I kind of handed this sucker in two weeks late, so I probably got a 0/2 for commitment. Still, I scoured the net for examples and couldn’t find anything that our teacher didn’t give us, so I thought a sample project would be appreciated. I got 14/20, by the way, and my topic is "First Period Leads in National Hockey League Games and the Effect on the Final Score."
Plan of Investigation
While watching National Hockey League (NHL) games, I often heard the play-by-play announcer mention at the start of the third and final period how it would be tough for a team to come back from a one goal deficit. This led me to wonder just how difficult it was mathematically, and how much previous periods affected the final one. In this project, I will investigate whether the scores at the end of the first period affect the final score of NHL games.
I will gather the scores of 200 hockey games between 2005-2008 from the nhl.com website. I chose these years because the type of hockey before and after the new Collective Bargaining Agreement is different in terms of goals scored per game, with more goals scored per game on average before than after.
After gathering this data, I will analyze and compare the data. I will make scatterplots, plotting the scores of both losing and winning teams at the end of the first period on the Y-axis and the final score on the X-axis. This will let me see visually whether previous scores affect the amount of goals scored in the third period. I will also use Pearson’s correlation coefficient to see whether there appears to be a correlation between the score at the end of the first period and the final score. I will also try to describe the strength of association by using the coefficient of determination. I will then create a bar graph showing teams who won at the end of the first period and won at the end of the third and teams who lost at the end of the first period and won at the end of the third. Using information from the bar graph, I will use the chi-squared test of independence to see whether the score at the end of the first period and the score at the end of the third period are independent.
Procedure
1. For the dates of the 200 games, I placed slips of paper into a three boxes. In one box were four slips of paper, one for each year between 2005-2008, in another box were 31 slips with the numbers 1-31, and in the final box were 9 slips with the months January-June, October-December
2. Took one slip of paper from each hat and noted the scores of all games played that day. I put the slips of paper back into the box after I noted the scores
3. Repeated this process until I reached 200 games
4. Made two scatterplots, one of the score of the winning team at the end of the first period and the score at the end of the third, and one of the score of the losing team at the end of the first period and at the end of the third
5. Found the line of best fit
6. Used Pearson’s correlation coefficient on the numbers used in the scatterplots
7. Used the coefficient of determination on the numbers used in step 5
8. Made bar graph of teams who won at the end of the first period and won at the end of the third versus teams who lost at the end of the first period and won at the end of the third
9. Concluded whether there appears to be a correlation between the score at the end of the first and the score at the end of the third
Raw data
Uh, I had 100+ trials, I put the number into tables, you guys don't need to see this.
Data Analysis
After collecting the data, two scatter plots were created using Microsoft Excel, one of the scores of Team A, the winning team at the end of the first period, and one of the scores of Team B, the losing team at the end of the third period.
[GRAPH] [GRAPH...if you really want to see them, send me an email/leave a comment or something and I can send it over]
To make this graph, I placed the data into Microsoft Excel, used XY (scatter) using the Chart Wizard. I made sure the maximums, minimums and scales were the same for the two graphs so a better comparison could be made between them. I next added a linear trend line. Under the Add Trendline Option, I elected to display the equation on the chart. --> NOTE: I don't think you're supposed to use Microsoft Excel, but I had lost my calculator, I was across the continent, I was really, really desperate
The scatter plot is a graph that shows the correlation between the two variables. The trendline, known as the line of best fit or the least squares regression line, shows the linear equation which best explains the sums up the data’s trend. The formula on the right is the formula of the line of best fit.
As can be observed from these plots, teams who win at the end of the first period have a much larger range of data, with 26 separate points versus 14 separate points on Team B’s graph. Since the scatter plot does not use a thicker dot when numerous teams share one place on the plot, this suggests that teams who lose at the end of the first period tend to have similar scores, as they have twelve fewer points than teams who win.
If a team loses in the first period, this means that its X-range must be smaller than that of the winning team. Since 9/26, or almost 35%, of Team A’s points are on 3 or 4 on the X-axis, it is logical for Team A to have a larger range. However, even disregarding 3 and 4 on the X-axis, Team A’s range is still larger than that of Team B’s. There is a greater spread of data on the Y-axis of Team A, as well.
Note that when Team A scores one goal in the first period, there are instances of them ending the third period with five or six goals. However, when Team B scores one goal in the first period, the most goals they ended up with is only four. This pattern is repeated when the teams score two goals in the first period. With Team A, there are instance(s) when they end up with seven; with team B, the most they have ended up with is six, one less than with Team A. This suggests that having a lead in the first does increase scoring slightly in the later periods.
I then used Pearson’s correlation coefficient. When necessary, I rounded numbers to three significant digits. Again, I used Microsoft Excel to find r, by placing data from Team A into A1 to A110 and B1 to B110. Next, I imputed =CORREL(A1:A110,B1:B110). This gave me r, +0.452. I repeated this process with data from Team B, although I imputed data into C and D columns and imputed =CORREL(C1:C110,D1:D110). The r for Team B was +0.436.
The purpose of r is to find the degree of linearity between the two variables. This allows me to evaluate the strength of the correlation between goals scored in the first period and third period by each time.
The Pearson’s correlation coefficient for Teams A and B suggests a weak positive correlation, with a slightly weaker correlation for Team B. This means that generally, the higher the score in the first period for both teams, the higher the score at the end of the third period. Team A is more likely than Team B to have a higher score in the third period given that it has a higher score in the first. Thus, Team A appears more likely to win because it either widens the difference in goals-scored between it and team B, or scores more goals in response to Team B trying to launch a comeback. However, this connection is quite weak. While this trend exists, it does not often occur. This suggests that if a higher score at the end of the first period does not frequently result in a higher score in the third period, then having a lead in the first period will aid the winning team, but only slightly.
Next, I squared r to find the coefficient of determination, r2.
Team A
r = 0.452
r2 = 0.204
Team B,
r = 0.436
r2 = 0.190
The coefficient of determination allows me to better describe the strength of association. It shows a very weak correlation between goals scored in the first period and the third period with both Team A and Team B. This means that although goals scored in the first period may help both teams, it does not do so significantly. This corroborates with r, which showed a weak link between goals scored in the first and third periods. As discussed with the results of r, this lead helps Team A more than Team B.
My final step was to make a bar graph of when Team A won at the end of the third versus when Team B won at the end of the third.
[GRAPH]
This shows clearly that Team A is more likely than Team B to win at the end of the third period. Team A won 88 times, while Team B won only 22 times, meaning that Team A won 80% of the time. This is quite a significant difference and shows that while the goals scored during the first period may not make a large difference in the goals scored at the end of the third period, a win at the end of the first period usually results in a win at the end of the third.
Discussion and Evaluation of Results
From the data collected for this experiment, as well as analysis of this data, it appears that a team winning at the end of the first period is generally more likely to win at the end of the third period. Note that the bar graph shows that teams who win at the end of the first period go on to win at the end of the third period 80% of the time, which strongly supports this idea. However, goals scored in the first period only slightly affect the score at the end of the third period. This suggests that many games are very close, with one team winning by one or two goals.
This naturally results in something I noticed during the investigation – that a great many ties occurred. It makes sense that with so many close games, many end up going into overtime. This partially explains the application of the shootout in hockey after 2006, which eliminated ties and ensured that one team won every game, which results in a clear outcome for the audience.
Something interesting I noticed in the data was that on the occasions Team B won, they tended to score more goals than needed for them to win. Team B often scored up to four goals during the second and third periods, even if only one was needed to catch up to Team A. Another trend I noticed was that Team A either played defensively and did not score another goal, or they scored up to four or five more goals. Both of these trends are results of individual coaching styles and team motivation. This was not reflected in my scatter plot because as mentioned, my scatter plot did not have a thicker dot for an event happening more frequently. Thus, even if Team A winning by three goals was more common than Team A winning by one, both are represented the same way on the scatter plot. This misrepresentation is one of the fallibilities in my experiment. It could perhaps be remedied by creating another graph which shows how often each score occurred.
I also noticed that it is uncommon for teams to score more than 4 goals in a period. In most games, teams score between 0 to 3 goals per period. Going by this generalization, a team which leads by one or two goals in the first period is not advantaged by much, as Team B should be able to catch up by scoring one or two goals in the second and third periods. However, once a team leads by four or more goals in the first period, it should be harder for Team B to catch up, as it will be forced to score more goals than it usually does.
This generalization is supported by my scatter plot and data. Teams who score three or four goals in the first period can end up with seven or eight goals by the third period, while there are no instances of teams losing in the first period scoring more than six goals. This suggests that more goals are scored overall when a team scores more goals in the first period. My data shows that in almost every instance when a team scores three or four goals in the first period, this team wins the hockey game. Thus, although Team A usually wins, it has a higher chance of doing so when it scores more goals in the first period.
Several factors prevent this study from being perfectly valid. Although I deliberately chose the dates randomly, games are affected by a myriad of factors outside of simply scores. The scheduling can affect the scores as teams playing three games in four nights, or back to back games, are liable to being more fatigued and possibly scoring fewer goals. Scheduling could also affect scores in that during late season games, as some teams who will not make the playoffs stop trying to win, while others who wish to improve their position try harder. It is difficult to judge the former whether they score more or fewer goals in the first, as when they score, they are not as motivated to hold onto their lead, and when they do not score, they are not as motivated to catch up. Meanwhile, the latter are eager to score as much as possible, since sometimes ranking between similar teams is based on goals scored for and against.
I think that this problem could be helped by collecting more data. Although I randomly chose 110 games, it may not be enough to cover all the factors that can affect games throughout two and a half seasons considering 2460 games are played each season. Doubling or even tripling the number of games would better encompass these changes.
The reliability of the analysis stems from the fact that since the data is gathered throughout the regular season, it can be compared accurately, as opposed to data collected during regular season, preseason and the playoffs, when different types of hockey are played. It was also randomly gathered, reducing the chance of a bias resulting in games chosen from one circumstance.
Although goals scored in the first period do not affect goals scored in the third period in a major fashion, my investigation shows a strong correlation between winning in the first period and winning in the third period.
Showing posts with label example. Show all posts
Showing posts with label example. Show all posts
Thursday, May 8, 2008
IB Extended Essay Title Page
Okay, so probably not what you're looking for, but I <3 my title page, so I'm going to include it. The picture is the cover of the book.
IB Extended Essay sample
English A1 EE. Written in thousand-word spurts the night before each draft was due, then hastily polished a couple days before the turnitin.com deadline. The lesson I can give you: go with your gut instinct. The Blind Assassin is one of my supervisor's favourite books - she suggested that I do it. I gave her my proposal after reading 30/600 pages. At first she was really hesitant, but it was actually a really simple topic to do. You know your strengths and weaknesses! Even if the topic is a bit odd, if you think (realistically) you can do it, you probably can.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Program
Extended Essay
English A1
Clothing Imagery in The Blind Assassin
Your Helpful IB Co-Sufferer
Candidate number: ########
Sponsor: Teacher I Never Spoke To
X School
City, Province, Canada
May 2008
Abstract
Margaret Atwood employs clothing imagery in The Blind Assassin to help connect and foreshadow the different stories within the novel and show relationships and traits. What kind of clothing a character wears can show personality, while the value and care he or she places on physical appearances can also reveal disposition. Specific types and items of clothing seem to have a role as well—animal fur conveys dishonesty and reluctance to believe in the truth—while accessories can have symbolic meaning. They can hint at future events and link two apparently dissimilar events to make each more poignant. When one character wears clothing that another character wore previously, this not only joins their experiences in the reader’s mind, it forces him or her to consider any associations. Thus, Atwood compares and contrasts the experiences merely through description of attire. Colour is used as symbolism and to show changes in the role or opinion of characters. Atwood does not simply designate commonly-used meanings to the colours, but places her own spin on it. She also differentiates between different shades and combinations of colours. Clothing imagery is used in The Blind Assassin meaningfully and helps to create a much more textured novel.
Word count: 200 words
Table of Contents:
Abstract………………………………………………………………………………...i
Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………...ii
Essay…………………….…………………………………………………………1-13
Bibliography………………………………………………………………………….14
Clothing Imagery in The Blind Assassin
Margaret Atwood’s The Blind Assassin is a mise en abyme — in fact, there are three stories nestled one within the other. In one story, narrator Iris Griffen née Chase recounts her life from childhood to middle age. Interspersed with this are chapters of The Blind Assassin, a roman à clef that Iris wrote but published under her younger sister’s name. And within that fictional story, one of the protagonists, Alex, tells a pulp science-fiction story to the other protagonist. One of the ways Atwood connects the stories within this intricate framework is with clothing imagery. Atwood uses clothing imagery in The Blind Assassin to create character profiles, link characters or events and show character opinion or motivation. For the purpose of this essay, the novel as a whole will be referred to as The Blind Assassin, while narrator Iris Griffen’s story-within-a-story will be called The Blind Assassin (I).
Clothing helps build a portrait of characters, not only what style of clothing the character wears, but the characters’ opinion on clothing. Iris remembers that “although [Miss Violence] herself [is] lumpy and inelegant, she [has] high standards of delicacy” (194). Miss Violence wears a uniform of tattered cashmere cardigans, hinting that she was once wealthy enough to afford them. Though they have frayed and she is no longer as well off, she continues wearing those sweaters, just as she retains her ladylike manners. Her clothes serve as a reminder of better times; Miss Violence wears them while dreaming of those better times.
For Laura, Iris’s younger sister, her opinion of clothing reflects her unusual outlook on life. From a young age, Laura is different from others; after Reenie, the family help, admonishes Laura to bite her tongue and stop asking questions, “Laura couldn’t chew for days” (108). Her skewed sense of ownership accentuates her eccentricity. Laura does not hesitate before rifling through her sister’s closet. Her beliefs help underline how her codes of conduct and moral are out of sync with that of everyone else. There is nothing selfish about her motives – she simply does not differentiate between her clothing and Iris’s. Laura “[lacks] the necessary cruelty….her cruelties [are] accidental” (379). Actions such as taking her sister’s clothing could seem greedy when done by another person, but Laura does so with simple intentions. It lends Laura a certain unpredictability, as the reader is never sure what she will do next. It also makes the reader second guess her purposes, for surely a character cannot act with such guileless intentions.
Iris is much more interested in fashion than her sister. Although her sister certainly seems to enjoy it – “‘Well, you’ll have nice clothes, anyway,’ [Laura says]” (299) as the sole merit of Iris marrying Richard – she does not pore over fashion magazines like Iris does. This should be a hint that The Blind Assassin (I) was written by Iris, not Laura, as clothing is often detailed in that novel. This is something Iris, but not Laura, would pay attention to. Laura is a Good Samaritan who is not thrown out of loop by “bedpans and vomit…nor the swearing and ravings and general carryings-on” (529). It seems unlikely that when faced with people in a similar state of poverty, she would notice that the men do not wear ties, whereas Iris is more decorous and less humanitarian. For her, it would only be another point showing the disparity between her lifestyle and Alex’s. Iris would be aware of it because she is unused to it, and would be uncomfortable, whereas if Laura had written The Blind Assassin (I), the novel would focus more on the plight of the men and less on their appearance.
When Alex begins telling the story of the planet Zycron in The Blind Assassin (I), there are lavish descriptions of clothing. It certainly helps set the scene, but at the same time, it feels as though he is trying to ingratiate himself to Iris. To him, clothing is of no great importance unless it is used to make aliens appear utterly unearthly, and he leans towards fantastical costumes such as “a skin-tight suit the greenish-blue of a gas flame” (351). Alex seems to realize how much Iris cares about clothes though, and tries to make himself part of her world. He begins mentioning what each caste on Zycron wears and tones down the science fiction elements, clothing his characters in silk masks and tunics, instead. As Alex delves farther into the story, the clothing imagery he applied in the beginning almost disappears. He does not need to attract Iris by catering to her whims and although he is not certain that Iris will continue sneaking away to him, he is more confident that she will. He feels more comfortable being himself, whereas when the relationship was just starting, he is careful to build up a strong friendship.
Fitting in with the chameleon theme is Iris’s chiffon cape trimmed with ermine fur, which sums up who she is in both her relationships. The chiffon would be how she is with Richard – weak, light and frail. With Alex, though, she more resembles the ermine – she is braver, more disobedient and coarser. The fur trimming plays on the fact that her relationship with Alex is on the side, not the main one. It is also a luxury that not every cape or relationship has; in Iris’s case, this luxury is that of happiness and love. Although she prefers Alex to Richard, her life is with Richard, whereas she only sees Alex sporadically. Also, the ermine changes fur colour in the winter and summer to better camouflage itself in its environment, which could be compared to Iris’s behaviour and contrasted with Iris’s wardrobe. Although the ermine fur on her cape is white, the scene takes place in April, when the stoat’s white winter coat is blotched with brown as it changes into its summer coat. Iris is wearing the coat of another season, emphasizing how no matter how hard she tries she can never blend in completely. She is in a family with significant political and social stature. Even in her most bedraggled clothes, she cannot appear as destitute as the people she encounters.
The use of animal fur in general suggests falsehood and lies. During Iris’s honeymoon, she meets a number of other affluent couples. In her first experience with one of them, the aging wife wears “white mink, despite the spring weather” (305). Despite getting on the years, she is determined to maintain an impression of sensuality and culture. She wraps herself in this mink coat as though it can cover her with a veneer of beauty and elegance. Iris is exposed to the social appearances she must keep up. There are also instances of animal fur being used not so much as lying but hiding from the truth. After her mother’s death, Laura “[spends] a lot of time inside Mother’s fur coat…Laura would get inside it and try to do up the buttons” (171). Although she is too young to truly understand death and its implications, she tries to escape it by hiding in her mother’s old garments. Only after the jacket is given away does Laura begin questioning what happened to her mother; prior to that, she is satisfied with the knowledge that her mother has joined God. Iris almost mimics the gesture when she “pulls the fur coat over her” (450) after hearing Alex’s story of Paradise. As an idealistic woman, she does not want to think about Paradise being more of a trap than a Haven, as Alex sees it. Her way out, like Laura, is to hide from the truth.
Laura and Iris often wear the same outfit when they go through similar circumstances; linking them through parallels in wardrobe emphasizes the outward similarity, but the dissimilar personal experience of each sister. Laura regularly wears Iris’s hand-me-downs. It is interesting, though, that she happens to wear Iris’s yellow cotton dress when she begins to be molested by Richard – the same thing that Iris wore at the start of her affair with Alex. They are both the beginnings of sexual relations, but under greatly different terms. What is striking is how similar the language is. For Iris it is “a pale yellow dress, cotton” (374); Laura wears “a yellow cotton dress” (491). Superficially it shows how deceiving appearances can be, as both Chases kept secrets from each other and sometimes put up a false front, but it also underlines a theme in The Blind Assassin: the connection between the sisters. Neither knew about the others’ secret life until just before Laura’s suicide, but epochs in their life echo each others’, and it is reflected in clothing.
This situation does not only occur between Iris and Laura. During her honeymoon on the ship Berengeria, Iris notices that “a group of English people in cream-coloured linen [stare at her] … [she feels] rumpled and grubby, and of minor interest” (308). Later, her trysts with Alex bring her in close contact with the poor and downtrodden. On one instance, she wears a cream poplin raincoat. Although on that occasion, there is little description on how people react to her, the cream links her with the English. This time, however, she is on the other side of things: she is the one making others feel unwashed and unimportant.
In Mayfair, a magazine Iris frequently reads, all accounts of important events are followed by lavish description of what the socialites are wearing. In an article about the English Queen’s trip to Canada, a few sentences about the visit will be quickly followed by an equally long description of who wore what – as though the fact that a woman is “fetching in a demure Schiaparelli creation of blistered bisque” (159) is just as important as the arrival of royalty. Mayfair is an excellent example of the upper-class attitude. Events may be important, but so are the people seen attending the events, and appearances are everything. Iris’s stance on this paper is indicative of her growth as a character. As a teenager, she leafed through it and harboured dreams of dressing up in the fine attire of the wealthy. When she achieves this, though, no more mention of her reading Mayfair is made. Once she sees the well-to-do lifestyle, she loses interest because she sees its flaws and triviality. Although the rich appreciate their way of life, they are never satisfied. Their gratification depends on whether they are admired for their attire at the next social gathering. In contrast, characters seem most joyful when they are naked. When the blind assassin and the mute maiden in Alex’s story finally escape the city and are free, they are naked from stripping to dive into the river; and Iris and Alex are naked for much of their private time. It is interesting that when Alex is urged to create a happy story in The Blind Assassin (I), the women in Paradise wear clothing. Cynical Alex does not believe that complete happiness is possible and an early hint of this is when he clothes the women in the story.
Accessories are also important. On some outings with Alex, Iris wears “a straw hat, round like a schoolgirls’” (22). Iris wore a very similar hat on childhood excursions with Laura. The rationale was that a lady never went out without her hat. Even though she has grown up, Iris appears to unconsciously keep that advice – a gesture that Laura would probably abandon, just as she abandons much of what she is told is proper. On the other hand, Iris is more likely to abide by the rules. What is more, on these excursions, Laura and Iris “would peer in through the chain-link fence at the primary school, which was for ordinary children” (192). They do this despite the fact that they have been warned that these trips were dangerous. Iris’s trysts with Alex could be seen as a riskier, adult form of these outings. As children, this is an aimless activity and Iris and Laura are not quite sure whether they wish to join the schoolchildren. As an adult, Iris is more set. Instead of merely peering, she actively carries out an affair. Her visits to Alex are definitely meaningful, showing her maturation despite still being treated by Winifred as a child. Alex is poorer and of a lower social class than Iris, and would be the equivalent of the schoolchildren. Richard calls him “the young thug” (408), and this seems to be the general opinion of him. Certainly he would be seen as far too villainous for Iris to associate with. Though Iris’s affair and her jaunts seem quite incongruous, one cannot help recalling the insouciance of those childhood days, and comparing it to the freedom in Alex and Iris’s relationship. Again, this is the grown-up counterpart, even if Iris wears similar clothing; Alex and Iris are not free to roam wherever they want or do whatever they please, but they can escape from an everyday life neither enjoys. Remembering that Laura followed Iris compounds the feeling that both sisters are involved in Iris’s affair, for until the end of the novel, it is hinted that Laura was the one having the affair.
Gloves are possibly the central accessory in the novel, representing a move towards change. This is rather ironic, as gloves should impede motion. The clearest and most dramatic instance of this is Laura’s suicide. The police know that the death was deliberate because “she had white gloves on. They [see] her turn the wheel” (619). Mentioning gloves often tips the reader off that the character is about to make an important decision. During the picnic which marks the start of Alex and Iris’s affair, Iris “[takes] off her cotton gloves, [wads] them into a ball, her hands nervous” (22). For her, the choice to meet Alex and continue seeing him on a regular basis is one that will change her life; on this occasion, it is not enough to simply wear the gloves on or take them off, but to fiddle with them as well. This also ties in with the theme of gladness when naked, as Iris is taking her gloves off and revealing bare flesh. It can be seen as Iris’s move towards the pursuit of happiness.
Colour is another important tool that Atwood utilizes to reveal personality and characters’ opinions. The colours blue and green are used especially frequently. The Chase family commonly wears blue before Iris’s marriage to Richard Griffen. In one of Iris’s memories about her mother Liliana Chase, she wears a dress of “sky blue, with a broad white collar and white cuffs edged in piquet” (101). This image fits the affluent, fair-minded family. They may be white-collared employers, but they still look out for the blue-collar workers at the factories and both Liliana and Laura have a humanitarian streak that drives them to volunteer amongst the homeless and unfortunate. Laura and Iris wore very proper blue dresses in their childhood. Mr. Chase wished to attire his children in stiff clothing as though it would desexualize them enough to turn them into the boys he wanted. Also, the economy had crashed, and to save money, Mr. Chase spent very little on clothes. At Iris’s wedding, it is Reenie’s turn to wear a blue dress. It reflects their new roles. After Iris’s marriage to a prominent industrialist, Reenie is less important, just as Laura and Iris were less important as children. She is also much less wealthy than they have become. When Laura and Iris meet Alex Thomas, he sports “a blue shirt, a little frayed around the edges” (221). Iris is initially wary of him; though she sees him as a nice enough young man, he is a young man who is definitely beneath her station. However, when they begin their affair in The Blind Assassin (I), Iris “looks at his rolled-up shirt sleeve, white or a pale blue” (12). She is not sure whether the shirt is white or blue because the fact that he is a worker no longer matters to her. To her, they are now equals. When Laura meets up with her sister for the first time after running away, she is “neatly, even austerely dressed, in a dull-blue shirtwaist dress” (607), marking a return to the sombre garb she wore as a youth. It is no surprise that she initially hid at their childhood home. After she leaves the house, Laura spends her time doing “this and that…I made myself useful” (608). In the time that she ran away, she lived amongst the middle class, blue collar people she had always craved to be a member of. It can be seen in her clothing just how much she was absorbed into society by the fact that her shirtdress was plain blue, without the white collar or lace of her childhood dresses. For the first time, she has become the normal person she has always wanted to be.
Winifred, Richard’s sister, wears green so often it seems to be her signature colour, and when anyone else wears green it feels tied to her. Considering her forceful and calculating personality, it feels as though she is in fact assimilating others to her. After marrying Richard, Iris rarely wears blue, but she wears much more green. Winifred organizes Iris’s wardrobe and picks out her clothes – just like she arranges the rest of Iris’s life. The meek Iris accepts this, but an interesting twist is that to an extent Iris enjoys it and uses it to her advantage. She likes having a fashionable wardrobe. It appears as though she agrees to submit on more unimportant issues as clothes as cover for her greater insubordination of carrying an affair with Alex. This is illustrated when she dresses for the Xanadu banquet. “The pleasure-dome was where I really lived now” (425), she thinks as she puts on her green veil, and at the time the reader thinks that she is referring to her opulent life with Richard, but she is actually referring to her visits with Alex. Veils symbolize concealment and deception and by donning a green one, Iris shows how she pretends to be obedient so she can continue to sneak away to continue her affair. It is significant that Winifred’s colour is green as opposed to another colour. Green is traditionally linked with envy and Winifred is certainly envious of those higher up in society than her. She is also envious of those with respect, which she, as someone with new money, does not gain. Green could also symbolize the serpent. Winifred is deceitful when it suits her purpose and can also be quite spiteful, taking away Iris’s granddaughter, Sabrina, because she knows how much Iris values the child. Lastly, green is the colour of money – appropriate, considering how much Winifred enjoys wealth and how eager she is for more of it.
There appears to be a distinction between different shades of green, though. Winifred prefers shades that are “not a pastel green but a vibrant green, almost flagrant” (290). Both her shoes and her purses tend to be “reptilian” (636), again emphasizing that Winifred is like a serpent. This reinforces her image as a strong woman who cannot be ignored, who clothes herself in such bright colours to capture attention. The colour is also once described as “poisonous” (290), once more accentuating Winifred’s malice. In contrast, even though Laura and Iris start wearing green after Iris’s marriage, they often wear paler shades. Although they must act according to Winifred’s wishes, they are not as pernicious as she is. At Iris’s reception, Laura wears “leaf-green velveteen with watermelon satin accents” (160). The green Laura wears could have numerous implications. The mention of nature could refer to Winifred’s opinion of the Chase sisters – useful as decorative foliage. Iris is only important for her role as a wife and political supporter of Richard. The green could also be a nod to the Garden of Eden. Outwardly, Laura is like the serpent, angry and determined to ruin affairs. This is ironic, because the serpent is infamous for tricking Eve, and no matter rebellious or ungrateful Laura appears, she is always truthful. At the same time, Laura is the forbidden fruit. Green is commonly linked with youth and Richard has a yen for young women, even the legally under-aged Laura. The green Winifred wears could also be tied up with youth, as Winifred seeks the beauty of youth, and as she ages, clings determinedly to the youthful styles and cosmetics of her heyday.
During her dalliances with Alex, Iris usually wears white, the colour of innocence and purity. Compared to Alex, who is running away from the law and is prone to crasser language such as “cunt on stilts” (348), she certainly seems both innocent and pure. However, Iris never wears pristine white – the white may be patterned, or off-white. No matter how wholesome she seems, she is not wholly pure, as evidenced by the fact that she is carrying an affair with Alex. It is especially tragic that Laura wears white gloves when she kills herself. Throughout the novel, Laura is portrayed as innocent. Even at the moment of her suicide, a far from innocent moment, she retains her purity in the form of her white gloves.
Black is the colour of the young, contemporary people. Any youths the elderly Iris encounters on her walks is inevitably cloaked in black. It is a unique use of colour, as black often has negative connotations, yet the youths are never shown as antagonistic nor melancholy. On the contrary, black seems to symbolize the mystery of youth, an enigma that adolescents have but Iris cannot penetrate. However, black along another colour always seems implies something else. This sends an interesting message – as though stating that youths are still trusting enough to be easily written over. Certainly Reenie’s plain cousin is too old for her black dress to symbolize youth as Winifred’s elegant black dress does. That black is overridden by other wardrobe features – in her case, her sagging brown stockings, a mismatching, unpolished item of clothing that contributes to an impression of age and shabbiness.
Most significant is the combination of silver and black, which signifies strong feelings of gratitude, awe and exceptionality. When Iris hands out the Laura Chase Commemorative Prize, the prize winner stands out. Although she is in a sea of youth, her black dress is shot with silver and “the light streaming out from her was so dazzling [Iris has] to shut her eyes” (51). The language seems to suggest that the prize winner is a star. As she hands out the prize, Iris thinks that “perhaps Sabrina looks like that now…I might not even recognize her” (50-51). The elderly Iris’s sole wish is to reunite with her granddaughter, and by mentioning her at that moment, she not only shows her desire to see Sabrina, she reveals her secret dream of identifying Sabrina. Though Iris has not seen her granddaughter since Sabrina was an infant, she hopes that like the prize winner, Sabrina will show her uniqueness through figurative silver threading even if she is robed in youthful black. She believes that Sabrina is as special and as much of a star as the prize winner.
The Blind Assassin is an elaborate work that benefits from being anchored by various literary elements. It can be seen that clothing is mentioned with definite purpose and that its imagery helps foreshadow and deepen the novel. Certainly, it adds another layer to an already richly-textured novel and helps create the poignancy and complexity that earned this novel the Booker Prize.
Word count: 3965
International Baccalaureate Diploma Program
Extended Essay
English A1
Clothing Imagery in The Blind Assassin
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May 2008
Abstract
Margaret Atwood employs clothing imagery in The Blind Assassin to help connect and foreshadow the different stories within the novel and show relationships and traits. What kind of clothing a character wears can show personality, while the value and care he or she places on physical appearances can also reveal disposition. Specific types and items of clothing seem to have a role as well—animal fur conveys dishonesty and reluctance to believe in the truth—while accessories can have symbolic meaning. They can hint at future events and link two apparently dissimilar events to make each more poignant. When one character wears clothing that another character wore previously, this not only joins their experiences in the reader’s mind, it forces him or her to consider any associations. Thus, Atwood compares and contrasts the experiences merely through description of attire. Colour is used as symbolism and to show changes in the role or opinion of characters. Atwood does not simply designate commonly-used meanings to the colours, but places her own spin on it. She also differentiates between different shades and combinations of colours. Clothing imagery is used in The Blind Assassin meaningfully and helps to create a much more textured novel.
Word count: 200 words
Table of Contents:
Abstract………………………………………………………………………………...i
Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………...ii
Essay…………………….…………………………………………………………1-13
Bibliography………………………………………………………………………….14
Clothing Imagery in The Blind Assassin
Margaret Atwood’s The Blind Assassin is a mise en abyme — in fact, there are three stories nestled one within the other. In one story, narrator Iris Griffen née Chase recounts her life from childhood to middle age. Interspersed with this are chapters of The Blind Assassin, a roman à clef that Iris wrote but published under her younger sister’s name. And within that fictional story, one of the protagonists, Alex, tells a pulp science-fiction story to the other protagonist. One of the ways Atwood connects the stories within this intricate framework is with clothing imagery. Atwood uses clothing imagery in The Blind Assassin to create character profiles, link characters or events and show character opinion or motivation. For the purpose of this essay, the novel as a whole will be referred to as The Blind Assassin, while narrator Iris Griffen’s story-within-a-story will be called The Blind Assassin (I).
Clothing helps build a portrait of characters, not only what style of clothing the character wears, but the characters’ opinion on clothing. Iris remembers that “although [Miss Violence] herself [is] lumpy and inelegant, she [has] high standards of delicacy” (194). Miss Violence wears a uniform of tattered cashmere cardigans, hinting that she was once wealthy enough to afford them. Though they have frayed and she is no longer as well off, she continues wearing those sweaters, just as she retains her ladylike manners. Her clothes serve as a reminder of better times; Miss Violence wears them while dreaming of those better times.
For Laura, Iris’s younger sister, her opinion of clothing reflects her unusual outlook on life. From a young age, Laura is different from others; after Reenie, the family help, admonishes Laura to bite her tongue and stop asking questions, “Laura couldn’t chew for days” (108). Her skewed sense of ownership accentuates her eccentricity. Laura does not hesitate before rifling through her sister’s closet. Her beliefs help underline how her codes of conduct and moral are out of sync with that of everyone else. There is nothing selfish about her motives – she simply does not differentiate between her clothing and Iris’s. Laura “[lacks] the necessary cruelty….her cruelties [are] accidental” (379). Actions such as taking her sister’s clothing could seem greedy when done by another person, but Laura does so with simple intentions. It lends Laura a certain unpredictability, as the reader is never sure what she will do next. It also makes the reader second guess her purposes, for surely a character cannot act with such guileless intentions.
Iris is much more interested in fashion than her sister. Although her sister certainly seems to enjoy it – “‘Well, you’ll have nice clothes, anyway,’ [Laura says]” (299) as the sole merit of Iris marrying Richard – she does not pore over fashion magazines like Iris does. This should be a hint that The Blind Assassin (I) was written by Iris, not Laura, as clothing is often detailed in that novel. This is something Iris, but not Laura, would pay attention to. Laura is a Good Samaritan who is not thrown out of loop by “bedpans and vomit…nor the swearing and ravings and general carryings-on” (529). It seems unlikely that when faced with people in a similar state of poverty, she would notice that the men do not wear ties, whereas Iris is more decorous and less humanitarian. For her, it would only be another point showing the disparity between her lifestyle and Alex’s. Iris would be aware of it because she is unused to it, and would be uncomfortable, whereas if Laura had written The Blind Assassin (I), the novel would focus more on the plight of the men and less on their appearance.
When Alex begins telling the story of the planet Zycron in The Blind Assassin (I), there are lavish descriptions of clothing. It certainly helps set the scene, but at the same time, it feels as though he is trying to ingratiate himself to Iris. To him, clothing is of no great importance unless it is used to make aliens appear utterly unearthly, and he leans towards fantastical costumes such as “a skin-tight suit the greenish-blue of a gas flame” (351). Alex seems to realize how much Iris cares about clothes though, and tries to make himself part of her world. He begins mentioning what each caste on Zycron wears and tones down the science fiction elements, clothing his characters in silk masks and tunics, instead. As Alex delves farther into the story, the clothing imagery he applied in the beginning almost disappears. He does not need to attract Iris by catering to her whims and although he is not certain that Iris will continue sneaking away to him, he is more confident that she will. He feels more comfortable being himself, whereas when the relationship was just starting, he is careful to build up a strong friendship.
Fitting in with the chameleon theme is Iris’s chiffon cape trimmed with ermine fur, which sums up who she is in both her relationships. The chiffon would be how she is with Richard – weak, light and frail. With Alex, though, she more resembles the ermine – she is braver, more disobedient and coarser. The fur trimming plays on the fact that her relationship with Alex is on the side, not the main one. It is also a luxury that not every cape or relationship has; in Iris’s case, this luxury is that of happiness and love. Although she prefers Alex to Richard, her life is with Richard, whereas she only sees Alex sporadically. Also, the ermine changes fur colour in the winter and summer to better camouflage itself in its environment, which could be compared to Iris’s behaviour and contrasted with Iris’s wardrobe. Although the ermine fur on her cape is white, the scene takes place in April, when the stoat’s white winter coat is blotched with brown as it changes into its summer coat. Iris is wearing the coat of another season, emphasizing how no matter how hard she tries she can never blend in completely. She is in a family with significant political and social stature. Even in her most bedraggled clothes, she cannot appear as destitute as the people she encounters.
The use of animal fur in general suggests falsehood and lies. During Iris’s honeymoon, she meets a number of other affluent couples. In her first experience with one of them, the aging wife wears “white mink, despite the spring weather” (305). Despite getting on the years, she is determined to maintain an impression of sensuality and culture. She wraps herself in this mink coat as though it can cover her with a veneer of beauty and elegance. Iris is exposed to the social appearances she must keep up. There are also instances of animal fur being used not so much as lying but hiding from the truth. After her mother’s death, Laura “[spends] a lot of time inside Mother’s fur coat…Laura would get inside it and try to do up the buttons” (171). Although she is too young to truly understand death and its implications, she tries to escape it by hiding in her mother’s old garments. Only after the jacket is given away does Laura begin questioning what happened to her mother; prior to that, she is satisfied with the knowledge that her mother has joined God. Iris almost mimics the gesture when she “pulls the fur coat over her” (450) after hearing Alex’s story of Paradise. As an idealistic woman, she does not want to think about Paradise being more of a trap than a Haven, as Alex sees it. Her way out, like Laura, is to hide from the truth.
Laura and Iris often wear the same outfit when they go through similar circumstances; linking them through parallels in wardrobe emphasizes the outward similarity, but the dissimilar personal experience of each sister. Laura regularly wears Iris’s hand-me-downs. It is interesting, though, that she happens to wear Iris’s yellow cotton dress when she begins to be molested by Richard – the same thing that Iris wore at the start of her affair with Alex. They are both the beginnings of sexual relations, but under greatly different terms. What is striking is how similar the language is. For Iris it is “a pale yellow dress, cotton” (374); Laura wears “a yellow cotton dress” (491). Superficially it shows how deceiving appearances can be, as both Chases kept secrets from each other and sometimes put up a false front, but it also underlines a theme in The Blind Assassin: the connection between the sisters. Neither knew about the others’ secret life until just before Laura’s suicide, but epochs in their life echo each others’, and it is reflected in clothing.
This situation does not only occur between Iris and Laura. During her honeymoon on the ship Berengeria, Iris notices that “a group of English people in cream-coloured linen [stare at her] … [she feels] rumpled and grubby, and of minor interest” (308). Later, her trysts with Alex bring her in close contact with the poor and downtrodden. On one instance, she wears a cream poplin raincoat. Although on that occasion, there is little description on how people react to her, the cream links her with the English. This time, however, she is on the other side of things: she is the one making others feel unwashed and unimportant.
In Mayfair, a magazine Iris frequently reads, all accounts of important events are followed by lavish description of what the socialites are wearing. In an article about the English Queen’s trip to Canada, a few sentences about the visit will be quickly followed by an equally long description of who wore what – as though the fact that a woman is “fetching in a demure Schiaparelli creation of blistered bisque” (159) is just as important as the arrival of royalty. Mayfair is an excellent example of the upper-class attitude. Events may be important, but so are the people seen attending the events, and appearances are everything. Iris’s stance on this paper is indicative of her growth as a character. As a teenager, she leafed through it and harboured dreams of dressing up in the fine attire of the wealthy. When she achieves this, though, no more mention of her reading Mayfair is made. Once she sees the well-to-do lifestyle, she loses interest because she sees its flaws and triviality. Although the rich appreciate their way of life, they are never satisfied. Their gratification depends on whether they are admired for their attire at the next social gathering. In contrast, characters seem most joyful when they are naked. When the blind assassin and the mute maiden in Alex’s story finally escape the city and are free, they are naked from stripping to dive into the river; and Iris and Alex are naked for much of their private time. It is interesting that when Alex is urged to create a happy story in The Blind Assassin (I), the women in Paradise wear clothing. Cynical Alex does not believe that complete happiness is possible and an early hint of this is when he clothes the women in the story.
Accessories are also important. On some outings with Alex, Iris wears “a straw hat, round like a schoolgirls’” (22). Iris wore a very similar hat on childhood excursions with Laura. The rationale was that a lady never went out without her hat. Even though she has grown up, Iris appears to unconsciously keep that advice – a gesture that Laura would probably abandon, just as she abandons much of what she is told is proper. On the other hand, Iris is more likely to abide by the rules. What is more, on these excursions, Laura and Iris “would peer in through the chain-link fence at the primary school, which was for ordinary children” (192). They do this despite the fact that they have been warned that these trips were dangerous. Iris’s trysts with Alex could be seen as a riskier, adult form of these outings. As children, this is an aimless activity and Iris and Laura are not quite sure whether they wish to join the schoolchildren. As an adult, Iris is more set. Instead of merely peering, she actively carries out an affair. Her visits to Alex are definitely meaningful, showing her maturation despite still being treated by Winifred as a child. Alex is poorer and of a lower social class than Iris, and would be the equivalent of the schoolchildren. Richard calls him “the young thug” (408), and this seems to be the general opinion of him. Certainly he would be seen as far too villainous for Iris to associate with. Though Iris’s affair and her jaunts seem quite incongruous, one cannot help recalling the insouciance of those childhood days, and comparing it to the freedom in Alex and Iris’s relationship. Again, this is the grown-up counterpart, even if Iris wears similar clothing; Alex and Iris are not free to roam wherever they want or do whatever they please, but they can escape from an everyday life neither enjoys. Remembering that Laura followed Iris compounds the feeling that both sisters are involved in Iris’s affair, for until the end of the novel, it is hinted that Laura was the one having the affair.
Gloves are possibly the central accessory in the novel, representing a move towards change. This is rather ironic, as gloves should impede motion. The clearest and most dramatic instance of this is Laura’s suicide. The police know that the death was deliberate because “she had white gloves on. They [see] her turn the wheel” (619). Mentioning gloves often tips the reader off that the character is about to make an important decision. During the picnic which marks the start of Alex and Iris’s affair, Iris “[takes] off her cotton gloves, [wads] them into a ball, her hands nervous” (22). For her, the choice to meet Alex and continue seeing him on a regular basis is one that will change her life; on this occasion, it is not enough to simply wear the gloves on or take them off, but to fiddle with them as well. This also ties in with the theme of gladness when naked, as Iris is taking her gloves off and revealing bare flesh. It can be seen as Iris’s move towards the pursuit of happiness.
Colour is another important tool that Atwood utilizes to reveal personality and characters’ opinions. The colours blue and green are used especially frequently. The Chase family commonly wears blue before Iris’s marriage to Richard Griffen. In one of Iris’s memories about her mother Liliana Chase, she wears a dress of “sky blue, with a broad white collar and white cuffs edged in piquet” (101). This image fits the affluent, fair-minded family. They may be white-collared employers, but they still look out for the blue-collar workers at the factories and both Liliana and Laura have a humanitarian streak that drives them to volunteer amongst the homeless and unfortunate. Laura and Iris wore very proper blue dresses in their childhood. Mr. Chase wished to attire his children in stiff clothing as though it would desexualize them enough to turn them into the boys he wanted. Also, the economy had crashed, and to save money, Mr. Chase spent very little on clothes. At Iris’s wedding, it is Reenie’s turn to wear a blue dress. It reflects their new roles. After Iris’s marriage to a prominent industrialist, Reenie is less important, just as Laura and Iris were less important as children. She is also much less wealthy than they have become. When Laura and Iris meet Alex Thomas, he sports “a blue shirt, a little frayed around the edges” (221). Iris is initially wary of him; though she sees him as a nice enough young man, he is a young man who is definitely beneath her station. However, when they begin their affair in The Blind Assassin (I), Iris “looks at his rolled-up shirt sleeve, white or a pale blue” (12). She is not sure whether the shirt is white or blue because the fact that he is a worker no longer matters to her. To her, they are now equals. When Laura meets up with her sister for the first time after running away, she is “neatly, even austerely dressed, in a dull-blue shirtwaist dress” (607), marking a return to the sombre garb she wore as a youth. It is no surprise that she initially hid at their childhood home. After she leaves the house, Laura spends her time doing “this and that…I made myself useful” (608). In the time that she ran away, she lived amongst the middle class, blue collar people she had always craved to be a member of. It can be seen in her clothing just how much she was absorbed into society by the fact that her shirtdress was plain blue, without the white collar or lace of her childhood dresses. For the first time, she has become the normal person she has always wanted to be.
Winifred, Richard’s sister, wears green so often it seems to be her signature colour, and when anyone else wears green it feels tied to her. Considering her forceful and calculating personality, it feels as though she is in fact assimilating others to her. After marrying Richard, Iris rarely wears blue, but she wears much more green. Winifred organizes Iris’s wardrobe and picks out her clothes – just like she arranges the rest of Iris’s life. The meek Iris accepts this, but an interesting twist is that to an extent Iris enjoys it and uses it to her advantage. She likes having a fashionable wardrobe. It appears as though she agrees to submit on more unimportant issues as clothes as cover for her greater insubordination of carrying an affair with Alex. This is illustrated when she dresses for the Xanadu banquet. “The pleasure-dome was where I really lived now” (425), she thinks as she puts on her green veil, and at the time the reader thinks that she is referring to her opulent life with Richard, but she is actually referring to her visits with Alex. Veils symbolize concealment and deception and by donning a green one, Iris shows how she pretends to be obedient so she can continue to sneak away to continue her affair. It is significant that Winifred’s colour is green as opposed to another colour. Green is traditionally linked with envy and Winifred is certainly envious of those higher up in society than her. She is also envious of those with respect, which she, as someone with new money, does not gain. Green could also symbolize the serpent. Winifred is deceitful when it suits her purpose and can also be quite spiteful, taking away Iris’s granddaughter, Sabrina, because she knows how much Iris values the child. Lastly, green is the colour of money – appropriate, considering how much Winifred enjoys wealth and how eager she is for more of it.
There appears to be a distinction between different shades of green, though. Winifred prefers shades that are “not a pastel green but a vibrant green, almost flagrant” (290). Both her shoes and her purses tend to be “reptilian” (636), again emphasizing that Winifred is like a serpent. This reinforces her image as a strong woman who cannot be ignored, who clothes herself in such bright colours to capture attention. The colour is also once described as “poisonous” (290), once more accentuating Winifred’s malice. In contrast, even though Laura and Iris start wearing green after Iris’s marriage, they often wear paler shades. Although they must act according to Winifred’s wishes, they are not as pernicious as she is. At Iris’s reception, Laura wears “leaf-green velveteen with watermelon satin accents” (160). The green Laura wears could have numerous implications. The mention of nature could refer to Winifred’s opinion of the Chase sisters – useful as decorative foliage. Iris is only important for her role as a wife and political supporter of Richard. The green could also be a nod to the Garden of Eden. Outwardly, Laura is like the serpent, angry and determined to ruin affairs. This is ironic, because the serpent is infamous for tricking Eve, and no matter rebellious or ungrateful Laura appears, she is always truthful. At the same time, Laura is the forbidden fruit. Green is commonly linked with youth and Richard has a yen for young women, even the legally under-aged Laura. The green Winifred wears could also be tied up with youth, as Winifred seeks the beauty of youth, and as she ages, clings determinedly to the youthful styles and cosmetics of her heyday.
During her dalliances with Alex, Iris usually wears white, the colour of innocence and purity. Compared to Alex, who is running away from the law and is prone to crasser language such as “cunt on stilts” (348), she certainly seems both innocent and pure. However, Iris never wears pristine white – the white may be patterned, or off-white. No matter how wholesome she seems, she is not wholly pure, as evidenced by the fact that she is carrying an affair with Alex. It is especially tragic that Laura wears white gloves when she kills herself. Throughout the novel, Laura is portrayed as innocent. Even at the moment of her suicide, a far from innocent moment, she retains her purity in the form of her white gloves.
Black is the colour of the young, contemporary people. Any youths the elderly Iris encounters on her walks is inevitably cloaked in black. It is a unique use of colour, as black often has negative connotations, yet the youths are never shown as antagonistic nor melancholy. On the contrary, black seems to symbolize the mystery of youth, an enigma that adolescents have but Iris cannot penetrate. However, black along another colour always seems implies something else. This sends an interesting message – as though stating that youths are still trusting enough to be easily written over. Certainly Reenie’s plain cousin is too old for her black dress to symbolize youth as Winifred’s elegant black dress does. That black is overridden by other wardrobe features – in her case, her sagging brown stockings, a mismatching, unpolished item of clothing that contributes to an impression of age and shabbiness.
Most significant is the combination of silver and black, which signifies strong feelings of gratitude, awe and exceptionality. When Iris hands out the Laura Chase Commemorative Prize, the prize winner stands out. Although she is in a sea of youth, her black dress is shot with silver and “the light streaming out from her was so dazzling [Iris has] to shut her eyes” (51). The language seems to suggest that the prize winner is a star. As she hands out the prize, Iris thinks that “perhaps Sabrina looks like that now…I might not even recognize her” (50-51). The elderly Iris’s sole wish is to reunite with her granddaughter, and by mentioning her at that moment, she not only shows her desire to see Sabrina, she reveals her secret dream of identifying Sabrina. Though Iris has not seen her granddaughter since Sabrina was an infant, she hopes that like the prize winner, Sabrina will show her uniqueness through figurative silver threading even if she is robed in youthful black. She believes that Sabrina is as special and as much of a star as the prize winner.
The Blind Assassin is an elaborate work that benefits from being anchored by various literary elements. It can be seen that clothing is mentioned with definite purpose and that its imagery helps foreshadow and deepen the novel. Certainly, it adds another layer to an already richly-textured novel and helps create the poignancy and complexity that earned this novel the Booker Prize.
Word count: 3965
Saturday, April 26, 2008
IB World Lit 1 example
I like my topic. I don’t remember what I wrote. I don’t WANT to remember what I wrote. You should definitely read Pedro, though, it’s fucking fantastic.
In novels as sensual as Pedro Páramo and Dom Casmurro, it is not surprising that the authors employ a variety of literary techniques and imagery. Amongst them, not as prominent as the sense of hearing but still salient, is the sense of touch. I will examine how narrators in Dom Casmurro and Pedro Páramo use the sense of touch to reveal their inner motivations and feelings about a situation or character.
Touch can symbolize relationships. When two characters touch shoulders in Pedro Páramo, for example, this seems to show siblinghood. Juan and Abundio walk “side by side, so close [their] shoulders [are] nearly touching” (5). Juan and Abundio turn out to be half brothers. They share a father and are nearly brothers, just as their shoulders nearly touch, but their different mothers create both a genetic and physical gap between them.
Later in the story, Donis’s sister “[goes] to stand beside him, leaning against his shoulder” (53). Their shoulders do not merely touch, which would confirm that they are siblings; she leans against Donis, suggesting their relationship extends beyond a familial one. Although this has already been strongly implied, Donis’s sister leans against Donis before asking Juan whether he truly understands the relationship between her and Donis. Rulfo has already revealed that they are incestuous, but the action coupled with her question shows that neither the reader nor Juan realizes fully the nature of this relationship.
Like Rulfo, Machado de Assis uses one way of touching, in his case, men brushing against Capitu’s arms, in different situations. This results in different repercussions. Capitu’s shapely arms draw attention whenever she and Bento attend balls. However, during the first night they are merely admired and when other men touch her it seems incidental, innocuous: “however much they might touch other frock coats” (183). Bento mentions this touch fleetingly. His focus is on Capitu’s arms, not male attention. On the second night, the men are crasser, going from admiring to staring, “almost begging for them, and brushed their black sleeves against them” (183). Bento lingers more on the males’ touching and less on Capitu’s arms, like he is more concerned about the attention his wife is garnering than the object of the attention. The details he notes also speak of his uneasiness. Whereas during the first night, the men wear gentlemanly frock coats, the second night they are dressed in black, which can symbolize evilness.
As a matter of fact, detail is used in both Dom Casmurro and Pedro Páramo by the narrators to reveal their feelings about other characters. When either narrator describes the touching at length, or notices even the smallest aspects of it, he shows how important this touch is to him. As young Pedro Páramo and Susana San Juan fly kites together, Pedro urges, “‘Help me, Susana.’ And soft hands would tighten on [his]” (12). The fact that Pedro notes Susana’s hands are soft suggests that he harbours a liking for her, for to notice her soft hands, he would need to pay more attention to her hands than the string he is letting out or the kite he is flying. This action is also indicative of their relationship. Susana is Pedro’s lifelong love, and though she enjoys his company and likes him, it is only as a friend. Thus, while she is simply happy to fly kites with him and tightens her hands around his only to help him let out more string, Pedro takes note of how she acts around him and treasures her harmless actions. They appear much more meaningful to him than to her.
Machado de Assis uses details in very similar circumstances. As Bento combs Capitu’s hair, “[his] fingers [brush] her neck, or her back with its cotton dress: it [is] a delicious sensation” (64). He does not simply concentrate on the task at hand, he takes pleasure in accidental touches, no matter how minor, just like Pedro. While this can show the reader his sexual inexperience, as he has not seemed to have had a romantic encounter previously and thus enjoys a seemingly chaste activity, it also shows his affection for Capitu. If Bento was combing the hair of another girl, he may not notice such minor details. The contact may also not feel as delicious. He also touches Capitu although it is not necessary to do so. Even if this is accidental, he does not make a move to shy away from it, suggesting that he wants to touch Capitu and likes her in a more-than-platonic fashion.
The fact that he brushes her hair is also significant. Hair is considered a symbol of femininity, especially long hair. Combing her hair could put Bento in a position of power. In fact, in the chapter after he combs her hair, Bento “[utters] these proud words: ‘I am a man!’” (67). Hair is important when looking at their history, as well. When Bento thinks about his and Capitu’s past, he remembers how she “ran her hand through [his] hair, saying she thought it was very beautiful” (24). However, he never reciprocated. By touching him so, and through other gestures such as counting his fingers, Capitu demonstrates her affection for him and shows that she is aware of her fondness. Bento remains oblivious, though, as shown by his lack of response. After he realizes that he too feels warmly about Capitu, he asks to brush her hair, proving both to himself and Capitu that he is finally aware of his feelings.
In Dom Casmurro, touch can reveal character traits. Ezequiel is shown to be a warm and affectionate boy: “Ezequiel hugged [Bento’s] knees, stood up on the tips of his toes, as if to climb up and give [Bento] his usual kiss” (229). He is comfortable with touching his father, and does so regularly to illustrate his love. This can be contrasted with José Dias who, even when everyone else is hugging and kissing Bento farewell, remains “composed and grave” (98) and does not touch Bento at all. José Dias is not cold, but occasionally his respect and charm seem debatably genuine. Moments such as when he does not hug Bento farewell add on to this idea.
In Pedro Páramo, Juan Preciado does not touch the residents of Comala when he arrives. He cannot; they are ghosts while he is still alive. Donis’s sister touching his shoulder is the first time touch occurs in Juan’s Comala. She is also the first living person he encounters. Although there is some disagreement over whether Juan actually died when “[his] soul turned to ice” (59), the fact that Dorotea is dead and lying in his arms, touching him, suggests that if he can touch the dead, then he is dead also.
Moments of change are expressed through touch as well. After Bento sees that Capitu carved ‘Bento and ‘Capitolina’ into the wall, their hands “[took] hold of each other, clasping each other, melting into one another” (28). Whereas previously mutual touching was done in childish jest, and Bento was oblivious to Capitu’s attraction to him, now they touch each other with the intention of holding hands like lovers. “Melting into one another” (28) can also show how they are thinking as one – they both feel the same way toward each other. When Donis leaves, Juan wakes up beside Donis’s sister. The majority of the tactile imagery thus far has been brief and subtle, but here Juan can “feel the woman’s naked legs against [his] knee, and her breath upon [his] face” (55). After being unable to touch the ghosts, Juan is all of a sudden pressed against a woman, a gesture that stands out from previous paragraphs due to its straight-forwardness. For Juan, it appears that the physical contact is like having to take care of the woman; neither pleasant nor unpleasant, simply thrust-upon and unexpected.
Unlike in Dom Casmurro, even feelings about environment can be revealed through touch in Pedro Páramo. As Juan approaches Comala, he observes that he and Abundio “[have] left the hot wind behind and [are] sinking into pure, airless heat. The stillness [seems] to be waiting for something” (5). While this airless heat adds on to the atmosphere, it also shows Juan’s state of mind. The surroundings in this scene mirror Juan’s mood, showing that he is waiting for something too. He may not expect to find his father, but he is coming with Comala with expectations, and the closer he gets to the town, the closer he is to finding out the truth.
The sense of touch is an important tool in both Pedro Páramo and Dom Casmurro. It can reveal aspects of character personality, relationships and inner thoughts and motivations. This symbolism, coupled with the other literary techniques Machado de Assis and Rulfo employ, helps create the vivid alternate reality of the novels.
Word count: 1470 words
TOK essay
TOK essay example. My teacher gave me 32/40. I think part of the reason was that EVERYONE chose the same couple of topics. Everyone was afraid of mine because it contained the word "math." Don't be afraid of TOK math, guys, you're talking to a Math frickin' Studies kid:
9. Mathematicians have the concept of rigorous proof, which leads to knowing something with complete certainty. Consider the extent to which complete certainty might be achievable in mathematics and at least one other area of knowledge.
On the surface, mathematics and natural sciences appear to be the two areas of knowledge most likely to yield absolute certainty. People often assume claims backed by scientific knowledge must be correct. When I encouraged a young friend to have an orange as Vitamin C is healthy, she balked. However, when I pointed out that numerous scientific experiments back up my claim and Vitamin C is necessary to the formation of collagen, she appeared swayed by the scientific evidence. Math is connected with reasoning, which seems to suggest that the proofs of math are as certain as if A=B and B=C then A=C. Both natural science and math are backed by numbers, making them seem more precise than ethics. However, as evidenced by the advent of chaos theory, fuzzy logic and Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, the more that is learned about both areas of knowledge, the clearer it becomes that ambiguity and uncertainty are prevalent. For a multitude of reasons relating to perception and precision, it will be difficult for science to achieve complete certainty. In mathematics, this may be possible in elementary arithmetic, but beyond that, mathematics appears similarly uncertain.
Perception is a major problem in science. Scientific experiments are based on empirical evidence, which usually requires perception. A biologist trying to differentiate between a Javan and an Indian Rhinoceros[1] would rely on visual differences such as size and skin texture. Although perception becomes more reliable through experience and training, Javan rhinoceroses are amongst the rarest large mammals in the world[2] and the scientist could mistake the pattern or colour of the skin, confusing one species for another. Perception is necessary even in situations where the scientist bases data on technology such as the Geiger counter rather than relying on direct observation. It is possible to misread the counter.
Each of these slight imprecisions is not significant and should not alter the results by much, especially when an experiment is carried out many times. After all, it is likely that there will be very minor variance between each experiment, considering the factors that are out of the control of the scientist, such as the mood of the subject being experimented on. However, even the smallest indistinctness prevents the scientist from being completely certain. Thus, science can only be highly precise; it cannot be completely certain.
Emotion and ethics influence science and can thus affect theories and viewpoints more, whereas mathematics is almost independent of them. It is possible to misread a number in a moment of joy or anger, but it is much less likely that a mathematician will refuse to do a question because he feels it would be immoral to do so. Conversely, a scientist may shape his hypothesis and his experimentation around what he believes. Catholic scientist William A. Dembski is a proponent of the Intelligent Design theory. Although he has undoubtedly researched both sides of the argument and decided that it is more likely God exists, his faith probably contributed to his viewpoint. His bias would slant how he looks at material, and his interpretations would be tailored to his teleological beliefs. A mathematician may wish to obtain a certain answer, but he or she is more removed ethically from his or her work.
Science uses the experimental method, meaning that during experimentation the scientist attempts to manipulate one variable while trying to keep all others the same. Although the manipulated variable is chosen based on careful thought and research, it could be that the results of an experiment support a hypothesis even though the hypothesis is false. Experiments in the United States have shown that people of colour are more likely to get Alzheimer’s disease, but perhaps it is not because they are genetically predisposed to it, but because they are simply unaware that there is a cure[3]. A similar problem exists in math, the question of whether a pattern exists in nature, or a mathematician wants the pattern to exist so he or she manipulates the numbers until they do.
Certainty is possible in rudimentary arithmetic. Few doubt that 1+1=2. It is true that in logarithmic systems, 1+1=1, but that is because what is meant is not the sum of two objects, but the sum of log1+log1. One can be certain that 1+1=2 because the definition of two is two ones. For this equation to be false would be to refute the meaning of the terms.
This does not carry over into all areas of mathematics. Although mathematics may use syllogisms like logic, the validity of a deduction is based on the logic of the argument and not the truth of its components. This truth is simply assumed. However, for mathematics, this truth is necessary. It may be that a mathematician produces a logical argument, but uses a proof that is not completely certain. Thus, his own proof cannot be certain, even if it is valid. On other occasions, logic cannot be used to derive an answer. Mathematician Gödel realized that there are some true statements that cannot be proved nor disproved in a mathematical structure. He showed that no consistent computable axiomatic system can be complete and thus, the axiom’s consistency cannot be proved.[4] Thus, one cannot find all the truths, and sometimes when one finds a truth, it cannot be properly proved. These statements have no way of being shown to be certain.
One problem of math is that it is a solitary activity, and the process of checking over a proof is extremely time-consuming. Thomas Hales created a proof to Kepler’s sphere packing conjecture, which stated that the most economic way to pack balls is to use face-centred cubic packing[5], requiring twelve mathematicians to verify. Even with a team, it took four years for them to be 99%[6] sure the proof was correct. The Classification Theorem for Finite Simple Groups is estimated to be between 10,000 to 15,000 pages.[7] Some mathematicians are simply unwilling to spend so much time verifying one proof, or acting as a referee when they could be working on their own theorems. In the case of Hales’s proof, it was published, even though the team was not sure it was correct. Modern mathematicians is more accepting of slight fuzziness than past mathematicians. Although once math adhered to the concept of rigorous proof, modern math has changed. Computers are used to calculate such large numbers, only other computers can check the work – humans cannot do it. This creates a self-referential system that can overcome human limitations, but also cannot be certain because of its circular logic. Some mathematicians believe that instead of proofs, some propositions can be compared with computer-run experiments or real-world phenomena, and mathematician and writer Keith Devlin thinks that proof will be less important within 50 years.[8] Certainty may still be possible without rigorous proof, but as of yet it is too early to tell what flaws and uncertainties lie in using a computer.
This ambiguity in math affects certainty in science as well as many other areas of knowledge. Physicians use math which may be accurate but not completely certain, further preventing them from reaching absolute certainty. There are already barriers to certainty in science, as discussed above; added to that is the uncertainty in math.
Connections between areas of knowledge in general make it difficult to state whether certainty is possible in natural sciences. A biology experiment does not solely require knowledge of biology, but sometimes human sciences, as well. Then the degree of certainty in human sciences and how it affects the experiment must be examined. Even then, it is difficult to precisely pin down to what extent the uncertainty in human sciences will affect the uncertainty in the biology experiment.
Pythagoreans thought that there were only rational numbers. Then, they discovered that the square root of two is irrational, breaking one of their fundamental truths. A similar situation happens in science. No matter how certain one is of a concept, there is the possibility that it will be false. As can be seen, both mathematics and science can result in accurate knowledge. However, they are not as certain as it seems at first glance. In fact, both appear to become more and more uncertain. It is unsure whether further developments will continue this trend, or bring mathematics and the natural sciences closer to complete certainty.
Word Count: 1386
[1] Massicot par. 2
[2] Wilson and Burnie 229
[3] Nauert, Ph.D. screen 1
[4] Casti 371
[5] Plus screen 1
[6] Friedl screen 4
[7] Ibid screen 3
[8] Ibid screen 4
9. Mathematicians have the concept of rigorous proof, which leads to knowing something with complete certainty. Consider the extent to which complete certainty might be achievable in mathematics and at least one other area of knowledge.
On the surface, mathematics and natural sciences appear to be the two areas of knowledge most likely to yield absolute certainty. People often assume claims backed by scientific knowledge must be correct. When I encouraged a young friend to have an orange as Vitamin C is healthy, she balked. However, when I pointed out that numerous scientific experiments back up my claim and Vitamin C is necessary to the formation of collagen, she appeared swayed by the scientific evidence. Math is connected with reasoning, which seems to suggest that the proofs of math are as certain as if A=B and B=C then A=C. Both natural science and math are backed by numbers, making them seem more precise than ethics. However, as evidenced by the advent of chaos theory, fuzzy logic and Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, the more that is learned about both areas of knowledge, the clearer it becomes that ambiguity and uncertainty are prevalent. For a multitude of reasons relating to perception and precision, it will be difficult for science to achieve complete certainty. In mathematics, this may be possible in elementary arithmetic, but beyond that, mathematics appears similarly uncertain.
Perception is a major problem in science. Scientific experiments are based on empirical evidence, which usually requires perception. A biologist trying to differentiate between a Javan and an Indian Rhinoceros[1] would rely on visual differences such as size and skin texture. Although perception becomes more reliable through experience and training, Javan rhinoceroses are amongst the rarest large mammals in the world[2] and the scientist could mistake the pattern or colour of the skin, confusing one species for another. Perception is necessary even in situations where the scientist bases data on technology such as the Geiger counter rather than relying on direct observation. It is possible to misread the counter.
Each of these slight imprecisions is not significant and should not alter the results by much, especially when an experiment is carried out many times. After all, it is likely that there will be very minor variance between each experiment, considering the factors that are out of the control of the scientist, such as the mood of the subject being experimented on. However, even the smallest indistinctness prevents the scientist from being completely certain. Thus, science can only be highly precise; it cannot be completely certain.
Emotion and ethics influence science and can thus affect theories and viewpoints more, whereas mathematics is almost independent of them. It is possible to misread a number in a moment of joy or anger, but it is much less likely that a mathematician will refuse to do a question because he feels it would be immoral to do so. Conversely, a scientist may shape his hypothesis and his experimentation around what he believes. Catholic scientist William A. Dembski is a proponent of the Intelligent Design theory. Although he has undoubtedly researched both sides of the argument and decided that it is more likely God exists, his faith probably contributed to his viewpoint. His bias would slant how he looks at material, and his interpretations would be tailored to his teleological beliefs. A mathematician may wish to obtain a certain answer, but he or she is more removed ethically from his or her work.
Science uses the experimental method, meaning that during experimentation the scientist attempts to manipulate one variable while trying to keep all others the same. Although the manipulated variable is chosen based on careful thought and research, it could be that the results of an experiment support a hypothesis even though the hypothesis is false. Experiments in the United States have shown that people of colour are more likely to get Alzheimer’s disease, but perhaps it is not because they are genetically predisposed to it, but because they are simply unaware that there is a cure[3]. A similar problem exists in math, the question of whether a pattern exists in nature, or a mathematician wants the pattern to exist so he or she manipulates the numbers until they do.
Certainty is possible in rudimentary arithmetic. Few doubt that 1+1=2. It is true that in logarithmic systems, 1+1=1, but that is because what is meant is not the sum of two objects, but the sum of log1+log1. One can be certain that 1+1=2 because the definition of two is two ones. For this equation to be false would be to refute the meaning of the terms.
This does not carry over into all areas of mathematics. Although mathematics may use syllogisms like logic, the validity of a deduction is based on the logic of the argument and not the truth of its components. This truth is simply assumed. However, for mathematics, this truth is necessary. It may be that a mathematician produces a logical argument, but uses a proof that is not completely certain. Thus, his own proof cannot be certain, even if it is valid. On other occasions, logic cannot be used to derive an answer. Mathematician Gödel realized that there are some true statements that cannot be proved nor disproved in a mathematical structure. He showed that no consistent computable axiomatic system can be complete and thus, the axiom’s consistency cannot be proved.[4] Thus, one cannot find all the truths, and sometimes when one finds a truth, it cannot be properly proved. These statements have no way of being shown to be certain.
One problem of math is that it is a solitary activity, and the process of checking over a proof is extremely time-consuming. Thomas Hales created a proof to Kepler’s sphere packing conjecture, which stated that the most economic way to pack balls is to use face-centred cubic packing[5], requiring twelve mathematicians to verify. Even with a team, it took four years for them to be 99%[6] sure the proof was correct. The Classification Theorem for Finite Simple Groups is estimated to be between 10,000 to 15,000 pages.[7] Some mathematicians are simply unwilling to spend so much time verifying one proof, or acting as a referee when they could be working on their own theorems. In the case of Hales’s proof, it was published, even though the team was not sure it was correct. Modern mathematicians is more accepting of slight fuzziness than past mathematicians. Although once math adhered to the concept of rigorous proof, modern math has changed. Computers are used to calculate such large numbers, only other computers can check the work – humans cannot do it. This creates a self-referential system that can overcome human limitations, but also cannot be certain because of its circular logic. Some mathematicians believe that instead of proofs, some propositions can be compared with computer-run experiments or real-world phenomena, and mathematician and writer Keith Devlin thinks that proof will be less important within 50 years.[8] Certainty may still be possible without rigorous proof, but as of yet it is too early to tell what flaws and uncertainties lie in using a computer.
This ambiguity in math affects certainty in science as well as many other areas of knowledge. Physicians use math which may be accurate but not completely certain, further preventing them from reaching absolute certainty. There are already barriers to certainty in science, as discussed above; added to that is the uncertainty in math.
Connections between areas of knowledge in general make it difficult to state whether certainty is possible in natural sciences. A biology experiment does not solely require knowledge of biology, but sometimes human sciences, as well. Then the degree of certainty in human sciences and how it affects the experiment must be examined. Even then, it is difficult to precisely pin down to what extent the uncertainty in human sciences will affect the uncertainty in the biology experiment.
Pythagoreans thought that there were only rational numbers. Then, they discovered that the square root of two is irrational, breaking one of their fundamental truths. A similar situation happens in science. No matter how certain one is of a concept, there is the possibility that it will be false. As can be seen, both mathematics and science can result in accurate knowledge. However, they are not as certain as it seems at first glance. In fact, both appear to become more and more uncertain. It is unsure whether further developments will continue this trend, or bring mathematics and the natural sciences closer to complete certainty.
Word Count: 1386
[1] Massicot par. 2
[2] Wilson and Burnie 229
[3] Nauert, Ph.D. screen 1
[4] Casti 371
[5] Plus screen 1
[6] Friedl screen 4
[7] Ibid screen 3
[8] Ibid screen 4
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