For this project, I selected to read the book Beloved through a postcolonial lens. The postcolonial lens focuses around the oppressor and the oppressed. For the most part I haven’t read many books with that lens in mind and Beloved seemed like a good place where I can start to use it. The act of love should be mutual between the two parties and that way it can coincide and be balanced, but when one party begins to oppress the other that is when the balance shifts and the relationship begins to be unhealthy. The title of the book influenced me that there would be a relationship or a character that felt there needed to have love, but events would happen that would strain the bond. This lens caught my eye the most because for some of the lenses I have used them before and I haven’t looked at a book or novel in this kind of way. Oppression is one of the toughest things to handle whatever the situation is and in literature it’s interesting to see how people or groups deal with it. I believe that oppression is good or bad depending on the situation, but it usually comes with a negative connotation. From all of this I hope that I can learn and get a deeper understanding of harder literature so that college assignments will become easier.
This novel will certainly prepare you for the critical reasoning required in college. It will also help you be able to notice patterns in today's world where certain groups of people continue to be oppressed.
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ReplyDeleteYou bring up some interesting points here, Like when and where oppression might, or might not be, appropriate, and I am interested to see where you take them in your next blog posts. I am also interesting in seeing how your particular lens compares to mine (the marxist lens) because they seem to delve into similar topics. Your lens seems to focus specifically on oppression and how oppression effects people and my lens focuses on social classes and oppression and how the two correlate.
ReplyDeleteWow, Andrew you bring up some very interesting comments regarding both your predictions about the book and about you as a person. I think it's interesting how you use the title as a big indicator for why you chose this lens and about your predictions about the book. One thing I would push you to think about is what could the title be saying besides just that. Because you take the title literally, yet through the first part of the book we can already see that the author likes to play with words, so what if this was just a play on words? What if "Beloved" wasn't attached to an act or story of true love, but the opposite? Just an idea. I also think it is very interesting that a main reason you chose this book is because you haven't used this lens before. I applaud you for trying something new and taking a risk, it is definitely something we as summit students have learnt for a while, if you recall freshman year. At the same time, taking risks and trying new things is a lesson we should all take to mind.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you chose your lens based off of the title of the book. I think taking this risk, to read the book through a post-colonial lens will help you in the future, in the ways you said, but also how you see the real world. I chose the feminist lens and it might be helpful to me to read your blogs because we can already tell that Sethe has been mourning her daughter's death. I am interested in reading your future blogs.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you chose your lens based off of the title of the book. I think taking this risk, to read the book through a post-colonial lens will help you in the future, in the ways you said, but also how you see the real world. I chose the feminist lens and it might be helpful to me to read your blogs because we can already tell that Sethe has been mourning her daughter's death. I am interested in reading your future blogs.
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