New Pastafarian Republic of Grant. All Hail the Great Noodle!

Grant Wengeler Dr. Torgerson 2/11/2020 Learning Letter This class has taught me much, but I’m not sure I would describe it specifically as “learning” so much as I’d quantify it as “adapting” what I already knew into something more developed. I suppose it depends on your definitions. Still, I’ll describe what I learned without drawing such distinctions. First and possibly foremost in my learnings are the skills I’ve developed under the intense pressure and weight of a heavy workload. With so much reading to do for this class, as well as my other classes, I had to find a way to adapt and continue to accomplish what was expected of me despite the factor of time being against me. I stayed up late, all night if I had to (which was at least once a week) in order to keep up with my assignments. I learned ways to manipulate my body into continuing to stay active. I’ve never done so many jumping jacks at 4 a.m in my life. My brother is in the Army, and he told me a big part of h...

Grant Wengeler Dr. Torgerson 2/11/2020 Final Paper Charlotte Bronte and the Construction of Female Literature Female literature exists within the world of literature as a whole, but with the important distinction of perpetuating and strengthening female identity. In Victorian England the authority on female identity in literature is held by Charlotte Bronte because her works expose elements of Victorian society which are unfavorable to women, and by doing so persuades male readers to consider the plight of their female counterparts. This application of ideology through literature helps to open minds and transform societies, and this impact is not lost on the modern reader either. Academics have analyzed Charlotte Bronte’s work with vigor since its foundation, and the supplements provided by Elizebeth Gaskell, including The Life of Charlotte Bronte, has lent insight to Bronte's efforts. The construction of female literature was heavily dependent on the works of Bronte as...

Grant Wengeler Dr. Torgerson 2/11/2020 Midterm Essay Victorian Inequality in Jane Eyre and Demerara Charlotte Bronte’s work Jane Eyre and Harriet Maritneau’s Demerara from Illustrations of a Political Economy each depict separate examples of social exclusion through perpetuated hierarchies. Such hierarchies are based on completely superficial elements of human identity. The superficial elements can be observed when analyzing the texts with an objective lens. One may question how objectivity is attained, and they’d be right to do so. True objectivity is ultimately unattainable by any human means, but through the concept of equality there is some degree of understanding to be attained. Equality, therefore, requires some strict definitions. Equality is ultimately the concept where rules, opportunity, and regard apply to everybody to the same degree.  “Rules” refers to how an individual is expected to behave within society, and what regulations are placed on them. Oppo...

Grant Wengeler Dr. Torgensen  2/10/2020 Reading Journal #4 Villette This novel was a great deal more developed than Jane Eyre , and I’m not entirely sure this is a good thing. Certainly, there are some exquisitely done changes that are only noticeable to somebody who read J ane Eyre first. First and most evident is the ending. Why so ambiguous? Like, seriously, I know she wants optimistic people to fill in the blanks with their own fairy tale and all that but why the heck did she leave out what happens to Paul. I guess it’s for the best because then we don’t have the possibility of a “bad” ending.  The language is also  more extravagant in nature, at least to my perception. Jane Eyre felt as though it was far more direct. Villette is drawn out and poetic in many places. A glance at the last page shows this perfectly. Instead of telling the reader what happens, Lucy draws images of flowers blooming and celestial bodies in the heavens and a bunch of poeti...

Grant Wengeler Dr. Torgensen  2/10/2020 Reading Journal #3 Deerbrook Despite the many interesting themes portrayed within this story, it ultimately failed to really grasp my attention. Much like Jane Eyre, the underlying message that the self is continuously at odds with the collective hits close to home. Questioning the pressures of society is worthwhile, and is in essence a foundation of Marxist criticism. The most interesting parts of the story are the relationships between the different characters, but Martineau’s diction strikes me as rather dry and that made it hard to extrapolate enjoyment from the text itself. Certainly she uses great vocabulary, but the combinations portray a certain tone that is ultimately a large turn-off. Although I see great value in the relationships, I feel as though the focus on interpersonal interactions became pedantic. Everything was just too normal. Perhaps I’m coddled by my 21st century perception of entertainment, but I feel as tho...

Grant Wengeler Dr. Torgensen  1/29/2020 Reading Journal #2 On Harriet Martineau’s Illustrations of Political Economy including Demerara This work as a whole was quite a daunting amount of reading and the sheer amount led me into immediate panic. I already have hours of reading required by other classes, plus a job I must work in order to keep a roof over my head. Yet, I still managed to finnish this reading at the cost of much sleep. Due to intense sleep deprivation my memory of these works is shrouded as if a hallucination, but some scenes really stuck with me.  First of all, I was particularly drawn to the tale of Demerara and the strife of the slaves. It reminded me heavily of the journals of Fredrick Douglass and Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin- both of which I’ve read before. Strangely enough I felt as though the writing style of Demerara was different in many ways from Martineau’s other works. Primarily the diction stood out. I felt as though ...