Rape in Cyberspace?

First off, the article makes a good argument on the subject of where the body ends and where the mind begins. There could possibly be a version of rape, a cyber kind, where the mind is tormented and violated as much as the body is in rape's usual terms. This cyber kind of rape should not be called "rape" though--especially because the victim has the option of closing the screen or "gagging" the violator. In rape, there is no option, there is but the utmost will to escape--a will i'm not convinced legba or Starsinger had. I would give it other names, such as abuse, or (to add a little modern slang) creeping. Did Bungle rape these girls? No, but he was certainly a creep. As for his false accusation, how could one think that he had raped? Especially after the statement: "...the extremely public nature of the living room meant that gagging would spare the victims only from witnessing their own violation, but not from having others witness it." Yes, it is true that others may witness this gross form of communical abuse--but they wished to avoid that at the expense of feeling violated and "raped"? I agree with Laura Miller's statement: "...the menace in sexual harassment comes from the underlying threat of rape of physical violence." The type of cyber abuse that Dibbell argues could be a species of the Rape genus, but it is not rape itself.

A Peaceful Enclosure

A Peaceful Enclosure is the name of the "room of my own". Every object I described to be part of it adds to what brings solace and comfort to my self. Loving to write, with the hope one day to publish a novel, I would fill my room with objects that have stimulated my interest and have acted as intellectual entertainment. I would have paintings and statues that represent mythologies; stories that have ever since I was little been the backbone for my interest in learning and reading. They have become a part of my childhood, a part of myself that I try with all my might to hold onto while the days grow old, and I older. I also placed a bookshelf in the room, that will hold all my favorite references when I am searching for inspiration and a work to relate to. Shakespeare, Dickens, Jane Austen, Whitman, Virginia Woolf, Harry Potter--to name a few. Yet the most essential part of the room is the Willow tree that occupies a corner in my room. Nature has always been a part of what I consider my essence. Nothing invokes reasoning, feeling, and emotions the way nature charms me. Trees are special--they not only are strong and sturdy, they make life possible, and they are firm in their duty. The sight of them brings peace to my state of mind, whatever it might be. There would be a large window behind the desk, which will bring with it enough light to bathe me in happiness; enough stars to feed my dreams; enough storms to stimulate my fears and sorrows. Lastly, the dog resting under the tree, would be something for my enjoyment. I cannot find another companion as loyal, playful, and virtuous than a dog, and therefore I cannot find another item i would wish more to be in my room than that animal.

Wollstonecraft's Ideas on Sexism

Mary Wollstonecraft is infamous for her publication of A Vindication of the Right of Women, which stands still as a feminist source in the fight against the patriarchal system. In class we talked about many points that she brought up, each one surrounding the main idea and purpose of her work: that every proffession involving subordination is injurious to morality. It is the morals of women that suffer the most when placed on a step below that of a man's.
Sexism is systematic, or structural. Society through education trains women not be rational, not to be virtuous, not to be manly. Women exert power where society allows them, so they reveal "a propensity to tyrannize". Wollstonecraft then compares soldiers to women: they are educated the same, and therefore they are trained inferior. She proves that it is a social system that makes women the way they are, and that they are not naturally subordinate. She also argues that women aggravate this situation by bowing their heads in response rather than doing something about it. There is nothing strong in the feeble manner of women and it is important that women begin to understand that sexism is there only as a tool for men, and holds no substance otherwise. Wollstonecraft believes that women need to seek their true virtue, staying loyal to their love, their voice, and their beliefs, as she does for herself.

A Modern Cinderella Fairytale

A story turned movie that resembles the plot and morals of Cinderella is that of Memoirs of a Geisha. There are several connections we can make among the characters within each story, as well as the message each one is portraying. It will be easy then to discover that Memoirs of a Geisha is actually a Cinderella story. Having lost her parents and family, a young child grows up in a place that institutionalizes the tradition of the Geisha. As she trains to be one herself, she is tormented by an older Geisha that resides within the same roof. This woman resembles the evil stepsisters which torture Cinderella, and who constantly place her in trouble. The young child is then shunned, because of the corrupted older Geisha, from becoming one herself; therefore beginning to live a life of servitude to her gardian--with no prospects of ever ascending to a higher role in society. It is in the end that everything takes a turn: A woman with an interest spurred on by the attention of an older man takes on this now-not-so-young girl and turns her into her dream of being a Geisha. This woman is symbolic for being the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, and the man her prince, who she inevitably ends up with in the end. Not only does Memoirs of a Geisha re-tells the Cinderella Fairytale, it also ties in with the "Pretty Woman Myth" for it also sheds a lighter view on the profession of being a Geisha, a woman who uses her body for the entertainment of men, our equivalent of a prostitute.

"The Courtship of Mr. Lyon" Portrays a Journey through Manhood

I have read Angela Carter before, but I have never looked at Mr. Lyon the way we looked at him in class. The idea of otherness was accurate in describing the difference between masculinity and femininity. So many constructions of our time, race, gender, and sexuality are based on those who think in otherness-terminology. While these constructions create problems, especially when it comes to race and nationality, I cannot help but believe in "otherness". Women and men are different in genetics, bodies, and facial structures, and this difference creates a sense of otherness between each sex, which fits perfectly into this story of Beauty and the Beast. In the Courtship of Mr. Lyon by Angela Carter, we have the presentation of men as a beastly, hairy, clawed lion--bringing to light the growing of men by showing adolescent, fierce, and scary aggression. Boys have always been portrayed as aggressive, tempormental, and having two brothers I will have to agree with that description. For they are hairy and moody, and as a girl i would look at other boys in my class and see the same difference between us, that their otherness was based on their beastliness. Yet at the end of Mr. Lyon, the beast sheds into a man, portraying him shedding his violent potential and containing his aggression. I have never looked at Beauty and the Beast, or the Courtship of Mr. Lyon, as a story of growing up, maturation, and a portrayal of the journey into manhood.

Art's Role in Contradicting Conservative Ideologies

Question: In the artistic retelling of fairytales, does art help counteract ideology?

What do you mean by art? From Jeanette's introduction I can only assume that by art you are asking "In the artistic retelling of fairytales, does authenticity help counteract ideology?" I believe Winterson's meaning was to propose her concerns of people's immense interest in biographies, reality TV, and documentaries. But what is artful about revealing facts--without the makeup of imagination? The retelling of fairytales makes art authentic, therefore counteracting the ideology of our day by using mythic qualities to show the "permanent truths about human nature." These so-called truths are nothing more than fabricated beliefs about how, for example, a woman should act and look, most likely made up from patriarchal influenced ideology. And so through art we can bring to light what was thought to be truths of human nature and contradict them by retelling them using different ideologies. F or example, in Angela Carter's "Ashputtle" we see the modern concern of women who believe they must look a certain way to get the man that they want, but the artful presentation of this makes readers ask: would Ashputtle have gotten the man if she was her original self? Would he have wanted a burned wife? There is then presented the harsh reality of human nature, our mind-frames and corrupt ways of thinking, a representation to get readers thinking about problems at hand.

Notes on Colleen Dowling: The Cinderella Complex

In The Cinderella Complex, Colleen Dowling gives a personal account and description of her life. The most influencial part of her work was her last line, which was stated after being married: "There was nothing compelling me to rise". Her wonderful account is now converted into a pathetic story of a woman stripped of her independence. As a reader it is my responsibility to wonder why, and, while she lived a life within the fairytale sphere, it is evident this lifestyle was not true to herself. Fulfilling conventional beliefs about how a woman should act has left her lifeless and without motivation. She had found her husband, a comfy home, and a dutyful lifestyle; but a what cost? With all that she has found, she has lost her sense of self and personal ambition. I feel that ambition is essential for the drive of life and the difference that every person should strive to make, and her dependence on a man has weakened that passion and essence.
Are women trained to be like that today? I don't believe so, for the female-male relationship is very different today than what is was when our parents were growing up. The rate of feminists that exist today is astounding, showing the fall from these conventional beliefs.

Class Notes: Cinderella and Swine Lake

There were two very interesting topics that were brought up in today's discussion. In Anne Sexton's "Cinderella" she uses a unique language to represent her true feelings about the very popular and widely read fairytale. Her purpose, I believe, could be nothing more than to mock those who still hold tightly onto the Cinderella fairytale, blindly gripping its lovely tale, claiming it to be truth. Many hopeless romantics confuse the fairytale world with the should-be-reality, identifying love with a knight in shining armor. In comparison to the "Once upon a time" that many tales begin with, Sexton starts her tale with "Once". Now we have a story not set in a time that we can dream about, removing the mystic and sacred elements that help define fairytales, replacing the stony castle upon the flowering mountain, and eradicating the dragons and thorny bushes with a story that we can look at with a modern eye. Not only does she begin her tale with a word that could indicate any time period, but she also attempts to convince readers that this story is one that has only happened once. What does she imply by it? Can there never be again a perfect chivalrous man, destined to rescue us? While we can recognize that the fairytale world and reality are two separate ideas, can the true love emphasised in fairytales--love at first sight--can it spellbind us still, repeating its seductive "happily ever after"? Though I agree with Sexton, I cannot wish fairytales to be untrue, for while they send out bad messages most of the time, they are surrounding ideas of love and happiness, and without them i can only see dismal dreams from here on out.

Another interesting point we discussed was the role of art, stimulated by the reading of "Swine Lake". Art to me has always been beautiful and inspiring--but distracting? I had never thought of it before, and am quite satisfied with this partial definition. I say partial because art is revealing, intellectual, and transformative as well as distracting. It makes me wonder how far then, can we take art? Into the battlements in Iraq or to the chambers of terrorists? Can we show it to abusive mothers or neglectful fathers? Can we use art to our advantage, distracting those wrong-doers from doing wrong? In our advance Twenty-first century, I believe we have the ability to redefine art and its uses, making it not just portray human emotions and scenery but also use it to teach morality and empathy.