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Reflection

The Cut-up Technique

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Popularized in art by the Dada movement and in literature by Anthony Burroughs, the Cut-up Technique involves physically splicing content from two or more sources to create a product. A variation of this technique is the Fold-in method, for which you take two sheets of text, cut them in half, and match the opposing halves of the different sheets together.

I thought it would be interesting to create a cut-up of some of the major works we have covered so far during our Postmodernism unit. To that end, here is a line from my cut-up containing elements from Nova Express, Breakfast of Champions, The Cure, and Biography of a Dress:

Nova Police. Yes I think we can quash this cocktail waitress here, this vertical band of light, I placed the wrapped and ribboned box of sweets (giving to me a false air of delicacy).

-Cara Baxter

Reflection

A Schizophrenic Society

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While madness, unpredictability, and chaos pervade the entirety of Breakfast of Champions, schizophrenia plays a unique role in explaining both the psyche of the narrator and the meaning of the novel as it relates to society as a whole. Schizophrenia is a spectrum mental disorder whose many symptoms include delusions, hallucinations, and fragmentation of thought; the nature of schizophrenia is so little understood that some define it as an umbrella term under which many different diseases exist.

In Vonnegut’s novel, the narrator fears that he may have inherited his mother’s schizophrenia. He demonstrates tremendous anxiety and arguably delusive behavior by inserting himself directly into the narrative, exploring the boundaries of authorial control by interacting directly with his own creations. He functions as an omnipotent creator in a fictional universe, finding salvation from pessimism when one of his characters declares that human beings are defined by their awareness, the quality which gives meaning to life and separates man from machine. This breakthrough allows the narrator to experience spiritual growth, but the act of confronting reality through a series of distorting lenses such as fantasy, irony, and satire is inherently schizophrenic. Our pursuit of truth in art is endlessly fragmented, a reflection of the endless mental fragmentation of society in an increasingly interconnected and vocal world.

If the human world were a single brain, what would control the pattern and flow of thought? An ideal world, like an ideal mind, might have a single dominant personality and one cohesive pattern of thought, but reality is far more complex. As seen in Breakfast of Champions, real society is an endless array of individuals whose lives carry equal weight, with no clear distinctions between major and minor characters. In this way, the most honest definition of reality is a culmination of billions of competing, equally important personal narratives. This chaotic, fractured, endlessly splitting notion of reality can be seen as an extension of the ‘split mind’ concept for which schizophrenia was named, as it applies not only to the condition of a single mind but also to the condition of humanity as a whole.

-Cara

Reflection

The Meaning of Modernism

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Reflection on Modernism

As we approach the due date for our first major essay, I thought I’d take this opportunity to explain my notion of Modernism gained from our in-class discussions and analyses.

Modernism began as a reactionary movement against the changes in society brought on by the Industrial Revolution. As science and technology transformed the social and economic landscape of Western civilization, productivity and innovation came to be regarded as the keystone principles at the forefront of societal progress. Communities began to value science over the traditional humanities, and leaders in education experienced conflict over the role of non-scientific subjects in producing well-educated citizens, as seen in the heated debate between Huxley and Arnold. In a world of factories, mass production, and ever-accelerating technological progress, efficiency became paramount in all pursuits. As countries honed their industries and pushed for greater profits, that same discerning eye was turned onto literature. What was the role of literature, a traditionally lofty and abstract field, in a world increasingly concerned with the concrete, the measurable, and the profitable?

The uncertainty of the role of literature in a ‘modern’ society is the fundamental question Modernists sought to answer. Pervasive doubt over the definition and worth of literary merit forms a common thread linking the different off-shoot movements of Modernism we have discussed in class. Ezra Pound sought to incorporate literature into the realm of science by imposing empirical values onto the literary form, uniting the utility of science as a means for expanding human knowledge with literature as a means of expanding the human soul. Imagism, as defined by Ezra Pound and Amy Lowell, addressed the ambiguity of sensation and perception by capturing only the essential aspects of an idea, isolating the point of confluence between absolute reality and human reality. The function of literature as a means of addressing ambiguity was further expanded by Ernest Hemingway, in whose short stories “The Battler” and “The End of Something”, the character Nick Adams experiences significant conflicts whose ultimate implications are left unsaid, existing only under the surface of the narrative, inviting interpretation. Throughout these works, the central meaning often begets a greater complexity or unknowability, reflecting a broad appreciation of the mercurial ambiguity of modern reality. I believe that this tension in the relationship between the concept of modernity and the demands of reality is the defining characteristic of Modernism and the artists who worked to define and re-define it.

 

Carolyn Baxter

Reflection

Reflection on “The Dead”

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“The Dead” is a somber meditation on human loss. It is both reverent and mournful, celebrating the richness of life while echoing the utter emptiness felt in the wake of tragedy.

In contrast with the bold eulogizing tone of “The Charge of the Light Brigade”, “The Dead” concerns itself not with the honor of battle but rather with the emotional cost of war; the speaker focuses attention on the individuals lost in conflict, whose lives held meaning beyond the context of war and whose legacy is defined by sorrow rather than glory. Allusions to nature reinforce the ephemeral loveliness of life, the complexity and subtlety of which is broken by the jarring pivotal phrase “All this is ended now”. The final lines describe lively waters brought to stillness by frost, mirroring the quiet, sobering impact of war on both its victims and survivors.

This poem had a profound effect on me. I found myself unprepared for the mention of “a width, a shining peace, under the night” which drew the poem to a close by attaching gentle, natural imagery to the ending of life. While undeniably mournful, “The Dead” also conveys a sense of serenity in death, a bittersweet concept that lingers in the mind, deeply humbling and vaguely haunting.