five.

First off, an apology for publishing this a day late.  Instead of hitting the "publish post" button, I clicked "save now."  Anyway...

I find it interesting that Virginia Woolf argues that a woman needs money in order to be creative in her piece, "A Room of One's Own."  Woolf was a part of an old money family.  The Bloomsbury Group members all lived very comfortably.  They could pick and choose what social ideals or norms they wanted to battle with little consequence.  Though this discredits them in a sense, it also illustrates her point.  Let's face it, the more money you have, the more freedom you have.  People know who you are, you can buy your way out of certain circumstances, you can eat whatever you want, wear whatever you want, and go wherever you want.  Less things burden you when you have money.  You don't have to constantly think about paying bills, getting a job or getting fired from the one you already have, buying food, etc.  In other words, without money more thoughts run through your mind and effect your ability to create because you have less mental freedom. 

If this is the case, then why does the world love a Cinderella story about pain, love, and hardships?

Four.

Oh, Mrs. Moore.   I find this character in Forster's novel, "A Passage To India," very interesting.  Maybe it is because Forster is alluding to philosopher G.E. Moore though this woman, but themes, central ideas, and symbols follow her wherever she goes.  The two that stick out to me the most are religion and the wasp. 

Mrs. Moore is "the Christian one" in the story.  She speaks often of God, love, unity, and loving one's neighbor.  This is important to note because she sincerely believes in these things and exemplifies them throughout the story.  She, unlike most, enjoys the company of the Indians and is interested in their culture, despite her being English.  However, her Christianity continues to tie her closely with the British which he realizes is not always a good thing.  She slowly begins to question her religion as the story goes on.  The character (I assume symbolically) named "Godbole" mirrors her doubt in his songs.  Questioning her religious beliefs also keeps her tied to the reader as this is a highly relatable struggle that occurs in all societies. 

Mrs. Moore also has a very personal moment with a wasp.  In general, wasps are not pleasant creatures.  Most people either avoid them or try to kill them.  Mrs Moore, however, comforts and speaks with the bug.  Let's think of the wasp as the Indians.  In the mind of the British, Indians are the lowest of the low.  They have nothing to offer except annoyances and inconveniences.  Like the wasp, people either avoid them or try to do away with them.  Mrs. Moore is kind to the wasp just as she is kind to the Indians.  This is significant to note as the wasp will most likely continue to represent the Indian people. 

Three.

Fear no more, says the heart in the body; fear no more.

He was not afraid.

I reread this line from Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway" several times in my head the first time I saw it.  It is so glamorously (or morbidly) epic.  It summed up so perfectly the emotions Septimus was feeling.  This is the only point in the book where I felt like I understood what a character was thinking.  Why is it that the most tragic characters are the most memorable?  I believe it is because they are the most relatable.  Everyone has a story.  Everyone has something in them that is dark and secret that molds us more than most happier times.  The key word here is "secret."  People don't usually show their dark side right off the bat.  It generally manifests itself into various mediums.  Virginia Woolf, for example, turned to writing.  With or without these mediums, people tend to repress these feelings.  Septimus is a prime example of this.  The loss and pain he has suffered gets pushed down deep inside of him until he becomes numb and can no longer feel it.  What he once considered a manly quality ultimately destroys him.  His dark side manifested itself in fear, until he couldn't handle it anymore. 

I realize that this is extremely... depressing. But like I said originally, these tragic characters are the most remembered because they are, though slightly romanticized, relatable.  Because these secret dark sides are (keyword) secret, we feel alone.  We often think that we are the only ones with problems. It is in these low moments that we look for a way out - an escape.  The line above jumped out at me because I have been there.  We have all been there.  Virginia Woolf captures the dark corners of humanity in this poetic line and reminds us that...

Everyone has a story, and we forget that. 

Two.

Today in class we were asked to pick one character in Forster's "Recollections" and relate his experiences with that person to his life as a Bloomsbury member.  Most people (including myself) chose to talk about his Aunt Monie. When asked to share, the majority of my peers talked about how he was burdened by his aunt.  I feel differently.  Maybe he was slightly annoyed with the task of taking care of her, but I think the more important thing to note is his reaction to her illness.  He states blatantly that he is afraid of it.  He was young when she was involved in his life and it is clear he was never given a full explanation for her situation.  In his eyes, she was not the same person.  There was something inside of her that made her different, delicate, contagious almost.  As if whatever put her in that wheelchair and caused her so much pain, would haunt him if he interfered with her nightly cries for help.  Because her situation was never fully explained to him, he continues to carry these feelings with him through the years.  Feelings of regret and shame.

I can relate to these feelings.  I have seen family members go in and out of hospital rooms.  Each time entering and leaving as a different person.  The body lying in that bed is not possessed by the same spirit you remember.  It is different and you can't explain why.  And when no one bothers to put your mind at ease, the picture in your mind haunts you. 

Forster may have been bothered by his Aunt and her neediness, but maybe for reasons other than what immediately come to mind. 

Oral Presentation

The Cambridge Apostles (aka: The Cambridge Conversazione Society) were/was a discussion group started in 1820 at Cambridge.  Every Saturday evening, a member of this fraternity would present a topic for the group to discuss and debate while eating gourmet snacks of toast topped with sardines, and drinking fine wines and liquors.  They were a very exclusive group, only letting in the most elite.  No women of course, but greats like Aristotle and Plato were considered members because they were considered elite even though they were not born anywhere near their time period, let alone Cambridge.  Many sources say the Apostles helped spawn the Bloomsbury group.  Some former Apostles included G.E. Moore, E.M. Forster, Lytton Strachey, Leonard Woolf, J.M. Keynes, Roger Fry, and Duncan Grant.  During my presentation I specifically spoke about G. E. Moore, J. M. Keynes, and Roger Fry.

George Edward Moore was a philosopher with theories on intrinsic value, ethics, morals, and realism, just to name a few.  Most of these views had a huge impact on, and were studied by, the Bloomsbury group.  They often referred to his theories as "Mooreisms." An example of his impact on the group can be seen in Forster's "A Passage to India."  The character Ms. Moore represents his theory on Imperial rule. 

            John Maynard Keynes was an economist with several theories on macroeconomics.  His ideas have been discussed in politics throughout the years and has been brought up in Obama's campaign and presidency.  The Bell's were especially interested in his ideas.  Clive Bell wrote an essay on him, which we will be reading in the near future. 

            Last but not least we have Roger Fry.  Fry was an artist and an art critic who played a large role in Post Impressionism.  He had an affair  with Vanessa Bell, which is interesting considering Clive once painted a portrait of him.  In the end she left him broken hearted by choosing Duncan Grant over himself.  He died very suddenly which left the Bloomsbury members extremely distraught.  He had a great impact on them and even founded the Omega Workshop. 

Bibliography

"The Cambridge Apostles 1820-1914." Contemporary Review 274.1596 (Jan 1999): 55. General OneFile. Gale. Texas Christian University. 20 Sept. 2009 .

David, Sidorsky. "The Uses of the Philosophy of G. E. Moore in the Works of E. M. Forster." New Literary History 38.2 (2007): 245-271. Web. 21 Sep 2009. .

Dean, Jeffrey T. "Clive Bell and G.E. Moore: the good of art." The British Journal of Aesthetics 36.n2 (April 1996): 135(11). General OneFile. Gale. Texas Christian University. 20 Sept. 2009 .

Fletcher, Guy. "Mill, Moore, and intrinsic value.(John Stuart Mill, George Edward Moore)(Critical essay)." Social Theory and Practice 34.4 (Oct 2008): 517(16). General OneFile. Gale. Texas Christian University. 20 Sept. 2009.

Janice, Dawley. "Time and Tide." Roger Fry. 03/12/2008. Web. 21 Sep 2009.

Sidorsky, David. "The uses of the philosophy of G.E. Moore in the works of E.M. Forster." New Literary History 38.2 (Spring 2007): 245(27). General OneFile. Gale. Texas Christian University. 20 Sept. 2009 .

Sue, Roe, and Sellers Susan. The Cambridge Companion to Virginia Woolf. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Print.

One.

Strachey is said to be the "annoying" one of the Bloomsbury Group. I can certainly understand why. He whines, gripes, complains, points out the obvious, and follows what others have done before him. However, I kind of like him. I like that he pushed, nay threw, one of the most respected, valued, and appreciated women of the nineteenth century right off her pedestal. I do not consider myself a bitter or violent person by any means, but I would love to knock a few people off of their high horse. In particular, I would like to go after a few literary types. You know who I'm talking about, those people who think they know what every single writer was thinking and feeling when they wrote an essay or story. More than that, they actually think they can relate to every single experience that had a significant impact on that writer. These people drink a lot of black coffee and spend a lot of time reading, and re-reading, the "classics" like Hemmingway.

As much as I dislike these "intellectuals" I have an even bigger problem with Hemmingway. Ernest Hemmingway is the most boring author I have ever had the pleasure of studying. Hearing his name literally makes me feel tense and stressed out. I never understood the outrageous attention he received. I may be ignorant when it comes to this man, but what exactly did he do that revolutionized American Literature?

My point is, Strachey may be the "annoying" one, but I think I understand his motives. I absolutely admire him for bringing light to the flaws of Florence Nightingale. This is a man who revolutionized American Literature, that is, if you consider the National Enquirer literature (which I do).

Introduction

My name is Erin, and I come from a very large, very red-headed, Irish Catholic family.  I imagine my Christmas vacations to be similar to those of the Weasley's.  I'm from Austin and a piece of my heart will always be there.  It is my inspiration for everything and no matter what, I will end up back there eventually.  I house a commune of close friends in my mother's living room during the Austin City Limits music festival every year and hoard Kerbey Lane's pumpkin pancake mix in my kitchen cabinet.  

I like dresses, tattoos, drumming (I am not good), dance parties, Shirley Temples, nail polish, Archie comics, yearbooks, Andy Warhol, karma, Oprah Winfrey, recycling, Wabi-Sabi, fashion, macaroni, pumpkin flavored things, writing, music, and reading.  

People tend to make me turn off my choice in music a few minutes into most road trips.  Some of my favorite bands are The Format, Tegan and Sara, The Kings of Leon, and Jefferson Airplane.  I have two favorite books.  The first is Peter Pan by J. M. Barri, and the second is Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer.  I don't like talking about either book because they make me feel weirdly vulnerable. 

I love writing.  I have worked as a Writing Associate at TCU for the past year and have wanted to work (not necessarily write) for a magazine since I was 12.  I still have the magazine article that planted that idea in my mind.  People either love what I write (my mother and my freshman year writing professor/boss), or hate what I write (every teacher I have ever had prior to college, and my sophomore and junior year writing professors). My writing style has been described as sassy and haiku-like, which I like to think means I write with rhythm. 

I secretly love blogging. 

-E