Lens Theory Presentations Notes

Archetypal Criticism: A marker on the side of the boat.

Common Archetypes seen through the story: Tragic Hero.
He’s a soldier, protecting his country through the Vietnam war.
Youth is supposed to be a joyous time of someone's life but for the protagonist his youth was troubled.
Connection to Hamlet as being a Tragic Hero, dying trying to do the ‘right’ thing.
Damsel in Distress: Making the woman seem as though she needed the man to ‘protect her’ “She rolled towards me, seeking shelter”, follows a young woman in distress seeking shelter and safety which comes in the form of the soldier who is a man.
Caregiver: The woman was very caring and took care of the soldier when she finds him nearly freezing to death and helped him to recover.
Nostalgia: He reminisces about the old city he onced lived in.
Metaphoric: “Call to Adventure”
Delivering letters to families,
Journey: Faces challenges, growth and transformation
Endpoint: By the time another trolley came clanking by, I had to give up”
Metaphoric Locations: Hanoi city, creates a frightening environment for the story. Meanwhile the woman provides a place of comfort for the soldier.
The trolley tracks: Straight, endless, without intersections. Representing his life as a soldier.
Preconceived archetype: A compassionate Hero, He mentions how he wanted to bring joy back to the soldiers. A typical hero who puts the well being of others before his own and showcases qualities such as compassion and courage.
A hero driven by his sense of duty he is brave and selfless, trying to help others before himself. Similar to the mother in touching bottom.
Archetype used in a contrary way, Not a traditional story defined by success and victory. Challenged narratives and perspectives.
Role reversal, going through a significant issue that makes the strong soldier now weak and vulnerable meanwhile the woman goes on to be his caretaker and he now relies on her.
The story did not end seamlessly, It was sudden.
Archetypes reinforcing patriarchy: Because hes a soldier it makes me be a typical hero. Demonstrated how people rely on him because hes a man expected to save the day.

Postcolonial Criticism

The process of civilization, contrast between aboriginal and european cultures
Negative and racial stereotypes
Systematic assimilation/dehumanization
Social and cultural change– what is the new cultural identity
Young african boy who undergoes colonialism.
The process: How his life changes after meeting soldiers. He lives in a hut and the soldiers live in camps.
The stroy shows the clash between aboriginal and colonizer cultures.
They brought foreign items
Shows how european culture was more advanced than Adamo’s
The drum changing symbolizes the culture changing and losing some cultural identity.
Losing cultural roots. The language barrier between the two cultures is prominent. Adamao is being told to learn english while losing his native tongue which can be considered as cultural assimilation.
Adamo began to forget about his family and his roots
Misuse of power and exploitation: Captain belongs to a western background. He tries to make himself seem more superior and claims authority over Adamo.
Shows how the Captain views Adamo
He’s happy with Adamo’s dedication to him, he likes the power it gives him.
Adamo has fear instilled in him, aware that their world has power.
Adamo only obeys everything the captain says to avoid the consequences of objection.
Dehumanization was present through the use of derogatory terms such as “bush boy”
Trace back to when Black Men were referred to as boys so that they could establish power over them.
Assimilation through exposure to Western cultures.
After his family disappeared he was not exposed to his own culture.
Racial Stereotypes and their Impact
Slaves were considered Lazy even though they were working hard all day in the fields.
Africans have been treated poorly throughout history and the development civilization
Africans were displayed in zoos as if they were less than human .
“Wide Eyed filthy”
Captain Fossey had a white savior complex
His interactions with Adomo made him feel as though he was doing something good, meanwhile it was one-sided.
Adamo has experienced much loss and was searching for a sense of community.
Him being in the band, added to the loss of his culture.

Critical Race Theory

White Privilege:
Social Construction:
Institutionalized Racism:
What Races do we see in the story?
Are there negative stereotypes?
How does systemic racism affect the characters?
Armand Aubigny: White
Black Characters on Armands plantation
Features negative stereotypes of black individuals, showing them as inferior, obedience and submissive. Makes it seem that they are suited for slavery.
Negative stereotypes of Desiree and her baby.
Characters are subject to systematic Racism.
White Supremacy: Highlights the general influence of racial hierarchies and discrimination.
People of colour are largely denied rights and having a voice.
The lives of the people of colour rely heavily on the whims of the person in power.
Story is set in Louisiana, and contains discrimination based on race.
Armand is deeply in love with Desiree, it doesnt overrule his racist perceptions of her.
She doesn’t have a “pure” bloodline referring to being fully white.
Armand is embarrassed to have a black child.
Madame Valmonde adopted Desiree. She’s portrayed as kind and pleasant, demonstrating the White savior complex. She reinforces the racial hierarchy and being in power over people of colour.
Desiree's racial ambiguity when Armand accuses her of not being white.
She feels alienated as she notices the differences in her husbands behaviour.
Desiree and Adamo both struggle with senses of alienation.
“Cursed with the brand of slavery”

Feminist Criticism - The Shining Houses

Potentially Misogynist
The role of men being in the position of power
How do we see men and women represented in this story
The husbands of the community are working outside, digging ditches and making rockeries meanwhile the women are inside doing house work.
Stereotype of the traditional housewife.
Puts her children's needs over her own which feeds into the nurturing mother image.
Has a fear of not being taken seriously due to being vulnerable.
Women were expected to conform to the norms of traditional domesticity and motherhood.
The male characters in the story had more freedom and were able to spend time away from their families.
The role of marriage and the role of egalitarianism
She continues to protect her husband's reputation and character even though he left her, feeling a sense of obligation to.
The story adheres to traditional norms and expectations.
Men are conveyed as figures of authority while females are shown as submissive
Ms Fullerton shows her independence by living alone in her own house without the presence of a man.
Though people still wanted to have her evicted, showing how little rights women had as she is unable to remain unproblematic in her home without those looking down on her for not having a male figure present.

Cultural Criticism

Main protagonist is south asian
Author talks about food and subconsciously her beliefs bleed into the story.
Sweetsgrass and sage, praying to God,
Demonstrates Maya religion and Beliefs
Commitment to spiritual and rituals
Didn’t want to go back to india and marry her distant cousin
Prioritizes love and compatibility over traditional habits
There are daily sacrifices made to adhere to religious/traditional beliefs i.e not eating ores since they are made with lard (comes from animal fat)
Traditional values shape Maya’s identity
Her aunt doesnt accept western culture, her hate of christmas and christian holidays/
Maya is n0 longer vegetarian (Where she lives not a lot of people eat meat)
Her aunt is a reminder of mayas indian roots
It naturally portrays the telling of cross-culture conflict
Maya’s cultural evolution becomes more prominent throughout the story.

Marxist

How the lower and working class are oppressed
Asserts there will always be tension between upper middle and lower classes due to the economic divide.
What social class do the characters represent
Who does it benefit
Example of the “Lorax”
Belisa is born into generational poverty, not even given names
No money, no skill, and no purpose
Born to die
She saves her own life by taking up an occupation in writing
Left with little to no options like being a prostitute or a servant
High class through military position
El Mulatto: Colonels right hand man, same class as colonel
Throwing away dictionary is symbolic
She starts off powerless, her occupation gives her power
Gains power with the two words said to Colonel
Allows herself to be manhandled as she knows her place in society and cannot fight back
Colonel: BUying her services implies a boss position
Expectation of being a natural born leader
Women like Belisa are expected to be submissive and obedient

Lenses Definitions:

Archetypal: Considered to be a set of universal, primitive, and elemental patterns, which evokes a profound response from the Reader. Specific genres are associated with specific catalogs of images or image patterns Romance is associated with

spring, gardens, flowers, youth,

etc.

The western narrative is “the hero’s journey”
What archetypes appear in the text? To what effect?
Is there a metaphoric starting point, journey and end point of that journey? To what effect?
Are there metaphoric locations? To what effect?
Do the preconceived notions about that archetype hold true within the text?
Is the text manipulating the archetype by using it in a contrary or opposite way? To what effect?
Do the archetypes work to undermine/reinforce the patriarchal/colonial values of Western society?

Postcolonial Criticism:

observe how powerful countries have exploited less powerful countries by imposing their economics, culture, and government upon them.
They believed they were “civilizing” the “heathens.”
Critics focus on the relationship between native peoples and the
colonizer, and the new identity of the native people once the
colonizer has gone.
Postcolonial critics focus on the following:
The process of “civilization” – the contrast between aboriginal and European cultures.
Misuse of power and exploitation
Systematic dehumanization and/or assimilation.
Negative racial stereotypes and their impact.
Colonial abandonment and alienation – In this new
country, where do I fit in and how do I make a living?
Social and cultural change – What is the new cultural
identity?

Stories:

A Marker on the Side of the Boat:

Hanoi has changed a lot over 25 years
The man is a soldier: (Honourable, Self-Sacrificing, Strong, Hero)
The city was in a life and death battle (struggling economy amidst war)
He wanted to bring back letters to his fellow soldiers to bring them joy
“That day all of Hanoi seemed to be abandoned” Foreshadowing something bad coming
Street soaked in rain; associated with ‘cleansing’
He was now wet and freezing
“I had to marshall my energy to get back up and continue”
Green walls- can represent luck
Caregiver woman taking care of him
Kind and beautiful caregiver appearance
Messenger Of Death
Having a shelters is telling about the state they live in
Man does not listen to the woman trying to bring him to a shelter
“Don’t just stand there like that” There are heavy expectations on the soldier and because he’s a man and is expected to protect.

The Voices of Adamo

He loves his mother
She embodies warmth, love and comfort
Typical loving mother archetype
“Showed her young how to remain motionless in front of the snakes” symbolic of being obedient/still in front of superiors.
Grew up surrounded by their culture
The sisters stayed inside with their mother to tend to the fire and make food while the boys stayed out and played
He was hesitant to leave the village to his mothers orders but he followed his fathers instructions
The old lady pretended to recognize him although he knows she doesn’t
His family is gone
“If we die here, how would the spirits of our ancestors find us?”
He was determined to die, he could not think of what else to do
“The Wise Old Woman” Archetype
Captain Fossey:: He never believed african band mates could play with precision,
The drum represents his village and the connection between them
Adamo began to play the drum for the band.
Hero Complex, Captain thinks he’s doing something good
“His word has power, that I know”
Adamo remained still and emotionless when told that his service time is almost up, just as he was told before by his mother, aware any sudden outbursts could have him killed.
Adamo is lost, with no one around him, no purpose and no place to call home.
The aftermath of being colonized
Adamo ends up killing the Captain