Research Blog #2:

The Rabbit Hole Goes Deeper

The (Re)Search Continues

Currently, we are trying to solidify the primary source(s) for the research paper, and during this process we are looking for some secondary sources to set us up for the framework of our paper. For now, I have definitely found my primary source and it is . . . Jojo Rabbit! Directed by Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit combines a whole bunch of topics and units that have piqued my interest over the course of this year

There is a lot of directions that I could take with it. The problem now is how should I appraoch this in a coherent and understandable way? Is it even possible for me to address everything when most of the topics that I want to discuss seem wildely different from each other? Well, most likely I will probably take a surrealist/psychanalytic approach to incorporate everything I want to talk about. So far there are so many interesting secondary sources to look through, and there is a lot of content/ideas I can get from reading the text source of the film, Caging Skies (by Christine Leunen). I'm excited to see what I can uncover in my search.

Jojo Rabbit, Official Trailer from FOX Searchlight on Youtube

Thoughts/Ideas? Past vs. Present

When thinking about possible sources for my paper, Jojo Rabbit was at the top of my list. Primarily since I wanted to write about it from the start of the course, but of course there are plenty more options that I could've chosen. Ultimately, this source did win out compared to everything else.

Although only a couple of weeks have passed since the first post, I have came up with additional points that I can talk about in the research paper. Below is a brief overview of what I have gained/added to my roster of questions and information. (Left is for previous points I already have and right are some new points after reading the first couple of secondary sources for the annotation assignment). Although I thought that it would be difficult trying to find secondary sources for a more newer film, I am surprised at the amount of information I could get if I just broadened my search away from just the source itself. Using the Langston Library at UCI definitely gave me a good place to look for more sources if I ever need to extend my search in a specific category or topic, and the UCI Library Search is also a key site to search for secondary sources as well. Though the first-time experience of trying to find the I need books in the library was a nightmare, I did quickly get the hang of it soon enough, and I'm sure to check it out again if I need similar sources.

Sarah Dorweiler's "Fresh Leaf Near a Macbook" on Unsplash

PAST/PREVIOUS IDEAS

Dark themes through a satirical lens
Perspective of a 10-year-old Nazi boy
The animalization of Jews during the Holocaust
- Social Darwinism, Scientific Racism
Coming-of-age story of Jojo
Transitional objects, Adolf Hitler as Jojo's imaginary friend
Animals and gender, hegemonic male/female roles and sexuality

PRESENT/CURRENT IDEAS

Reframing the Holocaust narrative through a surrealist lens (of a 10-year-old German boy)
- Ideas of the Carnivalesque
The ethical dilemna of representing the Holocaust in contemporary film, the efforts in preventing generational trauma
Is Waititi justified in his representation of Nazis as grotesque figures? Or is it considered sacrilegious
Postmemory, third generation, and Holocaust survivors

My annotated copy of Gard Beyer's "After Postmemory: Holocaust Cinema and the Third Generation."

My annotated copy of Sanra Reji and Aparna Nandha's "Carnivalesque subversion and the narrative gaze of children..."

So, What's The Plan Now?

Now that we have our primary source, what is next up on the list? Currently, I am going through the secondary sources/materials, which means a lot of searching through the UCI library's data base and Google Scholar. Luckily UCI has access to so many sources of information, especially academic journals, articles, and essays (which makes me all the more thankful since it would definitely be way more difficult to compile all this material if I did not have access to these resources). Compared to my previous experiences with my crude, Sophmore-year research paper, I'm definitely more prepared and organized with this assignment. I have made sure to create a bibliography that contains all the sources that are useful or interesting for my paper—adding more as I progress in the future—and we have already finished our first annotated bibliography assingment for the paper. I also want to read the original novel material to make some comparisons between the text and film, and compare/contrast the two to see how tone or meaning changes based on the medium, or what limitations are placed in those mediums when addressing a topic like the Holocaust. In the not-so-distant future, we will eventually reach the phase of the paper when we start formating and planning the outline of the paper and begin putting our thoughts and ideas into words on paper.

Although it was daunting to start off, and still kind of overwhelming to see all the materials I have to review, I am excited to see what this all culminates to by the end of the quarter. The fact that this has all been planned out so we have a point of refence and guidance has been a huge help, and it has definitely kept me accountable to do my work. So hopefully that trend continues and I don't fall behind on my work as the quarter goes on!

Maybe an exageration of what I am feeling right now (though midterms are around the courner) but I am sure that I am heading in the right direction!

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