The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler Blog 4

            One question I kept thinking about as I read The Vagina Monologues was “Based on the monologues, what is Ensler trying to say about women? What can we as a society say about women in our culture?” I kept coming back to this question for a few reasons. First, I kept thinking why these monologues? She interviewed hundreds of women, but selected these to turn into monologues. Ensler admits in the book that some of the monologues are verbatim what the women said, some are combinations of what many women said, and she took some creative liberty with a topic that came up in an interview or multiple interviews. Secondly, some of these monologues are extremely personal and controversial. I started to wonder if this was a emotional decision (the stories provoked a strong emotional reaction in Ensler and she wanted to provoke a strong emotional response in the reader or viewer) or if this was a tactical decision (she want was structuring the book or performance in such a way that that certain topics were discussed in a certain way or order)? Possibly a combination of the two?

            When I think about what this piece of work says about women, many words come to mind: strong, sophisticated, loving, compassionate, empathetic, scared, ashamed, explorative, open, kind-hearted, oppressed, inspiring. The women in these monologues amaze me for having the ability to open up and share in the way they did, because this is not something that I can do. I think if I had to pick one word that these monologues inspire is strength. Women have to over come and deal with so much more physically, mentally, and emotionally when compared to many men, and I think that some of the men in our class acknowledged this in some of the class discussions we had on this book.

            When I look at and consider the monologues collectively, I get the same sense of strength, because I feel the book has topics from oppression to freedom. The sense of strength ranges from the strength the women demonstrated in their monologues to the fact they were brave enough to share their story with Ensler. Monologues like “The Little Coochi Snorcher That Could” and “The Flood” give a whole new meaning to womanhood. The strength these women have is even demonstrated when they answer some of the questions that Ensler posed, because I honestly do not know if I would be able to answer a question like “What would your vagina where” or “What would your vagina say?” Then there are the vagina facts, which are interesting and intense, and give me a whole new appreciation and respect for my sex and gender. I never knew the clitoris has 8,000 nerves or how disturbing genital mutilation actually was. It was eye opening to read.

            I really do not know what Ensler’s rhyme or reason was when she selected the monologues she did. I think it had something to do with the emotional appeal and relate ability of some of the stories. Maybe she chose them because she found them inspirational and wanted to inspire others. We know that the topics she selected were common to many of the interviews and that is why they were included, so maybe some of the stories related to the topics were appealed to Ensler’s emotion, and she though they would appeal to the audiences.

            Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I know I keep saying it, but I really did find it eye opening. This is not something that is discussed in our culture, but I think it should be. Women need to know we are all going through similar things and that we can rely on each other. Women have come so far over the past few decades, and this book the response it has gotten is going to help women to continue their journey. 

Vagina Monologues Blog 3

            I though all of the monologues in The Vagina Monologues were very unique and eye opening, but one that really intrigued me was “What does your vagina smell like?” I think one of the reasons that I find it so intriguing is because that is something I never really thought about, and honestly, I do not think that may people do think about it. The only time it is really discussed, or at least in my opinion, is when a vagina smells bad. I feel as if the media raises girls to believe that their vagina is something that needs to be made beautiful. Vaginas have their own deodorants and washes. When these young girls grow up into women, they are cultured to believe that they have to do things, like use the products listed above, to make their vagina more appealing and desirable. I mean, what is wrong with the way vagina smells?

            I found the simplistic structure of this poem to be very appealing. I think that if it was structured any other way that it would take away from the meaning and the affect of the point Ensler was trying to make. It is just the answer to the question with no explanation. An explanation could have influenced how the reader/viewer would have answered the question. Most of the answers are just a few words. They are simple and to the point.  Only one of the answers goes to a second line. When writing this monologue, I think that Ensler was try to get her female readers/viewers to think about how they would answer this question and the male readers/viewers to think about how they would answer this question in relation to the vaginas they have (or have not encountered). Ensler knew this and only gave the necessary information to get people thinking.

            A majority of the answers are pretty different two. Some of them are similar, but no two are completely the same. I this was something that was purposely done by Ensler as well. She wanted to get people thinking, and I think she was successful at this. Again, what a vagina smells like is not something that has a positive connotation in our culture. This is hinted at in some of the answers, but a majority of the answers are provocative and outside of the box. They are enticing and make you think.

            My favorite answer was “Somewhere between fish and lilacs.” I have no idea how something could go from smelling like fish to lilacs. They are completely different and do not smell anything alike, but someone thinks this is how her vagina smells. It just makes me giggle.

            Overall, I find this monologue intriguing, provocative, enticing, simple, and creative. Ensler put light on a taboo topic in our society and I think that she was effective with the structure that she used to have the discussion about this taboo topic.

The Vagina Monologues by Even Ensler 2

            The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler is a very interactive piece of literature. Like I said in my previous blog, reading it was not enough for me and I searched to find video clips of people performing the Monologue. I wish that I could have seen it performed live here at Southern Connecticut State University to see how the audience interacted with the performers and what their reaction was to each monologue.

            I think that audience reaction is crucial with literature like this, because it is meant to be someone telling a story although it is someone telling a story, because individual women are sharing their own experiences and feelings. I feel as if it is meant to be more conversational, because Ensler wants to push people out of their comfort zones and get them to talk about vaginas. I watched a portion of an interview that Ensler did on the monologues and she talked about how astonished she was when she herself realized how little vaginas were talked about in our culture.  Ensler herself was shocked. She set out to find out why they were talked about so little when she decided to do the monologues and make it acceptable for vaginas to be a topic of conversation.  If the audience does not interact, then the conversation dies before it can even really start. When the audience interacts with the performance, the conversation is started and continued throughout the show; possibly even farther.

            This is another reason why I think these are meant to be performed rather than read. I thought all of the monologues were interesting and entertaining to read, but my entire perspective changed when I decided to watch some of the performances on the Internet. It was then when I realized how crucial the audience interaction is. When I was just reading the monologues, it was one woman telling me a story. When I watched it performed, it was a one woman having a conversation with a group of people about her own experiences. I also feel like when it is being performed and the conversational aspect is present, it makes it seem more appropriate and socially acceptable to be having conversations about feelings and experiences such as the ones in The Vagina Monologues.

            I feel as if the monologues are designed to push readers and audience members out of their comfort zone, because she wants women to feel comfortable and confident in who we are. In my previous blog, I talked about how women have historically always be oppressed in some way. Ensler said in the interview that I watched that conversing about vaginas is oppressed in today’s culture, and that if society can get past that, she feels that women will be able to continue their journey in equality.

            If I had to pick a favorite monologue, at this point it would have to be The Angry Vagina. I do not even know what it is about this monologue, but I loved it when I read it and I loved it even more once I saw some videos of it being performed. I feel like this one that almost every single woman can relate to on so many different levels, because so many ideas are wrapped into it. There is so much truth in this little monologue that it just boggles my mind. My favorite part of this monologue has to be when going to the OBGYN is discussed, because of how true it is. You are just open for the world to see, and no one ever thought it would be a good idea to make this whole experience a little bit more comfortable. Maybe making this experience for women more comfortable and enjoyable will be one of my footprints in the world of public health. 

The Vagina Monologues by Even Ensler

            The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler is probably one of the most entertaining things I have ever read and I wish I could have seen them performed. Ensler found a topic that was never really discussed and ran with it. I do not know why, by I find it intriguing and can only imagine how intriguing it would be to watch it be performed. I never realized how taboo it was to talk about vaginas like Ensler did in our culture; possibly society in general. I remember being extremely uncomfortable with the whole topic area of vaginas and anything that had to do with them when I was younger, and even a little today in certain contexts. Honestly, I do not think I would ever be able to talk about vaginas and what ever goes with them like Ensler and these women do.

Reading this, I kept thinking of one of my sorority sisters. She is by far one of the most comfortable people I have ever known when it comes to talking about sex, vaginas, anything. She would be the one person I know that I could see doing exactly what Eve Ensler is doing. I think that she would be thrilled to write a monologue and perform it, and I know it would be entertaining.

            I watched some video performances of The Vagina Monologue, and it made even more sense as to why these were supposed to per performed instead of read. I feel like the only way these can be truly embodied by an audience is if there is interaction between the audience and the performer. This helps to get the audience out of their comfort zone and forces them to interact with the performer and the material, the stories, the emotions. She wants the stories to be physically embodied, because she wants women to truly accept themselves. The only way to do that is to embrace every aspect of who you are, what makes you happy, what makes you sad, what makes you feisty, what makes you tick.

Sometimes, I feel like even though she is talking about vaginas, she is really talking about women in general. Throughout history, women have always been oppressed in some form. Even today, women feel more pressure from more directions than men do.  It may be more socially acceptable for women to work outside of the home, live on their own, go to college, be politicians, judges, and doctors, in addition to be a mother, wife, daughter, sister, and everything else that a woman can be. One aspect of womanhood our culture still struggles with today is the sexuality of women. There is a song by Christina Aguilera featuring Lil Kim called “Can’t hold us down.” I feel like this whole song embodies this fact and what The Vagina Monologues are going for. There is one line that relates specifically to the fact it is not socially acceptable for women to express their sexuality in the same way men can

 “if you look back in history

 its a common double standard of society

they guy gets all the glory the more he can score

while the girl can do the same but yet you call her a whore

i dont understand why its okay

the guy can get away with it, the girl gets named”

            I feel by doing the interviews and aksing the questions, and encouraging the monologues to be performed, Ensler is taking part in the battle women are facing to develop, embrace, and state their sexuality.

Everything I just did is why I think Ensler wants the monologues to be publically performed. She wants everyone to realize it is ok to talk about vaginas and that they should. She wants both women and men to know that every vagina, just like every man and women, in unique and that that uniqueness should be appreciated for all that it is truly worth. I mean honestly, who ever thought you could get so much from talking about a vagina. 

Blog Entry 4 - Children of the Sea - 2/13/2011

            In Children of the Sea if Kirk! Krak! readers are exposed to two people attempting to maintain a connection with one another. They are attempting to do this by writing in what seems to be a journal for each other. Each of the narrators says multiple times that they hope that the other one still is writing, that way when they are reunited, it is as if they were never really separated. The connection these two seem to have with each other is extremely intense. The male narrator can be quoted as saying that he would still love the female narrator if his heart were to be ripped from his chest.

            The type of language each of the narrators use is extremely different. Readers know that the narrators are about the same age, because the male narrator compares their age to the age of the pregnant women on the boat with him. Even though they may be the same age, it is extremely clear that they each have a very different educational level. Readers know that education is extremely important to both of them, because it is repeatedly discussed. The language and grammar make it clear of the drastic difference in education however. The male narrator is better, or more highly, educated than the female narrator. The male narrator uses proper grammar and a larger vocabulary in his writing. The female narrator has very simple, but intense language with no concern for grammar.

            Even though there is apparent difference in language, grammar, and educational level, the messages and imagery are extremely intense in both of the narrators story telling, and very much to the point. They have a similar style where they seem to both get to the point rather quickly, with emotion coming secondary to their writing. They both get to the point. I think that this is because they have both been through so much in their short time on this Earth. They have both had to endure more than one person should ever have to, and even though they may not realize it at the moment; it is making them both stronger in the end. I admire both of them for being able to talk this freely, because this is not something that I can do. Not nearly to the extent these two have, but I have had my share of rough times. I wish I could talk as freely about them as these two, but I cannot. I feel as if I should just deal with it internally. In a sense, I guess they are, because the other is not reading the journal entries yet.  I also find this very appealing. I like that they get to the point, because I think that the imagery becomes more intense. Danticat is not trying to distract the reader with fancy words to display the intensity and seriousness of what these two are attempting to discuss with each other. She is blunt and to the point. She tells you what she wants you to imagine as you reader what she has written.

            I feel that because the reader never learns either of the narrators’ names, it makes them easier to relate to. Danticat does not really describe the physical characteristics of either of the narrators. This combined with them not being given a name in the writing makes it so the readers can in vision who ever s/he wants. This makes the characters more flexible and relatable, and I think this was her tactic when she decided to do this. When authors give you names and descriptions of the characters, they want the reader to see whom them see. This freedom allows the reader to picture whom ever, someone they never met or someone that may be in their lives. Although some would say this is a bit of a bold move for a writer, I cannot imagine reading any other way. I think it would change how I perceived the story and made it less personable for the reader. 

Entry 3 - February 10 - Arabic Coffee and The Tray

After examining Arabic Coffee and The Tray during the in-class writing on Monday and discussing them as a class, I was inspired to dig a little deeper and write a little more. One of the things that I like the most about each of these poems is the simplistic language in which they are written, but the intense meaning and imagery behind them. Even the coffee is simple in Arabic Coffee, “It was never to strong for us: make it blacker Papa, thick in the bottom. . . . . . . . . . . . . boil it to the top again. Two times. No sugar in his pot.” Coffee time in both poems is a time to relax and release the stress of the day. There are no distractions. For me, this can be seen in the simplicity of the coffee. The people at the table are focusing on the coffee and the conversation; not where the cream and sugar are, not whether or not it was made right, or anything like that. The focus was enjoying good conversation and coffee. The coffee cups in each poem are also very simplistic. Each poem describes them the exact same way, “little white cups” carried on a tray “high and balanced on his hands.” Reading this again make me think of feng shui. Everything is balanced and simple. This aesthetic pleasure makes it calming, which coffee time around the table is meant to be for this group of individuals. This idea of balance and simplicity, and possibly the consistency that comes with it, seems to be very important to Nye. She and everyone at the table know exactly what to expect and find comfort in that fact.

Nye takes the time to acknowledge the hard comings that the people at the table may have faced that day, but in a very different manner in each poem. In Arabic Coffee, Nye describes the chaos that could have been that day as “The hundred disappointments, fire swallowing olive-wood beads at the warehouse, and the dreams tucked like pocket handkerchiefs into each day, took their places on the table, near the half-empty dish of corn. And none was more important than the other, and all were guests.” In The Tray, Nye simply states “even on a sorrowing day.” I think that Nye purposely did this. Arabic Coffee has more detail and description than The Tray, and although they are very similar in structure, this is one of the most dominant and noticeable differences for me. The Tray is more streamline and to the point. This could be because of the fact it is more about the silence and connecting without using words, where as Arabic Coffee is about the conversation that comes with coffee time. It is actually starting to seem like there are two completely different reasons for coming together for coffee in each of these poems. Arabic Coffee is starting to seem like more of a normal get together. Less forced and more expected. In The Tray, it seems as if the people came together for a reason, a tragedy. There was no need for words to connect them, because they were all feeling the same pain.

Regardless of the reasoning behind coming together, the point is they did. I think that people in general can relate to the type of coming together or the reason for coming together in both of the poems. It seems that Nye would purposely do this to show that Arabs are like other people and they are all not like the people that flew the planes into the twin towers on September 11, 2001. She is inviting us to their table to display their closeness and ease to us.

I enjoyed and can relate to both of the poems, but for some reason The Tray is much more appealing to me. Even though I was the one most prepared to lose a parent, I was the fortunate one. In three years, four parents were lost. Two of those parents were the mothers of two of my best friends. I feel like this poem explains exactly how we were on the days following their death. We just came together. We did not have to say anything, nothing was forced, and there was comfort in that. We all just came together and supported each other, Chris, and Anthony. 

Entry 2 - February 6, 2011 "For the 500th Dead Palestinian"

            For the 500^th Dead Palestinian, Istisam Bozieh is by far my favorite poem of Nye’s thus far. This poem is extremely upfront and in your face, starting with the title. The reader has a clear understanding of what this poem is going to be about, yet there is still a great sense of surprise as the reader learns about Istisam.

            The first stanza is the most upfront of the three. Here the reader learns about Istiam; a thirteen year old whose dream of becoming a doctor was cut short when murdered. The reader is also briefly introduced to the fact that this event bothers Nye here: “our sleep flounders, our sleep tugs the cord of your name.” I find the imagery in this stanza very intense. In lines 4 and 5, Nye says “ . . . . .for staring through the window of a gun barrel . . .” This a very tangible image that stays in the readers memory while reading the rest of the poem. This stanza closes by talking of how Istisam wanted to be a doctor, setting the reader up for the next stanza by forcing the reader to think about this individual as a child with dreams and aspirations.

            The second stanza is where Nye really makes her emotional appeal. Nye begins the stanza by discussing pulling this child back from a premature death. The imagery becomes more intense as the poem continues. Nye acknowledges this is something she has thought about by saying it could have been her. The reader has gotten to know Nye through the course of the book and it really puts life into perspective when she does this. She acknowledges one reason she is alive is because of her geographic location. Lines three through six in the second stanza give the reader some perspective on what school and life are like for children in Palestine. “I might have been dead too, for something simple like staring or shouting what was true and getting kicked out of school.” These lines tell the reader that schools are seen as a safe haven, but the children must be very careful. Students must not disrupt the way of life that is established and accepted or else there will be severe consequences. Nye ends this stanza very majestically and child like, bringing a sense of innocence back to the poem by saying “I wandered stony afternoons owning all their vastness.” I think that Nye’s goal was to bring the reader back to when s/he was thirteen. All I could think about while I read this was how much hope I had when I was that age and the sense of freedom that life seemed to have.

            Nye ends the poem with a very short third stanza. Stanza one had seven lines and stanza two had eight lines, while stanza three only has five. It seems like Nye is ending the poem short just as Ibtisam’s life was ended short. There are two very distinctive and different sentences in this stanza. “Now I would give them to you, guilty, you, not me.” All though there is a sense of sadness with this sentence, I feel like there is a sense of hope as well. By saying this, Nye is acknowledging that she has a life and that she is blessed and lucky. The sense of hope and compassion that is conveyed by saying her saying “ I would give them to you,” is overwhelming to me, because I see Nye writing this as a child or adolescent and that speaks to her character and integrity.  The second sentence and last sentence of the stanza and poem is overwhelmingly sad. Nye wants people to be angry and upset over this tragedy, but does not think that people appreciate it for what it is worth, “Throwing this ragged grief into the street. . . .” Instead of people crying out with outrage over this, these are simply stories collecting on her desk.

            For me, the theme of this poem guilt and it is something that I can relate to. My dad was in the Army for twenty-five years. September 11, 2001 happened and my dad deployed to Afghanistan in the beginning of November. He did five essentially consecutive deployments and made it home alive. I am lucky, thankful, grateful, and about one million other words.

At the same time, I feel guilty. Many brats lost a mom or a dad, and my heart breaks for them every single day. Family members of people in the military are by far the strongest people I have ever met and they do not get nearly enough credit or support as they need and deserve. My biggest fear for four and half years is their reality and it makes me sick to think about. I can relate to the guilt that Nye feels, because it is something I deal with everyday.

           

Entry 1 - February 3, 2011

If it is one thing that I really pick up on when I read Nye’s poetry, it is the sense of humanity that she conveys. I feel as if all of her poetry is trying to get the reader to look deeper into him/herself and others. Nye wants us to think about the individual, the person; not the person in the context of society or a specific culture. She wants the reader to put what they know, believe, and hold to be true aside, because of how it can influence how we perceive and think about a person and the raw emotion that every individual has. I feel as if her goal is to have us thinking with our emotions rather than our minds.

The events that occurred on September 11, 2001 allowed the media, government, and every other influential institution to paint a picture of a culture and race of people. What concerns me is whether or not this was done without considering all of the possible repercussions to this action. The American people needed a bad guy and the media allowed the American people the bad guy they needed in this very scary story. People accepted this picture to be true at face value, because it was painted by what American culture considers a reliable source. Realistically, the picture that the American people were given was not an accurate one, but few have challenged it.

I feel that one of Nye’s main goals with this collection of poetry is to convey the side of Middle Easterners that many Americans fail to open their eyes to and see. Nye accomplishes this goal. This is evident in poems like My Father and the Figtree, Arabic Coffee, My Grandmother in the Stars, and Stain. I feel these poems convey a feeling or theme that many individuals can relate to. Every family has someone that tells them stories of a different time or place that are intriguing, but sometimes hard to relate to. There is always some common denominator, such as coffee or tea, or among a group of family and friends that allow people to come together without hesitation. Everyone has someone with knowledge, wisdom, and a never-ending ability to give. Everyone has been torn between where they want to be and what they are. This is the point of this collection of poetry. We can all relate to one another with out considering skin color, religion, creed, race, etc. In the end, we are all people with emotion and a desire to belong.