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The Robber BrideThe Robber Bride
General Introduction and Roz
Lived City (4): Love and Desire on Cities‘ MarginsLived City (4): Love and Desire on Cities‘ Margins -- or Center? -- or Center?
The Robber Bride The Robber Bride
from the legend of Robber Bridegroom. 《格林童話》中「強盜新郎」( "The Robber Bridegroom" )的故事。「強盜新郎」與藍鬍子童話原型大致相同,敘述一名男子以英俊多金的形象拐騙村落中的年輕女子,將她們攜回森林中的城堡予以肢解並吞食。但是經過艾氏的改寫,扭轉了原演受害者,同時也是加害者的角色。這種性別扭轉的處理,以及後設小說式對文類傳統的質疑,使本書常被書評者定位為「後現代女性童話」( Grace 44 )。 (source)
The Robber Bride The Robber Bride
Three main characters: Tony, Charis, Roz.
Roz, a president of a company on top of a building
Tony-- History professor at a University
Charis, ex-hippie living on Toronto island
Double/multiple identityDouble/multiple identity
Zenia becomes their obsession, which they need to exorcize. But actually she also serves as their double, meeting their desires and taking advantage of their fears and weaknesses.
Roz’s double identity: Roz Grunwald (a Jewish name) or Rosalind Greenwood (a Catholic)
Our Focus Our Focus
Part II – The Robber Bride. Time Line –Oct 23, 1990 May 1983, Roz over
40 her meeting Mitch when she is 22 her youth in 60’s [childhood during WW II]
Chap 39: (Oct 23, 1990) Roz in her office and back home after meeting Zenia.
Chap 40: (May 1983) Roz and her husband Mitch
Chap 41: Roz and Mitch’s knowing each other and their marriage. (May 1983) p. 354 – meeting Zenia.
Our FocusOur Focus
[Skipped -- Chaps 42: --44 – Roz’s childhood with her mother in their rooming hous
e. Her school’s Catholic education; – Roz’s father back from WWII. Roz getting to know abo
ut anti-Semitism. – The Father’s mistresses and his getting rich. Roz takes
on a Jewish identity. Roz as a hybrid (388-90).]
Chap 45 – 49: the past -- Roz, Mitch, Zenia and WiseWomanWorld; the present – Roz and the twins
Our FocusOur Focus
Today -- – Roz’s identity as a mother and a wife; her obsession -
Mitch
Next Time -- – Roz’s ethnic identity and her relationship with Mitch; – Why is Zenia a double of Roz and of Mitch (how she
meets their desires); – What does the magazine WiseWomanWorld represent ?
– How does Roz get over her obsession/trauma.
Roz and her worldRoz and her world vs. the Toronto vs. the Toronto Locations mentioned in our classLocations mentioned in our class
Office at Bay street; Restaurant on Queen E.Bloor Street Viaduct
p. 326
Roz and her world: The Past with Roz and her world: The Past with her Husbandher Husband
Art nouveau design Brass bedstead Egyptian dresser
(e.g. evenstar from 魔戒 )
A cabinet
Roz and her world: The Past with Roz and her world: The Past with her Husbandher Husband
He & She basins Jacuzzi + shower
cubicle
Roz and her world: The PresentRoz and her world: The Present
Nouveau Pueblo style Nanaimo bar + pickled cucumber eaten with a
fork
Starting QuestionsStarting Questions
How is Roz characterized as a mother in chap 39? And as a wife in chap 40?
What about the twins? And Mitch?
Roz and her Appearance Roz and her Appearance A big-bone woman: “She was a big-boned girl, a raw-boned
girl (her mother’s words), a girl with backbone (her father’s) and a full, mature figure (the dress shop’s). Dainty she would never be.” p348
Quite concerned with her appearance: – “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most beautiful of us all? – ”Depends, says the mirror. Beauty is only skin deep.”, (326-27)
Reaching 40 p. 333 Quite concerned with not letting Mitch see her body in
daylight p. 335, or do the dental floss p. 339; careful makeup 340-41;
* her sense of roots p. 329 (more next time)
Roz as a mother Roz as a mother
Missing the time to be close to her daughters, to have a sense of order and security (341) angel’s wings over her kids
Present: Distanced from her twins (328); keep her children’s stuffs for the future grandchildren. P. 329;
Roz and MitchRoz and Mitch
Mitch – a predator p. 335; Why? regular emotional strays 336
Roz – her body represents possessions, solidity, the domestic values, . . . P. 335.
Roz’s attitudes towards Mitch and her changes: – Handsome and distinguished – “jealousy” p 326; – Play poker game with him in his sexual flings p. 338 – close observation of him 340
The next generationThe next generation
Erin and Paula –– What do you think about their game of switching
all the characters into female? Pp. 330 – 31; – Their ways of playing with the dolls 331– Is Zenia a Robber Bride?
Larry – quiet, interested in success stories, a train that talked and interspecies cooperation p. 330
Roz’ identity: DP and a pastiche Roz’ identity: DP and a pastiche
DP & Roz’s father: her father as a hero (360); discrimination against “displaced persons” (365-66); Her father as DP (374) Roz’s life cut in two. )
Chap 44: the Father’s mistresses (like Mitch?) and his getting rich. Roz takes on a Jewish identity. Roz as a hybrid (387-90).
Issues for discussion next timeIssues for discussion next time
Roz’s family broken by Zenia? Or? Roz’s sense of identity as a Jew, a career w
oman and a wife; Development of women’s magazines (Wise
WomanWorld). Her relationship with Mitch How Roz survives her trauma and obsessio
n by Zenia.