The Buddha of Suburbia #2

     It is interesting to examine the title of Hanif Kureishi’s book, The Buddha of Suburbia.  The “buddha” of the book seems to refer to Haroon whose Indian mysticism fascinates the wealthy English observers in the suburbs outside of London.  Haroon fabricates philosophies, calling them ancient wisdom and begins to believe his own teachings.  Karim begins to resent his father for being false and for his affair with Eva.  So, in this respect, the term “buddha” is a derogatory remark from Karim about his father Haroon.  However, Karim could also be viewed as the “buddha” because when he moves to London and then New York, he is viewed as exotic due simply to his ethnicity.  The stories that he relates to Pyke are perceived as “fascinating” by the director who seems to hang on his every word much like Haroon’s English audience.  Also like Haroon, Karim never questions whether he is doing the right thing by engaging in his many sexual episodes.  Karim and Haroon both know that they are excellent at their craft, Haroon with his seminars and Karim with his acting.  Yet, both characters fall into stereotypical roles with Karim’s portrayal of Mowgli and Haroon going through the motions at dinner party after party.

The Buddha of Suburbia #1

     One of the primary issues discussed in Hanif Kureishi’s The Buddha of Suburbia is sexuality.  The obvious question is, “what is Karim’s sexual orientation?”  However, Karim’s sexual presence itself is irrelevant because he merely seeks pleasure.  Everything that Karim does throughout the book, from poking fun at his father to his travels in New York and London, are in the interest of his own self fulfillment as has been the case with characters like Clarissa Dalloway and Dorian Gray from the other books discussed this semester.  Sexuality is also used by Karim and other charactes to transcend social status.  Karim’s father Haroon begins a sexual relationship with Eva that ultimately frees him of his former mundane life while initiating him into a different class of society.  The character Changez is obsessed with using sex to win the love of Jamilla and there is also a bit of a sex triangle that exists between Pyke, Karim and Eleanor as Pyke coordinates a sexual encounter between his wife and Karim, sleeps with Eleanor and tries to force himself onto Karim.  All of these incidents represent the characters’ attempts to break into a different social class.

Tate Modern Museum/London Eye Trip

     In class, we defined modernism as a “quest for meaning.”  The modern cultural view is one that attempts to make sense of the world around us by reconfiguring the past and present reality into a new and original perspective.  The Tate Modern Museum featured works that reflected certain elements of life such as working, eating, commuting and entertainment by transforming them into contemporary expressions.  The first level displayed artists like Pablo Picasso and Francis Bacon who painted in ways that were atypical yet still depicted the tangible world.  This physical element of modernism was even more profound on the top levels where the viewer is challenged to question the definition of art.  The piece described as “untitled portrait,” was simply a mirror and the spacious exhibit titled “rope” was just that, a large strand of rope.  These are great examples of modernism because the artists have taken items from everyday life and re-imagined them as artistically significant.

     We also discussed in class, the idea of post-modernism which was defined as “a breaking away from the past.”  This basically means to completely leave tradition behind and no structure in the city of London encapsulates this notion more than the London eye.  The abundance of historical buildings with gothic, Victorian and Elizabethan architecture is juxtaposed by the London eye’s nearly 500 feet of steel, cables, bearings and glass.  In post-modern terms, the London eye is clearly a break from the past.  It has been joked that the structure could easily be called the “London Eye Sore,” and it is certainly a fair argument that the large wheel, not even a decade old, can never be compared to St. Paul’s Cathedral which sits just across the River Thames at over 300 years old.  However, the popularity of the London eye cannot be argued as over 10 million people have filled the wheel’s capsules since the year 2000.  This structure along with the Millennium Bridge seem to suggest a post-modern movement in the city of London.

Final Project: Royal Albert Hall

     The Royal Albert Hall is one of the most famous venues in the world and stands as a point of pride for the people of London and Great Britain.  Constructed during the close of the Victorian era, following the death of Prince Albert, the hall’s design is representative of Victorian styled architecture.  The building’s exterior gives little indication of the cultural evolution that has occurred inside the venue over the years.  The Royal Albert Hall was officially opened in 1871 and since then has hosted thousands of events, averaging about 350 performances per year.  A wide range of exhibitions serves as a testament to the influence of the hall on British culture and these include rock, jazz and classical concerts, boxing, tennis and wrestling matches, opera, ballet and ballroom dancing as well as circus shows and conferences by world leaders from Bill Clinton and Winston Churchill to the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela.

     The original concept for the construction of the Royal Albert Hall was envisioned by Prince Albert in 1851 following the “Great Exhibition” in Hyde Park which was an event recognizing the industrial movements and accomplishments of various nations.  This event took place in what became known as the “Crystal Palace,” a large, glassed structure that only temporarily housed the exhibition before being moved to the Sydenham hill area of London.  Following the “Great Exhibition,” Prince Albert proposed a plan to construct a permanent venue for conventions and recitals in the area and after approval, the construction was funded by some of the proceeds from the “Great Exhibition” and the foundation of the building was laid on May 20, 1867.  Four years of construction resulted in the opening of Royal Albert Hall on March 29, 1871 with a performance of Arthur Sullivan’s “Cantata.”  Prince Albert died in 1861, and the hall, meant to be a dedication to Queen Victoria, was named for the Prince instead with Victoria being so overcome with emotion at the hall’s opening that she was unable to speak, relegating the duty to her son.  When she finally did comment on the building, she proclaimed, “it looks like the British Constitution.”

     Engraved on the exterior of the Royal Albert Hall, surrounding the dome, are the words, “The Triumph of Arts and Sciences.”  This phrase reflected the cultural mood of Great Britain at the time in the midst of their industrial revolution, especially in London.  Industrial innovations were taking place daily and society was constantly progressing toward a more sophisticated and mechanical way of life.  The Royal Albert Hall stands as a symbol of the achievements of the 19th century.  For the most part, the exhibitions inside the venue have remained faithful in upholding the “triumph” of England.  However, during the twentieth century, the definition of the “art” that was triumphed came into question.  Nearly a hundred years after classical composers such as Wagner, Verdi and Rachmaninov personally conducted their symphonies, rock musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Bob Dylan and The Police were playing the hall, each representing a different aspect of artistic expression yet all symbolizing the “triumph” of Great Britain.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

 

      Graeme Turner’s British Cultural Studies argues that London is a cultural mixture of old and new, of aristocracy and proletariat, of order and rebellion.  The Royal Albert Hall embodies this concept by presenting an array of cultural icons from many different eras and genres within the historical, Victorian structure of one symbolic building.  I personally witnessed this assimilation at the hall during two very different performances.  On Wednesday, July 1, I attended a Crosby, Stills and Nash concert at the Royal Albert Hall.  This show was sold out but I purchased a ticket outside the venue from a woman that I would estimate to be in her late-fifties.  Upon entering the venue, I viewed people of similar ages and ethnicities as that woman yet, I also saw many teenagers and people my own age.  The music was a balance of sweetly harmonized acoustic folk as a trio and full on electric rock and roll with drums and bass added.

 

     On Saturday, July 11, I experienced an even more pronounced cultural mixing at the Herbie Hancock and Lang Lang performance.  This show was not only attended by an audience of all age groups and ethnic backgrounds but of varying wealth and social ranking as well as evidenced by the upper gallery’s blue jeans and flannel shirt attire contrasting the three-piece suit and tuxedo ensembles of the lower balcony and floor.  As for the performance itself, Herbie Hancock and Lang Lang successfully blended jazz and classical music, creating sounds which I had never before heard with Herbie of course the legendary Miles Davis sideman and Lang Lang, a classical piano virtuoso since the age of three having performed for his country at the opening of the Olympic games last year. Playing in a duo setting, solo, double handed on a single piano and with a full orchestra conducted by John Axelrod, the two musicians blazed through material that included George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” Vaughan Williams’ “Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra” and Herbie’s solo pieces, “Cantaloupe Island” and “Maiden Voyage.”  This performance perfectly supported my argument that the Royal Albert Hall is a melting pot of British culture.

 Sources:

http://www.royalalberthall.com/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/albert_prince.shtml

http://www.muse.uq.edu.au/journals/journal_of_victorian_culture/v011/11.1alborn.pdf

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/victoria_queen.shtml

Turner, Graeme. British Cultural Studies. London:  Taylor and Francis Books Ltd. 2003.

 

Mrs. Dalloway #2

     It is interesting to compare the characters of Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Smith.  While, their backgrounds are certainly different, their internal monologues show many similarities and even their physical descriptions are somewhat similar with both having “beak shaped” noses.  Both characters express a fondness for Shakespeare and both also share a unique dynamic with their spouses.  Although, they never actually meet in the novel, at certain points, it seems that Clarissa may potentially be on the same path that Septimus is on in terms of their emotional struggles.  Clarissa and Septimus are each haunted by their pasts and constantly replaying past scenarios from Clarissa’s summer of marriage to the death of Septimus’ friend, Evans.  The split between the two personalities occurs when Septimus commits suicide and Clarissa succeeds in giving her party.  Septimus’ death represents an abandonment of life while Clarissa’s party acts as a celebration and union of lives.

Mrs. Dalloway #1

     Throughout Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, the title character constantly deals with her internal struggles.  She dwells on the decision she made to marry Richard Dalloway and questions her happiness.  She also reminisces about her kiss with Sally Seton and her connection to Peter Walsh but her main conflict and ,indeed, the book’s theme, is the inability to communicate emotions.  Each of the book’s primary characters rely on their social skills to progress them through life with varying degrees of awareness. 

      The character of Septimus is aware of his inability but his mental problems prevent him from expressing himself, though he does attempt to organize his thoughts in writing.  His wife, Rezia, is unable to communicate her frustrations with her husband. Richard Dalloway struggles to communicate his feelings toward his wife but, for the most part, is too concerned with furthering his social status. One literal example of the inability to communicate is when Lady Bourton seeks Richard and Hugh Whitbread’s assistance in writing an article.   At the end of the book, Clarissa seems to re-affirm her life after hearing of Septimus’ suicide.

Turner’s British Cultural Studies #2

     In post #1, Turner’s “British Cultural Studies” was criticized.  For this entry, it is important to analyze at least one somewhat readable section of the book.  Chapter 4 attempts to discuss the concept of “audience” in culture.  Turner notes that the difficulty with examining groups is that they are made up of individuals.  Any cross-section of people, therefore, will most likely never come to a complete agreement.  Some factors that can be attributed to this fact are what Turner calls, “cultural competencies,” essentially differing levels of education, income and political concern create different levels of cultural relevance for people.  The primary example used in this chapter is medium of television and the show “Crossroads” which from a racial standpoint, proved to be irrelevant to certain ethnicities.

Turner’s British Cultural Studies #1

     Graeme Turner is an Australian author and member of the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation council.  Prior to the 2002 printing of “British Cultural Studies,” Turner had written several books dealing with Australian culture through mass media.  Thus, the mentioned text seems to be a bit of a side step in the author’s career and a diversion he should not have made.  From the first chapter, it is clear that Turner lacks any personal connection to his subject matter.  The theme of the book is concerned with the tension between upper/older class and lower/younger class but the author’s cocepts are not his own.  In fact, he name drops so many intellectuals and refers to so many theories that it is truly difficult to read this book.  Of all the figures that Turner “borrows” from, the most important is De Saussure and his linguistics theory, without which Turner could not have constructed his cultural study.

Tower of London/St. Paul’s Cathedral: Comparison

     It is somewhat difficult to compare the Tower of London and St. Paul’s cathedral as they seem to have nothing in common.  The Tower of London stands as a monument of torture and imprisonment while also serving to protect the crown jewels and formerly as a royal residence.  St. Paul’s Cathedral is a place of religious worship that houses memorials and tombs for many important British figures.  Externally, the two buildings differ greatly with the tower constructed for the practical reasons of security and housing prisoners and St. Paul’s designed to be visually pleasing.  The layout of the structures are similar though in that the main space is surrounded by long and winding sets of staircases that are obscured by walls. 

     The buildings also share a nearly 1,000 year history with both undergoing multiple transformations that have ultimately resulted in their becoming two of London’s biggest tourist attractions.  These transformations are the key to their similarities.  The buildings represent centuries of events in the city, from the be-heading of Anne Boleyn at the tower and World War II in which Germans were imprisoned there to the great fire of 1666 which destroyed St. Paul’s and the marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana at the fifth reconstruced cathedral some 300 years later.  It is interesting to see how these structures which possess so much history and unique artifacts have devolved into such harbors of tourism.

The Picture of Dorian Gray #2

     Aside from the famous epigrams found in The Picture of Dorian Gray which finds the author, Oscar Wilde, phrasing words in a poetic style of commonplace language, the novel also presents a more subtle dualism of titles particularly in the book’s name sake figure. ”Dorian Gray” is the name of one of the story’s main characters. However, an analysis of the name reveals a much deeper meaning.  In Greek society, the “Dorian” tribe were supporters of Sparta which stood in opposition to the “Ionian” tribe.  The Dorians were renowned for the obedience and discipline of their group.  With this fact in mind, the name assigned to the character of Dorian Gray takes on an ironic quality.  It is als0 interesting to note that the Dorian scale of music consists of a series of descending whole tones and is generally heard as a “falling sound.”  In the book, the character of Dorian certainly does fall from his innocent stature, killing his friend Basil Hallward by the end of the story.  Dorian’s last name, “Gray” is symbolic of the ambiguous nature of his character, in essence, a mixture of good and evil or black and white, which produces the color gray.