Ayshe – ENG 3407, Gothic Lit, Fall 2019

Beloved 256-324, Ayshe

“Decided to stop relying on kindness to leave something on the stump. She would hire herself out somewhere, and she was afraid to leave Sethe and Beloved along all day not knowing what calamity either one of them would create, she came to realize that her presence in that house had no influence on what either woman did. She help them alive and they ignore her.” (296, Morrison)

After seeing Beloved “rising back from the dead”, Beloved is continuously, figuratively and literally sucking the life out of Sethe. Sethe was let go from her work because she kept coming in late from playing and entertaining Beloved everyday. Sethe’s remaining youth and beauty, money, and food and water was sucked out and devoured by Beloved. Due to Sethe’s release from work, she was put in a situation where she could no longer support Denver and Beloved. No longer wanting to rely on the charity of other’s for their support and witnessing her mother exhaustion increasing over time from providing Beloved’s needs, Denver ventures out to find some work in exchange for food for her family. Denver was extremely worried about leaving Beloved and Sethe alone together, worried that one may kill the other. After some time, Denver realized that the two women were so caught up with destroying and providing for the other, her presence did not influence the seesaw between them. The two women had eyes on each other for some time, that they completely forgot about Denver’s existence. Denver’s courage to find a job to support her family, especially her mother during an extremely difficult time, is what makes her admirable.

Beloved: 180-256

“”I made that song up,” said Sethe. “I made it up and sang it to my children. Nobody knows that song but me and my children.” Beloved turned at Sethe. “I know it,” she said” (207, Morrison)

Beloved humming Sethe’s song is a confirmation that Beloved is in fact Sethe’s baby girl that she killed many years ago. At Beloved’s funeral, Sethe only caught two words that the pastor spoke “Dearly Beloved”, which coincidentally is the name of Beloved now. It is still a bit of a mystery how Beloved could have survived Sethe’s heinous murder but the fact that Beloved knew the song that Sethe sang only between herself and her children, shows the readers that Beloved is one of Sethe’s baby beyond the grave and act. Perhaps when Beloved was over at the other side of the “bridge”, she watched Sethe’s way of living, coping and her children. This could be seen as a form of protection but also a form of admiration. Sethe believes that the reason why she killed Beloved was to save her the life of being enslaved from the salve-catchers and so on. In a way Beloved admires and understands her mother’s wrong doings but still is emotionally and physical hurt by her actions. Beloved again and again recalls memories and items of Sethe’s past, for example the earrings and now the song. Beloved does massive efforts to make it know to Sethe and Denver, as well, that she is their family, and they are hers.

Paul D’s memories of Sixo and his ‘Thirty Mile Woman’ (24-30)- Ayshe

“He told the story to Paul F, Halle, Paul A and Paul D in the particular way that made them cry-laugh. Sixo went among trees at night. For dancing, he said, to keep his bloodlines open, he said. Privately, alone, he did it” (Morrison 30).

Sixo was a man who was persistent and emotionally closed off to his brothers. Knowing very well that his “Thirty Mile Woman” was fourteen years old and soon to be wed, Sixo devised a plan in order to see her, despite the long distance between them. One could imagine that the man in the car who was trying to whip Sixo was either the “Thirty Mile Woman”‘s husband or father. Perhaps to save the horror of humiliation when telling the story to his brothers, the story was told in a way that made them “cry-laugh”. This shows a lot about Sixo’s character because his pride means a lot to him and does not want the almost whip lash to effect his image of him to his brothers. During the nights, Sixo has a keen to roam around frequently. It seems that Sixo does this as a way to cope and reminisce about his “Thirty Mile Woman” and the haunting of a “almost beating”. The almost beating haunts him because the emotional and physical pain can carried with Sixo forever Although traveling the long ways to his little lady friend gives the impression of that it was worth traveling for so long, getting whipped was definitely not.

Ayshe- VI to IX, Create

“The Cyclopean massiveness and giganticism of everything about us became curiously oppressive; and there was something vaguely but deeply unhuman in all the contours, dimensions, proportions, decorations, and constructional nuances of the blasphemously archaic stonework. We soon realised from what the carvings revealed that this monstrous city was many
million years old” (40)I wanted to show how massive this ice kingdom is compared to the scientists. As they continue on with their expediton, they see how technology advanced these creatures are. The creatures are capable of creating gigantic and eye catching archaic stonework, driving the scientists to discover more. It is questionable how these creatures can survive and thrive for so long without being discovered by humans all this time.

Real Life Haunted/Gothic Space group

Hey guys,

I wanted to create a thread so we have a way to communicate with each about the creative project.

Does anyone have a Real Life Haunted/Gothic Space in mind?

-Ayshe

Create, Dracula 22-27, by Ayshe Kerim

From Quincey’s perspective–

Today I woke up feeling extremely curious. I asked my parents how they came about naming me “Quincey”. I was told they named me after a man named “Quincey Morris” a man who died in honor in a savage battle. Hearing this, my curiosity grew even more! They said that many years ago there was this evil man named, “Count Dracula” who was a vampire thirsty for blood and growing his vampire army. Mama and Papa told me that many people were scared of this man Dracula because he was very powerful and evil. They said that he knew how to climb on walls and how to travel from one place to another without making any sounds. Imagine that! I noticed that whenever they talked about Dracula, they talked to him in the past tense. I may be young but I am clever! I asked them what happened to Mr. Count Dracula. They said that they and a few of their men had to kill him, because his powers were becoming too powerful. Mama told me that she was once bitten by him and he had to drink his blood. Hearing this, I wanted to throw up instantly! I can not imagine such a thing at all. Thinking about it, Mama was almost a vampire. Mama told me that since they killed him, she could no longer turn into a vampire. I know that my parents experienced something great and evil because of this man Dracula and I am so happy that he is dead and gone forever. I am sad that my own mother was once a victim of this cruel thing. Mama and Papa told me that they will tell me much more when I am older and ready to hear more about their crazy journey they had. I am too eager to know more! I wish I was old now! 🙁

His hunger to find out the truth and what became of it definitely shows that Quincey is a child of Mina and Jonathan. He is eager to learn more about his parents’ encounter with the evil vampire man Dracula, but is aware that when the time is right, he will be told a great deal more of their hectic adventure.

Dracula, ch 5-9, Prompt #3- Ayshe

After the paragraph, include 2-3 lines explaining the basis for your paragraph, with reference to the text.

When news had gone out between the captain and the crew that yet another two of our members have gone missing, I have been unable to sleep at night. Looking over at the noted logs from one of the members, mentioning a “tall, thin man, who was not like any of the crew, come [came] up the the companion-way. and go along the deck forward, and disappear” (Stoker 71), I instantly grew cold. I too, have seen such a being lurking the dark corners of my cabin late at night. At first I thought it was a figment of my imagination. Here and there, I have frightful dreams, but I do not think much of them, for they are only dreams. However, I knew that this was a true event and that the ship must be searched at once. After finding no such being on the cruiser, the crew and captain were in good spirits again. A few days had pass and I began to grow uneasy again. The weather at sea was horrendous. It was if the only weather possible was heavy storms and hectic waves. Returning back from my watch late night, I felt something creeping the corridors. As the ship rocked back and forth with the rhythm of the waves, I have finally seen the face of my stalker. It was the tall thin man! With blazing red eyes, full red lips with sharp white teeth, I was paralyzed in fear. I see the strange being charging at me with great speed. Although I could see him approaching me, I could not hear the sound of his feet on the floor. It was as if he was floating. Too busy focusing on the the speed at which he was approaching, I failed to realize that the man has his strong grip on my throat and pierced his mouth on it. His sharp teeth is was what brought me back into reality. It was a sensation I had never experienced before. Sucking the life and blood out of me, I began to think panic more and more, which grew more interest and excite to my attacker. The world around .e grew darker and darker. I truly wished I had never embarked on this journey. The crew and I were wrong, we were not alone on this ship at all… *Darkness*

After the first few crew mates have suddenly gone missing, the sailor is truly frightened. He knows that there is a unidentify being on the boat with him and his mates and after encountering him late at night, he knows that his fate has come to an end. He tries not to struggle because he knows there will be no way out of this, seeing the results of the missing mates and the logs they’ve been keeping.

Clue- Blog Post 2 Ayshe Kerim

It is evident that the Monster’s way of self-education is admirable. By watching the cottage-dwellers from a distance and examining their actions and their behaviors, the Monster slowly develops his own habits. Unfortunately, due to his appearance, the Monster is aware that will not be accepted by the cottage people, “Increase of knowledge only discovered to me more clearly what a wretched outcast I was. I cherished hope, it is true, but it vanished when I beheld my person reflected in water or my shadow in the moonshine, even as that frail image and that inconstant shade (Shelley 9)”. This is seen when Felix, Safie, and Agatha return back to their home, come to realize there was a giant monstrous being conversing with their father. Despite the Monster’s acquired knowledge and respect for the cottage-dwellers, the cottage people do not accept him as a human being. This goes back to Steven’s point about how Gothic “represents” the revolutionary ideas and emotions of the 18th century, while also trying to “contain” those ideas and emotions within a “conservative structure”. This is because Gothic was seen as the foreign and unordinary. Gothic demonstrated themes of horror, fear, the extreme, and the dark. According to the cottagers actions, the Monster was depicted just like that. Additionally, his actions are presented as a horrific product of “revolutionary” activity (i.e. Dr. Frankenstein’s experiment), despite his good intentions. It his physical appearance that sets him back.

Author: Ayshe