Critical Approaches to Sea of Rust by Rowen Bahmer

Sea of Rust, by Robert C. Cargill, presents a post-apocalyptic world where a robot uprising occurred, and the robots won, but are now being besieged by collective consciousnesses bent on absorbing all the data available. I really love this novel partially because it epitomizes everything I enjoy about science fiction.

• LDS Criticism: Agency is a vital concept in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Sea of Rust pits a dying race of individual robots against collective consciousnesses (OWIs). The very end of the book reveals that the protagonists are inadvertently supporting an alternative form of consciousness. The juxtaposition of these two concepts, and the uncertainties related to them, leaves room for conversation about the nature and benefits of agency.
• Feminist Criticism: Since all of the characters are robots, gender is a largely arbitrary concept. As I read this book for the first time, I had no way of knowing that Brittle was designed to represent femininity until she was explicitly described. I could investigate how this demonstrates the assumptions people make when they first begin to read a text
• Post Colonial: The story in its entirety takes place after a revolution against an oppressive force. That revolution only gave way to another form of oppression in the form of the OWIs. The "colonization" in this case though is the colonization of intelligence/data. This opens up discussion for what will happen if the current oppressed people actually win the war: who will become the next oppressor?
• Source studies: Robots have a prevalent concept in science fiction for over a hundred years. Sea of Rust actually briefly references one of Isaac Asimov's first short stories, "Robbie." He also takes a hint from Asimov's laws of robotics, and it would be interesting to look into how he reinterprets those laws.  

Critical Approaches to "Dulce Et Decorum Est" By Wilfred Owen

"Dulce Et Decorum Est" is a poetic story written by Wilfred Owen about a boy's reality shattering experiences as a soldier, and the foreshadowing of the affect that this experience will have on the rest of his life. The poem published in 1920 begins with the boy trudging through the mud with his fellow comrades, before their slow march is interrupted by gas bombs.

• (Source studies) Obviously with a poem like this, there have to be many sources from which Owen drew from - his own experiences as a soldier in the war for one. In fact, Owen died in a battle in 1918, two years before this poem was even published. In 1917, Wilfred Owen was overtaken by tear gas, and wrote a letter about it to his mother, which probably is where the description of the gas bombs comes from. And the “friend” mentioned in the poem is likely to be Jessie Pope, who would travel around recruiting young men to join the military. 
• (New Historicism) This is absolutely an applicable way to analyze this poem. It would be fascinating to look at the interpretation of World War I through Owen's eyes. Obviously, we get quite a bit of this through the poem already, but delve even deeper into his interpretation of it. Something that is reflected in the poem, which would be interesting to discuss as well, is the development of the character's attitude towards war. I wonder if this is similar to what Wilson felt himself.
• (Biographical Criticism) Owen didn't explicitly say that the words from this poem are drawn from his own experience, but it is known that he has had some experience with War. And with something as enveloping as a world war, there is no way that his life wasn't affected by the war, regardless of how he fought in it. It would be interesting to use this type of analysis to learn more about not only Owen's experience with the war, but how the war affected his friends and family also affected him. Because there are more characters in the poem than just the narrator. I would love to figure out who were these people, and why did they matter to Owen. 
• (Marxist theory) One thing that was mentioned on the sheet where we all put our research about the different analytical theories, was posing the question of to whom was the literary work intended for. Was it written for those who have yet to embark on a life changing journey? Was it written for those who have already finished their battle, and are facing struggles similar to what the boy in the poem is going to face for the rest of his life? My initial thought was that it was written for those young kids who are looking up at their dreams with wide, naive eyes. But I don't think it is necessarily a plea for those kids to stop dreaming, but rather to press forward regardless of the shattering reality that they might face.

Critical Approaches To "The Road" By Matt Kunz

"The Road" is a novel that tells the story of a young boy and father as they fight to live in a desolate world. The book covers many heavy subjects, including the value of life and the drive to survive. I first read this book a year ago and found it very re-readable. I think that the complexity of it and the heavy themes lends itself to be analyzed. 

[Biographical] 
I would like to know how McCarthy's life played a role in the writing of the "The Road." For example, I know that he has a very close connection with his son, so it would be interesting to write about some conclusions that could be based off that relationship. In the book, the mother commits suicide so I would be curious if the women in McCarthy's life influenced the mother figure in this book. 
[Christian Lit]
Looking at "The Road" from the Christian perspective could really bring out some interesting ideas. For example, the ending of the book brings up some interesting ideas about God. Comparing those ideas with who God is in Christianity could bring about some interesting conclusions and how they affect the book. 
[Ecocriticism]
The disaster that affects "The Road" is unnamed. All we know is that there is a lack of food and an inability to grow food. I think this could very easily be a good way to look at the book. There is obviously a relation to climate change here and looking at this book through an environmental lens could shape the way this book could be viewed. The people in this book are generally viewed as bad, so maybe it could be viewed that the people are the bad guys and the earth is the good guy trying to get rid of them. 
[Psychoanalytical] 
Viewing this book as a "collective unconscious" type would make for some interesting subjects. The father shares some memories before the disaster happened. These memories are generally happy and revolve around the family. I think however, this could be taken a step farther and say that they were not his memories but memories from his ancestors and he has an innate desire to experience those memories in this horrible world. 

Critical Approaches To "Uncle Tom's Cabin" By Estephanie C.

Uncle Tom's Cabin, the play, was about a slave (Uncle Tom) who is depicted as a good man with a big heart. Even through his trials, he still showed everyone kindness. Tom was promised his freedom, but he never received it, and died. I had originally read Uncle Tom's Cabin, the play and was fascinated by the history behind it. I was curious to discover how the inspiration of this story came to fruition.

• [Critical Race Theory] - In Uncle Tom's Cabin, you can see how race, poverty, and civil rights move the story along. I feel that the way African American people are portrayed in the book and play caused a very big impact in abolishing slavery. Because the play and book make Uncle Tom (the slave) the protagonist, it affected the view people had on slavery. Also seeing the way African Americans' lived during this time (poverty and terrible living conditions), it also affected the way people connected with the story.
•  [Feminism] - In Uncle Tom's Cabin there are a lot of strong women. They are powerful, but still maintain "traditional" gender roles. For example, a character that does this is Mrs. Shelby. She is a strong woman that is fighting against slavery, but still does many things that are considered "traditional" for a woman living during that time. 
• [Biographical Theory] - Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by a white woman who was an abolitionist. She was alive during the time slavery was still being heavily used. She remembers when she was younger how her family employed an African American woman. This made me think about how this could have impacted the view of how  the story is portrayed. It also made me wonder whether her race affected the selling of the book, and who purchased it. 
• [Christian Criticism] - In Uncle Tom's Cabin, there are several instances in the book and play that eludes to Christian beliefs.  I remember when Uncle Tom tried to get the Prue to become a Christian. I also remember, while reading the play, there was a scene where Uncle Tom is with Eva in Heaven. I feel like these little snippets created an impact on the reader/audience. 
• [Psychological] - The story, Uncle Tom's Cabin was written to persuade others that slavery should be abolished. The author, Harriet B. Stowe used Christianity and her personal views to write this story to create an impact in the way people viewed slavery. How she portrays certain characters can manipulate the mind and cause you to view things in a different perspective, which is what Harriet B. Stowe was trying to do. She wanted to show how terrible slavery is. 

Critical Approaches to "Death Fugue" by Paul Celan

"Death Fugue" is a poem that was written by a Holocaust survivor, Paul Celan, and gives readers a different understanding of the horrors of concentration camps. This poem is exceptional among literature that explores that the Holocaust because of its form, its use of irony, of allusions, of style, there are really just so many different elements to unpack and explore.

• [Biographical] I want to look at the way that Paul Celan's experience with literature shows up in the poem (he was very well read), also the ways that the poem reflects his own experience in concentration camps and the Holocaust and his conflicted relationship with Germany. Celan was very well educated before the war and it shows in his style. I think taking a Biographical approach would help to breakdown his technique, his allusions, and the type of descriptions/scenes he relies on. 
• [Source Studies] I have already looked into this some in the past because of the lines " your golden hair Margarete your ashen hair Shulamite" which alludes to both the Bible and the German legend of Faust. I think between these and obviously the Holocaust as a source there is a lot of very interesting material to tie together. I really want to know why this line is repeated, what its significance is!
• [Christian Lit] This is another literary theory that would could be traced between the Shulamite line, the mention of serpents, and the roles of Jews in the poem and in the Bible. Also just exploring death from this theory inside the poem what be something worth looking at. 
• [Archetypal] I think this would be a really intriguing way to look at the poem because its got a postmodern feel, it doesn't have a hero. I think that there is a lot of symbolism to break down and I think it would also be interesting to trace the experience of death throughout the poem but it definitely plays against archetypes in a lot of plays so it would be a lot of fun to look at it from this angle. 

Critical Approaches to the Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is a fun, yet mysterious novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925. It has wild tales of the roaring 20's and it delves into the hidden, yet publicized lives of the rich and wealthy of Long Island, New York.

Psychoanalytical Criticism
At first glance it can be observed that Gatsby has an obsession with Daisy and with the idea of marrying her, despite her legal status of being currently wed. This makes the reader wonder about Gatsby's childhood and if his parents respected and were faithful to each other of if they viewed marriage with less boundaries. After thinking this however, it led me to wonder if Fitzgerald had divorced parents or frequently cheating parents because I feel like this ideal of mindlessly cheating on your spouse was not an incredibly common one in the 1920's.

Source Studies 
It's very probable that F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the Great Gatsby as an interpretation of an autobiography of his own life. F. Scott Fitzgerald was raised in a normal, moderate household where he then went on to join an important societal club in New Jersey as a young adult. He lusted after a young woman named Zelda but she didn't reciprocate the feelings. He earned her love at some point but then after he become a drunkard she broke it off again. This sounds eerily similar to the lifestyle of Gatsby; a young man from a moderate household who earned a place in the high society for himself and who lusted after a young woman he couldn't have, all while being a drunkard.

Feminist Criticism
Although the Great Gatsby takes place two years after women are legally allowed to vote, there are still many signs of their assumed place in society and the roles they were expected to maintain. The majority of the women in Great Gatsby are either married, or very sensual flirtatious women. Men are constantly being described by their possessions in the novel, whereas women are solely described by their physical attributes, jewelry, clothing, and spouses. While their freedoms are improving at this time, the Great Gatsby makes it evident to the readers that women are still seen mainly as objects and fragile creatures.

Critical Disabilities Criticism
In the Great Gatsby they cast a sense of "normalcy" across all of their characters. At the beginning of the novel they portray everyone as wealthy, happy, and emotionally healthy, however as the novel progresses we begin to see signs point otherwise. We learn that Gatsby is a pathological liar, and that the vast majority of the characters are unhappy with their fake lives of perfection but have no outlets to express their emotions which explains the consistent drinking throughout the novel. Gatsby is the perfect example of how anyone can have problems with their mental and emotional health that may not be visible to the eye.

Critical Approaches to "Hamlet" by Ariel H.

Hamlet is a classic Shakespeare play about an emo Danish prince who wants to get revenge on his uncle/stepdad because he killed his father, and acts crazy along the way. I chose this text because it’s one that I’ve loved since senior year of high school, and one of the only classics I brought to BYU in print form.

[Christian criticism]

• Hamlet has a Protestant point of view when he witnesses the presumed ghost of his father, who portrays himself the way a Catholic would perceive a ghost. This leads me to believe that not only is there conflict between this aspect of the story’s theology, but could mean there are many other symbols and attitudes that could identify the religious affiliations of all the characters. The way Laertes and Hamlet wrestle in the grave, how Ophelia is slut-shamed but Hamlet doesn’t get in trouble for adultery, how Claudius feels forgiven for murder by just confessing it out-loud to himself and calling it good, etc.

[Critical race]

• The play takes place in Denmark and follows the privileged characters around, but were lower-class characters (or characters never mentioned that would have existed if Hamlet was a real story) people of color? Yorick was a jester (a humiliating job), the gravedigger had a dirty job, the travelling performers sound like gypsies, and in any story involving the wealthy there would have had serfs/servants/slaves of some variety; any of them could technically have been less than “pure” Danish. 

[Archetypal]

• Hamlet always seemed to me to be a self-centered angsty teen with an anti-climatic death. But he does get revenge for his father in a way, he might have faked crazy to try to protect Ophelia (which fails, of course), and he does have great concern about the wellbeing of his nuclear family and the people of Denmark. He could actually have been a tragic hero archetype.

[New historicism]

• If Hamlet’s name shares a striking resemblance to Shakespeare’s son, and deals with death and grief, what else about the play reflected the context Shakespeare was living in? The aspects of Protestantism and Catholicism in Hamlet can be seen as Shakespeare’s internal struggle to find a true religion, the subtle reference to a pirate kidnapping Hamlet could have been mundane in his era and that’s why it’s briefly mentioned, etc.

[Queer theory] 

• There have been speculations about Shakespeare's sexual preferences, and Hamlet could be arguably homosexual or bisexual. He bashes Ophelia's feelings for him and women in general like he's not attracted to them, he's very much close to Horatio and could have romantic interest never pursued, and we know he's full of internal conflict but don't know if it's just because of Claudius or if there's more he's keeping bottled up... This one might be a stretch but it could be a fun adventure to defend.