Repressay
Stephanie Costa
Professor who looks like Jon Stewart
ENGL 111
April 20, 2009
Uncle Tom’s Cabin Essay
Throughout the text, Harriet Beecher Stowe continually places women, particularly mothers, at the heart of conflicts surrounding slavery, using their stories as examples for, or as the voice of morality and compassion about the issue of emancipation. Examples of this pattern can be seen in Eliza’s departure from an otherwise happy existence to save her son from being sold, Mrs. Shelby’s treatment of her slaves as her own children, and the more troubling instance of Prue’s act of infanticide while trying to protect her baby from slavery. After justifying these situations throughout the narrative, Stowe concludes the novel with personal pleas to mothers everywhere to stop perpetuating slavery, instead teaching their children the immorality of its practice, and to “pity those mothers that are constantly made childless by the American slave trade!” (624). Stowe’s intentions to use the universality of motherhood to draw female sympathy for her abolitionist cause seems transparent enough in these instances, but that does not account for her inclusion of the unusual and inconsistent results of mothering experienced by St. Claire in comparison to the other, more standard mother-child relationships. I question the inclusion of his childhood story, how it fits in with Stowe’s picture of Christian motherhood in the face of slavery, and what influence it has on the effectiveness of Stowe’s arguments.
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Stephanie Costa
Professor Uncle Tom
ENGL 111
April 20, 2009
Jon Stewart’s Classroom Essay
Throughout the class, the Jon Stewart look-a-like continually places everyone, particularly me, at the heart of conflicts surrounding elite literary bullshit, using the different editions of our books as examples for, or as the voice of stupidity and conversation-stifling without a stitch of exoneration. Examples of this pattern can be seen in 75% of people’s departure to an otherwise happy existence to save their semester from sucking, my elbow’s movement in my sleeves into my own ribcage, and the more troubling instance of my prudent act of texting everyone I know while trying to protect my sanity. After jerkifying situations throughout the seminar, Stewart concludes the class with personal pleas to other asshole grad students everywhere to stop perpetuating free thought, instead teaching their students the immorality of its practice, and to “pity those scholars that are consistently not as brilliant or well versed as I am in American colonial literature!” (666). Stewart’s intentions to use the universality of idiocy to draw no one’s sympathy for his elitist cause seems transparent enough in these instances, but that does not account for his inclusion of the unusual and inconsistent results of having a stick shoved up his ass while still considering himself more saintly than the others, clearly constipated while we sit through the class wanting to mother-fucking break their own wrists. I question the inclusion of every assigned reading or story, how it fits in with anyone’s picture of academics or the common good in the face of douchebaggery, and what influence it has on the effectiveness of me trying to kill myself every time I enter his classroom.
