After reading so many posts by fellow students regarding all the essays and assignments they've had to contend with recently, it's good to know that I'm not alone! I can certainly say that this is one crazy week for me too. That's definitely one thing I've learned about university life...EVERYTHING comes at once!

With regards to my essay, I've chosen to write about slavery, in particular the role played by religion and spirituality in slavery texts. I have had quite a bit of success finding texts and articles relating to this subject. I was inspired to do this for two reasons: I always had a profound fascination with slavery texts, as I noted in a previous entry, and I noticed that every single slavery text we read in class had an abundance of references to religion.

It has been a challenge to put together this essay and make it as coherent and well-written as possible, but I do enjoy a good challenge from time to time. :)

The readings this week were quite enjoyable.

I read Archbishop William King's piece and it reminded me a lot of Swift's "A Modest Proposal". Although, King's writing is much more direct and matter-of-fact, whereas Swift's piece seemed much more sly and subversive. I guess I was reminded of Swift when King made generous use of numbers and calculations.

I got a chuckle out of the announcement from the London Gazette, appearing on page 334 in our text. Defoe is painted as such a scoundrel in this text. What really got me were the words used to describe him: "a Wig, a hooked nose, a sharp grin, grey eyes and a large mould near his mouth". He sounds like the snickering villain from one of those old Spiderman cartoons. :)

I had read "A Modest Proposal" before, and I enjoyed reading it again. I find that this is such a clever, biting commentary. I recall the first time I read it how shocked I was when he first mentions the idea of consuming the children. I can only imagine how readers reacted back then! Swift treats these poor children as bodies, not people, thus underlining the all ready existing lack of humanity in their situation. I always loved that line "I grant this food will be somewhat dear, and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children".

I had also read "The Lady's Dressing Room" before. The part involving towels and handkerchiefs never ceases to make me feel a bit queasy. At the end I felt like this was a very interesting observation of outward appearances, and how a carefully constructed outward facade can hide the ugly, rotten truth underneath. I love that last line "Such gaudy tulips raised from dung". Heh heh.

And speaking of last lines, the funniest one I've read in a long time can be found in "The Reasons that Induced Dr. Swift to Write a Poem Called The Lady's Dressing Room": "You'll furnish paper when I shite". I still can't help but chuckle over that one. We all know her opinion of his writing! :)

I just had a few scattered comments with regards to the readings for this week. Overall I found them very intriguing, not only because of the subject matter, but because each writer seemed to have their own individual voice. The message was pretty much the same, but it was delivered in such a variety of ways.

I read Margaret Fell Fox's piece, and although I would not dispute the importance of this piece, it's continual references to the bible left me kind of cold. I did realize that I probably should put myself in the mindframe of those who would have read it at the time, as I'm sure religion would have played a much bigger part in their lives than it does in mine. But overall, this pretty much seemed like a sermon to me.

Margaret Cavendish's "The Blazing World" was a very odd, striking excerpt that definitely caught my attention. I have always had a penchant for tales of strange and unusual worlds, and stories that are a bit askew (I am one of the biggest fans ever of David Lynch), so this tale really pulled me in. I liked how it starts in the real world and gradually it takes us into a fantastical world full of Bear-men, Fox-men, etc. I thought this was definitely from way in left-field, but again, I enjoy that whimsical approach. I also had to wonder...why was the Lady never given a name? I found this lack of identity in the text very interesting. The fanciful descriptions of the cities and the palace reminded me a lot of the Oz books, of which I was always a big fan. The last paragraph also seemed to have a kind of a biblical quality to it, with the Lady engaging in back and forth questioning with the inhabitants of this strange land. The whole "she asked, they answered" motif seemed to be straight from the New Testament.

I also must say that I laughed out loud when the author described certain citizens of this land. I mean, I've seen many science fiction movies, but I can't imagine what a Parrot-man or a Worm-man looks like! :)

I thought Daniel Defoe's text was very interesting as well. I can only imagine that the statements put forth in this text must have caused such an uproar at the time! I can't imagine that there were many males at the time who openly stated things like "we deny the advantages of learning to women". I'm sure many men at the time were quite put off by this upstart's unconventional mode of thought! I liked the line "Women will punish their pretty bodies to get thither". That can still be said to this day.

Anne Kingsmill Finch's poem "The Introduction" was very powerful. She seems to use such a careful selection of potent words. "Such an intruder on the rights of man". Yes, I can certainly imagine that many men at the time did feel that their territory was being intruded upon. I felt that the lines "Debarred from all improvements of the mind, And to be dull, expected and designed" was so sad. Talk about being a lifeless robot with no identity! The last couplet "For groves of Laurel, thou wert never meant; Be dark enough thy shades, and be thou there content" paints such a grim picture of quiet helplessness. Very moving.

Astell's piece seemed to be such an urgent plea for women to take action. I thought the line "Your glass will not do you half so much service as a serious reflection on your own minds" was so witty and to-the-point. Like many of these writers, I think Astell must have been such a brave soul for expressing these things at that time. I also found that there was a distinct undercurrent of fear running throughout this text, especially in lines like "dare to break the enchanted circle that custom has placed us in". I think women back then (and in some cases, some women today) are controlled by such a strong basis of fear. It's so easy to stay in the hurtful cycle and be silent, or you can be brave and break the cycle of abuse.

Egerton's"The Emulation" impressed me as well. The style here is so direct and blunt, which I enjoy. I also liked the witty and insightful mention about how ten celestial females govern all the arts and sciences, yet two male gods are quick to ignore that. :)

Montagu's "A Summary of Lord Lyttelton's Advice To A Lady" was very enjoyable. It's amazing how such a short poem can be so loaded with meaning. This kind of sounded like something you would read on a plaque in some elderly man's den in the 1920's (sadly, I'm sure there are still many such plaques still hanging in the abodes of some men today, although maybe worded in a slightly different manner). In a very clever and concise way, this poem perfectly sums up the male attitude towards women at the time.

Finally, I read Barber's "The Conclusion to a Letter to the Rev. Mr. C.". I found this one interesting because it seemed to turn the tables a little bit. Much of this seemed to be aimed at men, rather than women, especially in lines like "Choose a woman of wisdom, as well as good breeding". I also liked how the final line implied equality between husband and wife: "And find, in your wife, a companion and friend". How true!

I really enjoyed the readings for this week. For most of my life, the topic of slavery has always captured my attention. I sincerely think that it is one of the most deplorable actions that mankind has ever engaged in (and is still engaging in). I recall watching the TV mini-series "Roots" as a child, and that really had an impact on me.

The first text I read was Equiano's. This one really drew me in. In fact, I am compelled to track down Classic Slave Narratives and read the whole thing. What really got to me was how the writer constantly made reference to the Lord, as in the line "I wept bitterly for some time; and began to think that I must have done something to displease the Lord". I really couldn't help but feel for the guy. But what really struck me was the writer's wisdom, and his composure in the face of such terrible adversity. No matter how awful things were, he remained a true, respectful human being. His wisdom knocked me out, especially when he said things like "I considered that trials and disappointments are sometimes for our good". How true!

Then to hear the same man say things like "I wished I had never been born" was just gut wrenching. And when I read lines about slaves expiring on a dunghill, or about whites robbing African girls of their virtue, I swear I quite literally felt ashamed of my European heritage. Yet through all of this, the writer remained clear, composed and literate. You have to wonder...who were really the "savages" at that time?

I then read More's "The Slave Trade". This was a riveting piece as well. Not quite as direct as Equiano's, yet still potent. It did seem much more ornate in its style, but I guess that is a given considering it is a poem.

Barbauld's "The Mouse's Petition" was also quite powerful. I especially found resonance in the line "And tremble at th' approaching morn". To think that you live such a horrific existance you are literally scared of the oncoming morning!

I also found Cowper's "The Negro's Complaint" very interesting. The word choice was so potent, I found. "Minds are never to be sold". Indeed! Again, I find it so inspiring that the human spirit in these slaves persisted even though they faced agonizing lives. I also liked the line "Skins may differ, but affection dwells in white and black the same". And the line "Think how many blacks have smarted for the sweet your cane affords." There is just such an amazing contradiction (and truth) in that line that I love.

I liked Behn's "Oroonoko" too. Although I must admit that for my own personal tastes, I kept thinking as I read this how much I preferred Equiano's text, which just seemed much more to-the-point. I did find Behn's work a bit flowery and at times just a little bit overly romantic (especially after just reading Equiano's piece which is so graphic). There was also a lot of focus on relationships, royalty, the military, class, and things of that nature. I do realize that these elements are important, and they do emphasize the underlaying inequality of the races, but I guess I just appreciated Equiano's style more.

I was especailly taken by the line "the Christians never buy any Slaves but they give them some Name of their own, their native ones being likely very barbourous". This reminded me a lot of things I learned in Canadian History class, about how the Europeans wanted to strip the Natives of their language, their culture, everything. They went to such great lengths to Anglicize them and completely wipe away their culture. They tried to immerse them totally in Christian doctrines, basically brainwashing them. I'm surprised they didn't try to dye their skin a few shades lighter. Absolutely horrendous.

Just thought I would share a few comments in reference to the readings for this week. To be honest, I did find some pieces more captivating than others, yet one in particular just left me cold.

For example, Manley's "Secret Memoirs" was very difficult for me to plow through. I think perhaps this can be attributed to the fact that I have no interest in the private lives of any public figure, whether it be a modern day Hollywood star or a figure of royalty from the 18th century. This is simply something that has never caught my attention. What they may do behind their white picket fences and manicured shrubs simply does not interest me. I'm sure this piece caused quite a stir way back when, but when reading this through modern sensibilities (I'm strictly speaking on my own behalf), I found this to be a bloated soap opera (yet another form of entertainment that I detest). There seemed to be lots of name dropping going on here, and lots of steamy escapades, all of which amounted to nada in my books. This piece just didn't do anything for me. Am I missing something here? Perhaps if I go back and read it again, I may get more out of it.

Now, Haywood's "Fantomina" was another story. I enjoyed this one. It had a kind of weird undercurrent to it. At times I felt that this could have been modernized, adapted into a film and produced by Hitchcock in his 1950s heyday (just think of the multiple roles played by Kim Novak in the film "Vertigo"....I was reminded of that performance many times as I read this piece). The role playing that occured in this piece was very intriguing to me, and I thought Haywood did a great job of portraying a sort of unspoken "body politic" that is still quite common to this day. I also kept thinking as I read this that she was playing many roles, except the one of herself, which I found rather sad. I loved the line "The Business of her love". It only seemed to underline the whole production-like quality of her life, of how she is essentially playing a part, and projecting a certain image(s).

I got a chuckle out of Beauplaisir and all his endless promises. Some things never change, I guess. I was highly captivated by the fact that Fantomina had an exceptional "power of putting on almost what face She pleased". I've always been intrigued by the chameleon.

"Adventure of the Black Lady" was very good as well. Although I definitely feel like I have to go back and read it again. I had an overwhelming feeling that there is a lot going on underneath the surface of this work. I'm sure I would pick up on various undercurrents in subsequent readings that I may have missed the first time around. I especially liked that line about how the cat wouldn't bother anyone as long as there were rats and mice around to occupy its focus. I feel that there is a profound quality to that line, one that I have not yet quite deciphered, but I do have a strong feeling that there are many people in my life to whom such a line (and its logic) could be applied. Nudge,wink.

I had never heard of Aphra Behn prior to taking this course. I am glad I have discovered her, as it seems that I enjoy much of her work.