01 Thursday March 10

Daniel McGuire Recounting the Events of Class on March 10, 2011
Class on March 10 began with an overview of the plot of She, with a few interjections about how the novel was to be interpreted. For example, the class discussed how important the portrayal of Ayesha in She and how that portrayal affected the author’s implementation of themes and ideas such as Orientalism and Feminism. Points were brought up in class such as how Ayesha is a symbol of female submission to males but also of the belief in Orientalism, in that Ayesha had a preconceived idea that she was above the Amahagger people. This goes along with the entire idea of Orientalism, which is that the east is viewed through biased perceptions by countries in the west such as England in this case. Many points were brought up and there was a bit of back and forth banter on numerous points, but then the class was divided into 6 groups, with each group being assigned a different theme or idea to think and reflect upon, followed by sharing with the class afterwards. Group 1- They were given the question of: “Where would you situate Ayesha in terms of her racial and cultural origins? How would you categorize her in relation to the English characters and why? Based on her attitude towards the Amahagger, would you classify her as an Imperialist or an Orientalist and why? How might postcolonial theory (Orientalism, hybridity) be useful for discussing Ayesha’s portrayal in the text? The group responded by saying that because she colonized the people of Kor after the transfer of power (being her becoming the active queen/ruler). Because she became their overseer and colonized them, the idea that she is a symbol of Orientalism is lessened. In addition, Ayesha can be seen as an Imperialist as well as an Orientalist after looking at how she already knew that the indigenous people would succumb to her will and worship her, creating a new hierarchical society and way of life. Orientalism becomes thematically significant near the end of the novel when Ayesha transfers her power to Leo and it comes into play throughout the story because both the duo of Leo and Holly as well as Ayesha had been pre-disposed to the idea that the indigenous people were barbaric and would need to be tamed Group 2- This group was given the task of deciding as to whether Ayesha is portrayed as a sorceress or a traditional role in the novel They responded by saying that she is seen as playing the part of the traditional gender role, which is demonstrated by her devotion to Leo/Kallikrates. This devotion is a representation of the common conception that women are below men and serve to be submissive to every man’s want and need. The fact that Ayesha essentially throws herself at Leo and essentially forces them to be life partners based solely on the fact that she believes him to be the reincarnation of her beloved Kallikrates is a textbook definition of how women are unfortunately portrayed in society. It demonstrates the belief that women need men to survive and that they are helpless without them. Group 3- They were to determine the significance of her diminishing role as she shrivels up They answered this question by saying that because she is dying in this manner, it shows just how barbaric the people of Kor were and that she herself could not avoid the nature of the society. It shows that conceptions are not always the truth and that things cannot always be changed.

Group 4- This group looked at how Scopophilia affected the nature of the novel and the themes in it Their reply was quite interesting as they analyzed how the geography was a symbol and representation of a woman’s body and how it is worshipped in some ways. They discussed how the Spirit of Life is inside a giant cave, which can be seen as being a womb in a sense. This point is very intriguing because it is a very plausible point as to whether this was the author’s point or not. Group 4 concluded their discussion by discussing the landscape of Kor and how it is full of feminism, which goes back to the beginning of this paragraph. Group 5- Is anyone a hero in She. Group 5 said that neither man could be considered a hero in this novel because they both gave in to the temptations and general allure that is Ayesha. Neither could resist her beauty amid what they knew of her evil ways and barbaric tendencies. Ayesha is technically a heroine in the end though, because it is her death that enables the rekindling of the bond between Holly and Leo. Group 6- I am not entirely sure as to what group 6’s discussion topic was but they brought up some valid points that the events of the novel support. The novel alludes to the fact that death is not the end, as represented by the numerous mummified bodies scattered throughout the various caverns. In addition, the lanterns are made of mummified remains and lit on fire, signifying new life being given to the people and that they will not ever be forgotten. Although the idea that the dead live on in another life, the fact that Ayesha shrivels up and dies shows that death is unavoidable, even if you think that you can avoid it. Death is natural and it can happen to anyone, but Ayesha was unwilling to see that. After the meeting and sharing between the groups was finished, there was a presentation entitled: A Feminist Theory Reading of Sex in the City They began the presentation talking about feminist theory and how Sex in the City demonstrates a female dependence on men. They defined Feminist theory as being a process by which critics re-evaluate women’s experiences in literatures through characterization, power relation, biology, image, and economics. They also went over how the theme of Sex in the City is very feministic and how women are being portrayed and how power in relationships are seen The group then went on to discuss important feminist leaders in the past such as Virginia Woolf, Kate Millett, and Gayle Rubin A point was also brought up as to how there is a group of female friends and only one is single, and she essentially becomes the male in that group, and the others seem to need her around, much as it is stereotyped in society that men are necessary to the lives of women. In conclusion of the presentation, a picture of a “nerdy man” was shown, which shows that although he is not a “man’s man,” he is still necessary to the lives of women. This class focused on how feminism is portrayed in the novel, She, as well as popular culture, and it was very interesting to see how the two ended up coinciding and the themes made more sense after hearing more about the other.