Easy Translation (Week 8)

How did that telephone game go with your class? How much of the original message was lost along the way? Did the message stay intact? Factor out the students who deliberately changed the message; how well would the message have done then? This is what some call “lost in translation”. This same event can be compared to this week’s theme, Global Literacy. Global Literacy as it relates to literature means how well a piece will be received, interpreted or translated across many different cultures.

This week’s reading was a piece entitled Girl, by Jamaica Kincaid. This is one strange piece of work, I must warn you. It is entertaining and insightful nonetheless. The piece is written and reads simply as an instructional tutorial for girls on how to conduct themselves properly. Whether this was the author’s intent is not the point during this theme. I chose this work for you to give your class for observation during the discussion of global literacy because it is simply easy to read, and should remain that way no matter where it is read or translated. It is cut and dry; simple and very to the point.

Have your students read this piece and hold a discussion as to how each student interprets it. If your class is multi-cultural, or better yet, if some students speak other languages, ask them if they think it could easily be translated without altering the content. Consider then, showing them a cultural film. A good recommendation would be Eat Pray Love, starring Julia Roberts. Show them the film and then hold another post discussion about how well the woman in the film conducted herself across many different cultures.

Ugly Acceptance (Week 7)

Sometimes life deals us some pretty strange cards. Sometimes we are dealt a hand, play it for a while, and then by some change of events, an entirely new deck is introduced to the game and we must change our entire plan and accept what our life has become. This week, we talk about acceptance. What do we do when we find ourselves in a situation that we do not feel comfortable in? Usually we fight and find a way out of that situation and into more desirable circumstances. What if we simply cannot get out? Eventually we adapt, and become part of it.

This week, we read a story entitled This Way for the Gas Ladies and Gentlemen, by Taduesz Borowski. The story is a horrific tale of a man; a Jewish prisoner during the Holocaust who is forced to strip his own people (other prisoners) of their possessions and food before they are taken off to prison, work, or execution. The story gives us the feel that most of these (real life) prisoners during that time, had to accept their fate in a way. They were not born as Jewish prisoners. They had a life before it was all stripped away.

Introduce this story to your class as a piece of literature and have them reflect on their own experiences of acceptance and changing what they do or how they live according to new situations. Of course, our circumstances are most likely not nearly as dire as the what is laid out in this story, however a comparison would be valuable nonetheless. Have your students present to the class how they felt at certain points in their life when they had to adapt.

The film, Schindler’s List, is a great example of this point. It stays on topic with the Holocaust and it is in alignment with the theme of acceptance and adaptation. Consider showing it to your class after the reading and presentations are complete to solidify the realism of the subject.

Are we living in the Matrix? (Week 6)

As this title suggests, have you ever stopped to think about what is real and what is perceived? In recent years, with the generation of social media and ever advancing technology, these lines have become more blurred than ever before. With information coming from every direction, and literally in the palm of your hand, at a seconds notice, something is bound to be misconstrued or reconstructed. This is of course only one example. The point is however, is what you see truly what you get?

This week’s readings painted a great picture of this theme: magical reality. Do we sometimes see things the way we want them to be seen, and not how they really are? Death Constant Beyond Love, written by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, is a story of great magical realism. It follows a senator who is bidding for reelection in a particular town which seems down on its luck. The senator gives a magnificent show full of props and promises which paints a better picture of the town if he is reelected. Some of the people believed what he said and showed, and some did not. This asks the question again; how much magical reality do we buy into in our own lives?

Have your students consider the 1999 science fiction film, The Matrix, a film in which people realize that the life they were living simply is not real. How much of the “matrix” are we living in our own lives? Again, with the abundance of information, how much of that information is actually lost in translation? Try having your students play a game that you may have played before yourself: “the telephone game”. This is where a string of people pass along one message started by the first person in line. The message gets passed one-by-one, all the way to the last person at which point they deliver the message back to the original sender. At that point they find out how much of that original message remained constant and how much changed. This can be applied to our daily lives and how we perceive what has been given to us.

What is in a Name? What is Your Identity? (Week 5)

What does your name mean? Does it carry any value to the identity of your family? How much of that identity tied to your name still rings true to the values of yourself and your family today? The strength of one’s name can strongly relate to who they are and where that name came from. If your people had been displaced, the name can sometime carry with them, and in the shuffle of time, the identity and strength that was once tied to that name can be lost. An example of this can be found in the story entitled Deep River by Bessie Head. The story follows an African tribe divided between morals. Eventually the leader of the tribe is exiled, along with his followers, and through time and generations, lost all sense of identity that tied them to the original tribe. The only thing they had left was their name, however little could be said of where that name came from and what it meant.

Consider how this effects people in the real world. Has this happened in American history? What about Africans who were kidnapped from their countries and brought to America as slaves? For example, an African American today bears the name, “O’Malley” or even more common, “Johnson”. Did those names really come from Africa? Perhaps, however not likely. They were passed to them from their ancestor’s slave masters. Ask your students if they would feel comfortable in conducting a year-long research project dedicated to the discovery of who and were they came from.

Another great connection that can be made with students is having them examine chosen celebrities. How many stars actually give us a view of who they really are? Does Rihanna really consider herself to the “bad girl” she portrays herself to be, or is this just great image consulting to push her star status?

 

Native American Literature and Spirituality (Week 4)

Spirituality in literature is very often a buried message within metaphors and obscure stories. This is so true in Native American literature in particular. The Native American’s are known for their ceremonial stories that are often particular to a certain tribe. Most practices in Native American culture do not translate from one tribe to another. One common theme that is used across almost every Native American tribe and its literature, practices, ceremonies and stories however, is the draw upon nature and the relationship between it, man, and spirituality.

A popular ceremony that draws upon nature as a medium between man, and spirit is a healing ceremony called the Night Chant. This ceremony calls upon the force of a rain storm as a metaphor to one’s battle with a particular sickness. Both rain storms and healing processes can progress through different stages; some rain storms end with destruction, as some sicknesses end in death. On the brighter side, some rain storms result in flourishing benefits and some sicknesses result in victory. The Night Chant focuses on the victory through the battle.

Teachers should consider authenticity when teaching this theme to students. Remember, this is a very important theme in Native American Culture.  Reach out to Native Americans in your area and invite them to your class to go over some spiritual practices and their literature. This can also be used as an opportunity to further your school’s cultural diversity. It wouldn’t hurt to ask if they would be able to re-create an experience with students so that they can get a full understanding of the ceremony and its importance.

United in an Individual World (Week 3)

As the title suggests, people can be very sealed off and keep to themselves. This is especially true in large settings such as urban cities. In times of distress, or boredom, people tend to be drawn to one another. Perhaps this is for a sense of security, or entertainment. People will do anything to keep occupied. Just a moment to one’s self can be daunting, as simply thinking is such a painful business and troublesome task (Zhang, A 1943). This can be especially true in a very large city where people feel insignificant because they are but small aspects of a very large pool; there is so much more to the surrounding than just them and their tiny influence. It is because of this, that people feel the need to keep themselves occupied, entertained, or perhaps even crave for attention so that they may feel somewhat important. I chose to examine a work by Zhang Ailing (Eileen Chang), a Chinese novelist known for her early work and as part of a literary revolution from classic Chinese writing, to a more modern approach, like western works. The work is entitled Sealed Off (1943). The story draws together two strangers in a big city, stuck in a situation which has them confined to a tram, or subway for a period. Because of the dire situation, they have both been placed in, the two are sort of drawn to each other and a sense of an alternate reality begins to take place. They almost fall in love, however the circumstances they are placed in are but temporary, and as soon as the circumstance is lifted, reality sets back in, and they realize that they must return to their normal lives. The advance is made by the man, who happens to be married. The woman becomes somewhat entranced by him, and there is a sense that he just be entertaining himself to pass the time. It is hard to tell whether he is being genuine. Many conclusions or perceptions can be drawn from this.  The following link is for a short film that depicts the story of Sealed Off. It is interesting to see this played out in a short video. It remains accurate for the most part. In this version, the woman is imagining a fantasy according to Sealed off, with another male passenger. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vo0H6B-27w&t=3s

Literature teachers are lucky with this one as it is a very intriguing story. It is captivating and relatable so there should be no trouble in getting the attention of young (students) readers. It is relatable in a sense that we can all feel like small, even miniscule parts of a larger existence. Moments such as what was depicted in this story can make us feel important; like we belong where we are, and our roles matter. This can speak to almost any young student, especially those within a large city or setting. It is almost like an alternative Romeo and Juliet tale, as the relationship should happen, and yet it simply cannot.

How many times have people used other people for a sense of self fulfilment? This can be one conclusion drawn from this story. Another conclusion can be that both the man and the woman were taken by each other, and yet cannot have one another. The beauty of this theme is that, as small parts of a large void, intricate and small moments can take place that are very exciting; this can be taken as sad, joyous, unfair, depressing, or thrilling. The theme of this story can convey these emotions at once, or drawn up to a single conclusion. It is up to the reader, and if read, a conclusion will surely be drawn.

Poetry (Week 2)

The early stages of Chinese literature are both fascinating and similar, yet unlike early literature works of other cultures. That statement may be a bit confusing, so I will clarify: while other cultures have early literature to be discovered through inscribed walls, huts or pottery, the Chinese inscribed, tortoise shells, and cattle bones. Again, much like other cultural early literature, the texts and messages discovered from China are very much based around political propaganda, however with poetic twists. Much of their messages and literature was written very beautifully.

Poetics writing is the theme for these readings. Much like their culture, their writing focuses on a healthy, body, mind and spirit. You can feel this through their writing. It is understandable that reading this kind of literature can be very intimidating, especially for a young audience such as middle or high school age children, however it does not have to be this way. The Classics of Poetry, for instance, is a collection of poetic works that are written in many and all perspectives, for and by the people who live through those perspectives. Students can interpret or translate these poems, with the guidance of a facilitated discussion, into their own personal lives and how they currently view what they live in (society). Students might find that an easy comparison (again though guidance and discussion facilitation) can be made from certain works within the Classics of Poetry, to popular music they may have heard.

The Boat of Cypress comes to mind when comparing works from the Classics of Poetry to popular music. This poem can be compared to gritty street sounds in hip hop music. As I interpret the poem, it deals with a man who is of course troubled in his life, but he suppresses those troubles and fights to make it through. This is reminiscent of Tupac Shakur, and his tales of ghetto and underprivileged struggle.

The conclusion to all of this is these works are great to teach as they are still relevant today. Art, music, movies, television, etc. of today are filled with propaganda, protests, and free speech. One can interpret all of this as poetic; very beautiful, not unlike classic Chinese literature.

Inhumane Depression (Week 1)

         

Sometimes, we do not feel quite right. Sometimes having a deep heart and caring can weigh even heavier on our shoulders, to the point that we begin to feel as if we are a burden. People can sacrifice so much of themselves that at some point, a sense of inhumanity comes into play. We begin to feel that we have no identity for ourselves. We can sometimes compare ourselves to something of a different nature than human. This is what depression can look like.

This week’s reading comes from Kafka, and it is entitled Metamorphosis. The story is of a man who one day wakes up in his hotel room and finds himself transformed into an insect like creature, or so he thinks. He battles within himself on this morning to get out of his bed and face his loved ones in his newly transformed self. He is filled with hate for himself, disgust, and shame. The synopsis for this story can be translated to him not literally being transformed, but so ashamed of himself that he simply no longer felt human. Again, this was his depression.

Introduce this story to your students and have them discuss how they felt about it. Did they take the story as literal or could they see something behind the metaphor? If so, what conclusions did they draw for themselves? Can they relate to this story?

Try to relate this subject with a song for your younger audience. Try this one, 1 800-273-8255, by the artist, Logic. It is from a young man who feels similar to the subject in the story we read. See if your students can make their own comparisons.