...help a brother (sister?) out.

[Jenny]

OK so i'm slowly but surely finishing (or trying) to finish my junior year of school and i'm trying my hardest to write this paper for tomorrow, but having serious trouble. Maybe it's just 'cos i'm lazy, maybe it's cos i've had mono for 7 weeks, or maybe it's just 'cos I really don't want to do this.

i'm in a semester long course called identity and race. i haven't gotten my first term grade 'cos i recieved an incomplete 'cos i was out for so long. i just turned in all that work, i dont know what i'll get. there's one level of sensitivity to me being out for 5 weeks straight, but i dot know how lenient  my teacher'll be.  i mean, she's super compassionate and i've been talking to her a lot....
aynway that's beyond the point. i'm trying my hardest this half of the year, the final stretch, to get caught up and start doing my work on time, despite that i have a legitimate excuse. i just can't allow myself to get behind again, that was a nightmare.

anyway, i'm reading BELOVED by TONI MORRISON in class. you don't need to know anyhting about this to help me. i'm telling you that the major themes are love, sex, slavery and race. i'm trying to focus on love, sex and interpersonal relationships...
i want to tie in some sort of philosopher's teachings, but i don't know if this will work.
i was thinking sartre. only because i'm sort of "into" him right now... and it seems like a challenge.

i wrote a preface to my paper, sort of explaining what i'm trying to do:

         Over the weekend, I found myself in the philosophy section of the Brookline Booksmith in Coolidge Corner.  Browsing through the huge selection, one book in particular caught my eye. Titled Being and Nothingness: The Principle Text of Modern Existentialism I was intrigued, if not only by the cover, a rainbow depiction of a dizzy-eyed man with parting hair and heavy green shadows through his cheeks. Modern existentialism? It was a little intimidating after all, I mean, I've always struggled with the idea of existentialism, as I'm sure most do.  I flipped through the dense text, skimming through words and terms that, with no context, meant very little to me: the pursuit of being, being-in-itself, the ontology of temporality, freedom and responsibility. However I was already so absorbed by the Sartre's words and paradoxical concepts, it was hard to put the book down. Short of cash, I went home empty handed only to research him further and begin to understand more and more. With my impending paper in mind, I tried my hardest to draw some parallels to Beloved. Perhaps this was a stretch, but I used it as an exploration.  Because I am so engrossed by Sartre (maybe he can soothe my tired mind!), I wanted to analyze Toni Morrison's characters or themes, according to his teachings. I want to discover the essence of humanity and love, what it means to be human, the ideas of freedom and what love and sex mean, using the beliefs of this French philosopher.

i like this idea a lot and i don't wnat to abandon it. i'm just trying ot figure out if this is realistic, or maybe i'm just too caught up in my own ideas to see the reality.
i just read all this stuff by sartre (on freedom, love, relationships, sex and master/slave relationships - how suiting!) so i want to use this, but... is it possible? are any of you familiar with other philosophers that i could try to incorperate their teachings to?
i dont even know what i'm asking at this point. any support would be great, i got about 3 hours to whip something out.

best
jenny

[Jenny]

no support for the sick and frustrated? nothin'?
gaaaaaaah i just want this to be over.
:(

[dragonboy]

Sorry Jenny, way over my head! Good luck with your paper  :)

[sweatboard]

   Jenny, isn't this why we go to school, or write papers, or read, you seem really passionate about tying the two together.  As long as you've actually read the book and you're not just trying to write a paper on Sarte to get out of focusing on the Toni Morrison book.  I'm an English lit major, and I think you're professor will really appreciate this kind of thing.  I actually read "Beloved", I say go for it!  I'd actually like to read it when you get done, you could pm me.  :)  Good Luck!!

[Jenny]

i knwo i know, and complaining about papers is so cliche! ;)

i've read the book! i actually love it, but what i love so much is the preciseness and the language and the genius behind the writing. the story's fine, it's just something i'd much rather reflect on and take in that write about. so maybe i am jsu twriting about sartre to get away from it, but not for the wrong reasons.

i was thinkin' maybe i'd section it, each title with a summary of one of sartre's ideas, followed by a quote... like:

I. FREEDOM is the central and unique potentiality which constitutes us as human. Sartre rejects determinism, saying that it is our choice how we respond to determining tendencies. "Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you," states Sartre...

(then relate it to Sethe or Paul D. or Beloved...)

EH maybe i'm just posting this for my own selfish good.

I do apologize for my ranting. I'm just projecting.

[sweatboard]

I don't know the first thing about Sarte, so I need to check him out.    

[Jenny]

relatively speaking, it's all pretty simple stuff. i mean, you know, in terms of existential philosophy. it's not as deep as deep can get, but it's digestible and does probe you into directions that you're not always comfortable with.

[sweatboard]

How far along are you on your paper?  :)  I still have nightmares about having two hours to write a paper.  NODOS!!!  

[The DARK]

I can't really help. We skimmed existentialist writing in English recently (Camus), but never got into any detail. I'm not sure how it would tie into your essay, though...

Like Brian said, try not to focus totally on one source. Its easy to get caught up in something you've read recently and try to apply it to everything. Look around for other philosophies, see what you can get from them.  :)

[mjkoehler]

What if uhh... C-A-T, really spelled dog?

[sweatboard]

Existentialism is a philosophical movement positing that the individual person creates the meaning and the essence of his and her life, not a deity and authority.

I can get behind this sentiment.

[Jenny]

Oh I'm so close I can smell it... :)
Brian - you wanna read this? I'm open to criticism, if you're up for it...
i'll be done in about... hmm... 10, 15?
Lemme know.

[sweatboard]

YES!!!!!  

[Jenny]

pm you when i'm done.
thaaaaaaaaaaaaanks interweb friend!  :D

all of you! thank you for the support needed to get through this :)
i'm such a teenager sometimes.  ::)

[sweatboard]

I'm excited.  Thank You!!!

[Jenny]

A+ baby,
whattup.
thanks everyone, really. 'specially youuuu brian!
:D

whoa. that smiley is whack.

[sweatboard]

Ha, AWESOME!!!  I like your style girlfriend.

Seriously, keep doing your thing Jenny.  You have amazing things ahead of you.  

-Brian  :-*