FOR WEDNESDAY'S CLASS (FEB 3):
Select one or two "significant" passages from "The Accident." Why is it/are they significant?
Be thinking about enslavement in our stories, our authors. And remember -- you may write down your thoughts, questions, things for the class to consider, on the blog.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Gao Xingjian as a writer (and a thinker?)
Traditional and Revolutionary Themes (from WorldLiteratures.com)
Some of the essays in the collection are accounts of personal history (“Wilted Chrysanthemums”) or explanations of his work (“About Fleeing”). Others are more philosophical in nature and place Gao’s ideas within the streams and currents of 20th century intellectual thought.
His work is characterised by the blending of classical Chinese literature with western literary and philosophical influences. Gao is interested in the psychology of his characters and in the moral ambiguity of their situations, a striking departure from the uses of literature demanded by the Cultural Revolution. Even in his most serious works, however, he writes with simplicity, clarity and a wry humour. These essays are brilliant and thought-provoking, which may at times make them hard going, but for those with the will to persevere and an interest in the mind of a masterful artist, the rewards are many.
Some of the finest literature is born of repressive regimes, and Gao’s work is a powerful example. In The Case for Literature, we have a view of a rich imagination and the aesthetic philosophy behind it. But more interestingly, we are given a rare glimpse of a thinker and an artist, and of a man who is keenly aware of the value words have to a life.
Some of the essays in the collection are accounts of personal history (“Wilted Chrysanthemums”) or explanations of his work (“About Fleeing”). Others are more philosophical in nature and place Gao’s ideas within the streams and currents of 20th century intellectual thought.
His work is characterised by the blending of classical Chinese literature with western literary and philosophical influences. Gao is interested in the psychology of his characters and in the moral ambiguity of their situations, a striking departure from the uses of literature demanded by the Cultural Revolution. Even in his most serious works, however, he writes with simplicity, clarity and a wry humour. These essays are brilliant and thought-provoking, which may at times make them hard going, but for those with the will to persevere and an interest in the mind of a masterful artist, the rewards are many.
Some of the finest literature is born of repressive regimes, and Gao’s work is a powerful example. In The Case for Literature, we have a view of a rich imagination and the aesthetic philosophy behind it. But more interestingly, we are given a rare glimpse of a thinker and an artist, and of a man who is keenly aware of the value words have to a life.
Quotes from Gao Xingjian
"Observing humans and observing oneself yields a clear-minded starting point for literature."
“Writing eases my suffering...writing is my way of reaffirming my own existence.”
“Writing eases my suffering...writing is my way of reaffirming my own existence.”
"For me, writing (was) a question of survival...I could not trust anyone, even my family. The atmosphere was so poisoned. People even in your own family could turn you in."
-- Gao Xingjian
What a great class this morning! Lively discussion makes time fly and also makes it easier when it comes time to write your papers.
OK, so if you are brave enough to put your thoughts online rather than on paper -- and you certainly don't have to "blog" yet if you don't want to -- look through "Girl" and find passages where she shows resistance to her mother's instructions/orders -- are they orders or instructions?
And then please write on paper, so I can collect them, your ideas on what kind of a woman the "girl's" mother wants her to become -- based on the five suggestions I gave you. If you have a different idea of what she is to become, please feel free to write on that.
I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas on Friday!
RD
OK, so if you are brave enough to put your thoughts online rather than on paper -- and you certainly don't have to "blog" yet if you don't want to -- look through "Girl" and find passages where she shows resistance to her mother's instructions/orders -- are they orders or instructions?
And then please write on paper, so I can collect them, your ideas on what kind of a woman the "girl's" mother wants her to become -- based on the five suggestions I gave you. If you have a different idea of what she is to become, please feel free to write on that.
I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas on Friday!
RD
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Good morning class! We are going to try to report here next week. Please do your writings on "Girl" in old-fashioned pen and paper and then next week we will try the blog. I will also spend a snowy Saturday this weekend putting things up here for you to think about while you are writing.
If you have any thoughts about "Girl," please jot them down here -- no pressure -- and let's talk about them this week.
Your instructor,
RD
If you have any thoughts about "Girl," please jot them down here -- no pressure -- and let's talk about them this week.
Your instructor,
RD
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