Backing up a Couple Weeks

I wanted to go back a couple of weeks and write about West Side Story because I was I was disappointed that I missed that class. When we watched Romeo and Juliet I had pretty strong feelings about my dislike for the movie, and how I felt like taking the play and moving it to a modern setting distorted the story too much for my liking.

West Side Story however, has always been one of my favorite musicals, and I really like the story. I think it has to do with the fact that the movie took the story of Romeo and Juliet and adapted it to fit a modern setting, not just by reciting the play over. I actually felt that I got more from the story watching the musical than I did from watching the movie.

There were certain parts of West Side Story that stuck out to me this time because it reflected ideas of the play more then I had noticed before.

The moment that stuck out to me was the song Officer Krupke. I think this scene shows the mockery that the young men have for authority, and the disrespect they have for the law even if they are a little foolish about it.

The second moment is the war meeting between the Sharks and the Jets at Docs. This is similar to the idea that they are making a mockery out of the law system shown by them pretending to get along, but what really is striking to me about this scene is how easy it looks for them all to get along. They are in this battle with each other, but in a strange way protective of each other against the law.

Lastly is the image after Bernardo kills Riff. The shock that he actually has taken his life is upsetting. He reminds me of Tybalt killing Mercutio. It looks like he never believes that their action would have gone that far, and everything before was just talk.

All the images were from West Side Story

Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Whoa, so the end of Lizzie Bennet Diaries…pretty dramatic.  Especially episodes 86 and 87 when Lydia shows her serious side when talking about the sex tape scandal she inadvertently became a part of.

I don’t know how I feel about the scandal though.  It seemed way over the top for Lizzie Bennet Diaries.  I mean, that’s something you hear about in Hollywood—like the whole Kim Kardashian deal—not really what normal people would experience.  But I guess the writers created the scandal to show just how much of an ass Wickham is.

Overall though, I really enjoyed the series.  I think the writing was great and the acting couldn’t have been more spot on.  I especially loved their portrayal of Fitz with the afro and his constant exclamation of “Lizzie 

B!”

I think it was brilliant that the writers chose to modernize the story and its characters to relate to an average 20 something.  The struggle between grad school, friends and family was something that every girl—and guy—could relate to.

I have to be honest though, Lizzie’s character really started to annoy me after a while.  I don’t know if it was just her voice that bothered me or the fact that all she did was talk about everyone else except herself. 

I get that the portrayal of Lizzie in the book is similar to this, but I didn’t find the book Lizzie as annoying as the video Lizzie.  I suppose everything needs to be dramatized for TV though.

Jane and Bing Lee’s characters were perfect in my opinion.  Jane was the quintessential doe-eyed nice girl and Bing was well, Bing.  

Darcy was also a pleasant surprise.  It’s funny that the modern Darcy is exactly how I would have pictured the “original” Darcy to look and behave.  Just transport him back in time a few hundred years and it’s perfect.

The slight changes the writers made to the specific locations were brilliant as well.  From Pemberly Digital to Collins and Collins, the modernization was seamless and really clever.

I really loved the video Diaries and I’m so glad I had an excuse to watch them all!

I am Going to Try to Compare Mr. Darcy and Mr. Collins

           As I said in class, I love Pride and Prejudice and am glad to have an excuse to read it again. This was one of the first books I read in college and I give it credit for playing a major part in making me an English major. Maybe the plot is nothing new (perhaps even when it was written) but it just seems so well crafted in its characters and language that, whatever its predictability or use of that cold society, I can thoroughly enjoy it. Actually I think the subtlety in many ways enhances the romance and through it we get some of what seems missing. This book makes me feel both smart and really dumb every time I read it. Every time there seems to be a new aspect to Elizabeth and Darcy’s back and forth. But they said all of this in real time conversation; it took me how many readings and long stares into space to get it? Anyway that’s enough of that; that’s my bit, I can stop now.

            In class we were talking about how this novel both broke and worked within the established norms of the time. Looking at the pattern of where it break and where it keeps, it seems that Austen is trying to point out a quality that is for the most part independent of the system. It seems like she is trying to redefine what it means to have a good character. Charlotte says Mr. Collins has a good character, in that he is reliable and won’t throw her out. She marries him because he provides a secure place within that society. So it appears that being a secure part of that culture was Charlotte’s definition of character. Yet, despite his “character” Elizabeth despises Mr. Collins, “disgust” is the word used when she contemplates going to see them. At first, Darcy is surprisingly like Mr. Collins in that respect. Fitzwilliam defends Darcy on the ground that he could be relied on. Darcy would look out for his friends. In a strange way so does Mr. Collins. The most notable change in Darcy when the reader and Elizabeth see him at Pemberley is that he is nice to the Gardiners, people he would before have looked down upon. But niceness is not the ultimate virtue either. Wickham is perfectly charming to everybody when he first meets them but certainly has no character and is by no means a positive character. Where am I going with this? Not 100% sure yet, but it seems that there is a combination of character and niceness that both Darcy and Elizabeth need to adopt and, because it is not based on that societie’s structure, it involves breaking certain norms (ridged class boundaries for example) while recognizing that not all the present norms are bad (the men being held to provide for their families whatever they feel about them).

          This is not a very strong argument; I am still making it up. I may post more on it later. It would be interesting to hear you guys’ thoughts on it. Looking forward to talking about the Lizzy Bennet Diaries!

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries: WoooHooo!

So I have to admit that I hadn't read Pride and Prejudice before this(nor had I ever really wanted to read it.) I, through the course of my time on this Earth as both a reader, an English major and a fan, have made the conscious decision to both seek out and avoid certain things. It's always been one of those books that I put on my "Do Not Read Ever" lists because it came with so much Pomp & Circumstance:

It's all about ball gowns and parties and rich entitled white people stewing in their wealth and privilege. "Hmm, hmm. Look at all our money. Hmm, hmm."

Just by virtue of being an English major, I've been exposed to the genre of "Rich, White People And Their Problems" and it's been one of mutual dislike. All of the things that this genre represents are all things that I have decided I don't care about personally. Taking a step back, I can read into the subtleties and complexities of everything the time offers them.

Just based on my personality, I am all about the snide comments, backhanded compliments and daggers in the back. That's the beautiful part of this for me and it should be enough to sustain me but not really.

But then came the Lizzie Bennet Diaries:

At first I was really skeptical of everything that might be happening with this:

But then I started watching it and it all made sense now. Lizzie Bennet rocks. She's so real and down-to-earth and so snarky. It's a beautiful introduction and experience to take part in even though I am still not a fan of Pride & Prejudice.

The whole time she is doing this (on behalf of Hank Green and the VlogBrothers) she's sucking us into the story (which in spirit is exactly what Austen does) but gives us the ability to put it into perspective and then take this and put it back into a spacial-temporal perspective that Austen gave us.

West Side Story: On Stage and In Film

All right, Going back to the last class one thing that interested me was when Dr. Mitchell-Buck mentioned that the America scene was different in the play than it was in the movie. Specifically that in the play the America song was done only by women. I found that interesting so I looked it up on youtube. And to no surprise, Dr. Mitchell-Buck was right.

I find this interesting  because it creates a different mood and feeling than that of the movie's scene. In the movie the song is sung as an opposition between the male gangsters and the females. While both a united by a racial identity, they seem clearly divided over their feelings about America. This gives the gang more of a motive and makes them more sympathetic. However the theater version has the opposition and support for America singularly in the hands of the girls. By doing this it removes the gang dynamic but creates a more unified feeling for the Puerto Ricans as a whole. Instead of dividing the complainers and supporters along gender lines, it makes the it difficult to tell who supports and who opposes America. It makes the Puerto Ricans able to see both sides of America. To be fair it could be argued that the movie version does that as well, but by making it one group both singing for and against America this group seems more unified in their opinions of America as a whole.

The movie version though I feel is stronger though because the song gives the Sharks more of a motive and empathy, as well as allowing better banter, because of the gender dynamics.

I AM UPSET AND BETRAYED!

So, I have never read Pride and Prejudice before. I was actually actively avoiding reading it because it has that same aura that The Great Gatsby has. That "stupid wealthy white people doing things that are pointless" aura. I get the point of Great Gatsby and Mrs. Dalloway, they're writing a narrative about how crap these people are and their actions. But my issue is that people eat this universe up. There are Gatsby parties where people dress up and are useless. USELESS!

Okay, so anyway, I wasn't stoked to start this book. And then I started it. And I still hated it.

Hate is a strong word but I'm gonna use it anyway. I really hated these people (expect Mr. Bennet. I will get Mr. Bennet tattooed on my ass I love him so much) and what they didn't do and how they are nothing but useless lumps of flesh. I sat in the English department and told anyone who passed by that I was in pain. 

Reasons why I hated P&P in the beginning:

• Throwing shade
• Obsession with marriage
• Rude behavior
• Regency era stuff that I don't understand and then just got upset about.
• The class system makes me want to spork out my eyes

So, there I am, inspiring English professors on making a class based around useless white people when I decided to ask. Why? Why do people like this book? (Please answer for yourself if you like this book, I want to know!)

Dr. Sandona's answer is that he really likes the way that it's written. The language is really appealing and he appreciates how Austen created this world for readers to escape to during the Napoleonic Wars (Personally, this world sounds like a special ring of hell).

Dr. Mitchell-Buck was all about the narrator. Having a snarky narrator who tells the story but gets punished/chastised for it is refreshing and rewarding. 

I didn't officially ask Dr. Orloff but she digs Jane and hates Mr. Collins and Mrs. Bennet. 

These are good answers. I appreciate them and they have helped me get through the book. Once I was on a roll I kept myself going. With the aid of Mr. Bennet and a pen I marked my way through the book. What super helped me were The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

I fell in love with the characters, I fell in love with the way the story was crafted, I fell in love with the story changes, and totally fell in love with the LOVE! I was so friggin' stoked for all the little romances and it made me turn to the book with new happiness and excitement.

Then I got to thinking. No one put romance at the top of their list as to why they liked this book. Before reading this book I had seen that Keira Knightley movie so i was expecting some awesome love action in the rain and stuff.

Look at that! Look at that deceleration of love and stuff! That's what I was expecting from the book. Nope. It was not nearly as romantic as I wanted it to be. My romance boner was gone.

 

They take a walk in the garden, go over how they had once perceived each other and how they have not changed, and then they part ways APPARENTLY ENGAGED. WHAT? I SO CLEARLY DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS TIME PERIOD. HE DIDN'T ASK HER TO MARRY HIM! WHAT IS GOING ON!

How did this happen? Someone with a history boner needs to tell me when it was unacceptable to have the spicy-sauce relationships that Shakespeare wrote and replace it with this passive romance. It was such a let down for me that the ending is actually ruined. THEY DON'T EVEN KISS....WHAT?! THAT'S NOT EVEN WHY I'M UPSET. I mean, look at this chemistry!

THAT IS A CUTE SPICY MEATBALL! I was expecting this from the book, and it let me down. 

Don't get me wrong, I am glad that I read the book. I can check it off my list and be in the in crowd of people that 'get' Pride and Prejudice (or fake it at least). I love how Austen does dialogue, Mr. Bennet is my homie, and the book totally wrapped me up in it's dramatics. I was laughing and faux-gasping as I read it which I haven't done in a good long while. I liked it but I probably wouldn't read it again too soon. Like, if I ever have a kid and they have to read it for class I might pick it up again just to keep the neurons firing. 

As far as the feminism in this book goes, I feel like its something that I will need the class to help me understand better. I see little snippets here and there that might be considered feminist but I can't get past that the entire society these people live in revolves around marriage. No matter what personality the men and women may have its all about how they're going to attached themselves to each other. I'm not seeing a who bunch of autonomy here. I mean, I am. The fact that Elizabeth can say no to Mr. Collins and Darcy is pretty impressive and autonomous. I dunno. THIS STUFF IS HARD!! Alright, I should go to sleep now, the cold medicine is hitting me now.

Feminism in Austen Novels

So after reading the article that was assigned for class tomorrow (“Giving Patriarchy its Due”), I started thinking about the role of females in “Pride and Prejudice” and the significance that they have on the story. 

All of Austen’s novels are set in the Regency Period (1811-1820) of England, a time when women were rendered voiceless under the hand of societal rules.  Women weren’t permitted to own or inherit land, travel alone, be in company of a man without a chaperone, or correspond via letters with a man for an extended period of time (unless engaged or married to him).

So basically, women were allowed to do nothing besides minding their own business and looking pretty.  Oh, and finding a suitable husband with a large fortune, of course.  But there was one thing women had the power to do.

They could say no.

That is what gives Austen characters their power and shapes their overall personalities, especially Elizabeth Bennett.  The fact that they are completely free to form their own opinions of men and to reject them at the drop of a hat allows the women of Austen’s world to subtly determine their otherwise predetermined future. 

In a word where women have no rights, Austen manages to give them a kernel of feminism in a male-dominated society.  The simple act of saying “no” is just the beginning of the feminist movement to come.

I believe that Austen knew exactly what she was doing when she gave her female characters this power and exploited their use of it in her novels.  In “Pride and Prejudice,” for instance, Lizzie doesn’t hesitate to loath Darcy, adore Wickham, and judge Caroline.  She voices her opinions and questions the motives of others.  And it’s interesting to see that most of her long harbored impressions of people turn out to be completely wrong. 

Though Lizzie does represent the female power in Austen’s novel, she is still human and makes mistakes.  Austen exactly pinpoints the various imperfections of women while maintaining their subtle power within society. 

Austenland

I heard about this book a few years ago, but never read it. Now, there's a movie. Go figure. So, this weekend my friends and I watched Austenland. I'm going to be honest; I loved it. We laughed. We said, "this is ridiculous!" and all that good stuff. It was just a lot of fun all around. A few days later, my friend even said, "I could watch Austenland again right now."

 (I love Mr. Darcy, too!) 

The premise is that Jane (lol) is obsessed with Pride and Prejudice and unlucky in love, so she goes to Austenland, a resort of sorts where actors interact with guests and bring Jane Austen's world to life. I saw many parallels between what the actors were doing and saying and various scenes in Austen's novels. Catching those moments is always a bonus.

I still want to read the book, and I'm sure that I will. I think this is an interesting "take" on Austen in that it shows how people today still have strong reactions to her novels, because they do. Much like the Jane Austen Book Club, which I also like. It's one of those movies I can watch whenever I feel like it and not get bored. It's just so cute. I can get a bit of an Austen fix without watching or reading any of her books or their incarnations on film.

I genuinely enjoy the films that aren't modern adaptations of the novels but modern films where the books or films are incorporated. Lost in Austen is another one. The main character actually gets transported into Pride and Prejudice.

(All four episodes of Lost in Austen are available to stream for free and legally on Hulu right here; yay! -- I think I know how I'm spending my Friday night!)

The modern adaptations of the books are great fun, too: Clueless, Bridget Jones' Diary, and the good old Lizzie Bennet Diaries or the follow-up series of Emma.

Austen's novels have been interpreted in many ways and changed drastically for some of them. I will watch any Austen interpretation I can get my hands on.

I'm gonna go read some P&P fanfiction now.