#english major things

[fiber-optic-alligator]

Being a college student in the month of hell we call April makes me think about how readily I would let myself become an alien’s pet if I was just randomly abducted and pampered as a glorified lapdog for the rest of my life. Like yeah slap a bougie collar on me and name me Fluffball, as long as I never have to write another 20-page paper again I’m good👍

#gator bites #english major things #alien abduction #I would be the perfect pet fr fr

[weaponizedtit]

sorry i can't go on a date with you, i'm saving myself for my english professor

#my lesbian experience with loneliness #english major #romantic academia? #english major things

[lyledebeast]

Watching all these historian commentaries/butcheries of The Patriot often leaves me wondering if we aren't sending one humanities discipline to do a job as well or even better suited to another one. Obviously, some people do both--I did both!--but when historians criticize fictionalized accounts of history for representing people whose views and actions were not statistically common, maybe they are missing the point? The Patriot does not purport to be a biography. it is a fictionalized account of historical events. It does, however, purport to accurately reflect a historical setting, but it doesn't do that either! The more egregious problem with The Patriot is that it presents very rare views and actions as completely normal and far more commonplace ones as aberrant.

Historians often cite statistics about the pervasiveness of chattel slavery in colonial South Carolina to argue for the ridiculousness of Benjamin Martin not owning slaves. It is a very misleading choice given that Martin is a composite of several historical figures who certainly were enslavers, but there is a reason he isn't called Nathaniel Greene or Daniel Morgan or Francis Marion, and that is to give the writers some leeway in how they represent him. What is weird about Martin not owning slaves is that not one of his peers finds it weird. When he refuses to support the war for independence, none of his fellow assembly members responds with, "Well, what did we expect from a freak who pays free men to work his land?" Martin is in a long-term relationship with a woman who does own slaves, and his children spend most of the movie's run time with her without the issue of slavery ever coming up. When Martin's employee tells Tavington of his situation, Tavington replies without skipping a beat, without so much as a raised eyebrow with "Well, then you are free men who will have the honor and the privilege of serving in the King's Army" when a more appropriate response would have been " . . . What?"

You know what Tavington does find positively bizarre? Colonial Loyalists. He regards James Wilkins with suspicion from the moment he opens his mouth: "How can I trust a man who'd betray his neighbors?" When Wilkins replies that he sees neighbors who would betray England as traitors, Tavington looks at him like he's confessed to having a very niche fetish. And Tavington is his ally! Mr. Howard cannot credit finding Wilkins among the Green Dragoons at Pembroke church even though he exchanged verbal blows with him on the subject of independence years before. In a more accurate setting, they would have employed far more lethal materials than words against each other by 1780. Martin blithely leaves his children in the most obvious place possible without even considering that someone who knows his family might seek to harm them. The problem is not, as some have argued, that the film only has one Loyalist character. When its main focus is on South Carolina Patriots and their families, how may Loyalists does it need? The problem is that Wilkins is treated as a pariah rather than a representative of a population within South Carolina large enough to cause problems for the Patriots.

The South Carolina of The Patriot is absolutely otherworldly: a problem-free idyll until Cornwallis's army rolls up like Satan into Paradise and ruins everything for everyone, apparently. The small biographical inaccuracies seem to me to pale into insignificance against the film's refusal to depict South Carolina as the cesspool of racial and political violence that it actually was all throughout the American Revolution. Other representations of this war also contain numerous biographical inaccuracies--I am talking about Turn, if that's not abundantly clear--but nonetheless do a much better job of representing the diverse perspectives that made up colonial America. It seems grossly unfair to lump these kinds of texts in with The Patriot. Obviously, historical accuracy is important to consider when evaluating even fictionalized representations of history, but historians would benefit from considering character dynamics and narrative framing as well.

#the patriot #american revolution #south carolina #chattel slavery #colonial loyalism #american history #film analysis #history major things #english major things

[where-i-overanalyze]

religious symbolism in Soul Eater (Crona specifically)

okay hello, i am one of those people who experiences tumblr posts through pinterest, so idrk how to use tumblr. this is gonna be a learning curve, but i've got shit ton to say about Soul Eater (specifically the manga) and this can be my inaugural post. i use religious terms in this post loosely, it's just for parallels, i think too much about religious symbolism. spoilers for the Soul Eater manga, it's old but for the majority population who hasn't read the manga, be wary ig

Crona Soul Eater and religious symbolism and trauma! let's begin with the fact that Crona is simply born to be in Medusa's grand plan of world domination. Medusa never truly sees Crona as her own child; she only sees them as an experimental opportunity. she never lets them experience anything outside of their life as her experiment. thinking about religious undertones here, this is how a lot of people are born into religion. people just spawn in religious families when their religious parents have kids and a lot of the time there is very little chance to explore other beliefs.

Crona themself is also literally fused with the experiments Medusa has put them through. there is no separating them from Ragnarok and he constantly bombards them physically and mentally. he serves as a constant nagging in Crona's mind of where they come from, what has happened to them, and what Medusa actually thinks about them. she literally planted those constant thoughts and worries in them that they cannot escape from. Crona has been conditioned to think that this experiment, this "religion," is all about them serving Medusa and her wishes. whether this comparison works better with the experiment or Medusa herself being the "religion" doesn't really matter, it's mainly just the fact that Crona was brought up and trained to not doubt what Medusa told them to do. Crona cannot bring themself to question this truth they've been told their whole life because, up until a certain point, Medusa was never wrong. there is even this sort of "chosen one" language used around and referring to Crona because of this experiment, much like the language christians use when talking about how they are god's children and all that. there's this pride in "bringing up" a child that serves some sort of purpose, the greater order, a "miracle" even.

despite all Medusa's hard work of preventing Crona from seeing any life without her, the arc after her "defeat" (when she slithers away and possesses little girl Rachel) allows Crona to experience the world. for a brief month or so, Crona is able to be "of the world" and realizes that there are people out there that aren't using them for an experiment, that they're allowed to be their own person without Medusa's influence.

they make progress!!! they make friends!!! they actually start liking the academy and experience a life that isn't full of Medusa's demands in the name of the experiment to create a Kishin (or worse)!!!

but, of course, Crona cannot "be of the world" because they are just "Medusa's experiment." after finally experiencing the joys of a normal and non-toxic environment, Medusa returns and provides a horrible reminder that Crona is different from their friends. they can't possibly be more important than what Medusa's bigger plan has in store for them. of course they must choose between the two, of course they must be a spy on shibusen, it's what they were made to do!!! (god i hate Medusa)

though, Crona has already "tasted the fruit" so to speak. Crona knows that this shit for Medusa is wrong to do, but all they can do is fall back into the one thing they've known their whole life: they're Medusa's experiment and they must not fail. they've strayed from the path that was set out for them, so when they start doing things for Medusa again, the internal conflict has set in. they are following the destiny Medusa has laid out for them and she is glad that Crona's listening to her again, so why does it all feel wrong? it feels wrong because they left the path, they stopped living for the "religion" and now everything is falling apart around them when they try to live in both realities. it's just like Medusa told them, they cannot exist in the world because they do not understand the world, so they must continue being Medusa's experiment.

the praise doesn't feel good anymore, these promises of something greater don't seem worth the sacrifice if it means Crona must give up the glimpse of happiness they've finally experienced. and yet, despite all of their conflict and turmoil about betraying everyone, they return to Medusa because it's all they feel that they truly know; she's the only thing that can provide them with any sense of normalcy though they know something about it is wrong and cold. the torture is normal.

after Crona's return to Medusa and the experiments continue, Crona is essentially going through the motions for her grand plan. they're in too deep now, they've devoted their whole life to her because that's all they've ever known. maybe they do want to get out, but who would understand their purpose like Medusa does? even when they're presented with opportunities to be snapped out of it, they can't break free. they've given up every chance to live a regular life, but of course, they're part of a bigger plan, something that will put them above everyone else, and it will all be because of what Medusa has done to prepare them.

all the sacrifice, knowing that they are past the point of return, they're finally ready to finish what Medusa started.

and then Medusa shatters everything Crona's founded themself on. this belief that Medusa treated them this way because it was part of the plan, that Medusa had to be cruel in order for everything to work out, it initiates a crisis when Medusa suddenly dons the appearance of a loving mother. up until then, Medusa only refers to herself as Crona's mother as a way to manipulate them, to spur them to action because she is their mother and she deserves their loyalty. Crona's suffering and success was based on the fact that Medusa was treating them harshly, abusing them, experimenting on them, and the reality comes crashing down that this was never about Crona, it was always about Medusa's sick game to see how much they could get out of Crona. this "religion" has only been torture with the promise of . . . something good at the end. Crona hasn't gotten that "something" yet, so why has the "religion" stopped being cruel?

in her final moments, Medusa no longer resembles the mother Crona knew, and Crona kills her as they (probably) hear her say "I love you, Crona" for the first time. from this point on, Crona makes a desperate attempt to reclaim this purpose, this "religion" they've founded their whole life on. they are ready to meet the Kishin, to become the entirety of evil and madness and fear, and yet they return to the church.

the fact that Maka and Crona meet in a church is too easy of a symbol, that the first and (almost) last time Crona sees Maka is in a place where someone can find salvation, but i love it nonetheless. other than the fact that it is literally a church, there is a Lot to think about with the doors that only open inward. the church lets people in, it's welcoming, they're for the lost and the broken to come inside, but those doors are made for the people coming in, not the people coming out. obviously, doors are still doors, you can still open doors from the inside, but Maka gets stuck on them the first time they meet. it makes it hard for, oh idk, people getting attacked from the inside to escape. if you're trapped in that church for so long, used to getting worn down and used, maybe you give up on trying to open those doors.

like, you've gotta be kidding me. it's their choice to keep going with all of this, it's their choice to continue despite salvation standing right next to them, it's their choice to break down those doors and make this their own path. it's evil, it's horrible, but it's a last ditch effort to reform the broken foundation they were raised to believe.

but then it doesn't work. they obtain that horrible, promised power for a while, but it swallows them whole. it was never something they could handle because they were the test subject, the experiment to see how far someone could devote their life to this cause, only for it to not work out in the end. their religion has been crumbling for a while, but now it's turned to dust. they are no longer needed for its agenda, so it has abandoned them.

a quick return to the "place of salvation" point i made earlier, i think it's insanely interesting that the church is where all of the violence takes place when Maka and Crona interact, but it is actually inside the soul that Crona's redemption happens (i know they're technically like in the Kishin at the end, but still). there could be some stuff said about the corruption of the church, how a physical place that is deemed holy could never truly cause someone to reach any sort of salvation. salvation and peace is someone who extends their hand out to someone who is suffering, not a building or mantras or enduring torture in promise of a greater reward.

Crona's redemption, salvation, it all comes from abandoning what Medusa told them to do. they've technically done it all; they perfected the black blood, they became one with the Kishin, and now they can go on to choose a path that is entirely their own. they actively choose to counteract their past actions, to "atone for their sins" and fix everything for everyone else. they become a sacrificial lamb in the act, or even a christ figure in terms of dying for the safety of everyone else. and i mean, this entire time Crona was obeying their mother, and who was jesus but a man who was obeying his father?

i have to give my gf credit for that last line, she sent me that and i lost my mind. i will also give her credit for pointing out the fact that Crona's theme in the anime is literally a prayer to Saint Mary for forgiveness.

there is definitely something to be said about the fact that Mary and Marie are very similar names, Marie provides Crona a healthy mother-type figure while they're at the academy, and that Crona betrays her and she's the only other person who Crona somewhat remembers in their madness haze. i'd say that role is stronger in the anime than the manga since the anime gives Crona way more of a redemption arc and they interact with Marie much more. it still totally works, Crona is just riddled with religious symbolism there's no escaping it.

anyways, idk how to end a post. if anyone is reading it and you made it through all of that, good job!!! i've been dying to say this shit somewhere and i will definitely continue to do this because it is cathartic.

#soul eater #crona #crona soul eater #crona gorgon #soul eater manga #religious symbolism #religious trauma #medusa gorgon #medusa soul eater #maka soul eater #idk how to use tags #do i just keep adding tags? #manga #anime #crona x maka #kind of #overanalyzing #english major things #Youtube

[outstanding-quotes]

Frank O’Hara, “Mayakovsky”

#frank o’hara #poetry #quote #literature #lit #beauty #subjectivity #wound #trauma #self acceptance #this really brilliant guy brought up this poem in one of my classes today and i am just wowed by it #the class was medieval lyric poetry and the professor didnt really understand why he brought it up at first #but we were talking about the ways subjectivity in medieval poetry is different from modern literature #and he said this poem reminded him of the more flexible subjectivity in first person narration in medieval poems #while this is obviously far from medieval i see his point #and i am so glad he brought it up because it is such a beautiful poem! #english major things #insecurity #self expression #mayakovsky #writing process #writing

[leiawritesstories]

life update

hey y'all!

just wanted to put out a little life update: I'm currently in my sixth semester of college, and this is the term where I start writing my senior capstone, or my undergraduate thesis. it's a VERY LARGE research paper that is going to eat up my free time, but i'm actually excited to work on it! that being said, it will cut into my writing time, and i haven't been suuuuuuper inspired to write fic lately, so I will be probably mostly just reblogging/reacting to my dear and very talented friends' stuff :) however, i have been working on a few things that i'll be periodically posting 😈👀

anyway, thank you all so much for being here!!! it literally means the world to me and i'm so grateful you're here and reading my weird little fics and putting up with my ramblings lol

#personal #life update #leia goes to college #college is so fun #english major things

[fandomcollectorbex]

So tempted to write an essay about how hazbin hotel and helluva boss are such great shows when it comes to representation and how they also do a great job at showing the nuances of humanity 

#helluva boss #hazbin hotel #English major things

[dudefrommywesterns]

the list of literature i can quote off the top of my head grows ever longer

#typewriter dings #english major things

[checkoutmybookshelf]

I didn't find this true until I was a PhD student. Then I think I read three fun books in four years, plus the Wheel of Time series in my last year, when most of the work was done.

#english major #english literature #english major things #literary memes

[crylockchaos]

The mcr tour has so much presentism in it, which is interesting considering that that theory doesn’t usually mix with anything contemporary to this extent.

#Crylocks rambling #crylock your student is showing #mcr #my chemical romance #presentism #English major things

[keeksandgigz]

transcendental to think that as an english major i go to class and talk about what having a voice means and all these philosophical problems and then i go home and use my god given voice to write smut <3

#keeks talks to the wind #using my money to improve my writing skills so my characters fuck better #english major things

[itsnice2haveafriend]

My mom, sitting in front of a Google search bar, out loud to me: "How do you spell...?"

Me, an English major: "I'm SO glad you asked! It's..."

#english major #spelling #moms #my mom #my mother #english major things #english major life #just me trying to make the most of the education and tuition price #I am walking talking sentient auto correct and I appreciate being asked how to spell things.

[jayselegy]

Still can’t believe I cited pornhub in an academic paper about the monstrous feminine in superhero films

#i’m 100% serious #it was relevant I swear #english major things #jaysrambles

[leiawritesstories]

recommend a non-fiction book relating to your interest/field of expertise that you’d recommend interested laymen

I study English, and if there's a single book that I recommend to those interested in learning about the structures of the English language and its syntax, it is The Elements of Style. Only a few pages, as compared to other grammar books, and packed full of wit and wisdom, this book guides all my writing.

Well, almost all my writing. Sorry, Strunk & White.

#bookish asks #grammar things #English major things

[fandomcollectorbex]

I never thought I’d be writing a squib on the history of fandom and fanfiction as an assignment. And high school teachers said college was so serious 😭

#ao3 #college is fun sometimes #college is so unserious #fanficton #english major #English major things #writing major things #fandom

[literarymagicfloatingonclouds]

May TBR [for fun] list

I want to start trying to plan out my fun reading in order to get through all of the books I currently have in my room (it's a number well over 30).

~The Wicked King by Holly Black

~The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation 1 and 2

~Scum Villain's Self Saving System 3 [and 4 if I can]

~Flip the Script by Lyla Lee

~Cemetery Boys

~Ever After by F. T. Lutkins

~I Wish You All the Best

More TBD

#may tbr #bookblr #books and reading #reading habit #building a reading habit #reading for writing #life of an english major #english major things #book nerd #read or die #read a book #reading through my bookshelf #too many books not enough time