Olivia’s Story

pp.67-76

Compare and contrast the attitude of British colonial community to the Nawab with that of Olivia and Harry.

The attitude of British colonial community to the Nawab is very different to the attitude of Olivia and Harry. British colonial community, like Mrs Minnies and Mrs Crawaford only have to deal with him officially, but Olivia and Harry see him as a friend (p.69, l.24 f.). Maybe therefore they are a little bit too naive while thinking about him and his behaviour. Olivia for example does not believe that the Nawab does not want to do anything against the problems on the bazaar (p.69, l.7). She says that the Nawab is a modern (p.69, l.11) an emancipated (l.13) person. He is not a fanatic Mohammedan and therefore he would not approve the crimes on the bazaar. Mrs Minnies and Mrs Crwaford think he is and that he could do something to stop the problemes (5 f.).

In my opinion we cannot answer if the Nawab could do anything against the crimes or if he cannot. Mrs Minnies and Mrs Crawford are influenced by their husbands and by the British opinion about the Nawab in general. Here you can see that there are many prejudices about the Nawab because of his culture and his religion. But we do not know if they are right.

Add comment May 5, 2008 ankeh

1970: The Narrator´s Story

8 March

Olivia does not tell Douglas about her day with the Nawab. Explain why.

Olivia does not tell him anything about the picnic. She comes home later than usually and they only talk about his job (p.49, l.17 ff.).

In my opinion the day with the Nawab gnaws at her conscience and therefore she does not tell her husband anything about it. But the picnic could not be the only reason for her remorse because a picnic is not anything forbidden or wrong. I think she is developing stronger emotions for the Nawab than she wants to believe, which could cause her bad conscience.

Add comment April 28, 2008 ankeh

1923: Olivia’s Story

pp.39-43

What information do we get about Douglas and his work?

On page 39 ff. we get some information about Douglas’ job. He usually works in his office or in the courts, so Olivia is not concerned with it.

Douglas can speak Hindu very fluently because he always has to deal with Indians. He seems to have a very important and influential status because the local rich men, who make a formal visit at his house from time to time, respect him very much. When Douglas is talking his voice “rises above the rest” (p.40, l.6), his guests laugh when he is making a joke and get quietly when he is telling something more seriously. That shows how concentrated they are hanging on his lips and how important it is for them to react the way he wants them to react. They seem to act like marionettes in front of him.

Douglas just calls them “a pack of rogues” (p.41, l.15 f.), but they laugh about that because he speaks Hindu very well, so he can tell it them in a funny way.

In my opinion Douglas is very successful in his job because of his good language skills and his funny and firm way to talk.

Add comment April 24, 2008 ankeh

The Ballad of Sexual Dependency by Nan Goldin

The exhibition I chose to comment on is The Ballad of Sexual Dependency by Nan Goldin.

Nan Goldin was born in 1953. With fourteen her sister commited suicide and a few time later she ran away from home.

She had a real hard life with many ups and downs. The Ballad of Sexual Dependency is a visual diary chronicling her friends´ , lovers´ and her own life. The slide show she created shows seven hundred images all taken between 1971 and 1985. There are very private photos of her life showing her having sex, abusing drugs, being beaten by a lover or just being alone and depressed. The contradictions between happiness and deep depression make The Ballad of Sexual Dependency a very interesting and shocking exhibition. It is full of emotions and honesty and you do not know if you have to feel shocked or fascinated by the photos.

The Ballad of Sexual Dependency shows a real fast and changeable New York. One day you can feel all right and everything is okay, but the next day you feel alone and there seems to be no hope for a happy end. These contradictions and the quick change is tipical for New York. The time passes really fast there and no one can influence or stop it. The exhibition also shows how many dangers there are in New York like violence or drug abuse and the things that could happen if you do not behave carfully enough.

2 comments February 18, 2008 ankeh

Effing – “Monster” or “Good Man” (Conclusion)

On the one hand there are many reasons we could call Thomas Effing a monster.

He is a man full of nastiness, bitterness and sarcasm and he displays disgusting habits to derive some perverse pleasure from shocking his companions.

But on the other hand he is only an intelligent and unpredictable old man. Sometimes he behaves very strange but in general he seems to pursue a hidden stragedy. Toward Marco, Effing adopts the role of a mentor. He instructs Marco in the quality of art and makes him ahrapen his verbal skills, which can´t be charakter files of a monster.

Effing doesn´t believe in coincidences. He thinks that everything in the world is connected by electricity and is therefore calculable and to be manipulated. That could be a reason for his cold and calculating way of life, but it doesn´t make him to a monster.

In my opinion Thomas Effing is neither a good man in the general point of view nor a monster.  He is more an intelligent and calculating old man.

Add comment December 16, 2007 ankeh

Pennywise – God save the USA

“God save the USA” shows the contrast between the American Dream and the reality.

Pennywise´s opinion about life in America is very negative.

They criticize for example the politic decisions in the Iraq war, where many soldiers died, “the orbituraries are front page news”, and mention  the pollution caused by factories.

The song is againt all of the aspects of the American Dream. Parts of the American dream are freedom, democracy, America as the New Canaan and so on. But in “God save the USA” they say that in reality there are many things going wrong. America isn´t the “home of brave and the free”. There isn´t liberty and democracy, because even elections are manipulated by the republicans , “the irony of liberty is no one here is truly free”.  In reality the people are greedy and live in apathy.

Pennywise mentions all these aspects in an ironical way, “God save the USA, blame the president, … ” , which shows us the big contrast to the American dream.

In their opinion it´s more an American Nightmare than an American Dream.

Add comment October 7, 2007 ankeh