Post #7 from J.F. Marin

Hey gang. The question I put forth for your reflection and response is this, as we part ways and move off in our own directions, which writer would you place at the top of your personal list as highly influential and innovative? Tell what is it about their work that merits your acclaim. In addition, what innovations (if any) do we see ourselves bringing to the world of literature and future readers?

Post #6 from Melissa Brooks

In "The Genius of Laurence Sterne," Hartley says Sterne has been "acclaimed a great force for Romanticism" (499). Hartley says that if Sterne has indeed been this force, it is "chiefly because he seemed to elevate Feeling above Reason" (499). Do you think the novel Tristram Shandy elevates feeling above reason--why or why not? Or, do you think this book emulates Romanticism in other ways? Do you find either feeling or reason more valuable, both in your personal life and in literature?

Prompt #5 from Melissa Pie

There are numerous characters within Tristam Shandy. Many readers I have spoken to find it easier to relate to a novel when there is one character in particular that that reader can relate to. Are there any characters that you find easier to relate to than others and why? Does it help to focus on this character more than others in understanding what has been transpiring in the novel?

Prompt #4 from JJ Bach

In the handout "Structure as a starting point," Robert D. Spector states, "The concept of rhythm is, in fact, another good approach to the problems of structure and unity amid the apparent chaos of Tristam Shandy" (52). Among the types of rhythm described by Spector are "sequences of incidents, groupings of character through the growth of a symbol as it accretes meaning from a succession of contexts, combining words and phrases, and the interweaving and interactive relationship of themes" (52). Which, if any, of these elements of rhythm have helped you the most thus far in your reading and which, if any, have helped you the least and why?

Jeremy's Post for 9/11/2008

In light of the somber tone of the day and memorials at Ground Zero in New York, Special Topics in Calamity Physics strikes me as a surprisingly accurate reflection of our national identity and intellectual thought. Many news reports highlight the fact that we are still highly vulnerable to attack despite the billions spent on National Security. Does Pessl force her readers to deal with this vulnerability through Blue's vulnerability in the story? In a world where every unfamiliar face is a potential terrorist, is it feasible that Gareth, the most familiar face in Blue's life, is the strategist, Socrates, of the Nightwatchmen?

Stritch Senior Seminar Blog

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