what did David wanted from Hella and Giovanni?

I suspected that the conclusion of the story of David would end in a bad way. I was especially left baffled due to the fact that there was no foreshadowing of the sudden death of Guillaume. I understand there were some love interests going on between David, Guilliaume, Giovanni and Jacques. I assumed Jacques was jealous of secret encounters between David and Giovanni. However, the chapter five revealed that Guilliaume had something going on and eventually been holding grudge on Giovanni for Guilliaume couldnt earn the love of Giovanni like David did. Out of rage and being betrayed by David, Giovanni unleashed his anger at Guilliaume. I think in this sense, Guilliaume is an unfortunate victim.

In chapter four, I found some series of evidences that argues Giovanni honestly loved David. Like in p.144, David explains,

“Then something opened in my brain, a secret, noiseless door swung open, frightening me: it had not occurred to me until that instant that, in fleeing from his body, I confirmed and perpetuated his body's power

over me”.

This powerful force which even David can't resist was constantly emanating from Giovanni, who couldnt stand against how Hella was taking David back. It even made David's head turning and making, “salt in my(David's) mouth.” (p 148) I know for sure that when Hella left David for Spain, David felt no remorse toward how he had treated Hella, who genuinely loved David as much as Giovanni did. Therefore, I know David was just playing nice to Hella out of sympathy. But it is pretty evident that David wasn't feeling for her. As soon as David succumbs to his true emotions about men, he disguises and resort to 'double' relationship with Hella and Giovanni. I believe this two relationships served David with both emotional attachment and sexual feelings. In short, David, who had gone some troubled years previously, wanted a steady partner whether a man and woman, and neither Hella nor Giovanni could provide.

Giovanni's Room 2

Comment below on Giovanni's Room.

Paper 1: Rainy Nights in Harlem

The following essay was one of the most successful Paper 1's. Check out how the formal analysis of diction and rhyme supports an insightful argument about the speaker's desire to change.

The Harlem Renaissance gave artists a venue like none that had ever been seen before. African Americans now had an opportunity to explore topics such as feminism, homosexuality, and poverty from their perspectives; perspectives that had often been silenced. Bruce Nugent was one of these writers. Famous for both his art and writings, Nugent had an ability to emphasize what he felt using many techniques throughout his works. In his poem “Pattern for Future Dirges” Nugent uses both vocabulary and rhyme to illustrate his past failed relationships and consequent desires to end that ongoing, unsuccessful cycle.

Throughout Nugent’s sonnet the vocabulary he uses symbolizes not only physical settings, but emotional ones as well. Nugent begins with, “That evening when I met you in the rain” (1). This rainy evening could be looked upon in two ways, the night could actually have been rainy, but furthermore the rain could signify his sentiment at that time. Rain is associated with dreary days, so even if there was literally rain it would have depressed the scene more than if he had emphasized a sunny day. He goes into further detail about this rainy night and how it reminded him of so many other nights before; it was “another of those episodes to [him]” (3). His use of the word episodes in this sentence shows a recurrence of these rainy nights, almost like a pattern. This leads the reader to assume that he has been stuck in these dark, cloudy nights for some time. The word episodes has a minimizing effect on these relationships, or what could even be called late night trysts, which he had participated in. The word makes it seem like he has experienced many one night stands, which he has finally grown weary of. From these he has gotten nothing but sexual satisfaction, and is beginning to yearn for more of a connection. These episodes have little emotion, and are something he does out of frustration or as a momentary release from the darkness of which he is being consumed. But for some reason that night he realized that his, “choreography was uncouth” (10). The basic meaning of this sentence would be that his dance or steps were strange, but in relation to the rest of the poem it shows how on this night, with this particular guy, he realizes how this rain and these nightly encounters have been negatively affecting him. The choreography is his walk or dance through life, which he describes as strange or ill mannered. He shows here that he desires something more, something different, a new way to stomp through life.

Nugent also uses rhyme to explore his ideas. By rhyming particular lines he associates these former lines with others that do not always directly follow, yet both lines are in tune with the same idea or clarify the previous one. The first instance this can be seen is with his first and fourth lines in the poem. The opening first line, “That evening when I met you in the rain” (1), is later completed by, “which seem to happen, happening again” (4). The rhyming of rain and again shows that these two sentences are connected. This rainy meeting on this rainy night is not his first; it has become a frequent occurrence in his life. It also shows his fear that what happened with all those other guys will once again happen on this night. This rhyming sequence is once again shown using uncouth and youth. On the ninth line Nugent, “finds his choreography uncouth” (9), and on the eleventh “So – in the rain I saw your graceful youth” (11). While youth and uncouth rhyme, there is even more evidence to show these sentences are paired by graceful and choreography. Since graceful can be an adjective to describe choreography or dance, it can be assumed that Nugent is saying that he admires this new acquaintances steps. The way he carries himself and moves along with life strikes Nugent as different from the other men, and forces him to think about changing his ways and possibly having a meaningful experience. The eleventh line ending in youth can be linked with the final line of the sonnet, “The future lie I paint with the present truth” (14). While a complex line to understand, rhyming youth and truth allows for an interpretation which would make it possible for this guy to finally be what he was searching for. This youth could be his truth; the one he needed to stop his rain and finally put an end to his life of darkness.

Keeping in mind that authors place every word in a poem for a reason, added formal elements can enhance the readers understanding of the authors message. Nugent’s ability to do this dramatically increases the clarity of the poem, bridging all thoughts at all times. Nugents hope for change on that rainy night was conveyed more powerfully by his rhyming and vocabulary. His choice to place certain words and emphasize others allowed the reader to grasp the loneliness rain can bring.

Paper 1: Thou Art More Queer than a $3 Bill

The following essay was one of the most successful Paper 1's. Check out the light yet confident tone, the use of counterargument to strengthen the argument, and the supporting evidence from other poems and the OED.

The audience to which the famous poet known as ‘The Bard’ was writing to in his Sonnets is a grand enigma. Under critical analysis, gender-specific elements can be inferred, but even the whimsical tone in which Shakespeare wrote was questionable, as was the poet’s historically recorded identity as well. Therefore, one may argue with evidence of Shakespeare’s semantic choices and the context of his other works that the audience in Sonnet 18 is non-gender specific is likely inhuman. This was something intangible that Shakespeare could not write about romantically or erotically.

Sonnet 18 contains a myriad of literary elements that require a close reading to fully be appreciated and understood. In addition to writing in Iambic Pentameter, which is found in nearly all of the Bard’s work, Shakespeare rhymes every other line in an AB pattern until the last two indented lines. These were arguably indented to place emphasis upon what was intended to be the heart of the poem.

The motif of weather recurs often, and could be interpreted as describing a person’s “temperate” (line 2) personality, which is fair and attractive. However, when making the argument that the audience was either male of female, the only evidence that the reader can refer to is the use of the word “lovely” (line 2) and the use of “his” (line 6). According to the Oxford English dictionary, the meaning of the word “lovely” has a wide gamut of meanings, including: kind, attractive, bringing pleasure, morally/spiritually beautiful, or in noun form the word refers to “an attractive and glamorous woman” (‘Lovely’, OED). Sappho also uses this word to describe the audience’s “lovely laughing” (line 5), and a strong argument has been made that her audience was nearly always a woman. However, can we use this one word to assert that Shakespeare was writing to a woman, and possibly even his wife. The use of the words “his golden complexion” could also imply that the subject is a male, unless of course “his” is referring to the sun or even summer itself. One must keep in mind that Shakespeare’s work is the product of a male-dominated, hegemonic society and the default gender pronoun used for strong, powerful things was masculine.

Other works by Shakespeare, such as Sonnet 20, clearly praise “a man in hue” (line 7) and are much more blatant about who they address. Sonnet 18’s ambiguity leads to speculation that perhaps it is more about being in love with the idea of love itself. Shakespeare could have also been referring to a muse of his, as he was very publicly in love with writing. We have been conditioned as a society, however, to assume that all poems must be written for love’s sake. When speculating for eroticism in Sonnet 18, the closest element to innuendo is the mention of “rough winds” that “shake the darling buds of May” (line 3), which could be interpreted as a metaphor for deflowering, or losing one’s innocence. This innuendo would be very inappropriate in the context of the whole poem, however, which has more of an admiring tone.

The most famous playwright in history used his deft grasp on the English language, and the power of enigma to create a text that we can still extract meaning from today. His intention may have been for just that to happen. Shakespeare’s love for said object of desire “grow’st” (line 11) and the poem’s mention of itself, on line 12, states that “this gives life to thee.” As long at this poem is still circulating and being read, Shakespeare’s affair with poetry and the English language lives on. The poet is saluting poetry, and demonstrating the beauty of multiple interpretations that come from such a rich art form.

Bibliography

• "Historic Definition of 'Lovely'" Home : Oxford English Dictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2012. http://www.oed.com/
• Sappho, and Anne Carson. "Fragment 31." If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002. N. pag. Print
• Shakespeare, William, and Edward Bliss Reed. "Sonnet 18." Shakespeare's Sonnets. New Haven: Yale UP, 1923. N. pag. Print
• Shakespeare, William, and Edward Bliss Reed. "Sonnet 20." Shakespeare's Sonnets. New Haven: Yale UP, 1923. N. pag. Print

Paper 1: Turmoil

The following essay was one of the most successful Paper 1's. Check out the strong organization, the methodical analysis of language, and the way the concept of "turmoil" in queer love (or non-normative desire) ties it all together

A beautiful piece of twisting confusion and reflection, Richard Bruce Nugent’s Sonnet 1 recreates a scene that illuminates more than just a chance encounter. Nugent’s use of imagery to create a feel of loneliness and failure, his repetition of ideas to portray the reoccurrence of these events, and the paradoxical diction that illuminates hopelessness for what may occur between the two men creates a commentary on the turmoil and pain that comes with a non-normative desire and longing.

Flowing imagery attributes greatly to the dark and lonely mood of Nugent’s sonnet. Set at evening, already we are shrouded in shadow, which is then coupled by rain, an even darker setting that closes off the remaining light. By not adding any more detail to the setting, we are simply left standing in a dark rain while he tells us of the figure that has caught his eye. The scene thus has only two beings in it who have yet to speak to one another. In fact, we are not even sure if the other character has yet to notice the narrator, giving an ‘alone’ connection between the two individuals. Setting the scene on a rainy evening with little commentary beyond that leaves one with a solitary feel of the couple. The loneliness is amplified by the imagery of dance that he pulls forth. Dancing, often a happy occurrence full of vibrancy and other people, is made to reflect a solitary stance by comparing only himself in the action. Dancing, too, has a romantic connotation, but again, the narrator is alone. Failure is emulated in this scene, too, by the path of reflection and hesitation the narrator takes. His imagery of an uncouth dance, though continuously fluid, places turmoil into the otherwise smooth scene, especially when coupled with the “refrain”. The idea of a continuous song that emulates a natural order of things danced to with non-fluid, non-normative movements creates an image of discord, the character failing to dance ‘correctly’ and thus failing his appointed role in life. With the shadowy scene set, the pain of these failed encounters comes through crisply, even before his allusions to “another of those episodes”.

With repetition, Nugent not only creates a sense of continuous failure, but also a hopelessness that the narrator seems to ignore as he reflects on this encounter. The second line sets the stage with ‘another of those episodes’, alluding that prior encounters have happened, the next few lines drilling in the idea that this has transpired before and with little success. He still feels an ‘ever-yearning’ and, despite the failure and pain he clearly feels because of these repeated happenings, he continues to search for a fulfillment that seems to be impossible, as his ‘refrain’ and dance indicate. He repeats the idea that these encounters lead to nothing, as well, by stating it is his ‘classic fate’, leaving one to view the scene with hopelessness for the outcome. An understanding that repetition of these occurrences create turbulence within the narrator also helps in comprehending both his longing and hesitation.

The ‘future lie’ as compared with a ‘present truth’ is a beautiful use of paradoxical diction to draw attention to the turmoil Nugent’s poem consists of. The future lie, in this sense, seems to be a future that goes against his constant refrain of ‘It only is as it must be’, a future that holds a satisfied, hopeful end which can’t ever be, while his present truth is the current situation in which he reflects upon the continued, failed occurrences of his short encounters with people. A future lie opposing a present truth is, perhaps, the strongest singular use of Nugent’s paradoxical diction within the sonnet. It pulls the themes of failure, loneliness, hopelessness, and a clear disregard for these ideas together in a way that notes how a queer love or desire can hold such pain and turmoil. However, he uses more subtle comparisons within his poetry that bring to light this same turmoil, such as his ‘choreography uncouth’ while in contrast to the other’s ‘graceful youth’. This creates a feeling that, although the narrator clearly would like to interact with this other, there is a certain discord. The elegance of the other contradicts the sporadic, continuous dance of Nugent, disturbing the idea of queerness and forming a barrier between the two. It calls into question who this other is and if they can speak with one another about such an encounter, again adding to the narrator’s hesitation and dilemma of another failure.

The poem emulates the difficulty of a non-normative desire without having to portray the relationship between an individual of such longings and society itself. The mere reoccurrence of failure and pain discusses the aspects that non-normative relationships tend to have, especially when considering the discrimination that occurred not only to racial minorities but homosexuals in the 1940s when this sonnet was composed. Without discussing more than just a rainy evening and his reflection of the current situation, Nugent clearly states the stinging turmoil that can come with love in a difficult world where, often, queer relationships failed.

Distinguishable Space within a Structure

“But this time when I touched him something happened in him and in me which made this touch different from any touch either of us had ever known” (Baldwin, pgs. 7-8).

It’s hard to ignore from the beginning of the story that David has some repressed feelings that he has trouble expressing. From the moment the reader learns about his first encounter with another man, it is easy to tell that sexuality and sexual identity are going to be reoccurring themes within the story. David is struggling with the fact that he is trying to convince himself that he ‘loves’ women yet is sexually attracted to men. The above quote is an excellent example of this point. How well of a deceiver is David in his attempts at hiding his secret?

When Jacques and David visit Guillaume’s bar and David meets Giovanni, David tries to muster the ability to leave the bar and pick up a woman, but he cannot. Instead he gets pulled into Giovanni’s gravitational force. Throughout the night, he keeps up his mantra of attempting not to lead Giovanni onto the wrong message. To no avail however, they end up sleeping together.  – Seems oddly familiar. Has this happened before? Weren’t Joey and David just hanging out at the beach scamming on babes before they slept with each other? It seems that David has a harder time convincing himself of his non-homosexuality, which is something that others obviously don’t see.

On the topic of David’s sexuality, it seems that he only feels comfortable in others’ rooms. He and Hella have their own room. This seems like just a room, however. When compared to Giovanni’s room, and even Joey’s room for that matter, these rooms seem to act as a refuge for David where he can act himself and not worry about the deceit he lives. (That is until he wakes up the next morning and feels dirty about what he just did, but that’s another topic…)

Personally, as upset as I felt at times with David, I must say that I saw some of myself in him. I’ve always said that my sexuality was fluid, but have only ever dated girls. It wasn’t until recently that a ‘Giovanni’ fell into my own life and was able to pull me out of my room and into another room where I could be myself. Was David happy to be pulled out of his comfort zone and into this new room where he may or may not have felt safe? Only Part II will let us find out. For me however, I can say that if David and I are truly as similar as we seem to be, stumbling into a room you aren’t comfortable with, isn’t always a bad thing. 

Works Cited:

Baldwin, James. “Giovanni’s Room.” New York, NY: Random House, Inc., 1956. 3-71.

I Am White Hetero Man

Isn't it funny that the film student gets to blog about a movie? 

"I say I'm proud to be black, I'm labelled a racist/
I can't be proud of who I am/
I am black woman, black woman I am/
I've been abused through history/
so how dare you say I can't be me/
I've quieted my spirit taking care of your kids/
fed my family and shed no tears/
I am black woman/
To have you tell me what I can and cannot do/
after all the shit you done put me through/
honey quiet down, cause I'm about to read you/
All you see when you look at me/
is tits, color and ass/
Then preach to me about how I should be/
and that I showered in arrogance/
You tell me its not my fault/
for being who I am/
but I am black woman, black woman yes"

     The Watermelon Woman, a hybrid documentary-narrative drama, serves as our little window into a niche culture in the not-so-distant past. The film is very distinctly time-marked by its standard definition resolution, full aspect ratio and its use of 'hip hop' music to enhance the tone of the scenes. The viewer was thrown back and forth between uncut shots of interviews and 'behind the scenes' footage of Cheryl Dunye's filmmaking journey, as well as her struggle to find balance in her personal life. Dunye seeks to prove, using the 'Watermelon Woman,' that 'compound' minorities such as black lesbian women were relevant to US culture even back in a time period that did not care to document their existence. 
     As shown in "Looking for Langston," blacks and other racial minorities in the queer community faced an amalgamation of different types of discrimination during the 1920's. This battle on multiple fronts of race, sexual orientation and gender is still an issue today. Dunye's relationship with Diana in the film arguably parallels that of Fae Richards, the Watermelon Woman herself, and Martha Page, a white film director. Just as Page and Richards faced scrutiny for their relationship, Cheryl and Diana receive criticism from Cheryl's friend Tamara who does not like white women. Diana is the 'Beauty' to Cheryl's 'Alex,' and after providing inspiration Diana parts with Cheryl during the film just as Beauty did from Alex upon uttering "I'll wait." The motif of secrecy is strongly present, as Dunye works almost as a detective, finding clues to Page and Richards' past. Secrecy of identity has long been a relevant issue for most of the queer community, many of whom are still 'in the closet' in attempt to avoid complete ostracism.

     The 'I Am Black Woman' song (lyrics above) from 51 minutes into the film seems at first to be merely background noise for a scene that illustrates the developing between Cheryl and Tamara. With closer observation, the spoken poetry proves to be an honest embodiment the frustration that those discriminated against feel. The poet is speaking bluntly to her audience about her dissatisfaction with being objectified and mistreated. But rather than blame a specific target, the poet chooses to focus on the development of her own identity. While the argument in this poem is easy to sympathize with, one would not expect to hear any sort of song titled 'I am straight white man.' In some form or another, hetero white males are already largely represented in modern society's culture, as they have been for centuries. However, many minorities such as blacks, queers and women feel they need to speak out in order to have a presence in society. The very fact that Cheryl Dunye had to search so hard to find legitimate documentation of just one lesbian biracial couple in the 1920's is proof of the lack of representation that is faced by historians today. 

On another note, I look forward to hearing "Part II: I am Queer Human"