To be honest, I don't have a very diverse nor interesting story of being raised in a multicultural household. so this blog entry has me stumped.
I suppose I'll start by saying the household I'm from has always upheld the traditions set by those that have come before my grandparents and parents, and I'll probably continue to live the way I was raised. I love the various aspects that comprise my heritage- the East Texas Cajun culinary treats from my mother's side, or visiting with the extensive family my father was raised in. There's just something in me that aspires to be them and share the same successes that my two brothers before me have, rather than take the Dee approach.
Of course we don't always just get along fine, as I guess I could say I'm more than just a replication of their genes, but I guess 'Honor thou father and mother' always get me in the end. I get that there's a third way though- it's something present in all sorts of stories, books, movies, ect and has been expressed a lot by several students in this class- although, in conclusion, I'm certainly a Maggie type.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Mr. T's APLAC Blog #3
Edgar Allen Poe's bizarre short horror story The Fall of the House of Usher was a hallmark first in the genre. The themes and literary techniques expressed in EAP's Gothic works still show up in modern terror movies and creepy novels. In this post, I'll take note of five tropes Poe utilizes in the grim tale of the Usher's downfall.
One of the first things that offset me was the vagueness within the characters and the plot. Who was the narrator? Why did the Ushers have such a large estate? Poe never explicitly states, but certainly hints at that the Usher family was largely inbred, and that the surviving twins Roderick and Madeline were incestuous. Madeline's demise was also rather abrupt. The ending is rather uncertain about what becomes of the narrator.
Another stylistic trope is deception. The protagonist senses something is far from normal about the Usher house on his approach, but is taken into a falses sense of security under Roderick's charm. An addition to the usage of deception is the technique of using an accidental victim. In this case it is Madeline who is presumed dead by the other two, and buried alive. A similar concept shows up with the character Lucy in Brahm Stoker's Dracula, which was published decades later.
Next up is the curse. In this particular case it is incest of the Usher family, that has likely deprived the last two twins of any chances of offspring, and definitely messed with their mental and physical health. Heck, Fall of the House of Usher could be a prelude to Final Destination as the lady seems to cheat Death when she confronts Roderick, only to stir insanity and Death responds cheekily by collapsing their deprecating mansion.....
Finally, there is the classic dark-and-dreary Gothic setting. EAP's brilliant descriptions have more than likely inspired hundreds of haunted houses and spooky castle settings.
Two things I'd improve upon is, firstly, the vagueness. I prefer protagonists to be described and set characters, rather than me filling their shoes. Tying with this, the other would be perhaps having delved a bit deeper in the flashback to Roderick's and the protagonist's childhood, as if there was always something peculiar about the young Usher. But aside from that, Poe's short story surely perfect in literary execution.
One of the first things that offset me was the vagueness within the characters and the plot. Who was the narrator? Why did the Ushers have such a large estate? Poe never explicitly states, but certainly hints at that the Usher family was largely inbred, and that the surviving twins Roderick and Madeline were incestuous. Madeline's demise was also rather abrupt. The ending is rather uncertain about what becomes of the narrator.
Another stylistic trope is deception. The protagonist senses something is far from normal about the Usher house on his approach, but is taken into a falses sense of security under Roderick's charm. An addition to the usage of deception is the technique of using an accidental victim. In this case it is Madeline who is presumed dead by the other two, and buried alive. A similar concept shows up with the character Lucy in Brahm Stoker's Dracula, which was published decades later.
Next up is the curse. In this particular case it is incest of the Usher family, that has likely deprived the last two twins of any chances of offspring, and definitely messed with their mental and physical health. Heck, Fall of the House of Usher could be a prelude to Final Destination as the lady seems to cheat Death when she confronts Roderick, only to stir insanity and Death responds cheekily by collapsing their deprecating mansion.....
Finally, there is the classic dark-and-dreary Gothic setting. EAP's brilliant descriptions have more than likely inspired hundreds of haunted houses and spooky castle settings.
Two things I'd improve upon is, firstly, the vagueness. I prefer protagonists to be described and set characters, rather than me filling their shoes. Tying with this, the other would be perhaps having delved a bit deeper in the flashback to Roderick's and the protagonist's childhood, as if there was always something peculiar about the young Usher. But aside from that, Poe's short story surely perfect in literary execution.
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