‘‘Only Connect’:Only Connect’:Text and TheoryText and Theory

What We ReadWhat We Read

The Canon

Milton

Shakespeare

Wordsworth Keats

Tennyson

Jane Austen

Dickens

Children’s Literature Sci-Fi

ThrillerDetective Fiction

Popular Culture Chick Lit

What We ReadWhat We Read

The Reader

Survivor

BatmanAtonement

Harry Potter

Pride and Prejudice

Whale Rider

Hamlet

How We ReadHow We Read

Author Text Reader

•Stable meaning•Task of reader to work out author’s intention

How We ReadHow We Read

Author Text Reader

•Reader Response•Meanings – fluid, flexible, multiple

‘‘The death of the author is the birth of the The death of the author is the birth of the reader.’reader.’

Roland BarthesRoland Barthes

Ideology

Background

Culture

Society

How We ReadHow We ReadLiterary Theory:Literary Theory: Different ways of approaching, Different ways of approaching,

looking at textlooking at text Fashions come and go, new theories Fashions come and go, new theories

and approaches inventedand approaches invented

Examples:Examples: New HistoricistNew Historicist Post-colonialPost-colonial Marxist Marxist PsychoanalyticPsychoanalytic FeministFeminist

AdvantagesAdvantages Reader centre stageReader centre stage MultiplicityMultiplicity Different voices heardDifferent voices heard Connections between texts: links, Connections between texts: links,

commonalities, divergences, commonalities, divergences, intertextualityintertextuality

BUT:BUT: Still need textual analysis, supportStill need textual analysis, support

How We Read TextsHow We Read TextsNew Historicist:New Historicist: Text in historical contextText in historical context Text shaped by cultural, political, Text shaped by cultural, political,

ideological world in which producedideological world in which produced

For Example:For Example: Hard TimesHard Times – 19 – 19thth trade union movement, trade union movement,

education acteducation act The TempestThe Tempest – exploration and discovery – exploration and discovery The Captive WifeThe Captive Wife – convicts, cultural – convicts, cultural

contact, 19contact, 19thth attitudes towards women attitudes towards women

How We Read TextsHow We Read TextsPost-colonial:Post-colonial: Examine representations of race, Examine representations of race,

Empire, power imbalanceEmpire, power imbalance Indigenous voice/perspectiveIndigenous voice/perspective

For Example:For Example: The Tempest The Tempest – Ariel and Caliban – Ariel and Caliban

indigenous, Prospero as coloniserindigenous, Prospero as coloniser Mansfield Park Mansfield Park – Edward Said – – Edward Said –

society/wealth founded on slave trade society/wealth founded on slave trade (Antigua)(Antigua)

Salman Rushdie, Witi Ihimaera, Salman Rushdie, Witi Ihimaera, Patricia GracePatricia Grace

How We Read TextsHow We Read TextsMarxist:Marxist: Class struggle key feature of history, Class struggle key feature of history,

human interactionhuman interaction How do texts represent society, How do texts represent society,

class? class?

For Example:For Example: Wuthering HeightsWuthering Heights – Heathcliff’s – Heathcliff’s

pursuit of wealth and powerpursuit of wealth and power Jane EyreJane Eyre – Jane a ‘lady’, inheritance – Jane a ‘lady’, inheritance

secures her class positionsecures her class position

How We Read TextsHow We Read TextsPsychoanalytic:Psychoanalytic: Freud – loss experienced upon separation Freud – loss experienced upon separation

from mother’s body, id versus egofrom mother’s body, id versus ego Jungian archetypes, collective unconsciousJungian archetypes, collective unconscious Jacques Lacan – structure of self and Jacques Lacan – structure of self and

relation to the social, mirror stagerelation to the social, mirror stage

For Example:For Example: Bruce Wayne and Batman – ego and id, Bruce Wayne and Batman – ego and id,

chaos and orderchaos and order Bertha in Bertha in Jane Eyre Jane Eyre – the suppressed self– the suppressed self Goblin Market Goblin Market – sexuality and desire– sexuality and desire

How We Read TextsHow We Read TextsFeminist:Feminist: Representation of women in literatureRepresentation of women in literature Desire to recover ‘silenced’ writersDesire to recover ‘silenced’ writers Patriarchal structure of society and Patriarchal structure of society and

languagelanguage

For Example:For Example: Jane Austen – predicament of 18Jane Austen – predicament of 18thth

Century womenCentury women Aphra Behn, Dorothy Wordsworth, Aphra Behn, Dorothy Wordsworth,

Louisa Baker, Dorothy ParkerLouisa Baker, Dorothy Parker John Donne – ‘she is all states, all John Donne – ‘she is all states, all

Princes I’; ‘Ah my America, my new Princes I’; ‘Ah my America, my new found land’ – male conqueror critiquedfound land’ – male conqueror critiqued

Dr Jekyll and Mr HydeDr Jekyll and Mr HydeRobert Louis Robert Louis StevensonStevenson

Charles Darwin Origin of Charles Darwin Origin of

Species (1859)Species (1859) Evolutionary Scale: Natural Evolutionary Scale: Natural

SelectionSelection ‘ ‘Civilised’ ManCivilised’ Man

‘‘Savage’Savage’

ApeApe

Atavistic CriminalAtavistic CriminalCesare Lombroso, Cesare Lombroso, Criminal ManCriminal Man

(1876):(1876): Ears of unusual size, standing out Ears of unusual size, standing out

from the head as do those of the from the head as do those of the chimpanzee chimpanzee

Nose twisted, upturned, or Nose twisted, upturned, or flattened in thieves, or aquiline or flattened in thieves, or aquiline or beak-like in murderers, or with a beak-like in murderers, or with a tip rising like a peak from swollen tip rising like a peak from swollen nostrils. nostrils.

Lips fleshy, swollen, and Lips fleshy, swollen, and protruding protruding

Chin receding, or excessively Chin receding, or excessively long, or short and flat, as in apes. long, or short and flat, as in apes.

Abnormally hairyAbnormally hairy Excessive length of arms, extra Excessive length of arms, extra

fingers and toesfingers and toes

New Historicist ReadingNew Historicist ReadingJekyll: Genial Doctor

Hyde: Ape-Like, Deformed,Atavistic Criminal

-‘impression of deformity…hardly human…something troglodytic…’-‘ape-like fury’-‘like a monkey’-‘animal terror’-‘face…great muscular activity…debility of constitution’-‘hand…corded and hairy’-‘ape-like tricks’, ‘ape-like spite’

-‘a large, well-made, smooth-faced man of fifty, with something of a slyish cat perhaps, but every mark of capacity and kindness…’

Post-Colonial and Marxist Post-Colonial and Marxist ReadingsReadings

Jekyll/Hyde

‘Primitive’ Lurks WithinNo Sense of

Evolutionary Progress

Superiority/Evolved Nature of ‘Civilised’

Man an Illusion

Crimes of a Middle Class Man

Hyde: Middle Class, Hyde DescribedAs ‘Gentleman’

Sigmund FreudSigmund Freud Studies on Studies on Hysteria, 1895Hysteria, 1895

Id – instinctual self , location of desires, Id – instinctual self , location of desires, repressed because socially unacceptable, a repressed because socially unacceptable, a threat to the ego (pleasure principle)threat to the ego (pleasure principle)

Ego – conscious self (reality Principle)Ego – conscious self (reality Principle)

Superego – conscience (internalisation of Superego – conscience (internalisation of punishments and warnings) and ego ideal punishments and warnings) and ego ideal (shaped by rewards and positive models)(shaped by rewards and positive models)

Return of the Repressed – can never banish Return of the Repressed – can never banish id, will emerge at some pointid, will emerge at some point

Psychoanalytic ReadingPsychoanalytic Reading

Id: Hyde

Ego: Jekyll

Superego

Conscience:Wrong to

Indulge Desires

Ego Ideal:Respected,Charitable

Doctor

The Return of The Repressed…

‘his wonderfulselfishness and circumscription to the moment…’

‘his every act and thought centred on self;drinking pleasure with bestial avidity…’

Anti-Calvinist Allegory

Study in AddictionStudy in Addiction Attraction of altered state (Hyde)Attraction of altered state (Hyde) Dependency on/ enslavement by HydeDependency on/ enslavement by Hyde Illusion of self-control, belief can be Illusion of self-control, belief can be

free of Hyde when choosefree of Hyde when choose Concealment, manipulation of othersConcealment, manipulation of others Compulsive behaviourCompulsive behaviour Despair, retreat into pathological Despair, retreat into pathological

reclusiveness, underworldreclusiveness, underworld Inability to achieve desired effectInability to achieve desired effect Triumph of HydeTriumph of Hyde

Jekyll compares self with ‘drunkard’

Feminist Reading?Feminist Reading? ‘‘Weeping like a woman or a lost Weeping like a woman or a lost

soul…’ soul…’ Hyde as the Repressed Feminine?Hyde as the Repressed Feminine? Hyde as Product of Male EnvironmentHyde as Product of Male Environment

‘…‘…the more it looks like Queer Street, the more it looks like Queer Street, the less I ask’ the less I ask’

The Back DoorThe Back Door A Warning: Text and ContextA Warning: Text and Context

Queer Studies Reading?Queer Studies Reading?

Belonging or Belonging or Alienation?Alienation?

Settler IndigenitySettler Indigenity ‘‘It is only by going native that the European It is only by going native that the European

arrivant can become native.’ (Terry Goldie)arrivant can become native.’ (Terry Goldie)

‘‘To To surrender the furnishings of a culture surrender the furnishings of a culture both European and bourgeois is to come into both European and bourgeois is to come into the sensuality of a “natural occupancy” of the sensuality of a “natural occupancy” of the new land. The pleasure afforded by the new land. The pleasure afforded by these fictions is that they allow the heirs of these fictions is that they allow the heirs of a settler society to imagine our unhistoric a settler society to imagine our unhistoric origin as the possibility of the making of a origin as the possibility of the making of a settlement without a colony.’ (Linda Hardy)settlement without a colony.’ (Linda Hardy)

‘‘Colonial Being’ (Stephen Colonial Being’ (Stephen Turner)Turner)

ColonialColonial

New ZealanderNew Zealander

New place like homeNew place like home Eliminate indigenous populationEliminate indigenous population

To be at home/of the new placeTo be at home/of the new place To be indigenousTo be indigenous

Colonial BeingColonial Being fantasized historyfantasized history illusory continuity; illusory continuity; historical discontinuityhistorical discontinuity myth-makingmyth-making

Becoming Māori Becoming Māori Language and AffectionLanguage and Affection RechristeningRechristening Symbolic Wedding NightSymbolic Wedding Night MokoMoko BaptismBaptism

Displaced WomanDisplaced Woman Sacrifice of SelfSacrifice of Self Voice-Over – ‘Sadness’ and Voice-Over – ‘Sadness’ and

‘Despair’‘Despair’ Dissolving WordsDissolving Words Ocean – Symbolic SeparatorOcean – Symbolic Separator Celtic Theme TuneCeltic Theme Tune

Mister Pip, Lloyd JonesMister Pip, Lloyd Jones Post-Modern Power to Reader: Post-Modern Power to Reader:

Liberation and TransformationLiberation and Transformation Post-Colonial? Exploitation and Post-Colonial? Exploitation and

the Culture of Violencethe Culture of Violence Dickens Appropriated; Oral and Dickens Appropriated; Oral and

Written, Feminine and Masculine Written, Feminine and Masculine Cultural Colonisation?Cultural Colonisation? Masculine Voice? Masculine Voice?

Katherine Mansfield, How Katherine Mansfield, How Pearl Button was Pearl Button was

KidnappedKidnapped

Anne Estelle Rice, Katherine Mansfield, 1918

Nigel Brown, Names Painting Katherine Mansfield, 1985-93,

Private  Collection, Photograph Nicola Topping.

How Pearl Button Was How Pearl Button Was KidnappedKidnapped

New Historicist Reading:New Historicist Reading: Written 1910Written 1910 New Zealand female suffrage 1885 New Zealand female suffrage 1885 Maori – fatal impact, assimilationMaori – fatal impact, assimilation Puritan society – tradition of literary Puritan society – tradition of literary

critique of Puritan mindset – critique of Puritan mindset – Mansfield attacks the ‘box’ Mansfield attacks the ‘box’ mentality of early 20mentality of early 20thth century New century New Zealand secular PuritanismZealand secular Puritanism

How Pearl Button Was How Pearl Button Was KidnappedKidnapped

Feminist Reading:Feminist Reading: House, ‘box’, domestic space of House, ‘box’, domestic space of

conformity and traditional female conformity and traditional female domestic drudgery ‘In the kitchen, domestic drudgery ‘In the kitchen, ironing-because-its-Tuesday’ ironing-because-its-Tuesday’

Pearl – rebellious, desirous of new Pearl – rebellious, desirous of new horizons and experienceshorizons and experiences

Shedding of ‘shoes and stocking, her Shedding of ‘shoes and stocking, her pinafore and dress’, freeing from pinafore and dress’, freeing from female constraint, expectationfemale constraint, expectation

How Pearl Button Was How Pearl Button Was KidnappedKidnapped

Psychoanalytic Reading:Psychoanalytic Reading:

Id: Instinctual Self

Super-Ego

Ego: Pearl

Conscience:•‘nasty things’•policemen

Ego Ideal:•mother at home•Boxes = order

Escape

Archetype:•Socialisation of individual•Fantasy of escape

Freud:Journey away from Mother

How Pearl Button Was KidnappedHow Pearl Button Was Kidnapped

Post-Colonial Reading:Post-Colonial Reading: Cultural encounter – Maori culture seen Cultural encounter – Maori culture seen

as warm, communal, loving, as warm, communal, loving, spontaneous; Pakeha culture as spontaneous; Pakeha culture as restricting, sterile and claustrophobic restricting, sterile and claustrophobic

Maori stereotypes – ‘fat’, ‘dusty’, ‘naked’, Maori stereotypes – ‘fat’, ‘dusty’, ‘naked’, admiring of Pearl’s ‘yellow curls’admiring of Pearl’s ‘yellow curls’

Witi Ihimaera’s ‘The Affectionate Witi Ihimaera’s ‘The Affectionate Kidnappers’ – ‘a tamariki all alone – no Kidnappers’ – ‘a tamariki all alone – no good’, ‘gone into darkness, gone into the good’, ‘gone into darkness, gone into the stomach of the Pakeha …eaten up by the stomach of the Pakeha …eaten up by the white man’ white man’

How Pearl Button Was How Pearl Button Was KidnappedKidnapped

Marxist Reading:Marxist Reading: Bourgeois Pakeha society: Bourgeois Pakeha society:

individual ownership = individual ownership = conformity, alienation, ‘nasty conformity, alienation, ‘nasty things’things’

Maori society: communal, warmth, Maori society: communal, warmth, laughterlaughter

Pearl instinctively Marxist in Pearl instinctively Marxist in outlook and preferencesoutlook and preferences

Bibliography:Bibliography:Literary TheoryLiterary Theory

Gregory Castle, Gregory Castle, The Blackwell Guide to The Blackwell Guide to Literary Theory Literary Theory (2007)(2007)

Jonathan Culler, Jonathan Culler, Literary Theory: A Very Short Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction Introduction (Oxford UP 1997) (Oxford UP 1997)

Terry Eagleton, Terry Eagleton, Literary Theory: An Literary Theory: An Introduction Introduction (Minnesota UP 1996) (Minnesota UP 1996)

Patricia Waugh, ed., Patricia Waugh, ed., Literary Theory and Literary Theory and Criticism: An Oxford Guide Criticism: An Oxford Guide (2006) (2006)

Bibliography:Bibliography:Mister Pip, River QueenMister Pip, River Queen

John Lovell, John Lovell, Mister Pip Teacher’s GuideMister Pip Teacher’s Guide (Longman, 2008) (Longman, 2008) Jennifer Lawn, ‘What the Dickens: Storytelling and Jennifer Lawn, ‘What the Dickens: Storytelling and

Intertextuality in Lloyd Jones’ Intertextuality in Lloyd Jones’ Mister PipMister Pip,’ in ,’ in Floating Floating Worlds: Essays on Contemporary New Zealand FictionWorlds: Essays on Contemporary New Zealand Fiction, , ed. Anna Jackson and Jane Stafford (Victoria University ed. Anna Jackson and Jane Stafford (Victoria University Press, 2009)pp 142-63Press, 2009)pp 142-63

Mark Llewellyn, ‘What is Neo-Victorian Studies?’ Mark Llewellyn, ‘What is Neo-Victorian Studies?’ Neo-Neo-Victorian StudiesVictorian Studies 1:1 (2008) pp. 177-180 on 1:1 (2008) pp. 177-180 on Mister PipMister Pip

Bruce Babington, ‘What Streams May Come: Navigating Bruce Babington, ‘What Streams May Come: Navigating Vincent Ward’s Vincent Ward’s River Queen’ IllusionsRiver Queen’ Illusions Winter (2008) pp. Winter (2008) pp. 9-139-13

Kirstine Moffat, ‘Kirstine Moffat, ‘The River and the Ocean: Indigenity The River and the Ocean: Indigenity and Dispossession in and Dispossession in River QueenRiver Queen’ ’ Moving Worlds, Moving Worlds, Special Issue: New New ZealandSpecial Issue: New New Zealand, 8:2 (2009) pp. 94-106, 8:2 (2009) pp. 94-106