Keep the cute titles coming, Stallings.

I just found a great article [spoiler warning] on Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go by Margaret Atwood. (For those who have never read her, she is a brilliant writer, fiercely feminist, and her stories rarely have a happy ending. You have been warned; check a review of any book you wish to read that she has written.)

We will write our first essays tomorrow. If you would like a prompt, here are a few. Pick one:
1) Simulation and hyper-reality are prevalent in Don DeLillo’s White Noise. Explain how these concepts reflect an aspect of current popular culture, using one of your articles [or one you find tonight] as evidence of this.

2) Human cloning is a very complex issue―one which involves moral choices and the direct application of manufacturing to human beings. What does Ishiguro’s stance on the cloning issue in Never Let Me Go seem to be? How does he use pathos to argue this stance? During their time at Hailsham, the students are asked to create original art. Why is this? Is this part of Ishiguro’s argument?

3) Explore the theme of consumption versus creation in society using an article and one of the books -or- two chosen articles. Which is more prevalent? How does consumption or reflection factor into a person’s identity, according to the texts?

These essays require insights into the novels and the world around us and evidence from the texts to support your arguments. Do not write a personal editorial. This means no anecdotal evidence from your lives and no personal pronouns. Keep the tone formal; you have ideas, so do not hesitate to state them without qualifiers. We will do a bit of review before the exam tomorrow. If you have any questions, post them here or bring them to class.

Okay, lame title. I know. We do love our advertisements, though. I blame the media.

Quick overview for those interested:

I mentioned in class that postmodernism is a slippery term, as it means different things when applied to different aspects of culture. What we will be focusing on in relation to our books (DeLillo’s specifically, though Never Let Me Go has postmodern aspects as well) is the application of postmodern theory to consumerism. More specifically, the aspect of the consumer aura placed around an item, the item’s reproducibility, and how these apply to image consumerism. These can often be applied to White Noise: What is Jack’s position at the university? To what does Murray compare the supermarket? What do we think of Babette? And if you’ve read to part two: What is odd about the major event of this section (trying to be subtle here; don’t worry if you aren’t this far yet. We have plenty of time.)?

For Never Let Me Go: What is odd about the school that the students attend? How are they shaped by the rules and regulations? (More as we delve; much on identity. Everyone hates a spoiler.)

We briefly discussed the simulacrum as it applies here and generally. If you are having difficulty understanding the term, think Disneyland. In Introducing Postmodernism, there are four steps to Baudrillard’s (the name I was trying to remember earlier) outline of the progression into hyper-reality, where items become simulacra of simulacra:

1. The image is a reflection of a basic reality
2. The image masks and perverts a basic reality
3. The image marks the absence of a basic reality
4. The image becomes a postmodern simulacrum, bearing no resemblance to the object’s original purpose

If this is confusing, don’t worry. Postmodernism is a slippery term. We’ll discuss more in class. Just keep in mind: Does this apply to my life? Can I see these ideas in the world around me? What can/should I do about it?

Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. We want to know as much about that which persuades us as we do about how to persuade.

Fin.

for tomorrow, here are a few to get you started:

Good idea? Ads on your car?

Global warming computer error?

Space gas may have us redefining “life.”

“When people gazed at an illusory image of themselves through the goggles and were prodded in just the right way with the stick, they felt as if they had left their bodies” (NYTimes).

Oh, this is good. “How Ads Affect Our Memory,” from TechnologyReview.com via NYTimes
If you want, we can talk about this tomorrow. Chan Yun Yoo calls the two types of memory implemented in passing visual recall “implicit” and “explicit,” but Eco has discussed a similar theory before.

From the same NYTimes article as above, American Environics has completed a demographically relevant survey of Americans and their stance on the environment. This pdf shows the results. Environmental issues are huge recently; do you think this is a fad, or has America found a lasting concern for Earth?

Hey, in case anyone missed the announcement, here is the standing assignment for Tuesdays and Thursdays:
Find an article that covers a topic that is connected to your book. Support, refute, or qualify the position an article takes on an issue. Keep a copy of your response and article for the in-class essay on Friday.

San Francisco is planning to zone the skies above for residential use. This article describes a city commissioner’s plan to build helium (not hydrogen) filled dirigibles for folk to call home.
My favorite line:

Leaving at any other time will require the use of a small gondola that descends on a cable. However, that ride could get a little hairy, especially during the brisk Santa Ana winds that blow through here during autumn and early winter.”