Nathaniel Mackey's Bedouin Hornbook Essay

Gracyk dissects and responds to Roger Scruton’s philosophy of music that states, “Taste in music matters, and that a search for objective musical values is one part of our search for the right way to live” (138). Scruton believes that music exists in an intentional realm, meaning a person does not need to completely understand music in order to understand its message. People are able to grasp the intentional realm because people are part of a community based on tradition (139). Participation in this advanced culture shapes who people are and what type of music they want to hear. Being able to understand a language allows a person to make inferences and interpret its different meanings.

“You can’t touch music—it exists only at the moment it is being apprehended—and yet it can profoundly alter how we view the world and our place in it” (“Preface” 7).1 Music is a form of art enjoyed by millions of people each day. It is an art that has continued through decades and can be seen in many different ways. That is why Ellison chooses to illustrate his novel with jazz. Jazz music in Invisible Man gives feelings that Ellison could never explain in words. In Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, the narrator’s search for his identity can be compared to the structure of a jazz composition.

In the story of, "Araby" James Joyce concentrated on three main themes that will explain the purpose of the narrative. The story unfolded on North Richmond Street, which is a street composed of two rows of houses, in a desolated neighborhood. Despite the dreary surroundings of "dark muddy lanes" and "ash pits" the boy tried to find evidence of love and beauty in his surroundings. Throughout the story, the boy went through a variety of changes that will pose as different themes of the story including alienation, transformation, and the meaning of religion (Borey).

From the creation of harmonies to singing to instruments, music has been an abstract form of human expression. Although an auditory collection of pitches and volumes, musicians can manipulate the same notes and bring them alive for their audiences. The true emotion and energy that’s felt in music really comes from the player as feelings are transferred to and through the listener. This interaction between performer and the house is catharsis, the complete release of strong repressed emotions. Thanks to the musician, music has the ability to grasp people and cause them to sense emotions and feelings without lyrics or images even being necessary. Although it’s believed we can only hear with our ears, something about music makes it emotionally if not physically tangible. In James Baldwin’s short story “Sonny’s Blues,” a narrator certainly unaware of the impact of music invites himself to experience jazz for the first time. Baldwin uses the final scene of his story to argue that music has an effect on those who are able to experience it. Baldwin does this in one single moment by letting the fixed, practical minded, “well-intentioned” narrator experience catharsis from jazz as his growing, free-spirited brother communicates with him through jazz.

In his poem, “Aunt Ida Pieces a Quilt,” Melvin Dixon presents the protagonist Aunt Ida experiencing an internal as well an external dialogue with her family members. Initially, the poem starts off the mother of Junie, a young man who died of AIDS handing all the clothes to Aunt Ida. Automatically, the feeling of nostalgia and agonizing construct the atmosphere of the poem. However, as the poem continues it is revealed Aunt Ida is handed down the clothes to make a quilt. As she starts to quilt the atmosphere of the poem transition to a more unifying and commemorative feeling towards the families that have had a family member die from AIDS and for Junie too. Indeed, the poem is representative of what a family is because it demonstrates the

At first glance, Nancy Garden’s Annie On My Mind appears to be an unconventional romance. The setting in New York City and the queer relationship between the two main characters Annie and Liza, indicate that this story bucks the traditional conventions of romantic literature. However, the book adheres to the tradition of courtly love—a trope of classic romantic literature. In chapter five Annie and Liza role-play a knight and damsel during a visit to the Cloisters. Initially the role playing appears to be simply a continuation of the game they played at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the first chapter, however a closer reading reveals that the passage is an homage to courtly love.

Ideas are never – at least fully – one’s own, but rather an expression of correlating thoughts in daily life with one another. In John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt, a Parable, readers are introduced to Father Flynn a priest that conducts the sermons within the congregation, sermons form from the ideas he has throughout his days. Each one containing a message that the congregation can take from and in at the same time expressing himself through them. As the play progress readers see the conflict between Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius, a nun that accuses him of sexual misconduct with one of the students, become deathly strained as they the try to prove their certainties and oppositions against the other. In Shanley’s Doubt, the themes of doubt, intolerance, and gossip in Father Flynn’s Sermons relate to the combative relationship between Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius.

Finally, the reader is introduced to the character around whom the story is centered, the accursed murderess, Mrs. Wright. She is depicted to be a person of great life and vitality in her younger years, yet her life as Mrs. Wright is portrayed as one of grim sameness, maintaining a humorless daily grind, devoid of life as one regards it in a normal social sense. Although it is clear to the reader that Mrs. Wright is indeed the culprit, she is portrayed sympathetically because of that very lack of normalcy in her daily routine. Where she was once a girl of fun and laughter, it is clear that over the years she has been forced into a reclusive shell by a marriage to a man who has been singularly oppressive. It is equally clear that she finally was brought to her personal breaking point, dealing with her situation in a manner that was at once final and yet inconclusive, depending on the outcome of the legal investigation. It is notable that regardless of the outcome, Mrs. Wright had finally realized a state of peace within herself, a state which had been denied her for the duration of her relationship with the deceased.

The Sanusi Bedouin of Libya, also known as Libyan Bedouin, Sanusiya, or the Senussi of Cyrenaica, are a semi-nomadic people living primarily within the desert regions of Western Libya and Eastern Egypt (Figure 1). Due to their relative isolation and strict social hierarchy, the Libyan Bedouin have maintained the traditions, practices, and language of their Arabian ancestors. However, they also place great emphasis on religious learning, in large part due to the actions of Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi, The Grand Sanusi.

In 'Araby' and 'Eveline' Joyce uses religious symbols to show the importance of the Catholic religion in both of the main characters' lives. Both of these stories take place in Dublin, Ireland, a place that is very strong in its belief in the Catholic religion. In 'Araby,' the imagery of the infamous 'Fall' is presented to the reader within the second paragraph to indicate its importance. The themes of religious masses can be found in 'Eveline.' The concept of the Catholic Ash Wednesday is presented throughout both 'Araby' and 'Eveline.'

This passage, in "Araby" by James Joyce, comes after the narrator describes his relationship with Mangan's sister. In this passage he describes how his actions on Saturday makes him think of her. Joyce uses word choice and motifs to help the reader see how much this girl affects the narrator and how much he is madly in love with her.

The inclusiveness of the senses continues in his description of the sounds or the silence that he hears in the desert. In his essay, he articulates that “Almost every day of the week I have been honored by the serenade of a den of coyotes.” And further on Abbey reveals that the coyote’s music sounds “like the legendary wail of banshees, or more precisely, like the sounds

Throughout music history, influences from different cultures gave the basis of how music is written, played or performed. In the two fieldworks, I conducted at Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn College convey the idea that music no matter where it is performed can reach others and tell stories. Whether the music is new or old, all music has a beginning.

Many times in life, people set unrealistic expectations for themselves or for other people. This is not a very wise thing to do because people often feel disappointed and embarrassed for getting their hopes up so high. One good example of this is the narrator in the short story, Araby, by James Joyce. In the story Araby, a young man develops an infatuation with his friend, Magan’s, sister. Because his infatuation is so strong, he fears he will be unable to express his feelings to her, so when she mentions she cannot go to the local bazaar she has wanted to attend, he seizes this as a perfect opportunity and volunteers to buy her a gift. In the characters mind, giving Magan’s sister a gift will help him earn her attention and maybe in the

In “Music, Language, and Composition” Adorno, Theodor W. argues that “To interpret language means to understand language; to interpret music means to make music. Musical interpretation is the act of execution…”(115). However, in The Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B Du Bois seems to point out that music carries intention, history, and experiences. Music could be a way to share one’s feelings and experiences that could not be expressed with the same emotional impact if they were just told through speaking. In other words, Du Bois seems to argue that music does have meaning and to understand music is to be able to express the intention behind or in the music. It is important to note that Adorno’s focus of music in “Music, Language, and Composition” is primarily classical music and Du Bois’ focus appears to be on music with lyrics. Therefore, music for Adorno had no explicit signifying words. However, rhythm and tone exist in both cases.