Classical Literary Criticism and the Sublime

Last week in class, we had our first group presentation. Their main focus was on Classical Literary Criticism, and also discussed the Longinus’ sublime. Sublime means something that lifts up the soul, inspiration, happy, and that feeling where your heart feels like its going to stop. According to one of the presenters, “real sublimity contains much food for thought. It is difficult/impossible to resist. It has a strong impression on the memory.” Watching the video clip the presenters had set up was amazing. They were all different by sublime in their own way. According to Longinus and our presenters, thee five sources of sublimity are conceived of great thought, strong and inspired emotion, certain king of figures, noble diction, and elevated word arrangement. According to Longinus, at least one of the above mention sources must be discussed for the piece to be sublime. I liked how they wrote on the chalk board as we as classmates had something visual to work off of. We also discussed how the film “Avatar” is sublime. Overall their presentation was very informational. I learned a lot from it and thought the presentation was very well done.

Then the Professor started to discuss the Enlightenment which began in Western Europe in the 17^th century. We discussed how this era was very important. People never thought for themselves. Orders always had to be followed. When Descartes came along, people began to think for themselves, have their own mind and this was something very new. Thinking for themselves brought new ideas, and with new ideas came thinking and using ones mind. Overall, last weeks class was very informational and amazing. I picked up on everything the presentation was about and understood it. I also loved how their presentation brought up such a great class discussion.

Are You Ready for the RED PILL? (Analysis #1)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEAcHBRPr9A&feature=BF&list=FLgnzwjj16RAA&index=1

In the four minute YouTube clip from the movie “The Matrix,” we see Morpheus offer the choice of the red pill or the blue pill to Neo, the red pill being the painful truth about reality and the blue pill being living in ignorance and to believe in what ever you want to believe.

Neo is being offered a choice. His decision is made merely on persuasion. The concept of Rhetoric which means the art of persuasion is being used.

In Aristotle’s “From On Rhetoric,” he says “there is persuasion through the hearers when they are led to feel emotion [pathos] by speech; for we do not give the same judgment when grieved and rejoiced or when being friendly and hostile. To this and only this we said contemporary technical writers try to give their attention.” Pg 115-6. Speech is the persuasion Morpheus is using to try and convince Neo to take the red pill. He says that “it is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to bind you from the truth” to persuade Neo that the life he lives is nothing but a lie. His words and gestures persuade Neo to what he thinks is the truth. But “what truth” are we talking about here? Living life day by day thinking there might be a Matrix or living the wonderland life and seeing with your own eyes what the Matrix really is.  According to Aristotle, “persuasion occurs through the arguments when we show the truth or the apparent truth from whatever is persuasive in each case.” Pg. 116. Neo believes what Morpheus tells him. He wants the truth but the only truth he knows is what he has lived, not what Morpheus tells him he is going to live. So which one should he believe?   

“Unfortunately no one can be told what the matrix is? You have to see it for yourself. Remember all I’m offering is the truth, nothing more.” What a line to persuade someone into thinking that the only thing they offer is the truth. But is it really? How does Neo know what Morpheus is saying is the truth? He doesn’t. He believes in what ever he wants to believe whether this means taking the red pill or the blue pill. When someone asks you what you know but you are unable to explain it, it’s hard to trust that person, but when someone says they have seen and know the things you know and have seen, you begin to trust them. They tell you that “ironically this is not far from the truth” and you think to your self then what is “truth”. Aristotle says that rhetoric is like making a judgment. Then what judgment did Neo make? To believe what is being told by another or to believe what he wants to believe. Taking the blue pill or the red pill was a choice made ultimately by Neo with the persuasion of Morpheus. He knows what he can’t explain but has it done by someone else.

Works Cited

"Matrix “Decision." YouTube.  13 Feb. 2011. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEAcHBRPr9A&feature=BF&list=FLgnzwjj16RAA&index=1>.


Aristotle. "From on Rhetoric". ed. Leitch, Vincent B. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. 2nd ed. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2010. Print.

Week 2

During our February 1^st class, we discussed Encomium of Helen. Our discussion made me think quite differently verses the reading. I have to admit that after reading Encomium of Helen, I was quite convinced that Helen was not to blame for her actions but after our class discussion, my mind quickly changed. Helen should be blamed for her actions and may I say is absolutely insane and absurd for doing what she did. Because of her a 10 year war was caused and people were killed and yet I don’t know why I was sp persuaded from the reading. The war was so intense and tragic that I can’t believe it was all due to one woman’s stupidity. Gorgais presents such an argument that I couldn’t decide if the persuader or the person being persuaded was right. Now I have learned that, you should never be persuaded. Always look at the facts. Think critically and analyze before you make a decision.

In class we also discussed the Allegory of the Cave. After watching the video clip and discussing it in class, I began to think of the way the prisoners thought. They were trapped and were only allowed to see what the outsiders wanted them to see. They did not have an imagination because they knew nothing of it. Therefore what they saw was just a lie and what the only human released saw life outside the cave to be real. The prisoners had never seen life therefore thought what they saw was true and real. This made me think differently and critically. Isn’t everything in life seen differently through each person’s eyes? I know I may see something as beautiful but someone might think it’s ugly. Is looking in the mirror a true image of you or is it false?

Gorgias, Plato & First Week of Class

Hello everyone. My name is Maryam and I’m currently a senior at CSUN. I am an English Literature major and would like to practice law in the near future. This is my third class with Professor Wexler and I have to say, he’s awesome. He’s devoted to his work and helps students with any questions they may have. I was hesitant about taking Major Critical Theories, but once I saw Professor Wexler was teaching, I had to join the class. I know that he will assist me though any difficulties I may have and may I say, I have heard this class is very dense.

I had never really been asked to think theoretically the way I know I will be in this class. I am looking forward to it as our Tuesday class was amazing. We were introduced to some of our classmates and had the chance to look through the spectacle of their theories on their favorite book/film/or television show. I think having class discussions is amazing as we all know, having the professor talk two in a half hours would get really boring. We had the chance to debate about our opinions and discuss what it might be if we looked at things a different way rather than what we are used too.

As the class progressed, we watched a ten minute clip called “The Doll on a Music Box” from the film “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” I had never seen this clip let alone the movie and it was quite interesting. The class had the chance to discuss what their theories were regarding the dancing doll and the egotistic man. I personally took a feminist view towards the clip. The female was so locked up, while the male was able to dance free. Yes we might look think he is trapped behind the make up, but he has far more freedom then the female did.

Applying our theories made me look at things through a different lens. “What if this and what if that?” I started to look at things as if I had several different glasses. I believe this technique is going to help me in this class and I look forward to learning all the criticism and theories of others.

The professor then began to give us tips of what we should look for while reading or watching something. We should pay attention to the class and time the piece was written in, and changing the way we see things, for example the lens. We went on to discuss Rhetoric which is the art of persuasion and Hermeneutics which is the interpretation of things. I look forward to learning the difference between the two as to me they once seemed so similar.

Moving on to Plato’s Book II, I thought this was incredibly interesting. Should we really censor our children’s minds from any fairytale and untrue story written? Is it true that a “young person can’t tell when something is allegorical and when it isn’t.? (pg. 47) Should we take away any imagination our children may have or should have? I personally have two views towards this issue. Yes we should bloke them from things an adult should watch or read but should not block there fairytale imagination. It is not permanent when the children have a happy ending where as if it was tragic and scary, they would live to remember it and possibly have dreams.

To conclude, I ask you this: Can anything incapable of causing damage do anything bad? And something which never does bad couldn’t be responsible for bad? And another thing that was brought up to my attention (and I hope we cover this in class) is from “Encomium of Helen.” “The persuader, then is the wrongdoer, because he compelled her, while she who was persuaded is wrongly blamed, because she was compelled by the speech.” Now I have mixed thoughts about this. Should we blame Helen or not? Should she have had her own mind to perhaps not be persuaded? Think about this and please feel free to write any comments you may have.