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Recommended: Sexuality and literature
References to Homosexuality in Walt Whitman's Song of Myself
"WHITMAN WAS MORE MAN THAN YOU'LL EVER BE," said a student of Louisiana State University. When asked questions of your sexual preference or thoughts on the issue of sex, I would venture to say it makes most people uncomfortable. This is an age-old topic that people know about, yet do not want to talk about. He was particularly reticent about his issues regarding sex and his particular sexual preference. In fact, of Whitman's struggles the most difficult for him to deal with was his ever so strong homosexual desires (Hubbell 283). Whether homosexuality is right or wrong is not for me to decide. Though I feel it should not be used so explicitly in works of literature.
Homosexuality, by definition, is the act of having relations with members of the same sex (Webster's Dictionary). In today's society, we chose to either disregard homosexuality, to accept it, or to engage in it. Someone you least expect is probably a homosexual to some extent. Most heterosexuals tend to pretend that homosexuality does not exist or judge those who chose to engage in it. This issue is not new. In fact, in the early nineteenth century many letters and diaries that have been examined show that middle class men and women of all ages participate in relations that verged on sexual- homosexual love. Today these acts would be judged as homoerotic, yet were viewed with tolerance and were even encouraged by leading middle class moralists. Readers of the time took little notice to poets like Whitman, not even to condemn them for immorality, a charge which they typically reserved for poems with heterosexual themes (Killingsworth 98).
Whitman was a unique poet and a...
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...e had no idea when writing this work what the future would hold, we are now reading this in our literature class. Is this really appropriate? We are college students, and as mature adults, this material should be something we can handle. What do you think? I believe that homosexuality is very real, and that we need to learn about it and educate ourselves about the issue. Yet, I don't think we should go as far as being explicit about it in our textbooks.
Works Cited
Hubbell, Jay B. Eight American Authors- A review of Research and Criticism. The
Modern American Language Association of America. New York, 1956.
Killingsworth, Jimmie. Whitman's Poetry of the Bdy. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill and London. 1989.
Lauter, Paul. The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Third Edition.
Houghton Mifflin Company, New York. 1998.
The sounds and music in this film are very realistic, and to the point. There is not anything abstract or out of place, and everything is very appropriate. The sound effects in the film are diegetic (sounds that the actors can hear), with the score being nondiegetic (sounds that the actors cannot hear). The film falls under the category of realism, with no stylizing or manipulation of images and sounds.
The films musical score alerts the viewer to an approaching attack of the shark and they automatically build this association with the music in their mind. Horror films often make use of high string instrument notes that irritate viewers and increase tension. Music plays an important role in film editing and the editor must choose its placement wisely to ensure its intended effect on the viewer’s mind and
film music. On the one side there are the purists, who cry foul at the piecing together of
Homosexuality has always played a huge role in society. Views on this topic have changed immensely from the beginning of the greece era to now in modern society. People have become more appalled with this topic because now in society there are stereotypical views on “normal” ways of living. Religious views have also impacted people's decisions and thoughts about it.
Enhancing the sustained fright of this film are an excellent cast, from which the director coaxes extraordinary performances, and Bernard Herrmann's chilling score. Especially effective is the composer's so-called "murder music," high-pitched screeching sounds that flash across the viewer's consciousness as quickly as the killer's deadly knife. Bernard Herrmann achieved this effect by having a group of violinists frantically saw the same notes over and over again.
Homosexuality is a trending topic especially with the issue of gay marriage in Utah. As a heterosexual college woman, I have received negative and positive messages about homosexual orientation. Large amounts of adverse criticism concerning the issue began in my town and school. Most supporting messages came later in life, specifically attending college and moving to Salt Lake City. And while there seems to be a shift in societal views towards positive connotations regarding gay and lesbian, some negatives still hold power. Particularly, homosexual relationships and people are bad.
Davis, S. F., & Palladino, J. J. (2003). Psychology. (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
“The term homosexual was first used in 1869 by Karl-Maria Kertbeny, but it was the book Psychopathia Sexualis by Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing who popularized the concept in 1886”. http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexualidad; Since then, homosexuality has become the subject of intense discussion and study, a very controversial topic because our society has made the acceptance of same sex relationship almost impossible, however polemic over gay marriage, adoption and other rights are the reasons why Gays and Lesbians community are fighting in the present time for equality.
Whitman is giving a more graphic example of how sex is a natural thing. By comparing the act of reproduction to death he shows just how natural of an act sex is. Everything that is born will eventually die. He feels that the natural curiosities of the human sexual appetites should not be denied or not discussed because of social standards. Not only is sex a "miracle" that is a part of him, but also nature and the universe, and each individual part should be celebrated.
The acceptance of “abnormal” sexualities has been a prolonged, controversial battle. The segregation is excruciating and the prejudice remarks are so spiteful that some people never truly recover. Homosexuals have been left suffering for ages. Life, for most homosexuals during the first half of the twentieth century, was mostly one of hiding: having to constantly hide their true feelings and tastes. Instead of restaurants and movies, they had to sit quiet in the dark and meet each other in concealed places such as bars. Homosexuals were those with “mental and psychic abnormalities” and were the victim of medical prejudice, police harassment, and church condemnation (Jagose 24). The minuscule mention or assumption of one’s homosexuality could easily lead to the loss of family, livelihood, and sometimes even their lives. It was only after the Stonewall riots and the organization of gay/lesbian groups that times for homosexuals started to look brighter.
Music has frequently been used by directors to strengthen the impact of scenes that are dramatically weak and on the contrary, when music is not needed to strengthen a scene, it can be used for neutral effect and can refrain from drawing attention to itself e.g. easy listening or subtle complementary background music.
The media’s portrayal of gays was a picture of perversion. Homosexuals were looked upon in disgust, uneasiness and fear. Schools taught children that being homosexual was one of the greatest offenses one could commit. Many books, newspaper articles, and other documents were published to convey homosexuals as disturbed individuals.
...of what an individual can truly be to give ambiguities of framing and atmosphere. The ending of the film is by far the most unnerving scenes of all time. This is done in one shot in front of the camera, no other dialogue is said but narration.
Society shapes human beings into what they think is perfection. People in today’s society follow the world’s rituals as they continue to conform to fit in to the latest trends. Today, implants, plastic surgery, and weight loss treatments are the reason people have money set aside in their savings accounts. The pressure of others claims to be the main reason people change their hair, skin, and size, and often forget about their own special characteristics. There is a reason Walt Whitman, writes “I Celebrate Myself, and Sing Myself,” to show the importance of loving yourself and cherishing your own personal qualities as a human being. He speaks of himself, hoping to grab his readers’ attention. Throughout the poem, “I Celebrate Myself, and Sing
In today's society, there exists a mixture of issues which tend to raise arguments with people all over. There are a handful of topics that always seem to escalate these differences between people to the point where one who earnestly participates in discussion, debate and argument can direct their anger towards their feelings on the person themselves. Some examples of such delicate subjects are the death penalty, abortion, and euthanasia. An issue that has in recent years, begun to increase arguments, is the acceptability of homosexuality in society. Until recently, homosexuality was considered strictly taboo. If an individual was homosexual, it was considered a secret to be kept from all family, friends, and society. However, it seem that society has begun to accept this lifestyle by allowing same sex couples. The idea of coming out of the 'closet' has moved to the head of homosexual individuals when it used to be the exception. Homosexuality is nothing to be ashamed of and we should all come to realize this.