Proposal Feedback

Most of you have posted feedback to the proposals, and have offered some very useful insights, so I hope you'll all go through the posts to find the responses addressed to you. Since I'm the blog owner, I get to post my responses here. Feel free to meet with me to discuss your ideas further. New due date for 1st draft: Thursday the 10th.

Mar-g: narrow your topic further; difficulties and adjustments could well be a separate topic from the meaning of her journey. Also, be sure to find your own angle one this, as we have discussed the 2nd one fairly thoroughly. Maybe look at the adjustment question, then break it down into categories: gender roles, time, etc. Finally, what does this experience reveal to her? i.e. epiphany, what she learns about herself, etc.

Falyn: good original angle. What precipitates rebellion? Julie certainly learns bit by bit that the act of rebellion is far more encompassing than just changing clothes, saying you’re rejecting parents’ ideas, etc. Maybe explore the irony of her early rebellion and the truth of her final state. Finally, that is the importance of rebellion in human development? You might also consider the forms of rebellion in a changing South Africa.

Jasmin: sex is definitely a critical motif throughout the book. Maybe examine when it occurs, i.e. following what discussions and events. Also, woven into the discussion of sex is love, as well as the novel’s epigraph about “another country.” Think of the differences in these two lovers and how sexuality represents an escape, and maybe a spiritual attainment. Either way, it’s definitely complex, not reducible to one meaning.

Matt: certainly one of the central ideas. The novel covers every manifestation of love, from the title to the love Ibrahim has for his mother (and Julie for Uncle Archie), etc. As the topic is nebulous, you could use a good central question. For example, How does culture shape one’s understanding and experience of love? Or In what ways does love transcend culture? I like the idea of looking at all of the manifestations of love, but be sure to center it – you’re looking at all of it for a reason.

Logan: your topic is … broad, but contains the kernel of more meaningful ideas. If you compare or contrast things, you should do it for a reason. Gordimer does set lots of parallels between these two characters, and it’s interesting how they share that all important space of “another country,” but at the same time want different things. Do you want to look at shifts? At points of difference and similarity? Be sure to find a purpose.

Lino: read my comment for Logan. A possible question for you may be How does culture/our upbringings shape our worldviews, or what we want out of life? Think of a “problem” each character poses – they each want what the other has, but is repelled by that very thing they already have. Why? This could be another such question. What drives people to want things outside their own cultures?

Kent: I like your mirror analogy. One could write a whole essay on Julie’s involvement and ultimate dissatisfaction with The Table. It’s interesting that you said it was “attractive,” when ultimately she finds it distasteful (but only does so after finding Abdu, the alternative). While both J. and Abdu “feel that the “paradise” exists in the dreaded homeland of the other,” only Julie seems to find it. Of course, we don’t travel with Abdu, and Julie loses him, part of her paradise. If you’re going to look at both characters, have a good reason why – i.e. what can you learn from looking at both that you couldn’t by looking at just one of them? Also, remember to consider balance.

Sasha, good topic, at the core of the novel. I like how you include “new forms” they take on (don’t forget Ibrahim’s requirement to treat her a little more like men in his culture are supposed to – there are more boundaries). Ibrahim wrestles throughout with what love – and Julie – mean to him; he can’t believe that a wealthy Westerner would choose someone like him, so distrusts her. Other times, he finds tenderness towards her. Julie’s love includes her desire for him to maintain dignity, and not become a janitor or anybody’s Oriental Prince. The change of venues puts different strains on their relationship. The weaknesses you mention are, at heart, the differences between what each of them wants and their inability to want the same thing. You don’t have to be from different cultures to be in this situation. Also, don’t forget “another country.”

Kyla, there are, of course, reasons why they act as they do. Ibrahim is worried about being deported and is always conscious of the idea that some people have choices and some do not. It seems that they way he behaves in South Africa has more to do with external forces than with his culture or personality. I like the idea, though, about how engrained cultural expectations influence their actions. It also influences the way they see each other, as individuals and as husband and wife. It’s interesting that these perceptions shift as they get to know each other – and themselves – better. In any case, if you want to compare them, be sure to have a central purpose: what knowledge or understanding can be gained from such a comparison? What conclusions can you draw about the relationship between self and culture, etc.

Colin, great idea. Each of these women travels far from home and culture, and is thrust into a wholly alien landscape. People around them have varying perception of it, often negative. They start in different places, different social classes and privileges, different eras, and are compelled to travel for different reasons, but you are correct in drawing similarities from their confrontations with Nature. Only there, removed from human society temporarily, can they know Self, understand life, and death.

Kim, a unique approach to the novel. The two protagonists stumble into each other; it doesn’t seem either is looking for a romantic partner, though both are looking for Something Else in their lives, and each comes to represent a path to that Something. You can certainly argue that there is a significant shift in these representations, in what each means to the other. You will need a conclusion, a central “so what?” It should probably focus on the meaning of the shift, i.e., what does each learn through this reappraisal of the other/what they want, etc. Do they discover that it’s not a “game?” Also, to frame this as a game will require you to discuss rules, play, objective, etc., to use the language of gaming. If you are posing “game” as the antithesis of “reality,” as in their game eventually becomes reality, be sure to define your terms clearly.

David, this is a good topic. The “why are they so anxious?” question is a good starting point. It sounds like subtopics will include characterizing the relationships they have with their parents, then an answer to the first question, then a discussion of the parental traits they embody in their personalities/lives etc. An alternative to this last point is how parents influence our lives. This might even be your conclusion. Another approach: study how the two families operate; characterize them and the relationships, obligations, and feelings each provide, then discuss why Julie & Ibrahim each seem to want what the other rejects. It sounds like gender roles could also be part of this discussion.

Andrew, a classic topic, one that applies to any human relationship, as we all perceive things differently and have to negotiate, compromise to live together. This is taken to an extreme with this couple, of course. Consider: why does Gordimer center her novel around such different people coming together? I like the work ethic/family focus. There are many points in the novel in which the two disagree/perceive differently, from fate, love to success, etc. At times, they do manage to overcome these differences, each showing flexibility and a new understanding of the other’s view, but they do separate in the end. Part of it’s worldview, but part of it is personal goals. What’s your conclusion? i.e. what human truth might this story reveal?

Sam, a really important topic. Gordimer attempts to give us insight into the minds and lives of those who don’t have choices, as Abdu would say. This is a great percentage of world population. It sounds like you’re studying Ibrahim as a representative of many of these people. What drives them? Another question you should consider: what are they willing to give up in order to emigrate? What is lost through globalization? Your final question seems to point to Ibrahim’s personal qualities and motives. This essay is an analytical one, so be sure to generate a thesis!

Keshia, this topic has good potential. Remember, if you are going to discuss both of them to have a clear central idea – what will the comparison/contrast reveal that a singular focus might not? Gordimer purposely creates the irony of both wanting what the other has, a classic statement of the human condition. To this end, you might break it down: feelings about their home/who they are in their home, what they seem to want/search for a new home, feelings about/who they are in their new home (or desired home, for Ibrahim). How do their perceptions of each other enter this equation?

Zack, it’s fine to use the quote as a frame for discussing the novel. It’s also fine to discuss how this plays out in our lives, although you should keep this portion relatively short and focus primarily on your analysis of the novel. It sounds like you’re focusing on the role of environment – physical and social – in constructing the self. Are we different people in different environments? Can we change who we are while remaining in our own environment? Can we change who we are by moving to a different place?

Emily who is soo confused (at least there aren’t three “o’s.” I like the doppelganger idea; it seems very accurate as a piece of literary irony, that two characters so different from each other wind up being essentially similar. Your development looks logical and thorough, and I like that you take on the ambiguity of the title. I’m not so sure they wind up in the same “place,” though; on the surface, each gets what they want, but Ibrahim doesn’t seem to have the same level of revelation or resolution that Julie does. He’s still chasing his fantasy, too driven to appreciate what’s around him or attain fulfillment.