Tag Archives: Extra Credit

Extra Credit – Moby Dick Costume

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For class on Thursday, October 30th, I dressed up as Queequeg at the beginning of Moby Dick. He is presented to us, in his and Ishmael’s first endeavors outside the Spouter-Inn, in a long coat, slacks, and a Beaver skin top hat. While I could only assume the attire he wore underneath (most sailors portrayed in media are placed in plain white button-up dress shirts), I decided to include a rope to my costume, ties around my belt loops, to incorporate the passage on Ishmael and Queeuqeg’s wedding by the anchoring of the rope they share on the Pequod while Queequeg assists in skinning the whale. While not very noticeable (since I wear these rings quite often to class), I assigned specific passages/meanings to the designs of each of my rings. 1) A coffin, symbolizing the crew’s imminent and constant threat of death, and the foreshadowing of the shipwreck of the Pequod at the end of the novel, 2) a skull, referencing chapter 80 – The Nut, and Ishmael’s rant about the phrenology and craniology of the Sperm Whale, 3) a sun, made of bronze, gold, and silver, referencing the numerous times Melville uses terrestrial language and points out the use of light in representation of the feature of the whale and whiteness, and 4) a ring I received from my eldest brother’s grandmother containing different parts of an Abalone shell. Another piece of jewelry I used to reference the book was my cross earing (I know, I wear it all the time and hardly switch it for something different), which I used to represent Queequeg’s desire to learn from Christians for the betterment of his people and himself, and later his repulsion of the behavior of so called Christians, and rebuttal for them to learn from cannibals instead.

Steve Mentz Extra Credit in DH Center

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Attending Steve Mentz’ seminar in the Digital Humanities Center was very insightful. One idea that I liked that he brought up is that water is an ominous present in our environment and his curiosity on moving blue humanities beyond the ocean and thinking about other materials like rain, humidity, lakes, ice, etc. There are so many various sources of water that influence human identity. Not everybody has access to the ocean but they do have access to drinking water or fog or a lake nearby them. Everyone can participate in blue humanities beyond the ocean. I feel like for some it can be hard to relate to “Moby-Dick” in a blue humanities way since they don’t live by the ocean, but it doesn’t matter, they are still reading about it participating in the discussion. Water, in a blue humanities context, doesn’t have to be physically there, it can be present in literature, art and other cultural expressions. Mentz also briefly brings up global climate change impacting waters. I feel like now more than ever it is important to have these discussions regarding water. We need water, we can’t live without water. It is important to appreciate what we have and to not take it for granted. His seminar had made me more excited to read “Moby-Dick” and see how the narrative of the ocean is portrayed. Do they disregard it or appreciate it? It will also be interesting to see their interactions with the ocean. Overall, this seminar and class discussion was very insightful!

5 Questions for Steve Mentz

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  1. “Deterritorializing” is reminiscent of the more common (and more land-oriented) word “deconstructing,” which is often used in the humanities. Why is it important now more than ever to unlearn what we have learned?
  2. What is your favorite fact you have learned while researching water/the ocean?
  3. Do you think experiencing nature first hand (like being able to see an ice landscape in person) is an important aspect of the blue humanities?
  4. Do you think younger people (school aged children) can benefit from exposure to the blue humanities, or is it a current more suited to the environment of academia and higher education?
  5. When you were younger, what did you want to grow up to be?

Steve Mentz Session Extra Credit Opportunity

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Attending this event was very insitful to hear more about Steve Mentz and what he believes about blue humanities and why he studies and teaches it! I thought it was lovely to hear everyones questions about the subject! I thought the question towards the end of the session about the wind turbines and the deep ocean was an interesting one as it would affect the sea life in that area and the fact they couldn’t build it that far down. All of the ocean animals which would be affected by something like that could be detrimental. I can hope anyone can see or hear that and learn that it might not be the best. I enjoyed hearing what he also had to say about coming up with more ideas as he is ocean swimming and how the roughness or calmness of the waves can determine how he thinks. I believe what he was saying about using different terms to shift our thinking with blue humanities can really be to our benefit in this class as we dive into this book and learn more about the ocean and all of the nature within it.

Questions for Steve Mentz

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  • Is there a piece of work you think harms the name of blue humanities?
  • Can lakes and rivers also be of importance such as the sea is? Do you think they evoke different feelings and questions? 
  • What inspired you to pursue the path of blue humanities?
  • You mention the importance of blue humanities in our lives, but could the same be said about other biomes, such as the desert?
  • As time goes on, do you think blue humanities will get more recognition or become less prominent in our society? 

Extra Credit – Steve Mentz Questions

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  1. What first drew you to the ocean as a central focus, and how did that interest evolve into what is now the “blue humanities”?
  2. How do you think studying the ocean through literature can help us think differently about challenges such as climate change today?
  3. Are there any particular books or authors that you think students should read if they want to get a better sense of how literature connects to the ocean?
  4. What advice would you give to students who want to bring environmental or ocean-focused perspectives into their own writing?
  5. When you first started writing about the blue humanities, did you expect it to grow into the field it is now?

Extra Credit:Steve Mentz Questions

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1.) What importance does Blue Humanities hold for you? How would you say this topic works along existing fields of marine science?
2.) Despite a primary focus on the ocean, are there any other bodies of water that you think humans can explore just as in depth?
3.) Why does poetry offer such a lens into planetary waters in comparison to essays or other academic leaning books?
4.) Are there any other notable authors you look towards when speaking about or studying Blue Humanities besides Melville or Gillis?
5.) If you could chose one word to describe human relationship with the ocean, what would you pick and why?

Questions for Steve Mentz

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  1. Do you believe that technology in modern days plays a huge role in helping humanity connect to the ocean a bit more visually?
  2. Do you think poetry could change a person’s perspective about the ocean? Even if they think about it negatively?
  3. What is the one poem you would like to recommend to students if they want to learn more about the vast ocean?
  4. What are your thoughts about the deep sea and the mysteriousness that lies beneath it?
  5. What would be the one advice you would give to students as they start to read Moby Dick for the next couple of weeks?

Steve Mentz Questions

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  1. The fifth word listed in the “Preface to Ocean” reading calls for a change to our language, as you ponder if “our language [is] too visual.” What other linguistic alternatives are you thinking would align with the communication of underwater creatures?
  2. One of the first things that I noted in my reading of “Preface to Ocean” was your use of “moving and moved” to describe the waters surrounding us. What do those past and present tenses touch on with your ongoing studies of deterritorialization and “the blue humanities?”
  3. You’ve mentioned the effect that the eco-crisis and climate emergency have on your field of study. How might the growing concern on this topic influence the future of “the blue humanities,” and how might we, as students and advocates of the oceans, better help?
  4. Visibility and perspective seem to be huge points of interest in the process of destabilizing and adjusting our “old terrestrial language.” What role does visibility play in the advocacy for the oceans and surrounding waters? In other words, do you find that those in more direct proximity to the ocean and waters have a greater interest in “the blue humanities?”
  5. In what ways has your interest in poetry influenced your outlook on your field of study? We often discuss fluidity in our literary discussion and analysis of poetry, which makes the subject of water/oceans and poetry seem like complimentary partners.

Questions For Steve Mentz (Extra Credit)

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  1. You talk about climate change and rising sea levels, how can blue humanities help us think different about our current ecological challenges?
  2. What drew you to study blue humanities?
  3. Which other works do you think captures the poetics of water?
  4. How do you balance the reality of water, like rising sea levels and pollution, with the symbolic meaning of water? Does material reality and symbolism overlap?
  5. What connections are there between blue humanities and environmental justice?