Criticism and Representation in Literary Works

In Horace’s The Art of Poetry, he gave statement about the necessity of poetry, and about how poetry works related to the spectators. He delivered his argument in rhetorical form that seems like it is the idea not people cannot argue with. He delivered it rhetorically just like it has validity. Here is one of the statements: 

 “It is not enough for poems to be beautiful; they must be affecting and must lead the heart of the hearer as they will. As many people’s face smile on those who smile, in a similar the similar way they emphasize with those who weep. If you wish me to weep, you must first feel grief yourself. Only then O Telephus or Teleus,will your misfortune affect me. If your words are not appropriate to a sorrowful face, furious words are fitting to the angry, gay jets to the merry, serious words to the solemn.” (P.80)

It shows that poetry has role to make people understand about the idea or certain meaning behind it. Not only about the understanding, but also about the feeling that also obsessed them related to the poems. Meanwhile, in the other side, the poet also cannot be separated with the poems. In The Art of Poetry is written about it that

“You may say,” Painters and Poets always had equal privilege of daring to do anything they wish.” This is true; as poets, we claim this license for our self and grant it to others. But we do not carry it so far as to allow that the savage animal should be united with tame, serpents with birds, lambs with tigers.” (P.79)

In the other hand, Horace also admitted that poets and painter have privilege that they can pour their idea freely into their works, but they also have to underline the urbanity point. There are such rules that automatically formed that in the making of the works must consider about the suitability like in what he uttered that they cannot allow the savage animal be united with tame, etc.. Indirectly, Horace showed this point on urbanity lead him and the other poets to place poetry in high culture. It is shown in

 

“The humblest craftsman near over the Aemilian school will be model fingernail and imitate waving hair in bronze; but the total work will be unhappy because he does not how t represent it as unified whole. I should no more like him, if I desired to compose something, than to be praised for my dark hair and eyes and yet go through life with my nose turned awry. You who write, take a subject equal to your powers, and consider how length, how much your shoulders can bear. Neither proper words nor lucid order will be lacking to the writer who chooses the subject within his powers.” (P.79)

From that statement, it shows that Horace in some way distance himself (as poets) with others. He claimed that the others just imitate in something that finally make the unsatisfied with their own works.  In the other way, Horace placed poetry in higher culture because he claimed that poets realize that they have power and if they used it well they would come with such a great work. Horace also indirectly separated between “good” and “bad” poetry. It shows in the argument below.

 “Avoiding a fault (in this case attempting to avoid monotony), only may fall into a worse unless there be real artistic skill.” (P.79)

The argument above shows that poets often try to impress the readers with their work. They can come up with the idea to make their works be different with the other (attempting to avoid monotony). Meanwhile, the more try to be different or to break the natural rules, they just make their works worse and far from their expectation to be a great work. It concludes that when poets push their self to deep to impress the readers, they just can produce bad poems. 

In Ion’s Plato, it agues about poetry in different way with The Art of Poetry, mostly it tells about the sources of the idea of the poetry itself.

“For in this way the God would seems to indicate to us and not to allow us to doubt that these beautiful poems are not human, on the work of man, but divine and the work God; and the poets are the only interpreters of the God by whom they are severally possessed. “  (P.12)

From the statement above, it gives argument that actually what rhapsode called art is not an art but it is inspiration that come from God. Poets are just doing the imitation mimesis the inspiration from God. In other word, there is an exact form of all the kinds of inspiration or works. The role of the poets or rhapsodes is just interpreting the form, while there are not works that really come from their own idea. Socrates argued that it is inspiration, not an art because he said that if it is art, Ion can speak well about all poets, not only Homer. Meanwhile, Ion said that he is only speak the best about Homer that Socrates concluded that as inspired from God. When the conversation between Sorcates and Ion came up with the place of literature in social discourse, it became such questioned about the place of literature itself. It is because Socrates argued that every subject in discourse than has its own authority to can understand it more that the rhapsode. For example, if the work was about the medicine, the doctor would know more about it, if it was about the rule of sea tossed vessel, the pilot would understand more about it. Then it becomes unclear about the role or authority of rhapsode. 

Besides the matter about the form or the inspiration of literary works, there is also representation existing in literary works. 

In The Madwoman in the Attic by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar, there is a passage claimed that 

“Their argument in this selection is that even the positive images of woman in literature express negative energies and desires on the part of male writers” (p.812)

It shows the impossibility for woman to genuinely be portrayed as positive images because there must be man’s importance behind it. It also seems that women can do nothing because women see is also not genuine from their “glasses”, but it is from men’s “glasses”. The assumption also spread that women cannot write because they have no story to write. Their duty is just to please their men. Gilbert and Gubar also wrote

“For us feminism critic, however, the act of “killing” both angles and monsters must here begin with an understanding of the nature and origin of these image” (p.812)

In the other words, from the language style of the sentence above shows optimism that there is a way for woman for their own voice. Woman writers first must wipe out many ideas that man has planted on them that makes what they see is based on male’s construct. In Gilbert and Gubar’s writing, The Madwoman in the Attic, also presents one of the works that women become men’s tool for their own prosperity. As verse in Patmore’s The Angel in the House:

“Dedicated to “the memory of her by whom and for whom I became poet,” Patmore’s The Angel in the House is verse-sequence which hymns the praises and narrates the courtship and marriage of Honoria, one of the three daughters of a country Dean, a girl whose unselfish grace, gentleness, simplicity, and nobility reveal that she is not only pattern Victorian lady but almost literally an angel on earth".  (p.815)

It shows that women’s fate is to please man. Argue with that, Gilbert and Gubar give many elaborations that support the idea of woman must please man. Women will please man with their passiveness. In other word, women cannot emphasize of their own interest or willing, but they have to make men’s interest or willing become their priority. From the passage above also shown that to be the pattern of Victorian lady and angel on earth, man must be proud of her because she perpetuates the patriarchal idea. Like what Sandra and Susan wrote that 

“In short, like Goethe’s Makarie, Honoria has no story except a sort of anti-story of selflessness innocence based on the notion that “Man must be pleased; but him to please/Is woman’s pleasure.” (p.816)

In Gilbert and Gubar’s writing, The Madwoman in the Attic also shows the irony about the representation of woman. In the writing is written that

“Finally, the act that angel-woman manipulates her domestic/mystical sphere in order to ensure the well being of those entrusted to her care reveals that she can manipulate; she can scheme; she can plot-stories as well as strategies.” (p.818)

The irony in the representation of women is that previously woman portrayed as a human with no willing or power to human that actually can play the strategies well. The arguments about the representation that seems like preserve patriarchal that finally come up with argument that woman play strategies that means break the patriarchal idea show how what seems to be apolitical, sentimental fiction engage in such a highly politically charged discursive context as patriarchy   

Meanwhile, in Edward Said’s Jane Austen and Empire, it analyzes Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park. There is a sentence in Jane Austen and Empire stated that

“Almost all colonial schemes begin with assumption on native backwardness and general inadequacy to be independent. “equal”, and fit” (p.1112)

It shows that non-colonial cannot be as successful as the colonial because they did not have enough power to be independent. This case also appeared when Said argued about Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park.

“To earn life to Mansfield Park you must first leave home as a  kind of indentured servant or, to put the case in extreme terms, as a kind of transported commodity-this clearly, is the fate of Fanny and her brother William-but then you have the promise of future wealth. I think Austen sees what Fanny does as a domestic or small-scale movement in space that corresponds to the larger, more openly colonial movements of Sir Thomas, her mentor, the man whose estate she inherits.“ (p.1118)

In other words, the writing shows that Fanny just did the movement from her hometown to Mansfield Park because she did not feel comfortable in her “home”. She felt distance in her home that make it was not such a home. Fanny could leave it and went to Mansfield only if she could leave her old life. She wanted to move from indentured servant to get future wealth in Mansfield Park. It shows that Mansfield Park is a place that is much better than Fanny’s home. We can say that Fanny’s home is backwardness because she cannot get future wealth there. The issues of gender also shown that Fanny can only get better life if she follow Sir Thomas that play as colonial, the man who have power. Meanwhile, in Jane Austen and Empire the portrait of the Fanny’s hometown do not show in cruel ways, but with explanation such as “home as a  kind of indentured servant”, and the portrait of Mansfield Park do not use exaggerate description but “the promise of future wealth”. From the explanation before, it can conclude that the role of Mansfield Park or Fanny’s hometown in Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park is not only about a places but  it shows how what seems to be apolitical, sentimental fiction engage in such a highly politically charged discursive context as British imperialism.

Gayartri Spivak in Three Woman’s Text and a Critique of Imperialism gives analysis of woman’s character in Jane Eyre. Spivak wrote that

“It is unquestioned ideology of imperialist axiomatics, then, that condition’s Jane move from the counter-family set to the set of family-in-law. Marxist critic such as Terry Eagleton, have seen this only in terms of the ambiguous class position of governess. Sandra Gilbert and Susah Gubar, on the other hand, have seen Bertha Mason only in psychological terms, as Jane’s dark double.” (p.842)

It shows the uncertainty that with Jane’s movement from counter family to family-in-law, then she can totally enjoy her new role.  From the writing above, we could see that critical analyses psychoanalytical, economical and literary spheres intersect. In Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, it is not just a narrative with certain plot but in psychoanalytical, Sandra and Gubar see the exchange of Jane from counter-family to family-in-law caused confusedness in Jane that create herself as Bertha Mason. In Three Woman’s Text and a Critique of Imperialism also written that the movement is a form of active ideology of imperialism that provides the discursive fields. The text seems like agree that Jane cannot easily enjoy her new role that is shown in assumption that Bertha Mason is a figure produced by the axiomatic of imperialism. In short, the figure of Bertha Mason is needed in order to clarify that Jane has done the movement into family-in-law. She needs to realize that she is now different from the old her, that finally appear unclear figure, Bertha Mason, that makes her shock and curious about what is that creature actually because what she saw is unclear between human or animal. What Terry Eagleton had seen is related to Sandra and Gilbert. Because Terry Eagleton assumed there is the ambiguous class position of governess, it can make Bertha Mason only as Jane’s dark double, just like what Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar had seen. 

Work Cited

Plato. (n.d.). Ion.

Horace. (n.d.). Art of Poetry.

Said, E. (n.d.). Jane Austen and Empire.

Gilbert, S., & Gubar, S. (n.d.). The Madwomen in the Attic.

Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty. “Three Women’s Texts and a Critique of Imperialism.” 1986.

Analysis of Lula’s and Clay’s Characterization

Dutchman by Amiri Baraka

Dutchman is a play written by Amiri Baraka that is played at the Cherry Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village, New York, in March 1964. The setting of place is in the subway train. The Dutchman involves two players. They are Lula and Clay. There will be also many passengers in the train later, but the main story is the conversation between Lula and Clay.

LULA

Lula is tall, slender, beautiful woman with long hair hanging straight. She is thirty years old. She is the one who starts conversation with Clay. She came into the same coach with Clay and started conversation until finally she sat beside Clay. From the beginning of the conversation, Lula leaned to be temptress.

Lula: (She gets one out of herself) Eating apples together is always the first step. Or walking uninhabited Seventh Avenue in the twenties2 on weekends. (Bites and giggles, glancing at Clay and speaking in loose sing-song) can you get involved…boy! Get us involved. Um-huh. (Mock seriousness). Would you like to get involved with me, Mister Man?

Lula: (Starts laughing again) Now you say to me, “Lula, Lula, why don’t you g to this party with me, tonight?

Lula: Then? Well, he we’ll go down the street, late night, eating apples, and winding very deliberately toward my house.

In many of her saying, she tried to tempt Clay. Meanwhile, the Lula’s act was not whole tempting, but the expression was little bit like lunatic person. That’s why Lula’s act needed to be as temptress and lunatic as the same time. When she tempted Clay, it was clearly appear not only with her spoil tone, but also from her movement and gaze. Her expression and movement also could make the spectator slowly understand about her character. The fact that Lula’s mimic was not smooth as temptress, but also lunatic and mysterious at the same time make it was not clear that Lula’s real purpose is to tease Clay or she had another purpose. Meanwhile, in many of her saying, Lula’s act also quip Clay. It was showed like many of her saying like:

Lula: I told you I didn’t know anything about you... you’re a well-known type.

Lula: Oh, really? Good for you. But it’s got to be Williams. You’re too pretentious to be a Jackson or Johnson.

From what she says to Clay, it started to show that Lula underestimate Clay in some points. It might be because she was white and Clay was colored (African-American). Racial issue started to reveal here. Lula was not just quip Clay, but she was also explicitly brings the racial issue. It could be seen like in:

Lula: everything you say is wrong. (Mock smile) That’s what makes you so attractive. Ha. In that funnybook jacket with all the buttons. (More animate, taking hold of his jacket) What’ve you got that jacket and tie on in all this heat for? And why’re you wearing jacket and tie like that? Did your people ever bur witches or start revolution over the price of tea? Boy, those narrow-shoulder clothes come from a three-button suit and striped tie? Your grandfather was a slave, he didn’t go to Harvard.

Lula: I bet you never once thought you were a black nigger. (Mock serious, then she howls with laghter. CLAY is stunned but after initial reaction, he quickly tries to appreciate the humor. LULA almost shrieks) A black Baudalaire.

Lula: ‘Cause you’re an escaped nigger.

Lula: You’re afraid of white people. And your father was. Uncle Tom Big Lip!

From that, it obviously showed that Lula intentionally mock Clay because he was colored. What Lula has said to Clay shows that she still thought that white people are still as a master to black people, so it made them have more power than black people. It shows that even it was not colonized period anymore, and black people still could be placed same as white people. Lula enjoyed her position as white, so she treated Clay as she wants. Then it was not clear that she took conversation with Clay randomly or intentionally she wanted to show discrimination to colored/black people. Then when she saw a colored man (Clay) staring her through the window, she decided to pick Clay as an object she play with. Lula also explicitly showed her awfulness with saying that Clay as colored man was not proper with the well-dress because no matter how hard he tried to be like educated or upper class man, he was still generation of a slave. She also tried to make Clay realizes that he was not suppose to feel free or peaceful with saying ‘Cause you’re an escaped nigger. It showed that Lula still can accept that in that time, colored or black people also could have proper job or better life. When Lula said Clay is well-known type, she also showed that it is very easy to guess what kind of life or people that Clay, as a colored, has. It was one of underestimation form for black or colored people. She also underestimate that black people won’t go to college. She assumed that black people will still do not suitable with school because she places them as slaves. Lula kept mock Clay in many ways because it looked that Clay also did not show any offense. At the end of the Dutchman, when Clay started to show his anger, Lula stabbed knife to him calmly. Then she asked other people there to get him off from her.

CLAY

Clay is colored man with well-dress and good appearance. He was sitting alone holding magazine in the train staring at the window where there was Lula. He felt that Lula is staring at him, so he was staring at Lula, too. Then Lula smiled to him. Suddenly, Lula chose to sit beside Clay and begun conversation with him. Clay showed his welcome having conversation with Lula. When Lula showed that she knew many things about Clay, Clay felt curious. The conversation kept going till finally Lula begun to mock him, he still tried to be patient and appreciate it as humor. It is obviously shown in:

Lula: I bet you never once thought you were a black nigger. (Mock serious, then she howls with laghter. CLAY is stunned but after initial reaction, he quickly tries to appreciate the humor. LULA almost shrieks) A black Baudalaire.

CLAY: That’s right.

It shows that Clay still tried to control himself from anger although Lula set up the conversation to underestimate him as colorist. Even after what she’d saying, Clay still paid attention on what she said and answered her like they still have funny conversation. Clay also like trapped in Lula’s act when she tempts him. Even Lula continued to mock Clay’s background that is colorist, Clay still opened up his life story to Lula.

CLAY: My mother was Republican.

It made Lula has another object to tease Clay. Meanwhile, Clay acted like Lula is not bending him. Clay even continued to follow Lula’s game. He even felt so interest when Lula asked him to go to her house after the party. It shows that even Lula (white people) mocked him, he pretended like it is not happening and still to have good relation with her. Even Lula obviously hooked him with half mocking-half joking words, Clay still controlled himself not to offense her. Then Clay begun to angry and full of emotion when Lula danced and embarrassed him. It is shown when he says:

Clay: Lula! Sit down. Be cool.

Clay: Lula! Lula! (She is dancing and turning, still shouting as loud as she can. The DRUNL too is shouting, and waving his hands wildly) Lula… you dumb bitch. Why don’t you stop it? (He rushes half stumbling from his seat, and grabs one of her flailing arms)

From that, Clay changed from calm man into wild man who cannot control his anger. He did not look to be polite anymore.  He spoke out about his reaction of Lula’s discrimination to him as colored man. He also said that he can murder Lula, and he even can murder all white people. He also shows that actually he realize about what people think about his racial. He realizes that white people still underestimate him. He is drowning in his long argue react about the racial issue until finally he decides to get of this train. Meanwhile, all of sudden Lula stabbed him until he died.

Bibliography

Baraka, A. (n.d.). Dutchman.

Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutchman_(play).

Purgatory By W.B.Yeats

In the drama Purgatory written by W.B.Yeats, there is conversation between a man in his 60s and his 16 years old son. The drama is about old man’s life experience and the big thing that he had done (killed his father) until finally he also killed his son used the same knife for killing his father.  The properties and the sound effect will support the drama performance to make it more meaning and more interests for the spectators.

            In the beginning of the drama, it can use mysterious music to build up terrified atmosphere. It can make the spectators become curious about what will appear or happen. The stage also can be dark with just a bit of light. After the music stops, it can appear the property like a house that was burnt many years ago and a bare. There also can be many stones there to support the setting of place. The property also has big role when the old man starred to look there are shadows of her mother and father on the window. The side behind the window will be better to be darker, so when that scene is happening there can be a woman and a man make some movement behind the window with light in order to show the shadow.  It can help the spectators to understand more about the drama. It can also make they feel fear, as what the old man feels. In addition to make the atmosphere is match with what is happening in the story, it could be add by woman’s whispering voice. That woman’s whispering voice can be placed as old man’s mother’s voice. When the old man told about his anger of his father’s behavior, the actors who plays as the old man can stand face the spectators. It is in order to the spectators can look nearer about his anger. The way the old man speaks also like he is reading a poems. It will make the spectators get the story line. At the end of the drama when he old man stabbed his soon, the knife property should look like real knife. It can help the situation tighter. Then it would be better if when the boy is stabbed, there is blood out of his part of body that was stabbed. 

Bibliography

W.B.Yeats. (n.d.). Purgatory.

The Zoo Story by Edward Albee

In the drama The Zoo Story written by Edward Albee, there is issue about social-class. The issue about social-class is appeared from the beginning of the story. Peter is portrayed as a man in his early forties, neither fat nor gaunt, neither handsome nor homely. He wears tweeds, smokes a pipe, carries horn-rimmed glasses. Although he is moving into middle age, his dress and his manner would suggest a man younger. Meanwhile, the portrait of Jerry’s character is a man in his late thirties, not poorly dressed, but carelessly. What was once a trim and lightly muscled body has begun to go to fat; and while he is no longer handsome, it is evident that he once was.His fall from physical grace should not suggest debauchery; he has, to come closest to it. a great weariness. From their conversation, it also clearer that Peter as a man from upper class and Jerry as a man from lower class. When Jerry talk to Peter, he also declared that Jerry was like had everything; nice job, a wife, two daughters, two cats, and two parakeets. The pets also portrays that Peter was from middle class that can take care of pets, it means that he had enough salary. Meanwhile, Jerry old about his life that even he has no picture to put in the frames. He brought the issue about zoo many times to Peter. The zoo in that drama is as a symbol. In the zoo there are many animals, but they live on the cage with border around them. It makes them could not socialize with other animals, even with animals in their left or right side. The situation is same as human life now. People are busy with their own business that make them do not socialize with people around them. Rich people with just interact with other rich people, and also poor people will just interact with other poor people. Setting of place in the Central Park also portray that park is pace where there is poor people and rich people enjoying spend time in that place. It could be the reason why the place setting is in the park. Jerry was just like want to have interaction with upper class that is group of people that will rarely socialize with people like him. With Jerry started the conversation with Peter until finally he asked Peter to stab him but he resisted and Jerry stabbed himself, Jerry succeed to interact with Peter (different class-social with him) because at least Peter will remember about Jerry in his life.

In the drama performance of The Zoo Story, the property and actor’s movement can help to support the drama. From the property, Peter’s dress can easily identify that he is upper class. Sitting on the bench reading a book also can show that he is well-educated man. Peter’s play also will act as calm man while facing Jerry. Meanwhile, Jerry’s play with careless dress and full of expression while told about the zoo and his life show that he is like weird or depress man. Jerry’s play also can face the spectators when he told about his life in order to make the spectators engaged with the drama. Jerry’s movement from one side to others also can make the spectator unconsciously follow his movements. It means the spectators were entering into the drama. Jerry’s mimics and intonation also slowly showed the spectator about his characters.

Works Cited

Albee, E. (n.d.). The Zoo Story.