For Tuesday

Write a page or two on the following topic:

In "Tragedy and the Common Man," Arthur Miller writes: "Tragedy enlightens and it must, in that it points the heroic finger at the enemy of man's freedom. The thrust for freedom is the quality in tragedy which exalts."

Based on the above definition of tragedy: is Eddie Carbone a tragic figure? or is he not a tragic figure? Explain.

Tragedy and the Common Man

"Tragedy and the Common Man" (1949), Arthur Miller

"In this age few tragedies are written. It has often been held that the lack is due to a paucity of heroes among us, or else that modern man has had the blood drawn out of his organs of belief by the skepticism of science, and the heroic attack on life cannot feed on an attitude of reserve and circumspection. For one reason or another, we are often held to be below tragedy-or tragedy above us. The inevitable conclusion is, of course, that the tragic mode is archaic, fit only for the very highly placed, the kings or the kingly, and where this admission is not made in so many words it is most often implied.

I believe that the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were. On the face of it this ought to be obvious in the light of modern psychiatry, which bases its analysis upon classic formulations, such as the Oedipus and Orestes complexes, for instance, which were enacted by royal beings, but which apply to everyone in similar emotional situations. . . . " [more]

A View From The Bridge

Arthur Miller appears before HUAC (1956)

Allen Ginsberg "HOWL"

Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" can be found here. You can also hear Ginsberg read the poem here. (An alternative version - - with John Turturro reading the poem - - can be found here.)

Harlem Renaissance assignment

Here's what you'll need to do to complete this assignment:

1) choose one poem from the various Harlem Renaissance writers (Hughes, Cullen, Brown, Bennett, Toomer) that we've looked at;

2) review our discussion of modernism, particularly the four tenets of modernism that I proposed;

3) use 2 to 3 pages to answer both of the following questions:

- - - in what ways should this poem be considered a "modernist" poem?

- - - in what ways does this poem challenge or defy the aesthetics of modernism?

4) the assignment is due on Tuesday, December 9, at the beginning of class.

Good luck!

Ma Rainey

Ma Rainey (1886-1939)

You can listen to Ma Rainey sing "Prove It on Me Blues" by clicking here. Other Ma Rainey recordings can be found here.

Music of the 30s

Hat tip to Mike M. - - who emailed this info about a concert on Treasure Island this Saturday, November 1:

MILL VALLEY PHILHARMONICPRESENTS

The Works Progress Administration:
Orchestral Music and Art of the 1930s

SPONSORED BY TREASURE ISLAND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY


CELBRATE THE 75^TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIGNING OF THE NEW DEALAND THE HISTORY OF YOUR OWN COMMUNITY BY ATTENDING A FREE CONCERT

More info here.