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east lynne reading Quarter after six in the morning and I am taking a break from reading. The material for this semester hasn't been as interesting as what I had to read last fall and I am falling more and more behind. Generally speaking the sensation novel just doesn't appeal to me. I don't care if Barbara ever gets the attention of Archibald. Nor do I care why Isabel left her family for another man. None of it holds any interest for me. In my opinion something in the book is lacking. Perhaps I'm not the target audience for such a book. The instructor keeps telling us that there is more to what we are reading than a simple romance novel, but I have my doubts. To her it documents the limited role of the fallen woman in Victorian England. ... Hours later. My attitude towards class was much better than it was last week. True I am still behind in the reading, but the material isn't bothering me as much. Part of what keeps me from reading as steadily is that Victorian literature doesn't have the same immediate emotional connection that we find in modern novels. Most of the characters seem flat to me and trying to find any motivation for their actions is tiring. My disinterest has definitely affected the amount of discussion that I engage in this semester. Rather than whining about the book, I'd just as soon say nothing. I suspect that my silence has been noticed by the instructor, because in the past I have been very vocal in her class and quite eager to share my opinions. Now that trend seems to be changing slightly. On a less serious note, just being in class was fun today. Not only do I like the intellectual stimulation, but I also like chatting with Jennifer and her friends. The subject matter might be lacking at times, but I still love the interaction with them and listening to what they have to say generally makes me smile. Today the topic of discussion was candy and the array of tastes that they had was amazing. They ran the gamut of circus peanuts to those orange flavored chocolate balls that one smacks down on a table to break open and eat. ... As I said a few days ago, I am very jealous of Kris and her friend. The two of them are making their way east across the United States in an odd reverse manifest destiny. Not only are they going in the wrong direction so to speak, but they are also going through a part of the country that I have never seen. The American Southwest is virgin territory for me. Buttes and mesas have never been seen by my eyes. As close as I ever came to the Southwest was Colorado and I was in the mountains not down in the dry country. Thankfully their travels are more accessible to me than where Scott and his wife Amy are spending their time. What I mean is that I'll probably get to Arizona long before I ever make my way to Korea. Australia might be as close as I'll ever get and that really doesn't count as being in Asia despite their close economic ties to it.
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