Othello

I believe that the version of Othello that we watched in class really captured my own personal perception of the play. The strongets characteristic of the movie that we watched in class was mosr likely the color palette. I had pictured the play has being strongly based on physical perception. Thereofre I saw it as very straight forward--black, white, and red. The movie reflected my perception. It cast Othello in black clothing and the others in white, drawing a strong contrast between the characters. Blood was very evident; the color red unmistakable against the black and white color scheme.

I also felt that this helped to focus the viewer on the characters. Dramatic or complex costumes may have drawn attentin away from the acting and therefore created a more material, visually appealing performance, rather than an emotional and beleivable performance.

Othello

In class we have been discussing the idea of reputation and if it is truly representative of one's self as some characters in Othello believe. I think reputation can be thought of in many different ways, and I believe there is a strong connection between reputation and placement, or rather loss of reputation and displacement. Many of the characters in Othello pride themselves, and almost define themselves on reputation. Reputation is something they spend their lives earning. It is an accomplishment and a definition of success, that is if it is a positive reputation.

In Othello their are many different elements which define reputation. As we discussed in class, we could compile a nearly page long list of things such as class, religion, and complexion. But, when one of these elements becomes tainted or lost, the character, like many people, may feel that their very selves have been tainted and loss. It is this that connects reputation to displacement. When reputation suffers a character may begin to feel out of place. Displacement often occures when one feels they do not belong, this could be because of class, religion, or complexion, among many other things.

Although displacement usually has a negative connotation, I believe it is possible to argue that Othello has been positively displaced. Being a moore, Othello has been categorized. He has been thought of as fitting a certain mold, having a certain place. When he marries Desdemona, he breaks this mold and takes himself out of his so-called "place". He enters a 'higher realm' in which those belonging in it, i.e. Brabantio, are shocked at his new place. Othello has been displaced from the norm and from a comfort zone. Though, not his comfort zone, the comfort zone of those around him, for many people seem to be uncomfortable by this new marriage.

Girl Interrupted

I believe the film, Girl Interrupted, addressed the idea of 'having a place' in the world in both a brilliant and interesting manner. Each character in the film portrayed a confused displaced person. For example the character of Polly is seen as child-like and unable to break into the realm of adulthood. As we learned in viewing the film this was due to her deforming scares, and she wished she could be a child again when she was pretty and loved. Polly has been displaced by society because she is outcasted, intentionally or untentionally, due to a socially constructed concept of beauty in which perfect skin is the standard, not the exceptional. There is no place for Polly in that world. Another example is the character of Susana who as a woman and a mentally 'unstable' person (so to speak), like many of the other patients, cannot find a place in her the world or her life to be who she is. If she cannot be comfortable as woman in her own life, where can she be comfortable? I believe the film raised many of these questions. Much of Susana's struggle entails searching for a comfortable place in a world in which there seems one may not exist.
Unfortunately in both the sixties and present day no such world exists in which female biases are unheard of. The slut archetype still travels through our world sneaking and hiding and popping up when we least expect it, or when we most expect it. And fortunately for us today there is much more knowledge about mental illness than in the sixties it was not spoken of. Susana, who fell victim to double standards struggled to find a place of her own.
Maybe Susana's lack of finding her niche is what caused her to be a girl-interrupted. If we do not have our own place in the world, is it possible to go forward or backward? I dont see how we could go forward without a starting point, without a place. This is how Susana was interrupted. Her life, which may have once been a progressive movement working towards the future, was brought to a halt when she may have found that she had no place or did not know what her place was. She could not continue to move forward if she had no where to move forward from.

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I apologize for all the rambling, as I pointed out in my writing metaphor, I have a very difficult
time getting my thoughts from my head to a page without creating a rambled mess. :)...oops?

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...Maybe he can teach us a thing or two about borderline personality disorder :)

In the Yellow Wall Paper I think Gilman discusses both an important and relevant women's issue. Labeling women as having nervous disorder did several things. It made it easier for the women to be put aside, so to speak, and put under control. This made it easier for those around them to deal with them, or rather - not to deal with them. Labeling women as having a nervous disorder also covered up that which may have been the true nature of what was causing a certain mental instability, such as depression and anxiety. Gilman does an excellent job of addressing this issue in her story of the yellow wallpaper. John is a perfect example of how women were almost neglected in their depression and anxiety. Gilman simultaneously uses John to represent the suppresion of women. By using the excuse of the nervous disorder he has trapped her and bound her to the house - not unlike domesticated women. She is forced to aquiesce each demand he places on her and every part of the 0h-so-depressing "cure", which as we've learned does nothing except worsen the condition. In listening to John she gradually makes herself worse paralleling many women house-bound women who grow unsatisfied and trapped in their daily lives.

Gilmans, The Yellow Wallpaper speaks strongly of women's roles, the treatment of women, and the male role in the suppresion of women. Adding to the class discussion I found a useful quote, from John, to further these thoughts,

"My darling, I beg of you, for my sake and for our childs sake, as well as for your own, that you will never for one instant let that idea enter your mind! There is nothing so dangerous, so fascinating, to a temperment like yours. It is a false and foolish fancy. Can you not trust me as a physician when I tell you so?" (4)

This "idea" that he is speaking of is the idea that maybe she only appears to be better - "better in body". But the mere idea that something is plaguing her more seriously than simply being a weak female is preposturous. John also takes it into his own hands to decide for her how she feels. I feel as if women were often percieved at a level no higher than a childs; incapable of making their own decisions or knowing how they feel. In this scene, John is quite condescending and treats her like a child.

I decided to post this quote because I thought it was a good addition to our class discussion. Although I'm sure many of us found John to be extremely irritating (I apologize if I'm incorrectly assuming) throughout much of the story, it was scenes such as the example above that got to me the most.