One interesting character in Kushner's Angels in America is Roy Cohn, who displays the intersection of LGBTQ+ identity and power dynamics. Roy, a very successful New York lawyer, is a homosexual. Living with this part of his identity concealed or unacknowledged seemed easy, until he was diagnosed with AIDS. In response to his diagnosis Roy says, "Now to someone who does not understand this, homosexual is what I am because I have sex with men. But really this is wrong... Homosexuals are men who know nobody and who nobody knows. Who have zero clout. Does that sound like me, Henry?" Here Roy is rejecting the social construct of homosexuality, but instead, is supporting the notion that it depends on who you are that defines the outcome of your social standing. Power, for Roy, is the only deciding factor. For example, Roy explains how because of who he is as a person, and the power he has in society, that it doesn't matter that he is homosexual. He is still respected and taken seriously for the work he has done and the people he influences, even the President (46-7). By also rejecting his diagnosis of AIDS and his sexuality, Roy thus displaces himself and devalues those who do have AIDS and are homosexual. His rejection of these identifications shows his rejection of the social constructs that follow but also the entire LGBTQ+ community itself. 

However, it is clear that Roy might be more privileged that most in the play. As a white man who has a secure job, Roy doesn't experience quite the same thing as others. For example, Belize is constantly harassed for his race and his gender identity the entire play, even though he is trying to nurse Roy back to health. At one point, Louis also tries to go on a rant about the political state of the nation as he begins his hospital stay of AIDS and explains that race isn't the true issue at hand, but rather power. This displaces and devalues the experience of Belize's intersection of homosexuality and race. Because it is true that Belize does experience a different type of discrimination because of these two factors being at play in his identity at the same time. Roy also devalues Belize's experience as he tries to compare being Jewish and being Black (152). The difference in experiences between Jewish Americans and African Americans is completely different, which is another reason labels and stereotypes that are used within identifying groups can devalue a person's true experience and displacement. 

I do not think that James Baldwin would've been happy if he had moved to Nigeria in the 1960s. 

As Baldwin explains in The Fire Next Time, he has many issues with different religions and organizations because of the messages they reinforce about violence. At first, Baldwin left the Christian church after he realized "the principles [of the church] were Blindness, Loneliness, and Terror" and that "there was no love in the church... it was a mask for hatred and self-hatred and despair" (Baldwin 31, 39). He also doesn't join Islam after being encouraged to by Elijah by saying "[Islam] had been designed for the same purpose; namely, the sanctification of power" and also instilled violence in its pursuit of a more "just" society (Baldwin 50). This was precisely the type of community and religion that Baldwin was trying to escape and change. In relation to Nigeria during the 1960s, Adichie uses her highly-educated character to describes in her novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, the extreme violence that was occurring between the North and the South. As Richard, the professor, describes this violence as the product of British colonial political manipulation, he writes, "No doubt these groups also fought wars and slave-raided each other, but they did not massacre in this manner" (Adichie 209). Because of the sheer amount of violence that was occurring, I don't think Baldwin would find Nigeria a better alternative if he moved.

On the discussion of Pan-Africanism, which is happening in both the United States and in Nigeria during this time, Baldwin also expressed his disapproval. He said, "And I dismissed the Nation of Islam's demand for a separate black economy in America" (Baldwin 48). I believe Baldwin would have a similar take on all Pan-Africanism, as he doesn't believe the solution to liberating blacks is through further segregation, but through true equality, love, and acceptance. So, I don't think Baldwin would approve of the way the Nigerian, and even the Biafran, people are trying to achieve their freedom, especially through the use of mass violence. 

One of the ways Afterlives changed my perspective on my preconceptions about colonial rule in Africa was through their explanation of the hierarchical placements of the different people and cultures in East Africa that were being effected by German rule at the time. 

The different cultures were shown to be treated and have different uses to the German or European rule. For example, the Standard newspaper, described "the heated exchanges between settlers who wanted to remove all Africans from Kenya and make it what they called A White Man's Country, and those who wanted to remove all Indians and only allow in Europeans but keep the Africans as laborers and servants, with a sprinkling of some savage pastoralists in a reserve for spectacle" (246). While either side seems absolutely horrific to the African peoples, it also shows the hierarchical status of different cultures. For example, they wanted to remove the Indians and send them back to their country, but the African people of that land were hoped to be made into slaves. There were different African people, like the pastoralists, that they hoped to truly turn into animals and treat them as a "spectacle." The Europeans truly didn't think of the Africans as people, but this passage showed the different in perception of the Europeans toward the different cultures that occupied East Africa at the time, like the Indians, Africans, etc. 

There was a hierarchy of culture, but also of gender. Within the culture hierarchy, it was clear that there were concepts of gender and femininity were highly judged. For example, we see how the German officers would use African men they thought were more "feminine", in looks or personality, as their personal servants. It was a expectation for these men to also be sexual servants to the officers and be "just like a little wife" (71). Not only were some of the weaker or "prettier" men seen as lower status that some of the other African men who were cruel and dominant, but women were subject to be even lesser than. For example, Afiya was brutally beaten when she was younger for trying to learn how to read, which was thought to give her freedom and sexual liberties (50). This violence of women wasn't just from the Europeans upon those in the African cultures, but also within the cultures themselves. So, when Euopean presence was introduced into Africa, the gendered and cultural hierarchies expanded on the already existing ones in the African cultures. This created even bigger gaps in gendered differences and intercultural violence to increase. Afterlives was able to capture and explore this hierarchy of culture and gender which changed my perspective on the type of violence and perspectives of those who resided in African at the time, whether they be European or African. 

To me, I felt like the most prominent theme that was discussed in the novel was the mental illness and suffering that soldiers who just returned from WW1 experienced. Septimus struggles heavily with PTSD and shell shock from the war and it is shown through his monologues and the way he interacts with the other characters of the novel, especially his wife, Lucrezia, and his doctor, Sir William Bradshaw. His thoughts are scattered, mournful, and sporatic. For example, right before he commits suicide, his thoughts race with which way might be best and the thoughts of others. It's written, "But he would wait till the very last moment. He did not want to die. Life was good. The sun hot. Only human beings -- what did they want?" (Woolf 149).  His constant thoughts of humanity and human nature were all over his dialogue, but it is clear here that he wrestled more with his thoughts of death, life, and sickness than we give him credit for. I think Virginia Woolf added these conflicting thoughts from Septimus to truly show what people with mental illness war with in their minds, especially when suicide enters the picture. 

I compared this to the Poem Disabled by Wilfrid Owen and The War Cripples art by Otto Dix. These two pieces of art discuss the harsh reality of the soldiers who returned. Whether they be physically damaged or mentally harmed, they all experienced some trauma from the war. For Septimus, his PTSD and shell shock were what caused him to be mentally unwell. In the poem, the line "Now, he will spend a few sick years in institutes, And do what things the rules consider wise" (Owen). This reminded me of how Sir William Bradshaw would constantly tell Septimus about his plan of rest and the controlled environment he was going to take him to for healing. However, to me it didn't feel like the photos or the poems spoke much about the mental aspects of trauma, especially since mental illness wasn't discussed much at the time. I appreciate how Woolf includes the perspective of someone who is struggling with mental illness in the novel, and the way the other characters react to his death, as it gives a full picture of the thoughts and procedures that society would go through when dealing with a mangled soldier. 

I believe that Villette might have been less known and less studied than other Bronte novels due to its darker themes and unconventional female protagonist. 

First, Lucy Snow, the main female protagonist, is unconventional in the fact that she seems to have depression and expresses feelings of loneliness, anger, jealousy, contempt, and disgust toward situations or other characters. I, personally, felt like I connected with her as I see some personal characteristics in her that I see in myself. But, many describe her as cold and are unable to connect with her as the female protagonist. This could be a central reason why this book was less assigned or known, as readers typically like to make connections with characters in books to understand their story, which seemed hard to do in Villette. 

Another topic, that specifically is shown through Lucy's character, is the representation of mental illness and depression. Topics like this, even today, are still considered taboo and unnatural. For women, it was seen as even more unnatural, as they were given lobotomies or diagnosed with hysteria for their thoughts that were involved with mental illnesses or non-stereotypical guidelines of femininity. This role of mental illness or paranoia continues in the plotline of the ghost. While we figure out that the ghost was just de Hamal, it still made readers question her sanity (Chapter 40). She also seemed somewhat unreliable as a narrator as she withholds information or overshares details that are unnecessary for the reader. 

Similar to other books we have read this semester, and in previous semesters, the ending was of the woman not conforming to gender norms of marriage, but rather of a free woman leading her life the way she deems fit. I find Olivia in A Woman of Colour has similar traits that Lucy also portrays. This books specifically also encouraged female education and property rights, as well as invoked the discourse of religion. Many of these topics during the time the book was written most likely would have been seen as controversial and might have played a part in how popular the book became. For example, she says toward the end of the novel, "'I shall share no man's or woman's life in this world, as you understand sharing. I think I have one friend of my own, but am not sure; and till I am sure, I live in solidarity" (pg. 454). This push for independence felt like a motivator to obtain happiness, but also a representation of Lucy's personality. I also believe that because this book didn't end with the happy ending of traditional marriage, it wasn't as popular as books like Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights. 

Shelley uses gender roles and stereotypes to explore parental relationships, roles of women in the house, the gendered division of labor, and romantic relationships. 

One example of gender roles that Shelley explores in this novel is directly through parenting dynamics and responsibilities. Shelley stresses the importance of women in children's lives and how motherhood and nurturing characteristics might have changed the outcome of the creature. After understanding Shelley's difficult personal life and childhood, it is understandable that she would have strong opinions about the importance of parenting in a child's upbringing to give it a moral compass and valuable characteristics. 

This understanding of parentage also introduces the gendered division of labor, where men are supposed to be working outside of the home and the women are confined to the domestic sphere. However, while it might seem like they are safe in their sphere, they are still victimized and not safe. "Caroline Beaufort dies from scarlet fever caught when she alone volunteers to nurse the contagious Elizabeth. Justine, unable to prove her innocence in the death of William, is condemned to death by Victor’s refusal to take responsibility for his creature’s actions. And Elizabeth is murdered on her wedding night" (Mellor). This violence against women exposes the control and level of superiority that men have over women. It also shows how men feel women are weak in comparison to things like natural forces (like illness), the societal and political spheres (like the courts), and to other men (through murder). Also, Victor creating life without the need for typical biological processes, robs women of their cultural value of motherhood; thus, giving them no virtual purpose, in the eyes of men during them time. The structure of the home also breaks up every time in this novel when the creature enters the space; thus, suggesting the creature's involvement in the destruction of female autonomy and their lives. 

Another way that Victor displays his true feelings toward women is when he refuses to make the creature a mate, even after the creature explains having a family and children is his true wish (Shelley 123). The creature explains to Victor, "I ought to be thy Adam," which makes me wonder why Victor wouldn't grant his creature an Eve (Shelley 90). However, knowing how Victor views women, we can assume that his concept of control would've been destroyed if he were to create a woman. He mentions, she "might refuse to comply with a compact made before her creation" and "she also might turn with disgust from his to the superior beauty of man; she might quit him" (Shelley 160). Because he can't control her and he is afraid of her gaining autonomy, Victor abandons his project in creating a female creature. Also, due to negative concepts of Eve which had formed current views of women and their sexuality, Victor might also have fear of creating another Eve. He seems that Victor draws the line at femininity, but not playing God. 

I think Olivia definitely made the right decision to return to Jamaica. Not only due to her own personal circumstances, the stereotypes and relationships she experienced while she was in England didn't seem like a very positive environment. 

For example, in the Appendix D, which included related historical texts, in Edward Long's The History of Jamaica, he states, "But, to state the comparison fairly, if their fathers had married, the difference would have been this: their white offspring might have remained in the colony, to strengthen and enrich it: the Mulatto offspring desert and impoverish it" (A Woman of Colour 239). He is saying that Mulatto people leave or keep the country impoverished. To me, this seems problematic, as Europeans came into Jamaica to enslave the people and take their resources. So, it would seem normal to me for the people who were being oppressed by white Europeans to either end up poor, as the Europeans take all of their resources and enslave them, or to want to leave their country for a better, more prosperous life. For Olivia, her father made her leave to hopefully end up in a good economic marriage so she could gain most of his wealth. However, after she finds out this stipultation her father made is no longer feasible, she decides to return to Jamaica. Since it is guaranteed for Olivia to have this secured monetary income from George and protections from the suppression and slavery of the white men in Jamaica due to her heritage and freedom, I would also return home to my country.

Also, J.B. Moreton's account explains the promiscuity and high sexual desires that women of the West Indies possess due to their low levels of education and disinterest in religion (A Woman of Colour 248). Olivia's mother was also subject to this stereotype and was fed into the premarital relations that Olivia's father subject her to. Her own daughter even described her with this stereotype saying her passions were high (A Woman of Colour 54). I also think that Olivia was faced with some of this stereotypes, as she was encouraged to stay married or marry another man, as being unwed wasn't normalized. I think her leaving England to go back to Jamaica was to escape the societal expectations of marriage and relationships that she experienced in England. 

In relation to her views on relationships, the ending and her rejection of Mr. Honeywood reminded me of the Letters from a Peruvian Woman, where the ending ends similarly. The main character here, Zilia, was in love with a man, Ada, who she wrote letters to about her experience and travel to France. A man in France who was similar to that of Mr. Honeywood, expressed interest in her; however, the main character, like Olivia, said she only felt friendship for the man. In the end, when Zilia finds out her lover, Ada, is with another woman, Zilia decides to only be friends with the other man and speaks about possibly returning to her home country. Because of the heartbreak and societal expectations of marriage, Zilia chose to stay single and/or leave the place she was in for her beloved home country. It was highly controversial for this ending to occur, as it left her story unfinished and her unmarried. A Woman of Colour also has this similar ending, which introduces controversial claims of the desire to return to one's home country (even if it is looked down upon through a European view) and female independence. For these reasons, I think that Olivia returning to Jamaica was a statement of feminine independence and a direct opposition to the beliefs and suggestions of the white Europeans who encouraged her to stay, get married, and assimilate into England's society. Her leaving for Jamaica was a way for her to escape this marital pressure and Western societal standards for women. Therefore, I believe it was a good idea for her to return home.