What Is There To Say About A Massacre?

The 'thing' I have made is a collage featuring a photograph of the real Dresden bombing aftermath. The photo in the top left corner is of a poor mining town in Peru, which I felt very much resembled some of the aftermath of the bombing. The piece is meant to have a very rough feel, which is why I decided to leave some space around certain cut pieces as well as leaving an edge around the sides of the piece itself. It is made to make the piece feel as if it was also bombed in the Dresden bombing. 

The hands in the photo are meant to display survivors reaching out for help, and each hand's location can refer to what help they are reaching for. The hands on the bottom are reaching for help out of the rubble, the hands in the middle of the piece (behind the Dresden city line) are reaching for help from the government, and the pair of hands at the top of the piece are reaching towards the heavens for help from God/a God-like figure. The figures looking down at the folks in the boat can be interpreted many ways: soldiers searching for survivors to save, soldiers searching for enemies to shoot, etc. The blood red sky is actually a picture of blood red water flipped upside down, to help convey a feeling as if the world has ended.

Although it is not noticeable in the photo, but some of the cut-outs are bent or folded in some way. The purposeful bending is meant to convey damage to survivors, whether it be bodily injury or damage to the mental health of a person. The text cluster that reads 'WHERE ARE BODIES THE' is meant to convey a sense of extreme panic that might be felt by a survivor. The text rectangles that read ' "What made this happen?" You ask every time' and 'because it must' can be interpreted as a conversation about war between either a mother and child, fellow soldier to soldier, etc. The upside down text to the top right corner can be interpreted as what commanders may have told their soldiers, what the government may have told their people, etc. etc. Overall, the nonsensicalness of all of the text used ties into the quote from Slaughterhouse Five, "It is so short and jumbled and jangled... because there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre." You can see part of this quote written in red ink around the piece.

The process itself was jumbled and jangled. I spent quite a bit of time sourcing images to use, then going back and changing bits here and there before deciding on the final look of the piece. I'm glad the process was as jumbled as the piece though, because it better ties in with the message of the piece - that there truly is nothing intelligent to say about war. While there isn't anything really substantially good to say, it's definitely always better to stay away from glamorization of war. The article 'Memorial Day and How War Films Have Changed' discusses how during and after WWII, films have had an overall fanciful tone that demonstrated the romanticization and glamorization of war, until the Vietnam War happened. Author Mark Hughes discusses how "Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, though, there was a steady supply of adventurism and glamorization of war and those who go into battle. Where Eagles Dare, The Great Escape, Bridge on the River Kwai, The Dirty Dozen, The Guns of Navarone, The Longest Day, and many more famous films depicted an image of warfare and soldiering that retained honor and adventure even during the most difficult moments. ... But a sea change was waiting down the road, and it came in the form of Vietnam. ... Watching the war unfold in vivid imagery every evening on the news forever changed the perception of warfare in American society. As opposition to the war grew, reporting and imagery of the protests spread on the news as well, merging into a wave of protest across the country that steadily rose year after year. ... While the politics of the films differed, the changes in cinematic depictions of war and of soldiers is obvious whether or not we agree with the political sentiments being expressed. And whether conservative or liberal, left or right, the films still almost always tended to fit into the emerging template that viewed warfare from the perspective of the individual soldiers as imperfect human beings forced into situations containing moral uncertainties and traumas, all of which affected not only the soldiers but civilians and society as well."

I agree with this sentiment, though I would argue that a large amount of war films still romanticize soldiers, not directly through a portrayal of noble honorable soldiers, but rather indirectly through a dehumanization of the enemy. One such example of this is the movie American Sniper. Chris Kyle is displayed as a soldier who is clearly struggling with his role as a soldier, whether through his relationships outside the army or the condition of his psyche. However, his targets, the Iraqis, were not given the same depth and complexity as Kyle, and are often dehumanized as savages. This lack of depth denies them the right to even be considered victims, and erases their stories to fit Kyle's better.

The Horror of the Past Continues: 'Beloved' and 'Strange Fruit'

                                  

The source I have chosen to compare to Beloved is the famous anti-lynching song Strange Fruit, written by Abel Meeropol and first performed by Billie Holiday. Both deal with an extension of slavery in a time where technically slavery didn’t exist by law so much as it did by social order. 

Beloved is set after the end of the Civil War, when black slaves become freedmen and women. However, their civil rights were limited, such as voting, working, etc. During the entire book, every black character had to work to remain unseen by slave catchers and racist whites who could attack them and/or sell them back into slavery. Each character was deeply afraid of any of those possibilities coming true. This is reflective of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 - any escaped slave must be returned to their masters. Although this was made null by the 1862 Act Prohibiting the Return of Slaves, this was not totally enforced, and did not take full effect until June 20th, 1864. Even then, the legality of freedmen and women did not change how white people felt about them at all. In fact, it made lynchings more prevalent, as it became one of the few but very effective ways to reinforce white supremacy.

Strange Fruit has no setting, but generally refers to the 1930’s and the 20th century, when lynchings were extremely common. Here, black men and women had gained a few more rights than previous generations, but were still looked down upon by racist white people. Just like in Beloved, every black person in America was deeply afraid of being lynched and so had to work carefully so that they might survive. Although lynchings were legal, they weren’t legal in cases where due process of law was abandoned. Of course, this was conveniently overlooked in nearly all cases. When Billie Holiday first began performing the song, she had many issues with it, from clubs and bars banning the song entirely to record companies refusing to record the song and radios completely banning it from airplay.

Both Beloved and Strange Fruit touch upon a fixture of institutionalized racism - a systematic reinforcement of white supremacy through social order. Peter Daniels of World Socialist Web Site also comments on this - more specifically, on Strange Fruit, the film. In his article, “Strange Fruit”: the story of the song, he talks about the general history of the song, and how it became the subject of a film of the same name. More specifically, he takes some issue with a comment in the film that racism is “a white problem, not a black problem.” and that “Until the last racist is dead, ‘Strange Fruit’ is still relevant.” He does not go into detail how he takes issue with the first comment, but he explains that racists are not born as racists and that ‘there can be no such thing as the death of “the last racist” without attacking the economic, social and political conditions that continue to breed various forms of racism and ethnic hatred all over the world.’ While I agree with how he addresses the second comment, I have to disagree with his lack of comment on how racism is a white problem and not a black problem. It absolutely is a white problem - it’s also absolutely a black problem. However, it’s ultimately white people’s responsibility to dismantle racism, or at least play a bigger role in doing so. There’s no way that a group of people who set up the current system of racism should have no responsibility in dismantling it, especially since all white people, anti-racist or otherwise, still benefit from racism as it stands now.

While neither Beloved nor Strange Fruit directly comment upon systematic racism, they most certainly infer that the system is flawed and needs to be dismantled. Both works serve as a sort of call to this dismantling, and remain highly relevant in this day and age.

10 YEARS AFTER WILDWOOD FEVER: WHERE DID THEY GO?

by reporter Mary Johnson

Ebonie Pollock, "Come Get Your Medicine"

Wildwood County is a place history has not heard from since it was struck by the supposed ‘Wildwood Fever’.

The name is a misnomer, because it only struck the town Dripping Springs, not the other two, Ackerman and Bedford. No one has bothered to change the name, though. No one really knows what it is, after all. So many rumors have circulated about Wildwood Fever, from melting your organs to inducing seizures at a particular noise to out of control paranoia.

Why the hysteria? Simple: Wildwood County folk heavily rely on divination, and it failed them. This failure came as a shock, since each town member meticulously plotted out the weather, the work days, the time off, through astrology and other divination. It’s not uncommon to hear “Stay safe during Mercury Retrograde!” while going about.

What actually caused the failure? Well, after the disappearance of all the townspeople, the place was put on lockdown for a while by Ackerman and Bedford, to become an urban myth. Fences shot up around the vicinity, left without surveillance. However, the fences have been broken into by partiers and teenagers looking for a cheap thrill. My team of investigators decided to check out what was left of Dripping Springs and finally find the answers.

Upon arrival, it's clear the place is largely untouched - buildings are weathered down, signs are left mostly intact, there's no sight of anyone. A few buildings have been damaged, however - mainly broken windows, probably by looters. One building is mysteriously completely destroyed, although nothing else surrounding it was torched.

Walking through aisles of broken glass, it's easy to find the library. One of my team members spot dusty journals by a computer. The writing looks rushed, and letters are left off of words as if in a hurry. The data written there looks like moon phases plotted down to the degree. Astrological signs are paired next to them, and the words 'VOID OF COURSE' is circled multiple times, next to the date July 31st. Could this possibly be when the townspeople disappeared?

Upon further prodding, we also found a diary, behind a bookshelf, open. A thick layer of dust concealed the sloppy writing underneath. It contained few words, but many drawings. Most of the drawings are crossed out in furious ink lines. Disturbed, we moved on from there.

Some houses further down the road have been graffitied with various slurs. Empty bottles litter dead lawns, and furniture from other houses line the sidewalks. The eeriness of the landscape haunted us.

We stepped into one of the houses that was somehow left untouched by partygoers. We found out why: the walls of a bedroom have tiny handwriting all screaming the same thing: LEAVE! LEAVE! LEAVE! and in one corner: BEFORE THE FEVER CATCHES YOU! At that moment, we felt it was time to leave - the sun was setting anyway, and our newspaper agency wanted a report of our findings by midnight that night.

The answer to what caused the failure failed to appear as we put together the pieces in the editing room. Had Wildwood Fever actually existed? Surely, it's effects were obvious; the residents were clearly in a paranoid state of mind. But, if it had existed, where did it's residents go? We found no bones, after all, and all belongings were in place. There was even dinner on the table at one house.

Death was ruled out; so was moving away. Could they have moved underground possibly?

Next Month: We investigate the underground claim, and find out what's really buried six feet under.

Mood Ring/Forecast

In this chapter, Foster discusses the different symbolisms behind different types of weather, and how it’s never just weather, but usually a reflection of the feelings the characters have.

To be quite honest, I was surprised at all the connotations weather could have. Rain being a purifier, rainbows symbolising promise, fog representing confusion - these I already knew. But rain being a possible source of death? A rainbow considered gaudy? Or even fog meaning misery? These confounded me.

Let me explain. I’m aware that different forms of weather have similar connotations universally. Without these widely held connotations, literature would have a lot less meaning to them. I hold some of these connotations as well. But something I do often is let the weather outside guide my mood, no matter where I am. I have personal, nearly totally different definitions for some weather, too. For example, I have always preferred rain over sunshine. Rain has always been so interesting to me: it can mist, it can pitter patter quietly, it can pour hard, it can include thunder, lightning, hail, sleet, or a rainbow, or some combination of the aforementioned items. The sun can only shine. … okay, fine, there’s sunrises, sunsets, and eclipses, too. But it can still rain during any of these events, which only makes the event harder to come across/even better. It’s a really invigorating experience for me. I can’t imagine it being a source of death because of this.

It’s also interesting to me that rainbows could be considered gaudy. I was raised in a very Christian environment, so they’ve always held the traditional symbol of promise. I was conditioned to see the bright colors as a beautiful symbol of hope. I suppose the rainbow being gaudy could be a humorous and/or cynical viewpoint that I’m sure some people share. It’s a bit strange to me, but I can understand it. Perhaps for these people it means a big empty promise made public? Or it symbolises a flashy show of power without any real substance behind it? Rainbows are fragile, after all. They’re impossible under certain conditions, and they don’t last a long time either.

Something else I hold different connotations for is fog. It does sometimes symbolise confusion, but more often (for me) it feels relaxing. It gives me space to clear my head and just ponder on some things thoroughly. It also gives me the time and space to be alone, which as an introverted person, I want and need constantly. Not to mention it makes it harder for other people to search through, practically guaranteeing that they won’t find me and that I’ll have more time to recharge. That’s why I find it so weird that people associate misery with fog. I can understand not wanting to feel lonely, but there is a huge distinction between being lonely and being alone, and that being alone isn’t something to fear or worry about. Even the most outgoing extrovert needs a moment to themself.

Social Media and Communion, or Pass Me The Bread, Facebook

Chapter 2 of How To Read Literature Like a Professor deals with meals and sharing those meals with loved/trusted ones, and how sometimes in literature those can be either just meals or they could be literally anything but that.

I think it's interesting to see how these acts of communion have evolved in this day and age, considering that we often see pictures from different meals: say, an album of birthday dinner photographs on Facebook. Foster makes it very clear that communion is a precise, particular act; a play that requires just the right actors and actresses. Yet nearly every time we log onto social media, we see a picture, a status, an update on a meal someone somewhere just had, often with a family member or a trusted friend. This could, of course, just be an extension of shared experiences - rather than keeping it between those who first hand experience it, online others can experience a frozen snapshot in time, now made data.

As Foster says, it's no different in literature. The extension of the communion can be an extension of sharing. After all, food alone is not enough to make a story worthwhile. There are countless stories in which during a meal somebody makes a big confession that sparks a dramatic response, either a furious argument or an outpouring of tears or both. Plenty of meal scenes in literature precede some serious event - graduation, heading off to war, moving out of the house. Death can even happen during a meal - someone has slipped poison into the emperor's drink, or perhaps someone suffers a fatal heart attack and dies within minutes. Only then do meals become turning points - war has begun, someone's life has just started/ended, or some scandalous information has come to light - otherwise, it's just another uneventful night, just with meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

I'm personally interested in seeing how social media will change acts of communion in literature - for better or for worse. It's already invaded it - John Green's The Fault in Our Stars prominently features text messaging at the beginning of the book, and that book is only two years old. The Hunger Games, even if it's set in a new world, uses television as manipulative, one-way social media. Ender's Game, also set in a different world, uses technology that mirrors boys and video games that then becomes, in a way, social media. In essence, whether in text messages, status updates, or blog posts, social media is an act of communion. This very blog post can serve as an act of communion, since I've written this for you to read, as you are now.

Though communion has traditionally occurred in the form of real life bread and butter, it's very possible for it to happen online. Both acts of communion have the same message: "I'm with you, I share this moment with you, I feel a bond of community with you." as better said by Foster.

The 5 basic tenets of Quests

This chapter deals with the most basic of plotlines: The Great Quest. Of course The Great Quest is rather varied and complex when you consider every little detail such as the Antihero, the Antidote, etc. However, Foster (refreshingly) breaks it down into 5 basic tenets: a quester, a place to go, stated reason for going, challenges and trials that come up, and the actual reason to go, which he says to always be 'self-knowledge'.

I appreciate the simplification of the Quest's structure. Of course, the other components are still important; its' importance does not diminish simply because it isn't mentioned here. However, the neat structure he has set up takes a lot of pressure off of budding student writers who often just want to write without having an actual idea to work with. In my 9th grade English class, my teacher assigned the class the task of actually finding nearly every facet of the Quest - the major characters, the minor characters, settings, all plot devices, all objects, the whole lot. Although I had it a bit easy (I chose 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' to work with), it was still stressful trying to find … well, everything.

I also appreciate Foster making mention of patriarchal and racial writings. Too often, gender and race aren't considered important if you're not male or white. Girls can't be heroes (even if they are far more competent than some of their male counterparts) because, well they're girls, not women.  Being called a girl instead of a woman takes away agency because girls denote being younger and more immature, versus being older and more mature, hence more competence. (This is strictly speaking for cis-women: trans women face a whole other type of misogyny known as transmisogyny.) African-Americans are often depicted through stereotypes (such as the Mammy or the Magical Negro) because some people, i.e. racists, have an extraordinarily hard time picturing them as whole, complex people. Such racist stereotypes and tropes still exist in a lot of writing today, both contemporary and traditional. It's important that we remember authors such as Ishmael Reed, Eavan Boland, and Angela Carter and keep their voices and others like them heard.