Some Feminist Responses to the accountant in Heart of Darkness

The African men were described as nothing manly.  When we think of a man we think of someone who is muscular, strong, a leader.  Men are promiscuous and they want lots of women. They're studs. They're persuasive.  The men described in this story were a pathetic version of a man.  The Africans were described as black shapes crouched or leaning against trees.  They were also called black shadows of disease, a destruction-- that alone pretty much sums it up.  Marlow also said that they were morbid shapes, phantoms, and dusty n*******.
The accountant that comes is the "perfect" example of a man.  he has a high starched collar, which cuffs, parted hair.  He came and took what he wanted-- enslaved the women to do his work. 




I didn't really understand the majority of this literature.  The only sentences/phrases I found to be feminist/gender based were "They were nothing earthly now-- nothing but block shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom."  Which in a racist sense the African people are known to be weak, disease, useless almost, dark skinned people compared to the dapper, strong accountant.  Men, well white men, are stereotypically known for their muscle, facial hair, job/bank account, and promiscuous ways; the Africans don't have any of that and their there is no mercy only torture/labor.
The women in all this were doing all mainly housework: "I've been teaching one of the native women about the station.  It was difficult.  She had to distaste for the work."  Women were treated as if they knew nothing and that their only worth was labor, sex, etc.
The main story is African men were castrated and sickly and women were objects.  The white people were terrorists and showed no mercy for the weak, brittle people they created.




In this story, they portray the native men as demasculinized beings.  All the while, the accountant was show to be about as manly as you can get.
The black people in the story are shown to be like animals.  "...shapes crouched, lay, say between trees..." "... one of these creatures rose to his hands and knees and went off on all-fours towards the river to drink."  this makes them seem more like animals than men.  Also, the blacks couldn't seem to keep their women, who were going to "work" for the accountant as housekeepers, maids, cooks, and I am sure they provided other services.
"The man seemed young-- almost a boy-- but you know with them it's hard to tell."  This shows that the narrator feels there is no difference between the young males and older males.  So, the Africans have to puberty.  Bye bye manhood!
The white accountant on the other hand is totally a man.  He has the African women, wears fancy cleans clothes, and has his hair styled.  he is also in charge of many other people, who are totally under his thumb.



So this accountant keeps up a flawless appearance at the expense of a woman.  Meanwhile, a whole honey bunch of men are outside, dying of starvation, sickness, and exhaustion.  There he is, the perfect specimen of society and health, looking positively sexy, surrounded by the very manifestation of oppression and poor health.
He would rather look like a boss instead of help these people that probably need a meal more than he needs shoe polish.  This effectively emasculates them.  As discussed in class, they are socially castrated.
Can you call yourself a man when some white bean-counter comes to your town, takes your food, teals your women to be enslaved in an industrial-era laundry mat?
Talk about humiliation!  Not on a manly level, but on a much more basic human level.  He has completely dehumanized them.  We set ourselves apart from animals because we are "civilized."  If you take away our civilization we are just clever monkeys.



Of the many different themes in "Heart of Darkness," I find the feminist view the hardest to discuss, but I will anyway.  The natives in this story are always vague-- somewhat incomprehensible-- because of their lack of definition.  You would think that in a land naturally inhabited by Africans they would play am more instrumental role in the story, but instead they are kind of more of a notion, castrated of their manhood by the lack of definition.  All of the Eauropean characters are explored in depth by the author, and there is not a single positive description of a native.  Also, the natives never talk, which is not characteristic of a man, boisterous, it's more like that of an snimal, silent, lower than men.
The natives are sickly and weak, not worthy of being men by denotative standards of a masculine society, whereas the big, strong, well-groomed accountant, not always traditionally thought of as manly, is the most manly figure in this feminine land of beasts and non-manly burden.  I think also the fact that they all obey Kurtz should be considered.  Kurtz is not that strongest figure, and his name literally translates to "short," yet all the natives follow him like some sort of god-like figure.  Some would say like a good woman, would obey a man's every whim and fancy.

Pickleweasel: The Lingerie Football League

What is the main point of the article?
Do you see any issues with the Lingerie Football Leage (even if you like it)?  What are they?
Do you think the players have a realistic view of what they are doing?  Why or why not?
How do these articles fit the concept of sportwriting we talked about at the beginning of the unit?

New underwear league under debate

By Simon Evans

MIAMI | Fri Sep 4, 2009 12:17pm EDT

MIAMI (Reuters) - It does not require a great deal of imagination to work out the marketing strategy of the Lingerie Football League, which opened its debut season on Friday.

The underwear-clad female players are hoping, however -- probably in vain -- to be taken seriously.

The LFL, born out of the commercial success of the "Lingerie Bowl', a half-time show of women in scanty outfits broadcast during the half-time break in the NFL's Super Bowl, has ten teams competing in seven-a-side full-contact American football, with players dressed in sports bras and the tiniest of shorts.

The branding is blatant -- the teams have names such as the San Diego Seduction, Dallas Desire and Los Angeles Temptation -- and their websites and promotional material are more akin to those for NFL cheerleaders than genuine professional sports.

The league's founder Mitch Mortaza has described the venture as "Disneyland for football fans" but those taking part say they are serious about the sport and about winning.

"I think it is eye candy for one but it is also football and it is real," says Kaley Tuning, wide-receiver with the Miami Caliente who open the season on Friday at the Chicago Bliss.

"There were try outs for the team and if you couldn't play you didn't make the cut," she said.

"I've seen people say it is a joke and it is degrading and it makes me mad. We are real athletes, for them to not take us seriously, well I say wait till you see us play," she added.

GUCCI HANDBAG

Watching the Caliente practice, at a sports facility in the suburbs of Miami under the charge of former college football quarterback Bob Hewko, the strange clash of glamour girls and sport is quickly evident.

The training is taken seriously and the players work hard and look intense in the huddle but a Gucci handbag takes its place alongside the helmets on the sideline and one player, who like many is also a model, worries that she has picked up scratches ahead of photo shoot in a few days' time.

Hewko concedes that looks played a major part in the selection of the squad but, like everyone involved in the venture, says fans will see real football.

"I was surprised at the level -- the level of talent. They can run, they can catch and we have a quarterback that can throw the football 60 yards," he said.

It is unlikely to be the throwing prowess of the players that brings in the punters to the indoor arenas, however.

"For the first game, it is going to be people wanting to have a good time, wanting to see beautiful women playing football and getting down and dirty," said Miami's defensive captain Taira Turley, who is also a professional make-up artist.

Thousands of women play organized games of American Football across the United States in amateur teams wearing conventional uniforms, and receiving little major commercial interest.

Miami Fury has been a member of the Independent Women's Football League for all of its ten-year existence and the team's co-owner Gayla Harrington said she was initially uneasy about the formation of the Lingerie team largely due to the attire.

'PERNICIOUS OBJECTIFICATION'

However, with the Caliente recruiting two of her players, she said the team had become more of a sports project than she initially imagined.

"It is more athletic, a little more serious than I originally thought," she said, adding that she would support the team in their home games but was unsure whether the LFL would help her to generate backing for her own team.

"It could be a positive or a negative. It could be that people still don't take (women's football) seriously but then again it might help," she said.

Feminist writer Courtney Martin has no doubts over whether the LFL will help women.

"This is objectification at its most pernicious -- give women an opportunity to participate in a sport that they haven't had the chance to do for pay and publicly previously, but only let them do it if they are stereotypically pretty and willing to do it in their underwear," she wrote on website feministing.com.

So why not simply play the game in conventional dress?

"But then half the people wouldn't watch," said Tuning.

"Sure, some people aren't going to watch because they think it is degrading or they don't want to watch it with their kids.

"But then there is going to be a group of people who watch it because of (the attire) and they might say: 'Wow -- this is real, athletic and they know what they are doing."

(Editing by Clare Fallon)

Skimpy outfits will end someday, lingerie football player says
CBC News
Posted: Mar 7, 2012 2:33 PM CST
Last Updated: Mar 7, 2012 3:14 PM CSTRead 34 comments34

Some people are criticizing plans to bring "lingerie" football to Saskatoon and Regina, but a player says giving women who love football a chance to play is a good thing.

Liz Gorman, who plays with the Tampa Breeze of the women's Lingerie Football League, also thinks more traditional football attire will happen someday.

In Saskatchewan, there's been a buzz in recent weeks after the league announced two teams for the province. Some critics say making women dress in skimpy outfits is demeaning.

Gorman says she'd rather wear a more conventional uniform, but understands it's a business consideration.

"I mean, I don't like it," she said. "You'd rather wear full clothing. I have a bunch of scrapes on me."

Gorman believes the league will eventually evolve to the point that the more revealing outfits will go.

"You look back at basketball, you used to have to wear skirts," she said. "Obviously it's changed, they have the WNBA now. So if you look back, women's sports has constantly evolved and I think that this sports league is going to end up changing the uniform."

The first Lingerie Football League games in Saskatchewan are scheduled for the fall.

Inside Look At Full-Contact, Competitive Lingerie Football
Gallery: Meet the Valkyrie
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Ready or not Lingerie Football has come to the Twin Cities. The Minnesota Valkyrie are brand new to the Lingerie Football League and quickly making an impact.

While they on Friday night to the L.A. Temptation, a couple of former standout track stars that are making an impact on and off the field for this new team.

It’s being called the fastest growing sports league in the nation — 7-on-7 full-contact football.

It’s being played by women who wear sports bras, shorts and glass-front helmets. The Minnesota Valkyrie are the newest franchise in this 11-team Lingerie Football League.

They are led by former Vikings lineman Everett Lindsey.

“They are true athletes and that’s how I treat them and that’s how I look at them,” Lindsey said.

He said 85 percent of the Valkyrie players are college graduates. All were athletes but his biggest challenge is coaching them up

“It’s teaching them the game of football and just all the intricacies of the game,” he said.

They’ve learned quickly beating Green Bay in their season opener. The head coach said he’s proud of his athletes and the work they do in the community; especially the Govrick twins.

“Tiger and Panther. They’re two little fire plugs. They bring a lot of energy to this team,” Lindsey said.

Their real names are Elizabeth and Teresa Govrick. They’re former Minnesota state track champions from Washburn High School. Back in 2004, they were part of the state champion 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams.

They went on to run track and play soccer at South Carolina State University, where they both graduated. Now they mentor athletes at the high school where it all began where it also gives them a chance to learn more about their passion.

“I watched them practice on this field and gave them a little pointers,” said Washburn High School football player Jason Williams.

They say playing lingerie football fills a void in their lives.

“We were Division I athletes in college so it’s like to come back and yea we can play pick-up soccer, we can run with our kids and stuff, but it’s not that competitiveness that we’re not getting it,” said Elizabeth. “So I think playing in this competitive, tough sport that gives us that edge back and that’s why we do it.”

But what about the uniform, or lack thereof? Elizabeth and Teresa say it’s not an issue.

“We both ran track and I was wearing, you know, stuff if not close to almost smaller than what I’m wearing out on the football field,” said Elizabeth. “You take beach volleyball, you take volleyball, you take other sports where it’s pretty much the same thing. Its just the name Lingerie Football League.”

These athletes say if you take away the lingerie, what you have left is good old American football.

“You never think of women playing football. Even now were like ‘Oh my gosh that is not real football.’ But it is. You have to really watch it,” said Teresa. “Like my sister said take out the lingerie part and we’re hitting and doing everything that guys do in this sport “

If you think this is powder puff football, think again. During their first game, the star running back tore her ACL. She’s out for the entire season.

These women want you to look beyond the uniforms and see they love this game and play it well. The Minnesota Valkyrie players work full-time jobs and still practice 30 to 35 hours a week. They do not get paid for being on the team.

Their next home game is the home finale at Target Center on Saturday Nov. 19 when they play Chicago

How to legitimize Lingerie Football League

Doug Murray/Icon SMI

If the Lingerie Football League wants to be taken seriously, it should take us up on the advice below.

As far as stains on America’s cultural fabric go, the Lingerie Football League might be among the most ambitious. Representatives of the depressing, sport-based spectacle -- in which bug-eyed bros wantonly mouth-breathe at clashing gaggles of panty-clad vixens -- have announced that the next season will be postponed until April 2013 to align with a warm-weather schedule.

The 12-team league will now have plenty of time to think up novel strategies for growing its brand. Perhaps the LFL will consider actually paying its players, who not only are denied compensation for their efforts but are also required to front a participation fee. Nah, probably not.

But with hopes of helping the league inch toward something resembling legitimacy, might I recommend the following suggestions:

• Recruit big girls. I’m talking like Vince-Wilfork-in-a-wig big. I know many fans come for the curves, but I think it would be equally thrilling to see quarterbacks literally getting flattened.
• Just as the NFL is facing an endless succession of concussion lawsuits, so the LFL will soon experience the fury of jerky-skinned former players not sufficiently protected from turf burn. Let the girls wear wetsuits or something.
• Every good sports team needs a mascot, but names like the Seattle Mist, the Tampa Breeze and the Baltimore Charm are tough to depict with a costume. So in the interest of merchandising, why not go with the Seattle Hogmonsters, the Tampa Tilapia and the Baltimore Butter Churners?
• For sports franchises to be respected, they gotta hand out free slices of pizza when a certain point threshold is reached. Just ask the Toronto Raptors.
• The league needs a commissioner who will look out for the women’s best interests. Might I suggest Hillary Clinton? Totally seems like her kind of thing.

Good morning and thanks for coming!  All classes receive participation points for being on task, paying attention, and acting responsibly.  Please let me know if there is anyone who needs to lose all or some of their points for the day! 

First Hour: I would like the students to complete a worksheet about quotation marks.  When I graded their “Of Mice and Men” essays yesterday, many of them were struggling with direct quotations.
There is a reference sheet as well as the worksheet that explains when/where capitalization is necessary, as well as where quotation marks belong.  Please review this WITH them before they work (they have a tendency to skip the directions part and just guess if they have the chance).
When they finish this, they should continue working on the Icarus: 2010 article.  Most are about halfway through and still have a set of questions to answer.

Icarus 2010 Questions

1.) Describe Potter's Life (childhood --> present)

2.) List seven adjectives that describe Potter

3.) What does he risk?  What has he given up?  What does he gain/why does he do it?

Second Hour:  Students began a unit on memoir yesterday.  They completed a sheet about an excerpt “Me Talk Pretty One Day.”  Please have them keep it for the time being; I want to talk to them about what they think the thesis statement is.
I would like students to spend the hour brainstorming ideas for their memoirs.  I listed some prompts at the bottom of this document.  They should explore at least three questions; I would like them to just START writing (I think some people will sit and think too long).  Please remind them that anything they write can be changed or deleted, but just starting writing will help them think.

Third Hour: There are three computers reserved for them in the library so they can work on their autobiography project.

Fifth Hour:  Students are working to find pieces for their Farrago speech in the library.  When possible, try to guide them toward quality literature—some people have been finding questionable internet poetry.  If they have all their sources, they should begin reading and interpreting them (writing poems into paragraph form may help).  Each student should have a directions sheet as a reference to guide them.

Seventh Hour: Opening Journal Prompt
1.) How would you feel if someone you liked suddenly stopped liking you?  Jot down some of the feelings and reactions you might have toward someone whom you felt had stopped liking you.
2.) What is happening in the plot of AMSND that would cause me to ask this question?

Please show the students this clip from the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona (they put on A Midsummer Night’s Dream last year): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQiSzmvykL0
It spans the whole play (it’s a little bit of a spoiler, but may help them better understand the plot).

Then have students define each of the following vocabulary words and use it in a sentence (it might be easiest to write them on the chalkboard—it’s okay if the actor project gets erased).

dissemble

flout

progeny

promontory

wanton

They should then write a one page summary of what happens in Act 2 Scene 1 in pairs.  If they would like to use No Fear Shakespeare on the Smartboard, they can.  I have not tried it with this class yet.  It lists the Shakespearean language on the left, and modern English on the right.
http://nfs.sparknotes.com/msnd/page_32.html

Eight Hour:  Please send one of the students to pick up the mobile lab (it’s probably in the library).  They should be working on their autobiography assignment.  A first draft is due May 1^st, and many of them have barely started.

·         Think of a place you visit every day (or very often). Describe it in as much detail as possible. What makes this place important?

·         Of all the possessions you own, choose one you would bequeath to a child or grandchild and write about why.

·         If you could make a national holiday, what day would it be and what would it be about?

·         Take an inventory of your purse and/or wallet and/or backpack. What do the items inside say about you?

·         Write about your family heritage (or one member of your family who has been especially influential). How does it (do they) affect who you are?

·         What is one of your bad habits? Describe it. Why is it bad? Why do you do it?

·         If you had to sum up your life in ten words or less, which words would you choose and why?

·         In what ways have you deviated from traditions or beliefs you were brought up with? How has this changed your life?

·         Recall a time that you felt really out of place.  Where were you?  Why?  How did the situation resolve itself?

·         Choose a random picture (from an album, a magazine, the newspaper, online) and write about any memories it may trigger.

·         Choose an older family photo, and write about what you remember was happening at that time.

http://www.macobo.com/essays/epdf/Me%20Talk%20Pretty%20One%20Day%20by%20Sedaris.pdf

David Sedaris Questions: Me Talk Pretty One Day 

What is this essay about?

What funny language does Sedaris use in the article?  Write a list.

What is the purpose of this essay (what is the thesis)?  State it in one sentence.

Does it provide a lesson or insight into part of the human experience?

Introduction to Farrago Speech
Sophomore English

April 2012

FARRAGO:   A confused mixture; hodgepodge.

Synonyms: medley, mixture, hash, jumble, mix, blend, olio

PURPOSE

To develop skill in identifying, selecting, combining and presenting quality literature from a variety of genre which addresses a specific theme or emotion.

PREPARATION

1.)     PICK a common theme you are interested in.  This could be a topic, person, emotion, historical event.  You could also go about choosing your theme by picking a work you already know and love, and deciding to highlight a specific aspect of that work.

2.)     FIND quality materials from different genres that fit into this theme

a.       What does quality mean?  Quality literature explains motivations and reasons for actions; it convinces and describes.  You should try to find something that is really meaningful, not something silly and trite.

b.       Genres you MUST use for your speech (I expect you to use at minimum three different works)

                                                               i.      Prose (remember, we talking about what this means in the beginning of the year…)

                                                              ii.      Poetry

                                                            iii.      Nonfiction or Drama

3.)     RESEARCH the authors and background of the works.  Delve into what each piece really means.  Look up any and all vocabulary you are not familiar with (you must know how to pronounce it AND what it means).  Observe punctuation.  Decide what YOU THINK the meaning of the piece really IS.

4.)     Once you know the meaning of each piece, decide how it fits into your THEME.  You need to write an introduction and transitions that present the reader with unifying information so your speech is easy to follow.  This is very similar to the “hand holding” I talk about with every paper you write.

5.)     Practice reading your pieces aloud.  Voice, gestures, and movement are an important part of your grade.  You may only walk during your transitions (NOT while you are reading).

6.)     MEMORIZE your introduction transitions.  MOUNT your pieces to read on construction paper.

7.)     TIME YOURSELF.  Your speech should be 8 minutes, give or take 15 seconds.  You need to keep this in mind while you are selecting pieces.

8.)     PRACTICE!  Really, you need to practice in order to get this right.

Brainstorming Sheet

Name: _______________________

Some possible THEMES I might be interested in exploring for my speech include…

                What works or events might work for this theme?

Some possible WORKS I might be interested in exploring for my speech include…

                What themes or events might work for this work?

Some possible EVENTS I might be interested in exploring for my speech include…

What themes or works might work for this event?

Icarus 2010 Questions
1.) Describe Potter's Life (childhood --> present)
2.) List seven adjectives that describe Potter
3.) What does he risk?  What has he given up?  What does he gain/why does he do it?

                “Mountain biking across the African planes was the brainchild of my semi-intelligent friend, Biff,” claimed Oren, high stakes mountain bike professional and part time hit man.  “The main problem is that there are very few mountains there.  It’s totally flat.  We didn’t account for the boredom… or the gazelle scrums.”

                His condescending way of speaking to me was initially a big turnoff, but as he spoke I began to realize that having an overly inflated ego—constantly insulting people, strutting, and kibitzing—might be part of being a legitimate professional athlete.  I tried to circumvent his nearly palpable pompous qualities and focus on the story.

                “There’s not that much to tell.  Biff is a mediocre camera man and poor biker at best—one moment I was just coasting along, giving the cherubic little guy a chance to catch up, the next I was laying on my back in the dirt with my bike on top of me.”

                He turned to me and the air of superiority was gone, transitioning into a more worried, secretive state.  He spoke in sotto voce, “I don’t know if Biff has a crush on me or what, but he certainly was too rapt with fear to even be helpful.  I was so angry that he didn’t instigate rescue efforts sooner.”

Vocab for School of Fight

Vocabulary for School of Fight

Segue:

Talmudic: The collection of ancient Rabbinic writings consisting of the Mishnah and the Gemara, constituting the basis of religious authority in Orthodox Judaism.

Eugenic:

Albeit:

Sotto Voce: In a quiet voice, as if not to be overheard.

Euphemism:

Kibitz: Look on and offer unwelcome advice, esp. at a card game.

Transition:

Association

Legitimate:

Suffix:

Scrum:

Palpable:

Cherubic:

Instigator:

Brainchild:

Circumvent:

Condescending

Simultaneously:

Rapt:

Commended:

Sportswriting Unit

Name:____________________________
Pickleweasel April 10^th

What is sportswriting?

How does Leavy claim that sports are changing?

What new goal are many athletes trying to achieve?

What is the goal of sports writing?

What modern challenges do sportswriters face?

What is the power of language according to Leavy?

1.

2.

3.

List two of the influential voices Leavy mentions.

1.

2.

What responsibility do sports writers have?

Freshmen Quiz 4/18

Who is Hippolyta (NOT the queen of the Hippos) and what is her problem?
The word renaissance means  _____________.
What is a minotaur?  Draw me a picture.

Use dote in a sentence.
Use feign in a sentence.

Freshmen Shakespeare Quiz 1

What might the title of AMSND have indicated to Shakespearean audiences?
What are some of the questions about love raised by the play?
T/F Shakespeare uses different writing styles for different characters
T/F AMSND contains a play within a play
T/F Shakespeare believes drama is entertainment
T/F Shakespeare believes drama is a vehicle for showing the truth of human experience.

Heart of Darkness Study Guide

What happens to each one of these characters (or groups) throughout the course of the story?  Some of your answers will be really short, and some will be long (Marlow and Kurtz).

The men Marlow is telling the story to in London:

Marlow:

Kurtz:

The Russian:

Chief Accountant:

Kurtz’s African Mistress:

Kurtz’s Intended:

What essential questions are raised by each of the following lenses (schools of criticism)?  Consider the role of the reader (YOU) and the role of the writer (CONRAD).  Relate the questions specifically to the text.

Reader Response (text/reader relationshipà how this creates meaning, context):

Feminism (Man, Woman, Patriarchy, Women’s Creativity, Definer, Defined):

Post Colonial (Ethnocentrism, Foreign, Exotic, Colonial, power, otherness, othering, dual identity):

Psychoanalytic (Id, Ego, Superego, Freud, Subconscious, Preconscious, Conscious, Repress, Iceberg model):

·         Which lens do you think most obviously lends itself to Heart of Darkness?

·         What overall meaning do you take away from this novella?  What truths about humanity are presented by the novel?

·         How does changing the setting of the story (Apocalypse Now) change the meaning of the story?