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Allison M. Graves
Doctor Moe
ENLT 109W
Take Home Essay Four
Nov 20 2015
The Work of Literature: Creating a “Swirl in the Flow”
“Within any important issue, there are always aspects no one wishes to discuss.”
― George Orwell
In William Rueckert’s essay he discusses how poetry has stored energy and
creates a disruption, which makes readers think. “A poem is stored energy, a formal
turbulence, a living thing, a swirl in the flow” (Rueckert 74). To clarify, Rueckert uses the
term “poem” loosely, as the word “poem” in Greek translates to poiesis, meaning a
“making”, which includes poems, novels, short stories, plays, and more. From this quote
we can explore what literature does and how it impacts us. Authors Sherman Alexie,
Jamaica Kincaid, and William Shakespeare express themselves through literature in
order to evoke something in their readers, to make them think. They use stored energy
from injustices that are personal to them to create literature that causes a “formal
turbulence” or a “swirl in the flow” which makes readers deeply consider the injustices
they bring attention to.
Starting with Native American author Sherman Alexie, readers can emotionally
connect to his collection of short stories that highlight the injustice against Native
Americans. In his story “Imagining the Reservation”, Alexie writes, “Survival = Anger x
Imagination” (Alexie 150). In this quote, it is obvious to readers that Native Americans
are still trying to survive and overcome the injustice against them that happened so long
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ago. Native Americans have had to live with the aftermath of the cultural genocide that
their ancestors suffered, thus creating stored energy. This stored energy is anger;
Native Americans have this anger against the people that committed this injustice
against them and can never forget it; this is why “anger” is part of the equation. The
“imagination” of the equation suggests that the Native Americans must stay hopeful in
order to end the injustice against them. By using their imagination, Native Americans
have a way to handle the painful memories of their past and try to recover from it. From
this quote, Alexie uses his literature to not only express his frustration about Native
American’s lingering oppression, but also to let readers know that it is still happening.
This makes readers think about the injustice that continues today.
Alexie’s collection of short stories creates a “swirl in the flow”. Alexie shares
stories about how Native Americans are still suffering from something that happened to
their culture five hundred years ago. Throughout his collection, Alexie repeatedly uses
the time of five hundred years to show that Native Americans are still affected by the
injustice that was done against them. In the story “Indian Education”, Alexie shares a
character's memories about school as a Native American. In seventh grade, the
narrator, Junior, kissed a white girl. He shares that by kissing her, he felt like he was
leaving his tribe and the reservation. “After that, no one spoke to me for another five
hundred years” (Alexie 177). Another example of the term five hundred years is in the
story “Imagining the Reservation”; the narrator is at a 7-11 convenience store and
reflects on his life. “I am in the 7-11 of my dreams, surrounded by five hundred years of
convenient lies” (Alexie 150) This time of five hundred years affects readers by
constantly reminding them that the hardships Native Americans faced so long ago are
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continuing. Alexie has used his personal life to provide real stories to his readers.
Readers can then see how Alexie’s own life is a “swirl in the slow”. Alexie’s life in
general is different from most of his readers. Alexie, being a Native American has had to
live with this grief of what his ancestors suffered and the injustices Native Americans
face today.
Jamaica Kincaid also uses her literature to express the injustice against the
people of the small country Antigua. Kincaid expresses her dislike of the tourists that
visit her native country in her novel A Small Place. Kincaid has built up stored energy
against the tourists that believe the poor country of Antigua is a beautiful place to
vacation. The ongoing drought, poor hospitals, no proper sewage system, and imported
food is unknown to tourists who are simply enjoying their beautiful surroundings. They
are blind to the harsh conditions that the people of Antigua live in. “When the natives
see you, the tourist, they envy you, they envy your ability to leave your own banality and
boredom, they envy your ability to turn their own banality and boredom into a pleasure
for yourself” (Kincaid 19). Kincaid works through her literature to make the tourists see
that even though it may not look like it on the outside, Antigua is a struggling country.
Kincaid uses parentheses throughout her work to further express her stored
energy. Her use of parentheses adds a little bit more information so the reader can fully
see both sides of the country. The comments Kincaid makes in the parentheses are on
the personal side, and have a touch of her wit in them. “This might frighten you (you are
on your holiday; you are a tourist); this might excite you (you are on your holiday; you
are a tourist),” (Kincaid 6). From this quote, Kincaid’s parentheses show how a tourist
might be frightened or excited by a crazy taxi driver. Not only do her parentheses give
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readers more information, but they also poke fun at the tourists, as Kincaid is used to
seeing tourists adore her beautiful yet struggling country.
Kincaid captures readers’ attention and guides them to look past the surface.
Even though Antigua looks stunning on the outside, it is not as it seems. Kincaid puts
readers in the place of a native Antiguan which makes you think, how would I feel if
tourists came to my country to experience the “culture” that I’ve never experienced?
Kincaid’s literature is forcing readers to hear the people of Antigua’s voice and to see
the injustice against them.
Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night also touches on a subject that makes readers
think. For his time, gay love was not something talked about, let alone acted out on a
stage, yet Shakespeare creates a play that focuses on complicated relationships and
ultimately gay love. By writing on such a controversial subject, Shakespeare continues
to make readers question his intentions in his writing.
This very beautiful yet complicated play by Shakespeare focuses on many
relationships and love interests between the characters. One of the main relationships is
between Duke Orsino and Viola, but Viola is dressed as a man and goes by the name
Cesario. Viola falls in love with Duke Orsino but cannot act on it because she is dressed
as a man and Duke Orsino is also in love with another woman. Viola states, “What will
become of this? As I am a man, /My state is desperate for my master’s love: /As I am a
woman” (II. ii. 35-37). In this quote, Viola expresses her despair and desperation as she
cannot be with her master, Duke Orsino, because of so many obstacles in the way. By
creating Viola’s troubling situation, Shakespeare is pushing readers to put themselves in
her situation and think, what will she do? How will she get Duke Orsino’s love?
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In the end of the play, the truth comes out; Viola reveals she is a woman. Duke
Orsino immediately claims, “Cesario, come— /For so you shall be while you are a man.
/But when in other habits you are seen. /Orsino’s mistress, and his fancy’s queen” (V. i.
372-375). And just like that, Duke Orsino falls madly in love with Viola, claiming her as
his “mistress” and “queen”. Readers instantly begin to question the language and quick
reaction Duke Orsino displays. Why does Duke Orsino call Viola Cesario even though
he just found out her name is actually Viola? And shouldn’t Duke Orsino be a little bit
cautious about so quickly trusting and falling in love with a woman he thought was a
man only a minute ago? Readers may inquire that Duke Orsino could have already
been in love with Viola since he expressed his love so quickly and eagerly. Which would
then lead to Duke Orsino being gay? These questions are still asked today, even so
long after Shakespeare wrote the play.
Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night is a perfect example of a work that causes a
“formal turbulence” or a “swirl in the flow”. Many readers and viewers of the play during
Shakespeare's time and today wonder about his true intentions. Was Shakespeare
supporting and spreading awareness of gay love? Whether or not Shakespeare was
trying to support gay love, it still sparked controversy about the play’s meaning. In
Shakespeare’s time especially and even still today, homosexuals can feel alone and
outcast because they are different from the norm. This is an injustice to the group of
homosexuals then and today who face cruelties against them. Shakespeare took stored
energy about a subject that nobody talked about and created a play that would make
people question his intentions.
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All of the injustices that Alexie, Kincaid, and Shakespeare write about are
subjects people don’t normally like to think or especially talk about. Native American
oppression that continues today, poor people in Antigua, and gay love are topics that
raise controversy and force readers to deeply think about them. Readers read about
these topics and immediately feel guilt or sadness, form an opinion, or want to express
their own views on the issue. The reason these authors create the “swirl in the flow” or
the controversy that they do, is to cause their readers to start thinking and talking about
the subjects that aren't always easiest to. The most important work of literature is for
authors to share their stories, be heard, and let their readers puzzle over their
experiences, stories, views, intentions, and meanings.
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Work Cited
Alexie, Sherman. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. 20th Anniversary
Edition. New York: Grove Press, 2013. Print.
Kincaid, Jamaica. A Small Place. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1988. Print.
Rueckert, William. “Literature and Ecology: An Experiment in Ecocriticism.” Iowa
Review. 9.1 (1978): 71-86. Print.
Shakespeare, William. Twelfth Night. 2010 Edition. New York: Oxford UP, 1986. Print.