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Democratic Aristocracy - Notes
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Revolutionary America & The Founding going to do this cleanly, clearly, and in exam-ready form for Revolutionary America & the Founding, with emphasis on the Federalist Papers. Below you’ll find ALL 7 things you asked for, organized so you can study, write essays, and answer ID questions confidently. ⸻ 📚 Revolutionary America & The Founding (Federalist Papers + Jefferson–Adams + Paine) ⸻ 1️⃣ BIG-PICTURE SUMMARY (Plain English) The Founding generation debated how to build a republic that protects liberty without collapsing into chaos or tyranny. • Revolutionary America questioned monarchy, aristocracy, and inherited power. • The Founding focused on creating a strong but limited national government. • The Federalist Papers defend the Constitution against critics who feared: • Too much centralized power • Loss of liberty • No Bill of Rights • Thinkers like Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson disagreed—but shared the goal of self-government rooted in reason, law, and virtue. ⸻ 2️⃣ KEY IDEAS (Exam Gold) Core Revolutionary Ideas • Consent of the governed • Rejection of monarchy & hereditary rule • Natural rights • Republican virtue • Fear of tyranny (both majority & elite) Core Founding Ideas • Separation of powers • Checks and balances • Federalism • Judicial independence • Rule of law over popular passion ⸻ 3️⃣ ORGANIZED NOTES ⸻ 🧱 A. OUTLINE (Hierarchical) I. Revolutionary Foundations • Enlightenment thought • Critique of monarchy & aristocracy • Rise of popular sovereignty II. The Constitution’s Problem • Articles of Confederation too weak • States too powerful • No enforcement power III. Federalist Response • Stronger national government needed • Liberty protected through structure, not promises • Courts as guardians of the Constitution IV. Federalist No. 82 • Judicial review • Supremacy of the Constitution over statutes • Courts must void unconstitutional laws V. Federalist No. 84 • Argument against a Bill of Rights • Constitution itself functions as a bill of rights • Listing rights could be dangerous VI. Jefferson vs. Adams • Natural aristocracy vs. artificial aristocracy • Education as key to republican survival • Fear of inherited power ⸻ 📌 B. BULLET POINTS (Fast Review) Federalist No. 82 • Courts interpret law • Constitution > legislative acts • Judges must disregard unconstitutional laws • Judicial independence is essential Federalist No. 84 • No Bill of Rights needed • Government has only enumerated powers • Listing rights risks limiting them • British Bill of Rights ≠ American Constitution Jefferson to Adams • Natural aristocracy = virtue + talent • Artificial aristocracy = wealth + birth • Education prevents elite domination • Republican government must remain accountable ⸻ 📊 C. TABLES (Perfect for Exams) Federalist 82 vs 84 Topic Federalist 82 Federalist 84 Focus Judiciary Bill of Rights Main Claim Courts protect Constitution Bill of Rights unnecessary Threat Unconstitutional laws Misuse of listed rights Solution Judicial independence Structural protections ⸻ Jefferson vs Adams Jefferson Adams Fears aristocracy Accepts natural elite Education = safeguard Mixed government Anti-hereditary power Skeptical of masses ⸻ 🧠 D. MIND MAP (Text Version) Revolutionary America → Enlightenment → Paine: popular sovereignty → Anti-monarchy ⬇️ Founding Era → Constitution → Federalism → Separation of powers ⬇️ Federalist Papers → Judiciary protects Constitution → Liberty via structure → Fear of tyranny (both sides) ⸻ 4️⃣ QUOTES & EVIDENCE (Use These!) Federalist 82 “No legislative act… contrary to the Constitution, can be valid.” Use for: Judicial review essays ⸻ Federalist 84 “Why declare that things shall not be done which there is no power to do?” Use for: Bill of Rights debates ⸻ Jefferson to Adams (1813) “There is a natural aristocracy among men. The grounds of this are virtue and talents.” Use for: Education, elite power, republican theory ⸻ 5️⃣ QUESTIONS TO DEEPEN UNDERSTANDING • Why did Federalists trust structure more than written rights? • How does judicial review prevent majority tyranny? • Why did Jefferson fear inherited power more than Adams? • Would a Bill of Rights limit liberty or protect it? ⸻ 6️⃣ PARAPHRASE & CLARIFY (Plain Language) • Judicial review = courts can ignore laws that violate the Constitution • Natural aristocracy = leaders rise by merit • Artificial aristocracy = leaders rise by birth or wealth • Federalism = power shared between national & state governments ⸻ 7️⃣ CONNECTIONS (This is where essays shine) • Paine → popular revolution • Federalists → controlled republicanism • Jefferson → education as liberty’s defense • Judiciary → protector of long-term rights against short-term passions ⸻ 🔑 FINAL TAKEAWAY (Remember This) Liberty is protected not by promises alone, but by institutions designed to restrain power—even the people’s own power. ⸻ If you want next: • ✍️ Essay outlines • 🧠 Flashcards • 📄 One-page study sheet • 📝 Practice exam questions Just say the word.
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Sept 26th Class
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Polybius: The Histories & Cicero
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Flashcards (34)
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Enlightenment & Revolutions - Chapter 21 Study Guide Key Vocabulary 1 philosopher - person who seeks wisdom or enlightenment; a scholar or thinker 1 geocentric - Earth-centered - everything revolves around the Earth 1 sphere - shape of heavenly objects 1 heliocentric - sun-centered - everything revolves around the sun - moon revolves around the earth 1 universal law of gravitation - one of Newton’s three rules of motion - force of gravity exists between all objects in space 1 rationalism - system of thought based on the belief that reason is the chief source of knowledge 1 scientific method - systematic procedure for collecting and analyzing evidence 1 inductive reasoning - type of thinking in which scientists proceed from observation and experimentation(particular thinking) to develop general conclusions 2 philosophe - French term for philosopher - applied to all intellectuals during the Enlightenment 2 separation of powers - form of government in which the branches of government limit and control each other through a system of check and balances 2 deism - 18th century religious philosophy based on reason and Natural law 2 laissez-faire - let the people do what they want - government stays out of the economy 2 generation - group of people born and living at the same time 2 social contract - entire society agrees to be governed by its general will and all individuals should be forced to abide by it since it represents what is best for the entire community 2 arbitrary - at one’s discretion, random 2 salons - elegant drawing rooms where artists, writers, aristocrats, government officials, wealthy middle-class people gathered to discuss the ideas of the philosophes 2 rococo - artistic style that replaced baroque in the 1730s - highly secular, emphasizing charm, grace, gentle action 3 enlightened absolutism - a system in which rulers tried to govern by Enlightenment principles while maintaining their full royal powers 4 federal system - a form of government in which power is shared between the national and state governments 4 amendment - an alteration (change) proposed or effected by parliamentary or constitutional procedure Key People 1 Ptolemy - greatest ancient astronomer - lived in AD 100s - idea of geocentric heavenly bodies 1 Nicolaus Copernicus - mathematician - idea of heliocentric universe 1 Johannes Kepler - mathematician - developed laws of planetary motion - elliptical 1 Galileo Galilei - mathematician - used telescopes to observe the universe - mountains on the moon, moons around Jupiter - planets were not orbs of light - Catholic Church criticized him for moving away from traditional view of people at the center of the universe 1 Isaac Newton - mathematician - greatest genius of the Scientific Revolution - explained laws of motion - gravity 1 Galen - Greek physician in the AD 100s who dissected animals to learn about human anatomy 1 Andres Vesalius - physician in 16th century who dissected humans to study anatomy - organs 1 William Harvey - physician in the 16th century who discovered the heart was the beginning of blood circulation 1 Blaise Pascal - French scientist who discovered how liquids behaved under pressure - syringe 1 Robert Boyle - chemist who studied how pressure affected the volume of gas 1 Margaret Cavendish - philosopher who attempted to explain scientific processes (written works) 1 Maria Winkelmann - most famous female astronomer in Germany - discovered a comet 1 Rene Descartes - “father of modern rationalism” - French philosopher who determined that mind and matter are completely separated 1 Francis Bacon - English philosopher who developed the Scientific Method 2 John Locke - Englishman who believed everyone was born with a blank mind and that people were molded by their experience, their surroundings 2 Charles-Louis de Secondat, the baron of Montesquieu (Montesquieu) - French noble - developed the idea of separation of powers in government using a system of checks and balances to prevent any one group from becoming too powerful 2 Francois-Marie Arouet (Voltaire) - greatest figure of the Enlightenment - criticized christianity - championed the idea of deism - philosophy based on reason and natural law (followed the idea of Newton’s world machine explanation) 2 Denis Diderot - French writer who wrote the Encyclopedia to challenge the general way of thinking - discussed religious superstitions and supported religious toleration - called for social, legal, political reforms Adam Smith - Scottish philosopher who promoted the concept of laissez-faire - gave government 3 duties 2 Jean-Jacques Rousseau - most famous philosopher of the Enlightenment - developed the idea of a social contract (society governed by the will of the people - all forced to abide by it) 2 Mary Wollstonecraft - English writer who championed women’s right in the Enlightenment 2 Henry Fielding - English writer who wrote novels about people Without morals who survive by their wits 2 John Wesley - developed a new religious movement in England (methodism) - idea of conversion which led to doing good works 2 Balthasar Neumann - one of the greatest 18th century architects 2 Antoine Watteau - artist who used the rococo artistic style 2 Franz Joseph Haydn - Enlightenment musical composer - spent time directing music for the wealthy 2 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - child prodigy - seen as the greatest composer known to Haydn. 3 Frederick William I - Prussian king who maintained a highly efficient bureaucracy of civil service workers and doubled the size of the army during his tenure 3 Frederick II Frederick the Great - best educated monarch - increased the size of the army - used Enlightenment ideas to make some changes to torture procedures and limited freedom of speech and press but kept the rigid serfdom and social structure 3 Empress Maria Theresa - Austrian empress who inherited the throne and worked to improve the condition of the serfs - strengthened the state and centralized its governance. 3 Joseph II - son of Maria Theresa - made widespread changes breason - freed serfs, eliminated the death penalty, established equality of all before the law and enacted religious reforms - - His successors undid his changes. 3 Catherine II - Catherine the Great - ruled russisa - halted Rural reform and serfdom was expanded - expanded the territory of Russia - did not undertake Enlightenment ideas - just talked about them Important concepts 3 The Seven Years’ War - global war fought from 1756-1763 - France allies with Austria and Russia against Britain and Prussia - war was fought in 3 locations (Europe,India,North America) - In the end, all occupied territories were returned to their original owners except Silesia - Austria recognized Prussia’s permanent control of Silesia. 4 British - term that came to refer to both the English and the Scots The United Kingdom of Great Britain came into existence in1707 1 Scientific Revolution - a period of European history in which scien and technological changes helped make advancements in European culture. However, this time period also reflected a change in the way that Europeans viewed themselves
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Aristocracy
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7.4 Aristocracy
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Aristocrat Word Patterns
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3.2.4 The Norman Aristocracy
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Key Documents and Figures in Early American History and Government Save Flashcards Learn Test Blocks Blast Match House of Burgesses The legislature for the Jamestown colony established by the Virginia Company in 1619; it was the first legislative assembly in North America Track progress 1 / 48 Profile Picture Created by Audreybehm1 Created just now Terms in this set (48) Original House of Burgesses The legislature for the Jamestown colony established by the Virginia Company in 1619; it was the first legislative assembly in North America Mayflower Compact The governing document for Plymouth Colony that established forms of self-government for the colonists Magna Carta A document limiting the power of the king of England and guaranteeing certain rights to Englishmen English Bill of Rights A document signed in 1689 that guaranteed the rights of English citizens Enlightenment An eighteenth-century movement inspired by European philosophers who believed that society's problems could be solved by reason and science John Locke Was an English philosopher who wrote Two Treatises of Government. Great Awakening a religious movement in the English colonies during the 1730s and 1740s that was heavily inspired by evangelical preachers Thomas Jefferson Was an American farmer, landholder, author, architect, lawyer, and statesman. He joined the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1768 and began advocating for American independence in the 1770's. Jefferson represented Virginia in the Second Continental Congress, during which time he drafted and revised the Declaration of Independence. He went on to serve as a diplomat to France and as the nation's first secretary of state, second vice president, and third president. Jefferson also founded the University of Virginia. John Hancock Was a Massachusetts statesman who served as the president of the Second Continental Congress. George Washington Worked early on as a surveyor of the Virginia colony. Washington became interested in western expansion in the Ohio Country and invested in the Ohio Company. In 1752, he accepted an appointment to the military as an officer. Two years later, he led a company to drive out the French from Fort Duquesne. Later, he went on to serve as the commander-in-chief of the colonies' Continental Army and to become the first President of the United States. Republican Government a government in which officials are representatives elected by the people; also known as a representative democracy Bill of Rights the first ten amendments to the Constitution, protecting freedoms guaranteed to citizens by the government Articles of Confederation the original federal constitution drafted by the Continental Congress in 1777 Shays' Rebellion a farmers' rebellion, led by Daniel Shays, against higher taxes in Massachusetts Confederation an alliance or league of governments pledged to work together Northwest Territory a vast territory north of the Ohio River and west of Pennsylvania as far as the Mississippi River James Madison Was a Patriot who represented Virginia in the Continental Congress. In 1787, he participated in the Constitutional Convention and was a leading voice in replacing the Articles of Confederation with a new plan for government. For his part in winning passage of the 1787 Constitution, he became known as the Father of the Constitution. Madison went on to serve as Thomas Jefferson's secretary of state and then to become the fourth president of the United States. Checks and Balances a system in which each branch of the government has the power to monitor and limit the actions of the other two Federalism a political system in which power is shared between the national government and state governments The Federalist Papers a series of 85 essays, written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, that explained and defended the Constitution Separation of Powers a principle that divides power among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government Antifederalists one who opposed ratification of the Constitution Virginia Declaration of Rights a document listing the protected rights of Virginians, which was incorporated into the Virginia state constitution in 1776; it influenced a number of later documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights Limited Government a principle stating that the government has only as much authority as the people give it and, therefore, its power is limited; government in which government actions are limited by law John Marshall was the fourth Chief Justice of the United States. After serving under George Washington in the Revolutionary War, including the winter at Valley Forge, Marshall held various law and political positions. As chief justice, Marshall participated in more than 1,000 decisions, writing more than 500 of them himself, often advancing and defending judicial power and the principles of American federalism. Judicial Review the power of the Supreme Court to decide whether acts of a president or laws passed by Congress are constitutional Louisiana Purchase the 1803 purchase from France by the United States of the territory between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains Monroe Doctrine a foreign policy doctrine set forth by President Monroe in 1823 that discouraged European intervention in the Western Hemisphere Andrew Jackson was an American military officer before serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, and finally as the seventh U.S. President from 1829 to 1837. As a general in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812, Jackson successfully defended New Orleans. As President, he vetoed the renewal of the charter of the Bank of the United States, opposed the nullification issue in South Carolina, and initiated the spoils system. Nullification a theory that states could nullify, or void, any federal law they deemed unconstitutional Indian Removal Act an act passed by Congress in 1830 that allowed the federal government to negotiate land exchanges with the American Indians in the Southeast Trail of Tears an act passed by Congress in 1830 that allowed the federal government to negotiate land exchanges with the American Indians in the Southeast Panic of 1837 the start of a prolonged downturn in the American economy touched off by changes in government policy Alexis de Tocqueville was a French aristocrat whose travels in the United States in the 1830's resulted in the publication of Democracy in America, an influential analysis of American politics. Industrial Revolution a shift from manual labor to mechanized work that began in Great Britain during the 1700's and spread to the United States around 1800 Underground Railroad a system that existed before the Civil War in which African American and white abolitionists helped people trying to escape enslavement travel to safe areas in the North and in Canada Abolitionists reformers who advocated a complete end to slavery Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland and escaped to the North in 1838. In 1841, he spontaneously shared his experiences of enslavement at an antislavery convention, and he soon became a speaker for the abolitionist cause. His autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, first published in 1845, reached still more people. During the Civil War, Douglass worked as an adviser to President Lincoln. Douglass also lent strong support to the women's movement. Second Great Awakening a religious revival movement in the first half of the 1800s Lucretia Mott was deeply committed to the ideal of reform. Known for her effective public speaking, she traveled the country promoting abolition. Frustrated by attempts to limit women's involvement in reform, Mott turned her attention to women's rights in the 1840's. She worked with Elizabeth Cady Stanton to organize the Seneca Falls Convention. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a lively and often fiery crusader for women's rights. While raising a growing family, she worked with Lucretia Mott and others to organize the Seneca Falls Convention. From the beginning, she pushed for women to fight for the right to vote, helping shape the direction of the movement for years to come. Declaration of Sentiments a document created at the Seneca Fall Convention in 1848 that demanded equal rights for women Susan B. Anthony was a campaigner for reforms and civil rights throughout her life. At different times she took up the cause of abolition, temperance, and working women's rights. But it is for the cause of woman suffrage that Anthony is best known. In 1869, she and her friend, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, formed the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), which led to over 30 years of relentless lecture tours, lobbying, and civil disobedience geared toward gaining the vote for women. Suffrage the right to vote Manifest Destiny the 19th century doctrine that westward expansion of the United States was not only inevitable but a God-given right Sam Houston was the only American to serve as governor of two different states—first Tennessee, then Texas. In between, he was commander of the Texan army, president of the Republic of Texas, and U.S. senator from Texas. Although an enslaver, Houston opposed the spread of slavery into the West. He was removed from the governorship of Texas after speaking out against Texas seceding from the Union. James K. Polk was a lawyer and politician who served as the 11th president of the United States from 1845 to 1849. Before being elected President, Polk served in the Tennessee legislature and as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. As President, Polk led the United States through the Mexican-American War, resulting in the United States gaining large territories along the Pacific coast and in the Southwest. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo the 1848 treaty ending the Mexican-American War Add or remove terms Learn More You can also click the terms or definitions to blur or reveal them Review with an activity About us About Quizlet How Quizlet works Careers Advertise with us Get the app For students Flashcards Test Learn Solutions Modern Learning Lab Quizlet Plus Study Guides Pomodoro timer For teachers Live Blog Be the Change Quizlet Plus for teachers Resources Help center Honor code Community guidelines Terms Privacy California Privacy Your Privacy/Cookie Choices Ads and Cookie Settings Interest-Based Advertising Quizlet for Schools Parents Language English (USA) © 2025 Quizlet, Inc. COPPA Safe Harbor Certification seal Home Your library Notifications 5 Your courses AP Psychology Advanced Chemist... Honors Algebra 2 New folder Start here Flashcards Study Guides Practice Tests Expert Solutions Home Your library Notifications 5 AP Psychology Advanced Chemist... 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4 - The Aristocratic Revolt
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The Norman aristocracy
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The end of English aristocracy
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than that I'nique. I think I would write a name and we cross the rental for past at do period, so like, it is us out of taking off or dealing with all of the logistics, so far, um you are still kind of getting devil or have anything else to figure out on terms of uh, just a piece adistration, conferences, anything else, uh, as usual, um, just, act and lecture or send me an email there's a few little things that I still working out, but hopefully to get settled for all of you. Um, last thing you just wanna say, thank you for your first discussion of us. They were just like specialasure read and, like, showed me how many different ways you're all being with us novel uh, and I now I like, oh, I wish you had another hour. I'm talking with this one. keep talking about it? um but we'll definitely touch on one of the things that you read in your post. today and when, um next week we're moving on to another reading, but we'll have your first conferences and that'll be a chance to talk about that kid's reading by all that really everything that we've discussed so far, so pull on to you all of these ideas that you're having. Okay, um, so today, we're gonna be a no happening, we're gonna talk about some of theorical contacts that can have us understand passing, like what's happening in the novel. Uh, and then we're gonna die further into the text of acting of what Laren is doing with this concept ofaba. Um, first, I just wanted to briefly touch on something that Irene referended in the novel, but that in this outside, it'sersen, using a novel so it references Comicorn, a little piece of history. We have I read thinking at one point, when she's worrying about Claire and correct and she's becoming, uh, and the problem of playing becomes three of her husband Rob, said, what is Luc there? He, was under eight the eight, uh, at the time that Larson was writing, passing, the rhyler case was sort of like a recent new sensation or almost like a celebrity spectacle in New York City. um, and the reason that Irene refers to it in the novel is because of the he centered around a white man who is married to a black woman who could pass her wife. uh, and the question in the rhyment her face was was she has, or did her husband, in fact, already know that she would lack? Uh, I was had like a little brief synopsis of this thing, and they' li. uh up on my versus if you wanted to read more about this soon. a fascinating story. So, in 1921, a wealthy young white man named Kit Reinellander, met Alice Jones, who was working class an racial black women. Rein Linder, the ris guy only, did not like this relationship. the two elopes in 1924, and soon after, because Bryander was part of this aristocratic family, uh, the news paint it up and published a story titled Bradland's son, and Mary is the daughter of a color name. and this led to his father finding out about the marriage and forcing his son to file for an annullment, uh, and then there were all these purpose meetings that began. And in this suit, Kitinlanders side attempted to prove that Alice had to defauded Kit using sex to gain access to hisalth. And social position. um, and then this became, as I said, kind of a big news story and cultural identity that because the right of her family was sort of celebrated being of family and because there were so many intimate details here in the court in the news about their marriage and also about Alex, um and this currently pretty preceding into all. Alice, for her side, I had been single case. She admitted to be black and she insisted that Kip had been aware of it. um and in the end, some surprisingly for the moment of by the court decided in Alice's favor and three, that KI had actually known of her blackness all along, so he was not the victim of any thought. In this case, he was not at the woman who wasying about being white. It was her husband lying about his knowledge about it. And so this is like just another variation of all these birds, like convoluted situations that arose in the midst of the American conception with the color line with racial purity and with racial power. and this is like, you just like another piece of helpful background as we head back into the novel of our characters, um, in our case, player is passing the way, and her husband, John, as far as we know, up to a point, does not have any clue that clear is black. Um, and even though this is the setup, Larsen does something to sort of what, electrify us early on, when she sets the scene with strong balloon and drink the roof and the dressingla this web. Hello, was John's reading player. Um, and I' using that that meansalonate, he's using probably obviously a variation of a regial slarity and word, right? And so this immediately creates like, great confusion for Ine and perjury who are sitting there. uh, and Claire and quickly has to explain why husband is calling you that. Her black eyes let her down. Tell them here, why you call me eyes. The man chuckled, make up his eyes, not I madeless compelled acknowledgepleasantly. He explained, well, you see, it like this, when the first married she was white as well as white as a lily. But I did lay she's getting darker and darker. I tell her if she don't look out, she'll wake up one of these days and find she her and with Edward. Heared with laughter. Claire' ringing bell light laughing his then a little later on. My goodness Jack, what difference would it make it after all these years, you were to find out that I was more than she present color. The put out his hand and refudiating flame definite and final. Oh, no, he declared, nothing like that with me. I know you known, so far right, you can get that slack as you please as far as I concerned, since I know you no. I draw the line back, the open pen words in my family ever happen and never will. Okay, how does our protagonist Irene experience this scene and how does she feel watching it? Yes.. There's. I couldn't. She's sitting at the TV party, you just kind of watching me not even even a while, put the most. But I it upset me, she doesn't know if she can speak up without real very nature. Yes, so she's like having to her appearance, like like looking around and deep confusion and disments. down because like the translated almost like half rest and comments that Cla Gertrude pick up on because the three of them are passing, and you can kind of tell that Claire has a lost experience with it has a conversation because she had she handles it a lot better than Irene does, um, and yeah, if you see all this in totalal turmoil and it keeps out a little bit in intercom conversations. Yes, right, so you trying to be her cool, but they're always like it is irrepressibleomas the sense of way, what the hell is happening here in player like aA... Claire husband to explain why would she bring up that conversation in the I? If she, oh, my husband has absolutely no idea. just for me.ger to know that idea. Why folks think? Why? Why will 30 this? There so many different ideas? few folks in the French? What are you things are? why in the read I Pandora. And all the soation and friends or what we actually. there' exposition to us a reader and to having. Yes, okay, so right, so she's like doing this like to them, like, there is there is a context here for this. Okay, there's a lot of kids and I go, here, here, maybe just go there.. as well. I is trying up all theoth or like making joke from the. because people aren has that beatified for her because she spent all this time for this performance and. And now she does advantage of this route. she work in. Yes. making a joke of her husband, right? why would she create this situation to begin with? so there's a way in which, like, there are different audiences and she created an audience to watch it un full.. sounds like, I g said, oh, you should spot, you know, uh, fire, you layer in my one pass the approaches it is like, you know, those, you don't know, but whatever really you can dola is, so it's like almost like red flag or alarms or something like battery knock and probably at me like, oh my God, like they kind of like on the closed and like my love. They're like email and they like not, everything that happens to Claire because they share this identity, that it's all black men who are can't ask for life, like anything that happening, it is like, immediately there's an implication of what this means for the other in characters. Yes. all this field are sheets like player? because um, like the she wants sitting for a her, our players trying for. and the other player wants to like more hard I his life. um, and it it feels like he's like giving a little taste like this is time, whatever med. So, like, why don't you let me your like a little more psychling real life? Yes, right, so there in which, like, maybe she showing up and like, making a joke at these I' heard a thing that there's another way she's like look at my situation, like this I live in I, uh, but it's both, right, at the same time... This is my back that. I contin what as I Yes, right. She's doing this like dance and shifting the position, uh, by by creating this and this is really dangerous essentially situation, um and and letting her friends in on it. Um, and there is this sense, right that there is, you know, danger in the scene, there is ultimately something that disturbing, but one of the involved is that I may not progress is like this this knowing lap, right? that kind of comes over earth room too, um, because there's something absurd about watching the scene, um, at one point, like Irene's lips trembled almost arm full of, but she made a desperate effort to fight after disastrider laugh and succeeded, um, and then jumped down a little bit, she's looking at her from grocery clear littleressed down a for a. I mean wish there was brief size through she feared by her self comprolled thatiled toridge for her notating anger and in that indignation. So there's like laughter and there's anger and indignation. She had a weepingiety to shout at the manip her and you're sitting here surrounded by three black devils during the teeth. So it does seem, right? that there's a joke and on notolute. He is awake and he is so sure that he would never have a black person in his family or in his house, but in reality, he is sitting there and has a black life, he has the black daughter, and there are two other black men sitting in the are and yet, they all of these women that are just referred to, player, Irene, recru, and and Claara Marjorie, all look white. How are they black? you can turn off, right. Okay, so there's sense in which a appearance is not the only way in which raises being decided, right? That becomes very clear. You can look at way as player and somehow collect Yes. you know, like like slide when you have a conversation down with the blue and it said, like, oh, and players said, what I was large, you color. And he says, well, you know, like, that's not simply means I never not that. So it's not even having, like, that like, DNA more like, you know, that like, it's the not even like it's I I don't even know like what definition is anymore because documentaries is not about, you know, having the access here, you not having that, what countries like, oh, I don't care about how you look, I don't care about you know, what's what's your ancest, you like be somebody else and something like. Yeah, it's really confusing.ired it just that John Lulu by being away, he's so sure he would go, right? There was no way she was getting away with the one or two percent colors in this case, uh, right? Um, but something weird is going on with this definition. two are men and then weonse yet. I think we need lots of different maybe people compared to the John tell the version of of push of the media of excuses. So I think with the women is that someoundaries, here, um the and also I mean for help uh, like, that their response to the outage show and how Yeah, right there are like, so many different ways that race is playing has an identity, but also have like a legal construction and also as a maybe like cartoon characteristic of what blackness is.. I don't know for what like one rule decide, um, who who wasn't? One, but under the law, there was the more, where ne the color lion have already in identities that forces you into one or the other. Yes, so this is exactly where we're headed. This is the streaming I understand, yet how he got to this place in the 1920s, where there are three white open women and all of them are apparently black. In the 1920s, this idea that right even just a tiny percentage of black ancestry made a person black um was part of a law, right? So that is happening in all of these acts were regional integrity acts laws that are prostating American deceased, uh, including in 1984 in Virginia, uh laws like the Virginia racial Integrity act outlawedational marriage and defined a white person as someone who has no pri whatsoever of any one whether than not. Right? And what is that that talk about? Um, and then there are other laws that defined lackers that owned with any trace, right? It could be, 116, uh, a black ancestry remain on. At least kind of law were as they said, white friend across the US and they also extended our back into American history street, one of the first laws that to do this work of criminalizing racial effect on the marriage, uh and defining ways by this strange formula heredity was in 1652 in a specular event. Um we often think about race as something visible, and in any case, it was a uh, but here, right we're seeing that the in terms of the law, uh, we'reology with very technical, legal, and then often invisible ideas of race and of blackness. My question is, and this has already come out a little bit irresponses, but why would Americans come up with such a thing convoluted and frame and specific and some type invisible concepts of race? I? Okay, this is funny back to Elizabeth comment, right? This has to do with the history of Americans labvery. So to answer the session, we're going on a little detour as we as do, as that how my minders. Um, we're going to go back a little bit and think about American slavery and how it works as a racial and social system. Slavery created generations and generations of makes people because, despite all of this talk about the rigid color line, slaveholders systematically crossed. I said on Wednesday that Frosted season on Monday, that Crossing the color line, especially in terms of sexual relationships, what is dangerous and needed as that is true for lacking and sometimes for, and afterately we waited, put and did allwise really violently and systematically. What did this look like? In active events that slaveholders were continuallyaping and they sexual violence was an endemic feature of the system of American slavery. It was not a random event that I approved in some cases of kind. it was a structural part of the system of American slavery. And this kind of knew that sexual violence often led to the murder of a rac children. So when these children were born, they were not considered by their fathers to be their children, they were considered to be their properties, right? Because their mothers then laid those children were and his laid. So imagine as it is a you know, 300 plus year mystery of slavery at there time generations and generations of people who were enslaved and considered to be black, but who look more and more white. This can be really hard to visualize the fact because I need the race, like they shift in different comments, they' shipped at time, we have pretty visual idea of race in the present. Uh, but this these photos for me of us a little bit to understand this. um all of the children in these two photographs were bored into slavery and all of them are considered property and all of that were consideringat. But probably to our eyes, only one of these children as looks black. So when these image of showing us is, again, like a strangeness of racing America. It's really like the fiction of race, of problems of race. We have this idea of rigid color line and then we have this social world that totally always by it. It is like a central problemating America, and it is at part of our 20th as. But it is also at the heart of the first ever African American novelot. Closelle for private's daughter, and they are mostly life was published by a for Lady author William Wells Brown in the 1856, of Phil during safety. um, and it again, at the the first factor all, this very clearly had aitional novel. It's a novel, it's written, it's a perfect of showingagos sla reading the need to project. Uh, the fact that this is the first act there in novel is a good reminder for us that novels, whether they are written by our Americans or by other groups, have not really miss it. Novels are enired or so story different from the literature, how all existed, but novels did not become kind of a cohereric form of that are literature, uh of writing until about the 18th century in Western European culture and then they started to become a major feature of Western European culture, cultureuring art aircraft the 19th century. and writing novels have is like longer durraysans in which histori can take place, and there' group or multiple different kind of stories. This is not super important about us today we're gonna come back see the conduct a lot of this then. but uh this is an important for sit situation in the 20th century where novels aren't one important for getting this little detour we taking the 19th century. Okay. back tootap. Uh, what I said is for novel and it takes up this problem of race and the problem of passing as central issue. Um Some of you here a red hotels and you know that it's like, a very convoluted and melodramatic story. um so we're not gonna do aopsis of this if you're curious, go recoel. um, but it's not that if we' for our course. I just wanna briefly introduce you to a central character in enslaved woman name hotel. This isotel as sheears about your soul. The appearance of Plotel on oct in deep sensation amongst the crow. There she stood in the complexion as light as most of those who are waiting with the wish shouldn' not referisers. The auctionireized by saying that Miss Futel had been observed for the last because she was the most valuable. how much, generally? Well, we're m meant to understand here is that, first of all, the towels of white, that is that the hotel is specially valuable because she looks like, and third, that this value attached to looking weight is sexualized, right? We get this very congestive how less g with it. Um, and this idea that played women were lighter reflection, including white acting, had special sexual values, um, was, again, a feature of this is of American slavery. Because of her lacis and also the other values white and, uh, she is persecuted across this o, which leads to a fact and laborer. She attempts to esclavery, that she gets caught and rather than go back to her factors, she chooses to to wep off the bridge for herck. So this is an illustration of that. This is like hotels weep ack. What did you with this? You might be at the Dr. D NOR. This week in the context of hot is morally righteous, right? She sort of a thing here. The cause of her death is slavery and her choice to die is, as I said, morally righteous, because it's protesting againstly and that means that within the context of the 19th century acad abolitionist dog. Uh, we can get a little bit of this, um, just from the way that lay brown wrote this right. There's no hope for aake for her down the passage. Her resolution was taken. She clasped her hands convulsively and raised them as she, at the same time raised her eyes for its heaven and begged for that mercy and compassion there, which had been denied her on earth, and then, with a single bound, she vaulted over the railings of the bridge and subbed forever beneath the ways of the river, thus died lowau. Okay. So this is a little bit of backstory and literary history that's going to help us understand where we are in our novel and how it ends. And we'll just say briefly that this is not the only novel that our literature that keeps up these issues of acid um, where a lot of really important and central novels of early actingary literature that do this, asking is one of them and then we're gonna read another one about to meet laugh more. This is all behind Ella Larson as she writing happy, and she is engaging with this literary history, but she's also complicating the story, right? I read Redfield and Cla Henry are not martyr characters by any right, the problems that they have are not only caused by outside forces. They have also caused by an own desires and wait. So, rather than writing a novel where black womenomes sort of like the vehicles for explloring an issue like slavery or race or racism. Larsen makes race and racism and passing into a being able or even like a backdrop or exploring black women, and their interiority. and they are desired potentially needed their fear, their anger, and and then ultimately their violence. We see both of these characters, sorry out, but what they are to each other and stay the missions, right? I read in the black world, players in the white, but over time their divisions were like he in by one another. um, andir, at least from our perspective, is getting too close, right? Irene, um, on getting rid of player. So, how does this like, break down in start from thisantingopter in and we talked about on Monday, there's thisensive great attraction in the beginning atoration and the sense that Irene was kind of like, not resist the thrall of player, but at some point in the novel, I mean starts to feel differently, and she becomes ultimately to consumed by Claire as a problem. Where are some of the scen that we start to see this happen for uh yeah, where are some of the turning points in the novel where he gets this ri.t. and I think this happened like somebody to going out, like not a highly lot, but you laugh and youulated things how much else if they really doing without me without. I mean, she like, you know, she's so over on cat I, and then was. Yes, right. So, at some point around an invitation that she wasn't part of, Irene begins to believe that there's a fair. But she have evidence of this fair as what I agree, and then also, we have beers like, do we have of an affair, what what did you think about? like, the truth or reality of theear? I kind of interpreted Irena's a bit of an unreliable narrator. It felt like she was telling them story that had already happened. So maybe her act of the end of the novel influences how she's remembering things and trying to justify why she would have pushed a clear in the end. So she's looking at her while they laughed at each other, so that was a sign and when she's at the party and few kind of corroborates how she feels, you see a little bit more about unreliable narrator or what that means to feel? Um when they're presenting things with objective, but their emotions and personality are actually shaping, what what evidence that preventing you and what descriptors they're using?, that's a really good way of it, so we have she is she's basically our in the sense that like she's the as we've talked about, but the character of his perspective, we're really close to. um and we start to have a approx novel see that there is like a discrepancy between her internal thought process and what is available to us as what evidence of what's happening outside of her, um and so the more and more we start to see that, like we have a little bit alienated from Irene, uh, and so, right, the reality of any of her statements, um, have comes into some question. um, so we don't necessarily know what this affair was um, other than what Irene either think it was or justified the FDA. Yeah. kind of operating? he was maybe for a bit, but I think last class mentioned how she really called Claire beautiful. and how now is that Ryan is somewhat clear and not much evidence of a ware, but maybe if she was in his position, she would find clear in my so there is a question of like whose desire is actually at the center of this, right and Brian was kind of like taking the ball for things that are going on early player, and she's rejecting herself and she comes another very good as one way that we could be. northern hand.. I think like, in terms of like there being any evidence, the only thing that I kind of pull out was the fact that like, they kept going to like parties and stuff without Irene. So, like, if we are gonna give her some of the benefit of the doubt, there is that weird kind of tension that appears when, like, even when Irene is not interested in going, Brian and Claire are still going to these things and Claire spent a lot of time at their home, even when Irene isn't there. So I I do think that, like, yes, the evidence is very sparse, but I can understand how she comes to this conclusions given her perception of what's happening between them., right? There's a little bit Iree, but there is a general sense of what happened and how becomes greater and greater. Oh, I was gonna say uh the one we're being like a ton wild narrator, it's I think it's interesting that she's like totally certain and positive, that like it is happening and even one you trying to like, identify the evidence and she's like, oh, there is it really that much other than maybe I guess it Brian earlier in the all says he doesn't think Claire, is that all with that what I spot later, he's kind of let it sit. And then at the end he's obviously like very distressed. But I think the fact that she just totally dismisses the fact that like, there is't actually that much evidence and she still have certain positive speaks that kind of unreviability little bit.... We are less to one very like what is really at the part of this because what she's going on is maybe not sufficient to to clarify um the problem as she sees it. Um Okay, I have a little off track here in. more. tired until that like he's in very cold family. And so that for old vanity yet what and also afterwards, we can there for months and the right you're getting to look down here. like they there is reasonable doubt about this, and that is just like, I don't really powerful look back about as readers, because we are now we are psychological problems.. I'm not analyst. I remember what was talking about that we really do better and I with that best of families, but from reality having theirairs way of justifying that oh, I I have ruin in my husband life, but if lived in on I thought I commit to Asia, whoa, that's.. Right, okay, so Claire is the problem when they're marriedriage, they might have just had problems in the marriage.. I was a little bit crazy and controlling, especially in her husband, like infe. I' of admitting that the wrong husbandrop. And so I really felt that my. Yes, so great and all of these things are are created by Larson's writing, right? Larsen, who gives us this perspective of Irene, which at the beginning, we are sympathetic to, we we have no reason not to trust, and then she warped our character more and more, and they are all these like critical moments in which the the consciousness, the interiority by being starts to become a place that we has readers are not as comfortable being in, one of those things happens that some of you commented on at the party at Hughes, um, with the breaking of a tea. One is to look at this scene. So, you get a green right into itself, uh, and then let the break that happens in reality, a literal break. Her mental andvisible langu receive it right. What did it mean? How would it affect her in the voice? The voice? She had a surgery. It had been. feeling ofolute uninverted quality. Actually, she didn't have counted. She was to him only the mother of her s of his son. That was all. alone, she was not worse than obstacle. Rage boiled up in her. It was a slight crash on the floor at her feet laid as shadow cup. dark seeing guide the bright grubs, red, shad shock, went on. The fore hers doeta gathered up the white dragons. As from the distance, youword flip voice hanger, though he was she was aware somehow miraculously at the side. Sorry to apologize, that I pushed you. plenty of me. don't tell me it's priceless and you are placeable. It hurts, dear God, how they hurt, but she couldn't think of that nap. Okay, so I want you to tell me how the theme is playing out internally and externally, like, what's happening inside I readhe and then what's happening? between characters and the room and how is it that we're switching back and forth between the two? Like, what what characterizes the writing here were how many who comes sentence that woman over? Yeah. I like, we're getting a lot our head the sentences are we cur and so like we' physically very small uh, and then it was very well on the tiger and there committed. And then all of a sudden there playing actual different of external things that are hurring in the world like, you person it says it clear what it is says, uh, and I guess, but basically it's just written't.. This is like a breakdown of her internal world and we're getting into like short drag sentences. And the other thing like soued with the problem in your life that, like, you're not aware of what's happening with a person sitting next to you or of theity or like, maybe all like what you're teacher ising in front of the room, like, you have a really big problem going on. and so you're at your internal world and then something might happen and you are snackpped out of it and you're suddenly disoriented of like, oh, what's happening in front of me? You live next to me? The voice of Hugh sounds like it's far away, but miraculously he's right there. And so these are some of these moments where we start to say,Ine, is maybe not so reliable, Irene is high that. And then he makes his life kind of icy and cold and a little bit frightening turn in which describes the cuff. Didn't you notice that cup? Well, you're lucky it would be other saying thatcestors were charming conf own. Iotten how many thousands of years ago was that's brand on the ele has I had a little war history, it was brought marked by other. Oh, all right, the English be you call it the underback. I' coming to the fact that I' never figured out a way to get rid of it until about five minutes ago, I had an inspiration. I only had to break it and I was of it forever. So it simple and I never thought of it before. So, what do you hear in this explanation? that she's giving to you? Yeah. She's using the for more, so basicallyolve the way change. That.... getair is she gonna do something else, right? this year. like how comes up, right start everything is having over the course of a series of the conversation. There two other. I think representation of player and how I. I want to get rid of there, she talk about all. And kind of reverse, I think earlier to help when the teacup is, which could also refer to Claire's passing. um, and I' almost like that spoil the end. Yeah, this is foreshadowing for the end for when I bring them up, like cushing clear sort of out of the windowows, like killingberg. I thought this was kind of foreshadowing for that as well.. something for not made it the end, I apologize to you, but there's no real way to talk about this novel without talking about the ending. um, it will still be shocking when you read it if you haven't gotten there yet. And but we're gonna talk about the ending with the end of our time. Now, it all fells crashing gap. Remember in the beginning, we have Irene ascending to the top of the green end, we have all of this movement up there. and then at the very end, we have all of the charactersembled at the top of the building, and the revelation that clear and then passing, uh, because her husband, John Doulouse storms into the room. He says, so you're in Ed order to Dan Edward and his voice was a snarl, and a mode, an expression, of ray and the everything was in confusion. The man had sprread forward, police had lected between them and the blue. She said quickly, hereful, you're the only white man here. And the silver silver voice, as well as of her words was a warning. Players stood at the window as composed as an everyone were not staring at her and curiosity and li, as if the whole structure of their life were not high in practice and for her. She seemed u aware of any danger or uncaring. There was even a same smile on her full red lips and the under shining eyes. was that smile that maddened by reading, she ran across the room her coting with foccity and laid a hand on players of their arms, One thought was exper. She couldn't have Claire and repacified by the Lou. she couldn't have the free Before there stood John Lewis speechless now in his f neighbor, on them, the little hudd of other people and Ryan stepping out from among them. What happened next Irene never afterwards allowed her to remember, never clearly one moment there and then if, a vital flowing thing, like a flame of red and bold. the next, she was gone. There was a cast before and above it the sound not by human, like aast in abey, nig by God, big. Okay, women happened here? Do we have we have love closely and the list between the we know that our have not slow it all in high foot high is slowly evolving in matter, but also, ever since being do throughout the heat and how the sub is. So we don't know who she is. is in the D or is so overwhelmed over the ir culturer. We don't want it being claim to not of itself. I mean it is not on herself and she won't herself whatever, right? And then yet she has the softway face of right here that the service are about really high correct by, the whole forgery loving, loveliness, clear, Henry. How do we maybe think about this ending this ambiguity of the ending in relation to that story, that I go about? Like, what kind of ending did I show you there and what kind of ending is this for a character who kind of constituively is of the same type? That's almost for where I do all of really. It a position already had this plan place that ever found out she wanted to beency and she had to loseation. So this she she just. Okay, so there's medally in which this, like hotel is a lead to freo, we could say maybe this is like, right doing something in here, or it might be something up, other thoughts and thought and that. I when I was reading it awfully, okay, so what happens to her? Um, so we have final like multiple different athletes are basically the have on standard as like CN time. you have I just that at the end fire. I see the fire Yeah, I after this is a broad looking of uh this, she seems just so calm about whole situation so it be, you. It's and ambiguous. One person back. towards freedom because she get the bird can clear she a my knowledge, then she will be home free, but even when like, he did find out she still didn't really succeeded maybe she killed. Yeah, it's all right. So there's like, as opposed to a heroic ending, a morally righteous ending, we are left to wonder it where that her death by being pusbur over death, um the place that the lay right on the ground at the bottom of the sky creaper is like burt and a dark and wathering. um so again, we are not looking at stories that tell us a problem and a solution, we are staying inside of a problem. we are going to end. I want to just prepping for next week, we're shifting years and reading totally a very different kind of stories. But the thing that might help us make this week is to think about laughter in this novel, who is laughing because laughter is gonna be at the center of the that piece. Okay, that a all. Thank you. so much (copy) (copy)
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than that I'nique. I think I would write a name and we cross the rental for past at do period, so like, it is us out of taking off or dealing with all of the logistics, so far, um you are still kind of getting devil or have anything else to figure out on terms of uh, just a piece adistration, conferences, anything else, uh, as usual, um, just, act and lecture or send me an email there's a few little things that I still working out, but hopefully to get settled for all of you. Um, last thing you just wanna say, thank you for your first discussion of us. They were just like specialasure read and, like, showed me how many different ways you're all being with us novel uh, and I now I like, oh, I wish you had another hour. I'm talking with this one. keep talking about it? um but we'll definitely touch on one of the things that you read in your post. today and when, um next week we're moving on to another reading, but we'll have your first conferences and that'll be a chance to talk about that kid's reading by all that really everything that we've discussed so far, so pull on to you all of these ideas that you're having. Okay, um, so today, we're gonna be a no happening, we're gonna talk about some of theorical contacts that can have us understand passing, like what's happening in the novel. Uh, and then we're gonna die further into the text of acting of what Laren is doing with this concept ofaba. Um, first, I just wanted to briefly touch on something that Irene referended in the novel, but that in this outside, it'sersen, using a novel so it references Comicorn, a little piece of history. We have I read thinking at one point, when she's worrying about Claire and correct and she's becoming, uh, and the problem of playing becomes three of her husband Rob, said, what is Luc there? He, was under eight the eight, uh, at the time that Larson was writing, passing, the rhyler case was sort of like a recent new sensation or almost like a celebrity spectacle in New York City. um, and the reason that Irene refers to it in the novel is because of the he centered around a white man who is married to a black woman who could pass her wife. uh, and the question in the rhyment her face was was she has, or did her husband, in fact, already know that she would lack? Uh, I was had like a little brief synopsis of this thing, and they' li. uh up on my versus if you wanted to read more about this soon. a fascinating story. So, in 1921, a wealthy young white man named Kit Reinellander, met Alice Jones, who was working class an racial black women. Rein Linder, the ris guy only, did not like this relationship. the two elopes in 1924, and soon after, because Bryander was part of this aristocratic family, uh, the news paint it up and published a story titled Bradland's son, and Mary is the daughter of a color name. and this led to his father finding out about the marriage and forcing his son to file for an annullment, uh, and then there were all these purpose meetings that began. And in this suit, Kitinlanders side attempted to prove that Alice had to defauded Kit using sex to gain access to hisalth. And social position. um, and then this became, as I said, kind of a big news story and cultural identity that because the right of her family was sort of celebrated being of family and because there were so many intimate details here in the court in the news about their marriage and also about Alex, um and this currently pretty preceding into all. Alice, for her side, I had been single case. She admitted to be black and she insisted that Kip had been aware of it. um and in the end, some surprisingly for the moment of by the court decided in Alice's favor and three, that KI had actually known of her blackness all along, so he was not the victim of any thought. In this case, he was not at the woman who wasying about being white. It was her husband lying about his knowledge about it. And so this is like just another variation of all these birds, like convoluted situations that arose in the midst of the American conception with the color line with racial purity and with racial power. and this is like, you just like another piece of helpful background as we head back into the novel of our characters, um, in our case, player is passing the way, and her husband, John, as far as we know, up to a point, does not have any clue that clear is black. Um, and even though this is the setup, Larsen does something to sort of what, electrify us early on, when she sets the scene with strong balloon and drink the roof and the dressingla this web. Hello, was John's reading player. Um, and I' using that that meansalonate, he's using probably obviously a variation of a regial slarity and word, right? And so this immediately creates like, great confusion for Ine and perjury who are sitting there. uh, and Claire and quickly has to explain why husband is calling you that. Her black eyes let her down. Tell them here, why you call me eyes. The man chuckled, make up his eyes, not I madeless compelled acknowledgepleasantly. He explained, well, you see, it like this, when the first married she was white as well as white as a lily. But I did lay she's getting darker and darker. I tell her if she don't look out, she'll wake up one of these days and find she her and with Edward. Heared with laughter. Claire' ringing bell light laughing his then a little later on. My goodness Jack, what difference would it make it after all these years, you were to find out that I was more than she present color. The put out his hand and refudiating flame definite and final. Oh, no, he declared, nothing like that with me. I know you known, so far right, you can get that slack as you please as far as I concerned, since I know you no. I draw the line back, the open pen words in my family ever happen and never will. Okay, how does our protagonist Irene experience this scene and how does she feel watching it? Yes.. There's. I couldn't. She's sitting at the TV party, you just kind of watching me not even even a while, put the most. But I it upset me, she doesn't know if she can speak up without real very nature. Yes, so she's like having to her appearance, like like looking around and deep confusion and disments. down because like the translated almost like half rest and comments that Cla Gertrude pick up on because the three of them are passing, and you can kind of tell that Claire has a lost experience with it has a conversation because she had she handles it a lot better than Irene does, um, and yeah, if you see all this in totalal turmoil and it keeps out a little bit in intercom conversations. Yes, right, so you trying to be her cool, but they're always like it is irrepressibleomas the sense of way, what the hell is happening here in player like aA... Claire husband to explain why would she bring up that conversation in the I? If she, oh, my husband has absolutely no idea. just for me.ger to know that idea. Why folks think? Why? Why will 30 this? There so many different ideas? few folks in the French? What are you things are? why in the read I Pandora. And all the soation and friends or what we actually. there' exposition to us a reader and to having. Yes, okay, so right, so she's like doing this like to them, like, there is there is a context here for this. Okay, there's a lot of kids and I go, here, here, maybe just go there.. as well. I is trying up all theoth or like making joke from the. because people aren has that beatified for her because she spent all this time for this performance and. And now she does advantage of this route. she work in. Yes. making a joke of her husband, right? why would she create this situation to begin with? so there's a way in which, like, there are different audiences and she created an audience to watch it un full.. sounds like, I g said, oh, you should spot, you know, uh, fire, you layer in my one pass the approaches it is like, you know, those, you don't know, but whatever really you can dola is, so it's like almost like red flag or alarms or something like battery knock and probably at me like, oh my God, like they kind of like on the closed and like my love. They're like email and they like not, everything that happens to Claire because they share this identity, that it's all black men who are can't ask for life, like anything that happening, it is like, immediately there's an implication of what this means for the other in characters. Yes. all this field are sheets like player? because um, like the she wants sitting for a her, our players trying for. and the other player wants to like more hard I his life. um, and it it feels like he's like giving a little taste like this is time, whatever med. So, like, why don't you let me your like a little more psychling real life? Yes, right, so there in which, like, maybe she showing up and like, making a joke at these I' heard a thing that there's another way she's like look at my situation, like this I live in I, uh, but it's both, right, at the same time... This is my back that. I contin what as I Yes, right. She's doing this like dance and shifting the position, uh, by by creating this and this is really dangerous essentially situation, um and and letting her friends in on it. Um, and there is this sense, right that there is, you know, danger in the scene, there is ultimately something that disturbing, but one of the involved is that I may not progress is like this this knowing lap, right? that kind of comes over earth room too, um, because there's something absurd about watching the scene, um, at one point, like Irene's lips trembled almost arm full of, but she made a desperate effort to fight after disastrider laugh and succeeded, um, and then jumped down a little bit, she's looking at her from grocery clear littleressed down a for a. I mean wish there was brief size through she feared by her self comprolled thatiled toridge for her notating anger and in that indignation. So there's like laughter and there's anger and indignation. She had a weepingiety to shout at the manip her and you're sitting here surrounded by three black devils during the teeth. So it does seem, right? that there's a joke and on notolute. He is awake and he is so sure that he would never have a black person in his family or in his house, but in reality, he is sitting there and has a black life, he has the black daughter, and there are two other black men sitting in the are and yet, they all of these women that are just referred to, player, Irene, recru, and and Claara Marjorie, all look white. How are they black? you can turn off, right. Okay, so there's sense in which a appearance is not the only way in which raises being decided, right? That becomes very clear. You can look at way as player and somehow collect Yes. you know, like like slide when you have a conversation down with the blue and it said, like, oh, and players said, what I was large, you color. And he says, well, you know, like, that's not simply means I never not that. So it's not even having, like, that like, DNA more like, you know, that like, it's the not even like it's I I don't even know like what definition is anymore because documentaries is not about, you know, having the access here, you not having that, what countries like, oh, I don't care about how you look, I don't care about you know, what's what's your ancest, you like be somebody else and something like. Yeah, it's really confusing.ired it just that John Lulu by being away, he's so sure he would go, right? There was no way she was getting away with the one or two percent colors in this case, uh, right? Um, but something weird is going on with this definition. two are men and then weonse yet. I think we need lots of different maybe people compared to the John tell the version of of push of the media of excuses. So I think with the women is that someoundaries, here, um the and also I mean for help uh, like, that their response to the outage show and how Yeah, right there are like, so many different ways that race is playing has an identity, but also have like a legal construction and also as a maybe like cartoon characteristic of what blackness is.. I don't know for what like one rule decide, um, who who wasn't? One, but under the law, there was the more, where ne the color lion have already in identities that forces you into one or the other. Yes, so this is exactly where we're headed. This is the streaming I understand, yet how he got to this place in the 1920s, where there are three white open women and all of them are apparently black. In the 1920s, this idea that right even just a tiny percentage of black ancestry made a person black um was part of a law, right? So that is happening in all of these acts were regional integrity acts laws that are prostating American deceased, uh, including in 1984 in Virginia, uh laws like the Virginia racial Integrity act outlawedational marriage and defined a white person as someone who has no pri whatsoever of any one whether than not. Right? And what is that that talk about? Um, and then there are other laws that defined lackers that owned with any trace, right? It could be, 116, uh, a black ancestry remain on. At least kind of law were as they said, white friend across the US and they also extended our back into American history street, one of the first laws that to do this work of criminalizing racial effect on the marriage, uh and defining ways by this strange formula heredity was in 1652 in a specular event. Um we often think about race as something visible, and in any case, it was a uh, but here, right we're seeing that the in terms of the law, uh, we'reology with very technical, legal, and then often invisible ideas of race and of blackness. My question is, and this has already come out a little bit irresponses, but why would Americans come up with such a thing convoluted and frame and specific and some type invisible concepts of race? I? Okay, this is funny back to Elizabeth comment, right? This has to do with the history of Americans labvery. So to answer the session, we're going on a little detour as we as do, as that how my minders. Um, we're going to go back a little bit and think about American slavery and how it works as a racial and social system. Slavery created generations and generations of makes people because, despite all of this talk about the rigid color line, slaveholders systematically crossed. I said on Wednesday that Frosted season on Monday, that Crossing the color line, especially in terms of sexual relationships, what is dangerous and needed as that is true for lacking and sometimes for, and afterately we waited, put and did allwise really violently and systematically. What did this look like? In active events that slaveholders were continuallyaping and they sexual violence was an endemic feature of the system of American slavery. It was not a random event that I approved in some cases of kind. it was a structural part of the system of American slavery. And this kind of knew that sexual violence often led to the murder of a rac children. So when these children were born, they were not considered by their fathers to be their children, they were considered to be their properties, right? Because their mothers then laid those children were and his laid. So imagine as it is a you know, 300 plus year mystery of slavery at there time generations and generations of people who were enslaved and considered to be black, but who look more and more white. This can be really hard to visualize the fact because I need the race, like they shift in different comments, they' shipped at time, we have pretty visual idea of race in the present. Uh, but this these photos for me of us a little bit to understand this. um all of the children in these two photographs were bored into slavery and all of them are considered property and all of that were consideringat. But probably to our eyes, only one of these children as looks black. So when these image of showing us is, again, like a strangeness of racing America. It's really like the fiction of race, of problems of race. We have this idea of rigid color line and then we have this social world that totally always by it. It is like a central problemating America, and it is at part of our 20th as. But it is also at the heart of the first ever African American novelot. Closelle for private's daughter, and they are mostly life was published by a for Lady author William Wells Brown in the 1856, of Phil during safety. um, and it again, at the the first factor all, this very clearly had aitional novel. It's a novel, it's written, it's a perfect of showingagos sla reading the need to project. Uh, the fact that this is the first act there in novel is a good reminder for us that novels, whether they are written by our Americans or by other groups, have not really miss it. Novels are enired or so story different from the literature, how all existed, but novels did not become kind of a cohereric form of that are literature, uh of writing until about the 18th century in Western European culture and then they started to become a major feature of Western European culture, cultureuring art aircraft the 19th century. and writing novels have is like longer durraysans in which histori can take place, and there' group or multiple different kind of stories. This is not super important about us today we're gonna come back see the conduct a lot of this then. but uh this is an important for sit situation in the 20th century where novels aren't one important for getting this little detour we taking the 19th century. Okay. back tootap. Uh, what I said is for novel and it takes up this problem of race and the problem of passing as central issue. Um Some of you here a red hotels and you know that it's like, a very convoluted and melodramatic story. um so we're not gonna do aopsis of this if you're curious, go recoel. um, but it's not that if we' for our course. I just wanna briefly introduce you to a central character in enslaved woman name hotel. This isotel as sheears about your soul. The appearance of Plotel on oct in deep sensation amongst the crow. There she stood in the complexion as light as most of those who are waiting with the wish shouldn' not referisers. The auctionireized by saying that Miss Futel had been observed for the last because she was the most valuable. how much, generally? Well, we're m meant to understand here is that, first of all, the towels of white, that is that the hotel is specially valuable because she looks like, and third, that this value attached to looking weight is sexualized, right? We get this very congestive how less g with it. Um, and this idea that played women were lighter reflection, including white acting, had special sexual values, um, was, again, a feature of this is of American slavery. Because of her lacis and also the other values white and, uh, she is persecuted across this o, which leads to a fact and laborer. She attempts to esclavery, that she gets caught and rather than go back to her factors, she chooses to to wep off the bridge for herck. So this is an illustration of that. This is like hotels weep ack. What did you with this? You might be at the Dr. D NOR. This week in the context of hot is morally righteous, right? She sort of a thing here. The cause of her death is slavery and her choice to die is, as I said, morally righteous, because it's protesting againstly and that means that within the context of the 19th century acad abolitionist dog. Uh, we can get a little bit of this, um, just from the way that lay brown wrote this right. There's no hope for aake for her down the passage. Her resolution was taken. She clasped her hands convulsively and raised them as she, at the same time raised her eyes for its heaven and begged for that mercy and compassion there, which had been denied her on earth, and then, with a single bound, she vaulted over the railings of the bridge and subbed forever beneath the ways of the river, thus died lowau. Okay. So this is a little bit of backstory and literary history that's going to help us understand where we are in our novel and how it ends. And we'll just say briefly that this is not the only novel that our literature that keeps up these issues of acid um, where a lot of really important and central novels of early actingary literature that do this, asking is one of them and then we're gonna read another one about to meet laugh more. This is all behind Ella Larson as she writing happy, and she is engaging with this literary history, but she's also complicating the story, right? I read Redfield and Cla Henry are not martyr characters by any right, the problems that they have are not only caused by outside forces. They have also caused by an own desires and wait. So, rather than writing a novel where black womenomes sort of like the vehicles for explloring an issue like slavery or race or racism. Larsen makes race and racism and passing into a being able or even like a backdrop or exploring black women, and their interiority. and they are desired potentially needed their fear, their anger, and and then ultimately their violence. We see both of these characters, sorry out, but what they are to each other and stay the missions, right? I read in the black world, players in the white, but over time their divisions were like he in by one another. um, andir, at least from our perspective, is getting too close, right? Irene, um, on getting rid of player. So, how does this like, break down in start from thisantingopter in and we talked about on Monday, there's thisensive great attraction in the beginning atoration and the sense that Irene was kind of like, not resist the thrall of player, but at some point in the novel, I mean starts to feel differently, and she becomes ultimately to consumed by Claire as a problem. Where are some of the scen that we start to see this happen for uh yeah, where are some of the turning points in the novel where he gets this ri.t. and I think this happened like somebody to going out, like not a highly lot, but you laugh and youulated things how much else if they really doing without me without. I mean, she like, you know, she's so over on cat I, and then was. Yes, right. So, at some point around an invitation that she wasn't part of, Irene begins to believe that there's a fair. But she have evidence of this fair as what I agree, and then also, we have beers like, do we have of an affair, what what did you think about? like, the truth or reality of theear? I kind of interpreted Irena's a bit of an unreliable narrator. It felt like she was telling them story that had already happened. So maybe her act of the end of the novel influences how she's remembering things and trying to justify why she would have pushed a clear in the end. So she's looking at her while they laughed at each other, so that was a sign and when she's at the party and few kind of corroborates how she feels, you see a little bit more about unreliable narrator or what that means to feel? Um when they're presenting things with objective, but their emotions and personality are actually shaping, what what evidence that preventing you and what descriptors they're using?, that's a really good way of it, so we have she is she's basically our in the sense that like she's the as we've talked about, but the character of his perspective, we're really close to. um and we start to have a approx novel see that there is like a discrepancy between her internal thought process and what is available to us as what evidence of what's happening outside of her, um and so the more and more we start to see that, like we have a little bit alienated from Irene, uh, and so, right, the reality of any of her statements, um, have comes into some question. um, so we don't necessarily know what this affair was um, other than what Irene either think it was or justified the FDA. Yeah. kind of operating? he was maybe for a bit, but I think last class mentioned how she really called Claire beautiful. and how now is that Ryan is somewhat clear and not much evidence of a ware, but maybe if she was in his position, she would find clear in my so there is a question of like whose desire is actually at the center of this, right and Brian was kind of like taking the ball for things that are going on early player, and she's rejecting herself and she comes another very good as one way that we could be. northern hand.. I think like, in terms of like there being any evidence, the only thing that I kind of pull out was the fact that like, they kept going to like parties and stuff without Irene. So, like, if we are gonna give her some of the benefit of the doubt, there is that weird kind of tension that appears when, like, even when Irene is not interested in going, Brian and Claire are still going to these things and Claire spent a lot of time at their home, even when Irene isn't there. So I I do think that, like, yes, the evidence is very sparse, but I can understand how she comes to this conclusions given her perception of what's happening between them., right? There's a little bit Iree, but there is a general sense of what happened and how becomes greater and greater. Oh, I was gonna say uh the one we're being like a ton wild narrator, it's I think it's interesting that she's like totally certain and positive, that like it is happening and even one you trying to like, identify the evidence and she's like, oh, there is it really that much other than maybe I guess it Brian earlier in the all says he doesn't think Claire, is that all with that what I spot later, he's kind of let it sit. And then at the end he's obviously like very distressed. But I think the fact that she just totally dismisses the fact that like, there is't actually that much evidence and she still have certain positive speaks that kind of unreviability little bit.... We are less to one very like what is really at the part of this because what she's going on is maybe not sufficient to to clarify um the problem as she sees it. Um Okay, I have a little off track here in. more. tired until that like he's in very cold family. And so that for old vanity yet what and also afterwards, we can there for months and the right you're getting to look down here. like they there is reasonable doubt about this, and that is just like, I don't really powerful look back about as readers, because we are now we are psychological problems.. I'm not analyst. I remember what was talking about that we really do better and I with that best of families, but from reality having theirairs way of justifying that oh, I I have ruin in my husband life, but if lived in on I thought I commit to Asia, whoa, that's.. Right, okay, so Claire is the problem when they're marriedriage, they might have just had problems in the marriage.. I was a little bit crazy and controlling, especially in her husband, like infe. I' of admitting that the wrong husbandrop. And so I really felt that my. Yes, so great and all of these things are are created by Larson's writing, right? Larsen, who gives us this perspective of Irene, which at the beginning, we are sympathetic to, we we have no reason not to trust, and then she warped our character more and more, and they are all these like critical moments in which the the consciousness, the interiority by being starts to become a place that we has readers are not as comfortable being in, one of those things happens that some of you commented on at the party at Hughes, um, with the breaking of a tea. One is to look at this scene. So, you get a green right into itself, uh, and then let the break that happens in reality, a literal break. Her mental andvisible langu receive it right. What did it mean? How would it affect her in the voice? The voice? She had a surgery. It had been. feeling ofolute uninverted quality. Actually, she didn't have counted. She was to him only the mother of her s of his son. That was all. alone, she was not worse than obstacle. Rage boiled up in her. It was a slight crash on the floor at her feet laid as shadow cup. dark seeing guide the bright grubs, red, shad shock, went on. The fore hers doeta gathered up the white dragons. As from the distance, youword flip voice hanger, though he was she was aware somehow miraculously at the side. Sorry to apologize, that I pushed you. plenty of me. don't tell me it's priceless and you are placeable. It hurts, dear God, how they hurt, but she couldn't think of that nap. Okay, so I want you to tell me how the theme is playing out internally and externally, like, what's happening inside I readhe and then what's happening? between characters and the room and how is it that we're switching back and forth between the two? Like, what what characterizes the writing here were how many who comes sentence that woman over? Yeah. I like, we're getting a lot our head the sentences are we cur and so like we' physically very small uh, and then it was very well on the tiger and there committed. And then all of a sudden there playing actual different of external things that are hurring in the world like, you person it says it clear what it is says, uh, and I guess, but basically it's just written't.. This is like a breakdown of her internal world and we're getting into like short drag sentences. And the other thing like soued with the problem in your life that, like, you're not aware of what's happening with a person sitting next to you or of theity or like, maybe all like what you're teacher ising in front of the room, like, you have a really big problem going on. and so you're at your internal world and then something might happen and you are snackpped out of it and you're suddenly disoriented of like, oh, what's happening in front of me? You live next to me? The voice of Hugh sounds like it's far away, but miraculously he's right there. And so these are some of these moments where we start to say,Ine, is maybe not so reliable, Irene is high that. And then he makes his life kind of icy and cold and a little bit frightening turn in which describes the cuff. Didn't you notice that cup? Well, you're lucky it would be other saying thatcestors were charming conf own. Iotten how many thousands of years ago was that's brand on the ele has I had a little war history, it was brought marked by other. Oh, all right, the English be you call it the underback. I' coming to the fact that I' never figured out a way to get rid of it until about five minutes ago, I had an inspiration. I only had to break it and I was of it forever. So it simple and I never thought of it before. So, what do you hear in this explanation? that she's giving to you? Yeah. She's using the for more, so basicallyolve the way change. That.... getair is she gonna do something else, right? this year. like how comes up, right start everything is having over the course of a series of the conversation. There two other. I think representation of player and how I. I want to get rid of there, she talk about all. And kind of reverse, I think earlier to help when the teacup is, which could also refer to Claire's passing. um, and I' almost like that spoil the end. Yeah, this is foreshadowing for the end for when I bring them up, like cushing clear sort of out of the windowows, like killingberg. I thought this was kind of foreshadowing for that as well.. something for not made it the end, I apologize to you, but there's no real way to talk about this novel without talking about the ending. um, it will still be shocking when you read it if you haven't gotten there yet. And but we're gonna talk about the ending with the end of our time. Now, it all fells crashing gap. Remember in the beginning, we have Irene ascending to the top of the green end, we have all of this movement up there. and then at the very end, we have all of the charactersembled at the top of the building, and the revelation that clear and then passing, uh, because her husband, John Doulouse storms into the room. He says, so you're in Ed order to Dan Edward and his voice was a snarl, and a mode, an expression, of ray and the everything was in confusion. The man had sprread forward, police had lected between them and the blue. She said quickly, hereful, you're the only white man here. And the silver silver voice, as well as of her words was a warning. Players stood at the window as composed as an everyone were not staring at her and curiosity and li, as if the whole structure of their life were not high in practice and for her. She seemed u aware of any danger or uncaring. There was even a same smile on her full red lips and the under shining eyes. was that smile that maddened by reading, she ran across the room her coting with foccity and laid a hand on players of their arms, One thought was exper. She couldn't have Claire and repacified by the Lou. she couldn't have the free Before there stood John Lewis speechless now in his f neighbor, on them, the little hudd of other people and Ryan stepping out from among them. What happened next Irene never afterwards allowed her to remember, never clearly one moment there and then if, a vital flowing thing, like a flame of red and bold. the next, she was gone. There was a cast before and above it the sound not by human, like aast in abey, nig by God, big. Okay, women happened here? Do we have we have love closely and the list between the we know that our have not slow it all in high foot high is slowly evolving in matter, but also, ever since being do throughout the heat and how the sub is. So we don't know who she is. is in the D or is so overwhelmed over the ir culturer. We don't want it being claim to not of itself. I mean it is not on herself and she won't herself whatever, right? And then yet she has the softway face of right here that the service are about really high correct by, the whole forgery loving, loveliness, clear, Henry. How do we maybe think about this ending this ambiguity of the ending in relation to that story, that I go about? Like, what kind of ending did I show you there and what kind of ending is this for a character who kind of constituively is of the same type? That's almost for where I do all of really. It a position already had this plan place that ever found out she wanted to beency and she had to loseation. So this she she just. Okay, so there's medally in which this, like hotel is a lead to freo, we could say maybe this is like, right doing something in here, or it might be something up, other thoughts and thought and that. I when I was reading it awfully, okay, so what happens to her? Um, so we have final like multiple different athletes are basically the have on standard as like CN time. you have I just that at the end fire. I see the fire Yeah, I after this is a broad looking of uh this, she seems just so calm about whole situation so it be, you. It's and ambiguous. One person back. towards freedom because she get the bird can clear she a my knowledge, then she will be home free, but even when like, he did find out she still didn't really succeeded maybe she killed. Yeah, it's all right. So there's like, as opposed to a heroic ending, a morally righteous ending, we are left to wonder it where that her death by being pusbur over death, um the place that the lay right on the ground at the bottom of the sky creaper is like burt and a dark and wathering. um so again, we are not looking at stories that tell us a problem and a solution, we are staying inside of a problem. we are going to end. I want to just prepping for next week, we're shifting years and reading totally a very different kind of stories. But the thing that might help us make this week is to think about laughter in this novel, who is laughing because laughter is gonna be at the center of the that piece. Okay, that a all. Thank you. so much (copy)
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