Costume for the Trial

There has been much urging in recent weeks, mostly by my Professor but also by others, for me to dress up for the trial. While i would certainly like to and as i usually did that sort of thing for presentations in High School, I'm not really sure if i could get all the necessary stuff in time. That is, Louis XIV was rather fond of wearing enough cloths to fully robe at the very least three people and their mothers, and having no fasion sense myself, I'm almost positive that i would do shame to even his humblest of attires in my grandest attempts. That eing said, however, he also wore tights a lot, and that's something that really isn't hard at all to find in most clothing outlets these days, but the idea still gives me pause. I've never been one to 'branch out' so to speak when it comes to dressing (or one to make a fashion statement), and tights would certainly seem to fit that general description. But then again, it could be fun, and i just learned that there's a Davis Costume shop which i'll definitely check out if i have the time. Here's a link if you want to check it out yourself -- http://daviswiki.org/Costume_Shop

Courtly Poses and Ballet

Recently, while I was reaserching Louis XIV biography in my free time, i stumbled upon a very interesting aspect of his personallity. Apparently, Louis XIV, the Sun King, the richest, most powerful ruler of his time, loved ballet. Not only loved, but performed as well. Not only that, but he also got all his Courtiers to do it too by making it part of proper court ettiquette! I suppose the reason i find this so interesting is that i find it funny in a very ironic sort of way that the most powerful and possibly feared people in Europe of the age spent their free time striking ballet poses at each other. That aside, this startling revelation prompted a much more in-depth sojourn into Louis XIV's love of ballet. In historical terms, Louis XIV and Ballet perhaps are mentioned most readily in the context of his founding of the French Académie Royale de Danse in 1661, but his love of Ballet streeches much farther back than that. In fact, it started in his childhood. Louis' father, Louis XIII (clearly, these Kings are highly imaginitive when it comes to naming), died when Louis (the younger) was only five years old, so naturally, the only parental figure in the young kings life was his mother, Anne of Austria. Anne herself was an avid fan and patron of the arts, ballet in particular, and as Louis and Anne were very close throughout their lives, she thus imparted her love of ballet upon Louis, who both practiced and preformed throughout his childhood and later life (until 1670). As was the case with most of the things Louis XIV loved, he naturally though that all people should love it, and thus, ballet inexorably became an integral part of the French Court (heroic poses and tights included). So it is that i find myself reaserching ballet poses, for if im to acurately portray Louis XIV, i figure i aught to at least strike the same poses that he would. Apparently they included Pierre Beauchamp's 'Five positions of the hands and feet,' which i haven't had much luck finding (the actual poses that is) so for the trial, my plan is to just imitate the pose in the picture above, as it seems both regal, pompos, and more than a little rediculous all at the same time

Louis XIV from a courtier's perspective

Having read "Duc de Saint Simone: The Court of Louis XIV," my picture of Louis XIV has become a little clearer. Clearer, at least, from the prespective of courtier. It would seem that my initial impression that Louis was a bit of a megelomatic/narcissitic ruler is one that has been shared by many throughout the ages, and even in Louis' own time as his one major character flaw was said to be his, "love of hearing his own praises." Although this allowed those who knew it the opportunity to advance their own station by exploiting this flaw, to a great extent this one trait had, arguably, the greatest influence on Louis' long reign and had many good (for Louis at least) effects. Indeed, while Narcissism is clearly evident in many aspects of his court (i.e. the fact that he stood for ceremony like none who had ever come before him had), this ended up helping both consolidate his power over the nobility and solidify his image as a detached, and even divine, ruler in minds of his courtiers. For instance, even though we can't possibly see any honor in holding a candle for a man, and would even view it as an insult, to hold a candle for Louis was, "a great honor" and not only garnered pride for the person selected for the task, but also increased his court standing as well, for it showed that he was in teh King's favor. On the other hand, his courtiers also tended to see him as possesing, "natural talents were below mediocrity." However, this was, by no means, a great weakness, rather, in the words of the same courtier he also possesed, "a mind capable of improvement." Thus, Louis naturally came to be a man who was, "was naturally prudent, moderate, and reserved; always master of his tongue and his emotions." Likewise, knowledgeable of his own shortcomings (although he would never admit to them aloud), Louis was a man who put great value on talent, explaining why he was so direct in his elevation of the Nobless de la Robe, but also implying that he would have probably been sympathetic to Galileo's dilema (the trial) than the clergy. Unfortunately what this also means for me in my character role, is that being prudent and a "master of his tongue and emotions" was not prone to passionate outcries or outbursts (which is really where all the fun is). It would seem that I ust find a way to be both adamant in my defense of Galileo whilst being clever and soft-spken at the same time.

Becoming Louis XIV

Hey guys, it's been a long time since I last posted, but seeing as how most of the views recorded in my blog's history were due to myself, i guess you probably don't mind.  Anyway, that aside, I now have a reason to blog again -- that is, a new assignment which looks to take advantage of the great public pulpit that is online blogging.

Unlike previous posts, this assignment is really more of a documentation log to keep track of my progress as I research and attempt to 'become,' so to speak, the French Monarch Louis XIV, for an in-class Galileo Trial.  I must say that I was rather pleased to be assigned the Illustrious Sun King as my role in the trial, as I've studied him extensively in the past, and i think it'll be just plain fun to act like a man who was perhaps the most megalomaniacal ruler of the age if not all time.  In any case, it should be interesting to see where this assignment leads.

Comic or Literature?

When considering Alan Moore's, Light of Thy Countenance, the question that quite easily arises is whether or not it can be considered literature. But then again, what is literature? Can a comic/graphic narrative seriously be thought of as literature? Or is it a classification exclusive to expansive novels and esoteric poetry? This would certainly seem to be the traditional view of literature, and if this is indeed the case, Light of Thy Countenance would definitely fall short. However, in many ways, Light of Thy Countenance, is, in my opinion, more worthy of being called literature than many of the 'great' classics because it simply, yet elegantly, conveys a powerful meaning.

I guess to fully understand why I think Light of the Countenance is an excellent example of modern literature, you would have to go back to when I first encountered the question of what literature is. It happened several years ago, when I tried to convince my brother to read a book. He had just come home from college for the summer, and I remember asking him if he'd be interested in reading Diablo: Legacy of Blood, by Richard Knaak; a book I'd really enjoyed. He scoffed at me, replying that he was only interested in reading real literature, not fantasy. Literature, he said, transcended mere entertainment value and rested in the what books can tell us about ourselves – what messages they can impart upon us. This fantasy book, he surmised with obvious scorn, couldn't possibly hold any real value. However, looking back, I can see a number of ways in which this view is fundamentally flawed. Regarding it's message, Diablo: Legacy of Blood, actually carried several profound themes. Albeit, it's a story about demons and magic, but its' main plot is focused around the tragedies and destruction that occurs when the main character shuns his friends and succumbs to his lust for demonic power. So while it was certainly meant to entertain, it is also a novel warning us about how greed can destroy all we hold dear. Point being, even fairy tails can be considered literature because of the very real themes they carry.

In this respect, Light of Thy Countenance, even though it's comic book and not a novel, can be considered literature. Not only that, but the graphic nature of the story actually helps reinforce the theme it carries. The story is ultimately a commentary/critique on how TV has infiltrated our daily lives to such an extent that we have begun to look to it for guidance. Moore bluntly suggests that TV has become a new god, one that is quickly growing out of control in it's influence over us. And what better way is there to show TV as a monster than to paint the pictures of it's creation like a scene out of Frankenstein with lightening, a mad scientist and Igor all included? In this way, Light of Thy Countenance succeeds where mere description might fail, as it quiet literally portrays TV in ways that are more creepy and disturbing than could ever be possible in the written world alone. It is in this way, that Light of Thy Countenance is really more deserving of being called literature than most other novels. Not only does it waste no time in delivering it's theme, but it does so with a vividness and power that is usually reserved for only the greatest narratives.

M. Butterfly's womanly and weak East

 Perhaps one of the most important aspects/themes in David Henry Hwang's play, M Butterfly, and indeed the thing that stuck out to me the most as I read it, is that the West tends to hold onto the delusion that the East (specifically Asian countries) is subservient, weak and feminine. This seems especially true, mentality wise, when it comes to Gallimard, as he is all too eager to believe in and exploit this idea when it comes to his lover, Song.

Although it may be said that this mentality could just be a mirror Gallimard's ideals about women in general, to a great extent, they are quiet distinct and separate. For instance, when Gallimard says, “Did you hear the way [Song] talked about Western Women? … She does – she feels inferior to them – and to me.” (31) he reveals, quite clearly, that he thinks Song is subservient to him not because he thinks she's a women, but because she's not Western. The fact that Song is a women (in Gallimard's eyes) has nothing to do with it, in fact, Gallimard had previously mentioned how much he'd been socially hobbled when it came to women – for the majority of his life, he's been, “... afraid they'll say no....” (8) It's only now that he has an Asian woman, who is easily intimidated, that Gallimard finally feels, “the absolute power of a man.” (32)

Throughout the rest of the play, the view that the East is weak is continuously brought up, though it doesn't always concern women. When Gallimard is talking to his boss about the upcoming Vietnam War, he says that, “Orientals will always submit to a greater force.” (46) This stupendously stereotypical statement about Easterners shows just how deeply Gallimard – who can be seen as an accurate representation of the collective Western thought at the time – believes that the East is weak and feminine. This mentality, which is undoubtedly a byproduct of his experiences with Song, is one that persists for the rest of the book. Not only that, but it accounts for his puzzlement at the eventual American loss in Vietnam and his failure to ever see through Song's charade, because as Song says, “...being an Oriental, I could never be completely a man.” (83) 

Pattern Recognition -- A Modern Day Thriller

In Pattern Recognition, by William Gibson, perhaps one of the most recurring aspects of the story is that it is written like a Spy/Mystery novel. Throughout the novel, many things happen which give it cloak and dagger feel, but two cases stand out more than the others. The first is when the main character, Cayce's, apartment is broken into, and the second is when she goes to Russia in search of the mythical “maker” of the online footage. Together, these two cases accurately personify how Gibson makes Pattern Recognition seem more like a Spy/Mystery thriller, rather than just a Science Fiction novel.

The “break-in” incident in the first chapters of the novel is significant because it is the first example of the Spy/Mystery element in the story. Cayce first discovers that someone broke into her apartment when she notices a website she had never visited in her computer's browser history. After a full investigation, Cayce eventually concludes that the whole thing was instituted by Dorotea, her work enemy (aka the “bitch”). This immediately raises questions as to why Dorotea did it, and what will she do in the future. These question's present an appealing mystery, one for which Cayce has no initial answer. For the first time in the novel, the “break-in” introduces us to a sense of suspense and intrigue usually reserved for James Bond movies. This sense will permeate throughout the rest of the novel and also convinces Cayce to take extra measures against any future trespassers (she barricades the door, changes the locks, etc...).

After the “break-in,” the Spy/Mystery aspect of the story sits largely in the background until it comes back in full force in the latter part of the second half of the novel when Cayce travels to Russia in search of the “maker.” As soon as she gets out of the airport in Moscow, Cayce notices the, “Cyclopean Stalin-era buildings.... Built to humble, and terrify.” (269) This imagery, particularly the use of “Stalin,” brings a Cold War type flavor to story. The fact that the buildings were meant to “humble, and terrify” also brings fourth an ominous tone about the city. The buildings, in essence, captured the general dark feelings of the Cold War era and transplant them into the modern-day setting of Pattern Recognition's Russia.

Since the Cold War was practically the golden age of the spy, we can naturally expect some form of secret agency to pop up, and it does, in the form of the “maker” herself. Nora, the “maker,” turns out to be the niece of an extremely rich and powerful Russian tycoon Andrei Volkov. This fact in of itself makes Nora a prime target for Andrei's enemies and therefore must be tightly protected. As such, when Cayce goes to see Nora for the first time, she is escorted by bald security guys in black coats and sunglasses to a building that could have passed for a KGB interrogation facility in its' creepiness.

Later, it turns out that all the security officials in charge of Nora and her sister's security are ex-KGB agents and called, “traditionalists.” (339) These “traditionalists” originally held great suspicions against Cayce because her father, Win Pollard, was an “old opponent” (339) of theirs, and it was they who hired Dorotea to break into Cayce's apartment. These Cold War veterans, aside from having real spy roots, greatly bolster the Spy/Mystery aspect of Pattern Recognition.