William Wordsworth’s lyrical ballad “We Are Seven” addresses the notion of death—more specifically, as seen in the opening stanza, the way in which children, simple and attuned to the feelings of being alive, perceive death. The remainder of the poem, as characteristic of ballads, takes the form of a narrative. The narrator, after posing the initial question, relates his encounter with an eight-year-old girl. Though he only asks to know how many children there are in her family, her answer is so perplexing they engage in philosophical discourse that is deceptively simple and childish.

( the rest of 'To Be Is Being' )

Dear K______,

In three of the modern variations of Little Red Riding Hood—James Thurber’s “The Little Girl and the Wolf,” Roald Dahl’s “Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf,” and the film Freeway starring Reese Witherspoon—the female protagonist is armed with a gun which she eventually uses to kill the wolf/attacker.  The fact that all three protagonists are prepared for the encounter serves as proof of Thurber’s moral: that little girls are no longer easy to fool.  These versions of the Little Red tale, then, indicate how folklore adapts to and reflects the time in which it is produced.  None of the three stories has retained the didactic or precautionary lesson found in older variations that warn young girls to remain on the path lest they be “eaten” by “wolves.”  The implication, of course, is that modern young women are already aware of the potential threat posed by men and have therefore fittingly ensured their own safety by carrying firearms on their person.
Thurber’s Little Girl, Dahl’s Little Red, and Vanessa in Freeway represent more than the clever and well-informed girl.  By protecting themselves, they become their own heroes (or rather heroines), making woodcutters and police officers obsolete saviors or “good” male figures.  Furthermore, the gun is undeniably a phallic symbol--Dahl’s Little Red goes so far as to draw the gun from her underwear.  Marked by their confidence, assertiveness, and trigger fingers, these three girls prevail against the male threat by taking on masculine characteristics.  What’s more, in all three adaptations, the girl protagonist shoots and kills the wolf/man while he is disguised as her grandmother.  (In fact, Vanessa shoots her “wolf” on two separate occasions.)  Thus, on the one hand the young women in these stories succeed as a result of their masculine behavior and weaponry, while on the other the male sexual aggressors are thwarted and ultimately killed dressed in women’s clothing, that is, emasculated.
Though the stories indeed empower young women, the message of gender is a muddled one: women win if they are masculine, but men lose if they are feminine.  This message is especially insidious, considering Dahl’s story was written for children.  Nevertheless, all three adaptations manage to approach the issues of sexual violence and female obedience that make older versions intimidating with a fair amount of humor, albeit of the dark sort.

How can the Edwardian A Room with a View be toe-curl-inducingly disgusting and corset-swooningly romantic at the same time? I let the novel have it in my critique, a move I should've planned out better considering it was assigned because my (totally awesome) British professor actually likes the book. Not that I don't like it. I'll probably read it and watch the movie numerous times in the future, each time (probably) feeling both grossed out and wooed. Come on. Daniel Day-Lewis as Cecil? Rockstar. Besides, A Room with a View and A Clockwork Orange now have me listening to an obscene amount of Beethoven, which comes in handy when I'm trying to drown out the obnoxious elevator music played at Glazers.

( spoilers as always )

Dear K______,

I've skipped work to loiter at a coffee shop.  It's only because hazelnut lattes and literature make one of the best combinations in the universe.  Then again, karma exists because 1) I walked in the rain wearing a white t-shirt, and 2) my latte was made by the not-so-great barista, "Mr X."  But who needs to get paid?  I'm not a capitalist, I'm a godless hippie who likes to read.( I swear I didn't plagiarize (SPOILERS) )