Story
We will read Maupassant’s short short story, Boule de Suif
Boule de Suif
Guy de Maupassant
Themes
- Women and Objectification
- Being Fat
- Prejudice
- False Gratitude?
- Scapegoat Mechanism
- Network Effects: Reputations, Rumours, and Viral Trends
- “Convenience”
Additional Material
- The Collected Works of Guy de Maupassant https://www.gutenberg.org/files/21327/21327-h/21327-h.htm
Notes and References
Rene Girard’s Mimetic Theory and the Scapegoat: https://violenceandreligion.com/mimetic-theory/
Frear, G. L. (1992). René Girard on Mimesis, Scapegoats, and Ethics. The Annual of the Society of Christian Ethics, 12, 115–133. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23559770 1
The Network Effects Bible. https://www.nfx.com/post/network-effects-bible
The Beauty of Fat Women: Leonard Nimoy (“Mr Spock”) and his Full Body Project: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2015/mar/03/the-full-body-project-by-leonard-nimoy-in-pictures
Leonard Nimoy, who died February 27,2015 at the age of 83, was beloved by fans for his distinctive portrayal of Mr. Spock on Star Trek. Those fans may not have known that Nimoy, through his work as a photographer, also championed women who did not conform to Hollywood’s ideal of physical perfection. [see also http://mashable.com/2015/02/26/body-positivity-get-involved] In 2007, Nimoy published The Full Body Project, a collection of photos featuring nude women of many shapes and sizes. Nimoy’s previous book of photographs captured images of nude women as well, though the models’ slim bodies hewed closely to the conventional standards of beauty. The inspiration for The Fully Body Project struck when a full-figured woman approached Nimoy and asked if he might photograph her and her friends.
Listen to Leonard Nimoy discuss this project on NPR:
It Ain’t Over until the Fat Lady Sings: https://knowyourphrase.com/aint-over-until-the-fat-lady-sings
Is it all about Hips?: http://bollynatyam.com/books/
Videos/Songs for the Story
- First, A Song that is all about Network Effects !!!
Song: Kuchh Toh Log Kahenge
Singer: Kishore Kumar
Music: R. D. Burman
Film: Amar Prem (1972)
| Hindi Lyrics | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Kuch toh log kahenge | People will say something or the other |
| Logon ka kaam hai kehna | It’s the job of people to say something |
| Chhodo bekaar ki baaton mein | Forget all these useless things |
| Kahin beet na jaaye raina | Or else our night will end just around them |
| Kuch toh log kahenge | People will say something or the other |
| —— | ——- |
| Kuch reet jagat ki aisi hai(2) | Some traditions of the world are such that |
| Har ek subah ki shaam huyi(2) | Every morning has had an evening (One thing leads to another) |
| Tu kaun hai, tera naam hai kya | Who are you and what’s your name |
| Sita bhi yahan badnaam huyi | Even Sita has been defamed here |
| Phir kyun sansaar ki baaton se | Then why with these conversations of the world |
| Bheeg gaye tere naina | Have your eyes become bedewed |
| Kuch toh log kahenge | People will say something or the other |
| ———- | ———— |
| Humko joh taane dete hai(2) | Those who taunt us saying that |
| Hum khoye hai in rang-raliyon mein(2) | We’re lost in this debauchery |
| Humne unko bhi chup chupke | Secretly I’ve also seen them |
| Aate dekha in galiyon mein | Coming in these streets |
| Yeh sach hai jhoothi baat nahi | This is the truth and not a lie |
| Tum bolo yeh sach hai na | You tell me, isn’t this the truth? |
| Kuch toh log kahenge | People will say something or the other |
| … | … |
- A Woman From Berlin
Between April 20th and June 22nd of 1945 the anonymous author of A Woman in Berlin wrote about life within the falling city as it was sacked by the Russian Army. Fending off the boredom and deprivation of hiding, the author records her experiences, observations and meditations in this stark and vivid diary. Accounts of the bombing, the rapes, the rationing of food and the overwhelming terror of death are rendered in the dispassionate, though determinedly optimistic prose of a woman fighting for survival amidst the horror and inhumanity of war. This diary was first published in America in 1954 in an English translation and in Britain in 1955. A German language edition was published five years later in Geneva and was met with tremendous controversy. In 2003, over forty years later, it was republished in Germany to critical acclaim - and more controversy. This diary has been unavailable since the 1960s and is now newly translated into English. A Woman in Berlin is an astonishing and deeply affecting account.
It has also been made into a movie. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/nov/26/anonyma-a-woman-in-berlin.
Here is the trailer:
Writing Prompts
- When You Did Nothing to Prevent Something
- Acts of Commission vs Acts of Omission: Which Regret is easier?
- My Big Fat Friend