Skript New Historicism PDF

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Eine nähere Beleuchtung der literarischen Bewegung des New Historicism des 20 Jh. Sommersemester...

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Universität Regensburg Fakultät für Sprach- Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaften Course: American Literature I: From the Beginnings through the 19th Century

New Historicism 1.) Principles •

a literary theory that dominated the study of early modern literature in the 1980s and 1990s

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developed at the University of Berkeley

New Historicists… •

look at literature in a wider historical context: how the writer's times affected the work ◦ “historicity of texts” (Montrose qtd. in Veeser 20)

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and how the work reflects the writer's times ◦ “textuality of history” (Montrose qtd. in Veeser 20)

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are interested in how history is represented and recorded in written documents, in “history as texts” (Barry 168)

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engage in parallel reading of literary and non-literary texts

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read a text within its “archival continuum” (Wilson and Dutton qtd. in Barry 167): literary texts are embedded in other written texts ◦ co-texts: historical documents that are analyzed with the same weighing as literary texts

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acknowledge that their analysis of literature is influenced by their own culture and environment and may change

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“[…] art is embedded in a complex cultural-historical matrix and so may produce social knowledge.” (Harding 345)

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aim not at representing the past as it was but rather at deconstructing canonical literary text, presenting a new reality by re-situating it

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drive attention on issues of state power and how it is maintained, on patriarchal structures and on the process of colonisation

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use aspects of the post-structuralist conception

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it was established as a new critical form by replacing New Criticism and recognising an ‘old’ historicism against which it defines itself

(for applied examples see: Parker 265-270)

2.) ‘Old’ Historicism •

‘Old’ Historicism: primarily a method of power analysis; concentrates merely on background and context, with the literature reflecting history; literary texts outweighed the non-literary texts in significance

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see history as stable and certain → often general assumptions (e.g. “the Elizabethans believed” (Parker 260))

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relied on the “reflection model” (Parker 265) ◦ ‘Old’ Historicists ask: 'What happened?', 'What does the event tell us about history?' ↔ ◦ New Historicists: 'How has the event been interpreted?', 'What do the interpretations tell us about the interpreters?'

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in New Historicism: “...we don't have clear access to any but the most basic facts of history...our understanding of what such facts mean...is...strictly a matter of interpretation, not fact.” (Tyson 279 qtd. in Boyle et al.) ◦ no sense of stable facts as it is all construction; no absolute claims; different perspectives

3.) Stephen Greenblatt •

New Historicism/ “cultural poetics” (Stephen Greenblatt qtd. in Parker 262) coined by American Renaissance-scholar Stephen Greenblatt in Renaissance Self-Fashioning: from More to Shakespeare (1980)

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considered to be among the preeminent scholars of Renaissance literature in the late 20th and early 21st centuries

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influenced by, among other factors, lectures given by French philosopher and historian Michel Foucault ◦ adopted Foucault’s idea that certain attitudes are the products of culture and history ◦ began to articulate an approach to literary criticism that accounted for external cultural and historical factors

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“the circulation of social energy” (Stephen Greenblatt qtd. in Parker): literature coming not from individual authors but from the cultural controversies → controversies provoking the literature and literature interpreting the controversies

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hard version of the containment thesis ◦ power often produces its own subversive elements in order to contain it — what appears to be subversion → final victory of containment

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began to be institutionalized at universities all over the world → positive responses but also criticism

◦ many attacks from feminists, cultural materialists, and traditional scholars ▪ attacked and critiqued by many commentators as leaving too-little room for the possibility of real change, autonomy or agency and confirming the dominant ideologies

4.) Typical questions: (Boyle et al.) •

What language/characters/events presented in the work reflect the current events of the author’s day?

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Are there words in the text that have changed their meaning from the time of the writing?

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How are such events interpreted and presented?

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How are events' interpretation and presentation a product of the culture of the author?

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Does the work's presentation support or condemn the event?

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[...]

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How does this portrayal criticize the leading political figures or movements of the day?

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How does the literary text function as part of a continuum with other historical/cultural texts from the same period...?

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[...]

Works Cited

Barry, Peter. Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. 3d ed. New York:

Manchester University Press, 2009. Print.

Boyle, Elizabeth et al. “New Historicism: Cultural Studies (1980s-present).” Purdue Online Writing Lab, 16 Mar. 2012. Web. 04 Nov. 2017.

Greenblatt, Stephen. “Towards a Poetics of Culture.” The New Historicism. Ed. H. Aram Veeser. New York: Routledge, 1989. 1-14. Print.

Harding, Bruce. “New Historicism.” The Edinburgh Companion to Critical Theory. Ed. Stuart Sim. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2016. 345-362. Print.

Pallardy, Richard. “Stephen Greenblatt.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, 10 Sept. 2017. Web. 04 Nov. 2017. Parker, Robert Dale. How to Interpret Literature: Critical Theory of Literary and Cultural Studies. 3d ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. Print. Parvini, Neema. “New Historicism.” Oxford Bibliographies, 26 Jul. 2017. Web. 04 Nov. 2017. Pieters, Jürgen. General Introduction. Critical Self-Fashioning: Stephen Greenblatt and New Historicism. By Pieters. Frankfurt am Main: Lang, 1999. 11-20. Print. Veeser, H. Aram. Introduction. The New Historicism. By Veeser. New York: Routledge, 1989. ixxvi. Print.

Study Questions – Puritanism and Morality in The Scarlet Letter 1. What institution or legal code determines the law in the time of The Scarlet Letter? 2. Who regulates and enforces these laws?

3. What is the usual punishment for adultery and how is the actual punishment carried out? Use the followings quotations to answer these questions

“‘What do we talk of marks and brands, whether on the bodice of her gown or the flesh of her forehead?’ cried another female, the ugliest as well as the most pitiless of these self-constituted judges. ‘This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die; Is there not law for it? Truly there is, both in the Scripture and the statute book” (79). “The penalty thereof is death. But in their great mercy and tenderness of heart they have doomed Mistress Prynne to stand only a space of three hours on the platform of the pillory, and then and thereafter, for the remainder of her natural life to wear a mark of shame upon her bosom” (95). …. It was, in short, the platform of the pillory; and above it rose the framework of that instrument of discipline, so fashioned as to confine the human head in its tight grasp, and thus hold it up to the public gaze […]. There can be no outrage, methinks, against our common nature – whatever be the delinquencies of the individual - no outrage more flagrant than to forbid the culprit to hide his face for shame; as it was the essence of this punishment to do (84-85 von 394) “[…] the elder clergyman, who had carefully prepared himself for the occasion, addressed to the multitude a discourse on sin, in all its branches, but with continual reference to the ignominious letter. So forcibly did he dwell upon this symbol, for the hour or more during which is periods were rolling over the people’s heads, that it assumed new terrors in their imagination, and seemed to derive its scarlet hue from the flames of the infernal pit” (104). “‘Thus, she will be a living sermon against sin, until the ignominious letter be engraved upon her tombstone. It irks me, nevertheless, that the partner of her iniquity should not at least, stand on the scaffold by her side. But he will be known—he will be known! —he will be known!’” (95) Throughout them all, giving up her individuality, she would become the general symbol at which the preacher and moralist might point, and in which thay might vivify and embody their images of woman’s frailty and sinful passion. Thus, the young and pure would be taught to look at her, with the scarlet letter flaming on her breast – at her, the child of honorable parents, at her, the mother of a babe, that would hereafter be a woman, at her, who had once been innocent – as the figure, the body, the reality of sin. (118 von 349) Mother and daughter stood together in the same circle of seclusion from human society; and the child seemed to be perpetuated those unquiet elements that had distracted Hester Prynne before Pearl’s birth, but had since begun to be soothed away by the softening influences of maternity (141 von 349) 4. Compare your results of question 1-3 with the co-text. How are Puritan punishment and ideas on adultery presented in both texts? What differs and what is similar in questions of Puritan morality and punishment? 5. How are events' interpretation and presentation a product of the culture of the author? 6. Why does a text published in the 19th century deal with a setting of Puritan society and morality in the 17th century?

Puritan Laws on Sexual Misconduct November 15, 1636

Capital offences lyable to death. Sodomy, rapes, buggery. Adultery to be punished. (Offences criminall, Altered.) [Adultery crossed out] fornicacion and other uncleane carriages to be punished at the discretion of the Majestrates according to the nature thereof. Ffornicacion before contract or marriage. (PCR 11:12) That none be allowed to marry that are under the covert of parents but by their consent and approbation. But in case consent cannot be had then it shall be with the consent of the Governor, or some assistant to whom the persons are knowne whose care it shall be to see the marriage be fit before it be allowed by him. And after approbacion be three several times published before the solemnizing of it. Or els in places where there is no such meetings that contracts or agreements of marriage may be so published, that then it shalbe lawfull to publish them by a writing thereof made and set vpon the usuall publike place for the space of fifteene days. Provided that the writing be vnder some majestrates hand or by his order. (PCR 11:13) September 29, 1658

It is enacted by the court and the authoritie therof that whosoeuer shall comitt Adultery shalbee seuerly punished by Whiping two seuerall times; namely once whiles the Court is in being att shich they are convicted of the fact and the 2cond time as the Court shall order and likewise to weare two Capitall letters namely A D cut out in cloth and sowed on theire vpermost Garments on theire arme or backe; and if att any time they shalbee taken without the said letters whiles they are in the Gouernment soe worn to bee forth with taken and publickly whipt. (PCR 11:95)

June 1670 It is enacted by the Court that whosoeuer haueing comitted vncleanes in another Collonie and shall come hither and haue not satisfyed the law where the fact was comitted they shalbe sent backe or heer punished according to the Nature of the crime as if the acte had bine heer done. (PCR 11:229)

Court Records on Adultery September 3, 1639 Bradford, Gouer. (PCR 1:132): Mary, the wyfe of Robert Mendame, of Duxborrow, for using dallyance diuers tymes with Tinsin, an Indian, and after committing the act of vncleanesse with him, as by his owne confession by seuerall interpreters is made apparent, the Bench doth therefore censure the said Mary to be whipt at a carts tayle through the townes streets, and to weare a badge vpon her left sleeue during her aboad within this gouerment; and if shee shalbe found without it abroad, then to be burned in the face with a hott iron; and the said Tinsin, the Indian, to be well whipt with a halter about his neck at the post, because it arose through the allurement [and] inticement of the said Mary, that hee was drawne therevnto. December 7, 1641 Bradford, G. (PCR 2:28): Forasmuch, as Thomas Bray, of Yarmouth, a single person, and Anne, the wyfe of Francis Linceford, haue committed the act of adultery and vncleanesse, and haue diuers tymes layne in one

bed together in the absence of her husband, which hath beene confessed by both parties in the publike Court, the Court doth censure them as followeth: That they be both seuerely whipt immediately at the publik post, [and] that they shall weare (whilst they remayne in the gouernment) two letters, namely, an AD, for Adulterers, daily, vpon the outside of their vppermost garment, in a most emenent place thereof; and if they shalbe found at any tyme in any towne or place within the gouerment without them so worne vpon their vppermost garment as aforesaid, that then the constable of the towne or place shall take them, or wither of them, omitting so to weare the said two letters, and shall forthwith whip them for their negligence, and shall cause them to be immediately put on againe, and so worne by them and either of them; and also that they shalbe both whipt at Yarmouth, publikly, where the offence was committed, in such fitt season as shalbe thought meete by Mr. Edmond Freeman [and] such others as are authorized for the keepeing of the Courts in these partes. March 5, 1656 (GC, PCR 3:111): Att this Court, William Paule, Scotchman, for his vnclean and filthy behauiour with the wife of Alexander Aines, is centanced by the Court to bee forthwith Publickly whipt, and to paye the officers the charges of his imprisonment and punishment, which accordingly was performed. March 5, 1656 (GC, PCR 3:111-12): Att this Cour, Katheren Aines, for her vnclean whiand laciuiouse behauior with the abouesaid William Paule, and for the blasphemos words that shee hath spoken, is centanced by the Court to bee forthwith publickly whipt heer att Plymouth, and afterwards att Taunton, on a publicke training day, and to were a Roman B cutt out of ridd cloth and sowed to her vper garment on her right arme; and if shee shalbee euer found without it soe worne whil shee is in the gouernment, to bee forthwith publickly whipt. March 5, 1656 (GC, PCR 3:112): Alexander Anis, for his leaueing his family, and exposing his wife to such temtations, and being as baud to her therin, is centanced by the Court for the present to sitt in the stockes the time the said Paule and Katheren Ainis are whipt, which was performed; and the said Alexander Anis is to pay the charges of his wifes imprisonment and punishment, which said charge, in regard the said Anis is very poor, is to pay it by twelue pence per weeke vntill it is all payed; and James Walker, of Taunton, is appointed to recieue it in the countreyes behalfe.

Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England. Ed. by Nathaniel Shurtleff and David Pulsifer. New York: AMS Press. 12 v. in 6. Web. URL: http://www.histarch.illinois.edu/plymouth/Lauria2.html. 29 Nov. 2017....