Archives and Special Collections Takeaways

 

I really enjoyed my visit to archives and special collections! It was pretty eye-opening to learn about all the different types of binding, formats, and materials that were out there. And even better than simply learning about the various components of book history was the opportunity to physically interact with them. Getting to touch the cuneiform tablet, parchment scroll, and even digital screen helped me better appreciate the way knowledge has been shared throughout history.

Not only did the field trip teach me more about the physical objects that formed books, but also the text within the books themselves. One of the most interesting moments for me was learning about the long "s" that would be put into Enlightenment-era books and beyond to save space. I also enjoyed observing the hand-stamped letters on paper, noting the different intensities with which the ink was applied. The lack of uniformity that came with historic printing presses is something I hadn't really thought about before.

Art is one of my primary interests, and I was intrigued by the way some people saw physical books as a source of art and inspiration. When we toured the vault, my group saw part of a huge collection of mini-books that the original owner adored. And when I was doing the "gallery walk" in the reading room, I saw a book design that was made to be experienced like a work of art, complete with curve pages, laser cut-outs, and magnetic bookends.

That book was created by a book artist, which is one of the elements of book history that I would like to learn more about. I'm interested in learning when book artists first rose in popularity, what they actually do during a typical day of work, and what are some of the most popular book art designs. Another area of book history that I would like to know more about is situations where people use old records for personal reasons. For instance, I learned that some Santa Clara residents used old Jesuit marriage records from the Mission to help them trace lineage. 

Getting to visit the Archives and Special Collections at the library was a great experience for me, and I would definitely recommend to future C&I classes.

The Parallel Births of Hayy and Moses

 

In Hayy Ibn Yaqzān, two separate accounts are provided on Hayy's creation. While Ibn Tufayl goes into great detail about Hayy's genesis from the earth, he acknowledges that Hayy also could have been born from a forbidden marriage and cast into the sea in a box.

This alternative account is remarkably similar to the story of Moses from the Bible. In the Book of Exodus, the Israelite mother casts baby Moses into the Nile because the Pharaoh ordered all baby Israelite boys to be killed. I'm wondering why Ibn Tufayl chose Hayy's creation to mirror that of such an iconic Biblical figure. Perhaps he was trying to help his story connect with a larger Jewish, Christian, or Muslim audience. Maybe he even thought that readers would more easily adopt his philosophical ideas if they could connect them to stories they were already familiar with.

Another possible reason why Ibn Yaqzān may have chosen to allude to Moses' creation story is because of the way it questions power. Moses is supposed to be put to death, but he ends up being cared for by the leader of the group that is doing the killing. Yet Hayy's situation is the opposite: humans typically hunt animals like deer, yet he ends up be raised by one. The first protagonist is loved by his predator, the other loved by his prey.

The comparison between Hayy and Moses may not even have to stop at their births. Moses goes on to receive the 10 Commandments, and is forever associated with these laws. Hayy, on the other hand, grows up completely lawless. If this set up was intentional, I'm not sure what Ibn Yaqzān was trying to say.

It was interesting for me to examine the similarities and differences between Hayy and Moses' birth stories, and I will be sure to look for more Biblical allusions as I continue my reading. 

Intertextuality Project Ideas

To be honest,  "yikes" was my first thought when I read this blog prompt. I feel like it is difficult for me to come up with creative and feasible topic ideas, especially when we have only read half of the planned texts for the class. I'm hoping that by including my initial brainstorm here and by reading my classmates' blogs, I can narrow down research ideas without committing to one just yet.

One of the most interesting parts of Home Fire for me was the concept of destiny and inevitability. I would consider researching texts whose plots are shaped by fate. Not only is this a classic theme throughout history and geographical locations, but it can be applied to multiple genres such as tragedy, romance, myths, and folklore. Another potential topic is orphaned children and how they are perceived by society. Many adventure novels start with orphaned children as a way to drive the characters' grit, need for belonging, and independence. Depending on the culture and time period, orphans can be rejected or pitied by society, and that would be interesting to look into as well.

If I end up choosing Antigone as my home text, both of these research ideas would apply as well. Some additional ones could be texts with widely debated lines (inspired by line 572 in Antigone) or texts whose climax is a verbal debate between the protagonist and antagonist. I may also research texts that questions authority, kingship, and individuals in positions of power. 

I am obviously all over the place with my ideas, but I look forward to narrowing down my options over the next week!

The Line 572 Debate

When I read line 572 of Antigone, I remember being slightly confused. I wasn't sure why the reasoning, determined Ismene had quickly shifted to an almost plaintive wail. Viewing the second Antigone lecture made me realize that I wasn't the only reader who had paused at that line. The debate about whether Antigone or Ismene originally uttered line 572 was far more complex than I had imagined. Until watching the lecture, I had no idea what different a single line could make in a play. I understood that some lines in plays were more quotable than others (e.g. "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet), but I would not have guessed that lines can be famous for their controversies. 

I know have a better understanding of what line 572 means to the play as a whole. If Antigone is the speaker, thEn that line expresses the raw vulnerability and anguish that I feel like was missing from a lot of her dialogue. Antigone is presented as an unshakeable, almost resigned character, and if she spoke line 572 it would indicate a rare moment of helplessness. Yet such a moment would be out of character, not to mention breaking the typical structure of such an exchange. My guess is that Ismene is the original speaker of line 572, although I feel like I don't know enough about her past romantic history to completely grasp its significance in the debated line yet. Either way, I find the debate really intriguing and it certainly helped me think about Antigone and Ismene in a new light.

Introducing Aneeka and Antigone

 

When comparing Antigone and Home Fire, I became interested in the differences between how Antigone and Aneeka are first introduced to the readers.

In Antigone, the identity of the protagonist is known from the start. Antigone is literally the title of the play, so her importance is never doubted. Not only that, but she carries the first lines, giving her the ability to define herself, her personality, and her values in her own words. Sophocle's protagonist has no mystery.

Aneeka, by contrast, is almost initially set up as a side character. When reading the blurb of Home Fire and then going through the first section, it seemed as if Isma was the star of the plot. And not only did Aneeka's section only arrive in the middle of the book, but it featured almost nothing from her own voice. Much of her section is composed of outside sources, and the very view own words she has are someone poetic, vague, and difficult to understand.

I am not completely sure why Shamsie decided to obscure Aneeka's voice in Home Fire, but I do find it significant. Perhaps Shamsie is trying to say that it is not always obvious who the "main characters" are in a situation, that it is not always clear whose beliefs and perspectives matter the most. She could also be making a point about feminism and arguing that the opinions of women who are seen as too emotional or young are often not properly recognized. Finally, the lack of Aneeka's authoritative voice creates uncertainty about her true intentions. The readers are made to sympathize more with Karamat than they would have otherwise because they truly do not know the depth or conviction of Aneeka's love.

These ideas may be some of the reasons why Shamsie strayed from Antigone's centricity in the original play. Going forward, I am interested in comparing how other main characters are introduced and what that says about the respective texts.

 

State-hosted Plays like Antigone

 

Until I listened to lecture 1, I did not know that the Athenian government initiated the performance of plays at the Dionysis festival. Since many ancient greek plays, including Antigone, criticize government, I would have expected the plays to have been put on by a rebellious, grass-root group. 

The fact that the state encouraged its citizens to attend plays like Antigone is extremely significant. The act indicates that the state wanted its citizens to think critically about their civic duties and personal stances on ideals such as justice, loyalty, and respect. It also demonstrates that the Athenian government was not afraid of examining the flaws of other political systems around it, and maybe even some of its own flaws.

This seems like it would be such a radical way of thinking at the time. In ancient Greece, the idea of perfection was widely understood, as people honored the perfection of gods and their works. I think it would take courage from any playwright to acknowledge that powerful governments like that of Thebes were still not perfect, and to turn to their own government for support on how to dramatically represent that critique.

With this context in mind, I am able to read Antigone in somewhat of a new light. I try to imagine state officials shifting uncomfortably in their seats when a government-focused critique hits a little too close to home. I try to envision audience members looking at their officials in broad daylight, slowly noticing the similarities between Creon and their own rulers. For these reasons, understanding the state-hosted aspect of Antigone performances helped me to appreciate the text more and I look forward to further reading.

Icarus and Daedalus in Relation to Home Fire

Shamsie alludes to the ancient greek myth of Icarus and Daedalus in the Isma section of Home Fire. Although its presence seems a bit random in the moment, the reference holds clues to some of the major themes and tragic elements of Home Fire.

There are many different aspects of the Icarus and Daedalus story that have parallels to the themes of the novel. One would be Icarus's pride and belief that he can do anything, which reminded me of Aneeka's belief in her ability to use Eamonn to help bring Parvaiz home. Another theme is that of sacrifice. Daedalus sacrifices incredible effort to create the wings, and all that effort seems to go to waste when Icarus flies to close to the sun and melts the wax. In the same way, all the effort that Eamonn and Aneeka make to be together as well as the effort that Parvaiz makes to return to Britain seem to be a waste in their ultimate deaths.

Speaking of death, there is an underlying inevitability in the myth that mirrors the inevitability of the book. Both appear intertwined with fate, as if destined to be tragedies despite the main characters' best efforts. The disastrous inevitability is at its height when Icarus attempts to be as great as his uncle Daedalus and flies upward to prove his own glory. Perhaps Shamsie is saying that both Parvaiz and Eamonn are like Icarus, aiming to live up to the legacy of their fathers. Yet like the foolish nephew, both Parvaiz and Eamonn fail to achieve that glory and it results in their deaths.

A final significant piece of the Icarus and Daedalus myth is the fact that their goal is to reach freedom in the sky. Aneeka and Parvaiz each express the same sentiment at a point in Home Fire where they are willing to do anything to get on a plane. Parvaiz's situation is particularly relevant because he is also looking for freedom. The subtle nod to the sky also plays on the sky motif that shows up frequently throughout the text. 

For these reasons, I believe that Shamsie intentionally chose the Icarus and Daedalus allusion to reinforce some of the themes and tragic elements of Home Fire.  

Introduction to Neatline

 

I had no prior experience with Neatline before class on Tuesday, and to be honest, I had never even heard of it. However, I feel like the platform is fairly intuitive to use and I look forward to utilizing it for future projects.

Last class, I was taught how to use Neatline both individually and in a group setting. Each student independently worked on the basics of setting up a map exhibit, and then we were put into small groups to once we all understood the foundations of the tool. My favorite part of this instruction time was the group collaboration. Not only was the work of setting up an exhibit made less daunting by our combined efforts, but it was also enjoyable to witness everyone's ideas about how to make the exhibit better.

During the Neatline tutorial session, I was continuously impressed by the power of the platform. I am a visual learner, so being able to "see" the locations in Home Fire in relation to each other was helpful for me to better understand the text. I also am appreciative of graphic design having been on yearbook staffs for years, and was impressed at how easy it was to make readable, engaging, and visually-appealing projects.

In the future, I look forward to exploring Neatline even more. I am excited to use its ability to show paths, because I have noticed that many novels involve a physical journey. It would be really cool to chart a character's journey and mark waypoints with their significant moments or stops along the way. I am slightly more nervous about the possibility of making exhibits open to the public, because that seems like a lot of pressure to get everything perfect. Either way, though, I think Neatline will be able to help me strengthen my literary analysis skills and I am grateful for that.