If Elizabeth Bennet was on Twitter

Lizzy Bennet's Twitter

For the digital treasure hunt assignment, I chose to investigate Twitter for accounts that told an old story. In this case, the first story that popped into my head was Pride and Prejudice since it was assigned in class and it is also among my favorite books.

So I took to Twitter and searched for Elizabeth Bennet. I looked at quite a few accounts before choosing the one that is linked above. The great thing about that particular account is that even though there are not very many tweets, it is very well done. The language sounds as if Jane Austen or Lizzy herself logged onto Twitter and began telling the story entirely from Lizzy's perspective. Unfortunately, the hunt for a Mr. Darcy twitter was unsuccessful, and what a shame, for the story told from his perspective via Twitter would be fascinating.

Incorporating an old classic novel into technology, or re-telling the story to include zombie killing, is an interesting way to get this literature into the hands of individuals who might not read it otherwise. Essentially, it makes the story more accessible. If someone watches the movie, or reads a silly twitter account, it might intrigue them enough to read the book itself. Sometimes people are fooled by the language into thinking that they wouldn't understand the story and therefore not like it, or find it boring. But classics are classic for a reason, they are well loved and analyzed to dig deeply into their value, and getting literature into people's hands is a wonderful thing.

Minor Characters and Commentary

"...a number of minor characters who occupy places in the social hierarchy well beyond the gentry and professional classes where Austen's major characters are situated. She writes no explicit analysis, but by passing details, she fills in the large social picture and provides indirect commentary."

-Juliet McMaster, Class

"...it is sometimes a disadvantage to be so very guarded. If a woman conceals her affection with the same skill from the object of it, she may lose the opportunity of fixing him...a slight preference is natual enough; but there are very few of us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement. In nine cases out of ten, a woman had better shew more affection than she feels. Bingley likes your sister undoubtedly; but he may never do more than like her, if she does not help him on."

-Charlotte Lucas in Pride and Prejudice p. 59

This quote from Juliet McMaster's essay, Class, sounds similar to the Woloch's The One vs. Many but the essay provides an informative analysis of class in Austen's world. McMaster says that certain minor characters in Austen's books provide commentary on society and fill in the "large social picture" through said commentary. Great examples of this are the few times that Mary speaks and the quote from Charlotte Lucas above. Charlotte's discussion is about how a woman should conduct herself when a woman feels affection for a certain man (in this case, the situation between Mr. Bingley and Jane) but ultimately, this discussion is about propriety. In this society, propriety should dictate one's actions and keeps individuals from being perceived as too bold or impolite. Propriety dictates how Jane conducts herself around Mr. Bingley and prevents her from giving a clear message of affection to him because that it would be improper. It is clear that Jane likes Mr. Bingley, but not clear enough. If she wants Mr. Bingley to be aware of how she feels, according to Charlotte, she must show "more affection than she feels". While this is the ideal, Jane is prohibited by being of a lower class than Bingley and obligated by propriety. Austen does not directly say that this is the case, rather it is said through Charlotte and the idea of the importance of propriety is inferred by the reader from the text. 

Elizabeth's Consciousness in Pride and Prejudice

"Her sensation is on a second order of apprehension, the consciousness of someone else's consciousness. Mrs. Bennet 'sees' her eldest daughter; Jane is 'gratified'; Mary 'hears' herself mentioned; Catherine and Lydia 'dance.' But Elizabethe 'feels' Jane's 'pleasure'--so that, in the friefest of sentences, Austen depicts the essential process of consciousness moving beyond itself. We will see that it is this aspect of depth--ultimately a depth of self-consciousness, or a consciousness of her own consciousness...that is the underlying quality of Elizabeth's singularity." 

-Alex Woloch, The One vs. the Many

"She grew absolutely ashamed of herself.--Of neither Darcy nor Wickham could she think, without feeling that she had been blind, partial, prejudiced, absurd. 'How despicably have I acted!' she cried.--'I, who have prided myself on my discernment!--I, who have valued myself on my abilities!...How humiliating is this discovery!"

-Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice p. 226

Alex Woloch argues throughout The One vs. the Many that the flat characters in Pride and Prejudice are just as crucial to Elizabeth's development as a protagonist and that Austen creates a situation in which Elizabeth depends on the flatness of other characters in order to stand out and be distinguished as one with a sense of self-consciousness. The quote from Pride and Prejudice shows Elizabeth's epiphany, in which she was able to step back and evaluate herself and realize that she was wrong wherein she previously believed herself to be right. Epiphany here, then, is not simply a sign that someone is, in fact, the protagonist, but shows that Elizabeth is self-conscious and self-aware, a standout from the other characters who continue on without an evaluation of self. Elizabeth sees how "despicably" she has acted, as well as realizing that her discernment was wrong and she feels humiliated. Elizabeth becomes distinctly aware here of her wrong behavior and attitude, a sign that she is "conscious of her own consciousness".

The Role of the Turk in Othello as a Deep-Seated Fear of Islamic Dominance

"The English faced the problem of British subjects--men, women, and children--being captured and enslaved by 'Turkish' privateers operating in the Mediterranean and the northeastern Atlantic. This crisis led English writers of the early modern period to produce demonizing representations of 'the Turk', not from the perspective of cultural domination but from the fear of being conquered, captured, and converted."

-Viktus, Turning Turk in Othello

"From whence ariseth this?

Are we turned Turks? and to ourselves do that 

Which heaven hath forbid the Ottomites?

For Christian shame, put by this barbarous brawl!

He that stirs next, to carve for his own rage,

Holds his soul light; he dies upon his motion."

-Shakespeare, Othello

How does Shakespeare demonize the Turks and what are the consequences of "turning Turk" in this passage?

Viktus explains in Turning Turk in Othello that Islams were believed to be more unified than Christians and that converting to Islam was associated with the devil and falling to his minions. This is a very serious attitude regarding the Turks, who were Muslim, and accounts for the deep fear and misunderstanding of Muslims that is still not completely eradicated today. Othello's troops were fighting amongst themselves, prompting Othello to become angry and accuse his troops of "turning Turk". When he says, "and to ourselve do that / Which heaven hath forbid the Ottomites" Shakespeare may be metaphorically conveying that the divisions between different sects of Christianity could divide and conquer them, making it easy for the Ottoman empire to move in and force them to convert. Shakespeare uses this Othello to demonize the Turk: "He that stirs next, to carve his own rage, / Holds his soul light; he dies upon his motion". Othello is telling his troops here that anyone who moves against his fellow soldier will be damned to hell, for violence and bickering among themselves will allow the Turks to come in and convert them. He also uses the term "Christian shame", which would serve to put the Christian soldiers back into their place and realize their folly. Converting to Islam would result in serious consequences through the eyes of a Christian in this early modern period--his soul would be damned. This idea alone could have been the impetus for the defeating the Turks and defending their souls. 

Africanism in Othello

"These speculations have led me to wonder whether the major and championed characteristics of our national literature--individualism, masculinity, social engagement, versus historical isolation; acute and ambigious moral problematics; the thematics of innocence coupled with an obsession with figurations of death and hell-- are not in fact responses to a dark, abiding, signing Africanist presence. "

Toni Morrison, Playing in the Dark

"Divinity of hell!
When devils will the blackest sin put on,
They do suggest with heavenly shows,
As I do now."

-William Shakespeare, Othello p. 49

How do these characteristics listed by Morrison function in Othello, in terms of theme? 

Most of the characteristics that Morrison mentioned in the paragraph above are seen in Shakespeare's Othello; the moral problematics, the masculinity, social engagement, etc. However, the obsession with demons, monsters, and hell is quite apparent in Othello and can be seen on almost every page. The quote that I used was spoken by Iago in Act 2 Scene 3. This particular quote is representative of many Iago's language regarding Othello and even Othello's language himself, as he uses a lot of cursing and talk of hell, death, and revenge. There is a lot of mysticism and superstition used in this play and all of that content is surrounding Othello. There are many references to the fact that Othello is black, "blackness" itself, and the superstition surrounding the idea, framing him as an "Africanist" character. The talk of demons and hell constantly surrounding him enforce this idea of Africansim in literature. 

Medieval Parody

"Now dextrously her Plumpers draws,

That serve to fill her hollow Jaws.

Untwists a Wire; and from her Gums

A Set of Teeth completely comes,

Pulls out the Rags contriv'd to prop

Her flabby Dugs and down they drop."

-A Beautiful Young Nymph Going To Bed, by Jonathan Swift

"The essential principle of grotesque realism is degradation, that is, the lowering of all that is high, spiritual, ideal, abstract...not only parody in its narrow sense but all the other forms of grotesque realism degrade, bring down to earth, turn their subject into flesh." -Rabelais and His World, p. 688 from Lit Theory

How can grotesque realism and medieval parody by seen in this poem by Jonathan Swift?

From the literary theory, the author of Rabelais and His World, Mikhail Bakhtin, distinguishes between modern parody and medieval parody. He makes the claim that the foundation of medieval parody is essentially light-hearted and possess a positive character. From the quote above, he defines modern parody as narrow, and having "a solely negative character" (p. 688). Grotesque realism is part of medieval parody, and greatly exaggerates aspects of the human body, which "turns their subject into flesh". While this may seem like a negative way to portray the human body, it is not done with the intention of scorning or shaming people, the point is to degrade things considered high or ideal. In this context, degrade has a more positive connotation, meaning that it is bringing the subject "down to earth".   

With this in mind, when the reader turns to A Beautiful Young Nymph Going To Bed, Jonathan Swift describes in great detail the bedtime ritual of a girl named Corinna. Having read this poem, I am compelled to think Corinna is anything but beautiful, rendering the title ironic and silly. From the excerpt above, one can see that before she sleeps, she is required to remove "plumpers" from her cheeks, detach her teeth from her gums, and pull out the rags from her bra that were supporting her breasts. This is just a snapshot of a lengthy list of things Corinna must do before bedtime. Swift's description is indeed grotesque, yet light-hearted which is conveyed through the poem's pleasant and musical meter and rhyme, staying true to the heart of medieval parody and grotesque realism.  

Distinctive Poetic Language in Shakespeare's Othello

"While practical speech facilitates access to information by making language as transparent as possible, poetic speech contorts and roughens up ordinary language and submits it to what Roman Jakobsen called 'organized violence,' and it is this roughening up of ordinary language into torturous 'formed speech' that makes poetry poetry rather than a weather report" (p. 4 from Literary Theory: An Anthology).

"To mourn a mischief that is past and gone 

Is the next way to draw new mischief on

What cannot be preserved, when fortune takes,

Patience her injury a mockery makes.

The robbed that smiles steals something from the thief;

He robs himself that spends a bootless grief" (Othello p. 20).

When I first read this particular passage in Shakespeare, I was piqued by it. Not only did this passage contain successive couplets and look like an Italian Octave, it was clear to me that it was a highly elegant way to say that acceptance of loss will end suffering. If you look at the first quote, essentially it tells us that poetic language warps speech in such a way that it "roughens up ordinary language" and is  not concerned with making language "as transparent as possible". Shakespeare simply could  have stated, "One must endure and happily accept loss if one desires to eliminate suffering" but that would not have been poetry. This is an example of formed speech. Shakespeare is not trying to give simple and quick access to the meaning in this passage; he is not attempting to inform the audience directly of pertinent information, he is using poetic language to express the concept of how one can eliminate suffering despite a loss.