Introduction to English Studies | ENGL 299.02

As an element of postmodern style, magical realism adds an interesting layer of metaphor to a piece of writing such as Tropic of Orange. As explained in B&G, magical realism often includes magical or unrealistic elements to a fiction world based in reality with little to no context, often considering them a very mundane and […]

The first chapter was very intriguing to me because it reminded me of previous ideals mentioned in the Toolbox book. One of the ideas being culture. I noticed a great deal of the novel may be honed in on how each person reacts and lives on a daily bases seemingly simultaneously. The first chapter also […]

One thing that immediately stood out to me in reading the beginning of Tropic of Orange was the very first image with which the novel opens. The scene described is of Rafaela Cortes, as she is sweeping aside the bodies of animals both dead and alive, tidying up Gabriel’s house. The image is so striking, […]

Upon reading Chapter 2 of Karen Tei Yamashita’s novel Tropic of Orange I was immediately reminded of the concept known as “postcolonialism” from Nealon and Giroux’s The Theory Toolbox. The character we are introduced to, Bobby, a “Chinese from Singapore with a Vietnam name speaking like a Mexican living in Koreatown” (Yamashita 15), is a […]

I couldn’t help but be struck, immediately, on page 13 when the idea of the invisible line is presented. Sol is depicted as “tracing the path of a very thin but distinct shadow stretched in a perfectly straight line across the dirt and sand”. This idea struck me as odd at first. I was confused […]

The working question on page 264 in the Agency chapter really got me thinking. It basically asks about how our view of George Washington as americans differs from how, say, the brits would view him, pointing out that while he stands as a symbol of patriotism, and a noble war hero for us, the brits […]

I liked the thought on page 236 after talking about Hobbes and Rousseau’s different views of nature that different views reveal “much more about the observer than about what is objectively out there.” This made me think about how I see nature, and how we ought to function as a society, and more importantly, why […]

Once again, our text knows the absolute best way to make us feel horrible about the various contexts in which we live. How do they contextualize the concept of agency? “None of us is in control of the social spaces that we inhabit; nor are we completely in control of the subject positions that we […]

I am at risk of sounding a little geeky here, but as soon as I read the “Agency” chapter in the Theory Toolbox, I was immediately reminded of the story of Alexander Hamilton. I guess I have Mr. Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator/writer/composer/star of the Broadway show Hamilton, to thank for that. Before you make any assumptions or read […]

The last chapter of the Theory Toolbox was probably my favorite chapter of the whole book, and that’s not just because it meant I wouldn’t have to read it anymore. It was my favorite because the discussions of agency brought up thoughts pertaining to action and reaction within certain societal situations. The decisions we make […]