live for one more day after death. The books are incredibly simple, even down to the language of them, yet they make readers think about life and humanity in such complex ways.
4. Toni Morrison's A Mercy: It contains what I think is the absolute best line from a book ever. "To be given dominion over another is a hard thing; to wrest dominion over another is a wrong thing; to give dominion of yourself to another is a wicked thing."
5. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss: It is my favorite book of all time, but I barely even remember the plot. There is a book inside a book, and there are two separate stories going on at the same time that don't even come together until near the end of the book. Despite its complexities, it is simply beautiful.
6. James Frey's A Million Little Pieces (and My Friend Leonard): When I found out that James Frey was a fraud and that the story was not in a fact a memoir, I didn't care. I loved it all the same. Though the way the story was written could be described as severely lacking eloquence and proper grammar, it seemed to have some power over me. Also, it is my favorite book cover ever, and, yes, I do judge a book based on its cover.

Example of Excellent Storytelling

"It was inconceivable to me that there could be more than one way to play in the dirt, but there it was. Doug couldn't get it right. And thats why I whacked him. Bang! On both ears, just like I saw on The Three Stooges. Being three years old was no excuse for disorderly play habits. For example, I would use my mother's kitchen spoon to scoop out a ditch. Then, I would carefully lay out a line of blue blocks. I never mixed my food, and I never mixed my blocks. Blue blocks went with blue blocks, and red blocks with red ones. But Doug would lean over and put a red block on top of the blue ones. Couldn't he see how wrong that was? After I had whacked him, I sat back down and played. Correctly. Sometimes, when I got frustrated with Doug, my mother would walk over and yell at me. I don't think she ever saw the terrible things he did. She just saw me whack him. I could usually ignore her, but if my father was there, too, then he would get really mad and shake me, and then I would cry."


This is a passage from Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison. As the title suggests, the book is an autobiographical account of John Elder's life with Asperger's, and it is told through many stories from his childhood before being diagnosed as an Aspergian and his commentary upon them as an adult who is now aware of how strange his behavior as a child was. The main reason that he is such a good storyteller is because he gives the reader insight into the thought-processes and mindset of a person with Aspergers despite the fact that it is very difficult to imagine how life with such a disorder would be. This short passage, which John Elder used to begin his book, reveals that John Elder was different from most children in many ways such as his impatience, violence, obsessive compulsive behaviors, high expectations from others and his lack of understanding when those expectations were not met, lack of social grace, inability to see situations from other people's perspectives, and other people's inability to see things from his warped perspective. It is incredible how such a short passage of a story is not only entertaining but also reveals so much about how exactly Aspergers made him different in a setting that many readers can relate to, which is very important considering that Aspergers is certainly not a relatable subject.