The innocence of Snow White
At the beginning, Snow White is pure and innocent, she lives with the seven dwarves and she is virtuous. Very much like the state of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Snow White is in this state of innocent up until she eats the apple. In a biblical sense, the apple symbolizes identity, […]
Only the Oedipus Complex?
One of the things that seemed strange to me about Freud was that although he discusses the Oedipus complex (desire…
Is Freud still valid?
I don’t know about you guys, but I find Freud really interesting. Maybe because I like some of his theories, or maybe because I over analyze things way too often so I guess we have something in common. Anyway, despite his obviously … Continue reading →
E.T.A. Hoffmann, “The Sandman”
In Arts One last week, we read a number of texts by Freud, including “The Uncanny,” in which he discusses a short story by E.T.A. Hoffmann called “The Sandman.” Here’s a version of this short story, though it’s not the translation we read: http://germanstories.vcu.edu/hoffmann/sand_e.html We used the version of the story in this book: Five […]
The Monster is a Mirror: Questioning the Uncanny Power of the Doppelgänger
I have a twin. This is something that you may or may not already know about me. Since my twin also happens to be a girl, one of the most common questions that I am asked is this: “Are you identical?”. Unfortunately, I am unable to provide anyone with the answer to this inquiry. After … Continue reading The Monster is a Mirror: Questioning the Uncanny Power of the Doppelgänger
Poetic Interpretations: Worthwhile or Pointless?
Alright, so as some of you know, I’m not a ‘huge fan’ of poetry. Although I don’t mind reading it,…
Knowing is Resisting (The Plague – Albert Camus)
While reading The Plague by Albert Camus, I came across this passage that made me think about our theme Seeing and Knowing. The Plague is a book written in 1947 about the contamination of the city Algier in Algeria. The more spread and possible interpretation of Camus’ text (considering the time it has been written) […]
Hopkins minus religion
In the boxing match this week where it’s me vs. Hopkins, I am most definitely losing. Not only am I 5’0 and harmless, I feel like I’m also at a disadvantage not having much background knowledge in Christianity. Poetry also is not my strong suit to begin with – I don’t think I’m horrible at it, but it’s […]
Hopkins Achieving Purpose with His Skills
Let me make this clear: I still have a fairly hard time understanding Hopkins’s poems. I do however have a somewhat easier time understanding his actions, particularly his actions after deciding to continue his poetry. Him coming to terms with using his poetry to glorify God really struck me somehow. Looking through my Bible, I…
Songs of Innocence and of Experience
Analysis of poetry is hard, not because of the difficulty of interpretation, but because of the amount of different interpretations that can be gained from a single poem. Blake’s poetry is no different in this regard: while we can make some assumptions on his purpose with reference to his known life and religious faith, it’s impossible to be […]