Skylar Gowanloch

What did you find interesting or surprising in Rich’s “Sacred Calling” and why?

I found it interesting that motherhood was compared to slavery and later in the article an argument was made that the force of motherhood was worse than slavering. I never thought about how motherhood was forced upon women and in the 19th century that hardships that came with it were astonishing. I am so thankful to be a woman in the 21st century in comparison to before. Women today have birth control and career opportunities, though we still have a long way to go. I also found it interesting that the text touched upon how mothers had to suppress their emotions, particularly anger. I had a bad temper as a girl and I remember feeling embarrassment and shame around it. Motherhood and anger can coexist. However, in the 19th-century mothers were expected to be meek and obedient so that their children would be so too, however, the article expressed that this was really a construct of the patriarchy. The expectations around motherhood are a product of the patriarchy and it keeps it in place as well as oppresses women.

What is one thing that intrigued, surprised, or confused you in the Hartman reading? Discuss

One thing Hartman said really stood out to me, was that she wrote about the dead girl and Venus, but she questioned whether or not she should have written about them or not at all. She is posing this question because she only has a sentence about their story, and it’s the words of their oppressors and killers. Hartman also doesn’t want to embellish or romanticize their story. She can’t give them a voice, only try and let it shine through with the little information given about them. It made me really question and think about whose stories are told in history, why they’re told, and who tells them. It affects how we see our past, thus our present and future.

Why do you think the Yellow Woman stays with Silva?

    The Yellow Woman stays with Silva because she is hungry for something. In the first part of the story she describes herself as hungry and at the end of the story when she’s not with him she says it again. She is hungry for something, anything more in her life. There is a sense of loneliness to the Yellow Woman. She says that if she didn’t go back home her family would be fine. Things would carry on as they usually do. Her husband would marry someone knew and she would just become a story. I think that she is lost, dissatisfied, and lonely. That is why she stays with Silva. Along with the story about the yellow woman that her grandfather told her. I don’t think she believes it is true, however, don’t we all want to live a movie? A worthy story? She is hungry for something more in her life and the mystery of Silva may be that something, even if it is dark.

About Our Annotation Group's Process:

Our group's process was to first read the passage individual and make notes, then come together to share and discuss. We then came to agree on what was most important in the passage. We focused on symbolism, vocabulary, and word choice.

Our preferred formate for our annotations would be floating annotations. 

Annotations influence the reader's story. The reader may want to look more at the annotations itself or get distracted by the annotations rather. Annotations may disrupt the flow of the text. 

What are the ethics of annotations someone else’s work? You have to be careful because you don’t want to take away from the artists perspective. The artist wrote their piece with a purpose, so we don’t want to change or harm that intention and purpose. We don’t want to alter the experience, meaning, or purpose of the passage. 

What do you think of motherhood in Herland and why?

The whole system of the civilization is very interesting. When Terry, Jeff, and Van are captured they are nurtured and cared for. The land and plants are nurtured. The whole land is handled with great care and love. Women are nurturers naturally but are also expected to be. However, in Herland that isn’t all these women are. They don’t just raise children. They are strong physically and mentally. They are very advanced. They aren’t oppressed like women are in patriarchal societies. It is hard to even conceptualize because we do live in a patriarchal society. In the workforce, women are encouraged to take on male traits to get ahead. Our society and its power dynamic was made by men for men, but in Herland, it is the opposite! Motherhood and nurturing seem to be the essence of Herland. The core values.

However, there are some elements of the motherhood of Herland that I don't know if I like. For example, all the women are virgins but can have children. Also, the mothers don't necessarily educate and raise their children and there is this idea that not all women should be mothers or have children.

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What do you think is the most effective or ineffective literary technique Gilman uses to accomplish her goals. Select a passage that demonstrates this technique.

    I think the most effective literary Gilman uses is juxtaposition. Using juxtaposition helps her accomplish the goal of having her reader question what femininity is. The novel wouldn’t have been as impactful if it wasn’t told through the lens of an outsider, a male outsider at that. This creates a severe contrast because the characters are at two opposite ends of the spectrum in regards to masculinity and femininity. Juxtaposition is also effective because it creates an evident contrast between the two societies as well as the women of Herland and “our women.” Juxtaposition also creates an interesting dynamic between the three men. We see the male perspective and different level of masculinity and domination. The passage I think best demonstrates this technique is when the women of Herland are sharing aspects of their society and the men are doing the same. (Chapter 5)

How does motherhood affect the characterization of Clare and Irene?

Clare and Irene both agree that motherhood is one of the cruelest things on earth. Clare expresses in the novel that for the entire 9 months of pregnancy she was in distress. Clare was terrified that her child would have darker skin and that her husband would realize that Clare, in fact, is not white. Irene has two sons, and one of them has darker skin, and she does not mind. Her husband is a man of color as well. Clare and Irene are both in different positions. However, both women feel the pressure of motherhood. Irene is more selfless than Clare is. Irene seems as though she would do anything for her children, and often puts her own desire to the side. Clare, on the other hand, does not talk about her daughter really. In the novel, the reader has “met” Irene's two sons and Clare has met them as well. However, the reader and Irene have not been introduced to Clare’s daughter. Clare has put her wants and desires above that of her child’s. Clare is a bit more selfish, but I think it is because she is so lost and unsure of herself.

Select a relationship whose changes/shift excited, surprised, or confused you. Point to a passage that demonstrated this change, and quickly discuss. Why does this change matter?

The change between Therese and Richard’s relationship excited me in an odd way. Therese’s whole demeanor around him changed once she met Carol. When Therese tells Richard that she is going on a road trip with Carol, he does not think she will go through with it. When the three of them get dinner together Therese flat out says he does not want to go to a concert with him, she wants to spend time with Carol, and when Carol cannot, Therese says she would rather go home alone than go to a concert with him. Richard is obviously upset by this. Therese practically ghosts him. She is all in with Carol. She knows what she wants. P.g. 128-129.

What is Therese’s relationship with men? With women?

There is a moment in chapter two where Therese traces down Richards arm to his hand to hold it and he is shocked. This small moment showed that she does not touch him often. Therese also talked about how she is not his mistress and that they are not having an affair, in other words, they are not having sex. The woman Therese works with enchants her. She goes to her apartment for dinner and Therese has somewhat of a panic attack. The way she gets excited around this woman is very different from her relationship with Richard. With Richard, she is almost indifferent, but with this woman, she describes herself looking for her everywhere at work, she describes their arms touching.

What do you think of Karen and Max’s relationship? Why?

P.g. 176-177

The attraction between them is interesting. They are both very intense. Max’s eyes are described as dark, for example. There is a dark passion between them. I understand now why Karen did not want to see Max when Naomi was so insistent on her doing so. It is hard to route for them, because it is an act of infidelity.

Love triangle between Karen, Max, and Ray.

• Max:

  • Escape from her planned life, ordinary life

  • Max offers an escape

  • He is sort of a mystery

    • She doesn't know his past

  • Max and Karen travel together

  • They are both artists

  • *Max has a hybrid identity/fluid*

    • Jewish

    • More feminine

    • He doesn’t have a place in the world

• Ray:

  • Ray and Karen travel separately

  • Ray is not an artist

  • A cousins cousin

    • Incest

• Who your partner is effects the next generation

• Sexual exploration part of forming your identity

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“Ladies of his generation did not expect to travel well; they crushed like chrysanthemums and took days to revive” (Bown 73). “He tucked her into his car as though she were made of glass…” (74). The two passages above present how Uncle Bill sees women. Even today, women are often seen as delicate, gentle, and fragile. Uncle Bill treats Karen this way and she is aware of it. Karen is very self-assured, independent, and is not portrayed as having fragility or a meek demeanor. It is significant that chrysanthemums are used as a metaphor to describe both the fragility as well as the beauty of women. Women are expected to be delicate flowers; fragrant, soft, colorful, modest, and silent.

“‘Urs, he’s going to wont more.’ … pluck out their eyes.”

1. The first thing I noticed in the passage is the experiment, improvisational structure it has. The message and meaning of the passage are not obvious. It is very layered and has a lot to unpack.

2. The second thing I noticed in the passage is Jones’ word choice. The images she uses are both delicate and violent simultaneously. “Barbed wire where a womb should be.”

3. The word “fucked” is used to describe sex and the phrase “without feeling” is used a lot. For Ursa, sex is fucking, not making love. She talks about old man Corregidora later in the passage. It seems to me that she has been raised to attribute sex with violence and violation, and birth is something sacred. Her exploration of her sexuality I believe is her changing her definition of sex.

4. Milk, sperm, and wombs are constant images and symbols in the passage. However, they are attributed to something negative or violent. For example: “Sperm to bruise me.”

5. The passage connects to other passages in the novel. It connects to many of the other italicized passages. She talks a lot about the women in her family and their traumatic past as well as birth and sexuality.

What is my idea of a utopian society and how would we get there

My vision of a utopia is one where all people are equal and everyone is generally kind and open to each other. There would be no rich or poor, no stereotypes, no political parties, nothing that divides us. Unfortunately, I don’t know if that would ever be possible, because I think there would always be something that creates division. I do think though that we can get close to this point through spirituality, but not necessarily religion. I do think it would be difficult. I would like to live in a world where resources are readily available, the environment is healthy and the people are too. It is sort of like John Lennon’s “Imagine.” The issue is, how do we get here but then in the end have no leader? No hierarchy? I think it is in our nature to want power, so how do we give that up as a society where competition is valued?

We would have to completely change our way of life and even our way of thinking, and I just don’t see that ever happening without force, which is not good either. A utopia should come along naturally, not forcibly. But does a “natural utopia” even exist? We’ve only seem utopias in books and novels. They are sereal and fantastical. It doesn’t seem remotely probable. And what's more-- would we want that? Does that take any individuality? There is something to be said about balance. With every positive there is a negative. So, truly, perfection is not even perfect. You need both perfection and imperfection.

Offred’s official definition is “Handmaid.” How do you think the government defines YOU? What freedoms afford and/or deny you?

I am defined by the government as a white women who is a student. Our identities are how the government defines us. Being white, I have a privileges that people of other races do not. I don’t have to worry about racism or racial profiling for example. I never got the “cop talk.” Being a woman, I am denied certain freedoms and privileges, especially being a college woman. We cannot walk alone at night, we are constantly aware of surrounding, and we have so many rules that have been taught to us to protect us from men. The government is seeking to restrict reproductive health right for women. That is taking away the freedom we have over our bodies. The state of a woman’s body is always threatened.