Posts from now on are for English-African American Lit.

Relationship Between Denver and Sethe

Throughout the reading of Beloved , I have noticed a trend in the relationship between Sethe and Denver. Denver always seems slightly tentative towards Sethe and we know why. She is scared that her mother might kill her just like she did with Beloved. For instance, on page 206 (according to my version of the book), Denver states, “When she finishes the combing and starts the braiding, I get sleepy. I want to go to sleep but I know If I do I won’t wake up“. It is disturbing to see the distrust Denver has for her mom, despite no ill intent from Sethe. The animosity between them, however, hasn’t always existed. There is a point in time where Denver is clueless of Sethe’s past. It’s probable that their relationship might have actually been a normal mother and daughter relationship. The truth comes out after Denver’s incident with the bullies at her school. The effect of the truth impacts Denver so much to the point where she is un...

The Revenge of the Odyssey

From our class discussion last week, a topic came up that I thought was very interesting. It was that the Odyssey has a series of revenge cycles. Throughout the book, almost every character has wanted to take revenge on someone. The most notable of these is Odysseus’ mass murder of the suitors. They ransacked his house and tried to court his wife, so it makes sense that he would be looking to get back at them. Another example of revenge in the Odyssey is when Odysseus decides to blind Polyphemus after he killed Odysseus’ crew members. This incident set off Poseidon’s rage and he trapped Odysseus on Calypso's island for 7 years. The cycles of revenge continue to the very end of the book when the suitors’ fathers want to murder Odysseus. I think that all of these revenge cycles were set off by one incident: Odysseus blinding Polyphemus. If he had kept his cool and not blinded Polyphemus, then everything would have been fine. He had another chance to save himself and crew, simply...

The Heroism of Ip Man

Heroes can be anyone from a fictional character like Superman to someone we admire and look up to. My hero is Ip Man from the 2008 film “Ip Man”. In the film, Ip Man is one of the best martial artists in Foshan, Guangdong before the start of World War II. After his city is taken over by the Japanese, he is forced to give up his practice of martial arts and work in the mines to support his family. During this time, he witnesses the murder of his friends and the destruction of his city. However, he also becomes a national hero, and gives hope and cultural pride to the Chinese when all seems lost. When comparing the film to the structure presented in Campell’s “The Hero’s Journey”, many trends become clear. Ip man is the clear-cut hero in the film. His “call to adventure” happens before the war but he initially refuses it. Only after the war starts does he finally realize the i...

Hakuna Matata

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