I edited this blog recently to include all my written work, just in case.
Have a good winter break!
--Mallika
Monday, December 12, 2011
Final Project Annotated Bibliography
Mallika Dhaliwal
Professor Jimmie Wilson
English Writing 001B-09Y
8 December 2011
Annotated Bibliography
Baym, Nina, ed. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 7th ed. 5 vols. New York: Norton, 2007. Print.
Nina Baym is an American literary critic who has written hundreds of scholarly articles on American literature. She was also an Emeritus Professor at the University of Illinois: Urbana-Champaign before her retirement. This anthology, which she edited, is particularly useful because it includes biographies of authors and descriptions of literary periods to contextualize the texts compiled. For example, Walt Whitman’s poetry would be accompanied by his biography, an account of the time in which he lived, and a portrait of American Romanticism and Transcendentalism.
Greenblatt, Stepehen, ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, 8th ed., New York: Norton, 2006. Print.
Stephen Greenblatt is a professor of English at The University of California, Berkeley, and Harvard University. He is often considered one of the founders of “New Historicism,” a movement analyzing the cultural and historical contexts of a poem in order to better criticize it. The Norton anthology he edited is useful in the same way that Baym’s anthology of American literature is helpful: Greenblatt provides significant insight into the society and movements occurring during the time in which various poets were writing.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. 1850. New York: Random House, 2000. Print.
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American author best known for pioneering American dark Romanticism, or American Gothic. He was a troubled and agitated man often haunted by his family’s dark history in the Salem Witch Trials. His most famous novel, The Scarlett Letter, depicts the battle between what is inherent in human nature and what is expected by society. Hester makes her home in the wild, untamed region of pre-Revolutionary Massachusetts after she is disgraced. When she changes herself to adhere to societal conventions, her beauty and fire are considerably lessened and she becomes another woman altogether. This edition included an enlightening introduction as well as footnotes and endnotes that lend fullness to the text.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. 1818. New York: Norton, 1996. Print.
Shelley wrote her seminal novel, Frankenstein, as the result of a wager between the greatest writers of her time when she was only eighteen years old. Of course, this chilling and cautionary account of a man’s attempt to defy the laws of God and nature won the competition and has earned its place in the Western cannon. The novel stresses the anxieties of the scientifically-inclined modern world yet describes the natural world as an innocent garden of Eden in which all humans and all beings are free from sin and judgment. The downfall of man occurs only when he attempts to harness powers greater than what has been allotted to him since the dawn of time. This Norton edition includes extremely interesting scholarly essays and articles on Frankenstein, illuminating Shelley’s intentions to a greater extent.
Oerlemans, Onno. Romanticism and the Materiality of Nature. 2002. University of Toronto, 2002. Print.
Oerlemans is a Professor of English at Hamilton College in Upstate New York who earned his Ph.D. from Yale University. He has published articles on the form and function of lyric in Whitman, Milton, and Wordsworth, on literary theory and Henry James, and on animal rights and taxonomy in romanticism. This particular book establishes a connection between the ideas of Romanticism and the ideals of modern environmentalism, but stresses the differences due to the changes in environmental theory and practice over time. However, he does establish that Romantics were among the first to realize the dangers of industrial development by drawing from their works, discussions, and personal correspondences.
Final Project Outline
INSTRUCTIONS FOR FINAL PRESENTATION
Assuming you have done your research, submitted your formal proposal and received my approval, you should then prepare an outline of your presentation as follows:
Introduction, Hello, my name is Mallika Dhaliwal.
My Subject is: Romanticism as an Environmentalist movement
My position/focus is: The romantic movement of the 19th century was the first instance of environmentalism in literature.
The first point I want to make is: The characteristics of literary romanticism are similar to the modern definition of environmentalism.
2 or 3 sources that support my first point are: Shelley’s Frankenstein, the two Norton Anthologies, and Oerleman’s Romanticism and the Materiality of Nature.
The second point I want to make is: The era of the Industrial Revolution spurred a polarization between people that led to the division between Romantics and Rationalists.
2 or 3 sources that support my second point are: The Norton Anthology of English Literature and Oerleman’s Romanticism and the Materiality of Nature.
The third point I want to make is: Though the Romantic movement was relatively brief in England, the movement spread to other countries, such as the United States, as the Industrial Revolution spread.
2 or 3 sources that support my third point are: The Norton Anthology of American Literature and Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter.
Conclusion: In my presentation I have shown that the Romantic movement was a natural reaction to the rapid development of cities and widespread destruction of scenery of the 19th century. Therefore, the Romantics could be considered the first environmentalists as their work was a form of protest to these developments.
Thank you
Does anyone have questions or comments?
Final Paper
Mallika Dhaliwal
Professor Wilson
EWRIT 1B, 09Y
2 December 2011
Morality Ends Where a Gun Begins; or, Opposites of Force and Mind
In Webster’s Dictionary, morality is defined as conformity to the ideals of right human conduct. What is right and wrong is, of course, always extremely variable, and rarely does ethical rectitude align with personal advancement. Additionally, perceptions and personal experiences are inextricably intertwined with beliefs; an idea that is substantiated through the differing viewpoints T.C. Boyle includes in his novel, When the Killing’s Done. Boyle portrays the dilemmas of steadfast adherence to one’s principles through the characters of Alma Boyd-Takesue and Dave LaJoy in order to depict the flexibility of goodness and the hypocrisy of self-righteousness.
In many ways, Alma and Dave are similar personalities representing opposing sides of an argument. In fact, they even dated for a short period of time until LaJoy distressed Alma with his vulgar arrogance. They are both devoted to their respective ideals with fanatic devotion and regard opposing opinions with disdain and intolerance. Her condescension is most prominently depicted when she states:
We are scientists. We do the studies. Not like these PETA nuts that come out to shout you down because they’ve got nothing better to do – and they’re ignorant, baseline stupid, that’s all. They don’t have the faintest idea of what they’re talking about. Not a clue. (Boyle 50)
Similarly, LaJoy disparages Alma when he describes her as “that condescending bitch from the Park Service who was fooling nobody with her gray-eyed squint and her all-black outfit as if she were going to a funeral….” (66). Most importantly, the two are both extremely hypocritical. Dave LaJoy lives in a mansion in Montecito, owns a yacht, and drives a BMW. He shows a callous contempt for human life, especially of women, except regarding his girlfriend, Anise Reed. In one respect, LaJoy feels no sympathy for the homeless or disenfranchised whom he views as lazy and unproductive outsiders to society. He establishes that “his sympathies lie with the animals that can’t help themselves…and not some white-haired upright primate who’s had all the advantages of living in America instead of some third-world country….” (69). However, he is obsessively dedicated to Anise, saying “If it makes Rita happy…it makes Anise happy. And what makes Anise happy absorbs him completely,” (213). Even in regard to animal right advocacy, LaJoy does not practice what he preaches. When he actually ventures to Anacapa, he is afraid that he will be harmed in the act of saving animals. It is always easy to say that one would die for something, but when one must do it himself, his investment in his beliefs are put on display. Similarly, Alma does not want to destroy the rat population because she has any vested interest in the sanctity of conservation; rather, she wishes to make a name for herself and expand her scope of influence. Alma has little compunction about the “humane” killing of animals as she has so dissociated herself from the act of killing that she feels she has no part in it. When she shows a picture of a housecat during her presentation on rat exterminate, she privately notes, “she’d like to see all free-ranging cats exterminated in fact and by law,” (58). More jarringly, while others are “fighting back tears” over the death of a research assistant, Kelly, Alma carries herself composedly with an “unforgiving sneer of triumph” and very calmly instructs the others to “Call the coast guard…. And the ranger station,” (312-313), proving that she holds life in comparatively, human or otherwise, little regard than others do. Lastly, she coldly strings along Park Ranger, Tim Sickafoose, in order to retain her stronghold within the National Parks Service despite her at best tepid feelings for him. However, when he is uncomfortable with her unexpected pregnancy, Alma fancies herself a victim of his lack of caring. She does not understand the role her haughty behavior has in the uncharitable feelings people like Toni Walsh, the writer of an article called “The Real Pests of Anacapa” about Alma and other ecologists, hold for her. Alma is manipulative, self-promoting, and unfeeling, not a scientist who truly wants to improve the world. In these ways, Alma and Dave are extremely aligned in their personalities.
In contrast, Alma and Dave have extremely different methods of achieving their ends and often clash over which tactic is correct. Alma places herself directly on the side of science and logic (ironic because her name means “soul” in Italian and Spanish), believing that her education and research have all but verified her beliefs. Ever rational, she understands the logic and facts of an idea well and always has her reasoning and arguments well organized and well presented. When Boyle describes Alma from her perspective, he is very succinct, as she would be, saying, “If anything defines her it’s self-control. And drive. And smarts,” (39). She believes wholeheartedly that the only way to save indigenous life on the Channel Islands is to kill any invasive species but has a habit of always anticipating a positive overall effect without considering minute negative consequences of her solutions. When Alicia, her assistant, expresses her doubts about the widespread killing, Alma philosophizes:
[She] had been stunned. To think that this girl, this young woman, this locked box of a personality, had been working and thinking and breathing amongst them since she left community college, and she’d absorbed nothing? Zero? Zilch? (103)
In opposition, LaJoy is continually imbued with rage and anger living as a creature of his inarticulate passions incapable of rational thought. He makes grand statements to confuse the issues presented by ecologists like Alma. During her presentation in particular, he shouts, “You’re no better than executioners!” and “Nazis, that’s what you are. Kill everything, that’s your solution. Kill, kill, kill,” (62), and ending with a particularly effective question, one that addresses the very theme of the novel: “And who exactly was it appointed you God, lady?” (64). No matter how ardent LaJoy is in his support of animal rights, he remains ill informed throughout the novel. Even though the rat population is destroying the native species of Anacapa and Santa Cruz, he sees the loss of one animal life as inexcusable cruelty, but lacks the information and elocution to argue his perspective successfully. While addressing the assembly at Alma’s presentation, he makes argues against “listen[ing] to the party line like a bunch of drones under some communistic dictatorship,” (60) portraying himself as a protester for the sake of protesting. His organization, FPA (For the Protection of Animals), attack studies indiscriminately without examining the facts or benefits for the environment behind ecological resolutions. In many ways, he represents the token rich man who uses his money to fund his own ever-changing interests. After all, he became involved in animal rights because of a pamphlet and a woman, not because of any driving personal persuasions that he holds. In these ways, Alma and Dave are dissimilar and irreconcilable.
Alma and Dave are not necessary antagonists to each other; rather they are foils of each other. Their personalities are essentially the same, but their methodology and ideologies are different. The book presents many issues of whether killing is right in some cases, and it is a question that no one can answer. Many people have strong convictions on both sides, either for spiritual or personal concerns and interests, just as people have extremely inflexible views on abortion. Indeed, in terms of moral fortitude, the novel rarely gives its audience an instance of true perfection. Instead, the reader is left to form his or her own opinion on whether killing is ever right or wrong.
Works Cited
Boyle, T. Coraghessan. When the Killing’s Done. New York: Penguin, 2011. Print.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Chapter 17 Response
The final chapter sees Alma with her daughter, Beverly, studying raccoons on Santa Cruz to see whether or not they are indigenous, and, if not, who brought them to the island. We also learn that Dave's entire crew died in the wreck, though only Anise's body was found washed ashore. The book ends with a natural scene of night on an island through the eyes of a fox.
Chapter 16 Response
This chapter sees Dave Lajoy in his favorite cafe, bemoaning the suit he received over Kelly's death, self-aggrandizing himself for pleading guilty to trespassing on his blog. We then see him attempting to set loose rattlesnakes on Santa Cruz Island, once again not giving any thought to the dangers this might pose to indigenous species. Unfortunately, at the moment he realizes how wrong he's been, another boat crashes into his boat and wrecks it.
Chapter 15 Response
This chapter informs us that Dave Lajoy has served Alma with a civil suit and that Lajoy is being served a wrongful death suit for the death of Kelly. Tim has definitely left Alma at this point and she still struggles with the decision of whether or not to keep her baby. There is also an anecdote about the recent death of a young couple aboard a boat called The Anubis. At the end of the chapter, Alma finally confronts the raccoons left on Santa Cruz by Dave Lajoy.
Chapter 14 Response
This chapter sees Dave stranded on Santa Cruz with Toni Walsh, the dead girl, Kelly, and his disgruntled followers. When Alma and the Park Service come to their aid, most of Dave's minions elect to stay on the side of the law rather than go with him and Wilson. We also learn that Dave took the raccoons he trapped and introduced them to the islands, completely disregarding any harm they might to the ecosystem, and is planning something similar with rattlesnakes.
Chapter 13 Response
In this chapter, Alma discovers that she is pregnant and is rejected by her boyfriend, Tim Sickafoose. Four months later, Tim still hasn't come around to the idea of a child and Alma is still uncertain about how this might impact her career and her philosophy. Later in the chapter, Alma and her colleagues go to Santa Cruz to survey the eradication of the invasive pigs when she sees something strange on the ridge.
Abrade: Scrape or wear away by friction or erosion
Chapter 12 Response
In this Chapter, Dave Lajoy leads a ragtag group of college students and Toni Walsh to Santa Cruz in order to document the inhumane killing of pigs by conservationists. Even though the trail is washed out by the tide and the mud on the hills is unstable, Dave presses on, and, unfortunately, a young girl named Kelly is killed in a mudslide.
Chapter 11 Response
This chapter focuses mostly on Alma's family and inner turmoil. It begins with Alma debating whether or not to confront Alicia, her duplicitous trainee, and becoming so involved in this aspect of her work that she misses her own birthday celebration. In the restroom, she sees the words "Pig Killer" scrawled on the mirror and begins to question her role as savior of indigenous environments. Later, she attends a Micah Stroud concert with her mother, and in girlish fantasy imagines him supporting her cause and inviting her to go on tour with him. However, her hopes are dashed when he invites Anise Reed to stage, showing his support for the opposing cause. We then learn about how Beverley lived after she was saved from Anacapa and how Katherine met, married, and lost Greg Takesue.
Vocabulary:
Apostasy: The abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief
Chapter 10 Response
In this chapter, we learn more about Dave Lajoy through his interactions with Anise and Rita. While Anise and Rita are both sincere in their beliefs and dedicated to their respective worldviews, Dave vacillates constantly. Anise and Rita view the islands as their own, have a relationship with nature, and do not change their attitudes toward anything, be it food or each other. Dave, however, is an animal rights advocate who eats fish, traps raccoons who destroy his lawn, and owns a big house on top of a Montecito hill. In other words, Dave is a hypocrite.
Chapter 9 Response
This chapter describes Alma in the aftermath of Anacapa and preparing to intervene in Santa Cruz. Alma's mother and stepfather are introduced and we are given a glimpse into how her passion for ecology defines her life. Additionally, we see the struggles that Alma faces in her workplace due to resistance from the FPA, especially during court cases. Finally, Alma sees her trainee, Alicia, having lunch with Dave Lajoy's coworker, Wilson, showing that one of her own has been "turned" so to speak to the opposing campaign.
Chapter 8 Response
This chapter details the development of Santa Cruz as a farming community, the acquisition of Scorpion Ranch by Bax Russell, and the eviction of Bax from Scorpion Ranch. A vast portion of Santa Cruz was bought by Justinian Caire in the late 1800s after California became American territory. In the years following, Caire became prosperous and, following his death, his heirs fought over how to split the land. Eventually, after years of disagreement, Bax Russell leased the land in order to make a living sheepfarming. However, the owners of the ranch, the Gherinis, forced Russell out during the time Anise lived on the island in order to begin a hunting business, depicted in the previous chapter.
Vocabulary:
Chapter 7 Response
In this chapter, we learn more about Anise's upbringing and her reasons for being passionate about animal rights. Anise's mother, Rita, a failed musician who gave up her career to have Anise, takes a job as a cook on a Santa Cruz sheep farm owned by a kind elderly man named Bax in order to support herself and her daughter. On the farm, Anise has a traumatic experience when ravens attack the sheep while she attempts in vain to save them.
Chapter 6 Response
In this chapter, we learn a little bit more about Dave Lajoy including how he runs the FPA, his feelings on his relationship with Anise, and the aftermath of his arrest on Anacapa. He has been served a court order and is facing a fine and considerable jail time. However, he remains undeterred and continues to monitor Santa Cruz Island and the Channel Islands in general. Additionally, this chapter describes the stresses Lajoy faces in running his own business along with the FPA chapter as well as further explaining how he became interested in PETA and animal rights advocacy.Vocabulary:
Vocabulary:
Terra incognita - unknown territory : an unexplored country or field of knowledge
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