How is Othello desfined as an "other?"

In class today we began a discussion about how Othello is defined as an "other" or outsider. There is the obvious example that he is a moor. However, the separation goes deeper than this. Whereas Othello is a military man, many of the other people he deals with are politicians. These people are much smoother than Othello, and it shows in their relative language. Can anybody think of other ways he is separated?

How powerful is NOT Rochester

Rochester is immediately defined as being compliant: "I agreed. Just like I did with everything else." He is also tricked by his family, and therefore ends up married to a woman (a creole) who he barely knows, unaware of her genetic history. ALthough his marriage does save him from the financial disgrace toward which his life was headed, he does not originally possess much power. He, following the trend of his wife and her mother, is alienated and distrusted by the black servants. Instead of being the wealthy, white respected man, as he would like to be in England, he is isolated and becomes fearful as well - which is supported by his walk in the woods, similar to antoinette's reoccuring dream, and the fact that they live near Massacre. Paranoia and danger are clearly present.
HOwever, he does posses patriarchal power. From a feminist lens, it is obvious that Antoinette is oppressed/suffocated by the patriarchal society. Antoinette gives ito Rochester (sexually) and he continues to treat her terribly - only lusting, never loving her. By the end, he uses his Englishman power to completely revoke Antoinett'es identity when he symbolically takes her name away by calling her Bertha. And then as wel all know he locks her up in the attic.
So, in my opinion, even thoug hhis family ticks him and he is isolated, he learns to develop and execute his [ower as a man in a patriarchal society.
WHat do you think? Is he powerful? What in the language supports your view? Do he use or take advantage of his power for evil? Does it make you think more or less of him'? Or do you sympathesize with him... an outsider who had no idea what he was getting himself into?

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Jane Eyre's Growth

Hello fellow Scholars:

What's the deal with Jane Eyre? How exactly can we classify her growth, if she indeed grows at all? I said, in class today, that her growth was purely introspective--that is, Jane does not progress and grow in the eyes of society; rather, her growth is strong and evident only insofar as it pertains to her own psychological characteristics, viz., her knowledge of what she truly wants, how she sees herself as a person and member of society, how that image of herself matters, etc. To me, it seems Brontë is not concerned with how the opinion of society at large might change regarding Jane, but rather how society's unchanging opinion, namely one of sexual prejudices, forces Jane to change herself, and ultimately come to the realization of what is important to Jane, not society.

What do you think? Does my proposition seem sound? Is it invalid? Is it entirely wrong and contrived :) ?

Welcome to AP Literature Period 4!

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I hope that you each had an enjoyable weekend! For those of you who have blogged before, welcome back! For those of you who are new to this... WELCOME!

Our blog will serve as a sort of virtual classroom, coffeehouse, debate arena. It generally transcends each of these designations. Sometimes you will be asked to respond to a specific question, but more often than not you will respond to each others queries and theories.

So, let's begin!