Evie's Blog

  Blog Post #5 I thoroughly enjoyed reading “The Lake” by Tananarive Due because it felt like a type of story I typically don’t reach for. Many moments caught my attention, but the specific scene where Abbie realizes her feet are webbed has consumed my mind. If I were in Abbie’s position, I would be freaking out, crying, calling everyone I know, and taking myself to the hospital. I would most definitely be on the verge of a panic attack because I would begin to look more like an animal as opposed to an actual human. Abbie seemed freakishly calm as her body began to change, and honestly, I found it rather alarming. Additionally, given that she had really strange, vivid dreams and would wake up in the morning drenched as if she had gone for a swim, as a reader, I would consider that a reason to panic, but Abbie did the exact opposite. She remained calm, almost as if she were excited. When it clicked in my head that there was this sort of happiness that Abbie was feeling, that was whe...

Blog Post #4 I really enjoyed watching and discussing Eve’s Bayou because it was a film I had never watched, and the more I unpacked it, the more I realized how complex it is. The part that struck me the most was Eve’s loss of innocence at such a young age. I cannot imagine how confusing, scary, and shocking it was to see her dad cheat on her mom with another woman. Not only that, but the scene where Eve sees Cisely and her dad sharing a private moment. Although this moment is ambiguous as we aren’t shown exactly what transpires in the room, we can infer from Eve’s reaction that it isn’t something good. For Eve to take on such strong adult emotions at the ripe age of 10 is incredibly tolling and not something a 10-year-old should ever have to deal with. That was something that will forever change Eve and her opinions of the world and relationships. Whenever I think of a typical 10-year-old girl, I imagine someone who is outside, playing with her friends, or playing with dolls, sheltere...

  Blog Post #3 I really enjoyed learning about Ouanga , a voodoo-themed horror movie starring Fredi Washington. I had never heard of this movie before, so I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about its important themes and to see a few clips in class. From the very beginning, you can catch the intensity of the fear of blackness, black ritual, and the drum. Learning that the drum was used between enslaved people who were abducted and brought here from West Africa to communicate with one another, a language that Europeans could not understand, amplified its power and meaning for me. Although the movie was much later than slavery, I found it interesting that the fear of the drum still continued, representing Voodoo rituals, so to see it reframed as something threatening felt disturbing. I found it particularly interesting that there was the looming fear of Voodoo; a Haitian tradition. Something that is a practice and faith that gives people strength and sustenance, was ultimate...

I really enjoyed listening to the lecture on “The Rider” by Tananarive Due. I found myself captivated by it for its blend of historical fiction and horror, with Due’s late mom and aunt as the protagonists. Writing this piece allowed her to write a fictionalized version of her late mom while also creating a space to feel even more connected to her, in a cathartic way. This made the whole lecture more special to me. Whenever I read anything that relates to the author in some way, I always find myself more intrigued and analyzing it differently. Due mentioned how, although this did enable her to feel closer to her mom, it raised numerous questions while writing it, further showing the admiration and respect for her mom. This was something I was able to really understand because, if I were in Due’s position, I could not even begin to imagine the number of questions I would have about my late mom, such as: Would she approve of this? What was she like when she was younger? Am I including the...

  Blog Post #1 Get Out and the following conversation captivated my attention the most. I had never watched this movie before this class, so I was excited to have the opportunity to watch it and analyze it in depth. The cool thing about having a class like this is that you listen to the various opinions and interpretations of a film, book, show, etc. from students and professors, which enables me to look at things differently and understand specific topics and ideas better. Although I found all conversations about this movie to be riveting in their own way, when we began to talk about the Sunken Place, that was where I found myself really wanting to learn more, wanting to research it outside of class, and most importantly, wanting to talk about it with friends and family. I have never heard of this term before, but I am glad that I heard it for the first time within this context.  When I first heard about it, I tried to figure out for myself what it could mean and what it cou...