Summarizer Ch. 3
In chapter three Vincent takes on the topic of sex as viewed by Ned. She begins the chapter meeting a man by the name of Phil who describes how he had a “right of passage” through the advice of his father. Phil described to Vincent in the bar that according to his father there was only four things you needed to know about women. Find ‘em, feel ‘em, fuck ‘em, and forget ‘em.
From here Ned asks Phil to go to the local strip club. Vincent had never had the experience before now to see how both men and women would react to each other in such a setting. Her first thoughts of these places were how a family man could bring himself to one of these degrading places. Jim a member of Ned’s bowling league became a regular partner to go to the strip clubs. Vincent came to realize that the club was a place for Jim to get away from his troubles for awhile and get his mind off the fact that his wife had cancer and hope was fading.
As the chapter went on Ned becomes a regular at the local hole. They both became particular costumers with a woman named Gina. Gina was described as a mother of three, who was able to be very friendly and “sincere.” Vincent as the weeks went on of visiting the local tried to find out what the story was behind Gina. Gina fed Vincent a story of the how she became a stripper, how it wasn’t because of the money, it was simply about she just really liked men. Somehow Vincent didn’t believe the story, she thought for whatever reason Gina had that it was her job to make sure the client was happy and wanted to come back. Telling a sob story would only make someone not want to come back. At the end of the chapter Vincent closes with how she truly cannot bring herself to going back to these clubs. She is simply too depressed with what she has observed in the several weeks of becoming a local. Ned tells Jim that how he feels and doesn’t want to go back. Jim says the same thing that becoming closer with the local he also feels depressed and doesn’t want to have the burden of degrading women like this. Jim tells that he has even the occasional nightmare of the local. After his dream he wakes to feeling discussed with himself.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Vocabulary Builder: Kaylee Cardinal
Chapter 3 Vocabulary
Insouciance (63)- Carelessness; heedlessness; thoughtlessness; unconcern.
Substratum (65)- something that is spread or laid under something else; a stratum or layer lying under another.
Incrimination (65)- to charge with responsibility for all or part of an undesirable situation, harmful effect, etc.
Inimical (66)- adverse in tendency or effect; unfavorable; harmful.
Sordid (67)- meanly selfish, self-seeking, or mercenary.
Squalid (67)- foul and repulsive, as from lack of care or cleanliness; neglected and filthy.
Preternaturally (71)- out of the ordinary course of nature; exceptional or abnormal.
Carnal (75)- pertaining to or characterized by the flesh or the body, its passions and appetites; sensual.
Miasma (80)- noxious exhalations from putrescent organic matter; poisonous effluvia or germs polluting the atmosphere.
Segue (85)- any smooth, uninterrupted transition from one thing to another.
Commiserated (89)- to feel or express sorrow or sympathy for; empathize with; pity.
Insouciance (63)- Carelessness; heedlessness; thoughtlessness; unconcern.
Substratum (65)- something that is spread or laid under something else; a stratum or layer lying under another.
Incrimination (65)- to charge with responsibility for all or part of an undesirable situation, harmful effect, etc.
Inimical (66)- adverse in tendency or effect; unfavorable; harmful.
Sordid (67)- meanly selfish, self-seeking, or mercenary.
Squalid (67)- foul and repulsive, as from lack of care or cleanliness; neglected and filthy.
Preternaturally (71)- out of the ordinary course of nature; exceptional or abnormal.
Carnal (75)- pertaining to or characterized by the flesh or the body, its passions and appetites; sensual.
Miasma (80)- noxious exhalations from putrescent organic matter; poisonous effluvia or germs polluting the atmosphere.
Segue (85)- any smooth, uninterrupted transition from one thing to another.
Commiserated (89)- to feel or express sorrow or sympathy for; empathize with; pity.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Journal Entry # 2--Self Made Man: One Woman's Year Disguised As A Man, March 5, 2009
Norah Vincent is the ethnographer and author of the book Self Made Man and Voluntary Madness. Besides writing two very controversial books she is a freelance journalist. Her works have been published in Los Angeles Times, the national gay and lesbian magazine The Advocate, The New York Times, The New York Post, The Washington Post, and other regional newspapers. Vincent has also written the “Higher Ed” column for The Village Voice from 1999-2001. Vincent attended Williams College and received a Bachelor Degree in Philosophy. Using her higher education, Vincent has created two stellar books that give readers a in depth look into different subcultures.
By writing her book Self Made Man Vincent wanted to achieve a learning experience about the human race. "This wasn't just a stunt. This was about learning. This is a human project. It was about finding something out about the human creature. ... And I learned it the best possible way because I went through it," Vincent said. Her main goal was to put herself into a man’s shoes to better understand their culture as well as their actions.
In order to retrieve her information about the male culture, Vincent completely transforms herself into her male alter ego Ned. She behaves, dates, interacts and makes friends as a guy. Our group feels this is the best way that she could possibly receive accurate information. If the men were to talk to Norah as a woman, their answers to her questions and their behaviors would have been totally different. We don’t see any flaws in this method because it truly is the only way she could receive the information she wants. Truly, there is no way for a woman to truly understand what it is like to be in a “man’s world,” but Vincent has come very close to this by conducting her research in this manner.
There are many positive reviews for Self Made Man, one of these is written by David Kamp from the The New York Times Book Review. Vincent “treats her self-imposed assignment seriously, not as a stunt, (Kamp 1)She wants to genuinely learn about male culture and although she is dressing in drag, her purpose is not a joke. Our group believes that Vincent is taking her work as “Ned” seriously, but she still has a little bit of fun with it. The reader can interpret Vincent’s words and emotions through her writing, and this is what makes us believe that she is giving one hundred percent at all times. For example, she enrolls Ned into a male bowling league and this is where her friendships with men begin to develop. Vincent is not a very good bowler as a woman, but she is putting Ned into this situation so she can get a feel for a man’s culture. She sacrifices a lot of her pride in order to gain accurate and vivid information. Vincent also incorporates humor into her writing which tends to lighten the mood of her studies.
Another review of Self Made Man was completed by Deborah Straw. She said “After two chapters, I slid right into my favorite part of reading – I became totally involved in someone else’s world. Norah Vincent (aka Ned) pulled off something quite remarkable,” (Straw 1). Vincent uses her studies to portray a compelling book that keeps readers interested from the very beginning. Her raw language makes it clear to the reader that this experience was in fact real.
Our group agrees that it is easy to relate to the struggles that she goes through on a daily basis. For example, when Ned finds himself at a strip club Vincent cannot help but feel sympathetic towards the female strippers because she cannot view them as men do. She has a constant struggle of being a female trapped in a man’s body, but she deals with it in order to write her stellar work of Self Made Man. Her word choices are meaningful to the reader and they definitely paint a vivid picture of her feelings and experiences as Ned.
By writing her book Self Made Man Vincent wanted to achieve a learning experience about the human race. "This wasn't just a stunt. This was about learning. This is a human project. It was about finding something out about the human creature. ... And I learned it the best possible way because I went through it," Vincent said. Her main goal was to put herself into a man’s shoes to better understand their culture as well as their actions.
In order to retrieve her information about the male culture, Vincent completely transforms herself into her male alter ego Ned. She behaves, dates, interacts and makes friends as a guy. Our group feels this is the best way that she could possibly receive accurate information. If the men were to talk to Norah as a woman, their answers to her questions and their behaviors would have been totally different. We don’t see any flaws in this method because it truly is the only way she could receive the information she wants. Truly, there is no way for a woman to truly understand what it is like to be in a “man’s world,” but Vincent has come very close to this by conducting her research in this manner.
There are many positive reviews for Self Made Man, one of these is written by David Kamp from the The New York Times Book Review. Vincent “treats her self-imposed assignment seriously, not as a stunt, (Kamp 1)She wants to genuinely learn about male culture and although she is dressing in drag, her purpose is not a joke. Our group believes that Vincent is taking her work as “Ned” seriously, but she still has a little bit of fun with it. The reader can interpret Vincent’s words and emotions through her writing, and this is what makes us believe that she is giving one hundred percent at all times. For example, she enrolls Ned into a male bowling league and this is where her friendships with men begin to develop. Vincent is not a very good bowler as a woman, but she is putting Ned into this situation so she can get a feel for a man’s culture. She sacrifices a lot of her pride in order to gain accurate and vivid information. Vincent also incorporates humor into her writing which tends to lighten the mood of her studies.
Another review of Self Made Man was completed by Deborah Straw. She said “After two chapters, I slid right into my favorite part of reading – I became totally involved in someone else’s world. Norah Vincent (aka Ned) pulled off something quite remarkable,” (Straw 1). Vincent uses her studies to portray a compelling book that keeps readers interested from the very beginning. Her raw language makes it clear to the reader that this experience was in fact real.
Our group agrees that it is easy to relate to the struggles that she goes through on a daily basis. For example, when Ned finds himself at a strip club Vincent cannot help but feel sympathetic towards the female strippers because she cannot view them as men do. She has a constant struggle of being a female trapped in a man’s body, but she deals with it in order to write her stellar work of Self Made Man. Her word choices are meaningful to the reader and they definitely paint a vivid picture of her feelings and experiences as Ned.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Graphic Organizer Ch. 2: Kaylee Moore
For Chapter 2 of Self Made Man, Norah Vincent has joined a bowling league in order to kick start her research. However, she is insecure that the men in the club might catch on that she is in fact a woman disguised as a man. The minute she walks into the bowling alley, she feels out of place and almost leaves. The league manager greets Ned and prevents him from leaving. Vincent claims that she was never a great bowler, and is worried that the members of her team will determine she is a woman just by her bowling. She is also concerned because it is in fact a men's club and women do not belong. If she were to be discovered she was unsure of how the men would react. Beside her insecurities, Vincent was also very hesitant after she walked into the bowling alley. She was afraid to admit that she was in fact Ned when the league manager asked, and she refused to look up for fear of making eye contact with people. At first she would periodically do quick scans of her surroundings making sure no one had caught on to her. When she finally met her team members, they were very welcoming and just by their hand shakes she felt like "one of the guys." Jim and Allen were extremely friendly towards Ned and Bob on the other hand was just not the friendly type. The rest of the chapter is devoted to Ned's interactions with these men on every Monday night. Each has a distinct personality that helped Vincent see deeper into the male culture and start her research off on the right foot.
Vocabulary Builder: Linda Lee
Chapter two Vocabulary Builder
Aura(21): a distinctive atmosphere or feeling or particular quality that is very noticeable and seems to surround a person or place
Gumption(21): innitiative, entreprise
Camaraderie(25): a spirit of fridenly good-fellowship
Solidarity(25): unity (as of a group or class) that produces or is based on community of interests, objectives, and standards
Seniotiry(41): 1 : the quality or state of being senior : priority 2 : a privileged status attained by length of continuous service (as in a company)
Wolverines(44): (plural also wolverine) : a carnivorous usually solitary mammal (Gulo gulo) of the weasel family of northern forests and associated tundra that is dark brown with a light brown band on each side of the body and is noted for its strength
Telepathic(47): communication from one mind to another by extrasensory means
Dyke(57): often disparaging : lesbian
Reticence(60): the quality or state of being reticent : reserve, restraint
Snobbery(61): 1 quality of one who tends to rebuff, avoid, or ignore those regarded as inferior
2 quality of one who has an offensive air of superiority in matters of knowledge or taste
Aura(21): a distinctive atmosphere or feeling or particular quality that is very noticeable and seems to surround a person or place
Gumption(21): innitiative, entreprise
Camaraderie(25): a spirit of fridenly good-fellowship
Solidarity(25): unity (as of a group or class) that produces or is based on community of interests, objectives, and standards
Seniotiry(41): 1 : the quality or state of being senior : priority 2 : a privileged status attained by length of continuous service (as in a company)
Wolverines(44): (plural also wolverine) : a carnivorous usually solitary mammal (Gulo gulo) of the weasel family of northern forests and associated tundra that is dark brown with a light brown band on each side of the body and is noted for its strength
Telepathic(47): communication from one mind to another by extrasensory means
Dyke(57): often disparaging : lesbian
Reticence(60): the quality or state of being reticent : reserve, restraint
Snobbery(61): 1 quality of one who tends to rebuff, avoid, or ignore those regarded as inferior
2 quality of one who has an offensive air of superiority in matters of knowledge or taste
Monday, March 2, 2009
Chapter 2: Quizer - Tony Baregi
Chapter 2: Quizzer
1. Describe the effect of the “handshake” Ned received from Jim.
Jim was the first of the teammates on the bowling team to introduce himself towards Ned. At this point Vincent was still scared about fitting in with the guys, however once the handshake occurred it completely changed things. Vincent describes it as “an instant inclusion in a camaraderie that felt very old and practiced.”(25) Vincent compared the male hand shake to that of a greeting with other women and found that a man’s handshake was much more sincere than that of a woman’s.
2. Describe how Jim in detail, and how he was able to become instant friends with Ned.
Jim’s personality was the biggest influence on Ned. He had a certain kind of humor that could win over any crowd. Also his openness with pretty much anything that has happened to himself in life. An example of this was his description of his wife. Most people when talking about a loved one’s illnesses seem to be uneasy, with Jim he never seemed to get overly angry or sad about what he was going through.
3. How does the song “A Boy Named Sue” play a role in the raising of men?
When the guys were bowling and just hanging out exchanging stories the song “A Boy Named Sue” by Jonny Cash was brought up in conversation. They were on the subject of how Allen raises his son Alex. The song talks about a boy who is beaten up in life, and in turn when grown up is a better tougher man. Alex is being taught the same way by his father throwing him into the “wild.” Allen describes that even if he does get beat and ridiculed that in the end it is for the better.
4.How do the other teammates view their marriages?
At the bowling alley every Monday night the guys on the team would have many talks about various things. During these talks they did a lot of dirty talk amongst themselves talking about strip clubs and other various activities. Vincent found this to be the typical guy talk that most associate with men. The surprising fact to Norah was she realized the absolute reverence they held their wives in. The men felt it was necessary to lie about these things but in the end the cherished their wives. There were no judgments on these bowling nights, nothing but being honest.
1. Describe the effect of the “handshake” Ned received from Jim.
Jim was the first of the teammates on the bowling team to introduce himself towards Ned. At this point Vincent was still scared about fitting in with the guys, however once the handshake occurred it completely changed things. Vincent describes it as “an instant inclusion in a camaraderie that felt very old and practiced.”(25) Vincent compared the male hand shake to that of a greeting with other women and found that a man’s handshake was much more sincere than that of a woman’s.
2. Describe how Jim in detail, and how he was able to become instant friends with Ned.
Jim’s personality was the biggest influence on Ned. He had a certain kind of humor that could win over any crowd. Also his openness with pretty much anything that has happened to himself in life. An example of this was his description of his wife. Most people when talking about a loved one’s illnesses seem to be uneasy, with Jim he never seemed to get overly angry or sad about what he was going through.
3. How does the song “A Boy Named Sue” play a role in the raising of men?
When the guys were bowling and just hanging out exchanging stories the song “A Boy Named Sue” by Jonny Cash was brought up in conversation. They were on the subject of how Allen raises his son Alex. The song talks about a boy who is beaten up in life, and in turn when grown up is a better tougher man. Alex is being taught the same way by his father throwing him into the “wild.” Allen describes that even if he does get beat and ridiculed that in the end it is for the better.
4.How do the other teammates view their marriages?
At the bowling alley every Monday night the guys on the team would have many talks about various things. During these talks they did a lot of dirty talk amongst themselves talking about strip clubs and other various activities. Vincent found this to be the typical guy talk that most associate with men. The surprising fact to Norah was she realized the absolute reverence they held their wives in. The men felt it was necessary to lie about these things but in the end the cherished their wives. There were no judgments on these bowling nights, nothing but being honest.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Chapter 2 Summarizer: Kaylee Cardinal
Norah Vincent takes her first step and finds the distinction between Ned the character in her head and Ned the real guy when she joins a bowling league. In order to make friends with guys she decides that bowling is the perfect sport for this. However, she knows it won’t be that easy considering she’s only bowled five times in her life. As Vincent walks into the bowling alley in the character of Ned, she feels as if all eyes in the building are staring at her, and she questions if she can do this or not. As the league manager saw Ned walk in, there was no turning back. Once Vincent got registered, picked up a bowling ball, and laced her shoes, she was then introduced to her teammates: Jim, Allen, and Bob. Jim was the team captain, and very nice. Vincent says that she felt very welcomed by him and included in everything right off the bat. Allen was also like Jim. Vincent says that “he seemed to mark me as a buddy from the start, no questions asked.” Lastly, was Bob. Bob wasn’t the friendly type and didn’t go out of the way to introduce himself or shake hands for that matter. As days went on, Vincent began to loosen up and get more comfortable with these guys. She noticed the different types of conversations that men would have and those that women would have. Vincent said she had a hard time getting used to the tone of voice that they used when they said hello. Most women would think that if the person wasn’t really excited or happy when they said hello that they would be mad about something. However, guys are different. Vincent states that “Everything was out and aboveboard, never more, never less than what was on anyone’s mind. If they were pissed at you, you’d know it.” Even though Ned was a terrible bowler, Vincent noticed that no matter what his scores were, Jim, Allen, and Bob were encouraging all the time. She noticed that this was common in men and not in women. Men always want to help when it comes to sports and they will always teach each other how to improve their game. No female athletes are very competitive and want each other to fail. Eventually, Ned’s bowling game began to get consistently better.
After months of playing the character of Ned, Vincent decided to reveal herself as a woman. Nervous about how the guys would react, she tested the waters with Jim, the guy she had become closest with. Vincent took Jim out for a drink with her partner, Lisa, and told him she had something to say that was going to "blow his mind." At first he couldn’t believe it, but later on he was the one who told the rest of his teammates about Vincent being a woman. Vincent realized that out of everyone, she was the one who was being the most judgmental. The guys on her bowling team accepted Ned for who he was, and the whole time she was the one who was judging them.
After months of playing the character of Ned, Vincent decided to reveal herself as a woman. Nervous about how the guys would react, she tested the waters with Jim, the guy she had become closest with. Vincent took Jim out for a drink with her partner, Lisa, and told him she had something to say that was going to "blow his mind." At first he couldn’t believe it, but later on he was the one who told the rest of his teammates about Vincent being a woman. Vincent realized that out of everyone, she was the one who was being the most judgmental. The guys on her bowling team accepted Ned for who he was, and the whole time she was the one who was judging them.
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