The End.

I didn't take this class because I was interested in the topic, nor was it a requirement of any kind. I took it because, for me, I knew it would be challenging - that I would have to step outside my comfort zone. Of course I didn't like studying all of the theories, some were interesting, and others I think really shouldn't be applied to literature. For example, psychoanalysis. Decoding dreams, thoughts, and the unconscious is something I wouldn't mind further researching, but I don't feel as though it should apply to literary studies. Maybe if you're studying the author, but not texts.

The theories that I really enjoyed learning about were the ones that addressed the hierarchy of power in society - Marxism, feminism, and postcolonialism. I think my interest in those theories has been because of my new interest in the politics of power. Who has it, who doesn't, and why even when we live in a democratic, "open-minded" country, it's easy to say everyone is equal, but really, no one is. I like these theories because they point out the weaknesses in the argument of equality and power. These theories work well in interpreting literature and "real life."

My interest in power structures is what influenced me to write my essay about the movie To Wong Foo. Sure, the movie is hilarious...or at least I think so, but there are a lot of underlying issues that people seem to either ignore or gloss over when watching it. People laugh at things that are stereotypes, but really unconsciously, they believe it to be true. I analyzed the movie through feminist theory, and wrote about how patriarchal power was disguised as drag queens. But I also noticed that patriarchal power doesn't just oppress women, as we discussed in class, it oppresses other non-dominant men, and people of different ethnic backgrounds. And it's ironic that the oppressors in the film were supposed to be the non-dominant "outcasts" in society.

They were the ones who were supposed to be powerless, and yet they were the most powerful. Even within the group - there were three of them - there was one that definitely overpowered the other two. And of course the most dominant one (played by Patrick Swayze) was white and dressed in a more high class glamorous fashion than the other two - one of which was black, and the other latino. I suppose I could have included a postcolonial analysis, although I didn't really think of that at the time.

I believe this is the reason why I really enjoyed reading Cloud 9. I was skeptical at first because I didn't really like Mantissa. But this play is really entertaining. I think that because it uses a lot of humor, it's easier to pick up on the different issues that arise.