Author: Marco Velecela Bermeo

Welcome To The Week – Howl by Allen Ginsberg

Does “Howl” promote the use of Drugs or does it reject it?

Throughout the text Ginsberg states that these people, “Bohemians” or “Hipsters”, would often spend their nights drinking away and abusing various substances.

“who got busted in their pubic beards returning through Laredo with a belt of marijuana for New York,
who ate fire in paint hotels or drank turpentine in Paradise Alley, death, or purgatoried their torsos night after night
with dreams, with drugs, with waking nightmares, alcohol “

It is clear that through the endless nights of fun these Bohemians would endure a certain brilliance, that is, they would dwell in deep conversation and let their imagination run freely.

“who passed through universities with radiant cool eyes hallucinating Arkansas and Blake-light tragedy among the scholars of war”

One can see this poem as an invitation of the sorts to experience all that life has to offer, to be completely free. In the poem, the depictions of these care-free bohemians go against the socially accepted construct of the mid 1950’s and Ginsberg himself even associates with their ideals and beliefs. Although, some can read it from the other way around and believe the images he portrays of this lifestyle solidifies the ideas that drug use is bad. The overall text depicts the bohemians and artists as almost Godly creatures whose creations because of their care-free lifestyle will live in the minds of millions till the end of time. Thus, do you think that “Howl” promotes the use of Drugs or does it reject it?

How is Moloch similar to the depictions of industrialization we have seen in the past? 

In this interpretation of industrialization, the author gives it a name “Moloch”. He blames the destruction of creative minds and freedom to the overall industrialization and the money hungry capitalization America is known for. In class, this isn’t the first time we had to break apart industrialism and capitalism almost as a spiritual being corrupting the lives of innocent people. This being said, I wanted to add a previous novel we read, “The Jungle”, to see if the depictions of this entity that destroys all that is holy truly that bad. In the Jungle, Jurgis loses everything to the “machine” and by the end of the novel is a completely different person from his past self. And so, how is Moloch similar to the depictions of industrialization we have seen in the past?

Why do you think Ginsberg is still hopeful for humanity by the end of this? 

Ginsberg leaves the reader with a hopeful outlook that although these bohemians are contained, figuratively and literally. One day they will be allowed to be free from the constraints of higher authority and overall society. While the rest of the poem he implies that Moloch will continue to reign as this omnipotent force. He sympathizes with these contained victims that were misunderstood at the foot of society. These bohemians being angelic warriors against Moloch; one day will come to find a place of tranquility. This leaves the final question, why do you think Ginsberg is still hopeful for humanity by the end of this? And do you think he was right to be hopeful for humanity?

Citation: Howl by Allen Ginsberg | Poetry Foundation

The Souls of Black Folk Post

It is very evident that Du Bois knows the social difference first hand adding a contributing factor when reading the novel, “The Souls of Black Folk”. In the first chapter Du Bois states his thesis and main claim of what this novel is meant to be; his famous rhetorical question ” How does it feel to be a problem?” encapsulates how many African Americans feel when going about their day to day lives. In chapter one, Du Bois states, “In a wee wooden schoolhouse, something put it into the boys’ and girls’ heads to buy gorgeous visiting-cards⁠—ten cents a package⁠—and exchange. The exchange was merry, till one girl, a tall newcomer, refused my card⁠—refused it peremptorily, with a glance. Then it dawned upon me with a certain suddenness that I was different from the others; or like, mayhap, in heart and life and longing, but shut out from their world by a vast veil. I had thereafter no desire to tear down that veil, to creep through; I held all beyond it in common contempt, and lived above it in a region of blue sky and great wandering shadows.” This quote also drives another key term that is associated with Du Bois which is “the veil”. This interaction that Du Bois had as a young kid cemented the idea that not everyone is part of the same team, he discovers here that his physical and biological state will have a drastic impact in his future life. This idea of “The Veil” that Du Bois uses is a prime example of a metaphor; almost making this idea poetic. This fact of “The Veil” that is depicted here; which will interfere and even prevent opportunities in his and many African Americans lives; must’ve in some way or form have been liberating to express confidently in this novel to the readers and to the African American community. This powerful metaphor without knowing carried and carries significant weight till this day.

The Jungle using Cultural and Historical Resources

“It was subletting, and the conditions of the homes that people were living in, that caught the attention of health officials and reformers. Reformers, who were mainly middle-class, were the ones wanting to change the conditions that the poor, working-class were living in.  They joined movements that involved several aspects of change, including regulatory legislation, and erecting good-quality, low-rent dwellings that could help the situation”

As seen in the quote above from Urban History. It is very easy to connect the truth of the novel to real accounts of housing conditions the people of Chicago were experiencing. As stated in this article, many of the families that were already renting cramped houses started to rent portions of their own home in order to gain more income and pay their bills. This other known as Subletting, meant that their family would house another entire family to live in their home in order to be close to the city and get to work on time the next morning. Like in the novel, The Jungle, Jurgis’ family had barely enough to get by and sacrificing a portion of one’s home to gain extra income would be anyones first thought during these times. As stated in the quote, the middle class people of Chicago saw what was happening and decided to join movements to help the working class people that were struggling. Towards the end of the novel it can be seen that many workers also started to dislike their working conditions and went on strike in hopes to make a difference in the work place. Sinclair did a great job implementing real accounts to The Jungle in order to promote change and to hopefully make a difference for the working class and the general public.

Citation: https://urbanhistory.willmackintosh.org/project/daily-life-in-chicago-tenements/

The Jungle Cast

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) - IMDb
Marlon Brando as “Jurgis” 
Who is Margaret Qualley? | The Sun
Margaret Qualley as  “Ona”

If I were to make a film adaptation of The Jungle by Upton Sinclair I would make it almost like a post WW2 movie. The filming would be the most important part, allowing the audience to see instead of having to be described what is happening in Chicago around this time. The location of packing town and its gruesome scenery would in itself be the main objective, to capture the thousands of immigrants entering packing town, to the housing situation, and to the horrible work conditions all of the people described in the novel ought to be the main “attraction”. I think it would also be interesting to have the location look almost like “New Wave Cinema”, almost like a Wes Anderson film, I think this would show the irony between the bloody and horrific moments in more artistic style, kind of like a Quentin Tarantino Film, very over dramatic use or blood to drive in the point. I believe both Marlon Brando and Margaret Qualley are a perfect pair and a believable representation of Jurgis and Ona from the novel. The film ought to be shot in black and white; perhaps when Jurgis goes to the pasture it goes to color to show that this is where humans and civilization should be instead of the cramped and dirty city life. I know this idea is not really on par to what the book is trying to represent but I believe this would be a more interesting take to get the audience on board with the real underlying message that Sinclair was trying to prove.