Real Estate Critiques: House of Usher Edition

 Alright, what's the name of the contestant up for judgement? The Fall of the House of Usher? Of course, I love Poe. He has a natural tendency for the verge-of-insanity-and-death vibe, very goth chic.

I do say, I'm very excited to give my opinion about this famed house. Here folks, we have a marvel of architecture. Right off the bat we can see "vacant and eye-like windows" across the whole front of the house (2). Absolutely perfect for setting up the most unsettling feeling- the feeling of being watched- even before we enter. Be sure to make note of the integrity of the structure itself! I'm no architect, but it sure gives "little token of instability" (3). What wonderfully funny irony to slip in there for English classes to laugh about after the fact. 

Moving on, let's take a minute to appreciate the biota! Make note of the craftily placed fungi which hang like a "tangled web-work from the eaves" (3). Doesn't that just so beautifully insinuate that we're about to step into some messy trap? This coupled with using fungi- a symbol of both death and rot? Brilliant foreshadowing if I do say so myself Mr. Poe. In case first timers missed the fungi though, Mr. Poe was kind enough to repeatedly mention the "decayed trees" which surround the house (1). Once again, here we see the reflection of the manor's state: dying, and on the verge of collapse. 

Thank you for tuning in folks! There sure is a lot to unpack in this building, and I'm sure we've only scratched the surface. Unfortunately that's all the time (and words) we have today, so until next time!

Romeo in the Rye

On page 124 of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden has a conversation with two nuns, one of whom is an English teacher. It's pretty inconsequential to the book overall, but during that conversation they begin talking about Romeo and Juliet- specifically, Holden's opinion of it. So of course, now I'm going to compare the two works. 

Holden mentions how Mercutio was his favorite character in the play (same here). He was "much sorrier" when Mercutio died then when Romeo and Juliet did (Salinger 124). The reasons stated are he was "very smart and entertaining," and it was "especially" horrible because his death was "somebody else's fault"(Salinger 124). Pulling my inner-Freud, I say Holden's sadness over Mercutio's death goes further than just his endearment for the character. 

The way Holden describes Mercutio here is very reminiscent of the way he describes his late brother Allie. One of the first things Holden establishes about Allie was that he was a smart kid. Not just regular smart, but "the most intelligent member in the family" smart (Salinger 43). And from Holden's descriptions of how he'd laugh at things "so hard" he almost "fell off his chair," its pretty clear Holden thought he was fun too (Salinger 44). Brains and entertainment are Holden's two stated reasons for liking Mercutio. Then, of course, there's Allie's untimely death. It didn't come from a knife, and it wasn't anybody's fault, but it was still early and undeserved; Allie and Mercutio are both killed by factors out of their control. Knowing Holden's complete adoration for Allie, it's no surprise the character he favors and grieves for most in Romeo and Juliet is the one whose life mirrors his late brother's.

I Know we are not Caged Birds (Option Five)

In her essay "I know why the Caged Bird Cannot Read," Francine Prose- very passionately- argues that the American high school English curriculum ruins literature by discussing social issues present in works instead of sticking to rhetorical analysis. According to Prose, this 'simplistic' approach to works of literature cages high schoolers, their writing abilities, and their love for English.

Well I am here to argue that Prose's method of only discussing writing techniques, along with her refusal to connect works to the larger world, is what would create the real cage.

Authors love allusions. The books that are widely read across American high school English classes are chalk full of them. The Great American Novel, The Great Gatsby, never specifically says the words 'classism' or 'the American dream,' but those are exactly the topics the book is about. To only talk about Fitzgerald's use of parallel structure or symbolism while reading the book is like only looking at exhibit signs when going to the zoo. Yes, you might've gone much further into depth on marsupials than you would've if you were just looking around. But you sort of missed the main attraction.

Allegorical works like Animal Farm- which represents the Cold War- and The Crucible- which represents the Red Scare- are a prime example of a fault in Prose's argument. Both works are widely read in schools across the country, and both works never mention the events they represent. To only focus on rhetorical devices when reading pieces like this undermines the purpose of the writings, which is to show faults in systems/events through other objects.

Finally, Prose is wrong because connecting to social issues is what makes students care about literature. Most students can't fully relate to a heartsick 20s millionaire or a lady who survived segregation and sexual assault. But they can relate to wanting a bright future, or to people being discriminated against because of their race or gender. By refusing to connect books to the larger world, Prose puts their message in a cage that only extends as far as their literal words.

Accents (Option Eight)

Accents: we all have one (or multiple if you're multi-lingual). Yeah, our jargon and our usage of grammar have a big impact on the way people perceive us, but our accents play an immense role as well. For example, most Americans view British accents as giving a person a more sophisticated air, while southern accents can make people seem less educated. 

I'm not here to preach that we should look past first impressions because everyone is special in their own way or whatever. Elementary school did enough of that, I'm sure. I'm here to express my views on language, and how I've seen it affect people.

From an evolutionary standpoint, our brains are literally hardwired to judge people within less than a second of meeting them. So in my views, there's no shame in automatically assuming less of a person because of the way they speak (hold the rage, keep reading). There is, however, immense shame in treating someone as less because of the way they speak. I've seen people who speak 'perfect' English be mocked because they have heavy accents, and it's infuriating.

Accents are so powerful that upon entering politics, past British prime ministers have exchanged their more casual British accents and jargon for those used in London (for the increased posh-points they provide). I know for a fact that often in the East, the ability to speak English with less of an accent can edge you out for a job application over a slightly more qualified applicant. I personally speak three languages, and at times- especially with the two Indian ones- I feel a bit odd because I can feel myself pronouncing words 'wrong.'

Personally, I find accents really cool. I find it really interesting when people accidentally slip a phrase from one language into another where it makes no sense. I know a lot of people who get embarrassed when they're made aware they're speaking with an accent, but it's really just a sign that they can speak more than one language. And honestly, that's a really cool thing to be able to do.

Humanity's Ongoing Witch hunt (Option Eight)

It's a play about the Salem Witch Trials of the 1690s and an allegory for the Red Scare of the Cold War, but for some reason the message the play The Crucible conveys still resonates with audiences in the 21st century. Why?

Likely because for all the progress humans have made in becoming more accepting (or tolerant) of differences, the idea of the "other" is one that has transcended throughout all of human civilization. The specifics of who The Other are have changed over time, save for one: they are disliked by those in power. Going through human history from any corner of the planet it is awfully clear that humans have never given a break to the act of hating; we simply cycle out the hated group every once in a while.

During the ancient civilizations- The Maya, The Aztecs, The multiple dynasties in China, the Mongols, the Romans- The Other were any and every outside nation. Because saying the people of other civilizations were cut from a different cloth made it seem as if the chances of them getting along with yours were slim.

If you don't like them, strip away any ideas that you may be similar to them. This was seen during The Salem Witch Trials described in The Crucible when the accused were turned into devil-sympathizes. It was seen during slavery in America when a slave was nothing more than an object. It was seen during the Holocaust in the 1940s when anyone from the Jewish to the Gypsies to the LGBTQ to the mentally disabled were advertised as a taint on society with the only given rhyme or reason being those in power said so. It carried on through apartheid in South Africa, segregation in America, the Red Scare during the Cold War, and it carries on today in the form of all those -obias and -isms: sexism, racism, homophobia, Islamophobia. The Crucible still resonates with audiences because the witch hunt that is present in the play still carries- in many grotesque forms- on to this day.

How Edwin Nazario is Batman (Option Four)

The central message in Hasan Minhaj's Patriot Act episode "why billionaires won't save us" reminds me a lot of the lawyer Edwin Nazario from the book Bodega Dreams. To summarize, the episode discusses how billionaires shirk responsibilities (such as taxes), cover up their own wrongdoings, and manipulate society all under the guise of charity. On top of that, society often overlooks the aforementioned list of wrongdoings because the guise works to raise the image of the donor in the public eye. The one example in the episode that most clearly conveyed the message to me is that of Bruce Wayne, a.k.a. Batman. The show likens the actions of many billionaires to those of Wayne, specifically in the way that Wayne Enterprises causes destruction to society by day, but that same society hails Batman as a hero by night for helping fix issues in the very society that suffers because of him. This part reminds me of the actions of the lawyer Edwin Nazario in my book Bodega Dreams. The residents of East Harlem view and treat Nazario as a celebrity, as their savior. When Chino's apartment building is set on fire, its residents are devastated until Nazario comes along, at which point their devastation turns into the willingness to do anything Nazario requests of them. At the end of the book, however, it is revealed that this fire was set by none other than Nazario himself. Similar to Bruce Wayne and the other billionaires discussed in the episode, Nazario covers up the injustices he does to society- receives praise for helping fix them even- by providing pretty words and favors. The only difference between Nazario and the billionaires is that the billionaires use their own money, while Nazario takes advantage of Bodega's.

The Great Re-rewritten Ending (Option Six)

[3rd person p.o.v.]

Lying on his mattress on his pool, Gatsby lay thinking about Nick's words. "You ought to go away" he'd said.

Gatsby hadn't even given the though a single consideration before dismissing it. Of course he couldn't leave right now. He had to be here when Daisy called so he knew what she was planning on doing.

So he knew what she was planning on doing. That last thought echoed inside Gatsby's head as he stared up at the yellowing leaves on the branches that hung above the pool. It was still early fall, so the leaves hadn't completely lost their green yet. And amidst the green and yellow were speckles of red, and orange.

It's a beautiful sight, Gatsby thought. Just like Daisy. And when Gatsby turned his head a bit to the right, he saw the branches that the leaves had fallen off of. They had looked beautiful when the leaves were there, but the leaves had finished their purpose with them and left, now leaving the branches looking scraggly and dead. Just like Daisy, Gatsby's mind repeated.

His certainty that Daisy would call him had begun to waver. He wanted to be sure of her actions before he took any of his own, but, then again, hadn't he been sure of what her actions would be yesterday afternoon? Hadn't she assured him she'd tell Tom she was leaving him because he'd never had her love? And that certainly isn't what had happened.

With all the weight of a central dogma believed to be true for five years, the realization struck Gatsby that Daisy would never be strong enough to take a decision which may possibly inconvenience her.

He should phone her. He'd phone three times, and if she didn't respond within the hour, Gatsby would put his own life first for the first time in five years.

And with that, Gatsby threw his towel in a lump on the mattress, got out of the pool, and went into the house.

It was on the 2nd attempt that Gatsby heard shots outside. Within five minutes the deed was done. Gatsby ran back outside to find his towel with a bullet hole shot through it, a body in the bushes, and a few of Wolfsheim's men looking very confused.

Nick had a lot of questions when he came back from work.