Cock and Bull Review

Cock and Bull is a book by Will Self comprised of two shorter works, "Cock" and "Bull." "Cock" is the story of Carol, a rather unhappily married woman who inexplicably grows a penis. Similarly, "Bull" is the story of a man named Bull who one day wakes up to find he has a vagina on the back of his leg. Carol's bodily change makes her more masculine and powerful, enabling her to later engage in behavior she wouldn't previously have been able to (not only sexually). In contrast but not surprisingly, Bull's change makes him quite sensitive and rather feminine. Like Carol, his story ends somewhat surprisingly, though both endings are in fitting with their suggested characters. Both stories feature dysfunctional relationships that are later resolved in some way, and Carol and Bull both continue on with their lives.

While both stories were interesting, "Cock" was less enjoyable because of Carol's personality and behavior and how she was portrayed. the manner in which it was written was successful, but it was difficult to relate to or sympathize with the character. "Bull" was far more enjoyable, likely because Bull was a more sensitive character who was easier to sympathize with. He was a kind man both before and after his change, whereas Carol was always rather unpleasant. Bo were written very similarly, however, and were quite successful despite being about a somewhat "different" topic. The book poses a lot of questions about gender, gender roles, and sexuality, which makes it rather thought provoking and perhaps worth a read despite it being a bit uncomfortable to read, particularly in public.



Sorry this assignment is a bit short and a bit late. Was out of town for Passover and Easter and just returned.

Professor Self 4/4/12

I read the following article published in The Guardian in February of 2012: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/feb/23/professor-self-university-knowledge-value


There were two lines that stuck out to me the most, standing out from the rest of the predominantly expected article. One was this:


"I realise that the above may make it sound as if I'm more concerned with what I will get out of teaching these students, rather than what they may get out of me – but actually I believe the two are pretty much the same thing," followed later in the paragraph by "There is something mysteriously powerful that can happen when young, inchoate minds come into contact with older and more worldly ones in a spirit of intellectual and creative endeavour – if I believed in progress I suppose that's what I'd call it."


This is strikingly true. Each generation comes from essentially its own world. The younger generations have a newer world, full of new technology and new ideas. The older generations have been around longer and therefore know more and have more experiences. They, too, are experiencing the new world, but in a different way, as they are no longer as new themselves. When this young generation becomes the older generation, the new world will become knowledge, and a new new world will be in existence. There is also the idea of two perspectives - yes, the younger and the older perspective, but also simply the two different perspectives of two different people. People react differently to things. Different ideas come to different people. They interpret and understand things differently. In combining these various ideas, understandings, and perspectives, a fuller understanding can be reached, as well as a more complete idea. 


As a student, particularly in a group discussion-based learning environment, I sure hope the teachers learn as much as we do, or maybe even more. I hope our discussions give them new ideas and new ways to think about things, and that they will take what they have learned from us and apply them to later groups of students, who will then take the ideas we developed and passed on and develop them even further. This combining and enhancing of ideas is so important - it's how we have the world we have today. So, Will Self is right to be concerned with what he will get out of teaching the students. What he learns will benefit future students, who will in turn benefit him and other people. 


Self also says: "However, if I don't believe I'm helping my students towards a fuller and more empowering relationship with the world, then I'll resign." This is a very powerful thing to say. It suggests that he fully realizes the implications and importance of education, both in receiving and in providing it.

Don't Cry 4/4/12

This story and interview were interesting, particularly having read "Secretary," a short story mentioned in the interview. "Mirrorball" was very different from "Secretary." The latter was sad and rather disturbing the whole way through, while the former, though sad, resolved itself. Interestingly, "Secretary" seemed far more transgressive than "Mirrorball." Its atmosphere is far more similar to the other works we've read, though "Mirrorball" is a bit odd too. I suppose "Mirrorball" was most like Nights at the Circus - transgressive-ish in a fantastic, magical sort of way.

The interview was interesting as well - it allowed me to see her literal voice and compare it to the voices of her works. It also touched on topics important and relevant to her, which were also interesting in light of her works. It was fascinating to hear about her novels, with which I am unfamiliar, because they sound so different from the two stories I've read, and yet, in keeping with her voice and style and her experiences that the interview touches upon.

Guts 3/28/12

I don't know where or why, but I had read Guts before. It surprised me, actually, that the piece was familiar because, while I like Palahniuk and his voice and style, I think I've only read Invisible Monsters and Lullaby. He's not one of those authors where I've read every single thing he's ever written.

Guts is interesting. It's raw, for lack of a better term. Or maybe that's the perfect term. I have to say, it's a little unclear to me what exactly about it supposedly makes people faint. Sure, it's grotesque and a bit gorey, but it's far from the most disturbing or shocking thing I've ever seen or read.

Palahniuk's style is wonderful. At least in the works of his I've read, his voice always sounds like a brilliant teenager. The combination of this with his frequently taboo subjects creates an interesting feeling within his works, like a kid telling you something a kid shouldn't know. When writing essays, Palahniuk's voice still maintains a fictional quality, like he's telling you a story but it isn't a story. It has this casual feel but you still have to take him seriously.

It's very easy to relate Palahniuk to the British transgressive works we've read. The topics are similar, as is the style in which he writes them.

Nights at the Circus 3/26/12

The Spectacle of Her Gluttony shed light on something I hadn't put much thought to while reading the novel, but looking back on it, the themes of eating and appetite are very present. Seeing the emphasis on appetite is even more fascinating upon learning that Carter herself struggled with anorexia. There is constant reference in the novel to food and hunger and eating, as well as to Fevvers' significant size. There is one moment in the novel where Fevvers is "off her food," which comes as a surprise to the reader.

One of the most interesting things about the novel was how the smaller the places they went to got, the more the circus disintegrated. In London, there doesn't seem to be much wrong at all. The whole circus company is there and well. but as the story progresses to St. Petersburg and Siberia, the circus begins rapidly losing members of its company, from clowns to tigers to elephants to dogs. The significance of the animals is fascinating as well - they have thoughts and feelings in an almost human-like way. The female tiger is so jealous of her mate dancing with Mignon that she attacks. With Sybil the pig, it is at times easy to forget she isn't human. The elephants work to put the fire out with their trunks. The animals are almost as human as the humans. Throughout the whole novel, there is a strange lack of separation between animals and humans. Fevvers is half human and half bird, which ties the animals and the humans together. The animals are quite human-like, while the humans, at times, become quite animalistic, like Walser after he loses his memory.

Nights at the Circus 3/21/12

The juxtaposition between art and cheap commercialism in both Nights and Money hinges around prostitution. The art in Money is the movie, the books, and the real relationships. The cheap commercialism is the prostitution, the deception, and the money. In Nights, the art is Fevvers, her presentation of her life, and the Circus. The cheap commercialism here is the "prostitution" (though she is the "virgin whore"), and Gain, the money, though there is a far lesser focus on it in Nights than in Money. In Nights, it's more about image and respect than money itself. The prostitution is the line between the art and the commercialism in both situations. The prostitution is both part of the art and the means for the money. In Money, sex is a controversial topic amongst the actors in the movie. Vron sees her work as art. There are sex tapes, sexual performances, and sexual publications. The sex fuels the movie, which in turn, should create money (though this is thwarted by Fielding). Self also loses money to prostitution. In Nights, Fevvers' body and abilities are her art. She is paid for them, but never touched, thus making her the "virgin whore." Like Vron and many others in Money, her body is her art and also her means of money, though in a slightly different way. The contrast and similarities between art and cheap commercialism in these books is interestingly similar despite the stories being quite different.

Nights at the Circus 3/19/12

The allusions to Shakespeare in the London section of Nights at the Circus are many and varied. Though not all are direct, they bring Shakespeare to the reader's mind. They begin on page 33: "'Midsummer,' said Lizzie. 'Either Midsummer's Night, or else very early on Midsummer Morning.'" This is, of course, reminiscent of A Midsummer Night's Dream, both because of the word choice and because the time between the time periods stated (night and morning) is the time most closely associated with dreams. Shakespeare's story is about fairies, which is also reminiscent of Nights at the Circus, because of Fevvers' fairy-like qualities and the magical aspects of the stories. Four pages later, on page 37, Fevvers' sword is referred to as "her wand, like Prospero's." this brings Shakespeare's The Tempest in as well, again relating to Nights because of its magical content. The audience is reminded of The Tempest again on page 43, where Fevvers' voice is referred to as "a voice made for shouting about the tempest." The language here seems deliberate - another word, such as "storm" could have been used. On page 53, Fevvers directly mentions Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and how they wept at it. On 62, she says, "Then the old hag herself comes tottering down the cellar like Lady MacBeth," which is, of course, a reference to MacBeth. On page 70, she says, "like Hamlet, I would think: 'What a wonderful piece of work is man!'" The character Christian Rosencreutz brings to mind Rosencrantz and Guildenstern of Hamlet, but is more similar to 17th century founder of the Rosicrucian Order, Christian Rosenkreuz. Shakespeare obviously carries some importance both to the novel and to Carter.

There are also many allusions that are reminiscent of familiar fairy tales, namely Snow White and Cinderella (with the clocks at midnight).