Monday, December 20, 2010
week 11
"Then man made the machine in his own likeness. Thus did man become the architect of his own demise."
week 9
"He had won a new water brother in Jubal, he had acquired many new friends, he was enjoying delightful new experiences in such kaleidoscopic quantity that he had no time to grok them; he could only file them away to be relived at leisure."
week 8
"Dry silent places are intensifiers of thought, and have been known to be since early Christian anchorites went into the desert to face God and their own souls." - Lucy
Week 6
Chandra Ramirez
English 337-981
Professor Joe Bisz
October 6, 2010
Rescuing the Self
Connie Ramos is the heroine of Marge Piercy’s, Woman on the Edge of Time. Connie has many labels- minority, fat, old, mentally ill, unfit mother. The one label that no one else knows but her is, time traveler. Whether the utopian future is real, or as I believe- imagined, it provides Connie with the tools she needs to survive. The conceived Mattapoisett in 2137, is home to Luciente who contacts Connie for help. She developed this thought disorder and delusion as a result of the many traumas she suffered and it acted as a coping mechanism. Connie’s self hatred was a product of the abuse she suffered at the hands of men and of the abuse she administered to her daughter. She lacked any self worth and needed the love and attention of a man to feel fulfilled.
Connie grew up with the idea that a woman was made for the sole purpose of serving her family. Her first impression of a woman, her mother Marianna, was a dutiful servant bound to an abusive husband. “You’ll do what women do. You’ll pay your debt to your family for your blood.” (Piercy, 38) There is not much mentioned about her father. From what little we did learn, it was clear that he was the first abuser she would know. After passionately expressing to her mother the life she wanted “I’m going to be someone!” (Piercy, 38) she was beaten by her father, ironically named Jesus. When Marianna, had her womb removed after a still born delivery, Jesus diminished her worth even more, he “threw in her face: no longer a woman. An empty shell.” (Piercy, 37)Without any doubt, this had a major impact on Connie and how she identified herself as a woman. Even though she was determined not to be her mother, ultimately her lack of self love and self worth would bring her the very future she desperately wanted to escape.
Jesus was the symbol of what a man was and clearly he was not loving or affectionate in any way. Not having any shred of self love, she looked for it in men. Connie began at a very early age to seek love and affection from the opposite sex. The first indication of this in the book is when she thinks about how she experimented sexually with her brothers as children. Luis, her older brother, initiated the act. He was rough and much like his older self, domineering and threatening. Connie took that idea and sought to explore with Jose, her safe, gentler and non threatening brother. Jose symbolized the kind of love Connie wanted from her parents and from men, but would never have. Her next major love, Martin, seemed to be the ideal man for her. His untimely death at the hands of authority figures was a catalyst for things to come.
Her vulnerability and desperation for love was like a perfume to abusive men and she gladly accepted them, overlooking any and all flaws. The married professor symbolized her want for stability and security. Her relationship with Eddie was violent and demeaning but the result was Angelina. Connie saw this as the cursed rebirth of herself. “Herself starting all over again with no better odds on getting more or less than a series of kicks in the teeth.” (Piercy, 53) She could not love Angie, because she did not love herself. Eddie walked out on her pregnant with their second child. Connie had an abortion and when she found out the child she aborted was a boy, “she had felt a bitter triumph.” (Piercy, 36)
Claud gave her the emotional stability she craved. He was blind and could not see any of the things she hated about herself physically; all her flaws were in the dark. Connie overlooked the fact that Claud was a thief, she did not learn from her poor life choices. All that she knew was the only way she could have the life she wanted was through a man. While Claud was in prison, he was a test subject for hepatitis and died. Connie went into a drug and alcohol induced spiral and neglected Angie in her self absorption. When she came out of it, she hit Angie for acting out her fear and frustration. She put men before herself, and now before her daughter. Angie was taken away from her forever. “She had thrown Angelina away from the pain of losing Claud.”
In Scott Sanders, “Looking at Women,” he talks about the sexual powers of women. He talked about the things they did to incite men- dressing provocatively, becoming nude models and the reaction of the men they charmed. They became dolls, capable of one thing only, to satisfy men. He remarks that he “it seems unlikely to me that one half of the species could have “imposed” a destiny on the other half…” (Sanders, 54) Some women, of course, play the part of the doll. What is not mentioned is that historically, one half of the species, male, have had more power than the other half, female. To Connie, that power ruled her life. It dictated her freedom from an oppressor she could not overthrow, not without some sense of self worth.
Connie may or may not have imagined a utopian community in the year 2137. The author leaves this up for debate. We first meet Luciente after Connie had been dwelling on thoughts of her daughter. These delusions were an emotional release for her. Mattapoisett was a place where none of the labels followed her and she would not be judged for her actions. It is here that we begin to see that Connie’s self hatred is not just a personal reflection but also directed to womanhood. When Connie thought Luciente to be a man, she praised his looks, was sexually attracted to him and hit on him. “Like sunshine in her cell, he looked so human squatting there she heard herself ask half coyly, “Do you like women?” (Piercy, 56) When she found out that Luciente was also a woman, she was angry but was no longer afraid. She was critical of Luciente’s masculinity. Luciente could have possibly been an apparition created by Connie of her true authentic self. She becomes instrumental in Connie’s survival and helped her in finding value in herself.
Connie’s imagined utopia helped her to regain some self worth and self love. Women no longer birthed children and the word, “father” has completely disappeared. “Finally there was that one thing we had to give up too, the only power we ever had, in return for no more power for anyone. The original production: the power to give birth. Cause as long as we were biologically enchained, we'd never be equal." (Piercy, 105) Through this Connie comes to terms that she would forever be a childless mother. She embraced her gender, even though she could not have children. The world she imagined was inside her along with all the qualities it possessed. “We can only know what we can truly imagine. Finally what we see comes from ourselves.” (Piercy, 322) Connie realizes that her self worth lay in rescuing herself and through that, the future of mankind-real or imagined.
English 337-981
Professor Joe Bisz
October 6, 2010
Rescuing the Self
Connie Ramos is the heroine of Marge Piercy’s, Woman on the Edge of Time. Connie has many labels- minority, fat, old, mentally ill, unfit mother. The one label that no one else knows but her is, time traveler. Whether the utopian future is real, or as I believe- imagined, it provides Connie with the tools she needs to survive. The conceived Mattapoisett in 2137, is home to Luciente who contacts Connie for help. She developed this thought disorder and delusion as a result of the many traumas she suffered and it acted as a coping mechanism. Connie’s self hatred was a product of the abuse she suffered at the hands of men and of the abuse she administered to her daughter. She lacked any self worth and needed the love and attention of a man to feel fulfilled.
Connie grew up with the idea that a woman was made for the sole purpose of serving her family. Her first impression of a woman, her mother Marianna, was a dutiful servant bound to an abusive husband. “You’ll do what women do. You’ll pay your debt to your family for your blood.” (Piercy, 38) There is not much mentioned about her father. From what little we did learn, it was clear that he was the first abuser she would know. After passionately expressing to her mother the life she wanted “I’m going to be someone!” (Piercy, 38) she was beaten by her father, ironically named Jesus. When Marianna, had her womb removed after a still born delivery, Jesus diminished her worth even more, he “threw in her face: no longer a woman. An empty shell.” (Piercy, 37)Without any doubt, this had a major impact on Connie and how she identified herself as a woman. Even though she was determined not to be her mother, ultimately her lack of self love and self worth would bring her the very future she desperately wanted to escape.
Jesus was the symbol of what a man was and clearly he was not loving or affectionate in any way. Not having any shred of self love, she looked for it in men. Connie began at a very early age to seek love and affection from the opposite sex. The first indication of this in the book is when she thinks about how she experimented sexually with her brothers as children. Luis, her older brother, initiated the act. He was rough and much like his older self, domineering and threatening. Connie took that idea and sought to explore with Jose, her safe, gentler and non threatening brother. Jose symbolized the kind of love Connie wanted from her parents and from men, but would never have. Her next major love, Martin, seemed to be the ideal man for her. His untimely death at the hands of authority figures was a catalyst for things to come.
Her vulnerability and desperation for love was like a perfume to abusive men and she gladly accepted them, overlooking any and all flaws. The married professor symbolized her want for stability and security. Her relationship with Eddie was violent and demeaning but the result was Angelina. Connie saw this as the cursed rebirth of herself. “Herself starting all over again with no better odds on getting more or less than a series of kicks in the teeth.” (Piercy, 53) She could not love Angie, because she did not love herself. Eddie walked out on her pregnant with their second child. Connie had an abortion and when she found out the child she aborted was a boy, “she had felt a bitter triumph.” (Piercy, 36)
Claud gave her the emotional stability she craved. He was blind and could not see any of the things she hated about herself physically; all her flaws were in the dark. Connie overlooked the fact that Claud was a thief, she did not learn from her poor life choices. All that she knew was the only way she could have the life she wanted was through a man. While Claud was in prison, he was a test subject for hepatitis and died. Connie went into a drug and alcohol induced spiral and neglected Angie in her self absorption. When she came out of it, she hit Angie for acting out her fear and frustration. She put men before herself, and now before her daughter. Angie was taken away from her forever. “She had thrown Angelina away from the pain of losing Claud.”
In Scott Sanders, “Looking at Women,” he talks about the sexual powers of women. He talked about the things they did to incite men- dressing provocatively, becoming nude models and the reaction of the men they charmed. They became dolls, capable of one thing only, to satisfy men. He remarks that he “it seems unlikely to me that one half of the species could have “imposed” a destiny on the other half…” (Sanders, 54) Some women, of course, play the part of the doll. What is not mentioned is that historically, one half of the species, male, have had more power than the other half, female. To Connie, that power ruled her life. It dictated her freedom from an oppressor she could not overthrow, not without some sense of self worth.
Connie may or may not have imagined a utopian community in the year 2137. The author leaves this up for debate. We first meet Luciente after Connie had been dwelling on thoughts of her daughter. These delusions were an emotional release for her. Mattapoisett was a place where none of the labels followed her and she would not be judged for her actions. It is here that we begin to see that Connie’s self hatred is not just a personal reflection but also directed to womanhood. When Connie thought Luciente to be a man, she praised his looks, was sexually attracted to him and hit on him. “Like sunshine in her cell, he looked so human squatting there she heard herself ask half coyly, “Do you like women?” (Piercy, 56) When she found out that Luciente was also a woman, she was angry but was no longer afraid. She was critical of Luciente’s masculinity. Luciente could have possibly been an apparition created by Connie of her true authentic self. She becomes instrumental in Connie’s survival and helped her in finding value in herself.
Connie’s imagined utopia helped her to regain some self worth and self love. Women no longer birthed children and the word, “father” has completely disappeared. “Finally there was that one thing we had to give up too, the only power we ever had, in return for no more power for anyone. The original production: the power to give birth. Cause as long as we were biologically enchained, we'd never be equal." (Piercy, 105) Through this Connie comes to terms that she would forever be a childless mother. She embraced her gender, even though she could not have children. The world she imagined was inside her along with all the qualities it possessed. “We can only know what we can truly imagine. Finally what we see comes from ourselves.” (Piercy, 322) Connie realizes that her self worth lay in rescuing herself and through that, the future of mankind-real or imagined.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)