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feminist and marxist readings

Reply 20

mobbdeeprob

waiting2smile

Do you know you've managed to successfully hijack someones thread. Well done.

Wrong again :biggrin:

:

Germaine Greer: The Female Eunuch.

Reply 21

waiting2smile

2

little_melanie

thank you for all the help you've given me, you're v. clver and nice :biggrin:

also very quickly what do the birds represent in the last passage apart from flight? thanks

Freedom? But really the image of the ‘birds’ are used to reflect the constant motif of flight, whilst the fact the bird takes Pilate’s earring with her name metaphorically shows Pilate’s soul has been released, in addition it emphasises that she too has achieved flight.

*Ignores mobbdeeprob, he's just a little boy who's missing his mummy*

Reply 22

little_melanie

OP

waiting2smile

Freedom? But really the image of the ‘birds’ are used to reflect the constant motif of flight, whilst the fact the bird takes Pilate’s earring with her name metaphorically shows Pilate’s soul has been released, in addition it emphasises that she too has achieved flight.

*Ignores mobbdeeprob, he's just a little boy who's missing his mummy*

thanks um would you say the novel was one of hope, it's what my essay title is about. i thought about arguing it was one of despair cos even at the end when the main character dies he has left the women folk bereaving, just like his fore fathers so he's still selfish in the end. :confused:

Or do you think that's a bad idea?

Reply 23

waiting2smile

2

little_melanie

thanks um would you say the novel was one of hope, it's what my essay title is about. i thought about arguing it was one of despair cos even at the end when the main character dies he has left the women folk bereaving, just like his fore fathers so he's still selfish in the end. :confused:

Or do you think that's a bad idea?

No it's not a bad idea but it may be difficult to argue. What I suggest you do is actually consider it as a novel of ‘hope’ and also ‘despair’ and then evaluate in the conclusion about whether ‘despair’ presides over ‘hope’. I would have thought ‘The Song of Solomon’ was primarily a novel of ‘hope’ because the protagonist Milkman is given the opportunity to explore the history of his ancestors, allowing him to achieve a greater understanding of himself and his past. His understanding secures his own identity and liberates himself from the materialistic values of his father. Furthermore the values and traditions of the black culture are essentially embraced by the end of the novel. So this signifies hope, because it metaphorically emphasises that there can be hope for any individual. :smile:

Reply 24

waiting2smile

2

Okay regarding your PM say something like, 'Morrison herself realises the importance of giving voice to characters in order to identify conflict and allow the readers the chance to draw their own conclusions of other characters. The story which is told in third person does not stay bound to this form. Often readers suddenly experience the point of view of other characters when Morrison slips into their minds and reveals their thoughts. The characters and events in effect become to the reader much more real.'

You could use the passage where Guitar and Milkman almost represent Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, and also the section where Guitar's thoughts are made more direct.

Reply 25

little_melanie

OP

why is Pilate said to have led a more contented life in comparision to Macon? :confused:

I'm now dealing with characters who help shape the protagonists. also how do you plan your essays? i have to hand in this essay and one of my choice in a few days :eek:

Reply 26

waiting2smile

2

little_melanie

why is Pilate said to have led a more contented life in comparision to Macon? :confused:

I'm now dealing with characters who help shape the protagonists. also how do you plan your essays? i have to hand in this essay and one of my choice in a few days :eek:

I don't usually plan. I just estimate how many paragraphs I'm going to have and breifly on a piece of paper jot down what each one will encompass.

As for Pilate, I suppose you could argue that unlike Macon she sustains her self identity and is free of the materialistic values he burdens himself with. Her self-sufficiency, supernatural powers and generosity allows her to be respected and valued by society, which i guess is is ironic since it should in fact be her brother commanding these. Also she has a great infulence on Milkman - she's the only woman/mother able to command his respect and his love. Or at least I think so, as Milkman tends to disregard anything Ruth says/does.

Reply 27

danii17

Ok well Marxism and Feminism are two totally different things.

No, marxism and feminism are actually very similar in that feminism is a conflict theory, like marxism. Im sure fellow sociologists would agree. There are a group of feminists called 'marxist feminists' who draw inspiration from the writings of Karl Marx and the capitalist exploitation of women.

Reply 28

waiting2smile

2

I would rewrite the second paragraph. Here's my version:

The contrast between the Ruth the wealthy middle class woman and Pilate the poor woman in 'Song of Solomon' shows the class divide in the black community. It is not seen entirely as a despairing situation as Morrison shows that even though there are problems the division can be overcome, this is seen through Pilate and Ruth being able to look ‘deep into each other’s eye’, and the black community being brought together to witness Smith’s suicide. The black people are unified against the white culture through calling a street ‘Not Doctor Street’ as opposed to the whites who stated it must be called ‘Mains Avenue’.

If you do it that way, by making it matter of fact and avoiding repetition, you should be able to avoid exceeding the word limit.

feminist and marxist readings

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