MRS DALLOWAY(1)

As I read this novel, I could see the differences among the other novel that I have read. This novel indeed has the touch of a woman, as Virginia wolf in a beautiful way makes every moments in life feels important. The story starts on a Wednesday, mid-June 1923 in the street of London, on her way to buy flowers to throw a party that afternoon. As we go through the novel, it is interesting how we are able to understand the life of each character by having the key to their thoughts. Why do you think Virginia does that? Her sense of writing is very unique.

We are then introducing to Mrs. Dalloway, a very complicated woman whom wants to make a reform in society by wanting to be like Lady Bexborough “with a skin of crumpled leather and beautiful eyes… Slow and stately, interested in politics like men and very sincere...” She wanted to be a more visible character, someone more than just Mrs. Dalloway but how could she when look for the approval of her community. What is Mrs Dalloway’s intention? Why do you think Virginia choose such a character?

This story encompasses themes such as war and age (leading to death). We have Septimus, a veteran of World War I, who suffered from mental illness brought on by horrors that he experiences in the war especially by the death of his dear friend Evans. We also have Mrs. Dalloway and so many characters that are afraid to age. This is the reason why Mrs. Dalloway had a crush on Hugh Whitbread because he made her feels young. What was Mrs Dalloway’s age?

As we continue we notice that Clarissa chooses to marry for safety and conservative life with Mr. Dalloway a life that is completely different from what she was used to. As a teenager, her friend Sally was a rebel whom she had kissed and those were some great time as she remembered. She remembered also some of the time spends with peter that is very different from Richard. During, those days, were happy days.
Why would Virginia make such choices? What are Virginia goals?

MRS DALLLOWAY (“Fear no more the heat o’ the sun / Nor the furious winter’s rage” (9)

The book first start with Clarissa wondering in the street of London and catching up with time as she think of her affair with Peter, than all of a sudden she read up this quote Hatchards‘ shop window form an open book.

This seems like a climax, its shows that one day, during our daily activities or in Mrs. Dalloway case when she was wondering around in the street of London the good times or struggles has to come to an end because sooner or later death is going to catch up with us. This came from Shakespeare’s plays that is recognizing for his tragic stories. Those lines, I found out were dedicate for funeral. The goal was to make every individual understands that for life’s struggles, death would be the perfect consolation. However, that is not what Mrs. Dalloway wants to hear since aging is not a factor of her life. Those 13 (thirteen) words emphasizes that no one should fight the arrival of death. We must not have any fear, fear of struggles, of the heat or the sun, nor any hardships that we encounter throughout our journey in life. As individuals, we all fight to live however we fear the intensity of life. We are all horrify by this thing called death but Virginia Wolf want us to realize that “living” walks hand to hand with its brother “death.” We are all acquainted with these facts however that does not stop us from fighting with zeal for the power of living.

In addition, Virginia uses this Shakespeare quote to tell us to stop wasting our time fighting something that is invincible. We have to agree upon the fact that just like living exists, so does dying. We have to learn to live our last time with no fear even when the “furious winter’s rage “hit us. Death is our friend since it is the only comfort from all of the struggles we face in this separable life of our. Death will be the friend of Clarissa as it will help her to stop troubled herself about the fact that she is aging, and the fact that she has to put on a new person for a society that she despite. Death will also be Septimus’ friend for it helps him to stop having any horrors thought about the war.

MRS DALLOWAY ( CAR)

The car introduce by Virginia was created to connect Septimus connect him to Mrs.Dalloway. She introduces that parallel world that exists between those two personages. Thought the car introduce us to Septimus everything revolve around Mrs. Dalloway as she prepare for a new day. Virginia is able to create those characters with the memories they share with Mrs. Dalloway.

As Mrs. Dalloway walks in the street of London, We see that it is through her memories that we can navigate in the thought of the other characters. One thing that she does is interweaving past and present. The future is built on the past. Mrs. Dalloway, as she walks in the street in London, she remember the time that she used to share with Peter. “But Peter--however beautiful the day might be, and the trees and the grass, and the little girl in pink--Peter never saw a thing of all that. From that sentence, we can already tell the personality of those individuals. Peter is describing as someone who always wants to have the last words, the type of individual that is comfortable in their own skin. Individuals that like to argued a lot. Mrs. Dalloway is someone that notices her surrounding, every details are important to her and from her one day story, she is able to lets us in her world in a very creative manner. She can also be very romantic, as she mentions that Peter is not even able to see the “little girl in pink”. By referring to that specific color, it is one way for Virginia to pass across the idea of feminism. Her writing is based in the idea of feminism, the idea of strong, independent women.

One of the women that she looks up to is Sally, a dark, large-eyed, with that quality which, she always envied. She admired her strong impact that she made in people and Clarissa enjoys her company because she excite her. Sally does crazy things but Clarissa thinks “Quiet descended on her, calm, content, as her needle, drawing the silk smoothly to its gentle pause, collected the green folds together and attached them, very lightly, to the belt.” Clarissa respects her because it is Sally alone that is able to make her feel like a woman.

As I read the incident between Clarissa and Sally, I could not stop but think that Virginia is out to show that men do not have to revolve around women to make them fell important. Sally was able to accomplish a job that Richard neglected to do (or maybe did not know how).

In real life, Sally Seton is representing a woman that Virginia admired. She was her childhood friend know as Madge Vaughan.

MRS DALLOWAY (Feminism 1)

Emily picks up the similarity that can be found in both Mrs. Dalloway and the A Portrait of the Artist As a young man. Having cover feminism in the novel of James Joyce, I was able to see how both writers see feminism.

James Joyce novel was writing during the conflict of the catholic and Irish church. This book is a model of bildungsroman, we where able to see the change of Stephen form a boy to a man. One of the many things that made Stephen the young man that he became was the presence of women in his life. Stephen is encompassed by many women. First, as a child his mother and Dantes, a smart and intellectual women but as Stephen stated, she wasn’t as smart as his priest. Dante is very different than his mother because she sat in the table with the big boys and talk politics. Joyce gave her a voice. However, those weren’t the only women that Joyce gave a voice. We meet the prostitute, someone who was able to replace both Stephen mother, because of the way she clamed her. She was confident just like Dante and also she wears pink which could be seen as the color of youth, in the sense of Eileen , a young girl that he lust after. Joyce also gave Simon moonan a voice. In addition throughout both novels the color white was mention which in literature can signify purity, virtue and innocence. We see women in Stephen life that was either categorize as pure women or as a whore.

Reading Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia wolf in which the protagonist is a female already shows one similarity. Virginia created Mrs. Dalloway where she is the key that allowed us to enter other individuals’ head. We see every type of women, Clarissa who want s to be notice by everybody which is the reason she plans party to be in the presence of known individuals. We see jealousy in her too; she hates the idea that Elizabeth teacher spent the time with her daughter. In addition we see another side of her; we see how much she can love someone. She feels great in the presence of Sally. In one day, we were able to see what kind of women she was; from her past relationships and the people she frequented.

We also see the idea of lower class. We see Stephen and his dad barely survive financial crisis. Clarissa who decided to marry Richard because of the life he offered her.

Those two books have as many differences as similarly, those are the one that I briefly describe, and we can find so much more

MRS. DALLOWAY (Characters)

As I read the book, I notice the wave of emotion from an exciting life to an isolated, thoughtful and lonely life. Both Jessica and Emily have brought up the idea that Woolf uses double character throughout her novel in such a beautiful way. As I think of in Nature, nothing exists without his contrary. Living is knowing that death is around the corner.

One thing that came that hits me when as I glance over Emily’s blog post was the tie that existed between Peter and Lucrezia. The fact that both desired someone that did not show any sign of emotion towards them. Just like Peter is unable to understand Clarissa, Lucrezia cannot seem to find the old Septimus that she was once married with. Those two Characters lack companionship.

In the Park, through the mind of Peter we met Lucrezia once again. As Septimus was talking to himself as usual or maybe to Evans as he believes, Lucrezia left him for a moment as she think about her life in Milan that she no longer will have. Suddenly, she started crying. Rezia thought that Septimus was becoming “stranger and stranger.” During our first entries, we meet Peter in Clarissa’s attic room who started catching up about their past love. Peter resent Clarissa a great deal for she rejected his proposal. Peter could not understand Clarissa, Peter suddenly started to weep. Most importantly no one can tell who Clarissa true side because she seems to lack warmth. Throughout the book she was often describes as being cold. “She had grown hard” he thought.

I feel like one of the reasons Peter resent Clarissa even more was because after he told her everything, it was at the last moment, when Elizabeth showed up that she stated “Here’s my Elizabeth.”

It also a coincidence how both Peter and Rezia was present when the woman sang the love song. This woman serves as transition between Peter to Rezia. I feel like that Peter appreciates the courage of the old woman as he thinks her with a coin. However, in Rezia case she pitied her as she think of her relations with Septimus

MRS. DALLOWAY (Solitary Traveler)

I think It is very interesting after the dream of the Solitary traveler that Peter reminds himself of the ending point of his relationship with Clarissa. I feel like the Solitary man could represent Peter since a solitary individuals stated by the Wikipedia is someone who is not usually in the companionship of others of his type.

However, I feel like seek companionship but at the end those individuals always ended up by hurting him. In This Novel, Two women where mention to be in Peter’s life but both of them ended up by leaving him for someone with high position in society. I look at “solitary man” coincidence maybe not, since Virginia Woolf is a well- educated woman. Solitary Man is a title of music which describes the story of a man who life turned upside down between girls as he seeks for love.

This song is by Neil Diamond

Melinda was mine
till the time
I have found
Holding Jim
Loving him

Then Sue came along
Loved me strong
That’s what I thought
Me and Sue
But that died too

Don’t know that I will
But until I can find me
A girl wholl stay
And wont plat games behind me
I’ll be what I am
A solitary man
Solitary man

Ive had it to here
Bein where
Loves a small world
Part-time thing
Paper ring

I know its been done
Having one
Girl wholl love me
Right or wrong
Weak or strong

Don’t know that I will
But until I can find me
The girl wholl stay
And went play games behind me
Ill be what I am
A solitary man
Solitary man

This solitary traveler is a metaphor for what is clearly going on with Peter’s life. After, Peter left Clarissa’s house he cannot seems to stop thinking about her. Clarissa take over his train of thought, even external stimuli (object, material) reminded him of Mrs. Dalloway. For example the bells of Saint Margaret’s, the young women who he followed, and how he chooses as Peter look for seats in the park, he decided to settle besides a women and a baby that reminded him of Elizabeth.

After, the dream he remember of a day that he had dinner with Clarissa and they were talking of a women who got pregnant outside of marriage. That thought disgusted Clarissa. This very ironically because this reaction is the behavior of religious individuals for she is attracted to Sally, a women something that is against the religious beliefs.

Later after that conversation, Peter came to see Sally talking with Richard, he notice her maternal manner with Richard. This was the turning point of their relations for Peter knew already Clarissa will become Mrs. Dalloway.

It is just interesting how Virginia chooses to break up their youth love next the fountain in the park. The stream of water running down could be seeing as the flow of life taking its course, making its way to a new beginning. The separation between Peter and Clarissa is where each will take a separate route.

Mrs. DALLOWAY (Feminism II)

I wanted to touch in the idea of Feminism which is something that amazes me. The Solitary dream focus on women and their whole of intervene in your life and come up with a solution. This dream happened after Peter chooses to sit down besides a gray-haired woman. Grey color can be serve as a balance between all-black and all-white point of view, the idea of good and bad, pessimism and optimist. After being around women, Peter goes to sleeps and think of women. He sees a facial of women blending to the sky and tree which can be turned into different types of women.

First, he imagines the women as a siren; the women’s beauty scares Peter for she reminded his downfall. Siren, in the Greek mythology was deadly-dangerous bird-women with beautiful voices. After singing to you with their beautiful voice which will lure anyone to sleep, they tear you to pieces. Then he sees a mother figure woman which seems to be waiting for him with open arm. The idea of someone keeping him safe, nurturing him and taking care of him make him feels safe. Then a landlady makes her apparition and they ask him if they can get him anything else. Peter realizes that he does not know to whom to answer. He woke up and says “the death of the soul.”

From those three ladies, I notice how connected they really are to nature. Sirens which have a tendency to commit their crime to mariners demonstrate that they must have a connection with water where all life started. Just like women choose to gives life, they can take it away. Then, we meet the landlady who must have a connection the earth which feeds us and allows us to stay alive for the oxygen it provides. Then the mother like figure which can be represented as the Virgin Mary, the idea of an approachable person.

Later in the story, we meet an old lady opposite the Regent’s Park Tube station show feminine for she sings songs of eternal love. Peter pitied her and gave her a coin but the lady words comforted Rezia for it gave strength to believe there is hope for Septimus. We see another side of Rezia, calm all this because of the old, wise lady.

I think it is important how it is women that Virginia shows that is able to comfort anyone for they are they are the one who gives life.

Mrs. DALLOWAY (Lady Bruton vs. Clarissa Dalloway)

Lady Bruton is very difference from Clarissa for she “had a reputation of being more interested in politics than PEOPLE”. (105) not only that, she was raise in great health, in other words, she had great acquaintance. She was the “general great-great-great-grand daughter.” Respect is something that she was born with even Richard pointed that out.

Richard stated “ she ( Lady Bruton) should have being the general of dragoons herself.” (105) Dragoon were typically named for soldier trained to fight but transport himself on horseback. Lady Bruton hated the idea of women that gets in their husbands way from fulfilling their duties in the government and public affair. She feels like Clarissa do so perfectly as she purposely throws parties to reject men from their “post abroad” Lady Bruton get together between Hugh and Richard was strictly business. She wanted Richards’s support of her involvement in the affair about emigration of young ladies to Canada. Hugh was present for he was able to pass the words out. He was working for the Times. In Bruton, I see brute in the sense that Lady Bruton represent a bully, she bullies and dominates her society. I don’t think Lady Bruton thinks much of women for she “often suspended judgment upon men in deference to the mysterious accord in which they, but no woman, stood to the laws of the universe.”

Lady Bruton has no sense of compassion, contrary to Clarissa who put together parties to bring individuals together. She thinks of her parties as a gift to the world, to the people that she encompasses by. Often she notices that people around her were lonely and she was one of them. She sees her party as a way to fight that loneliness for she is surrounded with very important people. People now were having conversation Clarissa thought. Earlier we have seeing how apart her husband and she have grown. Richard could not bring himself to say “I love you.” this emptiness exists between husband and wife.

Clarissa wants to create life for her and others, Virginia clearly shows that Richard did not care about his meetings since he did not remember if it was about “Armenians or the Albanians” But still he excuses himself as he head to a meeting that he did not care about.

At first, I thought of Clarissa as those rich, weak and stupid people but I have notice how much she has grew as she pays attention the life that she lives in. Though both Peter and Richard did not support her parties. “She was the perfect hostess” said Peter. Clarissa did not care for she believes closeness is the key to a successful life not love or religion or even power if I may add.

MRS. DALLOWAY (99-100)

“To his Patients he gave three-quarters of an hour; and if in this existing science which has to do with what, after all, we know nothing about-the nervous system, the human brain-a doctor loses his sense of proportion, as a doctor he fails. Health we must have, and health is proportion…”(99)

eve, he is to do so because for him to put Septimus out of his madness or anyone is to put them
This part of the book where Rezia went to see Sir Williams confuses me at first since I just like Rezia automatically presumed that Sir Williams was here to put and end to Septimus madness. But Sir Williams beliin a long “rest, rest for solitude, silence and rest, rest without friends, without books without messages…”

It is amazing how math is a metaphor of living and dying. Virginia uses the idea of Proportion to balance live and death. In life, just as living in one possibility, dying is one also. A proportion of 1:1. A fifty to fifty thing in life. Virginia wants to see the one thing that determine our possibilities to live or die is our health. This foreshadows the idea of Septimus dying. Septimus health was not in good condition, therefore there was no chance of him surviving. Sir Williams represent the angel of death for he says He wants to bring Septimus to one of his “home.” He had come to collect.

And with the idea of Proportion, conversion comes to life. “ Proportion has a sister…Conversion is her name and she feasts on the wills of the weakly, loving to impress, to impose, adoring her own features stamped in the face of the populace.”(100) often people that were converts for anything are weak, people that willingly gives to something without a fight. We don’t have a say to our body, we don’t have the strength for conversion “impose”. Even though death knocks on people door every day, it’s always a surprise for “the populace”, the general population. It is interesting how Septimus was able to control his emotion for a second as he sees that Holmes and Sir Williams were the same people.

Mrs. Dalloway (The Growth OF Elizabeth)

“Oh she would like to go a little further. Another penny was it to the strand. Here was another penny then. She would go up the Strand. She liked people who were ill.. So she might be a doctor. She might be a farmer. Animal are often ill… And she like the feeling of people working. It was so serious; it was so busy. In short, she would like to have a profession… She penetrated a little furthering the direction of St. Paul’s. She liked the geniality, sisterhood, motherhood, brotherhood of this uproar. It seem to her good….” (136-138)

This happened during Elizabeth bus ride. This represent where Elizabeth live her childhood behind. She is becoming an adult. She remembers the time she used to think how immature her mother used to think of her. When she use to play with dolls, when she was attached to old slippers. Those times were “charming” (138) but now we can see she is different for she is already thinking of a profession. She does not have a clue yet on what she wants to do but she know that she know she “would like the feeling of people working.” (136)

we can see how different she is from her mother. She sees herself working, in other to support herself and others, individuals that are less fortunate. But Clarissa wanted someone to support her for it is the reason why she decided to marry Richard Dalloway instead of Peter. Clarissa likes the attention that guys give her which is the reason she likes to see Hugh Whitbread because He makes her feels young. But throughout Elizabeth Journey in her bus ride, every man were already fallen in love with her but “she felt bored.” Elizabeth was not interested in things like that. She wanted to live her life for herself something her mother; Clarissa did not know how to do.

Even Sally could see the difference between those two women as she notices the behavior of both at Clarissa’s party. Elizabeth indeed has growth into someone that is aware of her surrounding; she has grown into someone that her father is proud of. When Richard finally notice her daughter at her party, He could not believe is eyes. “Who is that lovely girl? He said and suddenly he realized it was Elizabeth, and he had not recognized her, she looked so lovely in her pink frock!”(194) pink a seductive color, but most importantly Pink means that the color White is no longer present, in other word, Elizabeth is no longer innocent, she is no longer a baby. Thought this path, life is running in the eyes of Elizabeth as she thinks about her future profession.

MRS. DallOWAY ( hat making)

“We shall have a beautiful hat! He murmured, taking up this and that, Rezia kneeling by his side, looking over his shoulder. Now it was finished- that is to say the design; she must stitch it together. But she must be very, very careful, he said, to keep it just as he had made it.” (143)

I think this moment is very important in the novel since it is the first time we see individuals that are happy and healthy. We can see joy in their conversation. As Lucrezia kneels besides his husband as they admired the hat that they just create, immediately made me think of creation. They focus on what they are doing, every details seems important to them, especially in Rezia’s eyes as she takes her time to sew the work that her husband and her had created. This moment show how compassionate and loving Rezia is. Most importantly how caring she is about the world around her, for she had created a hat for the Peter’s who didn’t even ask her to.

Through the making of the hat, they communicated with each other. Something they have not done in a long time. This hat brought them closer. “For the first for days, he was speaking as he used to do!…Never had she felt so happy! Never in her life!” ( 143) Because of the hat they were able to talk and joke about their neighbors. It rejoiced Lucrezia that they were “ poking fun privately like married people”(143). This hat brought them for a second together. A moment of joy, so by sending that hat as a gift to a soon to be married couple cold represent a long lasting, happy marriage.

But why did Virginia chooses a hat? What is so special about hats? I Google hat, most site told me how to make a hat but I wasn’t interested in that. However what took my attention is the fact that both men and women wear them. The idea of an equal marriage. A common thing that link man and women. Virginia’s writing is amazing, she is an exceptional women for she is able to find the smallest things to shows how women plays many role in society. Hats can also protect one, from the sun and also to warm one’s body parts. So hat can be seeing as protection. A symbol that serves as protection to the Peter’s marriage.

MRS. DALLOWAY ( 168- 184-186)

“Fear no more the heat of the sun” (186) thought Clarissa after she retired form her party, isolating herself in a dark room. Those line from Shakespeare where at the beginning of the novel when Clarissa realize glance at a window. Those words make her recognize that life must goes on, which means that death is just around the corner. As a result she should not be frightened of aging since it is part of living, just like dying is.

Clarissa was upset when the Bradshaws mentions the death of the young man. “What business had the Bradshaws to talk of death at her party?” ( 184) stated Clarissa furiously. However she realizes that this young men death was an attempt to communicate to her, to accept life just like it is and to make the best of it. She notices that she did not pity that young as she observe a lady who is making her way to bed. “It was fascinating” Clarissa thought; “with people still laughing and shouting in the drawing room, to watch the old women, quite quietly going to bed.” the old women make Clarissa aware of the movement of life around her. She now sees while she was enjoying herself others were moving on with their life for their own happiness. In the other hand, Clarissa spent most of her time throwing parties just to please others. Parties, a place where she does not even have a minute to spend and talk with a friend before she must run off to greets another. Even Sally a very dear friend of her that she has not seen for ages came to visit her.

“There! The old house had put out her light! She repeated, and the words came to her, Fear no more of the heat of the sun.”(168) she realizes that the old lady had putting her own light out, she wasn’t scare anymore for both Septimus and the old lady had brought courage, strength to her, to being herself. “He felt glad that he had done it; throw it away.” because he made her “feel the beauty; made he fell the sun. He open her eyes, Septimus had show Clarissa the light for she realize “She must go back. She must assemble. She must find Sally and Peter.” Clarissa is going back to the party to be with people that are important to her, her friends, “Sally and Peter”. Clarissa is going to enjoy the rest of the afternoon or the rest of her life with people that she enjoys being with. Those moments of realization by Clarissa let us see how much she has grown as a person.

MRS DALLOWAY (CONCLUDING)

“Oh it was a letter from her! This blue envelope; that was her hand. And he would have to read it. Here was another of those meetings, bound to be painful! To read her letter needed the devil of an effort. How heavenly it was to see him. She must tell him that. That was all. But it upset him. It annoyed him. He wished she hadn’t written it…”(154)

Sometimes one cannot understand what does one wants. Peter would be an example of those characters. Seeing how upset he was when he received this letter, sealed in a blue envelope from Clarissa (154) and how he always thinks back on the life he might have had with Daisy puzzle him. Peter describes this relationship with Daisy as plain. “All plain sailing”

After a long walk in the street of London where even external stimuli made him thinks of Clarissa. It feels like Peter feels empty for not having Clarissa in his life as he dreamed of how their life would have being together. We see that anything reminds Peter of Clarissa. Peter hates the fact that Clarissa had rejected him. The blue envelope represents the color of the ocean which explains the waves of emotion that he was going through. Then Peter started to think of Daisy as he looks at a snapshot of Daisy. “The best he had ever seen her.” Peter cannot stop himself from lusting after Clarissa. He pushes away the heart of someone that willingly handed to him, his first wife. But stubborn as Peter was, he commented on their relationship (Peter and his wife) of being to smooth. “No fuss. No bother. No finishing and fidgeting” “All plain sailing” it was too well, too good Peter thought. This shows that Peter never had truly loved anyone besides Daisy. The good thing or easy love was handed to him but he rejected it.

Knowing all of Clarissa’s bad habits, did not stop him to desire her or for making get mad at the idea that she rejected his proposal. Peter knew she wasn‘t perfect since they knew each other for a long time but that did not stands in Peter‘s way from wanting Clarissa.

For at the end of the book, when he notices Clarissa, he was in terror, he felt happy. He filled “with extraordinary excitement” and it surprises him. Peter had the last word

“It is Clarissa, he said. For there she was.”

Those simple words conclude this amazing novel. The struggle had ended for Peter realizes it is Clarissa that he was waiting for.

FEMINISM IN THE ART WORLD: WANGECHI MUTU THE POWER OF COLLAGE.

Wangechi Mutu, a contemporary Kenyan born artist is known for the distinctiveness of her works which includes both painting outline images on Mylar and using collages to call attention to the female figure. In an article on Mutu, Enright Robert remarks just like most artists, Mutu’s work emphasize on her personality and her experience in life. Mutu’s popularity did not come effortless; she faces and climbs different types of mountains that life had thrown at her. Enright listed how coming from Kenya, studying in Wales, to living in the street of New York City was not an easy transaction. However, despite the calamities that she encounters, Mutu was able to get into graduate program at Yale. Stepping foot to this land of opportunity, as Enright acknowledges Mutu fought to get a degree from an Ivy League school because of their worldwide reputation. By doing so, both people form across the world and those of her native land will take herself and her work more seriously.

Mutu’s artworks are exceptional. One of her art work “untitled” which is a mixed media on Mylar done in 2003, Aldorando admitted that it is to challenge the viewers perception about “the objectification of the female body”.(Aldorando) Most of Mutu images cut out, originate form pages of fashion, national geography, and porn magazines. Mutu images choice is what types of individuals read them and their view on feminism.

Mutu’s collages are like warning of medical and cultural problems that are to come and sometimes they can be seeing as premonition or even as a threat. For that reason, her “collages are equally grotesque” (Kanzanjian) as they are elegant, equally seducing as awakening the viewers. Those characteristics of her work question the viewers’ awareness of women because in Mutu’s painting, it is the women who are in charge through their diverse personalities. Mutu completes the female body with odd prosthetics of different materials; those materials are expressive because it captures the viewers as they let themselves aware of their insolent behavior and sympathize with the female view. Melissa Lo approves that Mutu’s work are “decorative and loud” however once burned into one’s memory her work are “dreamlike and haunting.” (Melissa) knowing the power of collage because it is like traveling a 360 degrees of learning explains Mutu in an interview with Barbara Krugher, Mutu admitted to Robert Enright “When two ideas come together, it doesn't always create a logical result, it doesn't add up to what people expect, and you can't tell where one begins and where one ends". This feeling is mental, sensual and everything would agree Mutu because that how she portrays collages. (Wangechi) Mutu takes the viewers and makes them analyzes the more important aspect of the female body, so they can see beyond the stereotype of the universe in both race and gender role.

As a women artist, Wangechi Mutu knew how many of friends including herself have being taken for granted. As a Kenyan-born artist, she also knows the feeling of always feeling alienated because of the milieu she was raised. Mutu knows how many time women of different background have being strike by the waves of life, Women know how it feels for an ocean surface wave to violently smash into a rock. Mutu’s works not only depict the lives of young black females but her work also illustrates the struggles of every women no matter what group of ethnicity thy comes from. Mutu became the spokesperson of every female “who are figuring rather than figures”. (Keith) In her mind we are rocks because we are able to survive every hardships and abuses that was thrown in our way.

In Wangechi Mutu’s Untitled, the 2003 mixed media collage on Mylar, Mutu uses collages that are both elegant and perverse to show the wonder of the female body. All at once, she shows the beautiful, the disease, and the weak parts of women. With this mix, Mutu is able to make the viewers conscious of what is like to be a woman as she grabs the audience with everyday images and connect it with the female body. By having random images, viewers could interpret her work differently because they take a object and relates it with the most cherished or even the most painful moment that is most important in their life. By doing so, Mutu brings out their consciousness of feminism.

In the untitled, the 2003 mixed collage; it was the overall shape of the lady, especially from torso up that grabs my attention. Gracefully her hand embraces her body as if to give it a hug. Her brown torso looks as if it was cut from a model magazines; it shows simplicity and kindliness because of the neutrality of the color. Though elegant, the brown torso is very dependable, for it is only when accompany with a more complicated mixed color, which appear to be a skin disease that we are able to truly see how beautiful every part of the female body truly is. Later, my head was turned to her puzzle eyes. Complicity, crime, distress, hurt, pain, pity and shame all arise from her silent but trickery eyes.

On her Back, her head and her legs Mutu uses different types of vibrant colors that is able to get the viewers attention. It looks like those parts of the body were affected by some sort of disease. The skin disease on her back is green with white polka dots. Also, on her back, an eager looking half man half woman is present as it tries to grasp on the female back. With her spider hand he or she does not looks like as if it would be letting go anytime soon. it is as if both individuals are connected to each other. By having this male personality attached to the green disease skin and blending makes me realize that the man is the cause of the infection. Our unsolved mysteries, our unsettle desires and our need to be accepted by the male figure is sucking the life out of every women. It is the want and the need to be accepted by man that is making the female figure appears weak. Many women of this generation have forgotten the history achievement of their gender; how far they have came. However, the majority of women them still walk head down in front of man mentioned Rich Barlow in the Boston globe. (Barlow) He then continues by saying the reason that women are inferior to man is because of an internal glass ceiling that derive form our ambition, our sense of limitation, our need to be in a relationship by waiting and expecting particularly affirmation. (Barlow) Women have became so desperate which sometimes result from certain upbringing. Many women do not thrives for higher goals, because some have giving up looking due to rejection, while others does not dare to even dream. It is all of those emotions that women carry around them, as they being crush days by days by harsh behavior form the male figure that bringing them to their graves.

Her bold, elegant head looking up bring out her lovely eyes and her full mouth. The affected skin on her head appears more delightful with the light yellow and the light green. Form torso down to her legs, the skin disease is quite noticeable with the usage of vivacious colors. Dark brown, bright yellow and blood red are the color present on her legs. Beneath her knee to her ankle, the skin seems to have worsened with a bright red; it appears as if the skin were to explode. This color indicates danger, a warning for every women that let man be the sun of their life. The color also indicates that it is time to get up and challenge ourselves into becoming less dependable of man.

The majority of the color uses on her leg is yellow; a meaningful, and important color. It is the color of the sun. Another color that is on the leg is white, forming white polka dots all around the former. By having white, a color of cleanliness, innocence and purity contradict the color. However, together this complexity creates something so elegant which shows women for they are a being that is encompass by many flaws, however we punish them too much for those flaws by forgetting they are just being just like man. We all make mistakes, why does the woman should be exhorted more severely. Mutu purposely covered the female body with the disease because as a woman she has experience we have became scapegoat for many because as Putili Gea let us know in an article title “ Wangechi Mutu” that anything that is desired or despised is always placed on the female body. (Putili) There is a lot of artificial extension and cut images that replace many of the female body parts, they are very different form one another. However, by assembling them to make to human body, Wangechi create an incomparable beauty.

Red bubbles are then release from a red wine bottle that is partly a woman. The bottom of the wine bottle is replaced with a black and white image of the leg of a woman. It is situated to the right of the female body which is also facing to the right. The red wine can be seeing as blood, it is foreshadowing the idea that if women do not stand up for their rights, they will find themselves buried next to their mothers, their grandmothers if not even their own daughters. Our life spend will be short just like the life cycle of a butterfly which is all around the female body. There are four butterflies, one that is to the left, in front of the body, underneath her folded arms. The other three butterflies are behind her, two that are closer to her body and one that is on the right far away from the body. If women keep changing themselves to please the nature of man, just like butterflies, in their different phases in the environment that is best suited for them, women will know little of this world.

The wine with half of a women body to the left could be seeing as a waste of a very expensive object, just like women. By forgetting the worth of wine, a luxury object, we have disregarded the value of women. Just like a wine, many might have worked their tails off to possess it, however after some months; they put it aside collecting dirt.

Kanzanjian acknowledges that Mutu expresses the power of the naked female body throughout her works. Art creates it own “tragedy” (Keith), in which help the women to create their own personalities. The viewers become conscious because they become aware of what they neglected. Keith believes that the female body loaded with unspoken time is converted into language, a story of the self. Mutu believes that the bodies represent those of women who have being “silence by past and present colonization” (Keith) and for whom the silences of history have not ended.

Mutu unique and creative talent have impress many, bringing Jeffrey Dutch confesses that Mutu is one of the five most powerful artists that he has come across in the last ten years. (Kanzanjian) while ART news believes that Mutu is one of the 25 movers, shakers and makers in the art world. (Keith)

Lucian Freud has remarked through Picasso’s works, anyone can use their intent to make anything. For Freud, Picasso could make a face feel like a foot (Feaver) but I believe that Mutu is able to take the dirtier foot and turn into an elegant female figure.

Mutu is a well-educated person, she is aware of her surrounding like the Guinea fowl is aware of the least bit of noise. In the Untitled, 2004 mixed media collage and painting on vellum, Mutu creates a females body with parts of motorcycle. Though she uses technology in this piece, Mutu was able to send out the message of the importance of the female body.

The woman looks as if she is floating in mid-air. She is letting herself go with poise by crossing her brown feet with a black knee high pantyhose with black shinny high heels. By wearing black, she appears stylish, sexy, elegant and powerful. Her open hand shows that she is letting go of everything as she let us in with her power of creation.

By having part of a machine incorporated in the female body, Mutu is letting us that women have a sort of a machine. The blue parts of the motorcycle are situated in two places of the female body. One is around her neck which is a part of the body that is very flexible. Also, it is the passage that enables us to breath. Without it this machine, the female body would not function. Another motorcycle part, the engine is situated around the sex organs of the female body. In its absence, the function of the machine would not be performed because it represents the idea of the female sex organs, in other words, the role of women in creation, bringing a new life to the world. However, this differences between man and women that should be seeing as a gift, becomes a burden for all women because of them being taking advantage of. For now, Society uses this gender differences to rank those two beings where women became the machine and man, the operator. Women are seeing in one light only from many generations as if they do not have other function. They are to create, create and create until the operator sees that they are truly worn out, as they move along to a much younger, fruitful, productive machine.

By choosing to position the motorcycle parts in the places that she did, Mutu becomes the spokesperson of those individuals who are always being figure rather than figures (Keith) because society thinks they know the limit of women. Noonan Erica, in the “young women embraces Friedman at 84, she says feminism still has work to do” Admitted that many details of life are stills women responsibility. She notices that even though men are taught to be more sensitive, to observe more, to exhibit the kind of understanding that women do naturally, they cannot be compare to women because they are yet at the point where man are able to define things, like a woman capability to perform it naturally. (Noonan)

Around her pregnant stomach, a good amount of blood is being release, forming a big red, chaotic ball. Coming out of that big red blood is a brown butterfly connected to the women embryo chord. The butterfly which represents the creation of women has a compound antenna. A strong bond exists between those two beings because of how it holds onto the embryo chords. However, at the tail of the butterfly, the end point of the chords, a gray bubble is form which looks as if the butterfly, the just born is ready to explore its new environment.

Mutu can have many reasons for choosing a butterfly to represent a just born. One can be since before a butterfly became a butterfly, it undergoes different phases, from being a caterpillar, to a larva, then to a butterfly just like a kid who once was an egg however day after days started to grow inside the mothers’ wombs for a typical period of nine months. Also, Mutu chooses butterflies to bring again the idea of the life spend of both individuals. Mutu is able to shows that if women see themselves only as machine as they are being portrayed by society this will result to their downfall. Endless creating will only wears the female body out which are clearly show in the painful, hurting, and tormented eyes of the fatigued body of the women.

In addition, this female character does not seem to have taking care of herself for a very long time. She looks exhausted and very weak as she let herself being imported by the world because at a glance she looks as if she is floating, letting herself go. Her armpit looks if not shaves for years and her hair looks very chaotic. She has baggy eyes as if she hasn’t sleep for days and her body is very pale. The body is letting the world know that it has enough but as many female characters, society tries to speak over their head as they ignores them, like ignoring a beggar.

In the middle of her head, a long white cord is coming out which can represent her brain. Her brain is coming out, because as a machine the machinist do all of the thinking for them. Their life is being control. They do not need a brain because they are always being told what to do.

Women has became society’s slave because their function in life. Noonan observe that the road to the top for women is complicated if not blocked by child-rearing. Women are seeing as alien however neither Terrence, a roman poet who once was a slave, Mutu nor any supporters of civil right will agree with the way women are being treated. “Homo Sum; humani nihil o me alienum puto” wrote Terrence. “I am human; top me nothing human is alien.” (Feaver) Mutu believes that nothing in this planet or universe is alien because we all came form the same place; we are completely part of this thing that we live on. (Enright)

One of Mutu’s works that relates to her native land is the piece Art and Fur in which shows the beauty of Kenya. However, Mutu would not use the word “beauty” to describe Kenya because she believes it is a sensitive and politicized word for people who have a hard time describing their own culture. (Enright) This very strong piece revolves around the strong face of an independent woman with shares similar traits to a lion. The lion is a very powerful animal because it him that looks over the jungle. By being quick to their feet, lions are able to be anywhere in a blink of an eyes, bouncing from different location to fulfill his needs.

The traits of a lion can be found in a woman because of their ability to perform multiple tasks. However, in many culture, women are taking for granted. Knowing the absence of a woman in their life would be a life of turmoil, chaotic. A woman will do everything in her power to support their family. Throughout their life, they have known different emotions. Their emotions have becomes like the waves of the ocean. They try their best to control something unmanageable by putting a smile on their faces as they try to be strong for their friends and families. They choose to ignore those calamities and look forward for the next days

There are marks in the face of the women as if she has being scratched repeatedly in the same place. And those marks are here to stay because females more than males carry the marks, the language, and the nuance of their culture declared Mutu while observing the portrait of Arcim-Baldo-Iike. (Putili) Despite those marks full of painless history, the right eye of the women remains fierce which displays the power and strength within women. Through her eyes, Mutu is able to exhibit physical, psychological and commercial forms of violence that are inflicted on the female body. (Murray)

On The place of her left eye, Mutu incorporated a face of a person. With the additional eyes, this shows one quality of women; caring. Women naturally are able to observe and care for everything around them. However, this does not stop the unfair treatment that they receive daily by man.

A huge inequality exists within the life of the African family; one example is the facts that polygamy has not being suppressed. However in the state in which multiple marriages is forbidden, the Anglophone part of Africa which is where Mutu is born, adultery is usually tolerated from husbands, while it is considered a crime for the wives. (Gender) Throughout Kenya, and all around Africa, many girls have being circumcised. This historical event was known in 1956; however it until 1997 that is was outlaw (Gender) which proves how little society has considered women. Why wasn’t this injustice try to be resolve? It is because they did not think they were doing anything wrong, “it is only just women” they must have told themselves. Women were not worth the help.

The World Health Organization has estimated about 40 percent of African women to have undergone operations of this kind. Through her painting Mutu shows the persistency of women, by how far they have come. Mutu is aware that women in front of society are women in a battlefield. Unfortunately, most women will lose if they find themselves giving into the pressure of society. Women does have a choice, however it is up to them to fight for that voice because there is no such thing as free lunch in this world. As Cathy Young would have agree, it is tie to stop this stereotype “mommy wars” because women find themselves questioned in the work world about the importance of the role of a mother. Through her works, Mutu is able to emphasize those negatives ideas for she tries to open up the eyes of the viewers on the competence of women. there are many battle to be fought concerning how women are placed in society, (Enright) Mutu wants us to see and this is why we must women must walk heads up with fierce eyes while ignoring all the marks that she has receives in life. All this is to help, protect and support the important group of people that are coming behind us. (Lee)

In the piece “Art and Fur”, a great amount animal’s fur which looks like the fur of a bear tries to cover the women face. The fur represents every male dominant trying to veil the voice of women. The fur appears brown; however two types of color brown are distinguish as we are able to take a closer look at the painting. To the right of the painting, the perimeter of the fur is of a light brown as it tends to get darker and darker in the surface area. To its left, the brown is extremely light.

In the middle of the painting, a lot seems to be happening. A piece of wood and some part of the body system are detected. Mutu is trying to get us loss in the mind of this young female by getting the viewers to sympathize to the role of women. Also, by entering the mind of the women, especially the mind of an African women, we can sees how it feels to be lost in the waves of life as many of our African whose souls still are which is why “the sea is a graveyard for many of us”. (Kanzanjian)

Throughout her works, not only was Mutu able to speak for many women who have lost their voice either because of cultural problems or historically ones but also Mutu expresses herself about this world. Mutu want us to see that women will always find a rock thrown at her face. However those problems will not stop until many of us choose to make it clear that just as male, every female are what we called “human being.” Having being label “women”, it comes with a lot of hardships that are trying to hold us from succeeding and for this Mutu describes any culture as being as “a wealthy, fat and overfed pig” in the RESONANT SURGERIES: THE COLLAGE WORLD OF WANGECHI MUTU by Robert Enright because she notices that is the starting point of all those headaches that women faces.

Being the opposite sex is a treat for all, we are crashed by who is supposed to be the stronger one. Women are categorizing as being the “other”. Yet, it is by being the other “these chimeras, theses creatures, these women warriors come from… they’re not me, per se, they’re human conditions” confessed Mutu in an interview with Barbara Krugher. Mutu have witness the power of being the other a long time ago whish might be the reason why she expresses herself through collages.

In society, women are the “other” however as a young child in 1992, in Kenya, Mutu watched mothers protesting the imprisonment of their sons by taking off their clothes to SHAME the authorities. (Kanzanjian) Those are trying to let the soldiers that they know they are women but being a woman does not mean to ignore your rights of being heard. However, the stories of those women were heard throughout Africa. Back then, many natives might have thought that those mothers have lost their mind. Mutu is able to learn the power of the female body. By accepting of being themselves, those mothers were able to bring the head of those male down. As women, we have to accept who we are and show credibility and whatever we choose to achieve. We have to get out of our comfort zone and speak out in other to create a stance. If we do not see our worth, how can we convince or expect the male figures to take us seriously as they hear us out. This is the reason be why in most, if not all her pieces, Mutu expresses the strength in women by showing both their beauties and their flaws, and their strength and their weaknesses.

Among those changes, Mutu was able to see how a panga which is the machete use in Rwanda to cultivate which not only help the soil but also its inhabitants. However, this panga went from being a working tool to being a “killing tool” (Kanzanjian) which took the lives of millions of Africans. Aware of those different changes in life, both the good and the bad, Mutu is hoping to the facts that one day, Neither race nor gender would stand in anyone ways of succeeding. It is time to see men liberated from “macho” and women liberated form “female submissiveness”, it is time in which men nor women should be described as “opposite of each other”. (Noonan) it is time for a change.

Works Cited
Aldarondo, Cecilia. “GHADA AMER + WANGECHI: MINNEAPOLIS.” ArtPapers 31 no3 66 My/Je 2007. WilsonWeb. Boston Public Library. Apr.16 2008
http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/hwww/results/results_single_FTPES.jhtml

Cecilia explains how many years ago, little or no attention were pay on the feminism work. Now, she sees that we analyze and gives much more attention to women artist. One of the artist that she mentions was Wangechi Mutu. Cecilia thinks Mutu brings up the problem of “what to do with one’s body”.
Aurichio, Laura.” WANGECHI MUTU.” Art Papers. 30 no5 60 s/o 2006. Wilson Web. Boston Public Library. 26 Apr. 2008.
http://vnweb.hwwilson.om/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790ed247052b3016b2a96ffc43410374cf0456f930be1ffba46aebdae3c9549966ae&mt=H

In this article, Laura let us see that Mutu works is a mixed of various knowledge. Not only does she bring her heritage and being a woman in the art world but also she keeps herself informs of what going on around her. Laura let us know of how one of her works was done with an architect whose name is David Adjaye.

Barlow, Rich. “SPIRITUAL LIFE.” Boston Globe. Boston MA: May 27, 2006 pg B2. Proquest. Boston Public Library. 28 Apr. 2008.
http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/pdqweb?did=1043306901&Fmt+7&clientld+21123&RQT=309&VName=PQD

This article explains how the idea of women inferiority goes back to spirituality and religion. This article criticizes women of today because they do not know how far they have over come historically because the majority of women still walk head down in front of man.

Feaver, Williams. “The Great Dictator.” ARTnews. Summer 2007: 178-181.

This is a story of a journalist, Louis Aragon who asked Picasso to draw Stalin who had just died for “Les Letters Francaise”. Picasso drew a young boy, who for many viewers did not correspond with Stalin personality. They were disappointed because they did not see the man of steel that they wanted to see. Picasso let us know that he purposely draw Stalin like that because he believes one should paint or draw beyond the obvious.

Kazanjian, Dodie. "fierce creatures; Kenyan artist Wangechi Mutu has brought her fresh and vividly energetic vision to figurative art-spinning fantastical tales of folklore and modernity." Vogue. (June 2006): 214. Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale. Boston Public Library. 7 Apr. 2008 http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/itx/start.do?prodId=EAIM
In this article, Dodie explains how fascinated she is by Mutu’s works. She is well informed about Mutu for she is able to inform us how in 1992 Mutu witness a group of mothers protesting the imprisonment of their sons by taking off their clothes to shame the authorities. She also touches on how Mutu struggle in other to survive in this art world

Keith, Maims J. “WANGECHI MUTU: problematics Susanne Vielmetter.” NKa. no21 123-3 fall2007. Wilson Web. Boston Public Library. 26 Apr. 2008.
http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790ed247052b3016b2a92612f9a402bfc7f80a49e5d1f962bda788fc30357bd63bd7&fmt=H

In this article, the author explains how Mutu has made a big change in the art world. He notice by making the viewers analyzing her works, they becomes more aware of the action neglected by themselves and others.

Koening, Wendy. “WANGECHI MUTU: MEMPHIS.” Art Papers. 31 no2 62 Mr/Ap 2007. Wilson Web. Boston Public Library. Apr 26 2008.
http://vvweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790ed247052b3016b2092612f9a402bfc7f89da31a9c93166c96be2e30f00e93d979&fmt=H

Koening explains Wangechi first solo which was both her mixed –media collage works with an installation of hanging clothes. Koening was able to give her opinion on some of Mutu art work especially the “Jini-fericious female creature” and the installation of the hanging clothes.
Melissa, Lo. “ WANGECHI MUTU.” Flash Art (International Edition). 38 146 My/Je 2005. Wilson Web. Boston Public Library. 27 Apr. 2008.
http://vnweb.hwwilconweb.com/hwww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc05f7a67b1790ed247052b3016b2a96eda0f808631bd7f72a8fbc3526442f04e3f97ff0a453a25&fmt=H

In this article, Melissa uses Wangechi’s painting to explain how women can have different personalities all at once. Women can be provocative, delicate, and sexual all at once. Melissa mentions Wangechi’s powerful drawings that represent the strength of every woman.

Murray, D.C. "Wangechi Mutu at SFMOMA." Art in America. 94.9 Oct 2006: 205(2). Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale. Boston Public Library. Apr. 26 2008 http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/itx/start.do?prodId=EAIM

In this article, the author Murrayy elaborates on three of Mutu’s works. Her first piece of work wa the “Chief’s Lair’s a Holy Mess” (2005) which show a grotesques mutation of the female body. Then “The Bloody Old Head Games” (2005) a collages forming a women in a high heels crushing four males heads. At last “thrones” where there is an upside down wine bottle that is dripping in small quantity.


Noonan, Erica. “Young Audience Embraces Friedan; At 84, She Says Feminism Still Has Work To Do.” Boston Globe. Boston, Mass: Feb 27, 2005. pg. 3 Proquest. Boston Public Library. 28 Apr. 2008.
http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/pdqweb?did=801308281&Fmt=7&clientld=21123&RQT=309&VName=PQD

This article let us know of how Friedan helps with the women movement and the idea of pro-choice. She explains the complication of a women life and how many things that we do are defined by men.


Putili,Gea. “Wangechi Mutu.” Flash Art 41 136 Mr/Ap 2008. WilsonWeb. Boston Public Library. Apr.16 2008 http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/hwww/results/results_single_FTPES.jhtml

This is a quick put in magazine a conversation between Mutu and the interviewers. It took place during Mutu first solo exhibition at Victoria Miro Gallery. Mutu let her in on why she chooses specific collages. Wangechi, Mutu. “When this artist says her goal is to keep moving, keep changing, work that’s a little more frightening every time, she really means it. Here she talks to another artist who doesn’t mess around.”
Wangechi, Mutu. “RESONANT SURGERIES: THE COLLAGE WORLD OF WANGECHI MUTU.” BorderCrossing. Enright, Robert. 27 no1 28-46 2008. Wilson Web. Boston Public Library. 26 Apr. 2008.
http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/jumpstart.jhtml2recid=0bc05f7a67b1790ed247052b3016b2a9380a111f02d1a2dce820d06f9e4407e01f255cf5f4fb5196&fmt=H

This article talks about Wangechi, her childhood to what she did to be where she is right now. Wangechi explain how she comes about choosing the collage she does to the war in Sierra to what bring racism.

Wangechi, Mutu. Full Text Brant Publication. By Barbara Krugher. Apr.2007 v37 i3 pg 118(4). Infotrac. Boston Public Library. Apr. 16 2008
http://infotrac.galegroup.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/ilw/infomark/0/1/1/Purl+Rc1_BRC_0_A161206496?sw_aep+mlin_b_bpublic

In this magazine, Mutu explain how her ethnicity is use as an explanatory device. However, she explains that by being African does not mean that she is able to understand how all Africans should feels or think. She also share with that it is because many viewers does not go past by just being a viewers hat they stereotypes many artist works.

Young, Cathy. “FEMINISM REVISISTED; [ THIRD EDITION].” Boston Globe. Boston, MA: Dec 19, 2005. pgA17. Proquest. Boston Public Library. 28 Apr. 2008.
http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/pdqweb?did=943428411&Fmt=7&clienttld=21123&RQT=309&VName=PQD

This article explains how everything that happen revolves around our sex role. Cathy Young wants us to see that family life and career life should not be a choice in which one has to be sacrifice. Women should protest because they have the right which many have forgotten

Works Consulted

Ammarati, Domenick. “Do Not Go Genitally.” Modern Painters. Feb.2008: 69-73.

Domenick explain how Logan Melissa emigrates to Germany to meet with Iannone Dorothy to discuss the evolution of women artist. In their converstion, both individuals agree on how their works are not taking seriously, because as many criticize their works by referring to them as pornography because of how she expresses the beauty of the female body.


Barone, Michael. “Young Women, Feminism, and Hillary Clinton. ( voting behavior of young women).” US. News & World Report. Jan7 2008 pNA. Infotrac. Boston Public Library. 27 Apr. 2008.
http://infotrac.galegroup.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/itw/infomark/1/1/1/purl=rc1_BRC_0_A173166594?sw_aep=mlin_b_bpublic

This article let us know how in Iowa Hillary is losing to Obama with a wide margin among young women. It also gives some reason of why might be the cause of such behavior.

Erbe, Bonnie. “If Hillary Looses, Do Women Lose?” U.S. New &World Report. Feb 13, 2008 pNA. Infotrac. Boston Public Library. 27 Apr. 2008.
http://infotrac.galegroup.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/itw/infomark/1/1/1/purl=rc1_BRC_0_A174763084?sw_aep=mlin_b_bpublic

This article go deeper in feminism for they are able to say that losing Hillary does not mean that women loses because they see even more feminism in Obama because he is more pro-choice that Hillary.

Kirwan, Richard. “Ancient Times.” Modern Painters. Spring of 2002: 54-56.

In this article, Kirwan wants us to see the power of what we called “fashion” because many artist works got rejected because of the artist choice of work. Many consider works that they do not understand as being dull. He gives one example of an artist that went thorough the same thing, Paul Klce.

Lee. R. Felicia. “A Spiritual Mother of Spoken Word for a Hip Hop Generation.” The NewYork Times. Jan 29, 2005 pB11 col 02 . Infotrac. Boston Public Library. 27 Apr. 2008.
http://infotrac.galegroup.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/jtw/infomark/1/1/1/purl=Rcl_BRC_0_A127892557?sw_aep=mlin_b_bpublic

In this article, Lee talks about Sonia Sanchez during one of her performance. Lee believes that it is Sanchez that awakes the power of poetry in a lot of African and other minorities.

Siva, A. Michael. “ Love is message as Maya Angelou addresses 700; centenary.” NewYork times. Mar.11 1990. Proquest historical Newspaper 2004 pg 44. 28 Apr. 2008.
http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.bpl.org/pdqweb?VName=HNP&RGT=309&DID=115066267

This article show one of Maya Angelou speech to a college graduate. She emphasizes on ethic values and the power of women.

Zukowski, Karen. “The artistic hearth: the fireplace in the American aesthetic movement.” The Magazine Antiques. 173 no3 86-95 Mar.2008. 28 Apr. 2008.

This article explains the power, beauty of art in many things that revolves around us especially in architectures.

Untitled by Wangechi

Wangechi Mutu’s untitled in the 2003 mixed collage on mylar, uses coll ages that are both elegant and perverse to show the human body. He uses the female body, in which he show the beautiful, the disease, the weak parts of women, or the human body. Together, this enables us to see the complexity of the human body and mind.

I quickly was drawn to the overall shape of the lady, especially from torso up. I notice the gracefulness of her hand, how she embraces her body. Her brown torso from a glamour model shows simplicity and friendliness for brown is a neutral color. Though elegant, the brown elegant torso is very dependable, for it is only when accompany with other part of the body, the skin disease of Wangechi art work that we are able to truly see how beautiful that part of the human body truly is. Then I was drawn to her eyes. Pity, Pain, distress, shame, crime, hurt and complicity arises from her silent but trickery eyes. This proves how puzzles one can be as they try to figure out an individual. This piece of work able me to understand that we sometimes try to figure out life too much, by making things complicated for ourselves that we miss that everyone is just human.

Then, I notice the different color usage on her back, her head and her legs. They were supposed to represent skin diseases. The skin disease on her back was green with white polka dots. On her back, there is an eager looking man half women that is grasping on her back with spider hand which is not letting go anytime soon because they seems attached to her body. By having this man like character attached to the green color shin disease as it blends with it let me know that it might be the cause of it. Our unsolved mysteries, our unsettle desires and need do nothing but make us sick. Women look for comfort in men as does men in women, it is our eagerness for something that sometimes dope not exist that is making us sick.

Her head with no hair that is sliding up enable us to see her lovely eyes and her full mouth. The skin disease appears more delightful with the light yellow and green color. Then, form torso down, her skin disease are quite noticeable with their vibrant color. Dark brown, yellow and red are the color that is on her legs. On her ankle and a little up, the color red is uses and the skin disease look as if it were to explode. This color indicates danger. However, the majority of the color uses on her leg is yellow a meaningful, and important color because it be a symbol of the sun. Despite all those color, one color present in the disease are the white polka dots. To have in a disease sign of purity, cleanliness and innocence contradict the color white.

There is a lot of artificial extension that replace the missing body parts, even though they are not the body parts f the body, they are disturbing. However, by assembling them together to make to human body, Wangechi creates a beauty.

I later notice the red bubbles that are being release by a red champagne bottle that is partly a women with black and white elegant legs. There are butterflies wondering around her wondering around for nectar a beautiful flower. Her color is able to attract the butterflies and other creatures that seem to find comfort in women

Just like his former work, Wangechi has many works with prosthetic collage that emphasizes on the beauty of women for her connection with nature and many things that surround her. Because of her knowledge of creation, Wangechi makes her a machine.

In the untitled, mixed media collage and painting on vellum Wangechi makes her with some motorcycle parts. Her technology parts represent how far she has comes; she is now made of new things, motorcycle parts. Despite all, she still remains sexy and elegant for her gracefulness is always present. Her longed arms and legs on a black knees sock with a black heel are able to demonstrate that. She now becomes a machine for her capability of creation.

A machine parts is situated on both her neck and around her waist which where all the creation is taking place. Then I notice her creation out of her. Her creature comes out of her stomach which is still attached to her which states that this is her doing. Between herself and her creation is a pile of blood which shows how blood can be seeing in a different light. Blood are usually connected with death and crime; however, in this case women take bloods and accompany it with new understanding. Wangechi is letting you see that anyone that are able to see thing in a new light that are able to see are because of the machine that women’s are. For the roles women have, women can be see as a machine. This futurist painting all white and brown with little color of blue enable to see that not only the power of women over creation but as become a powerful instrument, a machine.

One difference between the women is the hair, in Wangechi former painting, the lady draw was hairless, howe ver, in this latter, not only does the lady have nice curly brown hair but also something that is coming out of her brain. It is a whit tube with orange at the bottom and the top. Having something comes out of her brain let the viewers know the capability of women.

Base on Wangechi works, the importance of objects are mention. We sometimes forget the meanings of things mostly because we forget to compare it to things. One collage might puzzle many but and assemble of collages that is able to create or makes the body parts let us appreciate things more.

Finger ( Owen Meany)

John Irving, In the prayer for Owen Meany uses finger to proves what Meany already knew. Because of his faith in God and his ability to predict what will happen pushed him to cut John Finger to prevent him from participating in the war, so he could not be able to use a gun. More specifically Owen chooses to cut his index finger. So he could not be able to pick up anything during the war. “I think it ought to be the right Index finger” Said Owen –just to be safe. I mean, officially, we’re talking about your trigger finger” (507). During this process, Meany told john that “ the army regulation in question states that a person would not be physically qualified to serve in the case of the absence of the first joint of either thumb or the index, middle, or ring finger” (506). Meany knew the rules of everything, not only did he believe in god but also he knew how to use the brain that was giving to him.

However, Meany wanted to be part of the war, but because of his condition, it was not possible for Meany to be part of the battle. He knew Jhon would have being unhappy, if he had participate in the war. Meany wanted Jhon to do “what you want” things that would make him happy. Meany knew that Jhon was a brilliant writerand that pleased him. Meany, “god instrument” has he thought, we can see that he knew how miserable Jhon would have being if he had responded to the Gravesend draft board. His final words to Jhon, after cutting his finger was “just think of this as a little gift to you” (509)

Passage Explication from the novel Krik? Krak! By Edwidge Danticat

Why must the life of a writer be hard and even harder if they are women? Why is that when you tell your mother that words would be your life’s work, like the kitchen has always being hers, she does not understands? Why being a nurse in more suitable than being a writer for women? In Krik? Krak! Edwidge Danticat suggests that writing is the most beautiful thing, because it is the remedy to a lonely little girl. Most importantly, Danticat shows the strength that a woman has for putting up with society despite their nonsense tradition which is encompass through her nine short stories from her novel. By being such a talented and a captive of a writer, Danticat expresses what it likes for her to play around with words and the joy that she gets from it. For her it’s just like braiding someone’s hair.

Danticat’s tone change in this chapter which make the readers see how seriously does she takes her writing as she compare it, to something form her culture. “Writing is just like braiding your hair” (220) every times we take a “handful of coarse unruly strands” we attempt to do one thing which is “bring them unity.” In our world today, finding something that shows unity is very rare. Yet, Danticat in our chaotic world was able to find writing which a collection of sentence which is made up of words. Danticat word of choice a handful of coarse unruly strands shows that words is just as uncontrollable as someone hair under the obedience of a strong wind. It is up to us to take that handful of improper things to organize them, where it is then it can be united. One cannot take their dirty clothes and mix it up with their clean clothes. It only after some order are establish by doing something with those dirty clothes that they can be united with the clean clothes in the dresser.

Danticat continued as she shows the different kind of sentences that can be make a variety of words. She shows us even though those sentences are united, that does not mean they are the same because our “fingers have still not perfected” that task. This is the reason why “some of the braids are long, others are short. Some are thick, others are thin. Some are heavy. Others are light. Like the diverse women in your family” (220) those are the variety of sentence that can be found. All of them are here to stay, just like those diverse women in your family. It is those differences that make us stand out from the crowd. Those women who took a risk and fit you in the world problem as they say Krik? And you respond with that Krak? It is those women, people like your mother as you sat in front of her, between her legs and she starts braiding your hair.

It is only from those women who’s “fables and metaphors, whose similes, and soliloquies, whose diction and je ne sais quoi daily slip into your survival soup by ways of their fingers.” However, Danticat shows those are the same women that still resist taking a pen because they think that maybe others, but “no, women like you” meaning their kids “don’t write.” They are good at carving “onion sculptures and potatoes statues” As we sits “in dark corners and braiding and twisting your hair “in other to control the stiffness, the unruliness and the rebelliousness.”(221) where else can we control stiffness, the unruliness and the rebelliousness? Through writing but they do not know that braiding that they love so much require the same function as writing.

To conclude, writing is of the three things that a mother would tell their kids not to be involved in because not only it will stands in the way of that kid to learn how to cook but also, as Danticat reminded us they are “called lying whores, then raped and killed. If you write you are a politician and we all know what happens to politicians.”(221)

Tom Philllip's Humument

Page 30

Page 30

On page 30 of Tom Phillips' A Humument, Phillips compares our uncontrollable emotions that we expresses to the different seasons of life because both can be so unpredictable which sometimes leads to the regretful choices that we often make. With its uses of color, Phillips’s parallel work show the power of light and dark, summer and winter, the sun and the moon, sane and insane, and cold and hot. Phillips demonstrates it is only when an individual take his time to think, when he does not react by emotions that they can clearly see what the world has to offer.

To began, the first thing that struck me is the parallel style that exists in Phillips’ work. He diagonally divided his work by is uses of color. In the bright side, there are different uses of yellow which represent the color that is evoke by light, by the sun. From the right top to the bottom corner will be found Indian yellow, chrome yellow, gamboges, cadmium yellow, cadmium orange and rust. All of these lights, color represent different emotions that are not easily manage which make it extremely hard for individuals to use common sense. In the bright morning, Phillip’s explains that in a young man name Jackson goes home in July. July is the warmest month of the northern hemisphere for Phillip purposely chooses this moth to show how sometimes the heat plays in the emotions of individuals. To continue, Phillips explains that Jackson sees himself as “wing-room love poet” who is how every man and women let themselves empower by lust and butterfly in their stomach. Suddenly they are turn into “poet”, they want to express themselves. Man are turned into dreamer, they have let lust take over their life. Every action that are made, their every line or their every thought is about women. As we go down, the light, the brightness starts to fade. The color is as pale as the opposite color. As the heat diminuend, Phillip shows that is when that Julian was noticing what was happening to him. “Julian in poetry nitzs- My dear” he stated surprisingly.

As I look closely at the shape of the right piece of Phillip work, I notice how unbalance, chaotic the outskirts of that side of his work. Many cuts and holes can be found which in other words explains what have become of men in distress. Their life has become disorderly, uncontrollable, and antisocial since they have became blinded by the light, the heat of the sun. In that period of time, the period of love, of emotions men have became weak.

To continue, the other side of piece of work, the color is very pale, the color gray represents tranquility, calm and stillness, the opposition of disorder. Comparing to the opposite work it is more clean, and pure. Phillip shows that the mind of the man has become saner for it is ability to control its thoughts. In other to control what is revolving around him he must behaves like a brick, or like a moon which is clarifying the way for the world but does not show any emotions. This kind of life is a balance life since gray is not either black or white but a shade between those two colors.

The Character is able to think more clearly about “stuff” and acting like a “love-poets”. By living this kind of life, one is able to process his or her thoughts. Viewers can see that the mind of the individual is more rested because they are able o reflect to their past and noticed that they are “tired of ming eyes glasses.” Phillip wants to show that it is it minds that plays an important role on the decision of men. The mind is the stream of consciousness and it is manifested as the combinations of ones thoughts, perception, emotions and imagination

The border of this work and as a whole demonstrates stability, contrary to the opposite side of the Phillip piece of work. Phillips through art and poetry is able to send a message to the world about the ability and the power of the mind of an individual. It is up to them to decide whether they will remains blinded or whether they will try to learn to control their life.

Plum Plum Picker

Many researchers try to characterize human being in term of physical, genetics, mental or characteristic. However, it is only throughout the Plum Plum Pickers by Raymond Barrio that we are enables to examine human in a different perspective. Throughout the story, we are force to notice what it is like to be a human being. All we do in life, whether it is our daily works, we must take pride in it. We want to be classify as someone with dignity. During our search for dignity, we notice how respect, pride and honor are all related. We see that we must be able to distinguish what is right from what is not. We must have moral values because it is through those values that we will be able to have dignity, take pride, honor in everything you do. It is by having those qualities we will believe just like Manuel that a man is counted for something.

As Barrio stated, we found ourselves “trapped in an endless maze of apricot trees” which Barrio purposely chosen because apricot is one of the fruit that can be found world widely because of its ability to survive in the cold and tropical environment. By living in a maze of apricot where they are “neatly planted, row after row” shows us that the life that we live is constructed in a fashionable manner which perhaps can sometimes be boring. We will sometimes feel like as we are “trapped, locked” in a task that show no “way out“. We cannot risk doubting ourselves now. There must be a way out. That is when one starts to work harder day and night, like an animal, a beast, a savage. However, the day end, wreck, tired but that is nothing because we have a goal as Barrio shows us this is just the beginning.

Barrio let us meet Manuel, which name derives from Emmanuel meaning God is with us, at apricot picker whom works diligently at his task. Barrio makes the readers felt in love with him as he shows his leadership and his courage to protect his values. Manuel would not let Roberto Morales, his boss takes a portion of his work that he laboriously did. Manuel stood up for his right, he fought t for his dignity which encourages his fellow workers to do so. Manuel was proud because not only “he had salvaged his money savagely but also he had earned respect from his fellow slaves.” Not only did Manuel know right from wrong but also he had pride in his work. He wasn’t going to sit back and let Roberto takes advantage of him because he knew what types of individuals he really is. A Manuel stated: he was the worst kind. A real robber, a gentlemanly, friendly, polite , grinning, vicious, and brute. Roberto is someone that know about values but does not care of the values of others. He was the worst kind,

Roberto has no remorse, his only goal is fame which he will get as he stuck on his workers like a leech and take everything that they had earn for themselves. From Roberto, robot can be found which clearly describes Roberto personality. He is someone without a conscience; he has no feeling for other but himself. Is he still a human being? Yes, he is a human being but he is the worst kind will be found across the globe. This is why “whenever Roberto Morales spoke, Manuel had to force him not to answer. He had to keep his temper from flaring.” However, Manuel taught him a lesson by wrenched Morales’ greedy fingers.

For once in his life, Manuel feel like man is counted for something. This stepping forward was a step toward victory. Manuel has learned that men are created for something more important than laborious work. Man are built to experience a certain sense of pride and honor without that experience, a man is dead before they die. Mostly thrilled because the result of this incident have show him that he deserves better and it is up to him to take action.

Many researchers try to characterize human being in term of physical, genetics, mental or characteristic. However, it is only throughout the Plum Plum Pickers by Raymond Barrio that we are enables to examine human in a different perspective. Throughout the story, we are force to notice what it is like to be a human being. All we do in life, whether it is our daily works, we must take pride in it. We want to be classify as someone with dignity. During our search for dignity, we notice how respect, pride and honor are all related. We see that we must be able to distinguish what is right from what is not. We must have moral values because it is through those values that we will be able to have dignity, take pride, honor in everything you do. It is by having those qualities we will believe just like Manuel that a man is counted for something.

As Barrio stated, we found ourselves “trapped in an endless maze of apricot trees” which Barrio purposely chosen because apricot is one of the fruit that can be found world widely because of its ability to survive in the cold and tropical environment. By living in a maze of apricot where they are “neatly planted, row after row” shows us that the life that we live is constructed in a fashionable manner which perhaps can sometimes be boring. We will sometimes feel like as we are “trapped, locked” in a task that show no “way out“. We cannot risk doubting ourselves now. There must be a way out. That is when one starts to work harder day and night, like an animal, a beast, a savage. However, the day end, wreck, tired but that is nothing because we have a goal as Barrio shows us this is just the beginning.

Barrio let us meet Manuel, which name derives from Emmanuel meaning God is with us, at apricot picker whom works diligently at his task. Barrio makes the readers felt in love with him as he shows his leadership and his courage to protect his values. Manuel would not let Roberto Morales, his boss takes a portion of his work that he laboriously did. Manuel stood up for his right, he fought t for his dignity which encourages his fellow workers to do so. Manuel was proud because not only “he had salvaged his money savagely but also he had earned respect from his fellow slaves.” Not only did Manuel know right from wrong but also he had pride in his work. He wasn’t going to sit back and let Roberto takes advantage of him because he knew what types of individuals he really is. A Manuel stated: he was the worst kind. A real robber, a gentlemanly, friendly, polite , grinning, vicious, and brute. Roberto is someone that know about values but does not care of the values of others. He was the worst kind,

Roberto has no remorse, his only goal is fame which he will get as he stuck on his workers like a leech and take everything that they had earn for themselves. From Roberto, robot can be found which clearly describes Roberto personality. He is someone without a conscience; he has no feeling for other but himself. Is he still a human being? Yes, he is a human being but he is the worst kind will be found across the globe. This is why “whenever Roberto Morales spoke, Manuel had to force him not to answer. He had to keep his temper from flaring.” However, Manuel taught him a lesson by wrenched Morales’ greedy fingers.

For once in his life, Manuel feel like man is counted for something. This stepping forward was a step toward victory. Manuel has learned that men are created for something more important than laborious work. Man are built to experience a certain sense of pride and honor without that experience, a man is dead before they die. Mostly thrilled because the result of this incident have show him that he deserves better and it is up to him to take action.