Blog Post Summary (Wieland Chapter I to XIV)

Sorry the summary came late guys. Its been a long week.
Anyway here are the summaries

DISCLAIMER:
*The summaries are from I understood from each blog post. I will not vouch for their complete accuracy.
*I may have left out "A LOT" of details, suffices to say each summary is extremely short(I hope)
*your interpretation of a particular blog may be vastly different from mine(that's fine just don't write hate mail to me please ;_;)

TO OTHERS WHO HAVE TO WRITE BLOG SUMMARIES
*Start Early it takes A LOOONG Time

Legend for keywords(well the common ones at least)
Guardian spirit - mysterious spirit who protects Clara, Theodore, Pleyel etc
Evolution of Clara's Character - How Clara changes from chapter I to Chapter XIV
Girl in love? - which guy does Clara like
Paradise Lost - the loss or destruction of the the blissful private community that Clara, Theodore, Catharine, Pleyel had built up over the years.
Fall from grace - Adam&Eve's fall from god's grace
Original Sin - Adam&Eve's sin
Pitiable Human - Clara's safe haven of 6 years is ripped to shreds by the arrival of Carwin, she is faced with a possible murderer/rapist. Pity her


Quotation marks without page numbers are directly from blogs. Otherwise quotations with page numbers are from the book

Tate – Who are you? (Keywords: Guardian spirit, Carwin/Clara Confrontation)

(97) Tate’s blog post deals with the scene where Clara opens the closet to find Carwin within. A mysterious scream warns her against opening the door to the closet much the same as previously when a mysterious voice gave warning to Clara at the summer house. Tate questions whether this “guardian” spirit is in fact the very spirit of her own father.

Madolyn – Clara: From Conviction to Confusion (Keywords: Guardian spirit, Evolution of Clara’s character)

Madolyn talks about the role of supernatural forces in the development of Clara. Madolyn suggests that there are three key incidents that shook the foundation of Clara’s character: her first confrontation with the illusive Catharine’s voice. Her disbelief of apparitions was destroyed by Pleyel’s description of the ghost as a “sensible and intelligent existence.”(36) The second event is the assassination event where the two murderers hid in her closet and plotted her demise. This event tested her personal belief that she was free from interpersonal harm because she had always acted virtuously towards everyone. (45) The third event is Clara’s dream of her brother bringing her to ruin and that there was a voice telling her to flee to safety.(50) the situation where Carwin comes out of Clara’s closet is not included because it is not considered supernatural by the characters.

Kristel – Falling and falling hard (Keywords: Girl in love?, Evolution of Clara’s Character, paradise lost)

Kristel begins with her interpretation of Clara as a “strong, independent, young woman” who goes through an “emotional metamorphosis.” Clara begin a journey of “self-realization” things such as confusion and fear that never before entered the sanctuary created by Catharine, Theodore, and Clara herself. Kristel then goes on to talk about Clara’s preconceived notion that if she pretends not to show Pleyel her feelings, Pleyel will confess undying love for her. Clara’s wonderfully constructed vision of Pleyel’s confession fell apart when Pleyel did not meet up with Clara and friends at the appointed time.(93)

Holly Beilin – Garden of Wieland (Keywords: pardise lost, Fall from grace, Original Sin, Guardian Spirit)

Holly first talks about the time period when Wieland was written when religious turmoil ruled, the church was spurned, and people had doubts about religion. Holly then relates Wieland to Adam and Eve’s fall from the grace of god. The early six years of bliss in their private company is related to Adam and Eve’s happier times in Eden. Carwin is then compared to the snake that gave knowledge to Eve about the forbidden fruit. Carwin facilitates the destruction the blissful private community Clara, Theodore, and Catharine created. Holly then relates the mysterious voice that helps each of the characters to God’s promise to watch over Adam and Eve after they were cast out of paradise.

Ashely B – “Fall from Grace?” (Keywords: Pitiable Human, Fall from grace, Original sin, paradise lost)

Ashely begins by stating that Clara deserves sympathy. Ashely talks about how Clara had been previously shocked by Carwin’s secretive and maybe dangerous nature and now Theodore and Pleyel doubt her honor. Ashely then goes on to point out “Clara’s biggest flaw, at this point, is being naïve.” Clara had spent most her life sheltered in the warm company of her friends and knew naught of the vice outside that Carwin will bring in. “She is exposed to murderers and rapists, but she was not fully aware of that fact. She is experiencing a break-up of sorts from Pleyel”

Craw? – Pity, Pity (Keywords: Pitiable Human)

Craw’s reaction to the latest section from Wieland is pity. Clara is thrown into a hopeless situation - Pleyel questions her honor. However, craw admires Clara’s prompt response to Pleyel’s accusations. Craw then talks about how pitiable Clara was to have lost her parents at such a young age(beginning of the novel).

Maria – Gender Norms and limitations (Keywords: Gender Sterotypes)

Maria regards Clara as a dynamic character endowed with both “intelligence and keen observational skill” She then talks about how this development of a prominent female character was held back by the gender stereotypes during Brockden Brown’s time. Clara is filled with characteristics that were given to females at the time – coating everything with a layer of optimism which hinders clara’s ability to view other people in a realistic light. Clara is stereotyped as being a strongly emotionally driven female. Maria supports this by bringing up Clara’s reaction to her first time seeing Carwin(59) where she cries involuntarily, and eventually sketches a picture of Carwin.

Robart Barton – Clara’s decline into the depths of sin and despair (Keywords: Fall from grace)

Robert talks about various instances in Wieland where Clara’s fall from grace is evident. The first event is when Clara involuntarily cries after she first catches a glimpse of Carwin.(59) Robert then tries to identify the reason why Clara cries. He says that Clara represents “purity and virtue, while carwin represented evil and sin.” The strange circumstances of Clara crying can be thought of as an “omen” for her fall from grace. Carwin is the key to Clara’s fall from grace. The second instance happens on 118 when Pleyel accuses Clara relinquishing her honor to Carwin.

Preethi Gowrishankar – Catharine Pleyel (Keywords: Catharine’s Role in Wieland)

Preethi brings up a good point when questioning Catharine’s role within Clara’s closed community. Catharine is often left out of the loop when strange things happen. She is often mentioned as a very fragile person. Clara does not confide in Catharine because she fears that upsetting Catharine will bring illness to Catharine. Preethi’s main point is that even though Catharine has been given a very minor role in Wieland. Another interesting idea is that Catharine serves as a Foil for Clara – “Catharine is mild, delicate, and reserved while Clara is bold, independent, and somewhat outspoken.”

Caronine Boese – Who is Clara in love with? (Keyword: Girl in love?)

Caroline supports Clara’s love for Pleyel by revealing that Clara was first intrigued by Carwin but after acknowledging that he comes with ill intention she finds herself in love with Pleyel who she had spent most of the novel with.

Abby – Clara: A controlled experiment (keywords: Is religion good or bad? Evolution of Clara’s Character)

I’m not sure I understood this fully but Abby is saying that the book Wieland can be thought of as an experiment where “certain behaviors are the result of responses to certain social situations”
Clara’s true character is seen through her various responses to problems that arise in their little community but when she is observed by someone that has power over her(God) she shows more of her true character than she would otherwise.
Abby then says that Clara’s character evolves as a natural instinct to protect herself against this unknown entity.

Jasmine Gaston – The apple does not fall far from the tree (keywords: heredity)

Jasmine states that Theodore has received strong principles about family, tradition, and meditation from his father while Clara received her dramatic/emotional side from her father.

Julie – Mistaken Fondness (Keywords: Girl in love?)

Julie states that Clara is “confusing and indecisive” in regards to her love life. She is a very wealth girl and she is not interested in the opposite sex (relationship-wise) early on in the novel.

However, when she meets Carwin on 57 she begins to feel an unexplainable emotion along with involuntary tears that come to her eyes. She is obsessed with him. She even draws a picture of him. Later on, it seems the whole situation with Clara’s admiration of Carwin caused her to figure out that she had feelings for Pleyel. Julie then questions whether Clara will continue to be inconsistent in who she shows she is interested in.

Ryan Berraioli – Clara Loves Pleyel. The Carwin Circle is Complete (Keywods: Girl in love?)

Clara loves Pleyel not Carwin. Clara’s plan to reveal her love to Pleyel is excessive and crazy. When Pleyel fails to show up, Clara is horribly shaken up. Brockden Brown seals the debate of who Clara loves by elucidating Carwin’s character slowly through the novel showing that he is a murderer and a thief, unworthy of Clara’s love.

P.S. I don't know why the formatting is really weird for the last two summaries . It happened when I copied directly from word...even though the whole thing was copied from word...

Friday discussion summary

Yet another fascinating discussion. Here are some of the brilliant points that you all brought up (under Robert and Yu's capable guidance):
- what/who is responsible for the mysterious voice? Could it be the elder (dead) Wieland's spirit protecting/guiding his daughter? Could it be some other supernatural being?

- analogy between God creating Eden for Adam and Eve and Wieland the elder creating Mettingen for Theodore and Clara

Are we and/or the characters in the novel being too hasty in ruling out supernatural explanations?
People often hear these disembodied voices but they don't SEE anything---that is, they're trusting one sense without the support or confirmation of other senses.

Pleyel transforms, perhaps even more than Clara, from a skeptic who trusts his senses (p. 28, p. 85-86) to a man blinded by rage and overcome by passion (p. 152). As Roman pointed out, Pleyel may also have been a passionate creature in Germany with his ladyfriend; we don't know whether he was rational then because that's outside of Clara's purview.

The novel dwells on the psychological paradox of knowing our own mind. Because our minds have access to data from our senses (especially hearing, in this novel) and memories of our experience, we think we know ourselves very well, much better than we know the minds of others (for whom we lack sensory and experiential data). This novel points out the fallacy in believing that our own minds are transparent to ourselves. In fact, we are often confused or mistaken about our motives, our feelings, our opinions, etc.

When Clara believes that someone is listening to her (when she becomes aware that she has a guardian), she feels a greater level of accountability, because she feels she is always being watched and judged. This perhaps makes her more self-aware and self-critical.

How important is Clara's gender? Is she a typical late-18th-century woman? Is she a strong female character?
- she flip flops and seems indecisive at times, but Pleyel is equally so

Both Clara and Pleyel have also engaged in a lot of game-playing and flirting with others to make their primary love interest jealous. Is the novel warning us about the dangers of not being open, honest, and direct about one's emotions?

Have Clara and T. Wieland (younger) inherited their father's psychological traits? Are psychological traits hereditary?
Or does the trauma of seeing their father's mysterious and shocking death perhaps account for their psychological makeup instead: they're suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, or they are living in terror of repeating their father's death, which makes them more like their father, especially right before he died.

Clara loves Pleyel. The Carwin Circle is Complete.

The debate over Clara's love has come to an end -she loves Pleyel. Subtle hints that Clara may have been in love with Carwin were finally dispelled in the last segment of reading. Clara's intense preparation to reveal her love to Pleyel is planned out passionately. She even plans out the very hour and place she is to reveal her love. When Pleyel fails to show up, her plan is foiled and her condition deteriorates while she waits in anguish. Clara even describes the anticipation of seeing Pleyel as "tortured with suspense" (p92). I don't claim to know everything about romance, but if waiting to see someone you are fond of is torturous, then you are probably in love with them.

If that is not convincing enough, Charles Brockden Brown seals the debate for us by taking Carwin's character full circle. When Clara first meets Carwin she is disgusted and put off. As the chapters progress, Clara becomes fond of Carwin and hints that there may be more to their new friendship. The developing of Clara's feelings towards Carwin is the intrinsic cause of the debate over the direction of Clara's love. However, when Carwin is discovered in Clara's closet the circle becomes complete. Carwin is no longer a friend of Claras, but once again is his original disgusting and dangerous self. Clara begins to envision Carwin in murderous scenes and becomes completely put off by his character. Carwin becomes totally removed from the question of love and is now considered a clear and present danger. Pleyel remains the only possible candidate for Clara's love...that is, unless Clara loves rapists and murderers.

Mistaken Fondness

Clara is the most confusing and indecisive, yet interesting character in the entire novel. We see these characteristics overflow into her "love life" as we continue to read. At first it seems as if Clara is not interested in anybody of the opposite sex. She continually talks about how happy she is with her life and does not seem to be lacking anything or in the need of a any relationship that would exceed friendship. She is very wealthy, seen on page 22, and does not need the support of a husband so it seems that the issue is not even on her mind.

However, on page 57, these mistaken beliefs of the reader begin to change. After Clara meets Carwin she almost becomes obsessed with him and she even draws a picture of him and is unable to remove her eyes from it. It has been said that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and this seems to be the case with Clara. At first she is disgusted by Carwin's appearance then something, perhaps love, changes her mind and she is left with admiration. Whether or not this admiration is one of love was doubted by the reader when, on page 80, she is so distraught that Pleyel would think she was in love Carwin and the tables begin to turn again. On page 90, the reader is able to confirm that Clara is indeed in love with Pleyel. She talks of the romantic evening that she hoped to have with Pleyel and how she cannot wait for her "Pleyel to whisper love."

This mistaken fondness that was seen for Carwin leaves the reader with many questions to ponder. Is Clara really in love with Carwin seeing the admiration she had toward him but just does not want to admit it? Why was the reader never told of her lover for Pleyel earlier in the novel? Is Clara going to be as inconsistent with her "love life" as she is with her thoughts? Will she change her mind?

The Apple does not fall far from the tree

Clara and her brother have a deep connection with their father and his personality. Wieland is more like the splitting image of his father as far a personality goes. He has strong principles about family, tradition and meditation. This rigidness really comes out when Pleyel is trying to get him to go to England and he wont go in order to preserve normalcy and family relationships. I really liked that about him by the way. Clara, is like her father in the form of a hormonal teenage girl. She is that emotional dramatic side of her dad that we saw right before he died. I agree with the idea brought up yesterday at the end of class that they inherited their Dad’s psychological state. I also feel that the actual event of their father’s death disturbed them as well as Clara admits on page 79.

An example of Clara acting like “Daddy’s girl” can be found on page 96 a the bottom when she says, “Motion seemed to produce a mechanical influence on me. I was ashamed of my weakness.” This struck the same feelings in side of me that I felt when her dad was ashamed of himself in the beginning of the story. I felt like the word ashamed was unnecessary for the situation and very interesting. Why would you be ashamed of being scared when some is whispering threats and stuff in your ear and there might be something scary in your closet! I also felt the same way about her dad, why was he ashamed of not being a complete saint! He was a very devout Christian and he had to take time to raise his family.

Clara: A Controlled Experiment

Speaking from a psychological standpoint, naturalistic observation is often used as a method of research or study as a means of examining how certain behaviors are the result of responses to certain social situations. In this sense, if someone (such as Clara) is observed in her natural habitat, she will be more likely to behave without influence than if she knows she is being observed.

As the novel progresses we see closer into Clara's true character through her responses to problems, but even more so through her responses to problems when she feels her actions are being observed by someone (or something) that has power over her. In addition to psychologically speaking, from a religious point of view we often (even subconsciously) act a certain way if we consider that God (or others who might judge us) are watching. Thus, when Clara becomes involved with this supernatural being, her character begins to change, not only because of the strangeness of the situation itself, but also in a natural instinct to protect herself.

In regard to Clara's utilization of religion as opposed to its influence on her, page 25 reads, "In the midst of present enjoyment, no thought was bestowed on the future. As a consolation in calamity religion is dear. But calamity was yet at a distance, and its only tendency was to heighten enjoyments which needed not this addition to satisfy every craving." This passage begs us to question if religions plays separate roles in good times versus in bad times. At the opening of the novel where this quote is found, Clara does not seem to indicate any particular need for religious faith, yet when good times become bad times, she suddenly places much more emphasis on whatever the supernatural might be trying to show her. It's often true that we turn to religions when we "need it," but believe we are powerful enough to fend for ourselves outside of times of strife. Clara demonstrates this internal conflict, struggling with this type of power, asking, "Was this the penalty of disobedience? Is it a fresh proof that the Divine Ruler interferes in human affairs...? (21)" This quote perhaps marks Clara's first self examination in which she questions her own power, wondering if she in fact has control over herself. From here, she, and we as readers, are challenged to understand how awareness of being observed and judged affects our actions, what religion means at different times in our lives, and how much control we truly have of our selves.

Who is Clara in love with?

For this question we have 2 likely candidates. We have Carwin, the wise yet mysterious man whom Clara has become acquainted with, and we have Pleyel, Clara and her brother’s friend whom she has spent most of the novel with. Upon first seeing Carwin walking, Clara assumes based on his dress and his gait that he “had none of that gracefulness and ease which distinguish a person with certain advantages of education from a clown.” (pg 57) However, when she actually becomes acquainted with him, she realizes she had misjudged him and quickly realizes he is much more eloquent and intelligent than what she took him for initially. After being in his presence at her and her brother’s home several times she beings to display feelings of affection for him. Her feelings of affection slowly begin to dissipate as she beings to question his intentions in his continued presence. It is at this point that I feel that Clara begins to subconsciously acknowledge Carwin’s ill intentions, however her feelings of affection, balancing on the edge of infatuation, inhibit her ability to fully recognize this.

Pleyel then begins to tease his friend and insinuate she is in love with Carwin. She denies this but is upset by the fact that it does seem to bother Pleyel that she is in love with someone besides him. When Clara says “ That the belief of my having bestowed my heart upon another, produced in my friend none but ludicrous sensations, was the true cause of my distress; but if this has been discovered by him, my distress would have been unspeakable aggravated.”(pg 80) is when I feel the audience sees for the first time that Clara is in love with Pleyel. Without going into too much detail about the happenings between Clara, Carwin, and Pleyel later in the novel, I feel that it is safe to say that Clara is indeed in love with Pleyel.

Catharine Pleyel

The Pleyels are clearly very important in Clara's life, if only for the reason that they make up more than half of the people she ever sees. Clara is isolated, and it is hard to tell whether this is the reason for her fondness for Catherine and Henry, or whether her affection for them is genuine, and would carry on as strongly if she was exposed to more people. Clara mentions that Catharine is of the same age as her, yet they are very different both in actions and in personality.

Clara mentions Catharine many times when narrating her childhood, and of how Catharine was perfect for Wieland. However, despite the fact that she is one of the only four people that Clara regularly sees (the fourth being her maid, Judith), Catharine is often left out of the loop. This happens first when the 'voice' makes its second appearance, warning Pleyel when he is walking with Wieland that his beloved Baroness had died (48). When Henry and Wieland return from their walk, they exchange looks, Pleyel's warning Wieland not to disclose anything to Catharine. This voice sounds like Catherine's, so it is understandable that she does not know of it so as to not alarm her, as after all, she is a woman. But this theme of Clara being considered more intellectually able and less protected than Catharine is consistent throughout the novel.

There is mention of Catharine's fragility and how upsetting her could make her ill. Because of Catharine's mild temperament, she has not been mentioned much recently besides the fact that she is too delicate to hear of the recent happenings. But I wonder if she is just delicate or if she has some underlying illness that will be unveiled at some point later on. However, being too delicate for potentially upsetting news was not unheard of for this time period, so perhaps this is just to present a foil of Clara. In many ways Catharine and Clara are truly foils of each other. From what we have seen, Catharine is mild, delicate, and reserved while Clara is bold, independent, and somewhat outspoken.

Catharine really has not served much purpose in the plot of this story as of now. She has only been of significance in the fact that she is married to Wieland and brought Henry into their group and in that hers was one of the supernatural voices heard. Maybe this is the extent of her character or maybe more will be revealed as the book goes on.

clara's decline into the depths of sin and despair by robert barton

Clara's fall from grace is noted and reflected upon in several instances throughout the book. the first instance where this is noted is located on page 59 in the text. on this page we see that this is where Clara first comes into contact with Carwin. what is significant about this exchange is that when she hears his voice for the first time she notes that " a heart of stone could not fail to be moved by it" and that her heart " overflowed with sympathy and her eyes with unbidden tears". what was unusual about this instance is because she stated that it was involuntary and she, herself did not know exactly why she was crying. one of the last lines on the page sums up the reason for the tears in my opinion. that line states that " the importance of these circumstances will be manifested in the sequel. Based off of further reading, i would venture to say that the reason that Clara started to cry inexplicably was due to the fact that she herself represented purity and virtue, while Carwin represented evil and sin. the strange feeling she got upon hearing his voice could be viewed as an omen of sorts, in which she knew that Carwin somehow marked the beginning of her fall from grace. the second instance where one notes Clara's fall from grace is on page 118 in the text. here we see the following passage from Pleyel. " how art thou fallen! from what height fallen! a ruin so complete, so unheard of". this seems to suggest that Clara's fall has become more pronounced and noticeable by others as the story continues. at this point in the story it is noted that Clara has already endured countless scares and been in peril several times, so in my opinion i would say that she has in fact fallen into a place of sin and despair.

Gender Norms and Limitations

As the narrator of Brockden Brown’s Wieland, Clara is provides her audience with a profusion of internal commentary from which they can base their judgments of her character. Shortly after the novel commences it quickly becomes clear that Clara is a remarkable raconteur endowed with both intelligence and keen observational skill that improves as Wieland progresses. Her ability to draw conclusions amidst murky circumstances improves throughout the duration of the novel, which establishes her as nothing less than a dynamic character. However, the development of her character is hindered by the gender stereotypes of Brockden Brown’s time. Clara’s tendency to color her surroundings with optimism is a stereotypically effeminate trait that is prominent in much nineteenth century literature, a characteristic that hampers Clara’s ability to view people in her life in a wholly realistic manner. She is able to recognize that some of the unexplained events that happen upon her may be the result of human action and thus she rationally proceeds with caution; however, her lack of experience with immorality is a result of the social norms of an earlier time that sought to govern women’s behavior.

Clara’s propensity to see the best in a given situation corresponds directly to her romantic thought processes, in particular those regarding the opposite sex and their potential motives. While she does not fully conform to the stereotype of the amorous female, as seen in her admission that a confession of sentiments to Pleyel would be the “most remediless and unpardonable outrage upon the dignity of my sex, and utterly unworthy of that passion which controuled me” (94), the optimistic outlook that tinges much of her narrative suggests that she maintains an irrationally romantic idealism. This is reflective of the time period in which women were assumed to be the more emotional and less sensible of the sexes. This romanticism is also present when Clara happens upon Carwin for the first time (59), a description of which is described in a most lyrical fashion. The details of her initial impression of him echo many other female-narrated passages of the time that were similarly over-sentimental in nature. Although it is possible to overlook Clara’s sanguine perspective in favor of her ability to comprehend and progress through trying situations, it is difficult to ignore the gender limitations that shape her character.

Pity, Pity

After reading the last section from Wieland, my initial response was pity. The feeling stemmed from the precarious situation that Clara found herself in. She really just could not win. Not only did the love of her life believe her to be impure and corruptible, but he sowed a similar seed of disapproval in her brother. The worse part about it was that he had just as much proof to confirm it as she had to deny.

I do, however, admire the fact that she wasted no time in attempting to set everything straight. She immediately jumped to defend her honor. "My purpose was to go immediately to Pleyel's farm" (103). That combines with heading out to her brother's house confirms the unfairness of Pleye's accusations.
The pity for Clara could even be extended back as far as the beginning. from a young age you pity the loss of her parents, her unrequited love and how her feelings seem to be displaced upon a murderer and thief. Clara just seems to have a lot of forces working against her.

"Fall From Grace?"

From our discussions in class, I have felt that there is not always a lot of sympathy going around for Clara, since some have said she tends to contradict herself and she does not always seem consistent. The latest reading section, however, has made me think that perhaps we should have more sympathy for her than we do.

Previously, she had been shocked into the fact that her and her friends' acquaintence Carwin was not all that he seemed, and that he actually intended to do her harm. Now, she is also realizing that her brother and her closest friend, Pleyel, are doubting her own honor and her word. When Pleyel confronts Clara in her parlor, he asserts, "how thou art fallen! From what height fallen! A ruin so complete-so unheard of!"(118) Here he alludes to what we discussed in class yesterday: that perhaps Clara, or even the Wieland family in general, had suffered some sort of fall from grace after the death of their father. Pleyel refuses to believe that she hasn't entered into midnight interviews with Carwin, and this shocks Clara. She had thought that he might be persuaded to believe her like Wieland was. Wieland accepted her story, as odd and suspicious as it was, because he "had known [her] since childhood, because a thousand instances have attested [her] veracity, and because nothing...would convince [him]...that [his] sister had fallen into wickedness..."(125) Unfortunately, Pleyel was not so easily persuaded, possibly because he felt betrayed by the one whom he had loved and admired for so long.

Therefore I believe that Clara's biggest flaw, at this point, is being naive. She has spent most of her life secluded in the same home with the same three or four people near her. She has been living a sheltered life, and now that she is discovering people (Carwin) and experiences that she has never really had before, she is having difficulty navigating her way around these experiences. She does not know what to make of the mysterious voices; indeed, who would? She is being exposed to murderers and rapists, but she was not fully aware of that fact. She is experiencing a break-up of sorts from Pleyel, which is certain to shake her up since he was supposed to be a close, loyal friend, if not a future lover. If she contradicts herself in any way, it is because she is experiencing a new situation to which she had never been exposed. She is young, she is scared of the unknown of the mysterious voices, but she is also learning how to deal with it. The biggest example of this is when she stands her ground when talking to Pleyel in Chapter 13. She never admitted to what Pleyel accused her of, and even though he ultimately left her in the end of Chapter 14, she still stood by the truth of her situation.

The Garden of Wieland

Brown wrote Wieland during a time of turmoil for Western religions: the authors of the Great Enlightenment period were beginning to spurn the Church and organized religion and many people were beginning to doubt the idea of blind adherence to a mysterious god. Wieland is certainly a commentary on religion, as evidenced in the very first chapters of the story when Clara and Wieland’s father dies of a supernatural explosion in his own austere temple. The rest of the story follows the religious thread.
The essential story, that which almost all religion-based books tend to explore, is of course that of original sin and the fall from grace. In Wieland Clara relates that “from the death of my parents, till the commencement of this year, my life had been serene and blissful”. The other players in her life, Catherine, Pleyel, and Wieland, were also just as completely satisfied with their lives. This period brings to mind the happy solitude of Adam and Eve in Eden; they have no knowledge of the evils of the world and are blissfully ignorant. Even the very limited perspective and admittedly very few people that affect Clara’s life support this theory, as Adam and Eve were each other’s only company whilst in the garden. However, when a new player is introduced, the system is thrown out of balance. With Carwin’s arrival comes disquieting knowledge for every character, most notably Clara. After threats are placed upon her life, she goes through the shock of a premeditated but incomplete rape, and she is threatened with the same fate as her hapless father, her “bosom was corroded by anxiety”. Clara realizes the world is not a safe refuge, that life is not a wondrous bounty of happiness, and who brings this apple of knowledge to her? Carwin of course, who I believe is the source of many of the voices following Clara and her family, as he is the one who first suggested mimicry and seemed so knowledgeable about it. Carwin does not only provide fatal knowledge to Clara, but also to the other characters; Pleyel’s realization of evil comes with learning that his mistress in Saxon is dead, and Wieland is thrown completely off-balance when he hears the voices for the first time. As Clara says, he “has completely changed his demeanor.”
However, one must not forget the ending of Adam and Eve’s story. Yes, after gaining knowledge from the crafty snake they are thrown out of their blissful garden, but God does not forsake them. Actually, he promises to watch over them and bless their many descendants. I believe that this role in Wieland is played by the mysterious voice, the one who so often claims he is helping Clara and steering her away from danger. When she falls asleep by the hill, he tells her she must never go near that spot again for fear of mortal peril. Similarly, when Carwin lurks in her closet waiting to ambush and rape her, the voice appears and warns Clara, as well as scare Carwin too much to even attempt his repulsive act. I don’t think that that voice is also the result of Carwin’s mimicry because of several reasons; firstly, why would he bother to conceal himself in a closet only to come out and declare his purpose, and secondly, he seems genuinely frightened. Therefore, this voice must be of another, unknown origin. It is a great leap to attribute it to the voice of God at this point, but it is almost certainly supernatural, and clearly a benevolent being.

Falling and Falling Hard

From the beginning, I thought of Clara as a strong, independent, young woman, who always seemed confident in her own perception of herself and how the other's perceived her; however, as we have discussed in class, Clara seems to be going through this emotional metamorphosis, where she is starting to reveal more and more of herself. Not only is the reader noticing this change, but I feel that Clara is stepping forward as an individual through this journey of self-realization. She starts to acknowledge the real confusion and real fear that she has developed as her life has progressed.
At the end of class on Wednesday, we began to compare how Clara responded to situations at times like it was a fall from bliss cast by sin and evil. Focusing on her inner emotions, we notice that at one point in Chapter 9, Clara descends on this complete spiral to "personal damnation." The emotions expressed, remember that thus far throughout the novel Clara lacks a way at expressing herself, are so real and so powerful that you have to sympathize with the poor girl. The section in the chapter is the part where leaves her friends after Pleyel does not show up. Basically, Clara has all these worked up feelings about how if she pretends not to show interest in Pleyel he will confess his undying love for her; however, when he does not show to meet her friends, her world seems to end. With emotions high, she tells that "[her] heart was ready to burst with indignation and grief....thus had [her] golden vision melted into air!" (93). Showing her fall, she states "every ground on which I had built the persuasion that Pleyel was not unimpressed in my favor, appeared to vanish" (93). So much emotion, so much distraught, all of a sudden. And this outcome seemed to raise from involving oneself in lusting for someone that might not have the same desired interests as oneself, and putting them above other important aspects of life.

Clara: From Conviction to Confusion

The evolution of Clara’s character throughout Wieland is no trivial anomaly, no singular accident. Veritably, the characters of Wieland are all dynamic in their responses to the extraordinary events that take place. Clara, as the narrator, is especially affected and changed.

Clara’s character, as she considers herself in an unremarkable, stagnant setting, is reposed, secure, and she believes her view of the world to be accurate. She is afforded confidence in herself and in her beliefs by her isolation from a larger humanity. The change, therefore, takes place (as dynamic character changes often do) as a result of an influential outside force. In Wieland, that force is believed to be the supernatural.

So far, there have been three key incidents where the foundation of Clara’s character is shaken. The first is her indirect confrontation with the disembodied voice of Catherine. Once Pleyel recounts the events, Clara is quickly removed from her initial belief that “tales of apparitions” contained nothing but “ignorance and folly.” (36*) Very little convincing and the word of one man was all that was necessary to harbinger doubt. She accepted a “sensible and intelligent existence,” and regarded it as peaceable.

The second occurrence that effected a change in Clara’s demeanor, and perhaps catalyzed her revolution into suspicion, was when she overheard voices whispering of her murder. Initially, her original character was present enough to suggest reasonable sources of the voices, but once the malicious intent was recognized, her fortitude failed. The event had a sudden and lasting impression on the safety she considered impenetrable, and on her serenity that she assumed was owed to her by her virtue. (45)

The most recent interference was two-parted: first, Clara had an ominous dream involving her brother; and second, another voice was heard urging her to flee in order to preserve her safety. (50) Though the voice she again hears is considerate of her, and even goes so far as to guarantee her safety, it implies protection from some harmful force. Thus, her fears and uncertainty are deepened.

I realize I did not include the incident of Carwin in Clara’s closet, and that is because the event is not considered supernatural by the characters, though I suspect a connection between Carwin and the supernatural events. Comments on this topic are encouraged, as well as Carwin’s affect on Clara’s character. Thanks for reading!

Also, I am reading from a different book so my pages are probably off, sorry!

Who Are You?

Our good friend the "mysterious voice" pays Clara another visit on page 97. As she is about to open the closet and reveal whatever horror might lie inside, she hears a scream warning her not to open the door. This warning bears close resemblance to the previous contact the voice has with Clara at the summer house. Both times, she is cautioned against danger by this invisible entity. Both occurrences sparked my curiosity, and led me to speculate about the identity of this voice.

In the scene where Clara discovers Carwin in her closet, Carwin alludes to the fact that the voice/spirit that seems to watch over Clara is preventing him from bringing harm to her. Carwin's statement led me to think that the spirit is probably not your stereotypical, frightening "ghost," but rather, a guardian. Cutting right to the chase, I think there's a good chance that the voice is that of her father's spirit. This speculation also gives some small explanation as to the strange circumstances of her father's death, because I think he sacrificed himself to a higher being in order to have the opportunity to forever protect his children. The fact that Clara was about to read the book her father wrote immediately prior to hearing the voice in this scene is, in my opinion, Brockden Brown's way of hinting at the fact that there is a connection between it and her father.

Hi, I'm new (kinda)

Hi everyone, my name is Morgan Parks and I just added this class on Friday. I'm a sophomore from Charlotte and (for the moment) majoring in Radiologic Science. Hopefully in January I will be set on a major, probably nursing. As long as I get to work in a hospital someday, I'll be happy.
I'm hoping my second year hear at Carolina will go much better than the first (I had roommate issues like nobody's business) and I'm generally optimistic about it; things are going great so far. I love to play volleyball on the weekends and face book/skype with all my friends from back home. I'm mentoring some incoming freshman this year, which I find very exciting. My favorite subject is anatomy, and I absolutely, positively despise chemistry. I have a brother who's a junior in high school and a dog named Ali (like the boxer). I love Lady Gaga and my favorite book is Telling Christina Goodbye.

Matt Meyers: A scared yet excited Freshman

Hello everyone, my name is Matt! I just added this class to my course load, so my first day will be Monday! I was born in San Francisco California, but when I was five my family and I moved to Atlanta, Georgia for my father's job. I love to fish, surf, hang out with friends, have fun, and watch movies just to name a few activities of mine. The Matrix is by far my favorite movie (I actually watched it last night). I have never been one to read on my own (although I did read The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring this summer), but I have found that I enjoy reading whatever my english teachers assigned me in the past. Hopefully this class proves the same! One interesting fact about me is that I cannot stand still. I ALWAYS move around even when I'm studying. I love my family, my friends, and my dogs. Being a freshman at UNC, I can honestly say that I miss my dogs more then anything. I'm actually going back home for the UNC vs. LSU game to visit them. I hope that you all enjoyed getting to know me a little better. I will see you in class on Monday!

Matt

Sarah Leonard

Hi! I'm Sarah and I'm a sophomore here at Carolina. I'm from Shaker Heights, Ohio which is a suburb of Cleveland. I went to high school with Kid Cudi (the rapper)...super irrelevant and random, I know. I'm double majoring in Psychology and English as of right now. My favorite hobbies are swimming, reading, shopping, listening to music, biking, and traveling. My all-time favorite books are The Great Gatsby and The World According to Garp.

Also, sorry this post is late, I added the class late and it took me awhile to figure out the blog. See all of you Monday!

So um... This is me...

I am Allen.I like to eat, cook, read, write, climb, think, draw (badly), feel, fret, fry, frappé, frolic, fritter, and play. I enjoy books, television, podcasts, radio, plays, articles, pictures, dogs, cats, squirrels, clouds, balloons, The Beatles, tangerines, nigiri unagi, food, good food, great food, fantastic food, exemplary cooking, exquisite books, Apple products, video games, non-video games, music, kick-ass music, mellow music, mellow mushroom, museums, and enjoyment. I rock climb, write, read, eat, and chill in my free time. I am Allen. What's your name?


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Location:Ridge Rd,Chapel Hill,United States

I'm Preethi!

Hi! I am Preethi, and I am a freshman here at UNC. I am a generally happy and excited person, and it takes a lot to make me blow up. I love to read, sing, and well do a lot of different things actually. I have never been a big TV watcher, but House is one of my all time favorites, along with Arthur, Scooby-Doo, and the classics. Some things I love: my ginormous blue fuzzy slippers, my puppy (Sunny), Hagen-Daz, and of course UNC. One of the only things I can't stand is ketchup, although I do like tomatoes.

I want to eventually become a pediatrician, and I have known that for practically my whole life. I think that is one of the only things in my life that I have not been indecisive about, which is funny. I am also very random, and reading over this post, am seeing a stream-of-consciousness style here. (yay for vocabulary!)

Well if you have read this far, thanks for bearing with all my craziness and hopefully I'll get to know you better in this class!

The Short Life of Kristel Harlacher

Playing on the fact that I was born on Christmas (yes, Christmas Day...), my loving parents chose to name me, Kristel Noelle Harlacher. I have only been walking/crawling on this earth for a mere 19 years, and having spent the last thirteen years of life stressing about college, I have gained the reward of attending the University of North Carolina, where I am now a Sophomore. As any freshman, I had an interesting time adjusting to the university and the university life-style, always scared that I would get lost in the masses. I soon found my "happy-place," within Relay for Life. Getting initially involved, I started as a sub-chair for the Fundraising Committee and now as time has passed, I am the Chair of the Fundraising Committee. My plans for the immediate future are to volunteer in an active group abroad. We'll see how that goes...but now that I've written about myself, I am going to read about you guys.

Wieland word cloud

Click on the cloud to see a larger image. Excellent work today, everyone: you collectively generated a brilliant description of the first section of Wieland. As you read the next section, think about whether or not you would change your 3 words.

All about Jazzy

My name is Jasmine Elizabeth Gaston and I am a Premed Junior biology major. I was born and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, A.K.A Fayetnom. I love to dance, I have been dancing since I was three years old including, ballet, tap, jazz hip hop, modern. I am in a few dance groups here on campus, the biggest one being Kamikazi which is like my family. I also like to draw a lot! I wanted to be a Art, Biology double major but my mom felt like art would be too expensive and time consuming. ( She is an artist/art teacher so she would know). I love to shop, go to the beach and spend time with little kids like teaching and stuff. I am going to school to become a pediatrician and within my private practice start a youth health center.

A little bit of Jamie McGee for you...

First name Jamie,
Last name McGee.
Like Poe and Twain, I spit words like a “G.”
Started off in noVA, now one of the out-of-staters,
I know Roy Williams on a first-name basis.

Haha I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Hopefully you all caught the suspicious resemblance to the lyrics of the song "Forever." I’m no Drake, I know.

Hello, all!

My name is Jamie McGee. I’m from Leesburg, Virginia (it’s about 45 minutes west of D.C.), and I am a freshman this year! A year ago, if you asked me what my career aspirations were, I would have told you I wanted to be a cardiac surgeon and I wouldn’t have had been harboring ANY doubts whatsoever. Consequently, I am currently majoring in biology, but I am also considering other options. Regardless of decision I end up making, I hope to open my own bakery later in life (which I intend to name “The Flour Shop”).

I have lived in four locations other than Virginia, including Massachusetts, Louisiana, Canada, and Texas. I am blessed with two wonderfully behaved (ha) younger brothers, and I have a cat named Noel whose meow resembles what I imagine a possum would sound like if his tail got ran over by an 18-wheeler. I am slightly spastic, and I tend to stress out over trivial things (but I’m working on it…). I have found that I am very indecisive but very agreeable. I’ve always loved to read for leisure, and I’m super excited to explore the literature chosen for this class and to get to know you all in the process!

Julia Andrade

Hi everyone my name is Julia but everybody calls me Julie. I am from Autryville, NC which is a little town outside of Fayetteville. I live surrounded by fields filled with all kinds of crops and my family live in the few houses that are down my "dead end" street. I am a junior here at UNC and majoring currently in Spanish but probably changing that to biology soon. I am hoping to be accepted into the nursing school for this upcoming Spring and eventually be a nurse practitioner. I work at Red Robin in Durham so everybody should definitely come eat and ask for me to be your waitress :) I look forward to getting to know everyone in the class!

Joshua Rowsey

Hello everyone my name is Kevin Joshua Rowsey II. Call me Josh. I hope through this class that we will be friends, but let me tell you a little about myself. I am currently a sophomore here, and I am double majoring in Chinese and Business (hopefully). I am from Durham North Carolina, but I was born in Yipsalani Michigan. I have a mother, father, and a little sixteen year old sister who thinks she knows everything. When it comes to being on campus I am apart of EROT (Ebony Readers Onyx Theater) the slam poetry group at UNC. I love to perform, and be in front of a crowd. I feel like that is something that I am good at, and something that I would want to pursue at a career (but of course that is just a thought). I am also apart of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated, and other various and diverse clubs on campus. I view myself as an outgoing person, so if I suddenly ask you what your name is out of the blue don't be alarmed that is just my nature. I feel like this is going to be an amazing class, and if you want to know anything more about me feel free to ask.

Robert Barton

well...it all started about 20 years ago in the small town of Salisbury, North Carolina ( 1.5 hrs from chapel hill). my parents didnt know it at the time, but on a cold rainy morning in may of 1990, a star was born...
anyway, the names robert, but most of my friends call be "Rob". im a junior here at Carolina and im a psychology major with a chemistry minor. The plan right now is to go to dental school, but that is subject to change.

Ladies and Gentlemen, This is Manu.

Once upon a time, there was a man.

Then then there was a woman.

Then, there was a child. (There was a second, less loved child later but she is unimportant). This child was named Manu, and by all accounts he was a baller. He grew into a tween in Richmond, Virginia, and was snatched away from his homeland to be plopped into the far inferior town of Wilmington, NC. It is there where he made the best of his situation and worked his way into college utilizing a delicately refined cocktail of apathy and murder.

It is also in that beach city where he developed a taste for the finer things in life, like ultimate frisbee and twizzlers. He used his abilities to survive high school, and now he roams the campus on his patriotic bike, leaving blue skid marks in his wake. In his spare time (when he isnt reading for his ENGL 123), he is probably eating or playing Smash Bros on the N64.

He is generally friendly with a dark/dry sense of humor, and he promises that he really doesn't eat cocaine for breakfast.

Ashley Cox

Hey y'all, I'm Ashley. I'm originally from California, and moved to Greensboro about 13 years ago. I'm honestly not big on blogging, so I'm going to keep this short. I'm a sophomore here, and currently am double majoring in Journalism and Psychology. I think it'd be really cool to either be a sports broadcaster, or use the Psychology major for FBI or NCIS work. I've been swimming since I was four or five, both year-round and summer league, as well as high school. I also found out last year that I love rowing...I tried out for the varsity team and loved it! Unfortunately I have to take this year off, but I'll be back.

The grand world of Maria, part one.

Hello new friends, I hope this post finds you well. My name is Maria Gaiser. I hail from San Francisco, California where the average high temperature on any given July day is 60 degrees. Needless to say, my transition to Real Weather Land a.k.a. North Carolina was a rocky but pleasant one (minus the inital "adjusting to not wearing a winter coat in August" thing). Last Tuesday marked the beginning of my fourth year of college, a milestone which is equal parts thrilling and terrifying. Next Tuesday will mark the beginning of my 21st year of life, which is also thrilling and terrifying. I plan to spend it consuming hummus in mass quantities.

I attended San Francisco State University for the first couple years of my undergrad career and then transferred to UNC before my junior year; my credits, however, didn't want to join me in North Carolina and thus I have no choice but to become a "super senior." By the time I graduate I will have taken Statistics three times. As someone who is mathematically challenged, let me tell you that this is no mean feat. I intend to major in Psychology (key word: intend) but have interest in just about every obscure area, including dinosaurs. I kid you not.

It's been awhile since I had the pleasure of taking an English class and I'm excited about having obligations to read non-textbook literature. What is it about college and lacking the drive to read for pleasure? I've been devouring books since I was old enough to shoot out smart-alecky commentary at random, which was about 18 years ago, and yet I don't read for myself often enough. Most afternoons I want nothing more than to curl up with a good book and lose myself in it and I'm glad to now have a reason to do so. You're welcome to join me.

Hello, My Name is...

Jenny Jan!

I'm currently a sophomore at Carolina. I'm a biology major on the pre-med track. I'm not going to lie, it's definitely VERY difficult. I am from Cary, which is just barely 15minutes from Chapel Hill. Originally, both my parents are from Taiwan, but we've moved around quite a bit since they first moved to the States. I was born in Boston, spent two years in Oklahoma, two years in Nebraska, and three years in Minnesota. I moved to North Carolina at the end of my third grade year. I have one younger sister, Lily, and a dog, Coby. Both of them are crazy. I love shopping and meeting new people. When I can find the time, I love drawing and painting as well. I'm still excited to be at Carolina and don't ever really want to grow up!

Oh, interesting fact: I spent a month in Taiwan teaching English to first graders:) I kept a blog of all my experiences there.

Hello World

The simple facts for making my acquaintance:

• Name:  Roman Myers
• Year:  Freshman
• Hometown:  West Jefferson
• Alternate-Location-to-Hometown-Because-it’s-Miniscule:  Boone
• Interests for Major:  Computer Science, Philosophy

The messy paragraph attempting to convey my personality:

Well, we all have hopes and dreams.  Mine may include lounging around in a library from the time I'm retired until the time I break down.  Silly of me to go to college when all I want to do with life is be a hobo, hein?  Yep, besides that, I have to say my interests include computers and the internet (…or shall I have to say obsessions?), a minor but deeply entrenched case of francophilia, and the practice of telling-myself-to-run-and-never-actually-doing-it about three times a week.  I read a lot, but never find myself remembering enough about the reading to start the discussion, only to respond.  (This means I can’t tell you my favourite book.)  A fair warning for the teacher, my natural writing style involves ignoring the red squiggly in favour of Briticisms, using incomplete sentences and perhaps altogether not caring about a strict grammar structure.  If I’m not paying attention to my writing, you may end up hating me but probably/possibly/hopefully still understanding me.  But that’s all that matters, right…

…right?

Introduction: Holly Beilin

Hi! I'm Holly and I come to UNC from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, although I was born in New York City (at NYU actually). I'm a freshman with an undecided major, leaning towards journalism or international relations. I love photography as well and my dream job would be to work for National Geographic or another magazine traveling around the world to write stories and take photos. I come from the largest high school in Florida and the third largest in the country, so I'm definitely used to meeting a lot of new people and I love being at an even larger school! I used to be a dancer but now I just play tennis recreationally; my favorite sports to watch are hockey and lacrosse. I also love love love the beach, and on the weekends you could find me wakeboarding, water skiing, wind surfing, and parasailing. This is the first time I've lived more than 15 minutes from the beach in 14 years, and I already miss it! I want to go to every single country at least once in my life, especially Greece, Spain, Israel, and Chile. I love reading and I can't wait for this class!:)

Kacey

Hi! My name is Kacey Barnes and I'm a sophomore here at Carolina. I am a studio arts and journalism double major (with emphasis on advertising) and I'm planning to go to design school in New York for commercial interior design after college! I am studying abroad in Florence, Italy next semester to attend the Studio Art Center International program.

Introduction to Caroline.

Hi everyone, I'm Caroline. I am a freshmen here at UNC this semester. I am from the small town of Burgaw, which is about 30 minutes from Wilmington and the beach. I'm planning, as of right now, to major in Journalism. However, this is subject to change since I entered with a major in Business and am still trying to decide what to do with my life.

In my spare time I ride and show horses. Horses have been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember, and saying goodbye to my horse was probably the hardest thing about coming to college. This love of horses is what inspired me to major in journalism as I would one day like to write to an Equine magazine of some sort. I am a huge fan of Harry Potter as well as crime novels. I'm looking forward to getting to know you all as the semester goes on.

P.S Madolyn, I love Lady Gaga.

Introduction: Yu Zhang

Greetings everyone, my name is Yu Zhang. I'm a Junior at UNC this year and I am still majoring in Chemistry(BS). Yes, I do mean "still." There were times I had thought that maybe I should change to something else, but I ended up sticking to it for better or for worse. Anyway, I actually happen to enjoy English literature quite a bit. English was one of the majors I was actually considering during freshman year, but keep this a secret from some of the other hardcore Chemistry Majors who think English is a major waste of time. Anyway my favorite author is still Ernest Hemingway. There is just something about those short stories of his that really pulls me in.

Um hobbies wise well, I do enjoy playing basketball a lot. Whenever there's time between classes you'll often see me at rams rec center playing some ball. All the other time that is left this semester will be devoted to P.chem, intermediate inorganic, and Biochem most likely. Oh and Africa 101 + Engl 123 as well. Ah, also I work in a lab that focuses on radiation induced lung injury in mice/rats. I've had to inject mice with radio-protective drugs, sacrifice & harvest the lungs of mice, stain sectioned paraffin embedded mice lung tissue for various molecular markers, and other tasks. Of course I was bitten quite a bit when I first started to work with mice, but once you get used to handling mice you wont get bitten as much. Um...I haven't worked with rats yet but I do know they are HUGE and require chain mail gloves to handle, in case you get bitten...

Oh and I sure hope UNC's Men's Basketball will do better than last year. NIT run was commendable but it doesn't make up for how bad the team was pretty much the entire season. Good luck this year though.

Tomas Suarez

Hello,
My name is Tomas Suarez I go by Thomas. I joined The United States Marine Corps when I graduated High School. It's all I ever wanted to do. I wanted to make a career out of it, but my father fell ill so I choose to return home instead of re-enlisting when the time came. He is doing a lot better now.
I then went to Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, NC and received an Associates in Business Administration. I joined the workforce and quickly moved up the ranks to middle management in an industrial firm called Suddekor LLC, a German company. I did a lot of business travel between NC and MA and was intending on making that a career, on account of it appeared I was being groomed for the upper tier of our management structure. Then I received a letter from the dept. of veterans affairs informing me that if I didn't use my remaining benefits on the G.I. Bill in the next few years they would expire and I would loose them. So I applied to two schools one of which was my all time dream school, and decided that if I was accepted to either one I would go. So it appears someone in the admissions dept. made a mistake and let me in.
I am the oldest of five children. My brother David is a Sergeant in the Marines. I have three sisters. Gloria is a Graduate student at Michigan and UNC alum, Erica is a senior at UNC, and Maira is a Freshman at UNC. And I have a cat named Pedro. He's kinda chubby and is missing a fang.

Hello, I'm Abby Gerdes

Hello, my name is Abby, and I'm a freshman here at UNC this semester. I'm actually majoring in English, so I'm particularly excited about this class (and my humanities-packed schedule in general). I love writing, and I hope to teach one day; if it's up to me I'll never leave the classroom.

I'm from New Bern, NC (shout out to Paige!) and I spent my summer working at a little place called Nauti Paws, a "Pet Boutique and Bakery." So If you happen to be in the market for designer dog outfits you now know who to come to! As for hobbies or interests I love casual games of tennis, Harry Potter, and chatting with interesting people or close friends. Music has basically always been a huge part of my life as I've played the piano for nearly as long as I can remember. I have a wonderful family; my younger sister is probably my best friend. I'm couldn't be more excited to be at UNC and for my first English class at the University!

Who is Tyler Horne?

Hello everyone! My name is Tyler Horne and I am a sophmore here at UNC and I am orginally from Fayetteville, North Carolina. My major is Nursing and I hope to one day have the job of being a flight nurse for one of UNC helicopters. Some other interesting facts about me are that I love to wakeboard, fish, hunt and ride four wheelers. I am also a volunteer firefighter and just currently recieved my EMT-B certification over the summer. Here at Carolina am part of the organization Order of the Bell Tower and I volunteer in the Burn Center at UNC Hospital. I also love mystery novels and fiction! (Hints to why I signed up for this class) I am new to the blogging world, but am excited about trying out something new and hearing about different people's ideas on the books we are reading in class. I am a big Mark Twain fan and look forward to reading Pudd'nhead Wilson. I look forward to getting to know everyone and am ready to dive into all the activities and discussions Ms. Ross has got in store for us this semester.

Mark Loveland's Introduction

Hello, fellow members of ENGL 123!

My name is Mark Loveland and I just started as a freshman at UNC. I was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but spent a good portion of my childhood living in Houston, Texas. I was born to two UNC alumni, so I like to think I live up to the "Tarheel born, Tarheel bred" mantra pretty well. This semester, I'm also enrolled in POLI 89, GERM 101, HIST 159, and LFIT 109, so let me know if we're in any of the same classes.

As far as my hobbies are concerned, I enjoy acting, politics, European history, and studying trial law (that is, to the extent that you can do so before law school). I hope to pursue a Political Science or History major, and my dream job is to have some exciting job in the Justice Department or a US Embassy in an interesting country. That being said, I really love to read, and have a special fascination with French and German literature (Proust and Mann being two of my favorites). Based on what little I've read about the books we read in this class, I'm most excited about The True History of the Kelly Gang and Gould's Book of Fish. I've enjoyed UNC a whole lot so far, and I'm ready for my classes to really start up. I look forward to getting to know all of you in Intro to Fiction!

Mark

Madolyn Britt

Hey, I'm Madolyn, I'm the girl with the snake bites. No, it wasn't very painful. Yes, I was kicked out of my house for 2 months after getting them without permission. I'm a badass?

I'm a sophomore and I came here wanting to major in Math but I found out I'm not dedicated or enthusiastic enough to handle the workload, though I do still love the subject. I'm not an overachiever, I procrastinate, and I would rather rely on my own ability to teach myself something than to go to office hours (which has not proven beneficial to my grades, at all).

I play WoW with my boyfriend (does that make me cool?) and I'm a resto shaman working on H LK. Nobody knows what that means, anyway, but the point of that was to hopefully illustrate how remarkably lame I am. If that wasn't convincing enough, you just lost the game.

Contrary to how blasé and dull this blog seems, I'm friendly and I already probably like you. Unless you don't like Lady Gaga in which case we are mortal enemies.

Introduction to Tate Byers

Hey my name is Tate Byers, and I'm a freshman here at UNC. I'm officially undecided about a major, but am taking chemistry prerequisites because I'm considering going into the medical field. So far I've enjoyed all my classes pretty well and I love the location of my dorm (Granville East). My hometown is Asheboro, North Carolina. If you've ever heard of it, you probably only know where it is because of our zoo, which is basically all we have other than a few stores and restaurants. Other than attending classes and getting (hopefully) an ample amount of sleep, I hope to get involved with intramural sports, some form of Christian group, and possibly a fraternity during my time here at Carolina. Sports are a big part of who I am, but unfortunately im only 5-9 which basically disqualifies me from playing anything other than intramurals. My favorite professional sports team is the New Orleans Saints, who will hopefully repeat as Super Bowl Champions this season. I hope everyone is having a good start to the year and I look forward to meeting many of you.

Introduction: David Liauw

Hey everyone! My name is David Liauw. I turned seventeen right before the school year and am freshman. I have lived in four nations: Indonesia, Singapore, China, and the US (I was born in Los Angeles). Homeschooled from kindergarten to tenth grade, I then attended a private Christian school in Cary for the past two years. My life has definitely been an adventure. During my four year living in Indonesia as a young child, I witnessed the 1998 Jakarta riots where mobs would riot on the streets, loot Chinese stores, fight with the police, burn churches and even kill Christians. I remember standing in a balcony of my apartment and seeing riots burn down the mall right across the street. I also was sometimes unable to get back home from church due to riots on the street burning down churches and fighting police. That was certainly quite an experience.

On campus, I am currently involved in a campus ministry called Everynation. I love to read history books and the great classics of literature. I am especially excited about this class because I love books involving crime, detectives, and mysteries-especially Sherlock Holmes. I also am fascinated with politics and Christian apologetics. I have a fifteen year old brother who is also a freshman in UNC. (I know...he's definitely a genius.) I am commuting-my home is about ten minutes away from campus. We have a nice pool and tennis court. You all are definitely invited to come over for a swim. I am definitely looking forward to knowing you all more this semester.

Introduction: Paige T.

Introduction to Morgan Winslow

      Hi everyone! I'm Morgan. I'm a sophomore majoring in Biology (most likely).  I hope to go to school to be a physician's assistant after I graduate.  I'm from a small town in Gates County called Corapeake.  The entire county has one stoplight, one high school, and a Dollar General (our pride and joy).  I absolutely love it.  I love my family and am realizing more and more how truly blessed I am.
      On campus, I am part of a Christian organization called InterVarsity; it's awesome.  I am also involved in a group called Heels and Hearts, a diabetes mentor program.  I live in Spencer, which is right on Franklin Street, which will (hopefully!!) make it easier to rush this basketball season.
      I'm really excited about this class (reading about crime will be quite exciting and eye opening, I'm sure) and can't wait to see what's in store for us!

Introduction to Josh Orol

Josh Orol, originally born in San Louis Obispo California, spent his formative years in Raleigh, North Carolina. He lived there with his brother, four years his junior, named Daniel, and their loving parents, Brian and Debbie. Throughout his time in North Carolina, the family has also been privy to the company of one dog named BJ and one cat named Black Snow.
Josh graduated high school in 2009, but did not continue directly with his formal education. He instead took a gap year in Israel as a member the Nativ College Leadership Program. He lived in Israel for a total of nine months, studying Hebrew, tutoring English, volunteering on a kibbutz, and traveling extensively.
Now, in the year 2010, Josh is enrolled as a freshman at UNC Chapel Hill. He plans on majoring in Public Policy, with a minor in Creative Writing and Hebrew. He is a proud member of the Sustainability Living Learning Community, and he represents Morrison floor three with purpose. He plays guitar and sings, writes songs, and enjoys swimming and rock climbing (though he is not an expert in either of those areas). Some have said he is "a force to be reckoned with," and he plans on proving them right.

Intro. to Candace Crawford

Hi Everyone!

My name is Candace Crawford. I am a sophomore double majoring in Journalism and Dramatic Arts. If I could pick any profession in the world I would be an actress although I am not sure whether I prefer stage or film work more. Acting is a ridiculously difficult field to break into though, thus the double major. I am currently working at Rams Head gym, so stop by!
A few more facts about me are: I am the only girl out of four children, I love to play soccer and I am left handed.
:)