Fishbowl Discussion Notes

3X3

Janie submits herself - ordinary world/limited awareness
Janie enjoys herself - tests, allies, enemies/ experimenting
Janie chooses herself - mastery/self actualization

3 AP Open Question Prompts

Open Question Prompt #1:

2003, Form B. Novels and plays often depict characters caught between colliding cultures -- national, regional, ethnic, religious, institutional. Such collisions can call a character’s sense of identity into question. Select a novel or play in which a character responds to such a cultural collision. Then write a well-organized essay in which you describe the character’s response and explain its relevance to the work as a whole.

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie is torn between societal expectations of submissiveness and her rebellious desires to find love and happiness. The ironic freedom afforded to her by being a rich, black woman allows her to choose herself despite pressures from society and even her true love, Tea Cake. Through this last choice, Janie gains independence making her a courageous heroine for her time.

“Well, you know why dey say ‘uh white man and uh nigger woman is de freest thing on earth.’ Dey do as dey please.” (Hurston 189)
“De nigger woman is de mule uh de world so fur as Ah can see.” (Hurston 14)
“Dis is uh love game. Ah done lived Grandma’s way, now Ah means tuh live mine.” (Hurston 114)

Open Question Prompt #2:

2012. “And, after all, our surroundings influence our lives and characters as much as fate, destiny or any supernatural agency.” Pauline Hopkins, Contending Forces Choose a novel or play in which cultural, physical, or geographical surroundings shape psychological or moral traits in a character. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how surroundings affect this character and illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole.

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie is in tune with many works of nature. Through observation of a bee and a pear tree, she learns to idealize love, and though a vicious hurricane ends her romance with Tea Cake, Janie realizes the most important love of all, love for herself. These uncontrollable forces of nature makes Janie question what her place is in this world and how to be at peace with her environment.

“She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom...So this was marriage!” (Hurston 11)
“[Tea Cake] could be a bee to a blossom--a pear tree blossom in the spring...He was a glance from God.” (Hurston 106)
Anyway, the ‘Glades and its water had killed [Tea Cake]. She wanted him out of the way of storms,” (Hurston 189)

Open Question Prompt #3:

2013. A bildungsroman, or coming-of-age novel, recounts the psychological or moral development of its protagonist from youth to maturity, when this character recognizes his or her place in the world. Select a single pivotal moment in the psychological or moral development of the protagonist of a bildungsroman. Then write a well-organized essay that analyzes how that single moment shapes the meaning of the work as a whole.

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie’s choice to kill Tea Cake represents her transition from youth to maturity. Though she has finally found the love she has been seeking since childhood, her decision to commit a selfish act allows her to finally choose herself, the final step of the bildungsroman. The tragic death of Tea Cake completes her spiritual quest as she finally understands who she is, reminding the audience that this is a story about Janie’s journey, not love.

“Dey gointuh make ‘miration ‘cause mah love didn’t work lak they love,” (Hurston 191)
“A minute before she was just a scared human being fighting for its life. Now she was her sacrificing self with Tea Cake’s head in her lap” (Hurston 184)
“The sun was almost down and Janie had seen the sun rise on her troubled love and then she had shot Tea Cake and had been in jail and had been tried for her life and now she was free. (Hurston 188)

3 Poems Close Reading:

Medusa by Sylvia Plath:

Opening Shot:

What is happening in the first few lines? Plath is introducing her subject by setting the tone by describing her subject.
What is your first impression of the speaker's TONE? She is disgusted by the person/object she is describing
What is your evidence from the text? ”You house your unnerving head-God-ball” “Lens of mercies”“Ears cupping the sea's incoherences”
What are your observations about the speaker or situation based on the TONE and evidence? The author and the thing she is describing do not have a healthy relationship as she is not very fond of this person/object.

Shift #1:

Describe the shift in FOCUS, TONE, or BOTH: Plath shifts from describing her mother to describing the relationship between her mother. Similarly, now that she is talking about her relationship, her tone shifts from one of disgust of her mother to an accusatory tone of how her mother has ruined their relationship
Techniques/devices used to achieve this shift: Rhetorical Question
Evidence: “Did I escape, I wonder?” “old barnacled umbilicus”
Observations: After this shift the poem becomes easier for the audience to understand what Plath was describing. The audience sees that the relationship between Plath and her mother is unhealthy. Her mother is described as suffocating her leaving her “dead and moneyless”

So What?:

Describe the shift in FOCUS, TONE, or BOTH Focus of the poem shifts from an accusation to a rejection. Tone shifts from an accusatory/hateful tone to a condemnatory tone. She is condemning her mother for being so overbearing
Techniques/devices used to achieve this shift; Simile reinforced by rhetorical question
Evidence: “Overexposed, like an X-ray Who do you think you are?”
Observations: Plath concludes the poem with the dramatic line, “There is nothing between us” But how can there be nothing between them? They are mother and daughter; they will always be connected somehow. She could also be saying that their lives have paralleled each other to the point where there is literally nothing that separates their lives.

Rapunzel Explains the Tower by Jeannine Hall Gailey

OPENING SHOT

What is happening in the first few lines? In the first few lines, Rapunzel reflects on why she is in the tower and the conditions that the witch created in the tower. She speaks of the times when she was obedient to the witch.

What is your first impression of the speaker’s TONE? Obedient, comfortable, innocent

What is your evidence from the text? “I understood” shows that she obeyed the witch’s orders, “Here, only women spoke” shows that Rapunzel was comfortable without men in her life and she was still innocent from the dangers of the outside world.

What are your observations about the speaker or situation based on the author’s TONE and evidence? Rapunzel is reflecting on her protection provided to her by the witch and at this point, it is very matter-of-fact and neither appreciative nor negative.

SHIFT 1

Describe the shift in FOCUS, TONE, or BOTH: The shift occurs in both the focus (from the conditions of the tower to a new male figure in her life that makes her bland life more lively) and tone (from a obedient to a more rebellious and enchanted tone)

Techniques/devices used to achieve this shift: Symbolism, diction, interjections

Evidence: The symbol of the mirror is introduced in order to show the shift in both focus and tone. It contrasts Rapunzel’s exclusion from outside influences, even her own image, with the arrival of a new figure in her life. Diction such as “all dash” shows Rapunzel’s fascination with the world that she has been secluded. Her syntax and interjections such as “as they all do” and “all dash” support her distraction from her previous lifestyle because of the new fascinating Prince.

Observations: Rapunzel is starting to mature and realize that there is a world outside of the one that the witch had provided for her. She becomes curious and wants to know more, something the witch was trying to protect her from in the first place.

SHIFT 2

Describe the shift in FOCUS, TONE, or BOTH: The shift occurs only in the tone as Rapunzel realizes the trouble that she has gotten into and becomes more serious and regretful.

Techniques/devices used to achieve this shift: Symbolism, description

Evidence: “Clinging to my hair” “Golden curls” all reference Rapunzel’s hair and the problems that Rapunzel’s physical characteristics have caused. This shows how Rapunzel’s vanity has contributed to her becoming less innocent than before. Not only does Gailey use description to highlight the importance of Rapunzel’s hair in tainting her she also says “the new swell of my girl’s waist” to show that by discovering an outside world, Rapunzel broke the witch’s hope to keep her protected. Raising the question which is more safe? The tower or the outside world?

Observations: In this section of the poem, everything occurs in chronological order and is very short and to the point. Rapunzel realizes that she has become a “danger” and regrets her choice to be adventurous and rebellious. She grows up even more as she is ready to make up for her mistake.

SHIFT 3

Describe the shift in FOCUS, TONE, or BOTH: There is a shift in focus from Rapunzel’s mistake to what she will do with her mistake and tone from regretful to motivated and somewhat back to obedient.

Techniques/devices used to achieve this shift: Symbolism and diction

Evidence: “It was blinding.” shows that Rapunzel recognized that the outside world was less fun than she had first perceived and is beginning to understand why the witch protected her from it. “turned me into the world” makes it sound as though Rapunzel did not want to leave the comfort of her tower. The symbolism of her hair continues with the witch cutting it off, to show that Rapunzel must pay for her disobedience and that she cannot rely on her physical features to get what she wants.

Observations: Rapunzel matures even more as the witch lets her go out into the real world and face her own problems without relying on the Prince. She also goes back to being more conscious of the witch’s good intentions as she says “I heard her words”.

SO WHAT

Describe the shift in FOCUS, TONE, or BOTH: There is a shift in tone as Rapunzel becomes confident in her choice rather than motivated to move on. Rapunzel as a mother, not a child, is now the focus.

Techniques: Symbolism

Evidence: “I smash the palace mirrors” shows that Rapunzel has chosen to raise her child in a similar way as she was raised in order to protect her child from experiencing what she did. This continuous symbolism traces Rapunzel’s growth physically and ideologically.

Observations: The final stage of Rapunzel’s growth has been reached after her road of trials. The shortness of the final shift also reinforces Rapunzel’s confidence and goal-oriented nature.

One Art by Elizabeth Bishop

Opening Shot:

What is happening in the first few lines? introduces her stance on loss, gives examples of small losses to reinforce her statement that "the art of losing isn't too hard to master"
What is your first impression of the speaker's TONE? her tone seems flippant, lighthearted
What is your evidence from the text? phrases such as "doesn't matter" and "their loss is no disaster" makes her seem careless about the objects that she has lost
What are your observations about the speaker or situation based on the TONE and evidence? She has lost many things. She seems a little lonely.

Shift #1:

Describe the shift in FOCUS, TONE, or BOTH shifts to an urgent tone and subject shifts to losing more personal things
Techniques/devices used to achieve this shift: Anaphora-speeds up reading of the poem contributing to the tone shift to urgent. Exclamation point also makes her sound more urgent. Change in focus by talking about her mother's watch and her "loved houses"
Evidence: "losing farther, losing faster"; "And look!"
Observations: intensity of her feelings towards loss are increased in this shift; urgency parallels feeling of urgency when we lose something for real

Shift #2:

Describe the shift in FOCUS, TONE, or BOTH tone shifts from urgent to resigned; subject shifts from losing smaller objects to losing whole cities
Techniques/devices used to achieve this shift; clarifiers such as "I miss them" reinforce the feeling of resignation as she has accepted her loss; her examples get larger b/c she moves from losing cities to rivers to a whole continent building the intensity of the loss.
Evidence: "I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster"
Observations: audience begins to see that loss isn't as easy to master as the author originally made it seem; she demonstrates that loss has affected her

So What?:

Describe the shift in FOCUS, TONE, or BOTH tone shifts from resigned to wistful; subject shifts from losing inanimate objects to losing a person
Techniques/devices used to achieve this shift: shifts from tercets to a quatrain, this emphasizes the shifts in tone and concludes the poem; she modifies refrain #1 which she had consistently repeated to qualify her original statement that loss wasn’t hard; word choice makes it evident that she misses the person she lost
Evidence: “losing’s not too hard to master”; “gestures I love”
Observations: poem reaches its peak in intensity b/c the author admits that she is having a hard time getting over the loss of a loved one; Ironic that she can master the art of losing small things, but when it comes to big things, she never really got over the loss, she just deceives herself into believing it.

Literary Criticism Chart:

Critical Reading Component

Essay Title: Symbolic Representation of Identity in Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God

Argument or thesis – can often be stated as a question or a statement, introduced and elaborated on. Ask yourself the following questions: Why does the author write the piece? What does s/he seek to convey? Does the writer address some kind of complexity?

Look for idea/example pairs, moments when the author introduces an idea and then offers an example that solidifies that idea.

With regard to the author’s subject position, look for identifiable word choices or verb form choices. What assumptions does the author make?

Author argues, “Through the symbolic use of the pear tree, mule, and hair, Hurston shows the development of her main character’s identity as a woman and an African American.”
Author makes assumptions that being a woman and an African American is central to Janie’s identity although focus is put by Hurston that Janie is lauded for her Caucasian looks.
Complexity addressed:

Janie achieves womanhood after she is “ripe with life and experience”
“Janie realizes her true power as a woman” even though women are “the mule of the world”
“although Janie’s [caucasian] hair is vital to her self-esteem, her racial identity [as a black woman] is intact”

idea/example pairs:

pear tree as a symbol, symbolism mentioned in relation to all three of Janie’s marriages
mule as a symbol, disappears once she no longer has anyone to answer to
Janie’s hair as a symbol, distinguishing feature that enforces her identity as a woman

Does the essay offer “clues” as to the author’s subject position, i.e., with regard to gender, race, class, intellectual orientation? Does it demonstrate how the author intended the essay to be used?

Author probably intended essay to be used as evidence for literary analysis of TEWWG in an educational context
Author is very educated as they are associated with Northern Arizona University and uses high level diction
Author is probably a woman because she speaks about Janie’s womanhood familiarly
Author’s name is Keiko Agena which sounds Japanese

Look for examples which support the primary argument; try to determine if they are effective or ineffective. Does the writer use ETHOS, PATHOS, or LOGOS to develop the argument? Type in FIVE MAIN POINTS (DIRECT QUOTES) RIGHT HERE. INCLUDE THE PAGE NUMBERS. 9. What do you think are the key passages in the text? How do they work with the rest of the text to convey the author's meaning? *By their nature, academic papers utilize ETHOS, as they build their arguments using other credible sources.

Ethos

Pathos

Logos

“Hurston’s reliance on symbolism in her literature has been...studied by numerous researchers such as Rachel DuPleiss and Lillie Howard.” (Agena 1)

footnote: “Philosopher and critic Alain Locke stated the New Negro ‘had to smash all of the racial, social, and psychological impediments that had long obstructed black achievement (Institute for International Visual Arts)” (Agena 3)

“Janie desperately wants love and affection” (Agena 1)

“It is interesting to note that once Jody dies and Janie is free to do as she pleases, there are no further references to mules; Janie is free of her load” (Agena 2)

“Janie’s hair is what makes her stand out as independent and powerful as demonstrated when she returns to Eatonville.” (Agena 2)

Key passages in the text are the 3 body paragraphs which systematically support Agena’s thesis of symbolism.

. Is the essay persuasive? Does the argument and points of support as a whole make sense? Does it support, challenge, unseat what you know about the topic? Write a paragraph answering these questions.

This essay is somewhat persuasive, but I think the argument could have been better served if it was not organized in a rigid 5 paragraph format. Because I already supported the argument from my own knowledge of the book, the information presented merely served as supporting details for what I believed about the true essence of TEWWG, that the story centers around Janie’s journey to find herself. Although, as a whole, the argument and points of support make sense. The pear tree, mule, and Janie’s hair are all major symbols I noticed in my reading of the book, and Agena’s argument for how these symbols shaped Janie’s identity was in no way a stretch.

Synthesis Chart:

Topic: The extent to which people can create or recreate themselves—is identity the result of free choice or is it something determined by factors out of our control (such as race, gender, or ethnicity)?

Argument: All humans have the right and the power to determine their identity and thus the course of their lives, but many people are too weak-willed to take advantage of this freedom. They are pressured by society, loved ones, and oftentimes themselves as well. It is their reaction to this pressure that allows individuals to grow as a person and into their true identity.

	TEWWG	Criticism: “Symbolic Representation of Identity”	Medusa by Sylvia Plath	Rapunzel Explains the Tower by Jeannine Hall Gailey	One Art by Elizabeth Bishop
Uncontrolled event causes protagonist to question their identity	“She saw a dust-bearing bee sink into the sanctum of a bloom;the thousand sister-calyxes arch to meet the love embrace and the ecstatic shiver of the tree from root to tiniest branch creaming in every blossom and frothing in delight” (Hurston 11) This event inspires Janie to seek love similar to what she just witnessed making her question the life Nanny wants her to live. This journey for love is crucial to the development of her identity.	“‘De nigger woman is de mule of de world so far as Ah can see’ (Hurston 14) Nanny provides Janie with old-fashioned insight while trying to explain Janie’s place in the world as a woman. (Agena 2) Janie questions her role as a “mule” and thus her future marriage to Logan Killicks. This is partially the reason why she could never find love in her marriage to Logan	“My mind winds to you / Old barnacled umbilicus, Atlantic cable / Keeping itself, it seems, in a state of miraculous / repair” (Plath ll. 14-17) Plath questions the nature of her and her mother’s relationship. This relationship influences many parts of Plath’s identity, but she wonders if her mother is too attached to her.	“But he came, as they all do / through the window, all dash / claiming to love my voice.” (Gailey ll. 7-9) A handsome prince causes Rapunzel to question the only life, the only identity she had ever known. Before him, she had been secluded in a tower with only the witch/mother for company.	I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster, / some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent. / I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster.” (Bishop ll. 13-15) Loss of large things makes her question her previous stance that loss is truly not a disaster.
Protagonist is influenced by a strong willed force force to change their identity	“Whut make her keep her head tied up lak some ole ‘oman round de store?...Maybe [Jody] make her do it. Maybe he skeered some de rest of us men might touch it round dat store” (Hurston 49-50) Janie’s hair is a vital part of her identity. It represents both her ethnicity and sexuality. Jody forcing her to cover her hair up is his way of repressing her true identity.	“when Janie tires of her first husband, Logan, and runs off with Jody Starks to Eatonville for a life where she is only expected to ‘sit on de porch and rock and fan’ (28)” (Agena 2) Janie is convinced by Jody Starks to leave her role as a mule in order to become a lady. However her new role still forces her to be a mule because she is forced to cater to the wishes of her husband.	“In any case, you are always there / Tremulous breath at the end of my line / Curve of water upleaping / To my water rod, dazzling and grateful / Touching and sucking / I didn’t call you.” (Plath ll. 18-22) Because of the mother’s unrelenting attachment, Plath is forced to herself become a monster by describing her beloved mother as one. This twists Plath’s identity bringing her down a dark path.	“One day she found him clinging / to my hair and sent him packing / She noticed the new swell of my girl’s waist.” (Gailey ll. 10-12) Love changes Rapunzel. She is no longer a girl but a woman, a woman carrying a child. Her hair is a representation of her sexuality much like Janie. The prince clinging to it is a symbolic representation of his infatuation with her beauty,	“—Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture / I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident / the art of losing’s not too hard to master” (Bishop ll.16-18) Bishop is influenced by the heaviest loss of all, the loss of a loved one. She attempts to convince herself that this is not a disaster thus beginning a desperate journey to convince herself of this “truth”. This journey characterizes her identity.
Protagonist questions this new identity, struggling to reach self-actualization	“But Ah’m uh woman every inch of me, and Ah know it. Dat’s uh whole lot more’n you kin say....Talkin’ ‘bout me lookin’ old! When you pull down yo’ britches, you look lak de change uh life” (Hurston 108) This is a pivotal moment in which Janie finally fights back, defending a key piece of her identity, her sexuality. While she continues to wear a headrag after this incident, she has proven that she knows what Jody wants from her compromises her identity.	“Janie express empathy for [Matt Bonner’s mule] and this is often seen as Janie’s ‘own sense of gender entrapment’ (DuPlessis 112)” (Agena 2) Janie sees a parallelism between herself and Matt Bonner’s mule. She sees that she has the power to be freed but she can only accomplish this through great struggle. Janie know that the life of a mule is not the life for her.	“You steamed to me over the sea / Fat and red, a placenta” (Plath ll. 26-27) Plath uses this placenta as a symbolic reminder of her and her mother’s relationship. They are mother and daughter. They are family, bound by blood. How could she hate her so?	“So she came at me with scissors / and turned me out into the world. It was blinding / In the desert, I heard her words / that no prince would be my rescue.” (15-18) Rapunzel is heartbroken in her love as the prince has now abandoned her. She struggles to come to terms with the loss of her love. She may have to change her identity as a result.	“Then practice losing farther, losing faster: / places, and names, and where it was you meant / to travel. None of these will bring disaster.” (Bishop ll. 7-9) The use of repetition here speeds up the reading of the poem to convey a fast, hurried pace as if Bishop believes that repeating that “loss is no disaster” over and over again will convince herself that it truly isn’t a disaster.
Protagonist achieves their true identity	“So Ah’m back home agin and Ah’m satisfied tuh be heah. A h done been tuh de horizon and back and now Ah kin set heah in mah house and live by comparisons.” (Hurston 191) Janie has achieved self-actualization. She no longer wants for anything. She is satisfied, confident, and happy in her identity.	“once Jody dies...Janie is free of her ‘load’, no longer required to bear the expectations of men or others. Janie can escape her grandmother’s words and realize her true power as a woman and human being--she belongs to no one but herself.” (Agena 2)	“Hiss at my sins / Off, off, eely tentacle! / There is nothing between us” (Plath ll. 41-43) Plath rejects her mother ultimating asserting her identity and independence. Rid of her toxic relationship, she believes that she finally has freedom since she is out from under her mother’s eye.	“I wrap my baby in silk, smash the palace mirrors.” (Gailey ll. 19) Rapunzel has once again changed. No longer a naive girl or a woman in love, she is now an independent woman capable of raising a child.	“though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.” (Bishop ll. 19) Bishop finally admits to feeling the loss of her loved one as she must force herself (Write it!) to utter the last two words that she had been repeating easily before.

3 Questions:

What do you think was the force behind Janie’s many changes in identity?

In my opinion, there are many reasons for Janie’s change in identity, but the majority of the changes to herself can be tied to her change in spouse. With Logan Killicks, she was a mule, With Jody Starks, she was an obedient housewife. With Tea Cake, she was a lively woman filled with laughter. Since this is a bildungsroman, she must have a few changes in identity until she finds one that suits her. Once she has found that, she is “grown up”. Indeed, many changes in identity can be tied to love, or lack thereof. In “Rapunzel Explains the Tower” she is changed many times by the love of the prince and the lack of love from him. She matures from an innocent girl, to a lovestruck woman, to a mother.

In much analysis of TEWWG, Janie’s identity is tied to her appearance as a black woman. What other characteristics do you believe are Janie’s defining features?

I believe Janie’s unrelenting hope is a defining characteristic for her. She is always on the lookout for new chances to better herself. When Jody offered to take her away from her life with Logan, she barely hesitated to accept his offer. Similarly, when Tea Cake proposes to her, she accepts immediately, excited to grab hold of the love he had to offer her. Throughout the majority of her life, she has constantly sought love like she had witnessed with the bee and the pear tree, and it is this hope that also drives many of her identity changes. Furthermore, many of our defining features are not based on identifying features. For example, Plath’s mother’s horrible attachment to her daughter is characterized as depressing and overbearing. However, the mother’s physical appearance gives no indication of this.

How does one change their identity?

Each change in identity coincides with a change in mindset. In Janie’s final change in identity, after Tea Cake’s death, she is forever changed by Tea Cake’s love and her forced murder of him although her physical appearance has not changed. She returns to the town more content with herself and with being alone. Similarly in “One Art”, after the loss of a loved one, Elizabeth Bishop attempts to convince herself that loss is not a disaster. Although this attempt is ultimately unsuccessful, she is forever changed. Defined by her loss and her continuing attempts to get over this loss.