What is Beauty in the End?

At the end of the novel, when Howard is about to give his very important talk, a type of beauty is defined. The last two pages of the novel begin with Howard running late for his speech. Once he gets there, he feels sick and nervous and it becomes clear that his entire life and work have led up to this vital moment. Once he walks in to the room in which he will have to speak, he is greeted with everyone who is anyone and some technology he is unfamiliar with to say the least. He realizes he has forgotten his folder of information and spots Kiki in the crowd. It is at this moment I felt genuinely scared and nervous for Howard. Without his notes he was completely lost. Clicking through all his slides, looking at Kiki, there was nothing for him to say.

In the very last paragraph, Smith has Howard admit that he can see his entire life in Kiki's face. The two of them seem to carry on a silent dialogue until at one point they both smile at each other. The painting Howard refers to (to the right) shows a women who seems to be slightly overweight and possibly poor. She looks thoughtful but does not show any signs of being the typical form of beauty. I believe that Howard realizes, when his entire life is put into perspective in the end, that Kiki was always the most important thing to him. He lost track of that feeling due to distractions in his life which at this point in the novel no longer exist. Howard finally sees Kiki as being beautiful for who she is. By Kiki smiling back at him, she is showing signs of forgiving him for all the things he has done to hurt her and his family.

The End of On Beauty

Claire as a Character:
Claire instigates the affair with Howard and then feels as though she is the victim. She thinks it would be unfair for everyone to hate and be mad at her. This section of the novel shows that Zadie Smith most likely does not like Claire very much. The idea of someone being as selfish as Claire is can be sickening. Although Howard's marriage was not perfect, it didn't deserve wrecking.

In a way this novel shows that relationships among people are not objects. Relationships are real and involve feelings of more than one person. Howard seems to view women and his relationships with them as objects, which goes against everything he preaches and in my opinion could be the reason why he is so unsuccessful with both.


In the end of the novel, Howard's family eventually finds out about his mini affair with Victoria. Carl ends up telling Jerome at a party what his father has done - he then continues on to express his build up feelings towards intellectuals. This discovery leads to Jerome eventually explaining to Zora what happened with their father and Victoria. The idea of her father sleeping with a student, one of her peers, infuriates and disgusts Zora. As a result, she confronts her father and she turns him in to the university. When Kiki is told of what happened, she moves out and leaves Howard alone to take care of the kids.

In the last few pages of the novel, Howard leaves the house to go and give his important talk.
Read the last two pages.... what is beauty on the last to pages?
Monday - Read off of URL listed on syllabus

On Beauty through pg. 300

In class Monday, we talked a lot about the similarities between Zadie Smith's On Beauty and Forster's Howards End. The two have much in common. We also talked more about Smith's view on beauty and the way in which it is expressed through Claire's poem "On Beauty." The poem itself, shows the divide between the upper class, beautiful people and all of the others. I feel that Claire sees Kiki as of another class, one in which she feels is below her. This may be part of the reason why Claire seems to feel little to no remorse during her affair with Howard.

In class, we also talked a lot about the idea of independence. Many of the characters in the novel have a voice that can be seen throughout the plot. Other characters like Carl, according to Claire, could use help in finding their voice and finding power in the university's system. When reading the novel, I tend to feel much more of a connection with the characters with a voice. For example, Kiki seems honest, strong, and hardworking. This is part of the reason why I find her to be one of the most upstanding characters in the novel. Howard, on the other hand, has no voice. He is seduced by women who need temporary attention from him. Their short-term needs are what sacrifices his relationship with Kiki and his family. To me this shows that Howard as a character has no voice and no real idea of what he wants.

"Beauty" from Smith's Perspective

It wasn't until I was more than halfway through the novel, On Beauty, that I was able to decide what Smith's own personal view on "beauty" really is. It seems as though she feels like the idea of beauty could have an overall negative impact on society. Although Claire and Veronica have both been described as being attractive, no other character in the novel has been described as being truly beautiful. All of the characters have their flaws - physical and psychological. It seems Smith uses beauty to separate some of the more affluent characters from the other less educated ones. Even though the educated and more beautiful characters are more respected in the novel, they have just as many internal issues and insecurities as any one of the other characters. It is because of this odd dynamic that it is difficult for me to come to a real conclusion as to what Smith's perspective of beauty really is. Maybe she views it as unimportant or dangerous? Either way, I think the novel does a good job of showing how the typical idea of beauty is somewhat dangerous and can be used to create problems within society and families.

Class Notes and more On Beauty

The Anatomy Lesson
Zora and her family go to the Mozart concert where she meets Carl by accidently picking up his MP3 player. Carl was at the Mozart concert to observe the music because being a musician, he is striving to learn more about the art. Unlike Zora, I think Carl ackowledges that knowledge is power but in a different way than Zora and her family. To me it seems odd that there are not more people like Carl in the University setting. Anyway, Zora decides to invite him to her parent's party but when he shows up, Howard turns him away. At first glace Howard is able to figure out that Carl is uneducated and judges him instantly.

Although later we learn that Carl is a very talented swimmer, he is obviously not on the swim team (or even a student) which makes him different than the people Zora and her family are used to spending their time with. When Zora is around Carl, somehow he makes her seem less intelligent. She is much more of the student type who only learns what she needs to know and doesn't do much more than that. To her, the university is just a stepping stone to where she needs to be, to Carl it represents a world of possibilities he has never been granted.

Later in the novel, Zora ends up threatening the Dean because she does not get into the creative writing class she wants. She uses her father's affair to get her way and claims she is being discriminated against at the university. This part of the novel shows how devious Zora is capable of being and to me it shows that she may be taking her education for granted.

On Beauty: Class Notes

Do the people we love end up turning into objects for us? When we are in love with someone, some of that love can be attributable to their successes. It can be difficult to determine where the line is drawn between loving them and loving what it is they do. Sometimes the ones we love are objects in our minds. In college, it becomes the norm to ask, "What is your major?". It is as if we are asking what the person plans on doing with the rest of their life and how much they plan on making yearly. Sometimes I feel like we put people into categories and judge them based on things that maybe shouldn't even matter to begin with...

Beauty is about lines and colors and contours, it is what we see. As a culture, we tend to objectify it. What is the degree to which the notions of beauty are at war in the novel On Beauty? In this question, we are basically comparing the lines and contours etc. to society's idea of beauty. Jerome may have fallen in love with Veronica because of his family - not because of her physical beauty. Also, Kiki was beautiful when Howard first met her but according to Zora, she has since let herself go. Mrs. Kipps views Kiki as large but believes that she carries her weight well. Pg 90-91. Carl's body is also objectified in the novel.

Beauty tends to rip our culture apart.

The family goes to Mozart's Requiem - Howard becomes a parody machine. He makes fun of Mozart and Kiki's class but he is simultaneously loving towards his family. Jerome feels the complete opposite. This difference leads to an argument between Howard and Kiki (who is standing up for Jerome). The argument leads to the question: are there geniuses? Mozart died halfway through his creation and someone else had to finish it. Therefore, Kiki's argument that there must have been a genius making this music, has to be false.

Later in the novel, Kiki finds out that Howard had an affair with Claire. She realizes this on her own during their anniversary party. Also, the affair itself was not a one night stand, it was actually a three week long relationship between Howard and Claire. In terms of beauty and culture, Claire would typically be considered more beautiful than Kiki by American society as a whole. This is most likely what is so upsetting to Kiki. This comparison/difference may cause her to feel inferior to Claire and brings a new understanding as to why Howard would have chosen to have an affair on Kiki to begin with. It is also possible that the fact that Claire is on the same intellectual level as Howard makes Kiki even more angry with Howard. No matter what Howard's reason for cheating on Kiki was, it was the most heartbreaking thing he could have done to her. Choosing Claire, on top of everything else, makes it worse for Kiki who has decided to try and do the impossible: forgive Howard.

On Beauty: Jerome

In the beginning of the novel, it becomes clear that Jerome goes to live with the Kipps to get his father's attention. I believe that the main reason he is doing this is the affair that his father had on his mother. This has most likely had a major affect on Howard's children, especially Jerome being the oldest. Jerome seems to be extremely upset about the affair; I think he feels that it has completely destroyed his family. He is willing to do anything to get his father's attention and possibly even seek revenge on him by living with Howard's enemy. It is pretty obvious to me that their relationship needs a lot of work. I think it is interesting that Howard refuses to respond to any of his son's emails knowing that their relationship is falling apart. This shows how selfish Howard is, even in situations involving his own children. Jerome eventually becomes very close to the Kipps and is slightly heartbroken when he leaves them. He has decided that he no longer wants his family and all of the problems that come along with it. Meanwhile, Howard has yet to show any remorse for what he has done to Jerome or his family. It will be interesting to see which direction the relationship between Jerome and his father takes throughout the novel.

Zadie Smith, On Beauty

Zadie Smith video interview: I think it is interesting that Smith looks so similar to Kiki from On Beauty. During the interview she makes the point that you cannot hit people over the head your own political views. At the same time though, novels can be political. Smith is saying that art is moral in the way it is an analogy.

She also discusses the difference between the way an adult deals with issues in comparison with the way children react. Adults should be able to see things from a greater perspective. There are always two sides to every story. In On Beauty, the adults as well as the children seem to be jaded, neither side is able to really see things from a greater perspective in the beginning.

On Beauty is about culture wars and multiculturalism, it's about disagreements between the right and the left side. One side represents great literature for example, and the other believes that multiculturalism is more important. Both sides believe will all of their being that their ideas are superior. This creates conflict throughout the novel and causes friction between the two families.

Zadie Smith vs. 'Zadie Smith'
Sometimes it is important to think about the difference between the real Zadie versus the fake one created by literary critics. This idea ties in with the us vs. them issues presented in the novel. In some of these situations, we are fighting against ourselves. Apart from these topics, literature is about relationships and how to approach them. The novel, On Beauty, will take us through the us vs. them issues (the culture wars) and the family conflicts that can be created as a result of them.

Is Zadie Smith a great writer? Is On Beauty art?
The novel is great if she can un-flatten the characters and make them into people we feel are real. If we are able to relate to the characters in the end, we will be able to take something from the literature and apply it to our own lives. Art has the ability to impact us on one of the greatest levels, but first we need to understand it...

Class Notes: What is Art?

Review of the class's blogs: How shall I live?
The clip of Mona Lisa's Smile shows that art is whatever we say it is. A person must have confidence in order to be recognized. At the same time, in order for a person to have confidence they must have some sort of institution backing them. Is feeling the need to prove something the thing that stands between us and what we truly want to become? Instead of listening to our inner selves, we live the way society tells us to live. Finding the confidence to do the things we love is difficult. This could be why we end up doing the things that we are told - the safest options.

How important is it that our work is understood and appreciated? It seems that in situations where women and men are presenting together, the man gets more recognized for his work than the woman. There are instances where men are given credit for a woman's work. I believe this means that society has a tendency to automatically assume men to be smarter than women.

Winterson on Art

I had a difficult time deciphering Winterson's exact view on art after reading Art and Lies. I found an article on art written by Winterson that I think helps describe the way she feels.

The Secret Life of Us by: Jeannette Winterson

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2002/nov/25/art.artsfeatures1

The article is basically about trying to determine the exact purpose of art in our culture and what it is that makes it so important. One of my favorite paragraphs of the article:

"Art is a different value system. Like God, it fails us continually. Like God, we have legitimate doubts about its existence but, like God, art leaves us with footprints of beauty. We sense there is more to life than the material world can provide, and art is a clue, an intimation, at its best, a transformation. We don't need to believe in it, but we can experience it. The experience suggests that the monolith of corporate culture is only a partial reality. This is important information, and art provides it."

"Don't be fooled by the way capitalism co-opts art. It pretends to do it for money, but underneath money is terror. Terror that there might be a different way to live. There is a different way, and it's not a William Morris utopia, or an Omega workshop niche; it's a celebration of the human spirit. Art reminds us of all the possibilities we are persuaded to forget. Peace or war, we need those alternatives."
-Jeannette Winterson
Overall it seems as through she thinks highly of art and the possibilities it brings. On the other hand, the idea of it being sold for huge sums of money seems pointless. The way artists are treated, the way they are paid, makes the art itself seem as much more of a commodity than what it is originally meant to be - beautiful.

Art and Lies: Parts 1 & 2

Although I found the first two chapters of Art and Lies to be fascinating, I enjoyed our thought provoking class discussion on Wednesday even more! I have always wondered whether or not I would end up happy in life. The possibility of making bad choices in college regarding my major and the activities I choose to spend my time on is scary. Luckily, I have figured out what is important to me and what it would take to make me feel genuinely happy in my career. I think it is interesting that when certain students think 'business major' they think the worst of things. By some, it is assumed I've been pressured to choose a fate filled with money and greed. Fortunately for me, this is not true! Although I am sure there are many CEOs hating their lives, there are probably even more who do not. It is sad to me that there is a common assumption that if someone is not always 100% in touch with their inner self, they are lost and doomed to be miserable. As an accountancy major, I feel completely comfortable with myself and my future ambitions, most of which do not revolve around money at all.

I know that in order to be happy with my career I would need to use my skills in business to help an organization I believe in to grow and prosper. It has taken me a long time to realize that this is what it would take for me to find some kind of meaning in my job. Also, because family is the most important thing in my life, my plan is to be as balanced as possible. Although I am aware of the view that business people are workaholics, I honestly can't see this as a reality for myself.

Another common misconception is that those who choose the type of path as mine have done so to follow in their parents footsteps. In my situation, this is far from the truth. It may seem impossible but I have a true interest in my major and feel excited to graduate and begin working! I may not have everything figured out for myself but I think I've come along way and that I am exactly where I need to be at this point in time. As long as each of us is able to decide what is it that makes us happy, we should be free to live our lives the way we choose.

Class Notes: Stand By Me

Jeanette Winterson, Art and Lies

Intro/Class Notes:

Post-Modernist is collage-like. It juxtaposes more than it explains. Novels began in the 17th-18th century, while short stories came about in the 1800's. Genre fiction is formulaic. There is also a canon of great literature which has been theoretically blown apart in more recent years. The question has become: what makes great art great and why? Even today, greatness is very narrowly defined. For all we know, anyone and everyone could be a great artist! If everyone was considered to have potential - we would need to listen to all of our neighbors. The way people talk about great art makes it feel as though there is such a small chance of any one of us ever becoming great; it is very discouraging.

"Stand By Me"

The "Stand By Me" YouTube video shows that great art takes time. It can be found in many places and in many people. Maybe students could be artists if they had more attention?

People think art to be certain specific types of work and ignore other things. Some people don't even give certain pieces of art a chance! The thought process should transform into: "If I don't understand things, maybe I need to try and learn more." The more open minded the observer is, the more credit the author/creator gets.

For Next Class: Picasso and Handel

Art and Lies: A funny sort of relationship...

Although I am not exactly sure what Jeannette Winterson had in mind as far as the relationship between the two key terms in the title of Art and Lies, I have come to a few conclusions as to how the two terms may be related. Firstly, their definitions are vague. What could be considered a lie to one person may not be a lie to someone else just like a piece of art to one person may have no value whatsoever to another.

On the other hand, lies are hurtful - in most cases. They are the result of someone hiding the truth from another. Lies have the purpose of hiding what is real most likely because it is hurtful to someone else. This description, which I have come up with, is very different from that of art.

From what I know of art, it is meant in part to represent reality or at least some person's vision of the truth. The two terms, art and lies seem to be opposite to me. Art can show more truth than words themselves. Art is also a way for people to express themselves and it has the power to show others the truth about the person who creates it. It seems that it would be difficult to lie through art. I find the words to be very opposite and see art as a way to possibly undermine lies. Art can be a way of seeing the truth and in many cultures, I believe it is.

Class Notes: 3/27/09

Our group examined the last stanza of the poem, "The Child and Flowers". We agreed unanimously that the scanned version has the greatest impact on us. Between the grammar and word placement on the page, the poem carries more meaning. Overall we agree that the format affects the meaning but more or less from the perspective of the individual reader. I think that digitizing could make understanding literature more difficult. It is definitely more difficult for words on a screen to capture ones attention. The TEI version of the poem does not show the original format of the poem - it is difficult to tell what shape it originally came in.

Who is the audience? The author could be trying to speak to the inner child of the reader. An actual child would most likely not be able to read and comprehend the poem. The plot of the poem is basically a child returning from a forest, bringing flowers back with her. To me this is somewhat vague which to me means that it leaves plenty of room for the reader's interpretation. In a way, the vagueness of the poem opens it up to wider audiences; more people can relate to things less defined.

HTML v. XML v. paper

Alternative Assignment - Due Wednesday: Read HTML version & look at other versions via Blackboard. Is this the same poem? What difference will digitizing make to our understanding of poems?

In the case of the poem, "The Child and Flowers" by Mrs. Hemans, I believe all three versions are the same. Although the poems look different, the words are the same therefore they must be the same. At least in that sense. On the other hand, I do think the reader will interpret the poems differently depending on what form of the poem they are reading. The HTML version was familiar to me and although the poem was difficult for me to fully comprehend, it was not impossible to understand. The XML version was much more difficult for me to get used to. I have never seen a poem translated into this medium. In this case, the reader can adapt to the text and begin reading it in the way they would with any other type of text. I have a hard time believing this version could benefit the reader and their interpretations of the text itself. When reading the poem, there was too much time spent navigated through all of the letters and less time spent interpreting its meaning.

The third example was that of the actual bound version of the text. Of all three examples, this was the one I felt could have the greatest affect on the reader's interpretation. Being able to hold the book and see the words in front of me encourages my mind to wonder. Sometimes the pages look different and there seems to be more substance for some magical reason... Also, when there is a physical book, there is a history that goes with it which makes it more interesting and possible for the reader to have a completely different experience with it.

Overall, I have learned that digitizing can help with the understanding of poems. This is especially true when tools such as TagCrowd are used to examine the texts. As far as reading through pieces of literature, it is most helpful to me to read the physical copy of the text. I am sure as time goes on, this will no longer be the norm as generations begin to adapt more and more to online reading.

www.TagCrowd.com Assignment

My group noticed that the two earlier versions of the Frankenstein passage are more positive than the third and final version of the text. My passage (1818 - Thomas) consisted of very few negative words. Both 'destroyed' and 'stranger' appeared as being commonly used in this text. The technique of using TagCrowd helped to show the major differences in word choice amongst the three passages.

Did Mary Shelley write three different novels? I do not believe that Mary Shelley wrote three different novels. I think the purpose of the novel throughout her corrections stayed consistent. The changes that she made seem to clarify or add to certain points found in the original edition. Although I do believe her changes made for a better novel, the modifications do not change my viewpoint on the original version itself. As time passed, it is possible she wanted to express more meaning and therefore had to add to the body of the novel.

How does digitizing the texts help to visualize them?
Digitizing these texts helps to see them in a different light and bring attention to certain differences that otherwise would have gone unnoticed. Using online text versions of literature can be used as a tool. Sites like TagCrowd can count common words found in hundreds of pages of a novel - an ability humans don't really posses

Alternative Assignment - Due Wednesday:
Read HTML version & look at other versions.
Is this the same poem? What difference will digitizing make to our understanding of poems?

Class Notes: Can there be heroes in modern life?

From what I can tell, according to the poem there can be heroes in modern life. I agree with this idea completely. I feel that today's heroes are different than those of the past but they can make just as big of an impact as any past hero. I believe that people have the ability to make a difference and help those around them in important ways. The difference between the past and modern times is the fact that heroes seem to emerge less frequently and their heroic decisions are not as great. This could be an impact of the times or the fact that certain aspects of society are more even corrupt than ever. Heroes seem much harder to come by these days. It seems like people are always questioning the motives of modern day heroes. Al Gore for example, has taken steps to reduce the amount of harm people are causing the planet - although this seems like a noble cause, many people question his motivation which could be seen as purely political. Because of this doubt, heroes are hard to trust.

Also, I believe that in certain situations, parents can be heroes. Childhood is tough and it doesn't take much for a kid to go down the wrong path - sometimes unknowingly. Parents are the only ones that can really save there kids. Between feeding them the right foods, making sure they finish their homework and keeping them out of harms way, parents play a huge part in saving their children. To some extent I feel like that should be an automatic obligation after choosing to have a child. Either way, perfect parents are hard to come by and when they do it can make all the difference!

Class Notes: 3/18/09

The passage assigned to my group was from Book III, line 302. The passage itself was mostly about the conflict Aurora has between wanting to be a writer and being financially stable. In order to be able to write, she must be married. This is ironic considering Elizabeth Barrett Browning found herself in a similar situation. She would most likely not have been able to write Aurora Leigh if she had not been married to Robert. This quote comes after the death of her aunt. She is now worried about how she will survive. She is forced to do something less glamorous than her verse in order to have enough income to survive and support herself.

Other passages discussed in class:
Book II, 218
Romney basically tells Aurora that she will never be a great writer. She could be pretty much anything else that she wanted - but not a poet.

Book II, 400
Romney does not love her, he loves what she could be for him. She responds by saying that she is not worthy of the title he gives her and therefore cannot be that for him. She could also be hinting at the fact that she is actually worth more.

Book II, 671
Aurora is saying that she will not marry Romney. At the very least, her soul will be free to live. She would rather die as a fulfilled artist that die his wife. Aurora is an honest person - her decision is the decision of God as well.

Aurora Leigh: A Lost Soul?

Throughout Book 1 of Aurora Leigh, Aurora becomes more defined through her experiences and their descriptions. At first she discloses specific details regarding her mother's death and her father. As the novel progresses, her character begins to show through the text. Once her father dies and she is forced to move in with her aunt, Aurora comes to life through what really fascinates her as a young women. Her love for books and reading leads me to believe she is a curious and open-minded person. Also, it causes me think that she is seeking an escape. Although there were most likely many young children that had to experience the death of their parents at the time, it was probably a traumatic event for her to experience.

Aurora also reminds me of the type of child that would do anything to make her parents happy. Though it is obvious she is truly grateful for her aunt's hospitality, it seems like she may be afraid of disappointing her. The lengths she goes to to make her aunt happy go beyond being grateful. This could be what is contributing towards her feeling the need to escape from reality into her father's books.

Class Notes: Aurora Leigh

Aurora Leigh
By: Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Is the novel difficult to understand? Throughout my reading, I was able to understand best the sections where the narrator describes her life and events. Other parts are difficult for me to comprehend entirely.

Why did Virginia Woolf not see Elizabeth Barrett Browning as a Shakespeare? Her mother died when she was 20 years old. Her first published piece came out when she was 22. A very radical person - an amazing poet. Her father tried to shelter her; her and her siblings were not to marry. Unknowingly, she was addicted to morphine. In 1845, she met via letter, Robert Browning. They eloped shortly after. The two of them lived the expatriate life together. Elizabeth authored "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..." which became famous.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning's life was very different from that of Aurora Leigh's. Aurora's mother dies when she was 4 years old. Her father dies later on and she moves in with her father's sister. Her father was the owner of land and property. By him marrying Aurora's mother, his sister was deprived of her anticipated title. He fell in love with Aurora's mother instantly. As a result, he looses all interest in his estate. Her father loves and takes care of his daughter; he teaches her...

What has formed/shaped us? Television, books, music, culture in general?

"To travel inland, that I cannot hear
That murmur of the outer Infinite
Which unweaned babies smile at in their sleep"

After her mother's death Aurora feels like she is deserted in the nest.

"Women know
The way to rear up children, (to be just,)
They know a simple, merry, tender knack
Of tying sashes, fitting baby-shoes,
And stringing pretty words that make no sense,
And kissing full sense into empty words"

Her father is unsuccessful in talking to his daughter at first; she eventually pulls him in through understanding.

Online Version:
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/barrett/aurora/aurora.html