1. Friday, June 8: Candide by Voltaire
2. Thursday, June 21: The Stranger by Camus
3. Thursday, July 5: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
4. Thursday, July 19:
Friday, May 25, 2012
Fitting In
Another thread of conversation that came up today related to these two stories is the idea of not fitting in. In both cases, the main characters were a bit of an outcast and that effected the ways they misunderstood the social cues of the groups/parties they were participating in and led to further confusion on their part. We related to also being on the fringe of life and being frustrated with the small talk that often dominates social gatherings. We all concluded that even the deeper conversations we were able to share over literature are an anomaly. It reminded me of what I tell my preservice English teachers who are preparing to teach reading and literature that they should aim to create a "living room table" effect in their classrooms where their students engage in authentic conversations around books and where they consistently find meaning. Perhaps that's the role that those of us on the fringe have - to provide richer alternative ways of thinking to those who are mired in shallow thinking and vacuous lifestyle choices.
In both of the stories we read this week (The Dead and The Kiss)the theme of existentialism permeates the situations. Both represent examples of characters who are in awkward social situations and who are thwarted by women who dominate their imaginations. In our conversation today, we discussed how existentialism at least acknowledges the futility of life when we seek superficial happiness. This contrasts other periods of literary history such as romanticism and transcendentalism. How did these stories resonate or not with you? What do you think the author's purpose was in writing them?
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