Hurrah! I figured it out! Yeah Me!
Okay, after the discussion on Sunday about "7 pounds" and the allusion to "The Merchant of Venice" I decided to read it. ("The Merchant of Venice" not "7 pounds"). Thanks to the library of Mom, I was able to quickly pick up a Shakespeare anthology. I must say, I am out of practice when it comes to reading the bard's work. On the first attempt, I think I fell asleep in about five minutes without understanding anything. Though that's probably more a reflection of my own sleep habits than the quality of the work in question. I am now a good way through it, though I must devour it in small bites. The contract involving the pound of flesh is signed very early in the work. I've not yet seen the resolution of the contract, though I can see where it is headed. (After all, isn't this a tragedy? Or am I wrong on that?)
Here's my question for the lit majors. In Act 3, Scene 1, the Shylock the Jew, who is also the creditor, wails a lament. Here's a small sampling:
I am a Jew. Hath not a
Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs di-
mensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with
the same food, hurt with the same weapons,
and of course it goes on. Reading this I was reminded of something I read quite some time ago. It seems it was written by a black woman and I think it was called "Ain't I a Woman?". I could be wrong on some of that, it is a hazy memory. I seem to remember similarities in the questions asked by the lamenter. But what is the connection or story behind this?
Where to Find Me
8 years ago
Good one, Jeanine. Very literary! I was familiar with the poem, but I looked it up on the internet for more info. Read this link first, which has the form I think we are all familiar with...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/genwom/sojour.htm
Apparently it was taken from a speech by a black woman at a women's rights conference. The language in the link above is definitely the language I am familiar with. In the Wikipedia account below, though, is described some controversy over the original text of the speech. Apparently the language we are familiar with was released twelve years after the speech was actually given. A report of the speech that was given shortly after the conference contains different language, most notably a more educated tone and the absence of the famous phrase "ain't I a woman." Read the Wikipedia article...it's very interesting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ain't_I_a_Woman%3F
I noticed also a link at the bottom of the Wikipedia article to a poem version of the speech, which is probably the form we have all read in high school English classes. Thanks for pointing this out...it was interesting to look it up and learn about it.
Y'all are more educated then me cause I ain't never heard of the speech. Have read Merchant of Venice though, but not an expert.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the info Cindy. Mom lent me her Anthology on women's lit and it had Gage's rendition as well as some bibliographic info. I was confused when I read the speech because I didn't remember ever reading it before so couldn't figure where my memory was coming from. Confusing?! But that poem version finally struck the chord. That is what I read in high school. But even still, I can't say exactly why it came to my mind. I've never been good at the compare and contrast stuff. It's too oblique for me to put into words. But even when I had the two pieces next to each other, I feel a good deal of similarity. I just can't explain it. (Classic example of why I'm Math not English)
ReplyDeleteOne idea I have though has to do with the different versions. Obviously Truth had never read Shakespeare, but it is quite possible that the Gage and Stetson (writers of most known rendition and poem respectively) were familiar with the bard. Perhaps that is were the influence crept in? Just an opinion.