Thesis: The concepts displayed in William Cronon’s “The Trouble With Wilderness“, mythical tales such as Andre Lebey’s “The Romance of the Faery Melusine“, and contemporary art of Emilija Skarnulyte’s “Sironemelia” highlight the continuous actions taken by Man to separate itself from the natural world-despite its significant historical role to the human species- arguing the cruciality to accept and expand an already tightened, but inevitable connection to the natural world for the preservation of our own well-being and more importantly the planet.
Seems broad, trying to find ways to add more specificity.
For my final essay I decided to extend on my second essay of Gabrielle Tesfaye but also try to incorporate The Deep as a second text as I believe they are both similar in story telling and the stories that are hidden from the world, but also with the story of slaves being thrown overboard. Any feedback is very appreciated :).
Thesis: In the short film The Water Will Carry Us Home by Gabrielle Tesfaye shows the demonstration of how selected stories portray what is known to be history. Tesfaye conveys this message through the use of stop motion art which is able to produce a story. This is significant as it shows a side of history that is not told or paid more attention to and it also shapes viewers thinking about the history that is already known.
Thesis: In his photography series, “Inherit the Dust,” Nick Brandt juxtaposes images of African wildlife against scenes of man-made environmental degradation to highlight the impact of human activity on Africa’s natural environment. Brandt’s photography contributes to a broader understanding of environmental issues that challenge the Western-centric narrative. These images illustrate how art fosters a connection between humans and the environment, presenting diverse perspectives of nature that cultivate the empathy necessary to comprehend and revere the natural world.
Sources:
“Inherit the Dust” by Nick Brandt — https://www.inheritthedust.com/
“The Emergence of Environmental Humanities” by Robert Emmett and David Nye
Studying mermaids in Christian Literature, Barnum’s Feejee Mermaid attraction, the cultural influence of ‘The Little Mermaid,’ and Starbucks’ marketing tactics exemplifies the concept that marketing and Literature are one and the same. Christian allegories of mermaids resembled a physical embodiment of lust and temptation, while Barnum capitalized on the Feejee mermaid as a source of exotic entertainment. Similarly, ‘The Little Mermaid’ shaped social norms and values in young American girls, while Starbucks utilizes a mermaid as its brand image to symbolize indulgence and desire, all of which reflect the blurred line between marketing and Literature.
I think I kind of say the same thing twice but struggled to do it all in one sentence without it being a crazy run-on sentence, not sure if I should remove the first sentence or find a better way to combine it all.
I am planning to do a creative-critical essay, with photos I took (attached to this post) and an essay on gender fluidity. I am struggling to make a strong argument so any feedback from fellow students is deeply appreciated. Or any analysis on these photos as I know it is hard for me to objectively see these photos.
Thesis: The image of a mermaid challenges cultural interpretations of gender through the mermaid tail. Lacking genitalia, they symbolize a gender fluid being that we are able to relate to due to their half human nature. This collection of photos presents a gender fluid mermaid that we may be tempted to categorize; but this mermaid is gender fluid, which is captured through posing, model choice, and the mermaid tail. When analyzed in relation to other stories of gender fluid mermaids, like The Deep, we can start to question how we define gender and what value we hold to this idea.
I was thinking to analyze the photos on the tail (lack of two legs), the model (gender fluid model), and the posing (masculine posing), maybe location choice as well. Not sure if I should stick to one photo or if a few would be okay. And then maybe analysis of the passage from The Deep where they talk about the wajinru being male, female, both, or neither and try to tie back to the photos.
In Gabrielle Tesfaye‘s The Water Will Carry Us Home and Rivers Solomon‘s The Deep, the ocean emerges a medium through which the ancestral memories and traumas of the Middle Passage are explored and remembered. In both texts, African pregnant women are thrown overboard and underwent a transformation into mermaid like creatures. Both narratives use that story to reclaim African diasporan narratives through the use of the ocean. The ocean therefore must be recognized as an archive that holds knowledge.
Here is the outline of my final essay for this class; Let me know what you think or feel that I could add to my body paragraphs! 🙂 Thanks.
Title: “Straight to the Heart”
Thesis: In order to get humans to begin to reconnect with their forsaken connection to nature, the environment we live in and are inherently apart of, we must personify it through the use of literature and the understandings of the Blue Humanities; thus retying the knot between humans and the environment for the betterment of society and future generations.
Body 1: What is the environmental crisis?
Global warming, air pollution, overfishing etc (Source “Emergence of Environmental Humanities”)
Why haven’t we fixed it, the roadblocks, etc
Body 2: How will literature help?
People take action when they feel emotionally inclined (Source: “Blue Humanities”)
Literature evokes emotion and understanding
Speak on Mama Dlo (Mami wata) in terms of how she protects the ocean and now has people taking off their left shoe and walking backwards proving the power of literature
Body 3: So what? Why should we care and reconnect with the environment?
The world will live with or without us (Source: Sirenomelia)
The sea is of so much cultural significance and should be treated accordingly (Source “The Sea Is History”)
Tie it all together by saying not only do we need the environment to physically thrive but culturally, which then translates into emotionally, as well
