The setting of one of the most famous murder mysteries in the English language is the moor of Dartmoor, Devon, a stretch of approximately 20 square miles in South West England filled with valleys, craggy cliffs, a Napoleonic prison, and neolithic British ruins. The combination of which results in a murky mix of pastoral beauty and infamous history, with a healthy dose of supernatural legend. The murderous marshes, fatal fogs, and dying ponies are only a few of the harrowing images employed by Doyle to enhance his story of an ancient legend presumably come back to haunt and destroy all members of the Baskerville family. It is unclear whether the malevolent forces at work in the novel are as natural as the towering tors they haunt, or an out spurt of hell itself, but in between our supernatural indulgences, it is useful to know a little about the typography of the land itself. I trust that the provided links will assist you as you travel with Holmes and Watson into the heart of moor legend.
http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/designatedareas/nationalparks/dartmoor.aspx factsheetshome/lab-wildlifehabitatsfactsheet.htm
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
To Kill A Mockingbird
Courtney: Laura poses an interesting question when she asks what Harper Lee's novel is about, and what I have concluded is that there is no one answer to the question. At the novel's opening, the reader discovers that the story is told through the eyes of a child, and at first, the plotline seems to be in sync with the light-hearted voice of Scout: she and her brother and their friend Dill seem to have no bigger problems than antogonistic teachers at school, or the creepy neighbor next door. But as Scout and Jem grow, so too does the plot thicken, and one discovers that the novel is much deeper than Lee first lets on.
So what's it about? A lot of things: Childhood, and its fascination with anything or anyone that is slightly unusual, the amorphous relationship between siblings, the racial tensions in a small southern town, and the lesser prejudices that exist between neighbors who know each others' business entirely too well. I'm sure there's more...but I'm handing it to Laura.
Laura: This book is about a lot of things, which is one charming result when you involve a whole host of fascinating characters, but is there an underlying theme? If you look closely, it almost seems that some characters may be lesser archetypes for others. Take Boo Radley for example. In the begining of the novel he serves as the central element for plot development, but as the novel progresses and Atticus takes on the Robinson case, Boo sort of filters out. Boo was "different" than the other characters and the lessons that Jim and Scoutt learn about acceptance and differences while dealing with Boo almost prepare them for the lessons they learn while dealing with Tom Robinson. Boo, is then, a sort of predecessor of Tom and can be likened to the misunderstood black population of Maycomb. Consider other misunderstood characters such as Ms. Du Bubose, or Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Can these characters and the lessons that the children learn about human nature through them play into one large overarching lesson, each of the characters having likenesses between themselves and serving to symbolize each other or the archetype of the "prejudiced man"?
Courtney: I suppose if I were to answer this last question, I would say the theme that unites all of these characters and relates them to each other would be prejudice and acceptance. I know that these seem like two separate things, but in this case I lump them together like this: Each of the characters listed by Laura (Ms. DuBose, Mr. Raymond, Boo Radley, etc.) are thought of by Scout and Jem to be odd or worthy of ridicule, and Scout and Jem must learn to put aside those presuppositions when they learn more about these people. In fact, Scout and Jem seem to belittle the white population of their town than the black population, due to Calpurnia's good influence and Atticus' defense of Tom Robinson. However, there do seem to be some deep-seeded prejudices in the children against the black population simply because of the era in which they grew up. Scout, though she obviously loves Calpurnia, still seems to hold herself a bit aloof, and think it fitting that her household servant is a black woman. Also, neither of the children show much thought at the separation of the blacks and whites in town, and Scout finds herself opposed to Mr. Raymond because he spends his time with blacks, even though he is not drunk all the time as he leads the people of Maycomb to believe. She finds it unbelievable that a rich sober white man would choose to live as Mr. Raymond does. Yet at the end of the story, Scout has her eyes opened. The lesson about prejudice and acceptance, I believe, does not come to Scout from watching her father defend Tom Robinson, but later, after Boo Radley has saved the life of her brother. It is this that triggers (at least in the mind of the reader) all the subtle (and not-so subtle) hints and commentary that the author includes in the novel about all the different kinds and varying levels of prejudice that exist in a small town, and everywhere. Boo Radley, though he seems to lack importance in the second part of the book, is the man who serves to bring all of Harper Lee's lessons home.
Also, as another note...did you notice that Ms. Merriweather's description of the "poor" Mrunas sounds a lot like our discussion of Heart of Darkness or Things Fall Apart? There is a tribe of people that is considered by the "civilized" world to be living in squalor and/or heathenism, when really they are content to act on the traditions and habits of their ancestors, and simply behave and thrive in the same way their people have been doing for generations. I was never irritated by so-called mission work (not bashing missionaries--a lot of what they do is very good work) to conform the barbaric masses to Western ways until I read Heart of Darkness. Now Lee's inclusion of the Missionary Society scene seems to me a similar criticism of white prejudice and superiority.
Laura: Yes, there is much that could be said about the missionary society and their treatment of the Mrunas people. Scoutt reports that the Mrunas lived "squalid lives," "put women in huts when their time came ... subjected children to terrible ordeals, wen they were thirteen" and that they were crawling in "yaws and earworms." Much of this quote suggests references to tribal customs that make one consider Okonkwo's side of the story in Things Fall Appart, but at the same time one must not over look the fact that the Mrunas were "crawling in yaws and earworms," a comment suggestive of impoverished living conditions and lack of proper hygiene. While it is "wrong" to degrade the ways of the tribes because they are different from ours, one must also recognize that the tribe may not have been totally peaceful and content, but have suffered greatly from their lack of economic assess and lack of necessary education. The woman's missionary society did handle the group improperly but their motives - to help the tribe- do seem genuine and benevolent. Such paradoxes, while unfortunate, are all too common among Christian groups. This of course could easily spin into a deep and multi-faceted discussion of mission/humanitarian work and the best ways to respect and still help a community, but this is a bit beyond the scope of this blog right now.
Courtney: A final comment I'd like to add is that it just seems interesting that Scout and Jem were so convinced that Boo would kill them, and he wound up saving their lives. I suppose it just goes to show that our presuppositions about a thing or a place are sometimes (often?) wrong, and that one must keep an open mind.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
It is unfortunate that we are unable to record the whole of our discussion here. This is a deep and moving book, not to mention controversial, and it deserves more attention than we are currently able to give it. I'm sure that some of the themes discussed tonight will appear later in our discussions of other novels.
Next on the list is The Scarlet Letter. Discussion will commence whenever the heck we feel like it :)
Ex Libris,
L and C
So what's it about? A lot of things: Childhood, and its fascination with anything or anyone that is slightly unusual, the amorphous relationship between siblings, the racial tensions in a small southern town, and the lesser prejudices that exist between neighbors who know each others' business entirely too well. I'm sure there's more...but I'm handing it to Laura.
Laura: This book is about a lot of things, which is one charming result when you involve a whole host of fascinating characters, but is there an underlying theme? If you look closely, it almost seems that some characters may be lesser archetypes for others. Take Boo Radley for example. In the begining of the novel he serves as the central element for plot development, but as the novel progresses and Atticus takes on the Robinson case, Boo sort of filters out. Boo was "different" than the other characters and the lessons that Jim and Scoutt learn about acceptance and differences while dealing with Boo almost prepare them for the lessons they learn while dealing with Tom Robinson. Boo, is then, a sort of predecessor of Tom and can be likened to the misunderstood black population of Maycomb. Consider other misunderstood characters such as Ms. Du Bubose, or Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Can these characters and the lessons that the children learn about human nature through them play into one large overarching lesson, each of the characters having likenesses between themselves and serving to symbolize each other or the archetype of the "prejudiced man"?
Courtney: I suppose if I were to answer this last question, I would say the theme that unites all of these characters and relates them to each other would be prejudice and acceptance. I know that these seem like two separate things, but in this case I lump them together like this: Each of the characters listed by Laura (Ms. DuBose, Mr. Raymond, Boo Radley, etc.) are thought of by Scout and Jem to be odd or worthy of ridicule, and Scout and Jem must learn to put aside those presuppositions when they learn more about these people. In fact, Scout and Jem seem to belittle the white population of their town than the black population, due to Calpurnia's good influence and Atticus' defense of Tom Robinson. However, there do seem to be some deep-seeded prejudices in the children against the black population simply because of the era in which they grew up. Scout, though she obviously loves Calpurnia, still seems to hold herself a bit aloof, and think it fitting that her household servant is a black woman. Also, neither of the children show much thought at the separation of the blacks and whites in town, and Scout finds herself opposed to Mr. Raymond because he spends his time with blacks, even though he is not drunk all the time as he leads the people of Maycomb to believe. She finds it unbelievable that a rich sober white man would choose to live as Mr. Raymond does. Yet at the end of the story, Scout has her eyes opened. The lesson about prejudice and acceptance, I believe, does not come to Scout from watching her father defend Tom Robinson, but later, after Boo Radley has saved the life of her brother. It is this that triggers (at least in the mind of the reader) all the subtle (and not-so subtle) hints and commentary that the author includes in the novel about all the different kinds and varying levels of prejudice that exist in a small town, and everywhere. Boo Radley, though he seems to lack importance in the second part of the book, is the man who serves to bring all of Harper Lee's lessons home.
Also, as another note...did you notice that Ms. Merriweather's description of the "poor" Mrunas sounds a lot like our discussion of Heart of Darkness or Things Fall Apart? There is a tribe of people that is considered by the "civilized" world to be living in squalor and/or heathenism, when really they are content to act on the traditions and habits of their ancestors, and simply behave and thrive in the same way their people have been doing for generations. I was never irritated by so-called mission work (not bashing missionaries--a lot of what they do is very good work) to conform the barbaric masses to Western ways until I read Heart of Darkness. Now Lee's inclusion of the Missionary Society scene seems to me a similar criticism of white prejudice and superiority.
Laura: Yes, there is much that could be said about the missionary society and their treatment of the Mrunas people. Scoutt reports that the Mrunas lived "squalid lives," "put women in huts when their time came ... subjected children to terrible ordeals, wen they were thirteen" and that they were crawling in "yaws and earworms." Much of this quote suggests references to tribal customs that make one consider Okonkwo's side of the story in Things Fall Appart, but at the same time one must not over look the fact that the Mrunas were "crawling in yaws and earworms," a comment suggestive of impoverished living conditions and lack of proper hygiene. While it is "wrong" to degrade the ways of the tribes because they are different from ours, one must also recognize that the tribe may not have been totally peaceful and content, but have suffered greatly from their lack of economic assess and lack of necessary education. The woman's missionary society did handle the group improperly but their motives - to help the tribe- do seem genuine and benevolent. Such paradoxes, while unfortunate, are all too common among Christian groups. This of course could easily spin into a deep and multi-faceted discussion of mission/humanitarian work and the best ways to respect and still help a community, but this is a bit beyond the scope of this blog right now.
Courtney: A final comment I'd like to add is that it just seems interesting that Scout and Jem were so convinced that Boo would kill them, and he wound up saving their lives. I suppose it just goes to show that our presuppositions about a thing or a place are sometimes (often?) wrong, and that one must keep an open mind.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
It is unfortunate that we are unable to record the whole of our discussion here. This is a deep and moving book, not to mention controversial, and it deserves more attention than we are currently able to give it. I'm sure that some of the themes discussed tonight will appear later in our discussions of other novels.
Next on the list is The Scarlet Letter. Discussion will commence whenever the heck we feel like it :)
Ex Libris,
L and C
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Here are links to a few resources that may be of interest as we prepare to discuss Harper Lee's To Kill A Mocking Bird. The first link is a collection of photographs and artwork from the 1930's that gives visual images to the world of Jim and Scout Fench.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/americanartmuseum/sets/72157614238464621/
This second link is to an article written in The New Yorker titled "Atticus Fench and Southern Libralism"
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/08/10/090810fa_fact_gladwell
I hope that these are both helpful and interesting. Hopefully by next week I will be able to do a little more reseach and post more findings. It is also hopeful that we will be able to begin discussion soon. As a segway into our discussion, I would like to propose a first question for consideration while all members of the group finish up the reading.
Be considering:
What is Harper Lee's novel about? Is it a novel about racism? or perhaps persecution? acceptance? differences? tolerance? Considering the miriad of characters and situations, what is an overarching theme that Lee communicates? This question may devolve into many different areas of conversation, but start brainstorming, and we will discuss when Katie has finished reading.
Happy contemplation!
-NicalenaRose
http://www.flickr.com/photos/americanartmuseum/sets/72157614238464621/
This second link is to an article written in The New Yorker titled "Atticus Fench and Southern Libralism"
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/08/10/090810fa_fact_gladwell
I hope that these are both helpful and interesting. Hopefully by next week I will be able to do a little more reseach and post more findings. It is also hopeful that we will be able to begin discussion soon. As a segway into our discussion, I would like to propose a first question for consideration while all members of the group finish up the reading.
Be considering:
What is Harper Lee's novel about? Is it a novel about racism? or perhaps persecution? acceptance? differences? tolerance? Considering the miriad of characters and situations, what is an overarching theme that Lee communicates? This question may devolve into many different areas of conversation, but start brainstorming, and we will discuss when Katie has finished reading.
Happy contemplation!
-NicalenaRose
Saturday, June 26, 2010
First Deadline Was a Bit of a Flop...
As you well may be able to tell, we have not started discussion. In fact, I believe we are still missing a member of the group. Unfortunately, I have not finished the book. Therefore, a few items of business that should be completed:
1. Decide a date upon which discussion will actually begin.
2. Select a leader for discussion (my vote is for Laura, since she's probably the only one who's read the book so far)
and finally
3. Get our third author on our blog.
Ladies?
Ex Libris,
C
1. Decide a date upon which discussion will actually begin.
2. Select a leader for discussion (my vote is for Laura, since she's probably the only one who's read the book so far)
and finally
3. Get our third author on our blog.
Ladies?
Ex Libris,
C
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Tentative Reading List (Negotiable, of course)
To Kill A Mockingbird
The Scarlet Letter
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Murder on the Orient Express
Brave New World
The Time Traveler's Wife
The Help
The Secret Life of Bees
Catcher in the Rye
The Sound and the Fury
Ender's Game
Sense and Sensibility
Daughter of the Forest
Dracula
Gulliver's Travels
Tuck Everlasting
The Hero and the Crown
The Lovely Bones
Catch-22
The Hobbit
The Scarlet Letter
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Murder on the Orient Express
Brave New World
The Time Traveler's Wife
The Help
The Secret Life of Bees
Catcher in the Rye
The Sound and the Fury
Ender's Game
Sense and Sensibility
Daughter of the Forest
Dracula
Gulliver's Travels
Tuck Everlasting
The Hero and the Crown
The Lovely Bones
Catch-22
The Hobbit
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Preface
This blog belongs to three women--Courtney, Laura, and Katie--each dedicated to a love of reading and to the detailed analysis of literature. Since we are separated geographically, we have decided to use this blog as a discussion forum for the works we read. The first order of business (i.e. first book on the list): To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Discussion will commence on June 21, 2010. Unless of course, we finish it sooner.
But first, an analysis on why this particular book club is important. I mean, why on earth do bookclubs exist? I will tell you (partially)! It's because people like Courtney (soon to be joined by Laura, and eventually Katie) spend four (+) years in college, analysing and discussing literature as English majors, only to graduate, and discover that no one outside other English majors cares one fig for the analysis of literature. Therefore, since each of us enjoys this particular pasttime so much, we feel it necessary to continue the fun long after tassles have been turned and diplomas received.
There are always new things to be discovered within the pages of a book. A scholar's work is never done, particularly amatuer scholars such as ourselves. Therefore, we dedicate this blog to the continued expansion of our minds, and to the honorable pursuit of enlightenment.
Ex Libris,
Courtney, Laura, Katie
But first, an analysis on why this particular book club is important. I mean, why on earth do bookclubs exist? I will tell you (partially)! It's because people like Courtney (soon to be joined by Laura, and eventually Katie) spend four (+) years in college, analysing and discussing literature as English majors, only to graduate, and discover that no one outside other English majors cares one fig for the analysis of literature. Therefore, since each of us enjoys this particular pasttime so much, we feel it necessary to continue the fun long after tassles have been turned and diplomas received.
There are always new things to be discovered within the pages of a book. A scholar's work is never done, particularly amatuer scholars such as ourselves. Therefore, we dedicate this blog to the continued expansion of our minds, and to the honorable pursuit of enlightenment.
Ex Libris,
Courtney, Laura, Katie
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