Week 8 Flashcards
What is a koan in Zen Buddhism and what is its purpose?
- a paradox to be meditated upon that is used to train Zen Buddhist monks to abandon ultimate dependence on reason and to force them into gaining sudden intuitive enlightenment
- It emphasizes impermanence and is not a one-time event but an ongoing process
What does the “flag” koan teach about perception and reality?
- two monks argue about whether the flag or wind is moving, and a third monk states “Not the wind, not the flag; the mind is moving.”
- This teaches that our perception creates our reality, and what we perceive as external movement is actually the movement of our own consciousness
How does the “strawberry” koan relate to the concept of time in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”?
- The strawberry koan (about a man hanging from a vine between two tigers who chooses to enjoy a strawberry) demonstrates how a fleeting moment can be expanded through one’s perception
- This relates to how Evelyn experiences multiple realities simultaneously, making a single moment into an infinity - a “multiverse of moments” with no linear timeline but filled with choices.
How do the concepts of TIME, CREATION, and NEGATIVE SPACE interconnect in the “Everything Everywhere All at Once”?
- Time is presented as non-linear and infinitely divided; creation requires negative space (emptiness) to occur; and negative space represents possibility and potential
- The film shows how Evelyn’s “worst” self (her emptiest version) has the most potential for creation and transformation precisely because she has the most negative space to work with.
What does the “empty cup” koan teach about receptivity to new knowledge, and how does this relate to Evelyn in the film?
- The koan about Nan-in pouring tea until it overflows teaches that one must first empty their cup (mind) of preconceptions before they can receive new knowledge
- In the film, the “worst” version of Evelyn (the one who has achieved the least) is paradoxically the most powerful because, like an empty cup, she has the most space to receive new skills and possibilities from across the multiverse
How are negative space and creation interconnected in the film’s philosophy?
- The film suggests that creation requires negative space (emptiness) to occur - “in order to have everything, we first have to have nothing.”
- This paradox is central to the film’s philosophy: the emptiest version of Evelyn has the most creative potential
- Negative space represents possibility and potential rather than absence
- As the professor noted, “We need dark before we can have light” - creation emerges from this contrast.
What paradox does the film present about Evelyn’s “worst” self, and how does this relate to the course themes?
- the “worst” version of Evelyn (the one who has achieved the least) is actually the most powerful because she has the most negative space/potential
- As Waymond explains, she has the most freedom to access skills from across the multiverse precisely because she hasn’t already specialized in any particular direction
- This illustrates the film’s central theme that emptiness (negative space) is a prerequisite for creation and transformation.
What does the Zen story about the man with the strawberry teach us about time perception?
- shows how a fleeting moment can be infinitely expanded through one’s perception
- The man facing death chooses to focus on the sweetness of the strawberry, making a single moment into an infinity filled with choices rather than focusing on his impending doom
How does the quote “Every great and deep difficulty bears in itself its own solution” relate to the film’s themes?
- overcoming difficulties requires radical changes in thinking, similar to how characters in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” must change their perspective to find meaning in chaos
- It emphasizes that solutions emerge from the problems themselves when we approach them differently
How does Roy Batty in Blade Runner exemplify the concept of “negative space”?
- Roy Batty becomes a site of negative space when he accepts his imminent death
- Having emptied himself of any future, he becomes filled with possibility and makes extraordinary decisions like saving Deckard
- This emptiness becomes a space for creation and revelation
What is the relationship between “negative space” and “creation” as discussed in class?
- Negative space is essential for creation
- in order to have everything, we must first have nothing
- The emptiness or void provides the necessary contrast and possibility for creation to occur
- This paradox suggests that creation emerges from absence.
How does Niels Bohr’s quote about paradox relate to Evelyn’s character in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”?
“How wonderful that we have met with a paradox. Now we have some hope of making progress”
relates to how Evelyn discovers that her “worst” version is actually her most powerful. This paradox (worst = best) opens up possibilities for growth and transformation
How does the kaleidoscope function as a metaphor in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”?
- represents how reality is assembled from fragments that create different patterns depending on perspective
- Professor described it as “an analogy for the whole idea of analysis and interpretation”
- When we turn it, we see new patterns and connections, just as Evelyn sees different versions of herself across the multiverse
How does Judith Butler’s theory of performative gender relate to the themes in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”?
“there is no gender identity behind the expressions of gender; that identity is performatively constituted by the very expressions that are said to be its results”
parallels how the film portrays identity as fluid and constructed through actions rather than fixed. Joy/Jobu’s multiple identities demonstrate this performative nature of self
How does the film use the kaleidoscope imagery to represent identity formation?
- represents how identity is assembled from fragments that shift and recombine
- The professor described identity in the film as “assembling and dissembling”
- not stable but dynamic and reactive to environment
- The kaleidoscope shows how small shifts in perspective can create entirely new patterns of self-understanding.
How does Niels Bohr’s quote “Everything we call real is made of things that cannot be regarded as real” relate to the film’s portrayal of the multiverse?
- highlights how our reality is constructed from elements that themselves lack solidity, similar to how the film shows Evelyn’s life being assembled in real-time from simultaneous possibilities
- The multiverse in the film suggests that what we consider “real” is just one configuration of infinite possibilities
How does Evelyn’s character development reflect the film’s philosophy about reality?
- Evelyn moves from seeing herself as fixed and limited to understanding herself as fluid and full of potential
- She learns that reality is “made-up” of possibilities that we assemble into what we recognize as “now.”
- Her journey reflects the film’s suggestion that we continuously create ourselves through our choices and perspectives
What does the “A girl is no one” slide (75) represent in the context of the film?
- the concept that to access multiple identities or possibilities (as in the multiverse), one must first empty oneself of fixed identity
- Being “no one” allows a character to be “everyone” - having the freedom to pick up skills and identities across the multiverse.
How does “Everything Everywhere All at Once” represent redemption differently from traditional religious narratives?
- Redemption is not depicted as a linear timeline or future paradise (with angels and white robes)
- Instead, it’s presented as a sudden meeting in a permanent moment of enlightenment, similar to the “strawberry moment” in the Zen koan discussed in class
- Redemption exists in the present moment rather than as a future reward.
What does the “FUTURE? REDEMPTION?” slide (83/86) question about “Everything Everywhere All at Once”?
- Questions whether redemption in the film requires a future or can exist without one
- The professor explained that unlike traditional religious concepts of redemption that promise a future paradise, the film presents redemption as occurring in the present moment - a “now” that is infinitely divided and filled with choices rather than a linear progression toward a reward.
According to slide 100, what dual nature does the present moment possess?
“The present moment is always entirely familiar — and entirely open. It’s both.”
This paradoxical nature suggests that while we recognize the present as familiar, it simultaneously contains infinite possibilities.
What is the significance of the French terms “Le Futur” and “L’Avenir” in slide 101, and how do they relate to the film?
- “Le Futur” represents the predictable future, while “L’Avenir” represents the yet unknown and undetermined aspect of the future
- In the film, Jobu Tupaki represents a fragmentation of acute simultaneity without “L’Avenir”
- there isn’t a future to hope into, only a negative space that must be constructed within our simultaneity.
What questions does slide 104 raise about Jobu Tupaki, and what do these questions reveal about the film’s approach to identity?
- Questions how many Jobu Tupakis exist, who created them, whether they cohere, and if their order matters
- These questions suggest that identity in the film is not fixed or singular but fluid, multiple, and potentially both systematic and random simultaneously.
What is “parallax” (slide 105) and how does it function as an interpretive concept for the film?
- How an object appears differently when viewed from different positions
- In the film analysis, parallax suggests that one’s perspective or “advantage” determines what one sees
- the interpretation of the film depends on where you’re standing and how you turn the “kaleidoscope” of your perspective.
What does the “UNRESOLVED” slide (107) suggest about Jobu Tupaki’s character and the film’s approach to identity?
- Indicates that Jobu Tupaki’s identity is intentionally left ambiguous and fluid
- The film resists providing a fixed or systematic understanding of Jobu, suggesting identity is constantly assembling and dissembling rather than stable
What is significant about “Plaid Jobu” (slide 108) in the film’s narrative?
- the first manifestation of Jobu that we encounter in the film
- The professor noted this Jobu appears mysterious and menacing, with no visible face, establishing the initial enigmatic quality of Jobu Tupaki before her identity is revealed.
How does “Elvis Jobu” (slides 109-110) represent a turning point in understanding Jobu’s character?
- The moment when we learn Jobu is Joy
- This manifestation shows Joy breaking conventions and rules, creating a kaleidoscope-like effect by shattering objects and lights
- It creates a hypersensory experience similar to the “strawberry moment” discussed in class, where there’s no before or after, just color, motion, and light.
What philosophical concept does the “Dancer Jobu” (slide 111) connect to regarding identity?
- connects to Judith Butler’s concept of performative identity
- The professor suggested this might represent Evelyn imagining what Joy’s happiness might look like
- highlighting how identity is performatively constituted through expressions rather than existing as something fixed behind those expressions
How does “Wrestler Jobu” (slide 112) illustrate the performative nature of identity?
- Makes the performative aspect of identity especially apparent
- The professor noted that wrestlers aren’t actually fighters but are playing the role of fighters, blurring the line between reality and performance
- This Jobu reveals that identity is a performance rather than an inherent quality.
What do the multiple manifestations of Jobu Tupaki collectively suggest about the film’s view of identity?
- Identity is not fixed or binary but fluid, dynamic, and constantly changing
- The film presents identity as something that assembles and dissembles in reaction to environment and circumstances, rather than being stable or systematic.
What does the “Golf Jobu” manifestation (slides 114-115) represent in terms of Evelyn’s relationship with Joy?
- a moment of frustration and defiance
- According to the professor, while the “bagel” is still exerting a controlled effect, this manifestation shows more facial expressions of frustration
- It represents a stage in the mother-daughter relationship where communication is strained but not completely broken.
What is the significance of the circular/bagel imagery (slide 116) in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”?
- Represents the nihilistic void that tempts characters to give up on meaning
- It symbolizes the choice to surrender to meaninglessness
- The professor described it as a constant presence that characters must actively decide whether to give in to moment by moment, representing the ongoing choice between nihilism and engagement with life
What characteristics define “Amoeba Jobu” (slides 117-118), and what does it symbolize?
- Formless, sickly green, and fluid
- According to the professor, this Jobu represents the failure of kindness (“wavin”) as a solution
- It symbolizes Joy/Jobu’s frustration that attempts at kindness haven’t resolved her relationship with her mother, leading to the nihilistic conclusion that “kindness doesn’t work.”
How does “Goddess Jobu” (slides 119-120) function as Evelyn’s interpretation of Joy?
- Evelyn’s attempt to reassure herself that Joy isn’t being ruled by her “fatal thing” (the bagel/nihilism) but is instead ruling it
- The professor described it as “Evelyn’s reversal of Jobu being untethered and anemic.”
- This manifestation integrates aspects of performance, power, control, and loyalty that Evelyn hopes Joy possesses.
How does “Goth Jobu” (slide 122) relate to the film’s exploration of identity?
- Represents another facet of Joy’s fragmented identity
- When Evelyn refuses to be sucked into the bagel (unlike what Joy expected), this breaks Joy’s “epistemic whole self” and her identities “spray out into chaos.”
- Goth Jobu is part of this chaos, showing how identity is not fixed but constantly assembling and dissembling in reaction to relationships and environment.
What philosophical concept does “KPOP Jobu” (slide 123) illustrate about identity formation?
- Illustrates Judith Butler’s concept of performative identity
- The professor connected this to the idea that “there is no gender identity behind the expressions of gender.” KPOP Jobu represents another performance of identity that is not inherent but constituted through expression, highlighting the film’s portrayal of identity as fluid, dynamic, and constantly changing rather than fixed.
What does the “CHAOS” Jobu Tupaki identity symbolize in the film?
- the fragmentation of Joy’s epistemic self after Evelyn’s resistance
- It shows Joy’s identities scattering into chaos, with pieces of different Jobus appearing simultaneously
- This form emerges when Joy’s sense of reality is shattered, breaking down her self and identities.
How does “Dark City” (1998) relate to the themes of broken time in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”?
- Settings of broken or repeating time. “Dark City” raises questions about whether each time a restart is an invention that recombines existing elements or if there’s something genuinely new (like the light at the end)
- This parallels the film’s exploration of Genesis vs. Invention.
How does the Enneagram diagram (slide 128) relate to the film’s portrayal of identity?
- an attempt to systematize Joy’s fragmented identities
- However, the professor emphasized that any such system ultimately fails because Joy is “asystematic” - outside of any fixed system
- The diagram illustrates how identity in the film is not stable but constantly assembling and disassembling in reaction to its environment.
How do “forces” relate to the concept of creation in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”?
- Represent the dynamic interactions between characters and realities that don’t destroy each other but create a “suspended collision.”
- These opposing forces create circular motion (like around the karaoke machine) rather than destruction, illustrating how creation emerges from tension.
What is the difference between “invention” and “genesis” as discussed in relation to the multiverse?
- Invention involves recombining existing elements in new ways (like Evelyn picking up skills across the multiverse), while genesis suggests something genuinely new emerging
- The film leaves this as an open question, suggesting both interpretations are valid.
How does “Everything Everywhere All at Once” connect creation with impermanence?
- The film reveals that creation itself is impermanent, and religions emerge as responses to this revelation of impermanence
- The relationship between Joy and Evelyn represents not a permanent creation but a glimpse of redemption that must be continuously recreated
What significance do mirrors and camera lenses have in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”?
- Mirrors and camera lenses share properties in how they both reveal and hide reality
- Evelyn tries to see herself in everything she holds, and in doing so, she is creating herself and picking up lessons and skills from other versions of herself
- They represent how we construct our identities through what we choose to see and reflect.
