Crime & Punishment Presentation

So for our group presentation, we had a lot of really great ideas on how we would present the information that each of us gathered. However, that ended up being the hardest part, choosing how we were going to present our research to the class in a creative and unique way. We first thought it would be nice to present in a scripted play style, but we quickly complicated and confused that idea into retirement. We finally decided to do a "puppet show" which seemed a great way to keep the classes attention while presenting our research. I researched the character Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikov, or Dunya as we more commonly know her in the novel Crime & Punishment. Sister to Raskolnikov, Dunya didn't have the most comfortable or exceptional of lives. Dunya worked hard to support her brother, however, her boss harassed her and nearly ruined her reputation. It was after this that she met Pyotr Petrovich Luzhin, a rather bland individual who wished to wed Dunya. Raskolnikov did not approve though and succeeded in breaking the pair up, which ended up not being so bad as Dunya later married a much more intelligent man Razumikhin. During our presentation I had memorized what I was going to say about Dunya and her relationship with the characters that were being presented. However, as soon as it was my turn to talk my mind went blank! I was able to get out the short synopsis which I just wrote above but forgot to discuss the relationships. Anyways I think our group did great and it seemed as though the class enjoyed our presentation.

..::Manhattan::..

Although it was a week ago that we watched Woody Allen's film Manhattan, I really enjoyed it and just wanted to talk about it for a minute. Although the content of the film is controversial with Allen's character dating extremely young girls, it was comical. However, what I really enjoyed was the cinematography. The introduction to the film is really incredible. The opening scene is comprised of different live shots of Manhattan shot in a fuzzy black and white, which looks really vintage. While the collage of shots are fading in and out Gershwin music is playing and Allen is reading the first chapter in the script. The combination of the music, the footage of Manhattan and Allen's words come together really beautifully to create this over the top introduction. The film feels as if it were made in the 30's or 40's. Allen seems to always work in that time period into his movies whether it be through the score, references, or the way the film is shot. I love it because being a theatre major I think that it was during that time period that film was exciting and new. Here is the opening scene of Manhattan...

Exploring the Existential Allen

For the past two classes we've been discussing the writings of Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoyevsky (I thought it might be festive to list his formal name). We've been discussing his book Crime and Punishment which is a story about a poor Russian student who's hatred for a pawnbroker leads him to murder her and take her money. Throughout the novel themes of rationalism and utilitarianism are evident and Rashkolnikov, the murderer, is constantly justifying his act of murder. The story is interesting and its plot is comparable to American Psycho. Patrick Bateman shares similar characteristics of Rashkolnikov, such as his trying to utilize the ideologies of rationalism and his motives for murder. Both characters kill out of impulse and in some way or another feel regret. It is interesting to see how there are two different stories being told in completely different settings and periods of time, however they are extremely similar in themes and main character relation. The clip that I included within this post is the American Psycho trailer in which Patrick Bateman's character can truly be seen. In the trailer Bateman's erratic and unusual behavior is evident. I interpret this as Bateman being fed up with taking so much care of materialistic things in order to be socially accepted and rebelling against the social norms that are present. By him killing his colleague, he is almost killing that person that he loathes so much, himself.

The Art of Claude Monet

Parisian artist Claude Monet was born November 14th, 1840. His father urged him to go into the grocery industry but Claude, like his mother was an artist. He began painting at a very young age under the instruction of Jacques-Francois Ochard. His mentor Eugene Boudin, taught Claude how to use oil based paints. Claude is said to be the father of impressionism with his vivid landscapes and experimentation with the concepts of light and its effects within a painting. Claude Monet's work is famous and may be seen around the world. Famed art critic Harold Rosenberg although long after Monet's time, viewed art as a process and an act rather than just a produced item. I believe that Rosenberg would find Monet's pieces the true definition of art. Claude Monet's paintings take you on a journey upon viewing them. For example the landscape painting I've chosen to include within this post captures that moment between dusk and night where everything seems to stand still and prepares for the darkness. When you look at a Monet painting, it brings back a time, a place and an experience that you can relate to. I think that is what Rosenberg meant when he said that art is an experience, that when you look at it, it involves you and draws you in. Impressionism is a truly beautiful period of art that incorperates rich color, light and subject. The way that Monet is able to capture a moment in time with his painting is truly unique and captivating.

The 40 Year Old Virgin

John Cervenka

English 312

Film & Literature

Professor Wexler

The 40 Year Old Virigin & The Oedipus Complex

Although I have studied the Oedipus Complex in other classes, I have never related it to films. I find it so interesting that so many of today’s films can be tied back to the Oedipus Complex and the men having issues with growing up, dealing with reality or having unhealthy relationships. A film that instantly popped into my head when thinking about the Oedipus Complex was The 40 Year Old Virgin.

The film deals with a forty year old man who is still celibate, which is not a bad thing, however, he also is still like a 12 year old boy. He collects toys, rides his bike to work and has barely any friends. He has the sort of innocence that one might have at the age of ten or twelve years of age. He finally starts to make friends and they confront him about his virginity. The decision is universally agreed upon that Andy, (the virgin) must lose his virginity to gain his maturity and his independence. It is at this point that Andy begins his quest to shed his virginity and be a new person, however, things do not go as planned and he encounters many obstacles. He eventually finds a woman who he falls in love with and marries, but he still somehow maintains his innocence and demeanor. The movie strangely ends with a musical rendition of The Age of Aquarius.

I think that perhaps the reason Andy is still basically living in the world of a twelve year old is because he might not have had the best childhood. We see so often that when people have traumatic childhoods, they seem to stay mentally and emotionally at the point that the trauma began. It seems possible that Andy’s mother was overbearing and strict, instilling a deep sense of morality within him. She may have also been abusive since we see in the film that he feels so inferior to women, similarly to what a Woody Allen character might. Andy feels like sex is a horrible thing that is wrong and sinful. After his friends explain to him that its natural for a man to be sexually attracted to women, he starts to understand. It is almost as if he is going through adolescence a second time. He is growing up and breaking the confines of what his childhood taught him.

Sigmund Freud would have understood Andy to have lived a very unhealthy life. Freud believes that sexual desire is part of human life and is the primary source of energy and therapeutic relief. Seeing that Andy had repressed his sexual desires for so long, he must have been backed up with angst and tension. Freud would most likely have taken the same approach that Andy’s friends did and encourage him to feel comfortable with himself and his sexuality. He would have explained that there is no shame in feeling turned on by a woman, for after all we are all sexual beings.

Work Cited

The 40 Year Old Virgin Directed by Judd Apatow, Written by Judd Apatow

and Steve Carell

Portnoy's Complaint

In class we have been discussing Portnoy's Complaint written by Philip Roth. The book is basically a continuous monologue spoken by Alexander Portnoy. Portnoy is talking to his psychoanalyst Dr. Spielvogel about his various life experiences and memories most of them dealing with sexual frustration. The book has no qualms with explaining everything in detail and not holding anything back. Some people in class viewed the book as slightly pornographic while I, however, viewed it as an interesting read and great discussion. I think that books that are a bit controversial always lead to the best class discussions. It is then that people really get involved and have an opinion about what is being discussed. Anyways getting back to the book, I thought it was comical that both the father and the son suffered from similar plights, the overbearing mother invading their privacy. The son retreats to the bathroom to masterbate which seems to be the only place where he can find solitude and alone time. This act of masterbation is his release of all the tension that builds up within the house. The father on the other hand has a bit more trouble releasing his tension. He is always constipated and has the hardest time releasing what is building up inside. He seems plagued by all of this toxic stuff building up inside of him and strangely enough he also retreats to the bathroom to find solitude. Here is a recent interview with Philip Roth in which he discusses his book and his thoughts now about the book he wrote forty years ago.

Play It Again Woody

The film Play It Again Sam is about a shy and timid man who finds confidence in his imaginary rendition of Casablanca's Humphrey Bogart. Bogart shadows Allen's character and guides him through various situations all the while trying to build up Allan (Allen's character)'s confidence and self worth. Allan is incredibly pusillanimous towards women. His incredible fear of the opposite sex makes the viewer wonder what must have happened to him during his childhood to have made him into this apprehensive and solicitous character. It can most likely be referenced back to the relationship he had with his mother. Perhaps his mother was a larger than life and overbearing woman who belittled Allan in his youth. Perhaps his anxious demeanor can be related back to the Oedipus Complex. Perhaps Allan was never able to make that connection with his mother and therefore is afraid of all women, uneducated in the art of being flirtatious and seductive. It may also be the complete opposite. It may be that Allan is still infatuated with his mother and therefore feels no importance or interest in talking to any other woman. His nervousness is unconsciously keeping him distant from all other women other than his mother. He secretly longs to have that special bond with his mother, for she is the one who fully understands him and accepts him.