Posted by

Mariam Waggeh
FIQWS Composition
Rhetorical Situation

    On the first day of FIQWS with Ms.K my classmates and I were handed two images and were asked what feelings were evoked in us based on what we saw. The first image Norman Rockwell’s “The Problem We Live With” evoked a feeling of sadness that a young girl was stopped from going to school based on the color of her skin and was antagonized every morning by adults. The second image was a political cartoon of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos by Glenn McCoy, which evoked a feeling of injustice as the business women is opening a pathway to making money off of children’s free education system.

     The purpose of Rockwell’s illustration was to inform its viewers of segregated America. Rockwell uses the story of Ruby Bridges and how she was the first African American to attend an all white school. My view on this painting is that it explicitly displays what segregated America was and how it affected the school system. The purpose of McCoy’s illustration was to inform viewers on DeVos’ proposition to economize public schools or in other words make a business of them.

    The genre of these images are nonfictional political cartoons. Which is deemed appropriate because how else would you speak on a political issue other than on a political cartoon.

    I believe that Rockwell’s image relates to me more because like Ruby Bridges I am the odd one out or the one who is physically different from my peers. Although I do not face discrimination for the most part I do feel a sense of separation.

    My views on the Ruby Bridges painting was that it explicitly displayed the core values of many Americans during its time. Simply the fact that the races were to be separated and not intermix. My view on the DeVos painting is that education and economy shouldn’t directly categorize under one another. I believe that education is free and it should always remain that way.

    As my classmates discussed their views on these images I was opened to a perspective that I hadn’t really thought of before. These images represent racial classism the photo containing Ruby bridges depicts a young black girl who is in need of security to enter a school which she was already given the right to. Meanwhile an upper class business woman has security to enter into a building for reasons not deemed appropriate. Which shows that society chooses to accept whatever they deem to be appropriate to them at the time.

    These images in my opinion signify societies true colors. That the greater mass believes they can pick and choose what suited them during their time. So if America doesn’t want to allow interracial school systems then the won’t while the DeVos image represents the economizing of schools in which the general mass doesn’t agree but eventually will. Which comes back to my opinion that political cartoons are biased. They only tell one side if the story. If one wanted the real untold truth then they must do their own research.

Summary and Response

Summary and Response Paper

Posted by

Mariam Waggeh on December 12, 2018

Mariam Waggeh

FIQWS 10008

Mon./Wed. 2-3:15pm

Alyssa Yankwitt

Summary and Response Paper

Sigmund Freud is known to many as the father of psychoanalysis. He created the clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue of a patient and psychoanalyst. One of his most acclaimed works known as “Freud’s Five Lectures”, is a manuscript of his five part speech in which he refutes a doctors view on the psychology of the mind and his theories on the human mental state. Charlotte Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a short story in which shows a woman’s experience with her doctor husband and how he dealt with her as a psychoanalysis patient. ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ was able to effectively display the doctors criticism of psychoanalysis patients through the interactions of the husband and wife in the story.

In ‘Lecture I’ of Freud’s collection he refutes Dr.Breuer’s concept of psychoanalysis patients and what he believed was a proper diagnosis. Breuer has done many tests on his female patient (at the time which many believed that only woman could have hysteria) in which he believed that although his patient would show physical symptoms he wasn’t able to draw any conclusions from these observations. “she developed a series of physical and psychological disturbances which decidedly deserved to be taken seriously.” (FLI1) Showing that Freud understood that the patient had psychological issues and that an understanding of her illness needed to be researched in order to give her the proper form of assistance. Also, “He cannot understand hysteria, and in the face of it he is himself a layman….he did not know how to help her.”(FLI2). Supporting Freud’s claim that Breuer was able to observe that there was something wrong with his patient, but due to his lack of analysis as to what was going on with her mental state he was unable to draw conclusions to a possible treatment for hysteria.

Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a short story about a woman who suffers from symptoms of hysteria. She experiences a hatred for the yellow wallpaper in the nursery her husband places her to live in, in their home. The women who is also the narrator of the story claims that her husband (a doctor) continues to assure her that she is perfectly fine despite her behavior showing other wise. “If a physician of high standing, and one’s own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression — a slight hysterical tendency — what is one to do?” (TYRP1). Proving that the patient herself knows that she is not herself but her husband the medical doctor tells her and others that her mental instability is only temporary and as time goes it will pass, then she is stuck and helpless. Which indirectly supports Freud’s claim that doctors were layman or had no understanding of what hysteria was and how it should be dealt with. Also, “John does not know how much I really suffer. He knows there is no reason to suffer, and that satisfies him.” (TYWP2). Supporting that no matter how much doctors observed their patients, they weren’t able to see the psychological reason as to why they behave the way they do and ways to help better these issues.

To conclude that the ‘Yellow Wallpaper” sufficiently supports Freud’s criticism on doctors and their insights of psychoanalysis through the interactions of the women and her husband and how he continued to brush her off and tell her that her episodes of hysteria were only something temporary when he himself was unable to understand what was actually going on.

Work Cited Page:

Freud’s Five Lectures Author: Sigmund Freud Lecture I Citations: (FLI1, FLI2)
The Yellow Wallpaper Author: Charlotte Gilman Citations: (TYRP1)

Reflection

About two weeks ago I was assigned to write a summary and response paper. Initially. going in, I believed that it would be something easy since I had done it before in high school. But for some reason I had some form of writer’s block. I found it to be a little difficult to clearly get my points across and fulfill the criteria. My FIQWS composition teacher was able to refresh my memory in her class as to how a thesis paper should be by giving us examples and a step-by-step process on how to write this kind of paper.

Thus, I began my paper. I chose the first prompt which asked if we agreed that Freud’s criticism of doctors in ‘Lecture 2’ was indirectly supported in the text ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’. I agreed that Freud’s claims were supported. I then had to re skim through both these texts to refresh my memory and bring out evidence to prove that I agreed. It took me a few hours to complete the task but the more I wrote the more confident I became with my writing. I understand that this probably might be one of my weakest papers this semester, but I also understand that with practice takes almost nearly perfect.

Critical Research Paper

Posted by

Mariam Waggeh on December 12, 2018

Mariam Waggeh

FIQWS 1008

Critical Research Paper

Alyssa Yankwitt/ Sonja KIllebrew

12-5-2018

The Psychoanalytic Breakdown of Hysterical People

Hysteria is defined as exaggerated or uncontrollable emotion or excitement, especially when among a group of people, and tends to be associated to women. Sigmund Freud refuted this theory through his study of psychoanalysis and discovering the underlying cause to the “hysterical episodes”.“The Black Cat” written by Edgar Allan Poe (1843), and “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892) written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman both display symptoms of “hysterical” people, through the actions and inner thoughts of their narrators. The titles of “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “The Black Cat, represent mnemonic symbols to the narrator’s memory or trigger of their “hysterical” episodes. Also, refuting that these patients were hysterical when in fact they were repressing their desires to fulfill or gain an outcome that conflicted to the standards of their society.

In “The Black Cat”, the cat provides as a mnemonic symbol which consistently brings the hammering memory of the narrators attacking his most beloved cat. Throughout the text he constantly reminds the reader of how remorseful he was for committing such a deed even though he was in a drunken state. The narrator went on to describe how he grieved when facing his consequence of the cat fleeing him every time he came near, remembering how he dug out it’s eye. (Poe, Para. 9). The punctuality of the cat continued to eat at the conscious of the narrator, blocking him of the opportunity to accept what he had done and move on from it. Thus, proving the association between the injured cat and the invoking of the memory of the “hysterical” episode.

Moving onward, the cat being a mnemonic symbol to the narrator’s memory to his episodes is backed by John A. Dern’s “A Problem in Detection,” statement that the appearance of the black cat tormented him mercilessly through its surfeit appearance around the house. Dern goes on to state this caused the narrator to constantly downplay the event that took place in order to avoid bringing himself back to the state which caused these memories. Further supporting the title of the story being its mnemonic symbol to its narrators mental breakdowns as whenever the cat is mentioned, violent episodes are also mentioned either before or after they take place.

Following similar suit, “The Yellow Wallpaper” also had its title represent as a mnemonic symbol for its narrators “hysterical” episodes. Throughout the text the narrator makes it her full time task to rip off the wallpaper as it seems to be what some might call her “pet peeve.” She also makes account of seeing a woman walking along the wallpaper. Her husband, the doctor, aware of her symptoms, concludes that she is perfectly fine and however she is feeling will pass overtime. (Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper). Hence displaying the mnemonic symbolism of the wallpaper, due to the narrators reference of seeing a woman walking along the wallpaper, which can refer to as her “hysterical” episode in the text.

Eugenia C. Delamotte states in an essay written in 1988 that the narrator tends to focus her “intellectual energies” on the wallpaper. Instead of sleeping as ordered by her husband, she investigates the wallpaper and uses it as a rationale against her sanity and insanity. She’s seen things on it that no “sane” human would. Her attention to the wallpaper causes her to seemingly panic and “lose it” hence explaining her obsession with ripping it all off the walls. Thus, proving that the wallpaper is the mnemonic symbol to her “hysteria” as she behaves out of the ordinary whenever her full attention is focused to it.

Freud goes on to challenge this mental illness known as “hysteria” in his “Freud’s Five Lectures”. In the text he acknowledges that doctors have labeled it as a mental disorder (commonly found in women), but instead proves that these women aren’t mentally disturbed, but in fact repressing their desire to fulfill actions that conflicted with societal expectations during that time period. (Freud, Pg 2). Freud goes into detail on his observations from an experiment he conducted on a “hysterical” patient. Freud stated that based on his results these patients showed “symptoms” because they were convinced that they were sick based on a doctor’s diagnosis. When in fact they were experiencing symptoms from the overwhelm of repressing their desire, specifically sexual desire. (Freud, Pg 3-10. Hence, many women were wrongly diagnosed with “hysteria” when instead they should have been diagnosed with disorders such as anxiety and the likes of it.

Connecting Freud’s refutation of “hysteria” to “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “The Black Cat” brings me to the consensus that these narrators weren’t in fact “hysterical”, but repressing the fulfillment of their desires. The narrator of “The Black Cat” wanted to leave his wife but allowed the view of his society to hold him back from doing so. Hence, explaining his confession to being free a last and showing not the slightest of remorse for murdering his wife. Adding on, the narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper” displayed her repression through wanting to admit that she wasn’t the same person she once was before giving birth, but allowed the societal views that her husband’s masculinity and his role as a doctor stood over her own judgement and expression of no longer being in the same mental space. Also, tying onto the fact that she claimed to finally be free which can imply that she stopped denying her mental instability and gave into being out of her mind.

As humans we always chose to conform or obey to our higher authorities. In one instance our society is our higher authority as we make our outward and public decisions based on what it accepts as appropriate. We tend to pull and run from what we want to fulfill if it calls away from that society. Hence, leading to our own form of self destruction. Until the individual learns to understand or have control over the satisfying of their fulfillment and satisfying of the society, he will always be “hysterical.”

Work Cited Page:

Freud, Sigmund, “Five Lectures of Psycho-analysis,” 1955. PDF File.
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins “The Yellow Wallpaper,” 1892 PDF File.
Poe, Edgar Allan “The Black Cat” 1843. The Literature Network, Online Literature, http://www.online-literature.com/poe/24/
Strachey, J “The Uncanny” 1917-1919. The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Volume XVII , An Infantile Neurosis and other works, 217-256.
Dern, John A. “‘A Problem in Detection’: The Rhetoric of Murder in Poe’s ‘The Black Cat.’” The Edgar Allan Poe Review, vol. 18, no. 2, 2017, pp. 163–182. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/edgallpoerev.18.2.0163.
DELAMOTTE, EUGENIA C. “MALE AND FEMALE MYSTERIES IN ‘THE YELLOW WALLPAPER.’” Legacy, vol. 5, no. 1, 1988, pp. 3–14. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25679011.

Reflection

When I initially received this assignment I didn’t know where to start or what to expect as I had never written a research paper before. I was still working on m exploratory essay so I didn’t bother with paying much attention to it. When I did begin to focus on writing this paper I noticed that it was about ten times more difficult than any paper I had done before. I initially opted to do my own topic but found it to be difficult so I dumped that idea and went instead to choose the third prompt on hysterical people.

I faced much trial and error as I spent about two weeks revising my thesis over and over to get a both a heavy point and meet the expectations of the assignment. Before I started drafting I emailed and reached out to my professors on knowing exactly how they wanted this paper to be done. I also seeked advice from other classmates and what they were doing in order to get a grasp of the assignment.

I even struggled with understanding the concept of the structure of a research paper. Was it supposed to look different from the other papers? Was I to include more citations than I normally do? When I finally had a firm grasp I began typing my draft. It took me almost two hours to get the thesis I could build on that would meet expectation. As I wrote the paper I continued to build off of my ideas, the texts I’m focusing on, Freud’s concepts, and statements from the scholarly articles. The more I wrote the more engaged and critical I become with my writing. I went back and forth with tweaking things here and there and became more confident with my writing.

The more I wrote the more and analyzed I feel as though I was able to exercise my course learning outcomes by analyzing evidence and interpreting information from a different point of view to discreetly define what is known as the individual and society in the sense of examining different influences, theories, and beliefs around us to understand why our society is the way it is.

Portfolio Reflection

Posted by

Mariam Waggeh on December 12, 2018

Monday, December 10, 2018

Dear Journal,

In the Writing Section of my FIQWS class I was asked to reflect on whether or not I had fulfilled the learning outcomes in the class. I will mainly focus on my improvement of my writing out throughout the semester and how I will continue to improve my writing. The writing pieces that I will be referring to are my literacy narrative, exploratory essay, critical research paper, and reference to any readings discussion boards that I’ve done in the class.

The first learning outcome is to Explore and analyze, in writing and reading, a variety of genres and rhetorical situations. I believe that I had successfully filled this learning outcome by analyzing the significance of two political cartoons. One pertaining to the segregation in public schools, specifically Ruby Bridges. And the other was of education secretary Betsy DeVos. Here’s an example from my Rhetorical Situation paper:

“My views on the Ruby Bridges painting was that it explicitly displayed the core values of many Americans during its time. Simply the fact that the races were to be separated and not intermix. My view on the DeVos painting is that education and economy shouldn’t directly categorize under one another. I believe that education is free and it should always remain that way.”

The second learning outcome is to Develop strategies for reading, drafting, collaborating, revising, and editing. I fulfilled this writing outcome towards the end of the semester with my critical research paper. I spent almost a month drafting multiple thesis and ideas. Initially when I began developing ideas for the essay I wanted to do my own prompt but found it to be more difficult than expected, so I ended up choosing one that was provided by my instructor. It took me about three weeks to get a firm thesis to get a firm thesis that I could make into five pages. Here’s an example of my initial thesis and the thesis I ended up writing with:

Draft Thesis: Hysterical people as seen in “The Black Cat” and “The Yellow Wallpaper”, display their individual desires and societal influences based on their open actions conflicting with their inner thoughts

Final Draft Thesis:The titles of “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “The Black Cat, represent mnemonic symbols to the narrator’s memory or trigger of their “hysterical” episodes. Also, refuting that these patients were hysterical when in fact they were repressing their desires to fulfill or gain an outcome that conflicted to the standards of their society.

The third learning outcome is Recognize and practice key rhetorical terms and strategies when engaged in writing situations. Unfortunately I can not recall nor provide evidence for fulfilling this learning outcome during this semester.

The fourth learning outcome is Engage in the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes. I believe that I fulfilled this learning outcome through in and out of class workshops, peer revision in class and on blackboard. Here is an example of peer revision on blackboard:

Quote:“For Pluto however, I still refrained sufficient regard to restrain me from maltreating him..”(Allan Poe,Edgar. “The Black Cat” 1843)

Peer Revision: Direct quote.

The fifth learning outcome is to Understand and use print and digital technologies to address a range of audiences. I believe that I have fulfilled this learning outcome through this reflection as this assignment is to be posted on my own website. Also being that the website is public and open to anyone for viewing if they have the link.

The sixth learning outcome is to Locate research sources (Including academic journal, articles, magazine, and newspaper articles) in the library’s databases or archives and on the internet and evaluate them for credibility, accuracy, timelines, and bias. I believe I fulfilled this outcome through my ability to determine the credibility of a source and the citations and work cited pages in my writing. For example here is my work cited page from my critical research paper:

Work Cited Page:

Freud, Sigmund, “Five Lectures of Psycho-analysis,” 1955. PDF File.
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins “The Yellow Wallpaper,” 1892 PDF File.
Poe, Edgar Allan “The Black Cat” 1843. The Literature Network, Online Literature, http://www.online-literature.com/poe/24/
Strachey, J “The Uncanny” 1917-1919. The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Volume XVII , An Infantile Neurosis and other works, 217-256.
Dern, John A. “‘A Problem in Detection’: The Rhetoric of Murder in Poe’s ‘The Black Cat.’” The Edgar Allan Poe Review, vol. 18, no. 2, 2017, pp. 163–182. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/edgallpoerev.18.2.0163.
DELAMOTTE, EUGENIA C. “MALE AND FEMALE MYSTERIES IN ‘THE YELLOW WALLPAPER.’” Legacy, vol. 5, no. 1, 1988, pp. 3–14. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25679011.

The final learning outcome is to Compose texts that integrate the students stance and language with appropriate sources, using strategies such as summary, critical analysis, interpretation, synthesis, and argumentation. I believe that I had fulfilled this learning outcome through every paper and discussion board I was assigned to write in this class. I believe that this was the most important learning outcome and that I had fulfilled it therefore causing me to have gotten the most out of this class.

Exploratory Essay

Posted by

Mariam Waggeh on November 12, 2018

Mariam Waggeh

FIQWS 1008

Sonja Killbrew/Alyssa Yankwitt

Exploratory Essay

Exploring The Black Cat and Freud’s Theories

‘The Black Cat’ is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe in which, tells the tale of a man who retells the story of what led him to where he is. He states that he isn’t mentally disturbed and that readers may or may not believe him but that isn’t his point of telling the story. He then goes on to tell how his alcoholism influenced his behavior, which led to him killing those whom he loved; his wife and cat. Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theories can be found throughout these texts. “The Black Cat” explicitly reflects Freud’s psychoanalytic views of the unconscious mind and displacement based upon the behaviors and action of the narrator.

Freud describes the unconscious mind as a mental process in which one is influenced through their judgement, behavior, or feelings. One may also take into consideration that past experiences and are also an influence upon the unconscious. In Poes text, the narrator recalls his upbringing in character and how his parents influenced his love for animals by surrounding him with a wide variety of pets. The text states, “In my infancy I was noted for the docility and humanity of my disposition. My tenderness of heart was even so conspicuous as to make me the jest of my companions. I was especially fond of animals, and was indulged by my parents with a great variety of pets. With these I spent most of my time, and never was so happy as when feeding and caressing them.” (Allan Poe,Edgar. “The Black Cat” 1843). Bringing to light Freud’s theory of how one’s feelings can be influenced by their past experiences. In the context of the story the narrators influence or past experience is his parents surrounding him, around animals in which he cared for. Thus unconsciously causing him to become what he described as being “the jest” of his group of friends or having the nature of a person who is caring or loving. This theory is continued to be implemented, “For Pluto however, I still refrained sufficient regard to restrain me from maltreating him..”(Allan Poe,Edgar. “The Black Cat” 1843). Supporting the sense that one’s past experience influences their decisions later on in life whether sound or not. As the narrator states he is unable to understand as to why he is able to physically attack those around him whom he claimed to love, in his drunken state of which he is unable to make clear understanding of what he is doing, but for a long period of time there’s a force (lying in his unconscious) that makes him unable to inflict physical harm upon the cat. Overall, supporting the underlying theory of the unconscious mind of a person, in the sense where one is able to be influenced in their actions and behavior without realizing it. Supporting that we make our daily decisions based upon these upbringings and we don’t necessarily reflect as to why. In some cases one may not even be able to bring about the root as to why they take upon these behaviors in day to day life.

Furthermore, another if Freud’s theories; displacement, the minds substitution of a new aim or object for goals in which is deemed as more appropriate or acceptable. When applying this theory to the story, an instance of displacement can be bought upon the narrator’s wife and the cat. After the assassination of his wife the narrator begins to use phrases such as ‘beast’, ‘monster’, and ‘creature’. He also noticeably begins to claim that he is free after waiting for “it” to come back and seek its vengeance. Another detail also to be taken into account is the distinction between how he feels after he kills the cat and after he kills his wife. The narrator explicitly admits that he had no sense of remorse after his wife’s death but held a constant weight of guilt for the murder of the cat. As stated in the text, “For months I could not rid myself of the phantasm of the cat, and during this period there came back into my spirit a half-sentiment that seemed but was not remorse. I went so far as to regret the loss of the animal, and to look about me the vile haunts which I now habitually frequented for another pet of the same species, and of somewhat similar appearance, with which to supply its place.”(Allan Poe,Edgar. “The Black Cat” 1843). Showing that the narrator showed some form of regret towards his actions of killing the cat to the extent in which he wanted an exact replica to take its place. Which could possibly hint at a sense of belief that the animal did not deserve to have the aggression exerted onto it. Displaying the connection to displacement, where at that point in the story the narrator may have believed it was inappropriate to kill his wife whom his hatred was truly rooted towards, so he convinced himself that if he did kill the cat then maybe exerting the energy towards the animal would cause the feeling to go away. But then he discovered that although he may have shifted his goal unto a new object he still was unable to satisfy it. Furthermore the text states, “When I had finished I felt satisfied that all was alright.” (Allan Poe,Edgar. “The Black Cat” 1843). Supporting the point that when the narrator killed his wife it seemed as though he was able to finally get a sense of closure within himself and was at peace. Although it wasn’t a successful fulfillment of displacement the actions taken upon the cat were intended for the wife.

The idea of the unconscious is shown in the sense in which humans act upon that which is embedded into them and although we are not able to pinpoint all of our decisions and behaviors (just as the narrator was unable to explain as to why he was unable to assault the cat in the beginning of the story) they come from our hidden influence. As the displacement also proves its real life application as to humans explanation as to why and how we pick and choose our battles based on our views of what is deemed appropriate.

Reflection:

As I went through the guidelines of this exploratory essay in class, I thought to myself out of all the reading selections given to me in class which of these would I be able to elaborate the most on and which would I have the best understanding of the content in connection to Freud. I then went on to do my research and began to read the summaries of these text and “The Black Cat” seemed to be the one to grab my attention. I believed as though Poe used Freud’s theories as an inspiration to write this piece. Although some form of stress took me over as I thought of the high standards to writing the essay I was able to formulate the basis of my discussion.

As I read the text I made note to myself to highlight anything that had Freud written on it. Which most of it was, but I opted on discussing two of his theories displacement and the unconscious which I believed made multiple appearances in the text. I thus began creating an outline to the paper and took to writing. I feel as though I was able to exercise my course learning outcomes by analyzing evidence and interpreting information from a different point of view to discreetly define what is known as the individual and society in the sense of examining different influences, theories, and beliefs around us to understand why our society is the way it is.