Schedule of Events

Two dissimilar schools of literary criticism adopted two different methods of interpreting texts: (1) New Criticism sought a text’s definitive meaning in the text itself and rejected interpretations based on biographical, historical, and other contextual considerations, while (2) Reader Response theorists give greater interpretive weight to an individual reader’s interpretation. These different approaches prompted me to reexamine ways in which the meanings of Constitutional Amendment texts have been interpreted, represented, and debated. The 2nd Amendment provides an example of how the understanding of an amendment text can change when courts use different methods to interpret it. In a recent effort to clarify the nature and effects of these various methodologies, Attorney Brandon Murrill identified, categorized, and defined eight common modes of constitutional interpretation in a March 2018 Congressional Service Report. Two of  the eight, Murrill’s original meaning and judicial  precedent, seemed to parallel the differences in the New Critics’ and  Reader Response theorists’ approaches to textual definition. Original meaning seeks an “objectively identifiable meaning” in the text, while judicial precedent relies on “prior decisions of law.”  Original meaning adherents would have most in common with the New Critics, and judicial precedent adherents with Reader Response theorists. Two cases, United States v. Miller and District of Columbia v. Heller, demonstrate how opposing interpretive modes that have equal judicial standing can create widespread political chaos. The two cases also emphasize the need for identifying interpretive modes and their potential limitations as we seek consensus on the meaning of  Constitutional Amendment texts.

As gender studies and queer theory become increasingly relevant lenses through which to view literature, it is important to focus on how that affects interpretations of the classics. This paper studies how these critical approaches can be applied to Petrarchan convention in William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and As You Like It. Petrarchan love relies heavily on gendered roles and heterosexuality in its presentation. Petrarchan conventions limit the possibilities for exploring the nuances of sexuality and gender. In Twelfth Night, Viola/Cesario disguises herself as a man and becomes involved in romantic relationships with Olivia and Orlando. This disguise allows for the exploration of non-heterosexual attraction. In As You Like It, Shakespeare uses Petrarchan roles to explore gender roles, love and erotic attraction. In both plays, gender and sexuality are presented as masks through which to express character and explore noncompulsory heterosexuality in Shakespeare.

A manageable classroom environment that promotes student engagement is important  for every teacher and student. The typical classroom set up, where rows of desks face the front of the room as the teacher holds court, telling students what to remember, gives them little incentive or time to formulate and discuss their own ideas and responses. This centuries-old design is thought to be especially detrimental to student learning when large class sizes make it easy for reluctant or quiet students to avoid participating. My research revealed that smaller class sizes are not universally believed to promote better learning outcomes, but the common assumption is that they do just that. Recent student engagement research, however, hardly bothers with class size issues and focuses more on the importance of active learning. New classroom designs that support this emphasis include those that substitute moveable furniture for the heavy desks, chairs and tables in traditional classrooms. When teachers can have students wheel lightweight chairs and tables around a room, arrange them in ways that adapt to the lesson of the day, and separate themselves into different-sized groups, the students will participate. And  teachers will find it easier to connect with students individually as they move around the classroom interacting with the student groups. I believe this design should be more widely implemented, used first in the rooms that accommodate large classes, and then in all other classrooms as budgets permit. It promotes active learning and a more engaging educational experience for students and teachers alike.

Creole languages have emerged in many places. Many eventually dwindled, faded out completely, or were subsumed into other languages. But Hawaiian Creole English, developed from several pidgins, has survived and thrived in Hawaii. Drawn primarily from the languages of immigrant workers, Hawaiian Pidgin is now a common spoken language among the state’s linguistically diverse people. Hawaii has always been inclusive of various languages and customs, but in recent years the use of Pidgin is being discouraged in professional and academic circles--where some question whether Pidgin should continue to be a part of Hawaiian culture or should be encouraged to decline. My research suggests that the literary use of Pidgin is vitally important in preserving this popular language. The fact that the Bible and other commonly read texts are available in Pidgin has helped cement the language’s importance in Hawaii. Contemporary authors also play a role in preserving Pidgin. Lois-Ann Yamanaka, a local author, has published several novels in Pidgin. These include race and gender issues important in contemporary Hawaiian culture. The novels focus on Asian-American, working-class families, and are relevant not only to local readers, but to wider audiences as well. Yamanaka carries on as one in a long line of authors who have helped guarantee that Pidgin will continue to be sustainable. Although similar languages (like Ebonics) have lacked staying power, the traditional and contemporary texts written in Hawaiian Pidgin will, along with considerable public support, undoubtedly help ensure the language will have a long and successful life.

Japanese artists began working with woodblocks in the eighth century. Japan’s fervor for woodblock printing, significantly expanded by the seventeenth century, peaked during the 1868 Meiji Restoration. Japan exported the woodblock prints—known as ukiyo-e—to European countries, where they could be bought cheaply. They are widely recognized as having energized the 1850s Parisian Impressionists. Van Gogh was so captivated by the focus on Nature in Japanese prints that he moved to the South of France where he sought to incorporate a similar Nature focal point into his own work. Impressionists also emulated the two-dimensional spatial perspective of the woodblock prints. Claude Monet uses this perspective in his water lily paintings, all of which lack a clear horizon or reference point. The Post-Impressionists experimented with Japanese-inspired spatial techniques. Post-impressionist artist Vanessa Bell blurred human faces so that the spatial placement of the figures rather than their physical characteristics would determine the viewer’s emotional response to a painting. Bell’s sister, writer Virginia Woolf (who sought to be a “writer thinking as a painter”), admired this technique, and some of Woolf’s work intentionally mirrors Bell’s artistic form. The influence of Japanese prints on Western art has not been limited to Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and literary artists. Its techniques and conventions have, instead, been integrated into many other artistic media, perhaps most conspicuously into the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, who admired and incorporated a favorite Japanese aesthetic he referred to as a “process of simplification.”