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Category: Binaries

Seeing Both Sides

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On December 5, 2025

In Binaries, Imagination, Memory/Past/History, Music, Music Poetry, Poetry

“Both Sides Now” was first released on Joni Mitchell’s album Clouds (1969) and later rerecorded on her album Both Sides Now (2000). The versions contain the same lyrics with different instrumentation. In both, the melancholy and introspective tone of the music reflects the thoughtfulness of the lyrics. The title of the song alludes to the central themes of experience and perspective throughout the lyrics. Mitchell structure the song in three parts with a chorus (analyzed last) in between each: clouds, love, and life.

Her first reflection is on clouds:

Rows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I’ve looked at clouds that way

Mitchell is reflecting on the way she used to view clouds as beautiful and magical. She uses figurative language in order to translate her romanticized experiences of watching clouds. Also, she uses the cliche of “castles in the air” to highlight the magical and positive view of clouds. Then, Mitchell portrays how her perspective has changed:

But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way

Where she used to see romantic limitlessness of clouds, Mitchell now sees clouds’ ability to block things. In the last two lines, she cites clouds as an obstacle.

Next, Mitchell shifts to love:

Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real
I’ve looked at love that way

She portrays love through moments of happiness, reflecting the idea of romanticized fairy tale love. With time, her perspective has changed:

But now it’s just another show
You leave ’em laughing when you go
And if you care, don’t let them know
Don’t give yourself away

The fairy tale has been shattered. She uses “show” and “leave them laughing” to show how love is performative. Telling someone how you feel will only result in your own pain, Mitchell warns, urging us to not give all our love.

From her new view of love, Mitchell sees both sides of life:

Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say “I love you” right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I’ve looked at life that way

Before, she defined life by love and dreams. Emotions (sadness, fear, pride) in life came from expressing and declaring the idealistic version of love. Aspirations and plans were supposed to be the guide to her life. Here, Mitchell uses diction to call back to previous ideas. “Schemes” has a cynical connotation which hints at the covert motivations people have. Also, she calls back to the idea of performative love by using “circus crowds” to represent the “audience” we perform for.

She describes the other side of life:

But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I’ve changed
Well, something’s lost, but something’s gained
In living every day

Finally, Mitchell brings all of her new perspectives together. As her outlook has changed, so have her relationships. Her repetition of “they” highlights how this change in perspective has distanced her from her past. She concludes by explaining how truly living comes with losses; however, from those losses, we find something new, making life a dynamic give-and-take.

The chorus between each verse follows the same structure while describing clouds, love, and life:

I’ve looked at ____ from both sides now
(Reference to word)
It’s ___ illusions I recall
I really don’t know ___ at all

These choruses holds the central idea of the song. She chooses the word recall to highlight that what she remembers is the illusions, not reality. In this way, she emphasizes how we experience and remember life by romanticizing. At the same time, as she sees both sides, Mitchell recognizes the realities of the things we romanticize. In this way, she develops the central ideas of the song: naivety and lived experience. Although she recognizes the realities, Mitchell still remembers the illusions, showing how wisdom does not replace the innocence we once had. Naivety and knowledge are not mutually exclusive. Instead, they act as a balance: innocence prevents reality from controlling us; experience stops us from getting lost in the world of romanticization. Mitchell models this on all levels through clouds (something tangible), love (something abstract), and life (something universal).

 

Beloved and Demon Copperhead

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On November 30, 2025

In Beloved, Binaries

Over the summer and towards the beginning of the school year, I read a book called Demon Copperhead, written by Barbara Kingsolver. It is a reimagining of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield, set in rural Virginia. Despite countless differences, I was reminded of Demon Copperhead while reading Beloved.

Sethe and the titular Demon Copperhead both have had incredibly difficult lives. They both grew up without a father figure, and with a distant-if caring in their own way-mother figure. They struggle mentally with the pressure put on them by society, even when they are in safer places. They have both been used and abused by powerful white men. They develop coping mechanisms that help in the moment but hurt in the long run. Both Sethe and Demon were able to break free of them because of a woman close to them.

At the same time, they live incredibly different lives. Sethe was enslaved, beaten and raped. She is a single mother trying to support her family. When she can’t bury her monsters, she buries herself and those she wants to protect. Denver ends up being the one to give her hope and take care of her. Demon had a comparatively better life, but he was still subjected to abuse and exploitation by the people who were supposed to parent him. He coped with drugs, which had already taken the lives of several of his loved ones. The death of his girlfriend was the catalyst for him to seek help.

Beloved and Demon Copperhead are heavy books. They aren’t something you can pick up and read in an afternoon before going on with your life. They stick with you, and for the better.

Breaking the Binary – The Stranger

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On November 21, 2025

In Albert Camus, Binaries, Stranger

With no dialogue throughout the entire book, one of the more mysterious characters in Albert Camus’s The Stranger are the Arabs. Their silent and menacing demeanors create conflict between our main characters and establish them as the antagonists of the story. Since they are depicted as such, Camus creates the binary relationship between the main characters and the Arabs as CIVILIZED/savage. This idea of other-ism was prevalent during French colonialism in Algeria—the setting and time period of the book—with the widespread movement of Berberism. Berberism is an ethnonationist movement in Algeria and Morocco that propagates the Kabyle myth: portraying Arabs as invaders who destroyed late Roman and early medieval civilizations of Algeria and threaten their culture and nation. Algeria has had, and continues to have, a long history of racism against Arabs, so for the time period of The Stranger, this ideology encapsulates the climate of Algeria for white French-Algerian people and Arabs. However, despite this supposed binary of CIVILIZED/savage against Arabs in The Stranger, I believe that Camus attempts to address the situation and break the relationship, rather than enforce it.

I believe there are many examples throughout the book where Camus combats this narrative and attempts to upend it by inverting the savage label. First, the Arabs never talk in the book; rather than interpreting them as menacing beings, this view can instead be portrayed as docile. They only act aggressively because they want revenge against an abusive procurer. Secondly, the only savage actions committed in the book are by white French-Algerian people, rather than the Arabs. Meursault commits the murder that occurs, and Raymond, another white man, commits the abusive acts in the book. Meursault and Raymond’s actions are savage by definition, and the only victims in the situation are the Arabs.

Another example of Camus inverting the binary is after Meursault is arrested for the murder. Meursault is in prison awaiting his trial, and is visited by Marie. Next to him is a blond man talking to a fat woman, and they are yelling to communicate with each other. Meanwhile, the Arab people are talking in a lower, softer tone and are still able to make themselves heard. Showing them in a more docile and civilized light. In the same scene, we see Camus use another method to break the relationship: by humanizing the Arabs. Meursault repeatedly takes notice of a young man and his mother. These characters also never talk, but more importantly, they represent the relationship Meursault had with his mother. Again showing that Arabs can have loving, meaningful relationships with people, and are not total savages.

Is Saeed less of a man than Nadia is?

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On October 28, 2025

In Binaries, Exit West

In class, a question was posed that I’ve been thinking about a lot throughout my reading of the book. In Exit West, the two main characters, Nadia and Saeed, are a couple for most of the book, but who is the “man” of the relationship? This depends on your personal definition of what it means to be a man. I don’t believe that there is a single way to “be a man” or a woman. I think that Saeed and Nadia challenge the binaries we put on men and women. Saeed is kind, gentle, and patient. And Nadia isn’t very “womanly”; she’s, well, I don’t really know how to describe her, but I hope you know what I mean. I really enjoy it when the media switches the traditional gender personalities. It’s really refreshing and empowering to both men and women. Men should be taught that it’s okay and manly to be gentle and let themselves be emotional, and women should be taught to stick up for themselves, make their presence be known. If your personality isn’t in alignment with the binary that people put in place for men and women in relationships with each other, then that doesn’t make you less of a man or a woman, and we need to stop acting like it does.

The Art of Hating your Child

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On October 28, 2025

In Binaries, Film, Trust (film) - Hal Hartley

Last Friday we finished watching the movie Trust and one thing that stuck out to me was the portrayal of the parental figures. Specifically Matthew’s dad and Maria’s mom.

It is clear almost immediately that both of them carry resentment for their child. However it soon becomes clear that it is more complex than resentment, as they simultaneously rely on and respect their children. Both parents need someone to dominate, feeding into the Parent/Child binary in order to achieve a sense of power.

To feel in control Matthew’s father needs authority over Matthew. He constantly orders him to clean an already spotless bathroom, and abuses him both emotionally and physically. However, when Matthew leaves home he doesn’t know what to do with himself. Even going out of his way to travel to his job to look for him. Without Matthew to dominate his life loses meaning.

Then there is Maria’s mother. At first it seems like she is punishing Maria for killing her father but, it is later revealed that she is grateful to be free of him. Going as far as to call Maria a genius. However she continues to treat Maria like a maid. She rely’s on dominating Maria as it gives her life purpose. It is her way of reclaiming the power she lost in her relationship. She clearly felt weak and as if she had lost herself in her marriage. So through her relationship with Maria she can abuse someone the way she felt she was mistreated.

The reward Maria’s mother and Matthew’s father share is power. By abusing the Parent/Child binary they achieve a sense of power they can’t live without. Despite respecting aspects of their children it is not worth displaying their love, at risk of losing the power they feel.

 

The Silent Epiphany

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On October 7, 2025

In Albert Camus, Binaries, Existentialism, Stranger

Meursault’s epiphany on existence is not only shown through his sudden outburst to the chaplain, but can also be seen in a structural shift itself.

In Chapter 2 of Part 2 of The Stranger, the structure of the paragraphs shifts from frustration-to-longing to a frustration-to-acceptance writing style, which helps us understand Meursault’s epiphany about the absurdity of existence.

At the beginning of chapter 2, when Meursault said he felt his “life coming to a standstill (72)”, he went on to explain that he was tormented by his desires for women, cigarettes, and to be on the beach. His desires for physical reward are what I believe Camus deems as meaningless in a world that is indifferent to one’s needs.

 

The true challenge of human existence is the idea that people may search for  life’s meaning their entire lives, but nothing will come out of it due to the absurdity of the world. When you choose to accept the absurdity of life itself, you will achieve genuine freedom from the chase of a socially constructed purpose, even if others may not accept it.

Meursault develops this idea in the sense that his indifference to the world is, in a way, how Meursault accepts the universe’s meaningless purpose and allows for a greater sense of individuality than other people. He did not seek out a purpose in his life but rather accepted that things would happen inevitably, such as death.

His acceptance and indifference towards what others deem is “meaningful” to life backfires when in court he is seen as “emotionless” and “insane,” both socially constructed ideas.

His views on life have caused unrest in other people’s lives, but not his own. It only leads to his death, something Meursault sees as inevitable. Why this fate?

In my opinion, Camus decided to make Meursault’s fate an execution as a way to show how social constructs people have confirmed to may not align with your thinking, but it is when you accept your thinking that you achieve freedom.

At the end of the day (or night, for Meursault), and when you can think back on your life, you will not think about the FRUSTRATION/longing, but you will think about your FRUSTRATION/questioning. Questioning your decisions you made in your life will bring you no satisfaction. The only satisfaction and purpose that will come out of your life will be defined off of what accepted as the truth, not questioning it’s reasons.

More Than Coffee: Race, Class, and Belonging

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On September 26, 2025

In Binaries, George Saunders, Mutual Recognition, Power and Identity, Power of Stories/Storytelling, Short Stories

This story is written in a way that gets you, from the superficial stance to dislike the main character, Dina. I feel the opposite though. ZZ Packer writes through Dina all the tension in repressing herself and her identity is right on track with what we experience as teens or young adults. I know it is said by George Saunders to not see oneself in the characters, but in each and every part of her experience prior to college I could understand how it shaped her. Her decision to say she would be a revolver should prove the destruction in her life. She is blunt and reclusive especially with Yale and Heidi. She is afraid of what people might think of her because of her food stamps and her neighborhood to the point where she runs away “I couldn’t tell him the rest: that I had not wanted the boy to walk me home, that I didn’t want someone with such nice shoes to see where I lived”(62). She’s unique in her love for poetry. Dina does a classic “I’m going to make fun of you before you get to make fun of me” situation in which every black person that has shown her any sort of respect, interest or connection she pushes it down. I mean her comments on how she felt “pitiful in how cool they were”(52) was very insecure and going into defense when nothing was attacking just proves the point in how real of a story ZZ Packer has made in this.

Throughout the story we talked about her relationship with Heidi, Yale, and her response to a bully but not enough about her parents. As we know Dina’s mother dies from kidney failure but we find out through Dina that her father was violent and she feels he caused her mothers death. We quickly get the binary between “father” and “dad” because she states “I hate the word Dad”(54). We then get to know about her mother who is kind and patient and has nurtured her the best she could. We get her reminiscing on her mother saying “…this is what happens when you’ve been around white people:things get weird”(67). These 2 people play a role in her internal struggles , alienation and detachment(as parents usually do) and have caused her to be vulnerable therefore making her age more quickly.

I do want to end off by saying some key points for me in the story:

1)She’s human she gets to make mistakes.

2)She’s stated she doesn’t really care for the relationship stuff so it’s valid for her to mess it up a couple of times.

3)The line “White people always say that about black people’s hair. The worse it looks, the more they say they like it”(67) has me rolling on the floor from how funny and true it is.

4) It’s okay Dina, I promise whenever you feel distant from other black people, let go of your judgement and embrace the warmth of having some black friends in which you can relate to.

5) Even in the BIG one-two college people still bully…gosh ATP it’s not even bullying anymore you’re just in love with them.

Difficulties of Achieving Mutual Recognition

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On September 24, 2025

In Binaries, Power and Identity, Power of Stories/Storytelling

Spending time learning about Benjamin’s theory of mutual recognition led me to question my own experience in this world. The mutual recognition of individuals that surround you is essential to truly say that you accept others for who they are, as opposed to the groups they’ve been confined to.

One of the greatest examples that comes to my mind when I think about Benjamin’s theory of recognition is charity organizations. First of all, those who run the organizations do so for one of two major reasons. One is for the recognition, or two, because they’ve experienced injustice in their lifetimes and see the people who need help as deserving of said help (not because they NEED it, but because they DESERVE it). For example, I volunteered at a church to help migrants who have just entered the country. The people who ran the organization walked up to me as I entered and told me that I had to wait in the lobby as breakfast for the migrants had not yet started. To this comment, I told them that I was here to volunteer and needed to pass through.

I share this experience not to draw your empathy, but instead because it demonstrates how people are immediately filled into categories by their appearance alone. People are seen as what we interpret them as rather than what they are, and this is contrary to our goal of achieving mutual recognition, recognizing the person as oppose to their category (or social status).

I urge you to approach all social interactions as if you know nothing of the person aside from them also being a human being. The only way to live in a world that sees people as people is to recognize their humanity.

The Old Blogs are Dead! Long Live the Old Blogs!

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On August 20, 2025

In Binaries, Course Stuff, Empathy, George Saunders, Imagination, Jessica Benjamin, Mutual Recognition, Power and Identity, Short Stories, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Vladimir Nabakov

At present, we use the Edublogs platform for our class blog, which is built on a WordPress platform — one of the most popular and robust web publishing platforms in the world. We had been using the WordPress.com platform directly for several years, and you can still wander around that old AP Lit blog.

For many years before that, we used the Blogger platform for the AP Lit blog, but it was a very limited and bug-ridden platform, and Google eventually stopped supporting it.

If you are interested, though, in seeing what those long-ago AP Lit students have been thinking and writing about, feel free to wander over to the old old AP Lit blog.

old blog

SNL and the Fragility of Democracy

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On February 23, 2025

In Binaries, Comedy/Satire, Drama/Theater, Memory/Past/History, Modernism

A few weeks ago, I watched the Founding Fathers Cold Open on Saturday Night Live. On my first watch, I thought that this was hilarious and I was cracking up throughout the skit however, when my AP Lit teacher asked my classmates and I to analyze a modern piece of satire, I decided to revisit this particular skit and I found it to be kind of scary.

The skit begins with the “founding fathers” signing the Declaration of Independence. “John Hancock” then asks “Alexander Hamilton” to share his opinions on their new nation to which Lin Manuel Miranda comes out and begins to rap about what he hopes for in this new country. Within his first few lines, “Hamilton” is interrupted by “Donald Trump” and the remainder of the skit is “Trump” discussing the future that he envisions for the country.

Throughout the skit, many satirical techniques are employed however, here I will only name a few.

During the skit, the actor that played Trump consistently used youthful slang such as “zesty”, “take the L”, and “in my ___ era”. This is incredibly ironic because both the current president (Trump) and the most recent president (Biden)  were the oldest presidents in the History of the United States. By creating this binary between young and old, SNL is showing how ridiculous it is that for people so close to the end of their lives to take on the kind of responsibility of running a country just as it would be crazy for a tween or a teenager to run the U.S.

The fact that SNL made this skit about Trump’s first week back in office a parody to the signing of the Declaration of Independence is another example of satire. Some of the things mentioned were either a step back from the progress that society has made with equality since the signing of the Declaration of Independence or it was something that the founding fathers were trying to avoid in their new country such as having a king (the skit implied that Trump may one day take on a role similar to that of a king).

Finally, SNL used both hyperbole and understatement  in creation of this skit. When “Trump” first interrupts Miranda, he says that he is in his “king era”. This can be viewed as a hyperbole as while President Trump is currently using a lot of power, it is unlikely that he will adopt a role similar to a king. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the writers of this skit used understatement to illustrate the unhappiness of the American people after his first week in office. To show this, near the end of the skit when “Trump” is talking about the all time high of the price of eggs he exclaims, “Who would have thought it’d be easier to get a ceasefire in Gaza then bring down the price of eggs?”

While the goal of SNL is mainly comedy, most of their skits also provide a commentary on some aspect of society. In this particular instance, they bring to light how worrisome this bombardment of executive orders was and how the United States may continue to change in a way that many do not believe to be positive in the coming years. SNL is trying to make light of a situation that they believe to be potentially dangerous but they are also cluing in society for what is to come.

Exploring Shakespeare’s characterization of Cordelia

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On February 5, 2025

In Binaries, King Lear

After reading King Lear, I’ve been particularly interested in how Shakespeare wrote the character Cordelia and her evolution throughout the play. Although Cordelia only appears in 3 acts, her character plays an essential role throughout the story as she is the catalyst for many of the tragic events that take place.

In my first read of Act 1, I thought Cordelia was rebellious and bold for her honesty and unwillingness to bend to Lear’s demands, however as I closely reread and analyze I find that Cordelia was tactful and worked within the confine of her gender role to some degree. When Cordelia says to France, Burgundy and Lear, “But even for want of that for which I am richer: A still-soliciting eye and such a tongue
As I am glad I have not, though not to have it Hath lost me in your liking” (I.i.252-255). Even in her explanation she still makes it a point to express her sorrow for losing Lear’s love. Cordelia has no autonomy outside her love for the king. This is displayed multiple times throughout Act 4. A key moment I saw this is when her and Lear were reunited and when Lear asks for forgiveness Cordelia says, “No cause. No cause.” While her forgiveness is admirable, I think its right to say she should have been able to express her hurt to some extent. I understand that this was to further a point of forgiveness when faced with power, I just find it interesting that it had to be displayed in her character.

It’s obvious that Cordelia’s character is centered around love and grace specifically towards men. To some extent, I look at Cordelia less as a character and more of a force within the play. I see no character growth or development in her, rather Shakespeare uses her as a model to what a woman should be: graceful, dignified, meek, and submissive. Cordelia is honest, but not rude. She’s outspoken, yet gentle. While these are characteristics all should strive for, Shakespeare makes it a point to make the only character that demonstrates these qualities a woman. He even furthers this when he gives the worst qualities within the play to Cordelia’s sisters. There is no redemption for them like there was Edmund and in their final moments they are seen as villains.

The line that struck me the most about her character was when King Lear said, “Her voice was ever soft, Gentle and low, an excellent thing in woman.” (VI.iii.334-335). I think it was almost like an “aha moment” as I then understood Shakespeare’s perspective on women. Shakespeare never meant for King Lear to be radically feminist or empowering for women, it was meant to subdue and reinforce the gender roles at the time. 

 

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The Doors: Were They the Right Move?

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On November 5, 2024

In Binaries, Empathy, Exit West, Migration, Power of Stories/Storytelling, Story Power

When we first began reading Exit West by Mohsin Hamid in class, I was confused why Hamid decided to include magical doors that could lead an individual to a different country in his novel. I thought the presence of the doors took away from the seriousness or reality of the piece. Without the portals, the story could have been seen as more realistic, and readers would be more likely to see the real-world  implications.

One day in class, though, about when we were halfway through the book, Mr. Heidkamp had us listen to Hamid’s explanation for why he included the doors. He explained how by having Nadia and Saeed, and all migrants in the book, find doors to walk through instead of journeying to their new destination, it forces the audience to focus only on the stories and lives of the migrants before and after the migration. If Hamid were to include the long and treacherous journey of migrating to a new country or even continent, half the book – or at least a short, action-packed section of the book – would have to document the journey, and readers would only sympathize with or perceive the characters through the lens of their journey.

I know many others shared the opinion I had when I first started reading this book: they feel that the doors make the story seem too magical or too unrealistic. But, I hope those people take the time to truly listen to what Hamid has to say about the portals. His explanation made me realize the true perspective of a migrant, and how the media on migrants today take away from the real stories and voices of millions. The media crafts a perspective of only just the journey of migration, stating things like “Boats of Hundreds Docks in Italy from Africa.” Instead, Exit West forces the audience to perceive Nadia and Saeed’s life, not journey.

Gender Roles in Exit West

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On October 30, 2024

In Binaries, Exit West, Uncategorized

When reading Exit West one of the first concepts in the text that stuck out to me was the the gender roles in the book. From the beginning, its clear that Nadia craves independence, lacks a close relationship with her family, and rides a motorcycle, while Saeed has a close relationship with his family and values his religion deeply.

As the story progressed, I felt like the gender differences between them strengthened and caused tension in their relationship. Saeed loved Nadia, but he craved someone he could share his values with, someone to pray with, who he could also talk with and meet their family. Meanwhile, Nadia wanted a person who could go out with her, go on adventures. Yet the two of them didn’t sperate, likely because of a trauma bond between them. They had gone through so much together, it could feel wrong to seperate after that.

Through this story telling of “swapped” gender roles leading to seperation and eventually new relationships, Hamid portrays a concept that I beleive many young people today are realizing: While it may seem “correct” or “right” to have a dominant and submissive, or a independent and dependent in a relationship, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Saeed and Nadia speak to an experience that many young people have of learning to find someone that can do thier favorite activities with them and share their values, as opposed to being with someone that is so different from you that you may struggle to connect to them.

While there are many themes that can be found in this book, even in just the gender roles, I chose to speak about this one because it was something that I felt personally connected to.

The Stranger – To Whom

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On October 16, 2024

In Albert Camus, Binaries, Existentialism, Stranger

We all know ourselves. At least we think we do. The phrase I know you better then I know my own self, signifying kinship between two people. We think that we can control our destiny, make our own choices, influence our own stories. Unfourtunetely  we cannot do whatever we want, due to laws, regulations, and social norms

Meursault takes this predicament into his own hands. He does not obey laws nor conform to anyones expectations or wants from him. He views the world not as his oyster but something that cannot control him. He is passive. He never strives for any achivement or status reveled by society. When his boss asks him “open an office in Paris which would handle his business directly with the big companies.” Meursault refuses saying life does not change and he is contempt with what he has now.

He says ” I’m not unhappy” after declining the work offer, but never in the story does he say he is happy. Only at the end of the book does he finally come to the realization that blatantely disregarding everyone also included himself. Only then when he is alone with his thoughts and feelings does he say he feels happiness.

Powerful or Powerless

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On October 15, 2024

In Binaries, Power and Identity, Trust (film) - Hal Hartley

Last week in English class, we were introduced to the movie “Trust” By Hal Hartley. This movie is centered around two main characters, Matthew and Maria. However, I want to focus solely on Matthew.

Matthew is thought to be an adult in his 20s or 30s who still lives at home with his father. The relationship between these two is far from normal, or even loving. Throughout the movie, we can see multiple instances of Matthew’s father laying hands on him for trivial reasons, such as not cleaning the already squeaky clean bathroom. The act of Matthew repeatedly being beaten by his father illustrates the idea that he is powerless. This is also reinforced by Matthew constantly submitting to his father whenever he is around.

However, when Matthew’s father is not present, a whole other side of Matthew is shown. He is violent and aggressive to those around him. Matthew is seen punching and assaulting random strangers. His dominance over others is what gives him power and superiority. Yet, this power is nowhere to be found when he is in the presence of his father.

This poses the questions, “Is Matthew Powerful or Powerless in the movie? Or is it possible to be both?”

“Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” with “Bonds of Love”

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On September 30, 2024

In Binaries, Jessica Benjamin, Short Stories

Jessica Benjamin takes an intersubjective approach to Freud’s original theory of power and domination; which inherently focused on authority and dominance not being an innate human necessity, but rather an extension of human relationships. The foundation of these flaws comes from the binary view of “do-er” and “done to” or “good” and “bad.” To truly change social flaws, it is necessary to realize that in these dominant relationships, the submissive or “bad” role also participates in the neverending cycle. To fix these flawed relationships, a mutual understanding and recognition of the other party is necessary, however, Benjamin understands that our society is inherently built on these roles from when infants first begin to realize their own sense of self.

I have realized that after reading and analyzing Benjamin’s theory, I subconsciously have begun to apply her own theory of mutual recognition to my analysis of the different stories we read in AP Literature.

For example, mutual recognition could be a solution to the conflict the characters have in “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” by ZZ Packer. The story is full of different “good” and “bad” binaries despite there only being a few characters shown throughout the majority of the story. Dina, the main character, and narrator of the story tends to have a very “narrow-minded” worldview in which she is constantly putting herself into either a dominant(good) role or a submissive(bad) role with every person she interacts with. This worldview seems to stem from Dina’s insecurity about herself, which results in the failure of her relationship with Heidi, a girl who seems to have embraced mutual recognition in some ways by the end of the story. If both girls were to have truly embraced Benjamins’ theory of mutual recognition, I believe they both would have possibly had a happy ending to their relationship, rather than ending with a lack of closure.

Does Football Make You Cross Dimensions

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On September 27, 2024

In Binaries, Empathy, Imagination, Power and Identity, Uncategorized

In Game Changers by Neal Shusterman, the main character actually changes dimensions via being tackled. No not CTE or multiple concussions, although around 1.2 million people get seriously harmed from football.

Ash our main character is a 17 ,on the football team Like failing math tests and girl troubles. One day he gets tackled which when you play a contact sport is not surprising, then he notices little details that seem to have changed but no one else believes him. The other team mascot was the wildcat but now the Ravens, he initially rushes it off because believing he’s in another universe seems very far-fetched. Next, the stop sign as we know and love became blue, this was a bit harder to wrap his brain around.

Each time he gets hit something grander changes he’s suddenly rich with a nice car and a fancy house.  These changes don’t only affect him, things in history have also been changed, in one dimension Brown versus the Board of Education  was never one, segregation still existed and his best friend didn’t go to school anymore. There were other more unusual Dimensions like changing his sexuality and giving him a boyfriend.

The final change was him becoming a woman, so he could understand how it feels to be a minority and the social structures.  The book was very addicting. I read it all in one sitting under 3 hours. The writing is not super complex in understanding the text, however it does have broader Messages such as hierarchy in class, gender ,and sexuality.

 

A Reflection of Benjamin’s Theory of Subjectivity and Power: the Impact of Language Barriers and Xenophobia on First-Gen Americans Identities and Psychological Development

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On September 27, 2024

In Binaries, Jessica Benjamin, Mutual Recognition, Power and Identity

In The Bonds of Love, Jessica Benjamin provides a profound analysis of the psychological foundations of love and relational dynamics. Drawing on her psychoanalytic theory, she critiques Freud’s focus on the Oedipal complex and the power struggles that often dominate male-female and father-son relationships. Benjamin argues that these struggles reflect deeper societal issues of authority and submission, leading to relational disconnections and the reinforcement of patriarchal structures.

She introduced the concept of “recognition,” explaining that true connection requires both people to acknowledge and validate each other’s experiences and feelings. She emphasizes that authentic love fosters equality and cooperation rather than dominance. By examining the complexities of human relationships, she advocates for an approach that prioritizes mutual recognition, ultimately suggesting that the bonds of love have the potential to transform individuals and society as a whole.

  • As explained in Jessica Benjamin framework, power dynamics w/out mutual recognition leads to oppressive relationships where one side’s identity is invalidated, resulting in feelings of inferiority and alienation (As we all know).
Question: How does her theory of mutual recognition inform our understanding of psychological development of first-gen Americans navigating cultural identity, xenophobia, and language barriers in their relationships w/ immigrant parents and society?

As a first-gen American w/ immigrant parents, I found myself grappling w/ this question to Benjamin’s theory while reading The Bonds of Love — like how mutual recognition can help people like me navigate identities amidst xenophobia and language barriers (The applications of her theory to other aspects). My own struggles with English comprehension as I was growing up made me reflect on how these challenges impact my psychological development and relationships w/ both my parents and society.

After some thought, I feel that Jessica Benjamin’s theory of mutual recognition application to this would emphasizes the importance of acknowledging each other’s experiences and subjectivity in relationships. As a first-gen American, I believe that this theory can help navigate the complexities of cultural identities. As this highlights the need for understanding between immigrant parents and their children, who often face conflicting cultural expectations. Mutual recognition fosters open communication, easing tensions that arise from generational differences. As for xenophobia and discrimination, her theory encourages solidarity and support within communities, reminding individuals that their experiences are valid. Language barriers can also create distances, but recognizing each other’s challenges can strengthen family bonds. Using mutual recognition to cultivate empathy, I believe this promotes healthier relationships and emotional intelligence.

  • As mutual recognition emphasizes the importance of understanding and validation each others experiences and can be applied to understand dynamics between immigrant parents and their first-gen American children, this helps bridge cultural gaps, reduce tensions, and empower individuals to embrace their unique identities while fostering healthier family dynamics. This framework fosters empathy and open communication, enabling both parties to navigate their identities while respecting their shared heritage/culture identity.
  • Without it, the experiences and identities of first-gen Americans can be invalidated, leading to feelings of isolation and diminished self-worth. For example, if a first-generation American child hears a xenophobic comment to their family or to them such as, “Go back to your country” or “If you can’t speak English w/out that thick accent, maybe you shouldn’t be in this country, ” it can create a deep sense of alienation, making them feel like they don’t belong in the society they’ve grown up in, and causing rights in their familial relationships as they struggle to reconcile their heritage with the rejection they face from others. (As a native Russian speaker, I often felt a sense of disconnect in conversations when I was younger (pre/during Covid), as people make assumptions about my intelligence based solely on my accent and ability to articulate thoughts in English)
Extra: If anyone would like to share their experiences or their own answer, please do so!

Analysis/Reflection on Benjamin’s Power and Subjectivity

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On September 26, 2024

In Binaries, Jessica Benjamin, Power and Identity

I believe Benjamin’s argument around Power and Subjectivity are based on ideas of individualism and a sense of connection. According to Benjamin, healthy subjectivity can only be achieved through understanding one’s own unique and distinct being but also recognizing and acknowledging others as subjects or individuals. It is also equally important that others recognize a subject for it to be perceived as an individual. 

Benjamin’s argument also explains the ideas behind Freud’s argument. Freud did not recognize women as subjects, therefore his argument creates a binary that equates MAN/woman to SUBJECT/object. In order for a man to gain self identity he needs to separate himself from his mother (an object) and instead start to identify with his father who is a subject.

Finally, Benjamin’s argument touches on the source of domination. If both parties do not acknowledge each other’s subjectivity then domination will occur. When one has no respect for the other’s sovereignty and free will they will instead feel a sense of superiority. Because of that they will then attempt to dominate the other on the basis of viewing them as an object rather than a subject resulting in domination

After dissecting Benjamin’s argument I can begin to see binaries that have been established in my own life. Some I can be on the dominant end of, others not so much. One, however, that seemed to stick out to me in particular was the Able-bodied/Disabled binary. I always thought that I was someone who supported and promoted inclusivity in this space, which I do, but my mindset has been flawed because of the sense that it was the duty of able-bodied people to speak for and represent disabled people. Benjamin’s argument challenged my previous thinking and made me realize I was not looking through a lens of mutual recognition.

Benjamin’s Theory

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On September 24, 2024

In Binaries, Jessica Benjamin

I think Benjamin’s theory is very present in a lot of things today. I believe this to be true because we are living in such a patriarchal society. I can see this in many relationships in my life right now, especially the part of her theory where she talks about how humans unintentionally put ourselves/others into that dominator/dominated relationship. Many men in today’s society believe that they are superior to women because of the way the system was set up and how they were brought up within that society. Even in my personal experience, my boyfriend’s friends (all men) make small jokes about masculinity with undertones of him being the dominator and me being the dominated. So I think that it is almost impossible to avoid this dynamic and if you did it would have to be a very conscious effort to stay out of that. This dynamic can also be seen in our most recent presidential debate. Trump and a lot of his supporters try to discredit Kamala Harris by talking about her gender as well as her race. This connects to the other area of Benjamin’s theory about the “other” because in this case, Trump is trying to make Harris seem like the “other” to his supporters through publicly questioning her race as well as putting her down because of her gender. So yes, I do believe that Benjamin’s theory is ever present in our current society.

The State of Being the Unknown Woman

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On September 24, 2024

In Binaries, Power and Identity

In the short stories packet we had, there was a story titled “The Secret Woman” by Colette. Although we weren’t assigned this story, I decided to take a look at it.

The main character, Irene, and her husband, lied from the start of the story all the way until the end. Specifically, Irene said at the start “As for me…Can you see me in a crowd, at the mercy of all those hands…” (38). She was speaking about the ball and how she didn’t want to go alone since her husband wouldn’t be there to accompany her (but he was lying as well, he was going to be at the ball). But later in the story, when both characters are observed participating at the ball, it is clear that Irene enjoys it. At the end of the story the author narrates “the monstrous pleasure of being alone, free, honest in her crude, naive state, of being the unknown woman, eternally solitary and shameless, restored to her irremediable solitude and immodest innocence by a little mask and a concealing costume” (41). This gives the reader an insight into what Irene really wants. She just wants to be free, without the rules of her husband or society weighing down on her, she is able to do whatever she wants. The costume she wears is a social barrier and helps her embrace the freedom she is deserving of.

I feel like this is such an incredible story because it gives a clear insight into what it’s like to try and fit in as what people view as the “perfect woman” in society. It also challenges the view that women are simple and made to live under their husbands. Irene is a great example of a complicated woman that doesn’t need her husband to thrive in society.

From an outside perspective, or if you haven’t read this story, would you agree or disagree with the idea that Irene is challenging stereotypes?

Benjamin’s Subjectivity and Power – Summary and Analysis

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On September 24, 2024

In Binaries, Course Stuff, Power and Identity

Benjamin argues that subjectivity and power are deeply intertwined, as power often shapes individual perceptions and understandings of one’s self. She suggests that our inner selves are indeed self-generated, but are much more influenced by external factors such as social norms, cultural expectations, and idealization of certain gendered social structures. Power dynamics play a key role in the process of determining which perspectives/voices are privileged or marginalized. Due to this, inter-subjectivity is not merely a personal experience, rather being constructed through social interactions and power relations. Benjamin emphasizes that recognizing the role of power on subjectivity is essential for understanding how identities are formed and maintained. She also highlights the fact that as individuals seek this recognition and come to, resistance and rebellion towards these power structures is inevitable. Ultimately, Benjamin’s argument underscores the importance of examining how power influences not just social dynamics but the very structure of social identity.

I feel like I’ve become aware if not accustomed to how power dynamics in all social experiences greatly influence how I feel as a person, in addition to how each respective moment shapes my own identity. For instance, social norms within high school greatly exacerbate the “fun” and “glory” of going out, partying, etc, all in an effort to seem as popular as possible (where everyone fights for this spotlight). As for me, I’ve tried to fit within these expectations many times, and realized that the people at the top of these dynamics—the most popular individuals—always affect how I feel and how I see others, in a rather subtle way. Due to this, I’ve given up on trying to fit in, and accepted who I am. That is not the case for everybody, though. 

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