Song practice took a long time again because of tuning and daydreaming.
At 11:00 I logged on to my Canadian Literature tutorial.
Kelly said our essay outlines had been marked. She said the professor also commented on some of them.
When I first spoke Kelly couldn’t hear me and I thought it was the same technical problem that I've had since the start of this term. But other people heard me and it turned out that the problem was Kelly not turning me on.
When she invited comments on Cherie Dimaline's The Marrow Thieves I talked about the fact that other speculative fiction novels tend to justify the world they’ve created better. I said that I understand that if she wants a disease to stop people from dreaming she has to make dreams come from the body but for people to be immune to a disease that immunity has to develop. Whole peoples are not just automatically immune to certain diseases.
She said she disagreed and cited certain groups that have more inclination towards having certain genetic conditions. I argued that isn’t the same thing. The Europeans that brought diseases to the Indigenous people had developed somewhat of an immunity to those conditions. There is no such thing as a new virus that some humans would be immune to. I said it would have been a nice touch in the novel if she’d made this dream killing disease something that the Indigenous people had overcome thousands of years ago but still carried the virus, which infected the Europeans.
Kelly cut me off and said that she wanted the discussion to be more about plot structure. She argued that the popularity of the novel proves its value. Really? That’s the first time I’ve heard popularity used in an English course as an argument for the merits of a literary work.
The group of First Nations people with whom Francis is travelling is a diaspora on the move. The goal was north but then it shifts from place to community.
Nature is returning. Frenchie’s encounter with the moose is a critique of capitalist consumption.
The focus is that the future is not new. It explains Canada’s history with Indigenous people. It is a critique of the ongoing issues, plus climate change.
We compared memory in David Chariandy’s Brother with that in The Marrow Thieves.
I said that Dimaline’s transitions from present to past and back again are more seamless.
The memories in Brother are repressed but return with community.
Justin said that Dimaline had planned at first to put the novel a hundred years in the future.
I hate these online tutorials but maybe I’d hate Kelly’s even if it was in person.
After tutorial I went online to look at my essay outline mark. I got a B. I guess I can’t expect an A at all from this course.
I had chips, salsa and yogourt for lunch.
In the afternoon I rode to Freshco where the red grapes were cheap so I got seven bags. I also picked up a whole chicken, three bags of milk, a container of Greek yogourt, and two cans of peaches. I forgot to buy kettle chips. The cashier seemed amused by the amount of grapes I was buying.
I downloaded the instructions and topics for the final British Literature essay.
I think I’ll take the first topic, which asks to compare the hunts described in the poems Bisclavret by Marie de France and The Hunting of the Hare by Margaret Cavendish. Comparing two poems, especially when there’s some Norman French to dig into sounds interesting.
I found a Norman-English dictionary and made a rhyming translation to match the Norman rhymes of the part of “Bisclavret" that deals with the hunt.
Things remained thus a twelve month ring
until the monarch went hunting
To the forest did he venture straight
where Bisclavret lived out his fate
and when the hounds unleashed were let
it was bisclavret that they all met
They chased him for a day’s full spin
all the dogs and all the hunting men
so that finally he was almost taken
torn into pieces and forsaken
Until there the monarch he did see
and he ran to beg for his mercy
He attached his paws to his stirrup
began to kiss his leg and foot
The king saw this and was frightened
he summoned all of this companions
"My men” he said “come right away
See this marvellous display
this beast showing humility!
He has with human sense cried mercy
Chase all of my dogs back to the rear
do not give him cause to fear
This beast has intelligence and sense
Let’s go then, let the hunting end!
To this beast I will grant my peace
there'll be no more hunt today for me.”
With that, the monarch turned to go
but Bisclavret the king followed
He stayed quite close, would not leave him
he did not want his king abandoned
The king took him back to his castle
He was glad with this wolf so handsome
none like him had he ever viewed
"A marvel" did the king conclude
He became his dear companion
and to all his servants he commanded
that this his pet they should treat well
and to never mistreat him at all
to never strike at him in anger
and to make sure that he's fed and watered
They guarded him and volunteered
Each day among the cavaliers
where'er the king was he'd lie near
twas none that did not hold him dear
So noble and so debonair
he gave no one reason to have fear
Where'er the king would choose to travel
from him he would not be unravelled
as one where'er the king did move
no doubt there was the king he loved.
I rubbed eight chicken drumsticks with curry and roasted them. I had two for dinner with a potato and gravy while watching an episode of Ivanhoe.
This was the second show of the series.
In this story Sir Thomas and his wife Lady Margaret have sent for Ivanhoe to help stop the strange disappearances that have been occurring. Some people suspect that the people going missing from the woods at night is the work of witches. Bart volunteers to go into the woods and risk being taken. Strangely his father Gurth thinks it’s a good idea. Ivanhoe and Gurth follow Bart into the woods but when the clouds cover the Moon and all goes dark, Bart is grabbed. Ivanhoe and Gurth fight men that bear the coat of arms of Sir William and there are also men that have the uniforms of sailors. Ivanhoe decides to investigate William by entering his castle disguised as a minstrel. There is a celebration taking place because Sir William is betrothed to Lady Agnes. Ivanhoe can see that Agnes does not want to marry William and so he sings her a song about a pig and a lamb. William has him taken to the dungeon. Agnes sneaks down and gives him the key. Agnes says that rumour has it there is a cave beneath these dungeons that is being used as a darker dungeon. After Ivanhoe sees the go through a door Ivanhoe frees himself and follows him. Below are all of the people that have disappeared and they are in chains waiting to be sold into slavery. Ivanhoe frees Bart and they escape to a section of the cave that comes out beyond the castle. He meets Gurth there and they go back inside to rescue the slaves. After the usual sword fight they are freed. Meanwhile Prince John arrives for Sir William’s forced wedding to Agnes. Just then Ivanhoe emerges with the escaped prisoners. When Prince John learns of the slave trade he tells Ivanhoe that he will prove the rumours of his cruelty wrong by making Sir William face charges in court.
Lady Margaret was played by Jane Welsh, who played supporting roles in “The Sleeping Cardinal" and “The Little Red Monkey" and co-starred in "The Bells". She played Mrs Brown, William’s mother in the comedies, "Just William's Luck” and "William Comes to Town".
Lady Agnes was played by Leigh Madison, who co-starred in the British TV series “Our House" and the movie “Behemoth the Sea Monster”.
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