This project is supposed to portray real and imagined spaces.  We are to do this through a “multimodal concept slideshow.” Here are some ideas I have so far:

•  Portray real and imagined spaces in Jamaica- use images and sound to show the sharp contrast between the resorts and the rest of Jamaica
• I will probably do a PowerPoint presentation since that’s what I’m most familiar with.

• In my last post, I sort of discussed the idea of how Life and Debt seems to portray two contrasting Jamaicas.  The “first Jamaica” is the one that tourists see when they visit.  This Jamaica is filled with luxury resorts, tourist attractions, and souvenir shops.  To visitors, Jamaica seems like a beautiful, carefree place where the sun always shines and people are happy.  These tourists spend a week or so soaking up the sun on the beach, visiting local attractions, and enjoying the beauty of nature.  But this only gives a small glimpse of what Jamaica is really like.  Outside the pristine, beautiful resort areas lies the “other Jamaica.”  In this part of Jamaica, life is completely different from a vacation.  People live in poverty.  Farmers struggle to sell their goods at the market.  Families struggle to just get by.  This is a sharp contrast to the happy, carefree Jamaica that vacationers see.  Tourists would not want to visit these parts of the “other Jamaica.”  The people who experience this side of Jamaica are the people who live there, as well as the occasional group of missionaries perhaps.

• This directly ties with the concept of real and imagined spaces.  The vacation areas of Jamaica seem real to the people who visit, but in reality, these areas are places that most Jamaicans only dream about.  The resorts are not the “real” Jamaica.  No, the real Jamaica is the Jamaica that struggles with poverty and problems caused by globalization.  The tourist spots- those are just a dream world enjoyed by the wealthy and privileged. 

So far, I have found this video to be really interesting.  I usually don’t stop to think about what life must be like for the people who actually live in Jamaica.  When we go to a place like Jamaica for vacation, we stay in a hotel and experience the best the country has to offer.  But what is life like outside of the tourist areas?  Life and Debt made me stop to consider this question.  It’s almost as if there are two Jamaicas- the one with the luxury resorts, pools, spas, and comfortable amenities and then another Jamaica that is filled with hardships, struggles, and quiet desperation.  The “second Jamaica” is the Jamaica that most people never see or experience.  I had a very vague idea of what Jamaica is like outside the tourist areas before I watched this video.  Each year, my high school sent the students on a mission trip.  The seniors always went somewhere outside the country, and my boyfriend’s class went to Jamaica for their senior mission trip.  Hearing about their experience gave me a slight understanding of the difficulties in Jamaica, but watching Life and Debt has really opened my eyes to the economic hardships the people there face every day.

I think for this project I would like to do a memorial to Sylvia Plath.  More than likely, the project will take the form of a poster with pictures, writing, and quotes from Plath’s work.  This combines aspects of research, creativity, and design.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Bell Jar.  I found it to be very different from any book I’ve ever read before.  I thought it was interesting that The Bell Jar so closely mirrored Sylvia Plath’s own life, and I feel that this made the story- and in particular Esther’s character- more believable.

• I think Plath did an amazing job of portraying Esther’s psychological breakdown and how it progressed throughout the story.  My favorite quote was the one that said, “I felt very still and very empty, the way the eye of a tornado must feel, moving dully along in the middle of the surrounding hullabaloo” (3).  That statement put a vivid mental image in my mind that stuck with me the entire time I read The Bell Jar.
• One aspect of this novel that stood out to me was the character Joan.  I found it interesting that Joan’s life seemed so similar to Esther’s.  For a while, I actually question whether Joan was real or just a product of Esther’s imagination.  Esther described Joan as a “black image” of herself, and this seemed true in many ways (219). For instance, both Joan and Esther loved Buddy Willard at some point, and both were institutionalized for their depression/psychological breakdown. To me, it seemed that Joan was a representation of the really dark side of Esther.  And I found it interesting that once Joan committed suicide, it was like Esther was freed from some bondage.  After Joan’s death, Esther was able to make significant progress in getting better.

What do you notice about gender thus far in your reading of The Bell Jar? From Esther’s perspective, what does it mean to be a woman in 1950s America? What about class? Do you recognize any relationship between class status and gender? 

So far in my readings, I’ve noticed that gender issues are an important aspect of this story.  For education, it seems understood that males will be well-educated and have good careers. For women, on the other hand, education and careers are important; but it is implied that the woman will give up her career to raise a family when she gets married.  In regards to class, I got the impression that women were assumed to be fairly average and middle class, and their means to achieving higher societal status were through marriage or possibly through being highly educated.  On the other hand, men achieved higher social standing through their career or education, rather than through marriage.

Well, I’ve finally decided on a topic for this project!  I am going to use clouds as my site of imagination.  I’m gathering different pictures of clouds and also using one or two pictures that I took during an airplane flight.  I’m also finding quotes and/or poems that discuss clouds and relate to my project.  My project is taking the form of an essay with pictures.  I’ve defined imagination and am explaining how clouds are a sight of imagination.  I think I might also describe some of the different feelings or ideas that the pictures inspire in my mind.

Well, so far I honestly have no idea what to do for my first project. I’m having trouble understanding the topic and what exactly we’re supposed to do. I understand that we’re trying to define what imagination is, but I guess I’m having trouble finding a place of imagination. 

Possible topics for my project:      

•  A picture of a forest or nature
• Clouds
• A building or architectural structure

The goals of this project are to define imagination and to show a site of imagination. This is where I’m developing my own definition of imagination. I’m also listing a few ideas for what my project could look like.

My definition of Imagination: Imagination is a type of thought process.  It doesn’t require one’s thoughts and dreams to be realistic.  Anything- no matter how extraordinary or unbelievable- can happen in someone’s imagination.  Our minds and imaginations can be an escape from reality.    

 Project Ideas: I think I want my project to take the form of an essay with pictures or possibly a powerpoint presentation.  I want to incorporate text- such as quotes, poems, and my own thoughts- as well as images that depict my imagined geography.

How does Lewis Carroll depict reality and fantasy through pictures in this story? Do the pictures seem realistic, imaginative, or a combination of both? Do the pictures contradict or enhance the text in any way?

•  http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/tenniel/alice/1.1.jpg
•  http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/tenniel/alice/1.4.jpg
• http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/tenniel/alice/6.2.jpg