The Gate to Women's Country: Chapter 8

How has this culture accounted for regeneration/children?
The culture accounted for children by hosting a twice yearly celebration, called carnival, in which the warriors and the women that choose to can have sex for basically all month for fun and perhaps in the hopes of future offspring.
What do you think about this solution?
The solution is a bit odd, with your family members knowing that you leave the house and go and just drink and have sex for a month. While a necessary part of the culture in order for them to survive as a community  your parents knowing that you have been planning to go out and lose your virginity to someone is a bit awkward from my point of view.
Why are boys denied books?
Boys are denied books since 1) they are unnecessary to the warrior lifestyle 2) may distract the men 3) the boys may wish to know more, or see the flaws in the warrior lifestyle
Who breaks this injunction and why?
Chernon breaks this injunction after he feels ignorant after talking about genetics, and he expresses his wish to read books about science or other women's studies.
Who helps him get books?
Stavia helps Chernon get books.
What value do women place on education? Why?
Women put a huge value on education, along with their jobs, women are constantly learning and studying. After the convulsions, a lot of books were gone and knowledge lost, so the women made it their mission to make knowledge widespread and common among the women and servitors.

Things I found interesting:
In this chapter, Chernon mentions Vinsas forcing one of the boys, leading to the discussion about gay syndrome, and how for the most part, homosexuality was eradicated from the population. Such an idea helped contribute to this almost The Giver- like utopia, where everything including the small "imperfections" in society is removed. While I understand how homosexuality could cause problems in a society set up the way as the one in the current book, the idea never occurred to me that the women would go out of their way in order to prevent homosexuality.

Taming of the Shrew Act 4 Scene 3 to End

Act 4 Scene 3

• Katherine wants food
• planning on clothes to buy

This scene feels like the first true turning point for Katherine in her "taming". Katherine admits to being hungry and tired, and tries to get Grumio to get her food. Petruchio and Katherine meet with a tailor on some beautiful gowns, however Petruchio pretends to be disappointed with them, in order to manipulate Kate. Katherine begins to lose more and more control as Petruchio threatens not to go to Bianca's wedding and have them go in their current attire.

Act 4 Scene 4

Act 4 Scene 4 overall was long, and boring. There was little to no character development, no humor or interesting verbal wordplay. What occurred could have been summarized within a few lines of dialogue with "Vincentio" being introduced, and then Baptista going to meet with "Lucentio" and "Vincentio" over the dowry.

I felt like the whole scene with just Biondello and Lucentio was unnecessary to the plot, except for Biondello announcing that Lucentio could elope with Bianca, which could have been combined into Act 5 Scene 1. Otherwise, nothing interesting occurred.

Act 4 Scene 5

The humor of the play finally truly appeared in this scene. Katherine truly gives into Petruchio, allowing herself to admit to Petruchio's claim that the sun is actually the moon. When Lucentio's father, Vincentio appears, Katherine plays along with Petruchio's ploy. She greets the old man as if he were a young woman, who she hugs, after which Petruchio points out that Vincentio actually was an old man. All of this was confusing, yet undoubtedly humorous. 

Act 5 Scene 1

This scene speaks a lot about identity, and how it can easily be reaffirmed by those around us. The fake Vincentio was only truly believable after numerous people could attest to his being the real Vincentio, while the real Vincentio was almost arrested for impersonation due to his lack of support.

Act 5 Scene 2
The end of the book seemed rather sudden. The chapter only exists in order to prove that the shrew truly was tamed, and to such an extent that all other women are not as obedient or as loyal as Katherine. I was irritated by the fact that Katherine lost all of her personality and spunk, in exchange for a woman who looks up at everything that a man does. Since Shakespeare wrote this play, as a man in the time, he found obedience to be attractive. The viewpoint of the writer was definitely from a male, as men are portrayed as these fantastic god-like figures who know and do all, along with having wives who should essentially worship them. Basically, I hated the ending. 

The Gate to Women's Country: Chapters 6-7

What role do the servitors play?

• The servitors assist the women in Women’s country. They are placed in a certain household, and are both employee and friend to the women.

How do the women seem to feel about them?

• Usually the women see them as good confidantes and workers, who care for the family (such as carving the napkin rings). Some of the servitors are quite old, and have known the women since they were girls.

How do the other men feel about them?

• The other men look down on the servitors. As Myra recalls how Barten viewed the servitors “men who did come home were cowards and tit-suckers.”

These two chapters revealed more about the society

Men:

• they are not allowed to fight until they are 25, which brings up the question who/wwhat are the men fighting
• most fertile from 18-25

Women:

• some women give up and leave Women’s country, becoming a gypsy
• gypsies seem to be the equivalent of prostitutes
• warrirors from the men’s side visit these women, often giving them infections or diseases
• as a result, Morgot checks and swabs each gypsy, in order to check whether or not they have
• gives clean seal on forhead
• something, and whterh or not it’s curable
• if the disease is curable, the woman goes into quarantine
• if the disease is chronic, a woman cannot return back to women’s coutnry or stay near the city
• some girls become gypsies when a warrior takes them by convincing them
• ex: Tally and Barten

Mentions of the disaster:

• cannot cure cancer, got close once
• unable to treat things that were once curable before the convulsions

Why are these men and women so drawn to an ancient story and model?

• The story is used as a reminder for what would happen should they break the ordinances as a community. The characters are easily identificable. Dawid is compared to Achilles, when he decided to stay with the warriors, Iphighenia was killed, not a hind as is told. Achilles thought that Artemis would save Iphighenia, yet it only ended in her suffering. Also, the warriors look up to Telemachus and Odysseus, while in the play, Odysseus is one of the antagonists in a way, taking Hecuba away with him.

The Gate to Women's Country: Chapters 1-5

At what age are boys sent to Men's country?

• At the age of 5, boys are sent to Men's country, where they stay except for twice a year, when they visit Women's country. Once they turn 15, boys/men either choose to stay in Men's country, or rejoin Women's country.

How does Stavia constantly describe herself?

• Stavia constantly describers herself as having two personalities. Her normal daily self, which freaks out easily at crises, and her other daring, acting self. This part would take over, allowing Stavia to remain calm and make good choices at times of stress.

Why do we see her as both an adult and a girl?

• Stavia is seen as both adult and child due to her childish nature at some moments. Also, the numerous flashbacks from her point of view allow the world of the book to be seen through her eyes as a child.

The Taming of the Shrew: Induction

Induction Scene 1:
What happens:

• sly passes out
• lord tells players to put on play, not to laugh at sly
• lord plans for page to act as wife, persuading sly that he went mad for 7 years as a beggar

My reaction:

So far this definitely seems like a comedy. I mean, this lord is going all out in order to pull a prank on some random drunkard. With beautiful clothing, a play, and even some wearing of drag in order to make it even more fun.  When people think of Shakespeare, they think of proper and stiff characters, not the funny and crazy schemes of someone with too much time on their hands. So far, I am enjoying the story. 

Induction Scene 2:

What happens:

• lord dresses up as one of the servants
• offer paintings, activities, delicacies to sly
• convince him that he was mad for 15 years
• tell him that he talked to people who never existed
• get "wife" (page) to come in
• Sly wants to have some alone time with his wife, however the page quickly covers up by saying that they would wait so he does not go mad again
• Sly and his "wife" go to watch the play

My reaction:

And so begins the next part of the tale, after this frame story. The frame story was actually quite interesting however. It is interesting because the story of the Shrew could either teach Sly a lesson, or be completely random, yet I have no way of knowing.

The Arabian Nights: Reading 12

Tales Read:
Jullanar of the Sea
My reaction:
A recurring theme of this book if for people to be transformed into animals. King Badr alone has become a bird twice.
Also, all that people seem to do is motivated by sex.
The queen turned into a bird just to satisfy her "needs" with another man who she had turned into a man.
I found it interesting how there are many female enchantresses, however the old man is the first magic-practicing man that was in the entire book. At least important ones.
Women only seem to have power through either witchcraft or good looks, while the men go on adventures and fight battles.
While each tale is unique, the themes are a common thread through such a mish-mosh of compiled stories. Character types come back, as do certain quotes on how people should live their life. Whether its on not being curious, or being nice to everyone, these are important both in the tales and in the culture from which these tales developed.

The Arabian Nights: Reading 11

Tales Read:

·         Jullanar of the Sea

My reaction:

I realize that this is an entirely fictitious work of literature, however the fact that someone can fall in love after hearing a description of someone, is just not possible. I actually like Jauhara, because she does something to get back at Badr for her father. While changing a guy into a bird isn’t optimal, I still respect her for not just giving up. She would have killed him too, if the maid had not put him as a bird onto the nicer island.