A place for critical reading, compelling writing, and analytical thinking.
Thursday, January 9, 2020
Literary Lenses—due January 23
Select a story—one that made an impact on you—that you studied in school in the past. Apply a lens (Psychoanalytic, Feminist, Orientalist, Religious, Marxist, or another) to the story with 150+ words.
96 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Last year I read the amazing novel: The Great Gatsby. This book had a huge impact on me because it was a pleasant and light read, however, when it was analyzed, the book took many different paths. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitsgerald is a perfect example of Marxism because of the struggles between economic classes. The author writes how people who are wealthy do not work very hard and spend most of their time on leisure activities. Also, the relationship between Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby is an amazing example of the Marxist theory. Daisy rejects Jay Gatsby because he is dirt poor and not of the same social ranking. Jay Gatsby is devasted that Daisy wanted to follow in the "social norm" and date someone who was rich and would take care of her. Therefore, Jay Gatsby figures out a way to earn his fortune and buy his mansion across Daisy's house. Jay Gatsby will continue to struggle while he tries to act and speak like “old money”.
Two years ago, I had the chance to study the enlightening novel entitled: A Tale of Two Cities. Written by Charles Dickens, this expansive book could be analyzed through a variety of different literary lenses. However, I feel the ideas presented by the Marxist lens best represent the general outline of this story. The entirety of this novel centers on a battle between the upper and lower class. The royals do not care about the needs of the average person, and the lower class citizens are forced to live in squalid, lowly conditions, fostering a theme of antidictatorship to the reader. However, realizing that the royals don’t hold any actual power—as they earned their position based only on their bloodline—the lower class revolt, creating their own society ruled by the once oppressed. Despite attempting to form a positive, functioning society, suspicion and corruption end up taking hold, turning the new country into a world of executions and chaos. This idea presents a different spin on the antiwealthy ideals, showing the necessity of order and a law system in a developing country. In essence, this novel presents the idea that a society of complete lower-class rule can not succeed without proper stability and organization.
Last year, I had the amazing opportunity to study the impactful novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. As class and societal roles play a pivotal role throughout the novel, I feel the novel is best analyzed through a Marxist lens. The novel centers around Scout and Jem Finch, two children who were certainly winners of the genetic lottery. Though they grew up without a mother, their father, an upper-class lawyer, devoted his time to them, and, coming from a white and wealthy background, the kids did not have to deal with many hardships during their childhood. This directly contrasts to Tom Robinson, a black field hand falsely accused of rape. Though he is just as worthy of a good life as Scout and Jem, he faces many hardships simply because of factors completely outside of his control. Coming from a majority white town, his days are plagued with racism, so much in fact that a mob is willing to break into a prison just to hang him themselves. This sharp divide in class between the Finch family, and the other residents of Maycomb, and Tom Robinson would eventually lead to the poor man's demise.
Last year, we were required to read the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. I did not think I would enjoy the book as much as I did. In the novel, a Marxist lens can be used in order to analyze the messages displayed in the court hearings of the story. There are obvious divisions between the black community and the white community and it plays a large role in how the characters react to certain situations. Scout and Jem grow up with their father, and while they are white, they still struggle to make a living. Compared to the scenarios the black people have to endure—such as Tom Robinson's trial—the whites live comfortably. Tom Robinson is falsely accused of rape—most likely due to the color of his skin— and it eventually causes his death. These factors all are a part of the Marxist theory and how the genetic lottery works for people and what it was like in our more recent history.
At the end of the year last year, I had the opportunity to read the novel "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini. Before reading this book, I was skeptical, but that opinion soon changed once I began reading it. There are many different lenses used during the book, but I thought the Feminist Lens was the most powerful throughout the book. Being set in Afghanistan and the United States, the roles of the two genders differ greatly. Women are treated much lower than men throughout the entire story and there are a couple of prominent moments where it shows. Women are shut down and being asked to partake in actions they do not want to do. They are not able to stand up for themselves because they are afraid they will be even more mistreated or possibly harmed by the soldiers. In the middle of a book, a woman was raped and no man did anything about it. Another part that shows a feminist lens is when the young woman, Soraya, is not being listened to by her fathers. She is constantly ignored because her father feels he knows what is best for his daughter. Soraya's mother is also being told what to do and what not to do. Her mother didn't question any of the rules because usually, the man is in charge. This prevails that there is male dominance among their culture.
Last year I read the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" and it was a story that I really enjoyed. Through the Marxist lens, the story takes place in Alabama in the 1940s which was a tough time for most people. But Jem and Scout won the genetic lottery with their lives. They had a house, clothes, food, and a lawyer father that the town loved dearly. They didn't have to go through the hardships that Tom Robinson had to go through just for having a different skin color. Even Atticus went through hardships, and he was white. Jem and Scout got to live their lives like normal children and got to do whatever they wanted because they were white. This causes a divide in the town of Maycomb for Tom Robison living in a predominantly white town. While half of the town is on the side of Tom and Atticus, most of the town does not believe that Tom should be able to do things that everyone else to do because of things out of his control.
Last year I read the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. I really enjoyed the novel way more than I originally thought I would. I think the best way to look at this novel is through a Marxist lens because there are so many examples. In the novel, the Finch family clearly won the genetic lottery. They were white, wealthier than most but not necessarily rich, and Atticus was a high up lawyer. One could say the white lives in this book live quite comfortably for the most part. There are quite evident conflicts between white and black people throughout the whole novel. Another important character who faces a completely different side of difficulties and hardships is Tom Robinson. Tom is falsely accused of rape and that could be due to the color of his skin since he is considered "different" from the rest of the town. Through the whole novel, Tom along with other people with colored skin faced a lot of racism, hatred, unkindness, etc. just because of the color of their skin. Looking at this novel through a Marxist lens helps people realize more about the smaller detail within the novel.
One of my favorite stories is Finding Nemo. I have watched it many times and have learned something new from it every time. I have even read a book version of it that also helped me see the meaning more deeply. If I use my Marxist lenses while watching, it is clear that the whole book is based on a genetic lottery. The sharks are the upper class. They have won the genetic lottery and are huge animals with big sharp teeth. The lower class is the fish that are small like Nemo and Dory. They have lost the genetic lottery. They are very small and can easily be eaten. Therefore, they have to be very careful about swimming in the ocean, and they oftentimes have to swim in large schools. The sharks may have pressure though in society to be tough all the time, so maybe it is better to be one of the little fish.
When I was growing up, The Hunger Games series was one of my all-time favorite book series. I loved the idea behind it and the futuristic, yet not futuristic setting that it provides. One of the lenses I would like to use first is the feminist lens. The actual hunger games is a contest between 12 boys and 12 girls to see which one will rise victorious by being the last one to survive the slaughter. When you hear killing, you generally think about males. So, you would fully expect the big brawny men to have an advantage here. But that is not the case, time after time Katniss shows that she can hang with the men, showing off her elite archery skills. In the end, she and another dude remain victorious. Most readers would probably agree that Katniss is probably more masculine than her male friend, Peta. Later on she is used as a symbol, the Mockinbird, not Peta, the male survivor, but her, a skilled bowman survivor. Another one that could be used is the Marxist lens, You see there are 12 districts in the story. 1 being the most skilled and wealthy district, 12 being the least skilled and least wealthy. Usually, the first few districts are favored by the "Capitol" and generally win the annual hunger games because they are the fittest to win it all. Generally because they are always fed well, and have the money and equipment to train for these games. While, the lower districts do not.
Freshmen year my English class read "I Am Malala" this story can definitely be viewed with a feminist lens. The women in Pakistan are discriminated immensely and are not even supposed to go to school because it is not one of their "duties". Malala and some other girls were on their way to school when she was shot in the face by a terrorist group who believes in the radical beliefs about limiting women's rights. She survived and proceeded to share her story around the world empowering other women and nations. If I analyzed this book with the Marx lens I could see that Malala did not win the genetic lottery, mainly due to her gender, but did win the environmental lottery. She was raised in a loving home where her parents encouraged her to follow her dreams, even if it had consequences and were willing to put their own lives at risk in order to support their daughter. Her father ran the school and made sure her and other women had access to a good education.
Last year during school, we read How To Kill A Mockingbird. It was a very good book that somewhat moved me. I decided over the summer to finally read the sequel: Go Set A Watchman. I wasn't sure if this book would be set at the same time, area, or even with the same children. I was skeptical about whether or not it would be as good as the first book. I really realized how much of a Pro-Men society we had. Scout was considered strange because she wasn't afraid to show who she really was and acted out. This is met with men always trying to set her in her place and making her feel stupid because she is not able to see the underlying message about her fiance. The underlying message that they themselves continue to hide from her. There is not as much racism seen in this story but there is still a hint of black and white that Scout must figure out for herself. Besides this, we see another large fight over the black and white community that leads Scout to her final decision.
Last year, in English, we read "To Kill A Mockingbird." It is one of the few books that I have read and actually enjoyed reading. Although many lenses can be applied to this novel, I am going to use my feminist lense to observe it. Throughout the novel, Scout (Jean Lousie Finch) gets criticized over and over again for acting too much like a boy. She is classified as a 'tomboy', and always wears overalls and muddy shoes. Throughout reading this novel, Lee definitely does not hide the fact that there are gender roles and gender prejudices within the city of Maycomb and the people living there. Scout is used by Lee to demonstrate how societal expectations of feminine behavior are pushed upon girls at a very young age. However, Scout doesn't conform and is upset when people try to make her. Throughout the novel, there is a multitude of characters that try and get her to change but she refuses.
Last year we read the novel: The Kite Runner. The novel was about a boy, Amir, and his relationships with his family servant's son, Hassan, and his homeland, Afghanistan. At the beginning of the novel, a Marxist lens can be used to identify the lifestyle differences in Amir and Hassan. Amir is the only son of a wealthy father who has many connections with the upper class and they themselves live a privileged life with many luxuries. Amir is allowed opportunities that lower-class civilians like Hassan do not have access to. Hassan's purpose is to serve Amir while not mixing and thinking that he is of the same level as Amir. The class system creates a barrier between the two boys and their chances of becoming true friends. Points in the book, Amir does horrible things and expresses negative thoughts about Hassan due to him being poor and a minority. A Religious lens can also be used due to the clash of Hazaras vs Pashtuns. Pashtuns are cherished in society whereas Hazaras are discriminated against and lower class. The final lens could be a Psychoanalytic lens. Amir is aware in parts of the book that what he does to Hassan is not right but he continues to do it anyways. He has an internal conflict of fitting in and trying to be a good person. A turning point in the book is when he decides to forget about Hassan and all the bad things Hassan went through in order to feel at peace with himself.
Last year, I was given the chance to read a very interesting and enlightening novel titled: To Kill A Mockingbird, that can be examined using many different literary lenses. Although many lenses may be used, the most obvious would be the Marxist lense due to the fact that this novel is based in the 1930s, deep-south Alabama, bringing to light serious issues with racial inequality as well as class difference. Accused of raping a young woman, one of the main characters Tom Robinson is set to go to trial; however, the jury chosen is quite racist and they attempt to keep separate the classes of white and black. The movie portrays the differences in the home life of white and black people. One way in which the classes are mixed in happens when the white lawyer’s children have no area to sit in the white section of the courtroom and decide to sit in the colored section up on the balcony. Here, differences in the classes are highlighted, along with throughout the novel. There are other lenses in which you can examine this novel, but Marxist seems very obvious.
In my junior year in English, I studied the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. The Marxist lens appears in this novel about racism towards an African American man. There are people that win the genetic lottery, in this case, it would be the white males and the rest would be lower class. White females were not fairly treated in the 1960s as men where. The lower classmen would include the white trash and of course African Americans. African Americans were automatically considered lower class based on their genetic makeup because of their different skin color. African American females were treated worse. Atticus Finch was a white man that helped Tom Robinson with his case when he was accused of raping a white woman. Very few African Americans ever got justice in court, but Mr. Finch wanted to make a difference for the future growth of integration. I also wanted to point out that Scout and Jem where stereotyping their neighbor, Boo, with dehumanizing speculations. In the end, Boo was a nice quiet guy that did not mean to do any harm. Overall this novel shows Marxist lenses.
Last year in Honors English I had the opportunity to read The Great Gatsby by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, and later explore the film. The book incorporated enticing historical events that circled and pertained mostly to the upper class, yet briefly mentioned the blue-collar workers. The first lense examined would be the Marxist theory. A movie centered around a rich man and his possessions boldly states and distinguishes those who are of a higher class and those who are considered "poor". Gatsby and his fortunes are located in old money, West Egg (a place where people had to earn and work for their riches and fame) while the East Egg is represented as new money (a place where those who live there inherited riches and fame, no work needed). However one may interpret the West Egg, it will never be as poor as the Valley of Ashes where the blue-collars and stereotyped low class live and work. In addition to the Marxist theory, the Freudian lense also applies. The love between Jay and Daisy is so seemingly simple to the viewers, yet the readers understand the complex love triangle and ongoing plea of Gatsby's wish: to spend the rest of his days with his one true love of Daisy Buchanan. The most prominent symbol of this wish and his hopes is the green light that can be seen at the end of his dock. Daisy and Jay were lovers before the complexity of a husband and child were thrown in, but due to Jay being poor and away, Daisy married a rich man that would be able to provide for her. In hot pursuit of Daisy, Jay made himself seem better and bigger than her husband. He bought a rather large house across the water from Daisy and hosted extravagant parties in hopes of one day seeing her. In his mind, Jay proved to Daisy that he was worthy of her love, and lived out this extravagant lifestyle; however, his dreams and imagination ran rampant, as Daisy, once again, turned Jay down. His possession and fortunes never seemed enough for Daisy, for his hopes and dream were crushed as she only pursued and consumed the fortunes for herself, ultimately, leaving hopes never achieved and the dead behind.
In English 11, I read “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. Although this novel could be viewed from a variety of lenses, the most obvious lens that consistently appears throughout the story is the use of the Marxist lens. In terms of economic and social status, Atticus and his family won the genetic lottery. The Finch family, along with the rest of the white community in Maycomb, Alabama, have it made for them, in comparison to the black community. The Finch family’s struggles are imminent; however, their skin color is the last thing to blame for them. In contrast, the black community faces a multitude of challenges due to their skin color. A clear division between these two races is shown throughout the entire book. For example, Tom Robinson, a black man, is wrongfully accused of raping a white girl. Bias is constantly shown in favor of the whites. Meanwhile, Atticus, a white lawyer, is tasked with fighting against his own community for what is morally correct. This conflict is filled with events that can be viewed from a Marxist lens.
Last year in English class I read the book, Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, and I feel like this book is able to be looked at through many different lenses. Amir is a rich boy who often hung out with his servant and friend, Hassan. Due to the social class and different lifestyles these two live, a Marxist lens can be applied. Amir is rich living and spoiled, while Hassan lives in the shack of the house with his father, and always doing chores. They definitely don't live equal lives, because they are on different social levels, and this is mainly because Hassan and his father are Hazaras. Hazaras are the ethnic minority, so they are automatically lower class. A Psychoanalytic lens can also be applied to their situation, because of the way Amir treats Hassan. He always treats Hassan badly, even though Hassan is a loyal friend no matter how badly he is treated. It is thought that Amir treats Hassan very poorly because he is jealous of the attention Baba (his father) gives him. The thought process that Amir goes through is interesting and makes him an unlikeable character at times.
Last year in English class I read the book, Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, and I feel like this book can be looked at through many different lenses. Amir is a rich boy who often spent time with his servant and friend, Hassan. Due to the social class and different lifestyles these two live, a Marxist lens can be applied. Amir's dad is rich and Amir is spoiled, while Hassan is always doing chores. They definitely don't live equal lives, because they are on different social levels, and this is mainly because Hassan and his father are Hazaras. Hazaras are the ethnic minority, so they are automatically lower class. A Psychoanalytic lens can also be applied to their situation, because of the way Amir treats Hassan. He always treats Hassan badly, even though Hassan is a loyal friend. It is thought that Amir treats Hassan very poorly because he is jealous of the attention Baba (his father) gives him. The thought process that Amir goes through is interesting and makes him an unlikeable character at times.
Freshman year I read a book called "Of Mice and Men", by John Steinbeck. This novel had a variety of lenses to be seen through but the most apparent one I observed it in was the Marxist lens. One vivid part of the book included the two main characters, George and Lennie arriving at the ranch getting a tour from Candy (the bosses wife). The boss who was unnamed of the ranch was wearing more upper-class clothes than Lennie and George. He flaunted his wealth throughout the novel bossing around the two controlling there ability to have a job and support themselves which shows a Marxist lens. Another example of the Marxist lens in this story began with Curley. He would tease Lennie on the purpose of being jealous of his strong physical build. Curley who is the son of the boss could at any point get his dad to fire him from one slip up. This shows the Marxist lens by giving an abusive power to control the life of Lennie just from growing up as the son of the boss.
During my sophomore year, my English class read “I am Malala”. This book had a huge impact on me. The lens that I applied to in this book is the Feminist lens. Pakistani women do not have much freedom when it comes to their life. The Taliban even went as far as to not allow young women to go to school to get an education for their future. When Malala’s bus was on their way to school, it was stopped by Taliban men. They came onto the bus, and Malala was shot in the head by one of the men. Thankfully, Malala survived and told her story encouraging many young women to go to school since they are lucky to have that freedom. Malala and some of her friends were very intellectual. They would make great leaders, but they were not allowed to exceed to that much power in their country. When looking at the story with a Marxist lens, I can identify that she has won the environmental lottery because Malala grew up in a loving home. Her parents were very supportive and wanted her to learn the most that she could so it could help her in the future. However, Malala did not win the genetic lottery because she was born a girl giving her no freedom where she lives.
Last year, I read a very good book in English class: To Kill A Mockingbird. The book offers many good lessons and values that help readers. Because this book takes place in the south and in the 1930s, the Marxist lens makes the most sense when applying lenses. The book takes place in a town in Alabama, where at the time, racial inequality was prevalent everywhere in the town. During the story, a man by the name of Tom Robinson was accused of rape just because of the color of his skin. In the town, the rest of the African Americans have to live out of town and also have to go to a separate church. The difference in the classes living and treatment proves the power system mattered in the deep south. The treatment of Robinson in his trial also proved the power system because the white people believed they were better than the African Americans. The Marxist lens is proven in the book "To Kill A Mockingbird" and helped me learn a plethora of values.
In the 5th grade, I was in "Gifted Ed." This was a class taught by Mrs. Waterbury and we would meet once a weak and would learn about a variety of different things. In this class, we read the book, "The Hunger Games." This was a story that was very entertaining for me. The story consists of 12 different districts or towns, and in these towns each year there is one boy and one girl selected to go off and fight in The Hunger Games. This is an event where they all fight to the death and there is only one that remains. There are many different lenses that you can use to view this story. I think this book is best viewed from a feminist lens. Because it is a fight to the death situation, you would think that men would have a greater shot at winning. However, for the main character in this story, Katniss Everdeen, this is not the case. She is very talented with a bow and arrow and is smarter and more skilled than many of the men that she is competing against. In the end, she is victorious and so is her fellow district partner Peta. She is clearly the more skilled of the two and is later used as a symbol for strength in the later stories.
One of the books I read last year was "To Kill a Mocking Bird" by Harper Lee. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I can use the Marxist literary lens to analyze the story due to the multiple financial, genetic, and social-economical complications throughout the book. The time frame of "To Kill a Mocking Bird" was set back when racism and segregation were still a common complication. The separation between the two classes provided a strong example of a Marxist trait. Tom Robinson was an African American charged with raping a white girl from a lower-class family. The trial of Tom was not fair, and by using the Marxist lens I was able to see that people still preferred to support a low class, uneducated white family than a middle class, brilliant African American man. The Marxist lens also helped me analyze the reaction of the town to Mr. Finch taking the case. Most believed that Mr. Finch was set up for failure and that he should have just dropped the case because there is no way the white jury would find an African American innocent. This helps prove that there were multiple racial and class issues in the novel.
As a kid, I did not put very much thought into seeing an underlying meaning to stories I read or watched. I loved watching movies containing an unhealthy amount of action that would satisfy my naive childish eyes—movies like the Batman trilogy. Though I still enjoy watching/reading action-packed books or movies, I appreciate books/movies that have a deeper meaning. After recently re-watching the Batman trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan, I realized why the movies are so popular. Using a Freudian lense, I can truly see the depth of the characters in the movies. The Joker was born into an extremely abusive family. His father went so far as to literally carve his face with a knife. This physically and mentally scarred him. He is seen threatening to do the same thing to his victims. The Joker lost the genetic lottery completely; however, his counterpart, Bruce Wayne, won the genetic lottery being born a millionaire. Society is most likely to like a millionaire and ignore a poor abused man. The Joker's philosophy is that everyone can go crazy and become a bad guy from one bad day. Why would someone commit terrible crimes and murders? It is not his fault that he was born into a terrible family and abused.
Last year, I read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini with my English class. One of my favorite books from my high school years, The Kite Runner was a quick and interesting read. The book can be further examined and analyzed by looking through different literary lenses. When looking through a Marxist lens, you can see there is a clear class divide between Sunni (upper class) and Shi'a (lower class) Muslims. Hassan is a poor Hazara/Shi'a. He is bullied, looked down on, and belittled by not only other Sunni kids but also his supposed best friend, Amir. Amir is a wealthy, spoiled Sunni Muslim. Amir begins to treat Hassan poorly when in the public eye simply because of who he is. He is embarrassed to be seen with a "lowly Hazara". The divide becomes so much that the Taliban attempt to exterminate all of the Hazaras in Afghanistan. After examining through this lens, it is obvious that Hassan and the Shi'as did not win the environmental or genetic lottery. Whereas, Amir and the Sunnis won both lotteries.
One story that has made an impact on me that we have previously studied in English classes was last year when we read the novel: To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. That book was very compelling and it was quite fascinating. Although last year we analyzed it we didn’t look at the novel from a Marxist lens specifically but looking back on it we most definitely did. The Marxist lens is shown with the main character Tom Robinson and he is a black man in the deep south during the 1930s when African Americans were seen as the lower class for sure. Anyways, Tom Robinson was falsely accused of rape and he was sentenced to trial. It was an unfair trial with having an all-white jury and they never really looked into the footsteps of Tom. During the trial, they compare the lives of the black folk and the white folk and the black people had it much worse compared to the whites. There were various lenses that you could put on to analyze this novel but surely Marxist lens is the most recognizable.
When I was in 8th grade we had to read a story (the title may be inaccurate; it has been a long while) in English called, "The Best Chaperone." It was about a girl, Maya, from Kazakstan who moved to America with her parents and her younger brother. The daughter was attending middle school, her brother was attending elementary school, her father was a taxi driver, and her mother was a house cleaner. During the story, her mother injured herself at work and Maya has to take over the house chores. Not only does she have to go to school and do her homework, but she also had to cook and clean for the family. Looking at this situation through a Marxist lens, you can see many causes for this to happen to Maya. Her family is an immigrant family so it automatically puts them under the bus as far as power and status. They are not native to the country; therefore, there are limits to the jobs that they can have and the power they can hold. If they get citizenship or education, they will be able to have more power and status. However, that power is still limited. For example, they would still not be allowed to be president because they were not born here. It is something they cannot control. Therefore, this is why they do not have that much money. They are only able to get low paying jobs because they are immigrants without an education. It is too expensive for them to get an education. When Maya's mom gets injured, it makes sense that Maya has to take over because they do not have enough money for proper health care. It will take Maya's mom longer to recover. Maya's mother may not have gotten injured if she didn't have to do the job that she has.
I've read my fair share of novels, but the one that sticks out to me the most is "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. This novel provides many different lenses, but the one I'm going to cover is the Marxist literary lense. This novel features a lawyer, Atticus Finch, defending a black man, Tom Robinson. This was at a time where racism was arguably at its peak; this novel also occurs in the South. Tom Robinson was accused of raping a woman. This was brought up to court where the impartial jury decided in favor of guilt. This literary lense brings up the discussion on how people are treated, especially black people at that time. Tom Robinson received so much hate from trying to defend Tom, and buddies of Atticus almost killed him. You could feel the tension in the novel, and the Marxist lense provides us with an even better description in the racially-controlled South.
Growing up, my favorite book to read was "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". I feel like this story could be seen by multiple lenses, but I am choosing to analyze this book from a Feminist Lens. Most of the main characters that play an important role or make a noticeable impact throughout the story are male. There is one main character that is female, and that is Hermione. Hermione is smart, brave, a critical thinker, responsible, and more mature than the other main characters, Harry and Ron. Although she possesses multiple attributes that put her on top of the other main characters, she is still made fun of, ignored, and portrayed as annoying and stuck up. She does have some credited moments throughout the story, but for the main part of the book, she does not receive much credit, possibly because she is a female. This leads me to think that the Harry Potter series can be seen as pro-jock, pro-masculine and anti-intellectual.
During my elementary and middle school years, my favorite novel was "The Hunger Games". I read this book over and over, possibly too many times, and watched the movies. I had an obsession with "The Hunger Games" and it truly impacted my life. After reading this book several times, I have been able to understand and study many different aspects of the story. Now that I have learned different types of literary lenses, I can conclude that I look and study through the feminist lens while reading this book. For example, the primary character is Katniss Everdeen, a woman. Her little sister gets selected to go to the Hunger Games, but Katniss makes a brave action and takes her place. Bravery is portrayed by a female. During the games, Katniss finds herself full-on nursing and caring for a man named Peeta. Peeta is incapable of caring for himself and needs someone else to, aka Katniss. Lastly, Katniss Everdeen hunts, kills, and survives the Hunger Games to win. You would think a male would be one to win, but a woman takes the victory. This is how the novel "The Hunger Games" portrays a feminist view.
One book, well play, that we read in class, The Crucible by Authur Miller, was the play inspired by and contained symbolism of the red scare during the cold war and of the Salem witch trial. Analyzing the Marxist lens of The Crucible is very simple, which is why I will be viewing the accusations by the young girls in The Crucible in a Feminists lens. The idea that the young girls, who we as the readers know that they are lying and they participated in Tituba's customs and attempted to curse the townsfolk, could never participate in such pagan and dirty customs as dancing naked in the forest and must have been the force of witches very telling. The white women in stories are supposed to be pure and innocent, especially if they are young, so the seen of the older religious folk, especially the men in town, could only be corrupted by sinful witches and not investigating the possible motives of the girls accusing people, even some old and well-respected members the community were accused and hung.
During my freshman year of high school, I read the book Of Mice and Men. I decided to apply a Marxist lens to this book. It is fairly easy to theorize that Curly represents the bourgeoisie while Lennie represents the proletariat. Throughout the novel, Curly clearly flaunts his wealth and the fact he won the genetic lottery of being born to the owner of the farm. On the other hand, Lennie clearly did not win the genetic lottery since he was born with some sort of disability to restricts his learning capabilities. Not only is this stressed throughout the novel, but Lennie is also harassed for it by the upper class. The lower class is also exploited through the work they are required and what they receive in return not equaling the work. In return, continuously keeping the lower class down. It seems that throughout the novel though money is one of the biggest focuses along with the genetic lottery that Lennie lost.
I have read many books for classes in the past; of these books, Of Mice and Men can be easily analyzed with a Freudian lens. The story revolves around 2 protagonists, George and Lennie, who have to leave town and live life out in the country because of a complication with their standing in the town. The complication was caused by Lennie, who later also causes the complication that will lead to his demise, the killing of Curley's wife. The reason Lennie caused the complications are accidental; he doesn't know any better. He doesn't know any better because he didn't receive proper nourishment as a child, partly because of negligence from his parents and partly because of the time period when people didn't understand mental disabilities. George stays with Lennie and tries his best to help him.
During my junior year in Honors 11, Ms. Bryant started a reading unit. One of the first books we read was "Ordinary Grace" by William Kent Krueger. This book excited me, confused me, but overall left a lasting impact that urged me to read more. I am not a fan of reading because I am a slow reader and it takes time for me to comprehend and point out symbols, literary devices, etc. I do find a passion for understanding these symbols and how they present themselves throughout the story. Using certain literary theories can help expand on certain symbols. Using a Psychoanalytic or Freudian lens shows how Lise and Emil, a disabled couple, how they think. Lise is deaf and her lover Emil is blind. Both have different perspectives on the world and their surroundings due to their conditions. With any slightest touch, Lise reacts in shock since she can not hear others coming towards her. She is in a constant state of paranoia and anxiousness since she has lost one of the key senses that helps her determine danger or anything around her. Emil is blind from the war he attended. This made it difficult for his favorite past time, playing the piano. He was a pianist and was good at it too. After the war, it made him a tougher guy but also fraught of self-doubt and suicidal thoughts. Seeing the chaos and shambles of the war, hurt Emil physically and mentally. The pain done to him will stick with him for the rest of his life and affect him every day.
During Honors English 10, we read the book "Animal Farm". This was an amazing book that I put a lot of thought into. Obviously, Marxism is a major theme throughout the book. The pigs got the genetic lottery. In the book, the pigs were viewed as the smartest of all the animals so they instantly became in charge of the farm. The pigs became manipulative, tricking all the other animals to give them all the food. When the other animals began to question the pigs' authority they were taken care of quickly. All the other animals were poorer than the pigs and had little power. But should the pig be in charge? Shouldn't Boxer be in charge? He was the strongest and the most determined, all the other animals looked up to him as a leader. Unfortunately, Boxer didn't win the genetic lottery for intelligence like the pigs. If not Boxer then why not Benjamin. Benjamin was clearly the smartest character in the book, he knew that the pigs were lying and manipulating the other animals. The other animals just refused to listen to him because he was not a believer and negative.
Last year, in English class, I read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. This has been my favorite book I have read in school and has had a large impact on me. This book can be further explained by looking through a Marxist literary lens. There is a large divide between the higher classes and lower classes in Afghanistan. Lower class people are Shi’a Muslims or Hazaras, and higher class people are Sunni Muslims or Pashtuns. The main character, Amir, is a Sunni Muslim and has a nice house with a servant and many privileges and luxuries. On the other hand, his friend, Hassan, has a very different lifestyle. Hassan is a Shi’a Muslim, so he lives in poverty and is always looked down on by the other kids. He is mercilessly teased for being lower class, and to make matters worse, he also has a cleft lip. In the novel, Amir has won the lottery for being born into a wealthy family, and Hassan has lost for being born into a poor family with a physical defect.
In Honors English 10 with Mrs. Sittig, a book we read and analyzed was Animal Farm by George Orwell. This book can be analyzed very well by using a Marxist Lens. The farm is separated in one major way. They split into two groups. One group is Burgoise, and the second is the proletariat. They are led by Old Major in the beginning. He has a very socialist point of view and represents Lennon. He then died and Snowball took over and he had the same views as Old Major for the most part. Then a pig named Napolean drove all the animals against Snowball and Snowball was banned from the farm. Once Napolean took over, the farm became like a Communist community. Napolean did things that weren't beneficial and convinced all the animals to do those actions with him. Eventually, Snowball came back but not in physical form. He came back in memory. He "told" all of the animals the lies that Napolean was telling and teaching to them. This then causes a war between animals who stood by Napolean and animals who stood by Snowball's beliefs. In the end, Napoleans ways won because of his strong will with the other animals and he killed anyone who got in his way. The Marxist lens can help analyze many different stories but can be used to the fullest in analyzing Animal Farm by George Orwell.
A story that stood out to me during last year’s English class, is The Kite Runner. The novel contains examples of how the class system in Afghanistan interacts with each other and how different classes live. The main character, Amir, lives a very comfortable life with his rich father and experiences very few difficulties as a result of his status. Amir’s best friend and servant, Hassan does not always experience the same comforts as Amir, but he is lucky to be employed by a family who is willing to care for him and his father. This does not prevent Hassan and his disfigured father from being jeered at by local citizens and children. Certain moments in the story, both the upper and lower class come together to celebrate events. Amir’s comforts disappear when they must flee Afghanistan from the oncoming Russian army. The wealth and power of Amir’s father allowed them more opportunities to escape to America. While in America, Amir and his father no longer have the vast riches they had grown accustomed too and now have to live life as a more impoverished family, working multiple jobs. Their change in class was drastic while Hassan back in Afghanistan moved into Amir’s abandoned house out of respect.
Picking only one story that had an impact on me is hard. One of my favorite books to read growing up was "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black. It is an interesting story that takes place in hidden fantasy land. I think that this story is highly sexist, so I will apply feminist lense. In the story, Jude gets taken from her home after her parents are murdered and is taken to a place called Faerie. Jude is mortal but wants to belong in Faerie; however, they despise humans. Prince Cardan hates them the most, and he is the wickedest son of the king. Jude, a girl, has no chance in a world where a king, male, rules, and she is just a mortal. Jude is very tricky and loves bloodshed. She is everything a king would be. She is smart, strong, and a great fighter; however, she is a girl, so she cannot be king. It is Jude herself who saves Faerie, not the high king.
Growing up I loved to read the Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling. Being in the house of two pastors I often viewed books with a religious lense. Harry Potter is filled to the brim with these references. For beginners, the lightning bolt is a clear reference to baptize and being perminatley marked with a symbol on the forehead. The three main characters of the book Harry, Ron, and Hermione are representations of the trinity. Hermione represents the mind in that she is the thinker of the group, Harry is the spirit in that he is always on adventures, and Ron is the body because he is the one who follows along and does the work the others don't want to do. We also see Dumbledore act as God and he guides all the people on their journey and he is the mentor to Harry. The most hidden figure in the Harry Potter series is Snape. Snape acts as Judas. Snape is a complex person in his motives throughout the series. He has always despised Harry and ends up betraying dumbledore and turning sides.
In my freshman year of high school, I read the book “Of Mice and Men”. I applied a Marxist lens to it. In a way, the whole book is rotated around the social status of the characters. For example, Curley, the owner's son, is born into a great position in life. His dad owns the farm and in a sense, Curley is in charge. He was born into a higher class family and thus has more power over other characters. On the opposite spectrum, we have Lennie, George, and the other farmhands. They are born on the poor positions in life and it is shown greatly with Lennie and George. Lennie is born big and strong but he has a mental disability. George, on the other hand, is born with intelligence but not a noticeable amount of strength. However, George and Lennie are both on the poor side of the spectrum and in return do not hold much power. The novel shows a clear Marxist lense with all the different class systems in the novel.
Last year in Honors English 11 with Ms. Bryant, we were required to read The Great Gatsby. I really enjoyed this book due to the time era the book takes place in. I am very interested in the early 1900s and the Great Depression. The Great Gatsby is a great book to view with Marxism lenses. The Great Gatsby provides great insights into the social classes and so-called "social norms" of the early 1900s. The basis of the story is that a man by the name of Jay Gatsby is rejected by a prominent, wealthy young lady, Daisy Buchanan. The only reason she rejects Gatsby is due to the fact that he is dirt poor. Jay finds himself becoming very rich and throwing extravagant parties at his new mansion across the bay from Daisy's. All of these parties are in an effort to reunite with Daisy. Even though he overcomes the obstacles of being poor, Gatsby continues to struggle in his life.
One book that I read that impacted me was "The Kite Runner". Looking at the book through a psychoanalytical lense, there is a lot to process. First off the biggest part of the book is when the Amir's (the main character) best friend, Hassan, gets raped trying to get Amir's winning kite. In a flight or fight situation, Amir fled and decided not to tell help Hassan or tell anyone about it either. I think for Amir it was instinct to run because he only thought about what he wanted. He grew up a little bit wealthier than the rest so life was very simple to him and mostly about him. What blew my mind then is when Amir made it look like Hassan stole precious things from Amir's room to get Hassan and his father, who was the servant, kicked out of the house. To me, Amir couldn't live with the guilt that he didn't do anything so then he had to get Hassan out of the house, hoping that maybe if Hassan wasn't there he could forget about the whole experience. Amir never could forget it though, even when he was married and living in the USA having a happy life, he went back to his home country (Afghanistan) looking for Hassan and hoping to fix what he didn't do when he was a kid. There is so much more you can look into the psychoanalytical lense of all the characters but that is a summary into the mind of Amir.
I was in 5th grade when I read The Hunger Games in my gifted ed class. I was excited to read that book because I found it very interesting and it seemed to be a book I would actually enjoy reading. It is easiest for me to view the story through a Marxist lens. First of all, there are 12 districts and the capital that make up the new world. The capital is full of rich people who live a luxurious life. Districts 1 and 2 are very wealthy and full of strong, good-looking, and competitive people. Then in district 12, there is a lot of poverty and oppression. This shows a social/ economic ladder because the capital would be at the top and district 12 would be at the bottom. When people are chosen from the districts to go fight in the arena, they become popular and they can get sponsors. The sponsors look at the people who are big, strong, and good looking and they expect them to win the Hunger Games. However, they overlook the fact that an average-sized person could outsmart others and be a winner. This demonstrates "brawn over brains" very well. Along with that, the people born in the wealthier districts who are stronger and bigger, won the genetic lottery and people born in districts such as 12, are not as lucky.
Last year, I was able to read the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitsgerald in class. Though I didn't have much love for the novel at first glance, I did, however, have much love for Leonardi DiCaprio and therefore was much more willing to give it a chance. One lens that I saw heavily throughout the book was the Marxist Theory. In Gatsby, there is a distinguishable difference between the wealthy and poor, as highlighted by their homes, clothing, and lifestyle. The rich are dressed in very elaborate gear and have a niche for throwing outlandish parties, though the majority of them are all also habitually lazy. Even within the rich, there were further stereotypes, as displayed between the categories of "old money" and "new money." A further example of the Marxist Theory can be seen within Jay and Daisy's relationship. As a member of the military and with very little money, Jay cannot keep up with Daisy's standards. He will only win her heart (temporarily and superficially) until he makes his fortune and can quite literally buy her love with a lavish lifestyle.
Last year in honors 11 we had free reading for 10 minutes at the beginning of class every day. My favorite book, by far has to be ''Behind Closed Doors", by B.A. Paris. This book fits best into the psychoanalytic lens. The story seems very normal at first, then it takes a drastic and confusing turn. The book is based on a twisted love story between a rich man named Jack who fell in love with a simple woman named Grace. Grace was the caretaker of her disabled sister met Jack on their daily trip to the park. After the two fell in love, Jack sent Grace's sister to a home for the disabled and built a giant house for him and Grace to live in. The house ended up being a fortress that Jack would lock Grace in. Jack also gained custody of Grace's little sister and locked her in a terrifying room. A perfect couple with a perfect life and a perfect story turned out to be the complete opposite. The story was full of mind games and mental illness.
Last year for Honors 11, I got the chance to read Ordinary Grace. This story stood out and impacted me as it was pretty close to our time period, while the other books were set in the early 1900s or even earlier. The main character was even around our age at the time. I am analyzing this book with a Freudian lens. In this book, the main character has to deal with the mental stress of pursuing the death of people and trying to find the right killer. He also must deal with the psychological trauma of finding his sister dead. He also has to deal with not accusing anyone and ruining his relationships in his small town environment.
In my sophomore year of high school, we were instructed to read the book "I am Malala" by Malala Yousafzai. At first glance, I didn't think the book would be very interesting, but as we progressed through the pages I started to become engaged by Malala's actions for the feminist movement. This book (obviously) fits under the feminist lens. Malala grew up in Pakistan, where females are heavily discriminated against solely for their gender given to them from birth. This discrimination only heightened when a terrorist organization known as the Taliban usurped power in Pakistan and many Middle-Eastern countries. They enforced ridiculous laws towards women such as dress codes, curfews, travel restrictions, and limiting their education. However, Malala and her father didn't believe in these radical ideas so they protested the Taliban by continuing to send Malala to school. News spread and the Taliban found out about Malala's education. The Taliban proceeded to track down her bus, pull the bus over, walk inside the bus full of little girls, and shoot Malala in the head. Though seemingly fatal, Malala survived to tell the story. She immediately gained attention from multiple national media outlets. Malala campaigned for female rights in the Middle-East and all over the world. This made her an even larger target for the Taliban but she didn't care because she did what was right for her cause. Malala was willing to put her life on the line for the greater good. Her story and beliefs helped empower females all over the world to stand up for their rights and strive toward equality.
In middle school, I was introduced to the book "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin. This book is a classic, fast-paced middle school read. It is all about how 16 heirs to a very wealthy man come together to solve his secret through a bunch of clues. They are all competing to win his fortune. This book very much fits into the Marxism analysis. For starters, every heir comes from a different background. In the book, they say there is "A dressmaker, a secretary, an inventor, a doctor, a judge. And, oh yes, one was a bookie, one was a burglar, one was a bomber, and one was a mistake.” This shows that they aren't all in the same class so they don't all have the same advantages to win this game. Every person in the game starts off somewhat respectful and wary about each other because, of course, they are all competing for the inheritance. They use greed and their social status to figure out who has been given what and what they, individually, need to do to win. In this book the "money" is knowledge. Knowledge of Mr. Westing, how to work out the clues, the landscape, and the building they are in. The more knowledge they have, the closer they are to becoming materialistically rich. This was all proved to be trivial, though, because none of the clues were real and the competition was al made up. The heirs thought that they were going to win so they kept going. Really, Mr. Westing just wanted to show everyone that there is more to life than money and where you come from. Your individual characteristics and skills is what are most important. This book took the reader through twists, turns, confusion, and eventually insight into how we can live our everyday lives. It will forever be a must-read, in my opinion.
I first read "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee as a young fourth-grader. I enjoyed the story but did not quite understand the topics being discussed. I next encountered the story while watching the movie in Gifted Ed as an eighth-grader. Rereading the story in Honors English last year has helped me apply a Marxist Lens to the story. The different social statuses and positions of money and power are seen in the Finchs, Ewells, and Robinsons. The Finchs may not be the wealthiest family but out of the three listed, they are considered the upper class, due to Atticus's position. The Ewells are quite poor and do not have the same respect that the Finchs do in the story. The Robinsons complexion during a time of segregation in the south puts them even further below the Ewells. Atticus's attempt at helping Tom Robinson represents the upper class providing support to the lower class. Robert Ewell is not only upset by this but also Atticus's position and money.
Last year in Ms. Cukas English class we read the book “To Kill a Mockingbird”. It was one of the first books I have read in a long time and I surprisingly enjoyed reading it. Now after learning about using literary lenses to understand the deeper meanings behind things. I will use my knowledge to look through the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” with my Marxist lenses. Looking through my Marxist’s lenses it is very easy to identify that Scout and Jem are very fortunate. They have won the genetic lottery. During this time in America, many people were struggling to survive. While Jem and Scouts are pretty well set. They have a dad has a good job and is well respected, they have nice clothes, plenty of food, they are white and even have enough money to afford a maid. While on the other hand, Tom Robinson lost the genetic lottery. He is very poor and has to work odd jobs to feed his family. He is also falsely accused of rape and due to the color of his skin is given an unfair trial.
The book that impacted me in high school was To Kill A Mocking Bird, I am looking through this book through the Freudian lens. I chose to look at this book through the Freudian lens because analyzing characters based on their brains and knowledge is the most impactful, in my opinion. The character that always intrigued me was Robert Ewell because he always had a very messed up way of thinking; I never understood why equality was a big deal back in the days that it was, Robert Ewell accused Tom Robinson of raping his daughter just because he was black and he wasn't raised with the mantality that differing races was okay, and that you could not be nice to someone who was not like you. Atticus and Scout were also two characters that I always took an interest in. They were always positive in every aspect of their lives, going through tough times, they always had something good to see.
Last year in my English class, I read a book that impacted me in several ways. Looking back on the story now, I am able to apply literary lenses. I chose to look at this book through the Freudian lens. Equality between people of color and whites is a very popular topic that is often brought into conversations, and in the book shows a lot of equality issues. Robert Ewell, a character in the book had accused a black man, Tom Robinson, of raping his daughter. He did this because of the color of his skin and he felt that his presence is violating to him and his family. We later find out, though, that he did no such thing and that Robert Ewell is against people of color. This book also showed several other times when the color of ones skin has affected their everyday life when it should not. The person behind the image is truly what matters most.
Out of all the literature we have studied in high school, one that has stuck with me was “Animal Farm” by George Orwell. In this class, learning how to analyze stories made me think of how it could be applied to “Animal Farm” which led me to realize how well it fits with the Marxist theory. The story is based on a farm with the animals as the main characters, but it allegorizes the Russian Revolution. The farm was first run by Old Major, the man on the farm portraying Karl Marx, then he was overthrown by Snowball, the pig portraying Trotsky. By looking at it through a Marxist lens, I noticed the pigs represented the higher power while the other animals made up the lower class. The pigs took advantage of their power and intellect to manipulate the animals. Napoleon, the pig representing Stalin, took over Snowball and he drove the farm to communism representing a dictatorship. Other animals such as Boxer (very hardworking) or Benjamin (genuine and intelligent) should have been in power over the pigs; however, the pigs won the genetic lottery. Also, near the end, there was a war between the animals and due to Napoleon's strengths, he one. This book fully portrays the Marxist theory due to the animals representing a communist society, led by a dictator, and clearly showing the different classes.
Freshman year, we all read the story of two star-crossed lovers that faced tragic deaths. William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet was a classic story I always enjoyed reading. After learning about the different literary lenses, the story grew in a deeper meaning and made it easier to understand. I chose to examine the story in a Feminist view as this lens stood out to me the most. All of the female characters in the story are completely controlled by men. Juliet is forced to marry Lord Paris by her father despite being madly in love with Romeo. If she refused to marry Paris, she would have been disowned by her father. Shakespeare presented women in a way to be weak as they were compelled to listen to every male figure in their life if they wanted to be happy and satisfied. If having her own rights, Juliet would have told her parents about Romeo which ultimately would have created less trouble in the end as the secret marriage and tragic deaths would have never occurred.
Last year I read the book "Ordinary Grace". Looking back on it now, I can see that there are major Marxist ties, which is the lens I'll be examining in. For instance, a majority of the story shows the interaction between the social classes. Ariel is part of a middle-class family but is dating Karl Brandt from a super-rich family. This relationship is looked down upon, and when Ariel dies greed and jealousy show up between the families. Ruth, Ariel's mom, believes Karl was the culprit. Also the scale of classes, you have Lise and Emil who are disabled and because they are disabled they are essentially ostracized by the family. On that topic, I feel like you could also assume this book in slightly anti-minority, in the sense that they are sent away. Also, Frank's younger brother Jake has a stutter and he is incredibly made fun of. Next, there is also a native american family that is also very prevalent in the story. They are immediately accused of murder and everyone automatically believes that this one man of this family did it because of their race and past. Basically, there are a lot of social tensions between the upper, middle, and lower classes.
Frankenstein was an interesting book that we read in honors English ten. When applying the Freudian lense to this literary masterpiece, Victor's narcissism becomes apparent. Throughout the story, Victor battles his self conscious with the idea that he is becoming a god. He sees himself on the same level as a deity because he brought the creature back from the dead. Only a god should be capable of bestowing life on a previously dead object. Victor shows later acts of selfishness when the creature attacks his fiance during their honeymoon. He knew of the threats that the creature had made to him but only thought about preserving himself. Victor reasoned that if he were to be injured or killed, his fiance would be heartbroken. He thinks that the mental damage to her if he was killed, would be worse for her than being killed himself. These are just two examples of Victor's narcissism shown throughout the novel.
Last year in English we read "The Crucible" in class. It did not occur to me then, but now that I have experience in using literary lenses, it is very easy to look beyond the surface. The story is based around girls getting caught doing a ritual and they are accused of being witches. Some of these women, namely Tituba and Abigail, once they are accused find themselves in a position of power. Anyone they accuse will be tried and undoubtably convicted of using witchcraft. This aspect of the story can be seen as having an anti-feminist tone, especially since the play was written in the 1950's, a time which is not particularly known for women's rights. The play depicts women who are presented with a position of power. They do not know how to handle power (implying that women can not hold positions of power) and quickly abuse it. This story has anti-feminist tones which were common for the time, but still demeaning.
Last year we read the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. It was one of the few books that I have actually enjoyed. There are many literary lenses I could apply, but I would say the most obvious is the Marxist lense. This book is set in the early 1900’s, a time when a lot of racial inequality was present. Tom Robinson, a black man living in the deep south, is often discriminated against. Tom and other African Americans are forced to live in a secluded areas out of town. They cannot go many places that the white people do. During the book, Tom is accused of a crime he did not commit. It is clear that he did not commit the crime, but is found guilty because of the color of his skin. The horrible treatment of African Americans and the difference in classes makes the Marxist theory easy to identify.
Last year, in my junior year, I read one of my favorite books ever: To Kill a Mockingbird. This novel written by Harper Lee was really interesting to me because my mother is a lawyer so I found myself relating to Scout and Jem a bit more than the average classmate. However, looking back I realized this novel could be viewed through a variety of lenses. The most blatant lens is through a Marxist lens. The first observation I could make is that the Finch family was white and middle class. Scout was born into a very fortunate living situation, other than the fact that she did not have a mother. The two kids did not have to experience many hardships while growing up, due to their comfortable living situation. However, Tom Robinson is the opposite of this lucky family. He is a black man, living in the south at a time where racism was common. He was falsely accused of rape and, because of his circumstances, his trial was plagued with racism. This is very unfortunate but serves a very valuable lesson for children. Even though Tom is just as worthy of a comfortable life like the Finches, he is not even given the chance due to his skin color.
I remember reading "Of Mice and Men" during my freshman year, I believe, and for not being the reading type, it rather intrigued me. I think that this novel is a very good example of one to study while using a Marxist lens. I think that the broadest idea of having a Marxist view in this story is simply by viewing the two main characters, George and Lenny, and seeing how they act and relating it to their social rankings. George, being a more intelligent character, is also the main character and kind of leads Lenny around, stereotyping a leader as a smart, level-headed man. This could also be a point where we put on our feminist lens. We can also look at Lenny—and if you have read the book, you know that he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed—and we can see that he is bossed around and has no authority over anyone. He is also very strong, which could also be another stereotype of a man who is not very bright, along with having brute strength. He is bossed around all the time by the smart, very intelligent man, and if he gets angry he can take on about anyone he wants to. By using a Marxist lens, we can identify the characters in this story being stereotyped and sort of being ranked into their own levels of society.
Last year in English 11 with Mrs. Sittig, one of the first books we read was "Ordinary Grace" by William Kent Krueger. When finding out we were reading a novel, I was not excited at all because reading is not my thing, I have never been thrilled or motivated to read. I can only read a book if I am really into it and can relate to the characters in some way or see myself in their position. I would say looking back on this book, I think I choose to look at this book in a Freudian view. The main character in the book is working to find the killer or reason for the death of all these different people in his town, related or not. The worst-case that the main character has to deal with, is finding his own sister dead in the river and having to tell the cops about it, living with that for the rest of his life. Lastly, there are two more characters, one is deaf, and one is blind. They think totally differently than we do. The character that is deaf, has to feel for vibrations and see things and try to read lips, always see but not hear things. And the other character who is blind has to hear for things and feel for things more than we do. There are many different lenses you could look at this story with but personally, looking back, I would choose Freudian.
Last year as a Junior, we read the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. This was a book that I always grew up hearing about and boy, did the book live up to that. This is a story that takes place during one of the darkest times in United States history. Though the story is fictional, it really shines a light on all of the issues that we had as a nation. I believe that the film is easiest to see through a Marxist lens. Is what makes the story so interesting in my story, is the fact that it is told from the perspective of a little girl. Scout Finch. A girl who really won the lottery the moment that she was born because she was a white girl in the deep south during segregation. It really highlights how relatively easy of a life that she and her other family are handed. Though she does get her nose dirty sometimes and brings consequences upon her. Another reason that this movie is easy to see through the Marxist lens, is that you see an African-American man, who is clearly innocent, found guilty. And shows the perspective of somebody who at the time, lost the genetic lottery for where he lived.
Junior year, in English class, my class did a lot of studying of numerous novels. One of my favorite novels I’ve studied in school is easily “Ordinary Grace”. “Ordinary Grace” always kept me thinking and wanting to find out more about the story. This book was somewhat relatable causing me to become very interested in it and what was going to happen. “Ordinary Grace” easily fits under the Freudian/Psychoanalytic category because you are constantly knowing what the narrator/author is thinking about the situations that arise in the book. Throughout the book, many deaths arise and you hear who the narrator thinks is responsible for the crimes that are being committed around town and especially to his sister. The actions happening in town causes the narrator to find himself into trouble very easily because he needed to know what happened to these people. Overall with this book many lenses can be applied, but I believe this book makes you think a lot and you get a perspective of one character's thoughts throughout the book about himself and towards other people.
In our Spanish classes, we read lower-level books, books that to a native Spanish-speaking fifth grader would be a cakewalk. One series of these books, a mystery-themed series, has two main characters (Pepino and Panzón) that have a detective agency in Mexico and travel the world solving mysteries. Looking through a feminist lens of these books reveals a pretty shocking truth: in almost every book, the villain or guilty party of a crime is a woman. The heroes (Pepino and Panzón) are men, and they are over-glorified greatly for their simple problem-solving skills. In these books, not only are all the heroes men, but the men daydream about women dancing all around them, thanking them and rewarding them for their geniusness in solving a mystery. This degrades the value of women greatly in the books, and when we meet a female character, we can already assume she will end up being the villain in the end.
"Out of my Mind" is a book that has never left my mind. I read it for the first time many years ago and it has taught me so many valuable lessons. Though it is not based on a true story, the plot is completely realistic. The Marxist lens really sticks out, when relating to the genetic lottery. To everyone else, it seems that Melody, the main character who has cerebral palsy, has lost the genetic lottery. She wants to be accepted by her peers and have a social life like the other kids in her class. The other kids have more power than her because she has a disability and is unable to do many things on her own. Melody tries to climb the social ladder by using her perfect photographic memory as an advantage. Since she is unable to speak she obtains a Medi-Talker, which is a computer that she controls and speaks for her. She rises in the social ladder when she joins her schools Whiz Kids team, similar to quiz bowl. She becomes very popular in that matter and the kids look at her from a new perspective. Her photographic memory is a secret weapon that she is finally exposing to society and will benefit her a great deal in the future.
While in middle school, our English class read the classic novel: The Outsiders. This book is riddled with Marxist theory, as it focuses on a feud between two groups based on their socioeconomic status: the working-class "greasers" and the upper-class "Socs." Money is the main thing that separates the Socs and Greasers. The perspective of the Outsiders is Pony's who is on the lower socioeconomic side as a greaser. Ponyboy, the main character is able to show how different things are for the working class (greasers) from the upper class (socs). The reader is able to see what growing up in gang life is like and how it is to have little money through the eyes of this character. The upper-class Soc’s are labeled as the snobby antagonists of the story, and we are meant to sympathize with the lower class and the way that they are forced to live their day to day lives. All in all, the Outsiders proves to be a very heavily laden example of a Marxist influenced piece of writing.
Sophomore year we read the story Tale of Two Cities in Honors English and this book had a ton of literary lens but the one that stood out the most was the Marxist lens. For the majority of the book, there is a lot of conflict between the higher class and the low-class French citizens. If you have land and money, or your ancestors did, you automatically have power and dominion over an area of land and people. The conditions that the peasants live in are terrible but the royals do not care their lives are perfect. While the peasants starve, the royals sit in their posh plantations and eat the finest food around. When the peasants realize that the royals really don't have any real power they revolt and lay waste to the royals estates. As you read through the story, you realize that a good law and order system are very important when it comes to running a country.
During my Junior year in English 11, we read a book titled "Ordinary Grace" by William Kent Kruger. This book was set to view all types of lenses. From a Marxist lense, the main character and his family live in an average-sized next to the church the father preaches at. A drunken family-friend lived in the basement of the chapel, all thanks to the father saving and protecting him. This family is seen as middle-class, not winning nor losing the lottery of life. The boy's sister, Ariel, is dating a boy named Karl—who won the lottery of life with his first-class family and mansion-of-a-house. A Marxist theorist would spy these standpoints and find the good and bad in each. From a Feminist theorist view, Lise (a Deaf family-friend of this family who ends up being the criminal in the story) would be seen as strong and independent, even though she is hearing-impaired. She takes care of her blind brother, Emil; she proves that even with disabilities, women are capable of handling responsibilities in a mother-like fashion that men cannot think of nor do themselves.
Last year in Mrs. Sittig's class, we were required to read the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. The literary lens that I think is easiest to view this book with is the Marxist lens. The reason being is because the main character, Scout Finch, has won the genetic lottery. She is a white female that lives in the deep south during some very hard time in the United States. Another way you could look at this book is when Bob Ewell gets brought for questioning after he claims his daughter was raped by a black man. Bob Ewell is the poorest of the poor in the town they live in, and during this time he is being questioned, you can see him rising on the social and/or the economic ladder because he would normally be on the bottom but since he is accusing a male black man, he is no longer on the bottom and people are for him when normally everyone would be against Bob Ewell.
Last year I was given the chance to read the road. This book is a goldmine for literary analysis looking back on it. Many views can be taken on the book, Marxist, Freudian, Religious and even some more. Often enough we had to review the book and understand the content. As a reader, I couldn't help but identify types of power and greed throughout the book. The book was filled with Marxist ideals and this was portrayed throughout the book. The boy and his father were constantly moving, this was because they wanted to migrate towards the south to find warmth but also escape cannibals. The road had a food chain just like the lion king did. The people higher in power quite literally fed upon the easy prey that was on the run. There were also situations that were Marxist in themselves. For example, when the father decided to point the gun at one of the antagonists he felt power and control bringing him up the "food chain" in that moment of time. Another lens that I often think about when reading this book would have to be a religious lens. The boy within the book often was a sense of purity and moral hope. When the father only tried to take care of the boy, the boy denied his father this and made sure he took care of himself. Water was also another religious lens within the book because it was often used to cleanse the body and bring anew, an example of this is when the father was giving his son a bath within the cellar. The boy almost represents Jesus in a way within the book as well. He cares for the environment and people within it, he understands his circumstances but seeks the best in people regardless.
Last year I read the book To Kill A Mockingbird, this book showed me that if I was to apply the feminist lens that Scout is always expected to act a certain way even when she is very clearly against acting that way because she just wants to be like he brother or even like the other boys. Another example of this is when at school she is known to get in fights with other children even when she has made a promise to be more ladylike to her father, she can’t stop herself when the children make fun of her dad and call him names even when she doesn’t know what they mean she knows that is an insult so she will break the promise to protect her fathers name. The last example is simple what Scout wears which is not a dress which is what women of that time are expected to wear, she will wear what a boy would wear and will have short hair and her demeanor is more like that of a boy and she is told that it is not a good thing for her to be doing.
Last year with Mrs. Sittig in English we read "To Kill a Mockingbird", a book where many literary lenses can be found throughout. The two lenses that are most commonly found in the book are the Marxist lens and the Feminist lens. The Feminist lens can be found throughout the book when examining Scout. Scout has always wanted to be like a boy. She lives like exactly like a boy but is being treated as a girl. Throughout the novel, you can easily tell that there are gender prejudices in the city that they live in. Scout dresses in clothes just like the guys, but the other ladies think Scout should be wearing a dress while cleaning the house and preparing food. The next lens that can be found in "To Kill a Mockingbird" is the Marxist lens. You can obviously tell that there are certain people who have won the genetic and environmental lottery in the novel. Scout and her brother Jem won the environmental lottery and were very fortunate to have a nice place to live in a not so nice town. The Robinson family did not win the environmental lottery as they are a black family that is living in the South during a time of racism. They are both people, but one was born into a better situation than the other.
During my junior year, I took Honors English 11. In this class, I read the book "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitsgerald. Going back to it now, I decided to look at it through a Marxist lens. I decided to look at it through this lens, because of all the differences between each of the economic classes. This is really shown with Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan's relationship. Back when Gatsby did not have much money and was still poor, Daisy had turned him down, in order to date someone richer, who had the money to support her lifestyle. Heartbroken by this, Gatsby found a way to get his own fortune, in order to please Daisy. After Gatsby has money, Daisy wants to be with him instead of her husband. It all depends on money. If one has money, Daisy will be with him; however, if he does not, Daisy will not by with him as well.
Last year in Honors 11, we got to read “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. This book has a motif of equality among races, which is the perfect opportunity to put on the Marxist Literary Lens. In this book, the father, Atticus Finch takes on a trial defending a black man, Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a young woman. The town views this as a joke almost, nearly everyone knows that since Tom is a minority he will be charged no matter his innocence. When using the Marxist Lens we see that Atticus has won the genetic lottery. This man is intelligent, wise, and a respected person of the town. Tom, however, is judged for being African American and assumed to have raped the woman. This woman just wanted attention and she most definitely stirred up the town by accusing him. Tom cannot help him being born into the lower/working class and is an amazing person for the way he deals with his circumstances. In the small town the story was written in, the townspeople disregard the facts because of the circumstances in which no one could help.
The story of Harrison Bergeron from 9th or 10th grade really sticks with me. The government forces disabilities onto anyone who is above average—physically or mentally. Beautiful people must wear ugly mask; strong people must wear heavy weights to make them weaker; an intelligent people must have a device that interrupts their train of thought at random times. I rethought the definition and potentially dangerous effects of equality after reading it.
The best lens to study "Harrison Bergeron" through is Marxist. Taking place in a Communistic-appearing America, this story delves into the costs to society entailed in both sides of equality and inequality. In the story, equality is achieved at the cost of freedom and individual achievement. The clear division between those receiving and those giving handicaps draws a black and white line through their society and eradicates any other potential levels, thus portraying a Marxist point of view.
In Honors English 10, we read the well-known "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare. I am a big fan of the novel and there are many very obvious lenses to use with this novel. The one that strikes me the most and is the one that I personally have to dive into the deepest is the feminist lens. The one-act production at Brandon Valley this year is this famous tale and I have been cast as Helena. If you are unfamiliar with this story, allow me to give you a brief summary of the relevant points. Helena was courted by her love, Demetrius. However, Demetrius loses his feelings for Helena and instead finds interest in Hermia who is mutually in love with Lysander. Hermia's father is in favor of Hermia marrying Demetrius and not Lysander and takes this very seriously. She is given three options: marry Lysander, become a nun, or die. This seems extremely unfair. Why should the woman's view and opinions not be taken into consideration? I am aware that this was just how it was during the time period, and women were not looked at with as much respect as they are now. They weren't allowed to choose their spouse or make decisions for themselves much at all throughout the film. A line is given by Helena in Act 2, Scene 1 (b) that says "Fie, Demetrius? Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex. We cannot fight for love, as men may do. We should be woo'd, and were not made to woo." She is frustrated that she can't do anything in this situation and that her attempts fail because she is a woman. She is begging to be loved by him as he continues to reject her. Another woman, the only one that seemed to hold any power, was drugged by her husband and made to fall in love with an ugly creature so that her husband might get his way. Men hold all the control and women are used and flung around as material items.
As a junior, I, along with most others in my class were given the opportunity to read "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. Although we analyzed this book quite thoroughly we never applied different lenses to the book as we do not in Lit. Applying my favorite lens to the book, the Marxist lens, you can develop a further understanding of the book. The main character, Tom Robinson is clearly a lower class. He is a lower class because he is a black man and the story takes place in the deep south in the 1930s which is a time when black men and women were definitely considered to be a lower class. You can see this throughout the book in various ways but there are some that stick out to me. To start, the blacks all live in a different part of town than everyone else, "across the tracks" if you will. They also go to a different church and really stick to themselves because they are not accepted by a majority of whites. The biggest and most obvious event that shows oppression is that Tom Robinson clearly does not get a fair trial even though that is his right as an American. Tom Robinson did not win the genetic lottery.
Last year in Honors English we read "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scot Fitsgerald. The book can easily be viewed from a Marxist perspective. The struggles are made blatant between the different classes. The lower class, those who lived in the Valley of Ashes, would constantly be working hard to support their family and hence had little time for leisure activities. Leisure activities were very common though for those who lived in East Egg and West Egg. Parties would be common. Those from the East Egg, who have inherited the family money and companies especially possessed plenty of spare time. An example in the book we can see of having spare time is with Tom Buchanan, who mentions golfing at one point in the book. We can see class division starkly throughout the book. One example would be when Daisy rejected Jay because he was not among the upper class. Jay had no money and no social ranking. This caused Gatsby to pursue the American Dream and become rich. Becoming rich was something he wanted to do because he was motivated by the thought that Daisy might leave Tom for him because they were in love when she left him because of his social standing.
The novel I am choosing to analyze is Of Mice and Men. I think that the lens that is most prominent in this book is the Marxist lens. The novel clearly depicts the effects of genetic and environmental factors on quality of life of the characters. The overall setting also supports the role of capitalism and anti-communism in the novel. Lennie Small obviously lost the genetic lottery. He is mentally handicapped and physically cannot control his own body and strength. Thankfully, George Milton is there in the novel to be his companion, guide, and protector. In this way, Lennie sort of got a good draw from the environmental lottery because he would have many more struggles in life without George by his side. Capitalism is a huge part of the overall plot, and when looking deeper, the characters. Lenny and George go to different farms to get work. They are on the lower end of capitalism. At the top are Curley and his wife.
Last year I read the book the novel "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitsgerald I enjoy reading the novel and found it to be very interesting. I think the lense used throughout the novel "The Great Gatsby" is Marxism. The whole book was based on the rich and the poor. The richer people were seen as more important and overall superior. The people who didn't have a lot of money or weren't rich were seen as inferior. The rich people would have parties and big gathers to show off the money they have. The novel also showed how rich people stopped working hard because they were very entitled to the money they had. The sad part of the novel was how Daisy continued to put down Jay Gatsby because he wasn't seen high enough in the social ranking. It was very eye-opening to read the novel because our society did use to be like that and in some ways it still is. People with more money are envied and are seen as more important because of their wealth. Yeshari Graber
A book that I read last year was "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. The lens that fits best with this novel is the Marxist lens. Tom Robinson is accused of raping a young woman by a white man. There is really no solid evidence that he had and Mr. Ewell was just trying to climb the social latter. Mr. Ewell realized that if he accused a black man he would get more attention from the town. Tom Robinson was African American. He was from the lower class and took place during the 1930s in the south where everyone was racist at the time. So you can see that Tom Robinson did not win the genetic lottery. The Finch family did win the genetic lottery though. They live on the "right side" of the tracks, white, and are wealthy. Their home life is great and doesn't have to worry about much.
A novel that impacted me was To Kill a Mockingbird. The two lenses that I found most prominent were a feminist lens and a Marxist lens. Due to the time period, the novel was very pro-white and pro men because women and blacks had little/no rights. In the feminist lens, you could see the internal struggle that Scout went through because everyone around her was coercing her to be ladylike and do womanly things while she was somewhat of a Tomboy and enjoyed doing things that are considered boyish. Applying the Marxist lens, Boo Radley and his father Nathan Radley were at the bottom of the social classes because they did not have money. Boo Radley himself had a mental disability, not very severe but definitely enough to impact his social class and the way that people see him. The Marxist lens also can be applied when looking at Tom Robinson who was at a class below the lowest because he was black and at the time period they were dealing with significant racial prejudice. This being very evident in the court case because Bob Ewell is clearly lying and the court still sides with Ewell.
I think a feminist lens would fit really well with Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. Throughout the novel, many of the female characters are viewed in negative ways that are not represented in the male characters of the novel. Specifically, Ariel, Lise, and Ruth are all presented in a negative way by Krueger. Ariel is having a secret relationship and is lying to her parents, Lise is mentally ill, and Ruth is unhappy in her marriage. These traits stay static in the novel, unlike the negative traits of the male characters. Krueger focuses on resolving Jake's stutter, for example, but Ariel dies before anyone finds out about her secret relationship. I also think it’s interesting that Krueger chooses Lise, a mentally ill woman, to ultimately be Ariel’s killer. It is very stereotypical of women to be jealous, them committing various acts ranging from trivial insults to outright violence as a result. Lise killed Ariel out of jealousy, and therefore she fits this stereotype.
Last year in Honors English 11 with Ms. Bryant, we read several books that could easily be looked at through a lense, to analyse a deeper meaning. The best one I can think of would be To Kill a Mockingbird, this covers the Marxist lens. The Finch family was not necessarily wealthy but they were well off for their time and where they lived. Atticus Finch was a white lawyer who many would say is very well off, yet he took the time to defend a lower class black man, who he knew would not get the help he needed if Atticus himself did not step in. The Marxist lens looks at the differences between the wealthy and the poor and the interactions between the two social statuses. In many cases the actions of Atticus would be unheard of, yet he is setting an example that even though this case meant nothing to him financially, he knew that it was the right thing to do. In order to set an example for his kids and to help Tom Robinson out, he took the case.
Adding a femenist lens to The Road. After reading The Road my junior year, using a different literary lens has opened my eyes to the different viewpoints the book has to offer. For example, the main characters: a young boy and a grown man. First, there is a flashback that occurs in the story that explains how the mother died after the world had ended. It vividly tells that she had commited suicide because she could no longer take the harsh world. Is it a coincidence that she was a woman? In a men-dominated world, it is not uncommon for woman to typically be the first ones to fall under pressure (stereotypically, not literally). Also, the two main characters are both men. The story would change immensely if the young boy was a girl or even if the dad was the mom. I think since men are typically viewed as the stronger gender, readers wouldn't be as engaged with women in their place.
Last year we read 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and I absolutely loved it. I find that one lens that sticks out to me more in the book is a Freudian lens. The issues that Gatsby had would have required years of therapy to get rid of. One particular thing that always stood out to me was Gatsby's fear of being poor. The book states that he came up from nothing, and it is shown through dialogue that Gatsby always wanted to be rich, and did anything he could to hide his past once he was rich. It is hard to decide whether Gatsby is just greedy or if he feels entitled to a luxurious life as a result of some deeper inferiority complex. Once he is on top he is very clear that he will do anything it takes to prove to others that he is rich and superior. Throwing extravagant parties and spending as much as he can to impress Daisy makes me think that he most definitely ties his sense of self-worth to his own monetary worth. I believe that his sense of inferiority is exemplified by his sense of entitlement after is rise to wealth. He is rich now so he needs to have the biggest house. He needs to have the biggest parties, the nicest boats, the most expensive cars. He also needs the most beautiful woman. Once Gatsby becomes rich, his Id takes over, as he can now afford all his wildest pleasures. When something isn't immediately available to him, he is stricken with desire and cannot function until he has what he wants. He knows he cannot have Daisy, as she is married, but she is the most beautiful girl to him, so it contradicts his Id and drives him mad that he can't possess her.
Last year in Miss Bryant's Honors English class she encouraged us to take independent reading time and guided us towards what books would be interesting to read. She introduced me to the book 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Khaled Hosseini. This tale is a sister book to a popular novel, 'The Kite Runner'. The author of these two books is an Afghan-American and in 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' he portrays the lives of Afghan women and their daily struggles. Reading this book with a Marxist lens, you realize that some people in the country of Afghanistan have won environmental lotteries and are born into rich families. Being rich in this country means you have the power to do what you want, and in this story, marry who you want. Reading this story in a Feminist lens, you realize that the women in the story, have no responsibilities other than having sons, cooking and cleaning for their household, and tending to their husbands every desire. Looking into what the two women want and desire, you realize what they subconsciously think, getting away from their abusive husband no matter how they do it.
The best book I've read in school had to be last year in Miss Bryant's class when we read the Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby was a really short book and that's probably why I liked it so much. But as we dove into the book and really analyzed The Great Gatsby, you understood the intentionalism within the book that made it great. Gatsby was made intentionally to recognize the American dream. A man who came from nothing and had all the wealth he could dream of but longed for something more, the old sports cousin Daisy than got it all ripped out of hands when he died a tragic death. The perfect representation of the Marxist lens. Daisy did not want to date Gatsby just due to the fact he was poor. Jay then, representing the American dream in the book, gained all his wealth to win back Daisy. A true showing of economic disparity that goes along with the Marxist theory.
Last year during school, I read How To Kill a Mockingbird. It was a very good book that somewhat moved me in away. It was one of the few books I have actually read because it kept me engaged in the whole book. The lens that I will be used to observe this book is a feminist lens. Throughout the novel, Scout (Jean Lousie Finch) gets criticized over and over again for acting too much like a boy. She is classified as a “tomboy”, and always wears overalls and muddy shoes. Throughout reading this novel, Lee definitely dos not hide the fact that there are gender roles gender prejudices within the city of Maycomb ad the people living there. Scout is used by Lee to demonstrate how societal expectations of feminine behavior are pushed upon girls at a very young age. However, Scout doesn't conform and is upset when people try to make her. Throughout the novel, there is a multitude of characters that try and get her to change but she refuses.
Last year, I read "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini for the third time. I read it for the first time a few years ago and it is one of my all-time favorite books. Since learning about literary lenses, I have noticed that the feminist lens is very prominent. The book is set in Afganistan and the United States. In Afganistan, women do not have rights and it really shows throughout the story. In the book, you can tell there is tension between Sonya's parents. I remember that her father made it a rule that her mother could no longer sing around the house when they got married. That shows how men are able to have control over women. I really noticed the feminist lens with Soraya because nobody would listen to her and she would not get a say in anything. Soraya wants to be a teacher but her parents would constantly ignore her because they thought they knew what is best for her. I also noticed a bit of the Marxist lense in between Amir and Hassan. I remember Amir saying that Hassan was just his servant, not his friend around other boys when in reality they were good friends. Amir realized that he was embarrassed to be with Hassan.
Last year, I read one of my new all-time favorite books thanks to the phenomenal tutelage of educator extraordinaire, Ann Sittig. That wonderful book I love is Ordinary Grace by William Kent Kruger. The words are so passionate and moving—in fact, they moved me to his lecture and booking signing in Sioux Falls. However, I think it is very easy to apply a Marxist lens to this book. For a great example, the Brandt family is notorious for their large sum of money due to Emil's superior talent and Axel's brewery company that is a staple in the lives of the New Bremen citizens. On the other hand, the Drum family lives in a less comfortable scenario than the Brandts do atop the hill in their mansion. The Drums live in the lowly flats. Despite that, they still held high esteem by the town due to his father's job as a methodist priest, his mother's beautiful singing voice in the church choir, and his prodigy sister on the piano or organ on Sundays. Similar to Rafiki in the Lion King. When talking about the Disney classic, we can remember that the hyenas represent poverty or lower class living. Conveniently, Emelia, his mother's friend from church, sadly lives in an environment like such. She is subjugated to abuse, alcoholism, all while trying to take care of a child of her own.
When I was in middle school, my class read a book Titled Unwind. I believe that the Psychoanalytic or Freudian Lens is the best application for this story. The plot of the story follows the main character's struggle as a fugitive running from the authorities in a dystopian society where dissatisfied parents are permitted to have their unruly children cut up into individual body parts for the purpose of Organ/body part transplants. Towards the beginning of the book, the main character finds the documents his parents have filed for his "Unwinding" and he spends the next few weeks leading up to his scheduled appointment for being "unwound" being the nicest, most pleasant child that a parent could ask for. He performs Random acts of kindness for his mother and father, bringing them to tears in regret for their irreversible decision. The night before he is to be taken, he runs away and the rest of the novel follows his escapades through an underground network of fugitives like him in an attempt to escape to freedom. Using the freudian lens on the protagonist reveals much about his intelligence and demeanor. While brilliant, he chooses only to apply himself to his interests and not to school, he's sardonic and snarky, and he meets characters that are complete foils of him through his attempted escape making him aware of his own characteristics and promoting him to change himself.
In my Junior year of high school, we read a book called The Kite Runner that was written by Khaled Hosseini. This book had a big impact on me by looking at it from a Marxist lens. By looking through a Marxist lens you will see that the lower class in Pakistan are simply the families who do not have many male children, or the people who are crippled or even women. When the main characters move to the United States they are brutally plummeted from their high-class life in Pakistan to the low-class life of immigrants who just fled into the United States. The main character grew up as a wealthy kid who was very respected, he had a best friend who was very low class and worked as a servant for him. This helps you analyze the different treatment each class receives in Pakistan. Also, the Marxist lens shows how life is easier or harder for some depending on how much money you have and whether you are a strong healthy male in Pakistan. Looking through the Marxist lens reveals a huge shift in class when the main characters move from one country to the other and it is a very good book to look at through the Marxist lens.
96 comments:
Last year I read the amazing novel: The Great Gatsby. This book had a huge impact on me because it was a pleasant and light read, however, when it was analyzed, the book took many different paths. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitsgerald is a perfect example of Marxism because of the struggles between economic classes. The author writes how people who are wealthy do not work very hard and spend most of their time on leisure activities. Also, the relationship between Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby is an amazing example of the Marxist theory. Daisy rejects Jay Gatsby because he is dirt poor and not of the same social ranking. Jay Gatsby is devasted that Daisy wanted to follow in the "social norm" and date someone who was rich and would take care of her. Therefore, Jay Gatsby figures out a way to earn his fortune and buy his mansion across Daisy's house. Jay Gatsby will continue to struggle while he tries to act and speak like “old money”.
Two years ago, I had the chance to study the enlightening novel entitled: A Tale of Two Cities. Written by Charles Dickens, this expansive book could be analyzed through a variety of different literary lenses. However, I feel the ideas presented by the Marxist lens best represent the general outline of this story. The entirety of this novel centers on a battle between the upper and lower class. The royals do not care about the needs of the average person, and the lower class citizens are forced to live in squalid, lowly conditions, fostering a theme of antidictatorship to the reader. However, realizing that the royals don’t hold any actual power—as they earned their position based only on their bloodline—the lower class revolt, creating their own society ruled by the once oppressed. Despite attempting to form a positive, functioning society, suspicion and corruption end up taking hold, turning the new country into a world of executions and chaos. This idea presents a different spin on the antiwealthy ideals, showing the necessity of order and a law system in a developing country. In essence, this novel presents the idea that a society of complete lower-class rule can not succeed without proper stability and organization.
Last year, I had the amazing opportunity to study the impactful novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. As class and societal roles play a pivotal role throughout the novel, I feel the novel is best analyzed through a Marxist lens. The novel centers around Scout and Jem Finch, two children who were certainly winners of the genetic lottery. Though they grew up without a mother, their father, an upper-class lawyer, devoted his time to them, and, coming from a white and wealthy background, the kids did not have to deal with many hardships during their childhood. This directly contrasts to Tom Robinson, a black field hand falsely accused of rape. Though he is just as worthy of a good life as Scout and Jem, he faces many hardships simply because of factors completely outside of his control. Coming from a majority white town, his days are plagued with racism, so much in fact that a mob is willing to break into a prison just to hang him themselves. This sharp divide in class between the Finch family, and the other residents of Maycomb, and Tom Robinson would eventually lead to the poor man's demise.
Last year, we were required to read the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. I did not think I would enjoy the book as much as I did. In the novel, a Marxist lens can be used in order to analyze the messages displayed in the court hearings of the story. There are obvious divisions between the black community and the white community and it plays a large role in how the characters react to certain situations. Scout and Jem grow up with their father, and while they are white, they still struggle to make a living. Compared to the scenarios the black people have to endure—such as Tom Robinson's trial—the whites live comfortably. Tom Robinson is falsely accused of rape—most likely due to the color of his skin— and it eventually causes his death. These factors all are a part of the Marxist theory and how the genetic lottery works for people and what it was like in our more recent history.
At the end of the year last year, I had the opportunity to read the novel "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini. Before reading this book, I was skeptical, but that opinion soon changed once I began reading it. There are many different lenses used during the book, but I thought the Feminist Lens was the most powerful throughout the book. Being set in Afghanistan and the United States, the roles of the two genders differ greatly. Women are treated much lower than men throughout the entire story and there are a couple of prominent moments where it shows. Women are shut down and being asked to partake in actions they do not want to do. They are not able to stand up for themselves because they are afraid they will be even more mistreated or possibly harmed by the soldiers. In the middle of a book, a woman was raped and no man did anything about it. Another part that shows a feminist lens is when the young woman, Soraya, is not being listened to by her fathers. She is constantly ignored because her father feels he knows what is best for his daughter. Soraya's mother is also being told what to do and what not to do. Her mother didn't question any of the rules because usually, the man is in charge. This prevails that there is male dominance among their culture.
Last year I read the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" and it was a story that I really enjoyed. Through the Marxist lens, the story takes place in Alabama in the 1940s which was a tough time for most people. But Jem and Scout won the genetic lottery with their lives. They had a house, clothes, food, and a lawyer father that the town loved dearly. They didn't have to go through the hardships that Tom Robinson had to go through just for having a different skin color. Even Atticus went through hardships, and he was white. Jem and Scout got to live their lives like normal children and got to do whatever they wanted because they were white. This causes a divide in the town of Maycomb for Tom Robison living in a predominantly white town. While half of the town is on the side of Tom and Atticus, most of the town does not believe that Tom should be able to do things that everyone else to do because of things out of his control.
Last year I read the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. I really enjoyed the novel way more than I originally thought I would. I think the best way to look at this novel is through a Marxist lens because there are so many examples. In the novel, the Finch family clearly won the genetic lottery. They were white, wealthier than most but not necessarily rich, and Atticus was a high up lawyer. One could say the white lives in this book live quite comfortably for the most part. There are quite evident conflicts between white and black people throughout the whole novel. Another important character who faces a completely different side of difficulties and hardships is Tom Robinson. Tom is falsely accused of rape and that could be due to the color of his skin since he is considered "different" from the rest of the town. Through the whole novel, Tom along with other people with colored skin faced a lot of racism, hatred, unkindness, etc. just because of the color of their skin. Looking at this novel through a Marxist lens helps people realize more about the smaller detail within the novel.
One of my favorite stories is Finding Nemo. I have watched it many times and have learned something new from it every time. I have even read a book version of it that also helped me see the meaning more deeply. If I use my Marxist lenses while watching, it is clear that the whole book is based on a genetic lottery. The sharks are the upper class. They have won the genetic lottery and are huge animals with big sharp teeth. The lower class is the fish that are small like Nemo and Dory. They have lost the genetic lottery. They are very small and can easily be eaten. Therefore, they have to be very careful about swimming in the ocean, and they oftentimes have to swim in large schools. The sharks may have pressure though in society to be tough all the time, so maybe it is better to be one of the little fish.
When I was growing up, The Hunger Games series was one of my all-time favorite book series. I loved the idea behind it and the futuristic, yet not futuristic setting that it provides. One of the lenses I would like to use first is the feminist lens. The actual hunger games is a contest between 12 boys and 12 girls to see which one will rise victorious by being the last one to survive the slaughter. When you hear killing, you generally think about males. So, you would fully expect the big brawny men to have an advantage here. But that is not the case, time after time Katniss shows that she can hang with the men, showing off her elite archery skills. In the end, she and another dude remain victorious. Most readers would probably agree that Katniss is probably more masculine than her male friend, Peta. Later on she is used as a symbol, the Mockinbird, not Peta, the male survivor, but her, a skilled bowman survivor. Another one that could be used is the Marxist lens, You see there are 12 districts in the story. 1 being the most skilled and wealthy district, 12 being the least skilled and least wealthy. Usually, the first few districts are favored by the "Capitol" and generally win the annual hunger games because they are the fittest to win it all. Generally because they are always fed well, and have the money and equipment to train for these games. While, the lower districts do not.
Freshmen year my English class read "I Am Malala" this story can definitely be viewed with a feminist lens. The women in Pakistan are discriminated immensely and are not even supposed to go to school because it is not one of their "duties". Malala and some other girls were on their way to school when she was shot in the face by a terrorist group who believes in the radical beliefs about limiting women's rights. She survived and proceeded to share her story around the world empowering other women and nations. If I analyzed this book with the Marx lens I could see that Malala did not win the genetic lottery, mainly due to her gender, but did win the environmental lottery. She was raised in a loving home where her parents encouraged her to follow her dreams, even if it had consequences and were willing to put their own lives at risk in order to support their daughter. Her father ran the school and made sure her and other women had access to a good education.
Last year during school, we read How To Kill A Mockingbird. It was a very good book that somewhat moved me. I decided over the summer to finally read the sequel: Go Set A Watchman. I wasn't sure if this book would be set at the same time, area, or even with the same children. I was skeptical about whether or not it would be as good as the first book. I really realized how much of a Pro-Men society we had. Scout was considered strange because she wasn't afraid to show who she really was and acted out. This is met with men always trying to set her in her place and making her feel stupid because she is not able to see the underlying message about her fiance. The underlying message that they themselves continue to hide from her. There is not as much racism seen in this story but there is still a hint of black and white that Scout must figure out for herself. Besides this, we see another large fight over the black and white community that leads Scout to her final decision.
Last year, in English, we read "To Kill A Mockingbird." It is one of the few books that I have read and actually enjoyed reading. Although many lenses can be applied to this novel, I am going to use my feminist lense to observe it. Throughout the novel, Scout (Jean Lousie Finch) gets criticized over and over again for acting too much like a boy. She is classified as a 'tomboy', and always wears overalls and muddy shoes. Throughout reading this novel, Lee definitely does not hide the fact that there are gender roles and gender prejudices within the city of Maycomb and the people living there. Scout is used by Lee to demonstrate how societal expectations of feminine behavior are pushed upon girls at a very young age. However, Scout doesn't conform and is upset when people try to make her. Throughout the novel, there is a multitude of characters that try and get her to change but she refuses.
Last year we read the novel: The Kite Runner. The novel was about a boy, Amir, and his relationships with his family servant's son, Hassan, and his homeland, Afghanistan. At the beginning of the novel, a Marxist lens can be used to identify the lifestyle differences in Amir and Hassan. Amir is the only son of a wealthy father who has many connections with the upper class and they themselves live a privileged life with many luxuries. Amir is allowed opportunities that lower-class civilians like Hassan do not have access to. Hassan's purpose is to serve Amir while not mixing and thinking that he is of the same level as Amir. The class system creates a barrier between the two boys and their chances of becoming true friends. Points in the book, Amir does horrible things and expresses negative thoughts about Hassan due to him being poor and a minority. A Religious lens can also be used due to the clash of Hazaras vs Pashtuns. Pashtuns are cherished in society whereas Hazaras are discriminated against and lower class. The final lens could be a Psychoanalytic lens. Amir is aware in parts of the book that what he does to Hassan is not right but he continues to do it anyways. He has an internal conflict of fitting in and trying to be a good person. A turning point in the book is when he decides to forget about Hassan and all the bad things Hassan went through in order to feel at peace with himself.
Last year, I was given the chance to read a very interesting and enlightening novel titled: To Kill A Mockingbird, that can be examined using many different literary lenses. Although many lenses may be used, the most obvious would be the Marxist lense due to the fact that this novel is based in the 1930s, deep-south Alabama, bringing to light serious issues with racial inequality as well as class difference. Accused of raping a young woman, one of the main characters Tom Robinson is set to go to trial; however, the jury chosen is quite racist and they attempt to keep separate the classes of white and black. The movie portrays the differences in the home life of white and black people. One way in which the classes are mixed in happens when the white lawyer’s children have no area to sit in the white section of the courtroom and decide to sit in the colored section up on the balcony. Here, differences in the classes are highlighted, along with throughout the novel. There are other lenses in which you can examine this novel, but Marxist seems very obvious.
In my junior year in English, I studied the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. The Marxist lens appears in this novel about racism towards an African American man. There are people that win the genetic lottery, in this case, it would be the white males and the rest would be lower class. White females were not fairly treated in the 1960s as men where. The lower classmen would include the white trash and of course African Americans. African Americans were automatically considered lower class based on their genetic makeup because of their different skin color. African American females were treated worse. Atticus Finch was a white man that helped Tom Robinson with his case when he was accused of raping a white woman. Very few African Americans ever got justice in court, but Mr. Finch wanted to make a difference for the future growth of integration. I also wanted to point out that Scout and Jem where stereotyping their neighbor, Boo, with dehumanizing speculations. In the end, Boo was a nice quiet guy that did not mean to do any harm. Overall this novel shows Marxist lenses.
Last year in Honors English I had the opportunity to read The Great Gatsby by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, and later explore the film. The book incorporated enticing historical events that circled and pertained mostly to the upper class, yet briefly mentioned the blue-collar workers. The first lense examined would be the Marxist theory. A movie centered around a rich man and his possessions boldly states and distinguishes those who are of a higher class and those who are considered "poor". Gatsby and his fortunes are located in old money, West Egg (a place where people had to earn and work for their riches and fame) while the East Egg is represented as new money (a place where those who live there inherited riches and fame, no work needed). However one may interpret the West Egg, it will never be as poor as the Valley of Ashes where the blue-collars and stereotyped low class live and work. In addition to the Marxist theory, the Freudian lense also applies. The love between Jay and Daisy is so seemingly simple to the viewers, yet the readers understand the complex love triangle and ongoing plea of Gatsby's wish: to spend the rest of his days with his one true love of Daisy Buchanan. The most prominent symbol of this wish and his hopes is the green light that can be seen at the end of his dock. Daisy and Jay were lovers before the complexity of a husband and child were thrown in, but due to Jay being poor and away, Daisy married a rich man that would be able to provide for her. In hot pursuit of Daisy, Jay made himself seem better and bigger than her husband. He bought a rather large house across the water from Daisy and hosted extravagant parties in hopes of one day seeing her. In his mind, Jay proved to Daisy that he was worthy of her love, and lived out this extravagant lifestyle; however, his dreams and imagination ran rampant, as Daisy, once again, turned Jay down. His possession and fortunes never seemed enough for Daisy, for his hopes and dream were crushed as she only pursued and consumed the fortunes for herself, ultimately, leaving hopes never achieved and the dead behind.
In English 11, I read “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. Although this novel could be viewed from a variety of lenses, the most obvious lens that consistently appears throughout the story is the use of the Marxist lens. In terms of economic and social status, Atticus and his family won the genetic lottery. The Finch family, along with the rest of the white community in Maycomb, Alabama, have it made for them, in comparison to the black community. The Finch family’s struggles are imminent; however, their skin color is the last thing to blame for them. In contrast, the black community faces a multitude of challenges due to their skin color. A clear division between these two races is shown throughout the entire book. For example, Tom Robinson, a black man, is wrongfully accused of raping a white girl. Bias is constantly shown in favor of the whites. Meanwhile, Atticus, a white lawyer, is tasked with fighting against his own community for what is morally correct. This conflict is filled with events that can be viewed from a Marxist lens.
Last year in English class I read the book, Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, and I feel like this book is able to be looked at through many different lenses. Amir is a rich boy who often hung out with his servant and friend, Hassan. Due to the social class and different lifestyles these two live, a Marxist lens can be applied. Amir is rich living and spoiled, while Hassan lives in the shack of the house with his father, and always doing chores. They definitely don't live equal lives, because they are on different social levels, and this is mainly because Hassan and his father are Hazaras. Hazaras are the ethnic minority, so they are automatically lower class. A Psychoanalytic lens can also be applied to their situation, because of the way Amir treats Hassan. He always treats Hassan badly, even though Hassan is a loyal friend no matter how badly he is treated. It is thought that Amir treats Hassan very poorly because he is jealous of the attention Baba (his father) gives him. The thought process that Amir goes through is interesting and makes him an unlikeable character at times.
Last year in English class I read the book, Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, and I feel like this book can be looked at through many different lenses. Amir is a rich boy who often spent time with his servant and friend, Hassan. Due to the social class and different lifestyles these two live, a Marxist lens can be applied. Amir's dad is rich and Amir is spoiled, while Hassan is always doing chores. They definitely don't live equal lives, because they are on different social levels, and this is mainly because Hassan and his father are Hazaras. Hazaras are the ethnic minority, so they are automatically lower class. A Psychoanalytic lens can also be applied to their situation, because of the way Amir treats Hassan. He always treats Hassan badly, even though Hassan is a loyal friend. It is thought that Amir treats Hassan very poorly because he is jealous of the attention Baba (his father) gives him. The thought process that Amir goes through is interesting and makes him an unlikeable character at times.
Freshman year I read a book called "Of Mice and Men", by John Steinbeck. This novel had a variety of lenses to be seen through but the most apparent one I observed it in was the Marxist lens. One vivid part of the book included the two main characters, George and Lennie arriving at the ranch getting a tour from Candy (the bosses wife). The boss who was unnamed of the ranch was wearing more upper-class clothes than Lennie and George. He flaunted his wealth throughout the novel bossing around the two controlling there ability to have a job and support themselves which shows a Marxist lens. Another example of the Marxist lens in this story began with Curley. He would tease Lennie on the purpose of being jealous of his strong physical build. Curley who is the son of the boss could at any point get his dad to fire him from one slip up. This shows the Marxist lens by giving an abusive power to control the life of Lennie just from growing up as the son of the boss.
During my sophomore year, my English class read “I am Malala”. This book had a huge impact on me. The lens that I applied to in this book is the Feminist lens. Pakistani women do not have much freedom when it comes to their life. The Taliban even went as far as to not allow young women to go to school to get an education for their future. When Malala’s bus was on their way to school, it was stopped by Taliban men. They came onto the bus, and Malala was shot in the head by one of the men. Thankfully, Malala survived and told her story encouraging many young women to go to school since they are lucky to have that freedom. Malala and some of her friends were very intellectual. They would make great leaders, but they were not allowed to exceed to that much power in their country. When looking at the story with a Marxist lens, I can identify that she has won the environmental lottery because Malala grew up in a loving home. Her parents were very supportive and wanted her to learn the most that she could so it could help her in the future. However, Malala did not win the genetic lottery because she was born a girl giving her no freedom where she lives.
Last year, I read a very good book in English class: To Kill A Mockingbird. The book offers many good lessons and values that help readers. Because this book takes place in the south and in the 1930s, the Marxist lens makes the most sense when applying lenses. The book takes place in a town in Alabama, where at the time, racial inequality was prevalent everywhere in the town. During the story, a man by the name of Tom Robinson was accused of rape just because of the color of his skin. In the town, the rest of the African Americans have to live out of town and also have to go to a separate church. The difference in the classes living and treatment proves the power system mattered in the deep south. The treatment of Robinson in his trial also proved the power system because the white people believed they were better than the African Americans. The Marxist lens is proven in the book "To Kill A Mockingbird" and helped me learn a plethora of values.
In the 5th grade, I was in "Gifted Ed." This was a class taught by Mrs. Waterbury and we would meet once a weak and would learn about a variety of different things. In this class, we read the book, "The Hunger Games." This was a story that was very entertaining for me. The story consists of 12 different districts or towns, and in these towns each year there is one boy and one girl selected to go off and fight in The Hunger Games. This is an event where they all fight to the death and there is only one that remains. There are many different lenses that you can use to view this story. I think this book is best viewed from a feminist lens. Because it is a fight to the death situation, you would think that men would have a greater shot at winning. However, for the main character in this story, Katniss Everdeen, this is not the case. She is very talented with a bow and arrow and is smarter and more skilled than many of the men that she is competing against. In the end, she is victorious and so is her fellow district partner Peta. She is clearly the more skilled of the two and is later used as a symbol for strength in the later stories.
One of the books I read last year was "To Kill a Mocking Bird" by Harper Lee. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I can use the Marxist literary lens to analyze the story due to the multiple financial, genetic, and social-economical complications throughout the book. The time frame of "To Kill a Mocking Bird" was set back when racism and segregation were still a common complication. The separation between the two classes provided a strong example of a Marxist trait. Tom Robinson was an African American charged with raping a white girl from a lower-class family. The trial of Tom was not fair, and by using the Marxist lens I was able to see that people still preferred to support a low class, uneducated white family than a middle class, brilliant African American man. The Marxist lens also helped me analyze the reaction of the town to Mr. Finch taking the case. Most believed that Mr. Finch was set up for failure and that he should have just dropped the case because there is no way the white jury would find an African American innocent. This helps prove that there were multiple racial and class issues in the novel.
As a kid, I did not put very much thought into seeing an underlying meaning to stories I read or watched. I loved watching movies containing an unhealthy amount of action that would satisfy my naive childish eyes—movies like the Batman trilogy. Though I still enjoy watching/reading action-packed books or movies, I appreciate books/movies that have a deeper meaning. After recently re-watching the Batman trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan, I realized why the movies are so popular. Using a Freudian lense, I can truly see the depth of the characters in the movies. The Joker was born into an extremely abusive family. His father went so far as to literally carve his face with a knife. This physically and mentally scarred him. He is seen threatening to do the same thing to his victims. The Joker lost the genetic lottery completely; however, his counterpart, Bruce Wayne, won the genetic lottery being born a millionaire. Society is most likely to like a millionaire and ignore a poor abused man. The Joker's philosophy is that everyone can go crazy and become a bad guy from one bad day. Why would someone commit terrible crimes and murders? It is not his fault that he was born into a terrible family and abused.
Last year, I read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini with my English class. One of my favorite books from my high school years, The Kite Runner was a quick and interesting read. The book can be further examined and analyzed by looking through different literary lenses. When looking through a Marxist lens, you can see there is a clear class divide between Sunni (upper class) and Shi'a (lower class) Muslims. Hassan is a poor Hazara/Shi'a. He is bullied, looked down on, and belittled by not only other Sunni kids but also his supposed best friend, Amir. Amir is a wealthy, spoiled Sunni Muslim. Amir begins to treat Hassan poorly when in the public eye simply because of who he is. He is embarrassed to be seen with a "lowly Hazara". The divide becomes so much that the Taliban attempt to exterminate all of the Hazaras in Afghanistan. After examining through this lens, it is obvious that Hassan and the Shi'as did not win the environmental or genetic lottery. Whereas, Amir and the Sunnis won both lotteries.
One story that has made an impact on me that we have previously studied in English classes was last year when we read the novel: To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. That book was very compelling and it was quite fascinating. Although last year we analyzed it we didn’t look at the novel from a Marxist lens specifically but looking back on it we most definitely did. The Marxist lens is shown with the main character Tom Robinson and he is a black man in the deep south during the 1930s when African Americans were seen as the lower class for sure. Anyways, Tom Robinson was falsely accused of rape and he was sentenced to trial. It was an unfair trial with having an all-white jury and they never really looked into the footsteps of Tom. During the trial, they compare the lives of the black folk and the white folk and the black people had it much worse compared to the whites. There were various lenses that you could put on to analyze this novel but surely Marxist lens is the most recognizable.
When I was in 8th grade we had to read a story (the title may be inaccurate; it has been a long while) in English called, "The Best Chaperone." It was about a girl, Maya, from Kazakstan who moved to America with her parents and her younger brother. The daughter was attending middle school, her brother was attending elementary school, her father was a taxi driver, and her mother was a house cleaner. During the story, her mother injured herself at work and Maya has to take over the house chores. Not only does she have to go to school and do her homework, but she also had to cook and clean for the family. Looking at this situation through a Marxist lens, you can see many causes for this to happen to Maya. Her family is an immigrant family so it automatically puts them under the bus as far as power and status. They are not native to the country; therefore, there are limits to the jobs that they can have and the power they can hold. If they get citizenship or education, they will be able to have more power and status. However, that power is still limited. For example, they would still not be allowed to be president because they were not born here. It is something they cannot control. Therefore, this is why they do not have that much money. They are only able to get low paying jobs because they are immigrants without an education. It is too expensive for them to get an education. When Maya's mom gets injured, it makes sense that Maya has to take over because they do not have enough money for proper health care. It will take Maya's mom longer to recover. Maya's mother may not have gotten injured if she didn't have to do the job that she has.
I've read my fair share of novels, but the one that sticks out to me the most is "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. This novel provides many different lenses, but the one I'm going to cover is the Marxist literary lense. This novel features a lawyer, Atticus Finch, defending a black man, Tom Robinson. This was at a time where racism was arguably at its peak; this novel also occurs in the South. Tom Robinson was accused of raping a woman. This was brought up to court where the impartial jury decided in favor of guilt. This literary lense brings up the discussion on how people are treated, especially black people at that time. Tom Robinson received so much hate from trying to defend Tom, and buddies of Atticus almost killed him. You could feel the tension in the novel, and the Marxist lense provides us with an even better description in the racially-controlled South.
Growing up, my favorite book to read was "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". I feel like this story could be seen by multiple lenses, but I am choosing to analyze this book from a Feminist Lens. Most of the main characters that play an important role or make a noticeable impact throughout the story are male. There is one main character that is female, and that is Hermione. Hermione is smart, brave, a critical thinker, responsible, and more mature than the other main characters, Harry and Ron. Although she possesses multiple attributes that put her on top of the other main characters, she is still made fun of, ignored, and portrayed as annoying and stuck up. She does have some credited moments throughout the story, but for the main part of the book, she does not receive much credit, possibly because she is a female. This leads me to think that the Harry Potter series can be seen as pro-jock, pro-masculine and anti-intellectual.
During my elementary and middle school years, my favorite novel was "The Hunger Games". I read this book over and over, possibly too many times, and watched the movies. I had an obsession with "The Hunger Games" and it truly impacted my life. After reading this book several times, I have been able to understand and study many different aspects of the story. Now that I have learned different types of literary lenses, I can conclude that I look and study through the feminist lens while reading this book. For example, the primary character is Katniss Everdeen, a woman. Her little sister gets selected to go to the Hunger Games, but Katniss makes a brave action and takes her place. Bravery is portrayed by a female. During the games, Katniss finds herself full-on nursing and caring for a man named Peeta. Peeta is incapable of caring for himself and needs someone else to, aka Katniss. Lastly, Katniss Everdeen hunts, kills, and survives the Hunger Games to win. You would think a male would be one to win, but a woman takes the victory. This is how the novel "The Hunger Games" portrays a feminist view.
One book, well play, that we read in class, The Crucible by Authur Miller, was the play inspired by and contained symbolism of the red scare during the cold war and of the Salem witch trial. Analyzing the Marxist lens of The Crucible is very simple, which is why I will be viewing the accusations by the young girls in The Crucible in a Feminists lens. The idea that the young girls, who we as the readers know that they are lying and they participated in Tituba's customs and attempted to curse the townsfolk, could never participate in such pagan and dirty customs as dancing naked in the forest and must have been the force of witches very telling. The white women in stories are supposed to be pure and innocent, especially if they are young, so the seen of the older religious folk, especially the men in town, could only be corrupted by sinful witches and not investigating the possible motives of the girls accusing people, even some old and well-respected members the community were accused and hung.
During my freshman year of high school, I read the book Of Mice and Men. I decided to apply a Marxist lens to this book. It is fairly easy to theorize that Curly represents the bourgeoisie while Lennie represents the proletariat. Throughout the novel, Curly clearly flaunts his wealth and the fact he won the genetic lottery of being born to the owner of the farm. On the other hand, Lennie clearly did not win the genetic lottery since he was born with some sort of disability to restricts his learning capabilities. Not only is this stressed throughout the novel, but Lennie is also harassed for it by the upper class. The lower class is also exploited through the work they are required and what they receive in return not equaling the work. In return, continuously keeping the lower class down. It seems that throughout the novel though money is one of the biggest focuses along with the genetic lottery that Lennie lost.
I have read many books for classes in the past; of these books, Of Mice and Men can be easily analyzed with a Freudian lens. The story revolves around 2 protagonists, George and Lennie, who have to leave town and live life out in the country because of a complication with their standing in the town. The complication was caused by Lennie, who later also causes the complication that will lead to his demise, the killing of Curley's wife. The reason Lennie caused the complications are accidental; he doesn't know any better. He doesn't know any better because he didn't receive proper nourishment as a child, partly because of negligence from his parents and partly because of the time period when people didn't understand mental disabilities. George stays with Lennie and tries his best to help him.
During my junior year in Honors 11, Ms. Bryant started a reading unit. One of the first books we read was "Ordinary Grace" by William Kent Krueger. This book excited me, confused me, but overall left a lasting impact that urged me to read more. I am not a fan of reading because I am a slow reader and it takes time for me to comprehend and point out symbols, literary devices, etc. I do find a passion for understanding these symbols and how they present themselves throughout the story. Using certain literary theories can help expand on certain symbols. Using a Psychoanalytic or Freudian lens shows how Lise and Emil, a disabled couple, how they think. Lise is deaf and her lover Emil is blind. Both have different perspectives on the world and their surroundings due to their conditions. With any slightest touch, Lise reacts in shock since she can not hear others coming towards her. She is in a constant state of paranoia and anxiousness since she has lost one of the key senses that helps her determine danger or anything around her. Emil is blind from the war he attended. This made it difficult for his favorite past time, playing the piano. He was a pianist and was good at it too. After the war, it made him a tougher guy but also fraught of self-doubt and suicidal thoughts. Seeing the chaos and shambles of the war, hurt Emil physically and mentally. The pain done to him will stick with him for the rest of his life and affect him every day.
During Honors English 10, we read the book "Animal Farm". This was an amazing book that I put a lot of thought into. Obviously, Marxism is a major theme throughout the book. The pigs got the genetic lottery. In the book, the pigs were viewed as the smartest of all the animals so they instantly became in charge of the farm. The pigs became manipulative, tricking all the other animals to give them all the food. When the other animals began to question the pigs' authority they were taken care of quickly. All the other animals were poorer than the pigs and had little power. But should the pig be in charge? Shouldn't Boxer be in charge? He was the strongest and the most determined, all the other animals looked up to him as a leader. Unfortunately, Boxer didn't win the genetic lottery for intelligence like the pigs. If not Boxer then why not Benjamin. Benjamin was clearly the smartest character in the book, he knew that the pigs were lying and manipulating the other animals. The other animals just refused to listen to him because he was not a believer and negative.
Last year, in English class, I read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. This has been my favorite book I have read in school and has had a large impact on me. This book can be further explained by looking through a Marxist literary lens. There is a large divide between the higher classes and lower classes in Afghanistan. Lower class people are Shi’a Muslims or Hazaras, and higher class people are Sunni Muslims or Pashtuns. The main character, Amir, is a Sunni Muslim and has a nice house with a servant and many privileges and luxuries. On the other hand, his friend, Hassan, has a very different lifestyle. Hassan is a Shi’a Muslim, so he lives in poverty and is always looked down on by the other kids. He is mercilessly teased for being lower class, and to make matters worse, he also has a cleft lip. In the novel, Amir has won the lottery for being born into a wealthy family, and Hassan has lost for being born into a poor family with a physical defect.
In Honors English 10 with Mrs. Sittig, a book we read and analyzed was Animal Farm by George Orwell. This book can be analyzed very well by using a Marxist Lens. The farm is separated in one major way. They split into two groups. One group is Burgoise, and the second is the proletariat. They are led by Old Major in the beginning. He has a very socialist point of view and represents Lennon. He then died and Snowball took over and he had the same views as Old Major for the most part. Then a pig named Napolean drove all the animals against Snowball and Snowball was banned from the farm. Once Napolean took over, the farm became like a Communist community. Napolean did things that weren't beneficial and convinced all the animals to do those actions with him. Eventually, Snowball came back but not in physical form. He came back in memory. He "told" all of the animals the lies that Napolean was telling and teaching to them. This then causes a war between animals who stood by Napolean and animals who stood by Snowball's beliefs. In the end, Napoleans ways won because of his strong will with the other animals and he killed anyone who got in his way. The Marxist lens can help analyze many different stories but can be used to the fullest in analyzing Animal Farm by George Orwell.
A story that stood out to me during last year’s English class, is The Kite Runner. The novel contains examples of how the class system in Afghanistan interacts with each other and how different classes live. The main character, Amir, lives a very comfortable life with his rich father and experiences very few difficulties as a result of his status. Amir’s best friend and servant, Hassan does not always experience the same comforts as Amir, but he is lucky to be employed by a family who is willing to care for him and his father. This does not prevent Hassan and his disfigured father from being jeered at by local citizens and children. Certain moments in the story, both the upper and lower class come together to celebrate events. Amir’s comforts disappear when they must flee Afghanistan from the oncoming Russian army. The wealth and power of Amir’s father allowed them more opportunities to escape to America. While in America, Amir and his father no longer have the vast riches they had grown accustomed too and now have to live life as a more impoverished family, working multiple jobs. Their change in class was drastic while Hassan back in Afghanistan moved into Amir’s abandoned house out of respect.
Picking only one story that had an impact on me is hard. One of my favorite books to read growing up was "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black. It is an interesting story that takes place in hidden fantasy land. I think that this story is highly sexist, so I will apply feminist lense. In the story, Jude gets taken from her home after her parents are murdered and is taken to a place called Faerie. Jude is mortal but wants to belong in Faerie; however, they despise humans. Prince Cardan hates them the most, and he is the wickedest son of the king. Jude, a girl, has no chance in a world where a king, male, rules, and she is just a mortal. Jude is very tricky and loves bloodshed. She is everything a king would be. She is smart, strong, and a great fighter; however, she is a girl, so she cannot be king. It is Jude herself who saves Faerie, not the high king.
Growing up I loved to read the Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling. Being in the house of two pastors I often viewed books with a religious lense. Harry Potter is filled to the brim with these references. For beginners, the lightning bolt is a clear reference to baptize and being perminatley marked with a symbol on the forehead. The three main characters of the book Harry, Ron, and Hermione are representations of the trinity. Hermione represents the mind in that she is the thinker of the group, Harry is the spirit in that he is always on adventures, and Ron is the body because he is the one who follows along and does the work the others don't want to do. We also see Dumbledore act as God and he guides all the people on their journey and he is the mentor to Harry. The most hidden figure in the Harry Potter series is Snape. Snape acts as Judas. Snape is a complex person in his motives throughout the series. He has always despised Harry and ends up betraying dumbledore and turning sides.
In my freshman year of high school, I read the book “Of Mice and Men”. I applied a Marxist lens to it. In a way, the whole book is rotated around the social status of the characters. For example, Curley, the owner's son, is born into a great position in life. His dad owns the farm and in a sense, Curley is in charge. He was born into a higher class family and thus has more power over other characters. On the opposite spectrum, we have Lennie, George, and the other farmhands. They are born on the poor positions in life and it is shown greatly with Lennie and George. Lennie is born big and strong but he has a mental disability. George, on the other hand, is born with intelligence but not a noticeable amount of strength. However, George and Lennie are both on the poor side of the spectrum and in return do not hold much power. The novel shows a clear Marxist lense with all the different class systems in the novel.
Last year in Honors English 11 with Ms. Bryant, we were required to read The Great Gatsby. I really enjoyed this book due to the time era the book takes place in. I am very interested in the early 1900s and the Great Depression. The Great Gatsby is a great book to view with Marxism lenses. The Great Gatsby provides great insights into the social classes and so-called "social norms" of the early 1900s. The basis of the story is that a man by the name of Jay Gatsby is rejected by a prominent, wealthy young lady, Daisy Buchanan. The only reason she rejects Gatsby is due to the fact that he is dirt poor. Jay finds himself becoming very rich and throwing extravagant parties at his new mansion across the bay from Daisy's. All of these parties are in an effort to reunite with Daisy. Even though he overcomes the obstacles of being poor, Gatsby continues to struggle in his life.
One book that I read that impacted me was "The Kite Runner". Looking at the book through a psychoanalytical lense, there is a lot to process. First off the biggest part of the book is when the Amir's (the main character) best friend, Hassan, gets raped trying to get Amir's winning kite. In a flight or fight situation, Amir fled and decided not to tell help Hassan or tell anyone about it either. I think for Amir it was instinct to run because he only thought about what he wanted. He grew up a little bit wealthier than the rest so life was very simple to him and mostly about him. What blew my mind then is when Amir made it look like Hassan stole precious things from Amir's room to get Hassan and his father, who was the servant, kicked out of the house. To me, Amir couldn't live with the guilt that he didn't do anything so then he had to get Hassan out of the house, hoping that maybe if Hassan wasn't there he could forget about the whole experience. Amir never could forget it though, even when he was married and living in the USA having a happy life, he went back to his home country (Afghanistan) looking for Hassan and hoping to fix what he didn't do when he was a kid. There is so much more you can look into the psychoanalytical lense of all the characters but that is a summary into the mind of Amir.
I was in 5th grade when I read The Hunger Games in my gifted ed class. I was excited to read that book because I found it very interesting and it seemed to be a book I would actually enjoy reading. It is easiest for me to view the story through a Marxist lens. First of all, there are 12 districts and the capital that make up the new world. The capital is full of rich people who live a luxurious life. Districts 1 and 2 are very wealthy and full of strong, good-looking, and competitive people. Then in district 12, there is a lot of poverty and oppression. This shows a social/ economic ladder because the capital would be at the top and district 12 would be at the bottom. When people are chosen from the districts to go fight in the arena, they become popular and they can get sponsors. The sponsors look at the people who are big, strong, and good looking and they expect them to win the Hunger Games. However, they overlook the fact that an average-sized person could outsmart others and be a winner. This demonstrates "brawn over brains" very well. Along with that, the people born in the wealthier districts who are stronger and bigger, won the genetic lottery and people born in districts such as 12, are not as lucky.
Last year, I was able to read the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitsgerald in class. Though I didn't have much love for the novel at first glance, I did, however, have much love for Leonardi DiCaprio and therefore was much more willing to give it a chance. One lens that I saw heavily throughout the book was the Marxist Theory. In Gatsby, there is a distinguishable difference between the wealthy and poor, as highlighted by their homes, clothing, and lifestyle. The rich are dressed in very elaborate gear and have a niche for throwing outlandish parties, though the majority of them are all also habitually lazy. Even within the rich, there were further stereotypes, as displayed between the categories of "old money" and "new money." A further example of the Marxist Theory can be seen within Jay and Daisy's relationship. As a member of the military and with very little money, Jay cannot keep up with Daisy's standards. He will only win her heart (temporarily and superficially) until he makes his fortune and can quite literally buy her love with a lavish lifestyle.
Last year in honors 11 we had free reading for 10 minutes at the beginning of class every day. My favorite book, by far has to be ''Behind Closed Doors", by B.A. Paris. This book fits best into the psychoanalytic lens. The story seems very normal at first, then it takes a drastic and confusing turn. The book is based on a twisted love story between a rich man named Jack who fell in love with a simple woman named Grace. Grace was the caretaker of her disabled sister met Jack on their daily trip to the park. After the two fell in love, Jack sent Grace's sister to a home for the disabled and built a giant house for him and Grace to live in. The house ended up being a fortress that Jack would lock Grace in. Jack also gained custody of Grace's little sister and locked her in a terrifying room. A perfect couple with a perfect life and a perfect story turned out to be the complete opposite. The story was full of mind games and mental illness.
Last year for Honors 11, I got the chance to read Ordinary Grace. This story stood out and impacted me as it was pretty close to our time period, while the other books were set in the early 1900s or even earlier. The main character was even around our age at the time. I am analyzing this book with a Freudian lens. In this book, the main character has to deal with the mental stress of pursuing the death of people and trying to find the right killer. He also must deal with the psychological trauma of finding his sister dead. He also has to deal with not accusing anyone and ruining his relationships in his small town environment.
In my sophomore year of high school, we were instructed to read the book "I am Malala" by Malala Yousafzai. At first glance, I didn't think the book would be very interesting, but as we progressed through the pages I started to become engaged by Malala's actions for the feminist movement. This book (obviously) fits under the feminist lens. Malala grew up in Pakistan, where females are heavily discriminated against solely for their gender given to them from birth. This discrimination only heightened when a terrorist organization known as the Taliban usurped power in Pakistan and many Middle-Eastern countries. They enforced ridiculous laws towards women such as dress codes, curfews, travel restrictions, and limiting their education. However, Malala and her father didn't believe in these radical ideas so they protested the Taliban by continuing to send Malala to school. News spread and the Taliban found out about Malala's education. The Taliban proceeded to track down her bus, pull the bus over, walk inside the bus full of little girls, and shoot Malala in the head. Though seemingly fatal, Malala survived to tell the story. She immediately gained attention from multiple national media outlets. Malala campaigned for female rights in the Middle-East and all over the world. This made her an even larger target for the Taliban but she didn't care because she did what was right for her cause. Malala was willing to put her life on the line for the greater good. Her story and beliefs helped empower females all over the world to stand up for their rights and strive toward equality.
In middle school, I was introduced to the book "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin. This book is a classic, fast-paced middle school read. It is all about how 16 heirs to a very wealthy man come together to solve his secret through a bunch of clues. They are all competing to win his fortune. This book very much fits into the Marxism analysis. For starters, every heir comes from a different background. In the book, they say there is "A dressmaker, a secretary, an inventor, a doctor, a judge. And, oh yes, one was a bookie, one was a burglar, one was a bomber, and one was a mistake.” This shows that they aren't all in the same class so they don't all have the same advantages to win this game. Every person in the game starts off somewhat respectful and wary about each other because, of course, they are all competing for the inheritance. They use greed and their social status to figure out who has been given what and what they, individually, need to do to win. In this book the "money" is knowledge. Knowledge of Mr. Westing, how to work out the clues, the landscape, and the building they are in. The more knowledge they have, the closer they are to becoming materialistically rich. This was all proved to be trivial, though, because none of the clues were real and the competition was al made up. The heirs thought that they were going to win so they kept going. Really, Mr. Westing just wanted to show everyone that there is more to life than money and where you come from. Your individual characteristics and skills is what are most important. This book took the reader through twists, turns, confusion, and eventually insight into how we can live our everyday lives. It will forever be a must-read, in my opinion.
I first read "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee as a young fourth-grader. I enjoyed the story but did not quite understand the topics being discussed. I next encountered the story while watching the movie in Gifted Ed as an eighth-grader. Rereading the story in Honors English last year has helped me apply a Marxist Lens to the story. The different social statuses and positions of money and power are seen in the Finchs, Ewells, and Robinsons. The Finchs may not be the wealthiest family but out of the three listed, they are considered the upper class, due to Atticus's position. The Ewells are quite poor and do not have the same respect that the Finchs do in the story. The Robinsons complexion during a time of segregation in the south puts them even further below the Ewells. Atticus's attempt at helping Tom Robinson represents the upper class providing support to the lower class. Robert Ewell is not only upset by this but also Atticus's position and money.
Last year in Ms. Cukas English class we read the book “To Kill a Mockingbird”. It was one of the first books I have read in a long time and I surprisingly enjoyed reading it. Now after learning about using literary lenses to understand the deeper meanings behind things. I will use my knowledge to look through the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” with my Marxist lenses. Looking through my Marxist’s lenses it is very easy to identify that Scout and Jem are very fortunate. They have won the genetic lottery. During this time in America, many people were struggling to survive. While Jem and Scouts are pretty well set. They have a dad has a good job and is well respected, they have nice clothes, plenty of food, they are white and even have enough money to afford a maid. While on the other hand, Tom Robinson lost the genetic lottery. He is very poor and has to work odd jobs to feed his family. He is also falsely accused of rape and due to the color of his skin is given an unfair trial.
The book that impacted me in high school was To Kill A Mocking Bird, I am looking through this book through the Freudian lens. I chose to look at this book through the Freudian lens because analyzing characters based on their brains and knowledge is the most impactful, in my opinion. The character that always intrigued me was Robert Ewell because he always had a very messed up way of thinking; I never understood why equality was a big deal back in the days that it was, Robert Ewell accused Tom Robinson of raping his daughter just because he was black and he wasn't raised with the mantality that differing races was okay, and that you could not be nice to someone who was not like you. Atticus and Scout were also two characters that I always took an interest in. They were always positive in every aspect of their lives, going through tough times, they always had something good to see.
Last year in my English class, I read a book that impacted me in several ways. Looking back on the story now, I am able to apply literary lenses. I chose to look at this book through the Freudian lens. Equality between people of color and whites is a very popular topic that is often brought into conversations, and in the book shows a lot of equality issues. Robert Ewell, a character in the book had accused a black man, Tom Robinson, of raping his daughter. He did this because of the color of his skin and he felt that his presence is violating to him and his family. We later find out, though, that he did no such thing and that Robert Ewell is against people of color. This book also showed several other times when the color of ones skin has affected their everyday life when it should not. The person behind the image is truly what matters most.
Out of all the literature we have studied in high school, one that has stuck with me was “Animal Farm” by George Orwell. In this class, learning how to analyze stories made me think of how it could be applied to “Animal Farm” which led me to realize how well it fits with the Marxist theory. The story is based on a farm with the animals as the main characters, but it allegorizes the Russian Revolution. The farm was first run by Old Major, the man on the farm portraying Karl Marx, then he was overthrown by Snowball, the pig portraying Trotsky. By looking at it through a Marxist lens, I noticed the pigs represented the higher power while the other animals made up the lower class. The pigs took advantage of their power and intellect to manipulate the animals. Napoleon, the pig representing Stalin, took over Snowball and he drove the farm to communism representing a dictatorship. Other animals such as Boxer (very hardworking) or Benjamin (genuine and intelligent) should have been in power over the pigs; however, the pigs won the genetic lottery. Also, near the end, there was a war between the animals and due to Napoleon's strengths, he one. This book fully portrays the Marxist theory due to the animals representing a communist society, led by a dictator, and clearly showing the different classes.
Freshman year, we all read the story of two star-crossed lovers that faced tragic deaths. William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet was a classic story I always enjoyed reading. After learning about the different literary lenses, the story grew in a deeper meaning and made it easier to understand. I chose to examine the story in a Feminist view as this lens stood out to me the most. All of the female characters in the story are completely controlled by men. Juliet is forced to marry Lord Paris by her father despite being madly in love with Romeo. If she refused to marry Paris, she would have been disowned by her father. Shakespeare presented women in a way to be weak as they were compelled to listen to every male figure in their life if they wanted to be happy and satisfied. If having her own rights, Juliet would have told her parents about Romeo which ultimately would have created less trouble in the end as the secret marriage and tragic deaths would have never occurred.
Last year I read the book "Ordinary Grace". Looking back on it now, I can see that there are major Marxist ties, which is the lens I'll be examining in. For instance, a majority of the story shows the interaction between the social classes. Ariel is part of a middle-class family but is dating Karl Brandt from a super-rich family. This relationship is looked down upon, and when Ariel dies greed and jealousy show up between the families. Ruth, Ariel's mom, believes Karl was the culprit. Also the scale of classes, you have Lise and Emil who are disabled and because they are disabled they are essentially ostracized by the family. On that topic, I feel like you could also assume this book in slightly anti-minority, in the sense that they are sent away. Also, Frank's younger brother Jake has a stutter and he is incredibly made fun of. Next, there is also a native american family that is also very prevalent in the story. They are immediately accused of murder and everyone automatically believes that this one man of this family did it because of their race and past. Basically, there are a lot of social tensions between the upper, middle, and lower classes.
Frankenstein was an interesting book that we read in honors English ten. When applying the Freudian lense to this literary masterpiece, Victor's narcissism becomes apparent. Throughout the story, Victor battles his self conscious with the idea that he is becoming a god. He sees himself on the same level as a deity because he brought the creature back from the dead. Only a god should be capable of bestowing life on a previously dead object. Victor shows later acts of selfishness when the creature attacks his fiance during their honeymoon. He knew of the threats that the creature had made to him but only thought about preserving himself. Victor reasoned that if he were to be injured or killed, his fiance would be heartbroken. He thinks that the mental damage to her if he was killed, would be worse for her than being killed himself. These are just two examples of Victor's narcissism shown throughout the novel.
Last year in English we read "The Crucible" in class. It did not occur to me then, but now that I have experience in using literary lenses, it is very easy to look beyond the surface. The story is based around girls getting caught doing a ritual and they are accused of being witches. Some of these women, namely Tituba and Abigail, once they are accused find themselves in a position of power. Anyone they accuse will be tried and undoubtably convicted of using witchcraft. This aspect of the story can be seen as having an anti-feminist tone, especially since the play was written in the 1950's, a time which is not particularly known for women's rights. The play depicts women who are presented with a position of power. They do not know how to handle power (implying that women can not hold positions of power) and quickly abuse it. This story has anti-feminist tones which were common for the time, but still demeaning.
Last year we read the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. It was one of the few books that I have actually enjoyed. There are many literary lenses I could apply, but I would say the most obvious is the Marxist lense. This book is set in the early 1900’s, a time when a lot of racial inequality was present. Tom Robinson, a black man living in the deep south, is often discriminated against. Tom and other African Americans are forced to live in a secluded areas out of town. They cannot go many places that the white people do. During the book, Tom is accused of a crime he did not commit. It is clear that he did not commit the crime, but is found guilty because of the color of his skin. The horrible treatment of African Americans and the difference in classes makes the Marxist theory easy to identify.
Last year, in my junior year, I read one of my favorite books ever: To Kill a Mockingbird. This novel written by Harper Lee was really interesting to me because my mother is a lawyer so I found myself relating to Scout and Jem a bit more than the average classmate. However, looking back I realized this novel could be viewed through a variety of lenses. The most blatant lens is through a Marxist lens. The first observation I could make is that the Finch family was white and middle class. Scout was born into a very fortunate living situation, other than the fact that she did not have a mother. The two kids did not have to experience many hardships while growing up, due to their comfortable living situation. However, Tom Robinson is the opposite of this lucky family. He is a black man, living in the south at a time where racism was common. He was falsely accused of rape and, because of his circumstances, his trial was plagued with racism. This is very unfortunate but serves a very valuable lesson for children. Even though Tom is just as worthy of a comfortable life like the Finches, he is not even given the chance due to his skin color.
I remember reading "Of Mice and Men" during my freshman year, I believe, and for not being the reading type, it rather intrigued me. I think that this novel is a very good example of one to study while using a Marxist lens. I think that the broadest idea of having a Marxist view in this story is simply by viewing the two main characters, George and Lenny, and seeing how they act and relating it to their social rankings. George, being a more intelligent character, is also the main character and kind of leads Lenny around, stereotyping a leader as a smart, level-headed man. This could also be a point where we put on our feminist lens. We can also look at Lenny—and if you have read the book, you know that he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed—and we can see that he is bossed around and has no authority over anyone. He is also very strong, which could also be another stereotype of a man who is not very bright, along with having brute strength. He is bossed around all the time by the smart, very intelligent man, and if he gets angry he can take on about anyone he wants to. By using a Marxist lens, we can identify the characters in this story being stereotyped and sort of being ranked into their own levels of society.
Last year in English 11 with Mrs. Sittig, one of the first books we read was "Ordinary Grace" by William Kent Krueger. When finding out we were reading a novel, I was not excited at all because reading is not my thing, I have never been thrilled or motivated to read. I can only read a book if I am really into it and can relate to the characters in some way or see myself in their position. I would say looking back on this book, I think I choose to look at this book in a Freudian view. The main character in the book is working to find the killer or reason for the death of all these different people in his town, related or not. The worst-case that the main character has to deal with, is finding his own sister dead in the river and having to tell the cops about it, living with that for the rest of his life. Lastly, there are two more characters, one is deaf, and one is blind. They think totally differently than we do. The character that is deaf, has to feel for vibrations and see things and try to read lips, always see but not hear things. And the other character who is blind has to hear for things and feel for things more than we do. There are many different lenses you could look at this story with but personally, looking back, I would choose Freudian.
Last year as a Junior, we read the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. This was a book that I always grew up hearing about and boy, did the book live up to that. This is a story that takes place during one of the darkest times in United States history. Though the story is fictional, it really shines a light on all of the issues that we had as a nation. I believe that the film is easiest to see through a Marxist lens. Is what makes the story so interesting in my story, is the fact that it is told from the perspective of a little girl. Scout Finch. A girl who really won the lottery the moment that she was born because she was a white girl in the deep south during segregation. It really highlights how relatively easy of a life that she and her other family are handed. Though she does get her nose dirty sometimes and brings consequences upon her. Another reason that this movie is easy to see through the Marxist lens, is that you see an African-American man, who is clearly innocent, found guilty. And shows the perspective of somebody who at the time, lost the genetic lottery for where he lived.
Junior year, in English class, my class did a lot of studying of numerous novels. One of my favorite novels I’ve studied in school is easily “Ordinary Grace”. “Ordinary Grace” always kept me thinking and wanting to find out more about the story. This book was somewhat relatable causing me to become very interested in it and what was going to happen. “Ordinary Grace” easily fits under the Freudian/Psychoanalytic category because you are constantly knowing what the narrator/author is thinking about the situations that arise in the book. Throughout the book, many deaths arise and you hear who the narrator thinks is responsible for the crimes that are being committed around town and especially to his sister. The actions happening in town causes the narrator to find himself into trouble very easily because he needed to know what happened to these people. Overall with this book many lenses can be applied, but I believe this book makes you think a lot and you get a perspective of one character's thoughts throughout the book about himself and towards other people.
In our Spanish classes, we read lower-level books, books that to a native Spanish-speaking fifth grader would be a cakewalk. One series of these books, a mystery-themed series, has two main characters (Pepino and Panzón) that have a detective agency in Mexico and travel the world solving mysteries. Looking through a feminist lens of these books reveals a pretty shocking truth: in almost every book, the villain or guilty party of a crime is a woman. The heroes (Pepino and Panzón) are men, and they are over-glorified greatly for their simple problem-solving skills. In these books, not only are all the heroes men, but the men daydream about women dancing all around them, thanking them and rewarding them for their geniusness in solving a mystery. This degrades the value of women greatly in the books, and when we meet a female character, we can already assume she will end up being the villain in the end.
"Out of my Mind" is a book that has never left my mind. I read it for the first time many years ago and it has taught me so many valuable lessons. Though it is not based on a true story, the plot is completely realistic. The Marxist lens really sticks out, when relating to the genetic lottery. To everyone else, it seems that Melody, the main character who has cerebral palsy, has lost the genetic lottery. She wants to be accepted by her peers and have a social life like the other kids in her class. The other kids have more power than her because she has a disability and is unable to do many things on her own. Melody tries to climb the social ladder by using her perfect photographic memory as an advantage. Since she is unable to speak she obtains a Medi-Talker, which is a computer that she controls and speaks for her. She rises in the social ladder when she joins her schools Whiz Kids team, similar to quiz bowl. She becomes very popular in that matter and the kids look at her from a new perspective. Her photographic memory is a secret weapon that she is finally exposing to society and will benefit her a great deal in the future.
While in middle school, our English class read the classic novel: The Outsiders. This book is riddled with Marxist theory, as it focuses on a feud between two groups based on their socioeconomic status: the working-class "greasers" and the upper-class "Socs." Money is the main thing that separates the Socs and Greasers. The perspective of the Outsiders is Pony's who is on the lower socioeconomic side as a greaser. Ponyboy, the main character is able to show how different things are for the working class (greasers) from the upper class (socs). The reader is able to see what growing up in gang life is like and how it is to have little money through the eyes of this character. The upper-class Soc’s are labeled as the snobby antagonists of the story, and we are meant to sympathize with the lower class and the way that they are forced to live their day to day lives. All in all, the Outsiders proves to be a very heavily laden example of a Marxist influenced piece of writing.
Sophomore year we read the story Tale of Two Cities in Honors English and this book had a ton of literary lens but the one that stood out the most was the Marxist lens. For the majority of the book, there is a lot of conflict between the higher class and the low-class French citizens. If you have land and money, or your ancestors did, you automatically have power and dominion over an area of land and people. The conditions that the peasants live in are terrible but the royals do not care their lives are perfect. While the peasants starve, the royals sit in their posh plantations and eat the finest food around. When the peasants realize that the royals really don't have any real power they revolt and lay waste to the royals estates. As you read through the story, you realize that a good law and order system are very important when it comes to running a country.
During my Junior year in English 11, we read a book titled "Ordinary Grace" by William Kent Kruger. This book was set to view all types of lenses. From a Marxist lense, the main character and his family live in an average-sized next to the church the father preaches at. A drunken family-friend lived in the basement of the chapel, all thanks to the father saving and protecting him. This family is seen as middle-class, not winning nor losing the lottery of life. The boy's sister, Ariel, is dating a boy named Karl—who won the lottery of life with his first-class family and mansion-of-a-house. A Marxist theorist would spy these standpoints and find the good and bad in each. From a Feminist theorist view, Lise (a Deaf family-friend of this family who ends up being the criminal in the story) would be seen as strong and independent, even though she is hearing-impaired. She takes care of her blind brother, Emil; she proves that even with disabilities, women are capable of handling responsibilities in a mother-like fashion that men cannot think of nor do themselves.
Last year in Mrs. Sittig's class, we were required to read the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. The literary lens that I think is easiest to view this book with is the Marxist lens. The reason being is because the main character, Scout Finch, has won the genetic lottery. She is a white female that lives in the deep south during some very hard time in the United States. Another way you could look at this book is when Bob Ewell gets brought for questioning after he claims his daughter was raped by a black man. Bob Ewell is the poorest of the poor in the town they live in, and during this time he is being questioned, you can see him rising on the social and/or the economic ladder because he would normally be on the bottom but since he is accusing a male black man, he is no longer on the bottom and people are for him when normally everyone would be against Bob Ewell.
Last year I was given the chance to read the road. This book is a goldmine for literary analysis looking back on it. Many views can be taken on the book, Marxist, Freudian, Religious and even some more. Often enough we had to review the book and understand the content. As a reader, I couldn't help but identify types of power and greed throughout the book. The book was filled with Marxist ideals and this was portrayed throughout the book. The boy and his father were constantly moving, this was because they wanted to migrate towards the south to find warmth but also escape cannibals. The road had a food chain just like the lion king did. The people higher in power quite literally fed upon the easy prey that was on the run. There were also situations that were Marxist in themselves. For example, when the father decided to point the gun at one of the antagonists he felt power and control bringing him up the "food chain" in that moment of time. Another lens that I often think about when reading this book would have to be a religious lens. The boy within the book often was a sense of purity and moral hope. When the father only tried to take care of the boy, the boy denied his father this and made sure he took care of himself. Water was also another religious lens within the book because it was often used to cleanse the body and bring anew, an example of this is when the father was giving his son a bath within the cellar. The boy almost represents Jesus in a way within the book as well. He cares for the environment and people within it, he understands his circumstances but seeks the best in people regardless.
Last year I read the book To Kill A Mockingbird, this book showed me that if I was to apply the feminist lens that Scout is always expected to act a certain way even when she is very clearly against acting that way because she just wants to be like he brother or even like the other boys. Another example of this is when at school she is known to get in fights with other children even when she has made a promise to be more ladylike to her father, she can’t stop herself when the children make fun of her dad and call him names even when she doesn’t know what they mean she knows that is an insult so she will break the promise to protect her fathers name. The last example is simple what Scout wears which is not a dress which is what women of that time are expected to wear, she will wear what a boy would wear and will have short hair and her demeanor is more like that of a boy and she is told that it is not a good thing for her to be doing.
Last year with Mrs. Sittig in English we read "To Kill a Mockingbird", a book where many literary lenses can be found throughout. The two lenses that are most commonly found in the book are the Marxist lens and the Feminist lens. The Feminist lens can be found throughout the book when examining Scout. Scout has always wanted to be like a boy. She lives like exactly like a boy but is being treated as a girl. Throughout the novel, you can easily tell that there are gender prejudices in the city that they live in. Scout dresses in clothes just like the guys, but the other ladies think Scout should be wearing a dress while cleaning the house and preparing food. The next lens that can be found in "To Kill a Mockingbird" is the Marxist lens. You can obviously tell that there are certain people who have won the genetic and environmental lottery in the novel. Scout and her brother Jem won the environmental lottery and were very fortunate to have a nice place to live in a not so nice town. The Robinson family did not win the environmental lottery as they are a black family that is living in the South during a time of racism. They are both people, but one was born into a better situation than the other.
During my junior year, I took Honors English 11. In this class, I read the book "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitsgerald. Going back to it now, I decided to look at it through a Marxist lens. I decided to look at it through this lens, because of all the differences between each of the economic classes. This is really shown with Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan's relationship. Back when Gatsby did not have much money and was still poor, Daisy had turned him down, in order to date someone richer, who had the money to support her lifestyle. Heartbroken by this, Gatsby found a way to get his own fortune, in order to please Daisy. After Gatsby has money, Daisy wants to be with him instead of her husband. It all depends on money. If one has money, Daisy will be with him; however, if he does not, Daisy will not by with him as well.
Last year in Honors 11, we got to read “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. This book has a motif of equality among races, which is the perfect opportunity to put on the Marxist Literary Lens. In this book, the father, Atticus Finch takes on a trial defending a black man, Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a young woman. The town views this as a joke almost, nearly everyone knows that since Tom is a minority he will be charged no matter his innocence. When using the Marxist Lens we see that Atticus has won the genetic lottery. This man is intelligent, wise, and a respected person of the town. Tom, however, is judged for being African American and assumed to have raped the woman. This woman just wanted attention and she most definitely stirred up the town by accusing him. Tom cannot help him being born into the lower/working class and is an amazing person for the way he deals with his circumstances. In the small town the story was written in, the townspeople disregard the facts because of the circumstances in which no one could help.
The story of Harrison Bergeron from 9th or 10th grade really sticks with me. The government forces disabilities onto anyone who is above average—physically or mentally. Beautiful people must wear ugly mask; strong people must wear heavy weights to make them weaker; an intelligent people must have a device that interrupts their train of thought at random times. I rethought the definition and potentially dangerous effects of equality after reading it.
The best lens to study "Harrison Bergeron" through is Marxist. Taking place in a Communistic-appearing America, this story delves into the costs to society entailed in both sides of equality and inequality. In the story, equality is achieved at the cost of freedom and individual achievement. The clear division between those receiving and those giving handicaps draws a black and white line through their society and eradicates any other potential levels, thus portraying a Marxist point of view.
In Honors English 10, we read the well-known "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare. I am a big fan of the novel and there are many very obvious lenses to use with this novel. The one that strikes me the most and is the one that I personally have to dive into the deepest is the feminist lens. The one-act production at Brandon Valley this year is this famous tale and I have been cast as Helena. If you are unfamiliar with this story, allow me to give you a brief summary of the relevant points. Helena was courted by her love, Demetrius. However, Demetrius loses his feelings for Helena and instead finds interest in Hermia who is mutually in love with Lysander. Hermia's father is in favor of Hermia marrying Demetrius and not Lysander and takes this very seriously. She is given three options: marry Lysander, become a nun, or die. This seems extremely unfair. Why should the woman's view and opinions not be taken into consideration? I am aware that this was just how it was during the time period, and women were not looked at with as much respect as they are now. They weren't allowed to choose their spouse or make decisions for themselves much at all throughout the film. A line is given by Helena in Act 2, Scene 1 (b) that says "Fie, Demetrius? Your wrongs do set a scandal on my sex. We cannot fight for love, as men may do. We should be woo'd, and were not made to woo." She is frustrated that she can't do anything in this situation and that her attempts fail because she is a woman. She is begging to be loved by him as he continues to reject her. Another woman, the only one that seemed to hold any power, was drugged by her husband and made to fall in love with an ugly creature so that her husband might get his way. Men hold all the control and women are used and flung around as material items.
As a junior, I, along with most others in my class were given the opportunity to read "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. Although we analyzed this book quite thoroughly we never applied different lenses to the book as we do not in Lit. Applying my favorite lens to the book, the Marxist lens, you can develop a further understanding of the book. The main character, Tom Robinson is clearly a lower class. He is a lower class because he is a black man and the story takes place in the deep south in the 1930s which is a time when black men and women were definitely considered to be a lower class. You can see this throughout the book in various ways but there are some that stick out to me. To start, the blacks all live in a different part of town than everyone else, "across the tracks" if you will. They also go to a different church and really stick to themselves because they are not accepted by a majority of whites. The biggest and most obvious event that shows oppression is that Tom Robinson clearly does not get a fair trial even though that is his right as an American. Tom Robinson did not win the genetic lottery.
Last year in Honors English we read "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scot Fitsgerald. The book can easily be viewed from a Marxist perspective. The struggles are made blatant between the different classes. The lower class, those who lived in the Valley of Ashes, would constantly be working hard to support their family and hence had little time for leisure activities. Leisure activities were very common though for those who lived in East Egg and West Egg. Parties would be common. Those from the East Egg, who have inherited the family money and companies especially possessed plenty of spare time. An example in the book we can see of having spare time is with Tom Buchanan, who mentions golfing at one point in the book. We can see class division starkly throughout the book. One example would be when Daisy rejected Jay because he was not among the upper class. Jay had no money and no social ranking. This caused Gatsby to pursue the American Dream and become rich. Becoming rich was something he wanted to do because he was motivated by the thought that Daisy might leave Tom for him because they were in love when she left him because of his social standing.
The novel I am choosing to analyze is Of Mice and Men. I think that the lens that is most prominent in this book is the Marxist lens. The novel clearly depicts the effects of genetic and environmental factors on quality of life of the characters. The overall setting also supports the role of capitalism and anti-communism in the novel.
Lennie Small obviously lost the genetic lottery. He is mentally handicapped and physically cannot control his own body and strength. Thankfully, George Milton is there in the novel to be his companion, guide, and protector. In this way, Lennie sort of got a good draw from the environmental lottery because he would have many more struggles in life without George by his side. Capitalism is a huge part of the overall plot, and when looking deeper, the characters. Lenny and George go to different farms to get work. They are on the lower end of capitalism. At the top are Curley and his wife.
Last year I read the book the novel "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitsgerald I enjoy reading the novel and found it to be very interesting. I think the lense used throughout the novel "The Great Gatsby" is Marxism. The whole book was based on the rich and the poor. The richer people were seen as more important and overall superior. The people who didn't have a lot of money or weren't rich were seen as inferior. The rich people would have parties and big gathers to show off the money they have. The novel also showed how rich people stopped working hard because they were very entitled to the money they had. The sad part of the novel was how Daisy continued to put down Jay Gatsby because he wasn't seen high enough in the social ranking. It was very eye-opening to read the novel because our society did use to be like that and in some ways it still is. People with more money are envied and are seen as more important because of their wealth.
Yeshari Graber
A book that I read last year was "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. The lens that fits best with this novel is the Marxist lens. Tom Robinson is accused of raping a young woman by a white man. There is really no solid evidence that he had and Mr. Ewell was just trying to climb the social latter. Mr. Ewell realized that if he accused a black man he would get more attention from the town. Tom Robinson was African American. He was from the lower class and took place during the 1930s in the south where everyone was racist at the time. So you can see that Tom Robinson did not win the genetic lottery. The Finch family did win the genetic lottery though. They live on the "right side" of the tracks, white, and are wealthy. Their home life is great and doesn't have to worry about much.
A novel that impacted me was To Kill a Mockingbird. The two lenses that I found most prominent were a feminist lens and a Marxist lens. Due to the time period, the novel was very pro-white and pro men because women and blacks had little/no rights. In the feminist lens, you could see the internal struggle that Scout went through because everyone around her was coercing her to be ladylike and do womanly things while she was somewhat of a Tomboy and enjoyed doing things that are considered boyish.
Applying the Marxist lens, Boo Radley and his father Nathan Radley were at the bottom of the social classes because they did not have money. Boo Radley himself had a mental disability, not very severe but definitely enough to impact his social class and the way that people see him. The Marxist lens also can be applied when looking at Tom Robinson who was at a class below the lowest because he was black and at the time period they were dealing with significant racial prejudice. This being very evident in the court case because Bob Ewell is clearly lying and the court still sides with Ewell.
I think a feminist lens would fit really well with Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. Throughout the novel, many of the female characters are viewed in negative ways that are not represented in the male characters of the novel. Specifically, Ariel, Lise, and Ruth are all presented in a negative way by Krueger. Ariel is having a secret relationship and is lying to her parents, Lise is mentally ill, and Ruth is unhappy in her marriage. These traits stay static in the novel, unlike the negative traits of the male characters. Krueger focuses on resolving Jake's stutter, for example, but Ariel dies before anyone finds out about her secret relationship. I also think it’s interesting that Krueger chooses Lise, a mentally ill woman, to ultimately be Ariel’s killer. It is very stereotypical of women to be jealous, them committing various acts ranging from trivial insults to outright violence as a result. Lise killed Ariel out of jealousy, and therefore she fits this stereotype.
Last year in Honors English 11 with Ms. Bryant, we read several books that could easily be looked at through a lense, to analyse a deeper meaning. The best one I can think of would be To Kill a Mockingbird, this covers the Marxist lens. The Finch family was not necessarily wealthy but they were well off for their time and where they lived. Atticus Finch was a white lawyer who many would say is very well off, yet he took the time to defend a lower class black man, who he knew would not get the help he needed if Atticus himself did not step in. The Marxist lens looks at the differences between the wealthy and the poor and the interactions between the two social statuses. In many cases the actions of Atticus would be unheard of, yet he is setting an example that even though this case meant nothing to him financially, he knew that it was the right thing to do. In order to set an example for his kids and to help Tom Robinson out, he took the case.
Adding a femenist lens to The Road. After reading The Road my junior year, using a different literary lens has opened my eyes to the different viewpoints the book has to offer. For example, the main characters: a young boy and a grown man. First, there is a flashback that occurs in the story that explains how the mother died after the world had ended. It vividly tells that she had commited suicide because she could no longer take the harsh world. Is it a coincidence that she was a woman? In a men-dominated world, it is not uncommon for woman to typically be the first ones to fall under pressure (stereotypically, not literally). Also, the two main characters are both men. The story would change immensely if the young boy was a girl or even if the dad was the mom. I think since men are typically viewed as the stronger gender, readers wouldn't be as engaged with women in their place.
Last year we read 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and I absolutely loved it. I find that one lens that sticks out to me more in the book is a Freudian lens. The issues that Gatsby had would have required years of therapy to get rid of. One particular thing that always stood out to me was Gatsby's fear of being poor. The book states that he came up from nothing, and it is shown through dialogue that Gatsby always wanted to be rich, and did anything he could to hide his past once he was rich. It is hard to decide whether Gatsby is just greedy or if he feels entitled to a luxurious life as a result of some deeper inferiority complex. Once he is on top he is very clear that he will do anything it takes to prove to others that he is rich and superior. Throwing extravagant parties and spending as much as he can to impress Daisy makes me think that he most definitely ties his sense of self-worth to his own monetary worth. I believe that his sense of inferiority is exemplified by his sense of entitlement after is rise to wealth. He is rich now so he needs to have the biggest house. He needs to have the biggest parties, the nicest boats, the most expensive cars. He also needs the most beautiful woman. Once Gatsby becomes rich, his Id takes over, as he can now afford all his wildest pleasures. When something isn't immediately available to him, he is stricken with desire and cannot function until he has what he wants. He knows he cannot have Daisy, as she is married, but she is the most beautiful girl to him, so it contradicts his Id and drives him mad that he can't possess her.
Last year in Miss Bryant's Honors English class she encouraged us to take independent reading time and guided us towards what books would be interesting to read. She introduced me to the book 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Khaled Hosseini. This tale is a sister book to a popular novel, 'The Kite Runner'. The author of these two books is an Afghan-American and in 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' he portrays the lives of Afghan women and their daily struggles. Reading this book with a Marxist lens, you realize that some people in the country of Afghanistan have won environmental lotteries and are born into rich families. Being rich in this country means you have the power to do what you want, and in this story, marry who you want. Reading this story in a Feminist lens, you realize that the women in the story, have no responsibilities other than having sons, cooking and cleaning for their household, and tending to their husbands every desire. Looking into what the two women want and desire, you realize what they subconsciously think, getting away from their abusive husband no matter how they do it.
The best book I've read in school had to be last year in Miss Bryant's class when we read the Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby was a really short book and that's probably why I liked it so much. But as we dove into the book and really analyzed The Great Gatsby, you understood the intentionalism within the book that made it great. Gatsby was made intentionally to recognize the American dream. A man who came from nothing and had all the wealth he could dream of but longed for something more, the old sports cousin Daisy than got it all ripped out of hands when he died a tragic death. The perfect representation of the Marxist lens. Daisy did not want to date Gatsby just due to the fact he was poor. Jay then, representing the American dream in the book, gained all his wealth to win back Daisy. A true showing of economic disparity that goes along with the Marxist theory.
Last year during school, I read How To Kill a Mockingbird. It was a very good book that somewhat moved me in away. It was one of the few books I have actually read because it kept me engaged in the whole book. The lens that I will be used to observe this book is a feminist lens. Throughout the novel, Scout (Jean Lousie Finch) gets criticized over and over again for acting too much like a boy. She is classified as a “tomboy”, and always wears overalls and muddy shoes. Throughout reading this novel, Lee definitely dos not hide the fact that there are gender roles gender prejudices within the city of Maycomb ad the people living there. Scout is used by Lee to demonstrate how societal expectations of feminine behavior are pushed upon girls at a very young age. However, Scout doesn't conform and is upset when people try to make her. Throughout the novel, there is a multitude of characters that try and get her to change but she refuses.
Last year, I read "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini for the third time. I read it for the first time a few years ago and it is one of my all-time favorite books. Since learning about literary lenses, I have noticed that the feminist lens is very prominent. The book is set in Afganistan and the United States. In Afganistan, women do not have rights and it really shows throughout the story. In the book, you can tell there is tension between Sonya's parents. I remember that her father made it a rule that her mother could no longer sing around the house when they got married. That shows how men are able to have control over women. I really noticed the feminist lens with Soraya because nobody would listen to her and she would not get a say in anything. Soraya wants to be a teacher but her parents would constantly ignore her because they thought they knew what is best for her. I also noticed a bit of the Marxist lense in between Amir and Hassan. I remember Amir saying that Hassan was just his servant, not his friend around other boys when in reality they were good friends. Amir realized that he was embarrassed to be with Hassan.
Last year, I read one of my new all-time favorite books thanks to the phenomenal tutelage of educator extraordinaire, Ann Sittig. That wonderful book I love is Ordinary Grace by William Kent Kruger. The words are so passionate and moving—in fact, they moved me to his lecture and booking signing in Sioux Falls. However, I think it is very easy to apply a Marxist lens to this book. For a great example, the Brandt family is notorious for their large sum of money due to Emil's superior talent and Axel's brewery company that is a staple in the lives of the New Bremen citizens. On the other hand, the Drum family lives in a less comfortable scenario than the Brandts do atop the hill in their mansion. The Drums live in the lowly flats. Despite that, they still held high esteem by the town due to his father's job as a methodist priest, his mother's beautiful singing voice in the church choir, and his prodigy sister on the piano or organ on Sundays. Similar to Rafiki in the Lion King. When talking about the Disney classic, we can remember that the hyenas represent poverty or lower class living. Conveniently, Emelia, his mother's friend from church, sadly lives in an environment like such. She is subjugated to abuse, alcoholism, all while trying to take care of a child of her own.
When I was in middle school, my class read a book Titled Unwind. I believe that the Psychoanalytic or Freudian Lens is the best application for this story. The plot of the story follows the main character's struggle as a fugitive running from the authorities in a dystopian society where dissatisfied parents are permitted to have their unruly children cut up into individual body parts for the purpose of Organ/body part transplants. Towards the beginning of the book, the main character finds the documents his parents have filed for his "Unwinding" and he spends the next few weeks leading up to his scheduled appointment for being "unwound" being the nicest, most pleasant child that a parent could ask for. He performs Random acts of kindness for his mother and father, bringing them to tears in regret for their irreversible decision. The night before he is to be taken, he runs away and the rest of the novel follows his escapades through an underground network of fugitives like him in an attempt to escape to freedom. Using the freudian lens on the protagonist reveals much about his intelligence and demeanor. While brilliant, he chooses only to apply himself to his interests and not to school, he's sardonic and snarky, and he meets characters that are complete foils of him through his attempted escape making him aware of his own characteristics and promoting him to change himself.
In my Junior year of high school, we read a book called The Kite Runner that was written by Khaled Hosseini. This book had a big impact on me by looking at it from a Marxist lens. By looking through a Marxist lens you will see that the lower class in Pakistan are simply the families who do not have many male children, or the people who are crippled or even women. When the main characters move to the United States they are brutally plummeted from their high-class life in Pakistan to the low-class life of immigrants who just fled into the United States. The main character grew up as a wealthy kid who was very respected, he had a best friend who was very low class and worked as a servant for him. This helps you analyze the different treatment each class receives in Pakistan. Also, the Marxist lens shows how life is easier or harder for some depending on how much money you have and whether you are a strong healthy male in Pakistan. Looking through the Marxist lens reveals a huge shift in class when the main characters move from one country to the other and it is a very good book to look at through the Marxist lens.
Post a Comment