Kincaid: Female Expectations

Born in Antigua in 1949, Elaine Richardson’s family did not appreciate her writing talents: “Although her family had high aspirations for her three brothers and intended them to enter the professions, because [she] was a girl, they placed no value on her gifts” (Puchner 1724).  Unfortunately, in their minds, females were not as worthy, and her gender would hold her back.

After multiple instances of inequality and unfair experiences, she left Antigua for America as a teenager. While she was living in the United States, she changed her name as a sign of independence to Jamaica Kincaid; it was her way “to do things without being the same person who couldn’t do them – the same person who had all these weights” (Puchner 1725).  By changing her name, she was able to experience a freedom from past restraints.

In her first published piece “Girl,” Kincaid uses a long, single sentence to convey her point: “the speaker is a mother giving instructions to her daughter on the rules and rites of womanhood” (Puchner 1725). Kincaid’s style gives the impression of a rushed conversation between mother and daughter. Actually, the daughter only has two lines, so Kincaid ‘s flow shows the mother spewing advice on her daughter. The daughter, in turn, has very little chance to respond to the laundry list of expectations.

The mother’s instructions are varied but all represent how to be a proper woman: “Wash the white clothes on Monday and put them on the stone heap… cook pumpkin fitters in very hot sweet oil… always eat your food in such a way that it won’t turn someone else’s stomach” (Kincaid 1725). The list of do’s and don’ts is overwhelming for any young girl trying to break free from her strict societal expectations.

Kincaid also uses repetition to get another point across. In doing so, the mother brings up the same idea three times:

On Sunday, try to walk like a lady and not like the slut you are so bent on becoming…

This is how to hem a dress when you see the hem coming down and so to prevent yourself from looking like the slut I know you are so bent on becoming…

This is how to behave in the presence of men who don’t know you very well, and this way they won’t recognize immediately the slut I have warned you against becoming. (Kincaid 1725-1726)

It is clear, unfortunately, the mother does not have faith the daughter will become a proper woman and conveys that sentiment to her often. The mother’s language and tone are demeaning and discouraging.

One issue is ironic, though.  Within the long laundry list of instructions, the mother throws in a bit of unexpected information: “This is how to make pepper pot; this is how to make a good medicine for a cold; this is how to make a good medicine to throw away a child before it even becomes a child” (Kincaid 1726).  The directive seems wholly out of place. The mother gives advice on how to make a spicy stew, a quality cold medicine, and how to get rid of a pregnancy. The information seems odd within the laundry list of directives and instructional tools, especially since she does not want her daughter to be labeled a slut. It is rather ironic.

Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” plays into the notion of gender inequality and enforcing strict societal expectations for women. With the mother as the speaker, Kincaid shows that even older women play into the stereotype. Even within one’s own family, expectations are apparent. As Kincaid proved, the way she escaped traditional constraints was to escape her land, her family, her previous identity, and value her talented gifts.  

Works Cited

Kincaid, Jamaica. “Girl.” The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner et al. Shorter 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. 1725-1726. Print.

Puchner, Martin, Gen ed. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Shorter Third ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. Print.

Death

“A survivor of the Holocaust, Paul Celan wrote spare, hauntingly beautiful lyric poems about suffering and loss” (Puchner 1467).  Celan’s poetry deals with the unspeakable; he writes of the vile horrors of his experience, yet he conveys them in a moving and rhythmic way. “Deathfugue,” his most famous poem “refers to the dance music that an SS commander forced prisoners to play during marches and executions [at a concentration camp]” (Puchner 1468).  The poem shows the shocking dichotomy of happy music being sung while suffering and death occurs amidst the Holocaust.

“Deathfugue” begins with the prisoners proclaiming they drink toxic liquid each day, all day long: “Black milk of daybreak we drink it at evening / we drink it at midday an morning we drink it at night / we drink and we drink” (Celan lns. 1-3). The prisoners are forced day in and day out to figuratively drink in the ways of the camp. If they choose to go against authority, they will be killed. Thus, the black milk symbolizes death and the Nazi’s power. When Celan writes, “we shovel a grave in the air where you won’t lie too cramped” he is being facetious (4). Since thousands of prisoners were killed in gas chambers, the graves in the air reference the smoke from the crematoriums. 

As the poem continues, Celan writes of a vicious SS guard, who is oblivious to his cruel treatment of Jews or to the suffering happening around him. Instead, he works in a hideous labor camp during the day and is entertained by singing and watching others work. In the evening, he goes home, sleeps in a warm bed, plays with his snakes, looks up at the beautiful stars, and writes about his beloved, a beautiful blonde German woman.

During the day, however, he terrorizes the prisoners with the prospect of death. Meanwhile, prisoners dig more graves and others play music for him to enjoy: “He shouts dig this earth deeper you lot there you others sing up and play / he grabs for the rod in this belt he swings it” (Celan 16-17). If they do not do as he commands, there will be brutal consequences.

Similar to the music that is played, “Deathfugue” repeats itself, mimicking the advancing frenzied feeling of intimidation and possible death. The rhythm of the poem gets faster as the theme of death becomes more real for the prisoners.

In another one of his poems, “Aspen Tree,” Celan also speaks of death but on a more personal level. Since Celan’s parents were killed in concentration camps, he expresses his mourning for his mother in this poem: “My mother’s hair never turned white” (Celan 2). Clearly, his mother’s life was cruelly cut short; thus, she did not get to experience old age.

Celan opposes sentiments for his mother with inanimate objects.  The comparison shows the similarity between the lifeless objects and his mother’s short life: “Dandelion, so green is the Ukraine / My fair-haired mother did not come home” (Celan 3-4). His mother was killed in a Ukrainian concentration camp. Her life was wiped out like a dandelion, an unwanted weed growing in a yard. She may have been beautiful, but the Nazi Party considered her useless. As a result, she never made it home.

Paul Celan’s poetry is powerfully haunting. He conveys horrors from the Holocaust, an experience he could not forget. Similar to author Tadeusz Borowski, who wrote “This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentelman,” Celan had difficulty adjusting to life after the Holocaust. Horrific memories haunted each man; as a result, they could not escape the torment, and each committed suicide. Their poetry serves as a bitter reminder of their unhappiness and continual anguish.

Works Cited

Celan, Paul. “Aspen Tree.” Trans. John Felstiner. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner et al. Shorter 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. 1470. Print.

---. “Deathfugue.” Trans. John Felstiner. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner et al. Shorter 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. 1469-1470. Print.

Puchner, Martin, Gen ed. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Shorter Third ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. Print.

Neruda

Nobel Prize winner poet Pablo Neruda advocated for social justice. His poetry often addressed social issues within a larger community (Puchner 1421). His poem, “Walking Around” makes a statement on urban life. It “demonstrates Neruda’s turn toward public subject matter… as a description of urban life and the sufferings of the poor” (Puchner 1422).

The poem conveys a man who is tired of living life in his run down city. Ironically, he wants to leave it but feels trapped: “It happens that I go into the tailor’s shops and the movies  / all shriveled up, impenetrable, like a felt swan / navigating on a water of origin and ash” (Neruda lns. 2-4). He tries to traverse away from the city, but its walls hold him in. It seems this inability to escape begins to drive him mad. He “sobs out loud,” wishes to “knock a nun stone dead,” and run through the streets “with a green knife / shouting until I died of cold” (Neruda 5, 14, 16-17). The city’s dreadful effects have rubbed off on the people and their attitudes. Likewise, the life he experiences in the city wears him down so much that he is “tired of being a man” (Neruda 9). If only he could escape his life and find beauty again.

As he continues to wander the streets, he realizes the city is full of capitalism (“establishments” and “merchandise”) and ugliness (“cellar full of corpses”) (Neruda 7-8, 24). If he does not soon escape its materialism and horridness, he will be swallowed up by it. Yet as he ages, along with the city, he gets closer to death and destruction, similar to his surroundings.

Neruda’s poem “Walking Around” makes a powerful statement on feeling trapped in a society that does not appreciate beauty or human existence. The city instead values those in society who can afford to have dreams and live above the poor, dirty reality.

Works Cited

Neruda, Pablo. “Walking Around.” Trans. W.S. Merwin. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner et al. Shorter 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. 1423-1424. Print.

Puchner, Martin, Gen ed. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Shorter Third ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. Print.

Gender

Joaquim Maria Marchado de Assis a well-known Brazilian writer “expanded the possibilities of realism, exploring the complex psychology and social structures of modern urban life” (Puchner 911). Typically, nineteenth century literature depicted male characters as the powerful figures. Conversely, in his story “The Rod of Justice,” Marchado de Assis uses a female character as the one who holds the power.

The story begins with a young man Damiao running away from his life at the seminary. Not knowing where to go, he analyzes his choices: his father will thump him and send him back, and his godfather was the one who took him to the seminary, so certainly, he cannot go to either of them. Damiao suddenly thinks of where to go: “I’ll go beg Sinha Rita to protect me!” (Marchado de Assis 912). Sinha Rita is a widowed woman and his godfather’s mistress. He knows she can help. Although she says she cannot help; Damiao convinces her she can: “You can do a great deal, Sinha Rita (Marchado de Assis 912). Once she agrees to help, she tells him she can talk to the godfather: “Well, I’ll show him where he’ll pay attention or not” (Marchado de Assis 913). Indeed, Sinha Rita is more powerful than she first lets on.

Once the godfather arrives, Sinha Rita does not mince words. She tells him to go talk to the boy’s father and convince him his son is not fit for ecclesiastical life: “Keep after him; he’ll give in. Get along, Joao Carneiro, your godson is not going back to the seminary. I tell you, he is not going back” (Marchado de Assis 914). Sinha Rita displays her power in how she speaks to the godfather; she is not afraid to tell him what she thinks or what he needs to do.

Even though Damiao is still worried about the godfather’s influence and his father’s decision, Sinha Rita assures him she will take care of it: “They’ll find out what I’m made of! No, I won’t stand for foolishness!” (Marchado de Assis 916). Damiao realizes he needs to listen to her and be patient.

The story closes with one of Rita’s slaves not finishing her work. Even though Damiao tells himself he will protect her (earlier, she stops working to listen and laugh at one of his stories), he knows he cannot upset Sinha Rita. Fully realizing her influence, he knows she is the one who can truly help him escape a life of misery. In the end, his allegiance to the mistress wins out: “Damiao was pricked by an uneasy sense of guilt, but he wanted so much to get out of the seminary! He reached the settee, picked up the rod, and handed it to Sinha Rita” (Marchado de Assis 916). In order to fulfill his wish and leave the seminary for good, Damiao does not listen to his own conscience and help the slave girl. Instead, he hands Sinha Rita the justice rod, so she can beat her worker. Her powerful influence triumphs. Indeed, Sinha Rita, a forty-year old widow, mistress, and employee, is not a typical woman. She holds the power and knows how to control all the people in her life, including the men: Damiao’s father, godfather, and Damiao himself.  

Works Cited

Marchado De Assis, Joaquim Maria. “The Rod of Justice.” Trans. Helen Caldwell. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner et al. Shorter 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. 911-916. Print.

Puchner, Martin, Gen ed. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Shorter Third ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. Print.

Martí and Darío

Walt Whitman’s poetry left an incredible legacy with its innovative form and language and its focus on the spirit of democracy: “Whitman ushered in a whole new era in American poetry” (Puchner 646). He was an important influence in the literary world in America, as were fellow poets José Martí and Rubén Darío, in their respective countries.

Cuban writer, José Martí also revolutionized poetry in his country. His poem,  “I Am an Honest Man” is similar to Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself in that both speakers declare they represent the natural world. Walt Whitman writes “My tongue, every atom of my blood, formed from this soil, this air” (ln. 6). Similarly, Martí expresses similar sentiment, when he declares, “I am a mountain” (8). Both speakers celebrate nature and individuality.

Likewise, both poets remind the reader that they speak for all people. Whitman writes, “And what I assume you shall assume / For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you” (2-3). Just as Whitman represents humankind, so does Martí: “I come from everywhere / And I am going toward everywhere” (6-7). Both men show their democratic notions by speaking for many.

Another poet who shares comparisons to Whitman is Rubén Darío, who “revolutionized Spanish American poetry” (Puchner 689). In his poem “Blazon,” Darío introduces a beautiful snow-white swan. As the poem describes the swan’s loveliness with descriptive language, Darío hints at sexuality and eroticism.

He is the swan of divine origin

Whose kiss mounted through fields

Of silk to the rosy peaks

Of Leda’s sweet hills. (Darío 9-12)

Since Darío alludes to Leda, a nymph Zeus raped in Greek mythology, it seems Darío finds beauty in nature, while using a suggestive allusion.

Comparably, in Song of Myself, Whitman uses sensuous language to display his pleasure for the world around him: “Press close bare-bosomed night” (Section 21 ln. 14) and “Smile O voluptuous cool-breathed earth! (Section 21 ln. 17). Both poets seem to delight in nature and the provocative.

All three poets, Whitman, Martí, and Darío were talented and influential poets. Whether their themes focused on nature, democracy, or the seductive, their poetry revolutionized the literary world.

Works Cited

Darío, Rubén. “Blazon.” Trans. Lysander Kemp. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner et al. Shorter 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. 692-693. Print.

Martí, José. “I Am an Honest Man.” Trans. Aviva Chomsky. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner et al. Shorter 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. 681-682. Print.

Puchner, Martin, Gen ed. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Shorter Third ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. Print.

Whitman, Walt. Song of Myself. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner et al. Shorter 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. 648-653. Print.

An Essay on Man

Alexander Pope’s An Essay on Man questions how evil can exist in the world, when God is good. In the first epistle, Pope asks his friend to help him justify God’s actions to Man: “Laugh were we must, be candid where we can; / But vindicate the ways of God to man” (Pope lns. 15-16). Although he attempts to explain God’s actions, Pope concludes man’s ignorance will not allow him to see the truth.

Unfortunately, according to Pope, man cannot see the big picture because of his limited view: “Perhaps acts second to some sphere unknown, / Touches some wheel, or verges to some goal; / ‘Tis but a part we see, and not a whole” (Pope 58-60). Man is ignorant to God’s plan because he is incapable of understanding a plan, in which he plays such a small part. He continues with this idea, “All are but parts of one stupendous whole, / whose body Nature is, and God the soul” (Pope 267-268). In other words, there is more at work than what man is able to see. Yet, God is in charge, and, “Whatever is, is right” (Pope 294). Instead of man trying to analyze God’s actions, man should trust that He knows best.

Although I agree with Pope on a couple of issues he suggests, I am not sure if I am in total agreement with him. I agree that man is often self-absorbed and unable to see outside himself. People usually do not view the big picture; instead, they look only at the small part that will affect them. Also, as Pope conveys, man overanalyzes. I think it is a person’s nature to analyze. We are taught to question everything and not to trust anyone, even if that means questioning God’s plan and doubting His actions.

Likewise, I understand that when things go astray, people need to figure out why. If they cannot come to a conclusion, they need to find a scapegoat: “Yet cry, If Man’s unhappy, God’s unjust” (Pope 118). After all of this, however, I think people are not as arrogant and ignorant as Pope claims them to be. Yes, people may not understand all the ways of the world or God’s entire plan, but overall, I think people are more competent, modest, and insightful than Pope suggests in his essay.  People realize there is evil in the world, but, hopefully, they relish the good.

Works Cited

Pope, Alexander. An Essay on Man: Epistle 1. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner et al. Shorter 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. 90-97. Print.

de Navarre

Marguerite de Navarre was a privileged woman, who grew up in a royal family and became queen. Yet, she treated her subjects fairly and safeguarded artists against persecution: “Throughout her life she was a protector of writers and thinkers accused or suspected of Protestant leanings” (Puchner 1638). As a writer, she also wrote the Heptameron, a series of short stories, which used the frame narrative. The prologue begins with a group of stranded upper-class men and women trying to stay entertained. The idea is presented that each afternoon for ten days, the group will find a shady spot and exchange stories: “There we can sit and rest, and each of us will tell a story which he has either witnessed himself, or which he has heard from somebody worthy of belief” (de Navarre 1642). The group agrees to this plan and is reminded by the leader of the group that the stories told must be true.

In de Navarre’s “Story 8,” the narrator tells the story of a man of Bornet, who has become bored with his wife and has taken interest in the chambermaid. He continually tries to make advances, but the maid refuses. The maid reports the pestering to the wife: “She told her that she could not stand being badgered by him any longer, and asked permission to go home to her parents” (de Navarre 1643). After hearing of the situation, the wife surprisingly believes the maid. It would seem most women of this time would take their husband’s side of the story, since they are taught to honor and revere their husbands. The wife, however, disregards this idea and instead, devises a plan to trick her husband and protect her maid.

After the plan fails miserably for the husband, the group (of storytellers) debates the story. Parlamente, a noble woman, who represents Marguerite de Navarre, responds, “Watch your step, Dagoucin. I’ve seen plenty of men who’ve died rather than speak what’s in their minds” (1647). Clearly, de Navarre encourages those to speak their minds. Thus, French philosopher Pierre Bayle is correct; de Navarre was a woman who stood up for others, treated her subjects with respect, and inspired people to communicate their opinions.

Works Cited

de Navarre, Marguerite. The Heptameron. Trans. P.A. Chilton. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner et al. Shorter 3rd ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. 1640-1647. Print.

Puchner, Martin, Gen ed. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Shorter Third ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. Print.

Sunjata

The epic poem Sunjata is named after a West African hero. Honoring the Mande culture, the narrative tells the story of the Mande people, their anticipation for Sunjata’s birth, and the young hero’s trials and experiences.

Two brothers Abdu Karimi and Abdu Kassimu travel to Do ni Kirri to hunt a buffalo ravaging the Manden countryside. The Conde people tell the brothers “that anybody who kills this buffalo, / That they will present three sets of girls to that person, / Any one you choose will be your wife” (Sunjata lns. 57-59). When they successfully hunt and kill the buffalo, the brothers select a woman and take her back to their homeland. Upon return, she marries Maghan Konfara, a man who desperately wants a son of his own.

At the ceremony, the co-wives carry the bride, since “her feet were twisted and she could not walk without / raising dust” (Sunjata 752-753). Because of the condition of Sogolon Conde’s feet, the tradition of carrying a bride began. When her headscarf falls off, the co-wives sing about her “heron-head” (Sunjata 780). Again, beginning a new tradition.

As Maghan Konfara longs for a child and seeks a wife who can give him one, in Malaysia, a wedding custom is to eat certain foods at the wedding feast in order to bring specific symbolic meaning to the newlyweds. To wish the new couple fertility, “so they will be blessed with many children,” they eat bunga telur (Muhammad). “Each guest will receive a bunga telur, which means ‘flower’ and ‘egg’ – a symbol of a fertile union” (“Malay Wedding”). The boiled egg is served with flowers, spices, and herb leaves because they have certain symbolic properties as well as special nutritional value (Muhammad). In addition, the new couple may postpone their honeymoon and eat meals at neighborhood houses for one month “to usher them into the married community” (“Malay Wedding”). Each culture has certain wedding traditions to honor the newlyweds and wish them well.

Works Cited

 “Malay Wedding.” Tawau. eTawau, 30 Oct. 2013. Web 7 June 2014. <http://www.etawau.com/HTML/Culture/MalayWedding/MalayWedding.htm>

Muhammad, Rosmaliza, et al. “The Roles and Symbolism of Foods in Malay Wedding Ceremony.” Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences 101 (2013): 268-276. Print.

Sunjata: A West African Epic of the Mande Peoples. Trans. David C. Conrad, et al. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner et al. Shorter 3rd ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. 1517-1576. Print.

Basho

Raul Santiago Sebazco posted a YouTube video with alternating images and lines of poetry written by Matsuo Basho. A poet from the Japanese Edo period, Matsuo Basho’s style of haiku “came to embody the art of haiku” (Puchner 324). Sebazco’s video illustrates experiences from Basho’s five-month pilgrimage; thus, the images and poetry symbolize Basho’s travels.

Sebazco chose images to represent the nature scenes and the people Basho may have met along the way. Throughout his journey, Basho saw the changes of seasons, as illustrated in his poetry. One line hints that winter has arrived: “In the fish shop / the gums of the sea bream / are cold” (Basho). As a result, the corresponding image displays snowy mountains. During his journey, Basho also saw the end of spring, as evidenced in his poetry: “The sweet spring night / of cherry blossom viewing / has ended” (Basho). The related image shows a tree without cherry blossoms.

After five months, Basho writes of him tiring of the journey: “This autumn – old age I feel / in the birds, the clouds” (Basho). Autumn has arrived and Basho is ready to end his journey. The corresponding image shows an old man and a tree with no leaves. Before winter arrives again, it seems, Basho will head home.

Although there are no direct lines to detail the people Basho met along the way, the video contains multiple images of women. One image shows a woman brushing her hair, another shows a woman dancing, doing laundry, another woman leans over a boat while cutting flowers, while another image shows a woman at a desk writing. These pictures could represent Basho’s love for women as well as the memorable females he met during his journey.

The video embodies Basho: his poetry and his journey. Sebazco chose simple images to represent Basho’s respect for the common person: “In his travel diaries he accomplished nothing less than influencing how people saw some of the most defining sites of Japanese identity” (Puchner 325). The lines of poetry and corresponding images focus on simple yet serene sights of nature and Japanese people possibly found along Basho’s journey. The video honors Basho by giving his poetry memorable visuals.

Works Cited

Basho, Matsuo. “The Narrow Road to the Deep North.” The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner et al. Shorter 3rd ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. 324-336. Print.

Puchner, Martin, Gen ed. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Shorter Third ed. Vol. 2. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. Print.

Sebazco, Raul Santiago. “Matsuo Basho.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 9 Apr. 2009. Web. 30 May 2014.

Classic of Poetry

Confucius, a Chinese leader, teacher, and philosopher in 500 B.C.E, was a big believer in Chinese literature and poetry. He compiled works for the Classic of Poetry based on the poem’s ability to promote moral virtue and provide social order (Puchner 756). Besides teaching repetition, rhythm, and rhetorical patterns, the poetry also provided a model for proper behavior, taught historical events, gave voice to writers, and kept bad rulers in check. The collection became an important part of Chinese history: “Because of the collection’s canonical status, centuries of commentary and interpretation have accrued around it, adding to its meaning and significance and endowing the simple scenes in the poems with moral and political purpose” (756). The common man was able to learn allegorical meanings, figurative language, and moral and political significance.

In addition, the poems commented on proper social conduct,

I dread others will talk much;

Zhongzi may be in my thoughts,

But when people talk too much-

That too may be held in dread. (“Zhongzi, Please” lns. 21-24)

A lover desires intimacy with a woman, yet she is afraid what others will say, especially her parents’ and brothers’, so she turns the lover away. This poem taught correct female behavior: not to give into temptation.

            Some poems also gave important planting and historical advice:

And how goes this rite we have? –

at times, we hull, at times we scoop,

at times we winnow, at times we stomp,

we hear it slosh, as we wash it,

we hear it puff as we steam it. (“She Bore the Folk” 56-60)

The poem “lists the order of the ritual acts that the Zhou people perform to celebrate the harvest and commemorate their ancestor” (Puchner 758).

Although the Classic of Poetry offered rhetoric, moral, and virtuous lessons to readers, it is also important to note that many of these social ideals are not relevant today. The poetry fits the place (China) and the time period (1000-600 B.C.E.), but the messages (acceptable female behavior and men are allowed to have several wives) may not be the best lessons to teach to students of today.

Works Cited

Puchner, Martin, Gen ed. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Shorter Third ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. Print.

 “She Bore the Folk.” Trans. Stephen Owen. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner et al. Shorter 3rd ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. 764-766. Print.

 “Zhongzi, Please.” Trans. Stephen Owen. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner et al. Shorter 3rd ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. 762-763. Print.

Somadeva

Disguise

When one thinks of the word “disguise,” often the words “conceal” or “mislead” come to mind. Disguises are usually used to deceive for one’s selfish gain. This is partly true in Somadeva’s story “The Red Lotus of Chastity.” Although there are multiple folktales included in the story, all with women using disguises for their own purposes, the lines become blurred between which disguises are used for understandable reasons and which disguises are used for unscrupulous intentions.

The first woman in the story who uses a disguise clearly does so for selfish reasons: “My pupil, in disguise, contrived to get herself employed in his house as a maid of all work, and as soon as the merchant had come to trust her, she stole all the gold in his house and sneaked away…” (Somadeva 1276). The pupil continues to disguise herself in order to hide and escape with the gold. By doing so, she kills one man and hurts others. Indeed, her disguise is motivated by her devious intent. 

Contrary in motives, Devasmita, a devoted and loving wife, dresses in disguise to save herself and her husband from danger: “Devasmita and her maids disguised themselves as merchants, boarded a ship on the pretext of business, and departed for Cathay where her husband was staying” (Somadeva 1279). Before the men who tried to take advantage of her, and whom she tricked by drugging and branding, seek revenge on her husband, she conceals her identity to board a ship in order to warn her husband. Although her motives are good, perhaps her methods are not entirely pure. Yet she does not act out of selfishness or greed, she misleads out of her loyalty and love for her husband.

No matter the disguise or the motives behind the disguise, Somadeva portrays female characters that get what they want. They are strong-willed, smart, and inventive. They have a goal and go after it, no matter who may get hurt in the process. These women use their cunning mind and sensual nature to achieve their goals. Even though they are not granted as many freedoms of men, the women prove there are as strong and resilient as their male counterparts.

Work Cited

Somadeva.”The Red Lotus of Chastity.” The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puchner et al. Shorter 3rd ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2013. 1274-1279. Print.

Biography

Paige Verhelst hails from Madison, WI. In college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she was a Division I student-athlete, double majoring in Communications and Journalism (advertising and PR). After college, and a brief stint in sales and marketing, Paige went back to school to become a high school English teacher.

She currently lives in Madison with her husband and two daughters. While pursuing a master's degree in Humanities of English, Paige has minimal free time. However, in her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, participating in outdoor activities, watching sports, and reading a good book.