Andrew Neria, Period 1, 12/8/23

Andrew Neria, Period 1, 12/7/23

LITERACY AND LEARNING

• Write about your thoughts/feelings regarding any of the fiction or nonfiction covered in class.

• Reflect on any new information you have learned in English class by considering how that learning influences your critical perception.

• How is what you’re learning applied to any other classes/the world around you?

I really enjoy the idea of taking de facto, classical ideas and flipping them on their heads by reimagining them in a more openminded fashion.  Natalie Haynes rewriting of Medusa’s story brings a fresh perspective on the classic tale.  It reminded me of our reading of The Great Gatsby from junior year.  Daisy has long been criticized for the actions of Jay and Tom, yet we took a step back and thought about the choices that they gave her, the mould that women at the time were expected to fit, and the circumstances beyond her control.  It was refreshing to look beyond the analyses on SparkNotes or even those championed by seasoned readers and challenge old-fashioned ideas with a contemporary take.  In the same way, Medusa was originally a footnote in someone else’s story, and has assumed a menacing identity with her rise of popularity in pop culture.  Haynes studied Medusa’s story and challenged the modern perception of what a monster truly is.

I also thought it was interesting how this researching the original story of Medusa made me more mindful of my subconscious use of critical theory lenses.  I didn’t realize the prevalence of the new historicism lens until I read Medusa and other tales concerning rape and thought to myself: Why are the victims of rape being punished?  Why does almost every Greek god commit/suffer from sexual immorality?  I was pulling from values and ideas in the 21st century, but I failed to take the social norms of ancient Greek society into account.  It was generally frowned upon, but treated as an act of adultery.  I also thought that the commentary on power and humanity that is prevalent in Greek mythology was very interesting.  Why were the Greek gods rape-y?  I drew back on our reading of The Lord of the Flies from sophomore year and how the author argued that sexual immorality is engrained in human nature and prevented by civilization.  It was interesting to see how having power could drive these divine beings to become self-indulgent monsters.  If you looked around at the rich and powerful during the time of the ancient Greece or during modern-day, it really brings into question the truth behind the visions of those years before us.

The symbolic nature of Medusa’s character intrigues me as well.  Her snakes, her tusks, even her name are meant to strike fear into people.  She represents a fear of the natural world.  And yet, she represents more than that.  On one end is poison and the other is medicine.  What is meant to terrify is also meant to protect.  The duality of this character reminded me of Frankenstein’s monster from Frankenstein.  Frankenstein’s monster is a freak of nature: a blue, veiny, towering patchwork of festering flesh.  Yet, he is more human than most of the characters in the entire story.  He starts life almost as a newborn and is cast into the world to fend for himself.  Dispute this, he makes an amazing connection with nature: he appreciates the birds, the trees, the wind, and the water.  Frankenstein’s monster is a result of humanity’s audacity to defy the natural order, yet he himself is the embodiment of the beauty of the natural world.  He is a failure of human creation, yet is failed by humanity itself.  Similarly, Medusa is a product of her twisted society and yet she represents strength and resilience in the face of the world’s injustice.

These usage of analysis in English class help me understand the more subliminal elements of characterization and how it can affect bias.  It teaches me to be more mindful of how I approach dogma that has become so prevalent that many take them as fact.  I know that the perspectives I take will be my own and not the product of regurgitated opinions because of the skill I have developed, which helps me look beyond a given viewpoint and foster new and original ones.