What is Literature?

Throughout the past decades the definition of literature has expanded.  As technology advances in society, literature has evolved from being basic traditional novels into more advanced forms such as blogs or comics.  In Alan Moore’s graphic novel “Light of Thy Countenance”, he exemplifies the new form of literature that has emerged in society.  With such advanced technology, writers have the opportunity to take their basic literature and present it in a whole new manner.  Even though this novel breaks societies stereotype of traditional literature, “Light of Thy Countenance” still is seen as literature from my point of view because it tells a story within the comic and texts.  Take away the pictures and the format of the comic book; “Light of Thy Countenance” would be “traditional literature”.

In Alan Moore’s “Light of Thy Countenance” his creatively incorporates the idea of how new media and society is taking of individuals lives.  He writes from the narrator of the television,” I am the only pure true relationship that you will ever know.”  Ironically this story is showing how technology is taking away from the way we should live our lives and destroying personal relationship within our daily lives. 

If one looks at examples such as “The 21 Steps” story; the author presents his literature through texts in Google Earth.  Many traditionalists might find such a story to be a disgrace to literature, but I find it to be a very intellectual advancement that adds to the beauty and creativity of literature.  Literature is unique in many ways because there are so many different forms and types of literature.  Naming texts and writing literature is very controversial and cannot really be done because it’s a personal opinion.  As technology arises and new media begins to take over more and more the older generation might not understand the advancements that are taking place.

East vs. West: M Butterfly

Throughout the play M Butterfly, writer David Henry utilizes characters of different gender and race to support themes of nation, gender, race, and ethnicity.  The East and the West are two parts of the world illustrated in the play.  The West is portrayed as being masculine, dominant, controlling, and successful while the East is seen as being powerless, week, frightened and very vulnerable. In ACT ONE, Scene 10 Gallimard describes Song as, “Outwardly bold and unspoken, yet her heard is shy and afraid It is the Oriental in her at war with her western education”(27).    Gallimard’s western presence brings Song to attempt to act more Western by speaking with a dominant, bold tone, yet her true character shows with the shyness and fear that overrides.  This scene is the first encountering in which Gallimard and Song converse within “her” home.  Gallimard and Songs relationship is a prime example of the relationship between the East and West.  After their interactions in the apartment, Gallimard describes how he, “felt for the first time that rush of power- the absolute power of a man”(32).  Little does he realize, the role is really reversed.  Song is utilizing Gaallimard’s western power against him.  Gallimard describes Orientals as, “Always submitting to a greater force”(46).  Western Gallimard is acting arrogant and proud. The themes of gender and racial differences separate the East from the West.  The man being from the West and the women being from the east symbolic represents the different cultures as well.  

Developing Theme- Pattern Recognition

Globalization is a major reoccurring theme throughout William Gibson’s novel, “Pattern Recognition.”  Within the novel, Gibson utilizes the Internet and the cyber-world in order to portray the boundaries that are being destroyed between different cultures throughout the world.  Starting from page two of the novel, Gibson introduces main character’s Damien and Cayce and informs readers how a simple task of typing there name into the Google search engine can tell you exactly about their profession and life.  Both main characters represent globalization due to their lifestyle. 

The idea of boundaries between cultures being broken down comes from the easy communication and easy travel that society allows between almost all the countries across the world.  Damien and Cayce communicate instantly via electronic mail even though Cayce is in the United States and Damien is all the way in Russia.  Each country they travel to has its cultural differences, but they still remain very similar and intertwined do to cyberspace and Internet.  Societies have the ability to connect with one another in seconds, allowing ideas such as marketing to be aimed at a single global networking market rather than having hundreds of individual countries’ markets.   

Another main theme within this novel is marketing.  Starting out from page one of the novel we are introduced to Cayce’s website which exemplifies the theme of marketing from the very beginning of the novel.  The rise of marketing as a main aspect globally brings questioning to human morals and ideals. Individuals used to be able to carry on a random normal conversation in social places, such as a bar, but now can one really tell if the other individual is just marketing something to you? Throughout the novel Cayce exemplifies major marketing tactics that really makes the reader question individuals around them and society as a whole.  

Themes: Patter Recognition

Internet and the Prospects of Online Social networks

In Patter Recognition, the author utilizes the Internet to give readers a feeling of present day.  Internet seems to be the center of the main theme throughout this novel.  The Internet and social networks allow characters in the story to instantly communicate from various locations around the world.  Gibson introduces his “Pattern Recognition” world by exemplifying the idea that mysterious media and footage can be leaked into the online world allowing online users the opportunity to be involved in their own community.  The online world allows Cayce to escape her real life and escape confrontation in the real world. 

Globalization

The novel’s language incorporates the theme and aspects of Globalization. The characters varying nationalities represent globalization.  The international travel that takes place further supports the theory of Globalization.  A large factor of Globalization within Patter Recognition is the instant communication that occurs through the Internet and social networks.  Within the first eighty pages of the novel, the author exposes as e-mail conversation between two main characters to exemplify portable instant communication.  Even if individuals are on opposite sides of the world, they can instantly reach each other through our universal online connection. 

Insight to Life

In William Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily,” the point of view consistently remains first person plural.  From this point of view, readers get a taste of a mysterious image of what might really be on the inside of main character Emily’s house.  If the point of view shifted to first person singular instead of first person plural, there would be some drastic changes within the story. 

If the story were told from Tobe, the servant’s point of view, the reader’s insight to Emily’s life would significantly change.  No longer would one have to infer about Emily’s daily actions or thoughts.  Tobe’s point of view would explain those actions from a personal first hand experience.  The story might focus more on Emily’s actual life rather than focusing on the town’s people’s views and thoughts of Emily.  The mystery of Emily’s life will be told and secrets would no longer be hidden.  Emily’s struggle with death with her loved ones would be revealed by Tobe, who is the only one seen coming and going from the home.  The most drastic change within the story would be the insight Tobe would have about the poisen Emily bought and the death of Homer. Even if "A Rose for Emily" shifted point of views the theme would not shift too.  The theme of change and the power of death would remain untouched. 

"All Watched OVer By Machines of Loving Grace"

In “All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace,” Richard Brautigan exposes two contrasting ideas of nature and technology.  His very first stanza seems to describe a peaceful utopian society, where computers and nature join to form a better future society.  A very anti-technology tone presents itself throughout the poem, yet a pro technology tone ironically counter balances it.

Richard Brautigan’s first line in the first stanza, “ a cybernetic meadow where mammals and computers live together,” (3-4) provides readers with a feeling of cognitive dissidence.  Throughout “All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace,” Brautigan utilizes a plethora of contradicting ideas such as, “cybernetic meadow”(3) and “cybernetic ecology”(18) in order to present a reader with a anti-technology tone.  He employs such a tone to describe the idea that technology slowly tampers and destroys our natural habitat throughout our universe, whether land or sea.  The use of figurative language is also present throughout the poem, further supporting the anti-technology tone. The simile in the second stanza, “ as if they were flowers with spinning blossoms” (15-16) ironically compares computers to flowers.  This simile emphasizes technologies destruction of nature and the beauty of our universe.  An individual would never hope that computers would replace beautiful flowers in nature, hence the anti-technologic tone that is present. 

Aside from the overbearing anti-technology tone that a reader may often construe after reading this poem, Brautigan’s poem can still be seen in a different manner.  It is though a pro-technology tone may also be present throughout the poem.  Brautigan’s lines, “mammals and computers live together in mutually programming harmony”(5-6) could often be interpreted as individuals embracing technology and the miraculous things it has done for our world.  The first simile, “Pure water touching clear sky”(7-8) allows readers to imagine the purity that technology can bring to the world. 

After reading the poem over and over again I like to believe that Brautigan writes this poem from a pro-technology tone.  Technology influences our society and world every day more and more, therefore we need to accept technology for the goodness that it brings to our lives.  Even though anti-technology tone seems more present and understandable through this poem, my overall sense is that the poet really meant for this poem to be pro-technology hence the optimistic title, “All Watched over by Machines of Loving Grace.” 

"This Living Hand" John Keats

Imagery

Living warm hand

Silent tomb

Dreaming nights

Heart dry of blood

“This Living Hand” by Keats            

In “This Living Hand,” I believe Keats first utilizes the image of a warm living hand in order to symbolize the meaning of life and love.  The “warm and capable hand” could often represent, in this case, a couples relationship and bond with each other.  The warmth and capable hand indicates happiness and emotion.  The author then goes on to paint an image of coldness, most likely symbolizing the death of the individual with the warm hand.  The sudden switch from a warm happy image to a dark dreary image often clashes, but in this poem it invites the reader to indulge into the idea of after- life. The image of death and liveliness further develops into the idea that metaphorically there could be a capable warm hand even on an individual who has passed.  The hand metaphorically symbolizes an individual who touched the life of their loved ones immensely. When the “warm capable hand” suddenly becomes incapable and cold, the story usually comes to an end. Yet, Keats utilizes a countering image of life and happiness that reappears through the line, “ So haunt thy days and chill thy dreaming nights.”. Even though the individual died in the poem they still watch over and are with their loved one in their dreams.  The image of the individual dying and lying in a cold tomb seems dreary yet is overridden by the next idea of red life streaming again.   The vivid imagery of redness and blood ironically brings life to the poem. The deceased individual who the reader can imagine in the last two lines of the poem represents the idea of after life.  A loving couple that is torn apart from each other because of death still believes in contentment and hope because they deep down know they are still connected.  The final line, “I hold it towards you,” symbolizes the deceased individual passing on love, hope, and assurance that life will go on.