Response: The Ladies Paradise

My favorite part within this reading is when the woman closes her eyes and realizes that the place itself disappears and the space becomes embodied by the women around her. I believe it really speaks to the idea that a place has agency within a space. This particular moment of agency is within the clothing store itself. Further, the outside space isn’t indicative of what lies within.

Response: The Sacred and the Virtual

This reading is interesting in that it focuses on the integration of both the sacred and the virtual. A world like E-Church is really fluid in the sense that it is almost completely anonymous. Aside from regulars, and the leader – really there are guidelines to what you have to encompass to be apart of this world. Though, to juxtapose this structure, there is no one to reinforce the conformity. I also find it interesting how structured the prayer group is. It both mimics real life while making the act of going to church be more digestible. Also, the way in which the E-Church world utilizes virtual space to capitalize on sanctity and places of worship is extremely compelling. I personally struggle with the intangibility of the virtual mass or prayer.