What does one really learn from Brecht’s “learning plays”? April 30, 2007

In his article, “Brecht’s Marxist Aesthetic,” Kellner discusses Brecht’s “learning plays.” By using audience participation, he strives to inspire audience members to think critically and take action. His methods fall into the category of “active learning,” the campus-wide goal of UTA for the next ten years.  It has been proven that people learn better by doing than by watching. Brecht’s idea of having actors and audience doing role play has been used for years as a counseling tool and even as a managerial assessment tool in job interviews. Given his pedagogical theory for a socialist future, this would be a very effective tool when combined with skillful playwriting.

I do have questions, though. Since “a socialist theater should attempt to be useful to the state and socialize individuals into appropriate socialist values,” was the director looking for the same answer from everyone? Was it to shock them out of the haze of complacency toward action, any action? Was it to push them to one side or the other of an issue, to divide the “wheat” from the “tares?” Perhaps he thought that if everyone was confronted with the “truth” and then forced to think, learn and act, they would inevitably come to an enlightened decision. It seems to me that in his “learning” plays, something is being taught. Maybe it’s how to effectively use propaganda?

Not for the faint of heart April 24, 2007

Vargas Llosa’s story “The Cubs” is not for the faint-hearted. The impression I received from the picture on the cover of a laughing child holding a teddy bear and from the title itself prepared me for a warm, fuzzy experience. Far from it.

From the first page, I knew I was in for some work. The narrative voice with the inconsistent pronouns brought my pencil to the page, not to mention the lack of quotation marks and conventional sentence structure. I pressed on, determined to decipher his unusual style.

Then I came to the dog attack scene. That was difficult. But I went on. Soon my frustration with the style was forgotten and replaced by the pain I felt for Cuellar as I became totally immersed in his struggle for identity, purpose and acceptance.

Was it the pleasant tale I had expected? Not at all. Was I changed? Absolutely. Vargas Llosa’s captivating style drew me into the story in such a way that I felt I was there. Cuellar’s struggle isn’t to teach a lesson or to entertain. It raises more questions than it answers. It’s real life.

Vargas Llosas sums it up best in the preface: “What’s certain is that literature does not solve problems-instead, it creates them-and rather than happy, it makes people more apt to be unhappy. That’s how it is and it’s all part of my way of living and I wouldn’t change it for any other.” Neither would I.

Intrigue of Imagery April 9, 2007

From the very beginning, I was intrigued by the imagery of contrast in Césaire’s opening pages of Notebook of a Return to the Native Land. First, he hooks the reader in with the repetition of an ambiguous phrase “At the end of daybreak….” One associates daybreak with a beginning, a dawning, an enlightening, but he juxtaposes it with “end.” To me, this gives one the feeling of impending doom or destruction. He continues by using personification to describe Antilles: “the hungry Antilles, the Antilles pitted with smallpox, the Antilles dynamited with alcohol,” stranded in the mud of this bay. . .” This effectively gives the islands life and a sense of isolation and misery, revealing through them the history of their inhabitants.

Another strong image of contrast is conveyed through his description of the throng. Normally, one thinks of a throng as noisy, active, often driven by a common purpose. But Césaire describes the throng as “detoured,” “chattering and mute,” something that “does not pack, does not mix,” “not connected with anything that is expressed,, asserted, released in broad earth daylight.” Again, he draws the reader into his world of conflict and his world that doesn’t make sense.

The combination of these powerful images, as well as others, gave me a feeling of unrest, tension, isolation and incongruity. It compelled me to continue in his path to seek resolve. It was a journey worthwhile.

The Modernist Movement – Beyond Words April 2, 2007

As I read the article, The Modern Culture of Latin America,  I was struck by the depth and implications of the Modernist Movement. Being a French major, I was interested in why the Spanish writers turned to France when they were searching for direction. At that time, Castilian Spanish was not supplying the words they needed to express life in America. But it went way beyond that. The Spanish culture was lacking as well, hence, they had to turn to a different country and culture for inspiration.

This article makes one realize how language is enmeshed with culture, intellectual inspirations, progressiveness,  identity and global influence. It makes you realize what a responsibility we have as a society to not only preserve out language, but to foster an intellectual, cultural and spiritual environment that will meet the  demands of future generations.