Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western culture and the Body (A Review by Unisha Shrestha : Navodit College Kathmandu)

Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western culture and the Body

Women interested in understanding the cultural inscription placed on women. Susan Bordo in her article, " Unbearable weight" takes a very orthodox approach trying to explain and analyse hysteria, anorexia, bulimia and agoraphobia primarily in western American culture. I turned to her because many women of my age have decided to starve themselves.

As unbearable weight is made up of a series of inter-related essays that analyze different aspects of how the female's body is viewed in the contemporary western culture and while each essay approaches female embodiment in somewhat different angle. She does have a main argument. She argues that the psychopathologies such a s hysteria, anorexia and agoraphobia that arise within a particular culture are protests against certain cultural values instead of working to transform such values. Moreover, Bordo takes the psychologies that develop within the culture far from being ' anomalies' or aberrations, to be characteristic expressions of that culture i.e crystallization of a culture.

Though Bordo does express her ideas regarding the patriarchal structure of society in relation to how men dominate women because women are always taken as the weaker sex. She takes the claim that women are not just host of the body but they are also a part of the body. Importantly, Bordo takes a fully Foucoaulian perspective when talking about power, realizing that which individuals may aspire tp wild power, real power is actually a systematic norms. While Bordo's deployment of Foucoult's theories of power in her analysis of cultural bodily discipline is skillful, she with other author identifies' postmodernism' and 'post- structuralism'.

Most of the text has entitled to do with postmodernism at all; it's a discussion of the body in western culture, particularly at the time when it was written, though it also makes reference to earlier historical periods. Much time of the text is focused discussing eating disorders as logical outgrowths of contemporary society's conflicting attitudes towards hunger. At a point this criticism is quite confusing as earlier she was so critical of certain dualist perspectives. However, she seems to think that rejecting binary categories of ' masculine' and 'feminine' dangerously shift the focus from partical contexts to adequate theory.

Every women and men really should read this text and have their minds torn apart.

Clay James Joyce (B A 2nd Year Major English)

Clay

          James Joyce

·        James is the modern writer

·        He developed the stream of consciousness

·        Way in to the mind of character is called stream of consciousness

·        Theme: study of the spinster psychology-meaning, elements, language

·        Interpretation: study of the nature of human mind

·        Symbolic story:

1.     wedding cake

2.     blindfolding game

3.     play book

4.     water &

5.     clay

Critical commentary of the story

The story 'Clay" by James Joyce is related to the theme of the study of spinster (a'=s) psychology. By using the spinster character Maria as the typical character. James Joyce has related the reality that spinsters are haunted by the psychological problem of marital dream and they have always the single desire of fulfilling the marital life. The write has clearly reflected that spinsterhood also causes problem in the thinking label of Maria for the fulfillment of the marital desire. This spinsterhood also causes the problem of oblivion (habit of forget) to the marital desire. This reality is reflected in the story through the characterization of the Maria because almost all the time she is lost in the dream world her mirage. Her attraction to the colonel like man in the Tram (small train) and her sensitiveness to the ring and wedding cake justified that she is much tempted to her marital dream. Forgetting the plum cake and repeating and repeating the first verse of during the prayer by Maris also justify that spinsterhood cause oblivion to the ladies.

'Clay has been interpreted even in the other ways. This story also studies the nature of human mind and the flow of thinking in different ways. Sometime our mind goes to the back and some other times it is in the dream of future while it is also aware of the present time. This stage of mind is also reflected in Maria and is called 'epiphany' by James Joyce. In the same way this story is also reminds us the value and is importance of the golden children stage of or life. Maria and her brothers Joe & Alpha are very nostalgia and we become emotional when we recall our happy and innocent childhood. The story is exceptionally realistic. Moreover the problem of oblivion in mind, the nostalgic recalling of the childhood as the other incidents described in the stories us highly realistic.

The plot in this story is different from the traditional plot style because James Joey has used stream of consciousness technique in the story. By using such plot the writer has focused on the stream of consciousness in the mind of the story. As an Irish writer, Joyce has used the spatial setting of Ireland which temporal setting is the charismas eve. Maria is the central character and her characterization is a protagonist but there is also some (rustle) identity because she speaks a little through her nose and when she smiles the tip of her log chin. The other characters are the minor character and the focus over the story is always related to Maria as the central character. The use of 3^rd person narration in the story it gives omniscient point of view to the reader.

The story has the use of complex symbolic language such as ring, wedding cake, blind folding game; prayer book, water and clay are the strong symbols in the story. Ring and wedding cake are symbolizes the long desire of Maris which is her marital life. Blindfolding game is the symbol of human life with the blindness of future. Prayer book symbolizes the spiritual side of Maria's life and water symbolizes see journey or voyage and it is the allegory of human life because life is also a journey that begins after our birth. Clay is the most important symbols and it symbolizes the final destination of the journey of human life because at last after death we are converted in to clay. Even the 'Bible' says that the first man (Adam) was created from clay and even man changes in to clay after death. So the title of the story also symbolically tells us that clay is the final reality of all life. 

Moonlight Gay de Maupassant (B A 2nd Year Major English)

Moonlight

Gay de Maupassant

·        Critical analysis

·        Theme

·        Suggestion (Interpretation)

·        Type of story

·        Elements: plot, character, setting and narration

·        Use of language: symbols, images, metaphor and

Gay De Maupassant 'Moonlight' is a beautiful story having the study of human psychology. The story causes on the theme that human mind is never static but it is highly flexible and dynamic because there are so many changes in the ideas that we have in our mind. We are guided by some ideas in the beginning and while experiencing life, we acquit more and more new ideas so that the old and the false ideas are replaced by new and fresh ideas. This is the reality of human nature and this reality of human nature is clearly reflected in the story. The priest Abbemarigan used to think that he knew everything is complete without woman. This ideology of the priest was false values so in the later part of the story he realizes that he was false in the beginning. He replaced the old false values by the new value that neither man nor woman can be complete in the absence of one another. He concludes in the ending of the story that man and woman are two different bodies but only by the reunion of their soul they can be complete. This story is a good story since it has the movement of progress from negative ideology to positive one. In other words this story has the movement from ignorance to enlightenment which makes is a good story. The thinking of the priest that he knew all and his beginning attitude toward woman reflect his ignorance. In the ending of the story he realize that he does not know all and both genders are equally important which are his enlightenments? Such positive progress in the ideology of the priest suggests the story as a good story.

Gay De Maupassant in a 19^th century French realistic writer and he like in his other stories, he has used realism in this story. The portrayal of the priest as an all knowing man, his faith on god as well as his negative attitude to female reflects the realistic nature of all priest in general. The portrayal of his naughty niece who is irritated by his preaching his realism related to the nature of the young people. The desire of niece to keep the beautiful as a pet and to give love is another realism reflecting that all females want to be mother and they want love to the children, the priest avoiding his embracing niece is also related to another realism with the suggestion that all males wants to be father and give love to the children but it lacked in the priest which unconsciously handed him. The writer has also used realism in the other action and as well as setting in the story. 

'Moonlight' is the story with the tradition type of plot because action in this plot are developed in the order and sequence without any break and flashback characterization in this story is related to the middle class people. The priest as well as his niece is the typical character because the priest presents the common thinking of the priest is general and even the niece represent the typical nature of the young teenage girls. There is also the realism in this characterization. The setting in this story is also realistic because there is the description of countryside road, beautiful moonlight night and the river side. Narrated by the 3^rd person narrator the story gives us omniscient point of view.

Maupassant language in this story is extraordinarily beautiful because of the descriptive quality, images, symbols, metaphors, illusion and humors are used in this story. The beautiful night with silvery moon seam The subjects decorated by moonlight musical sounds by the insects, lovely river beds with poplars are some of the image of in the story Moonlight as the tile of the story symbolizes the source of knowledge Comparison of the woman with the trap and comparison of the river side of as a temple are the example of metaphorical comparison. There is also the allusion of /bible related to Eve and Edam garden. The priest cutting there times his nose and ear, while shaving him, it is a humor un the language of this story. 

Elements of Fiction (continued...) (B A 2nd Year Major English)

1.                 Fairy Tale

·        Like tale fairy tale is also the early form of story.

·        It is also a collected story in oral tradition with the anonymous author.

·        Fairy tale the subject matter is either the suffering of orphans or the prince hunting.

·        The setting of fairy tale is mostly countryside area.

·        There is the suffering of the virtue character by the cruelty of vice character in the beginning   
       like in 'Hansel and Gretel.'

·        But in the ending there is poetic justice or happy ending with the punishment to vice.

·        Fairy tale has a lot of magic or miracle with the use of supernatural element.

·        So its plot has romance and fantasy.

Like tale fairy tale is also an early form of story which is a collected story. It is orally transmitted from generation to generation even the author is eponymous in a fairy tale. The subject matter of a fairy tale can be seen in two ways. It can be either about the prince and prince's hunting in the jungle which is the reflection of the high class or it can also be the suffering of the helpless and poor orphans reflecting the low class. The story in a fairy tale begins with the suffering of the virtue of good characters due to the cruelty of vice or bad character like in 'Hansal and Greatel'. The virtue character experience suffering a lot but is poetic justice which means virtue characters win and vice character get punishment like in 'Hansal and Greatel'. All fairy tales have happy ending or true is no tragedy in the fairy tale.

Another significant feature of a fairy tale is that it was a lot of magic miracle which is not possible in our real life. There is the present of the super nature in the fairy tale like the which in 'Hansal and Greate'. Moreover there are also unbelievable action such as a cake house in the jungle and a bird helping the children to cross the river to Hansal and Greatel. This is called use of fantasy and romance in the plot of a fairy tale.

2.                 Realism and Realistic story

·        Realism is the 19th century movement in literature and realistic story is based on the theory of realism.

·        This theory focus on depicting literature as the mirror of reality by using real like character and setting and probable action.

·        In fiction realism has been much popularized by English writer Charls Dickens friench writer Moupassant and Russian writer Chekhov.

·        Realistic story have no use of fantasy and romance in plot.

·        Guy De Moupassant's 'Moonlight' or james joice 'Clay' are same example of realistic stories.

Realism is a great movement in the 19^th century that was developed and used in literature. Realism is the theory related to the ideology that literature as the mirror of reality should reflect and represent the real world as its true picture. In other words realism is always concerned with depicting the real world in the imaginary world of fiction. Realistic story are based on the theory of realism and the realistic writers use the real like character and setting along with the probable action which are possible to happen in reality. Realistic stories were produce in England by Charles Dickens. Guide Maupassant in France and Anton Chekhov in Russia. Maupassant 'Moonlight' and James Joyce's 'Clay' are same example of realistic story. The plot of the realistic story is completely different from the plot of fairy tale because the plot of such story there are not only magical and miraculous actions every probable real like action happen in the realistic story. So the plot of a realistic story has no use of fantasy and romance.

3.                 Fabulation

·        19^th century was dominated by realism.

·        20^th century story writer related to realism and developed a new story called fabulation.

·        Fabulation is the combination between realism and fantasy it has the word like the realistic story and that of a fairy tale.

·        This type of story is more complex and satiric in narration.

·        It has the use of some serious tragic element.

·        Such story always gives some moral lesson to the readers.

The 19^th century was completely dominated by realism and realistic stories were highly popular during this period. 20^th century story writers produced a new story which is called fabulation developed as a reaction to realism in fiction. The writers of fabulaton combined realism and fantasy so fabulation is like a realistic story as well as a fairy tale. In order words it has the use of element of element found in a realistic on the one hand and on the other hand it has also the use of fantasy and mystery like in a fairy tale.

But fabulation is neither a realistic story on a fairy tale because it has its different features. This  story has the setting of modern world and  it is strongly satiric in style the satire in fabulation is address to the modern corrupted people. This story id always tragic to reflect the growing tragedy of the modern world. In the same way fabulation always gives a serious moral lesson to the people. D.H. Loreence's ' the rocking horse winner' is a best example of the fabulation. In this story as a fabulation there is batter satire to the materially corrupted modern people and a serious moral lesson that material corruption leads towards destruction.

4.                  Meat- fiction

·        Fiction is the produced of the writer's imaginary characters and action.

·        Meta fiction is also a type of fiction but it is a different style of writing fiction.

·        Meta means beyond and fiction means story this combination reflects that meta-fiction is not only story but is different style of writing fiction.

·        In reality writers of meta-fiction tell the readers about the process of writing the story but something out of it.

·        In meta-fiction we are informed that a story is not ready but product of fancy.

·        Writes of meta-fiction tell us that the author is like god and fiction is just creation.

·        It is the author who create & action but in the way he likes.

·        He makes it clean that fictional world is not reality but an illusion & reality.

·        John Fowls the French lieutenant's the French lieutenant's woman is the best example of meta-fiction.

Fiction generally means the imaginary world created by the writer with the imaginary character and action and meta-fiction is also the kind if fiction which is a different stage of writing the story. The word meta-fiction is made up of the words: 'meta' and 'fiction'. The word Meta means beyond of out and the fiction means story. This combination of the word clearly reflects and idea that meta-fiction there is the story character and action like in the other story but in such story of meta-fiction, there is also a lot of comment related to how a story is created.

The writer of meta-fiction tell the reader the reality that is almost powerful like god and everything in fiction such as characters and actions are controlled by author. Moreover it is also clear in a meta-fiction that characters and action ate presented in the way that the author likes to present them. Even though fictional word look like reality, the writer's of the meta-fiction tells us that fiction is not the reality but it is an illusion of the reality. The illusory world if fiction is created just for the pleasure. The French lieutenant's 'woman' by Jhon fowls is the best example of the meta-fiction.

Elements of Fiction (continued...) (B A 2nd Year Major English)

1.                           Juxtaposition and repetition: the pattern structure of fiction.

·        Juxtaposition and repetition are related to design/pattern/structure of a fiction.

·        Juxtaposition is the repetition of a story with many and single resolution.

·        Repetition is the repeated use of an image, a symbol or an action.

·        Juxtaposition is focus determines the design in plot.

·        Repetition in focus determines the design in meaning.

Juxtaposition and repetition are two different aspects which are related to the structure of design of fiction. Juxtaposition literary means potting together in development of a fiction if write a uses or developed more than one plot, it is called juxtaposition in fiction. In such story more than one plot are parallel developed but in the resolution or ending, all are conclude together on the other hand, repetition is the repeated use of an image, an action or symbol by the writer in a fiction. In such use of repetition there is no juxtaposition but a definite image or symbol becomes important.

Juxtaposition and repetition is very important in determining the structure or design of a fiction. If a fiction has the use of juxtaposition without the use of any repetition plot becomes important and we should analyze the structure of the design with the focuses on plot. But if the writer has used the repetition, plot is not important but it is the meaning that is important. With the help of the repetition, we should analyze the meaning of the fiction and in such fiction meaning becomes structure or the design. So the structure or the design of a fiction is determined by two elements: juxtaposition and repetition. If the focus is over the juxtaposition, plot is the design and if the focus is repetition meaning is the design.

2.                           Meaning in fiction

·        Every text carries out meaning and fiction too has meaning.

·        Meaning is the product of interpretation and intelligent leaders interpret meaning easily.

·        T.S. Eliot claim there is nothing except to be intelligent seems to be right.

·        But except that, there is nothing to help make meaning they are:

1.     title of the next

2.     author's/narrators comment

3.     a special scene or action

4.     use of repetition

Every next caries out meaning and fiction too caries out meaning and meaning is not produced itself but it is the produced of our interpretation of the text. Intelligent readers easily interpret and make meaning. So T.S. Elite's comment "there is nothing to be intelligent" seems to be a right and suitable remake about making meaning of a fiction except our intelligence there are also some other hints which help us to make meaning of the text they are briefly describes below.

1.                 Title of the text-some text has such a title which helps us to guess some meaning. For example the title 'shooting and elephant' more or less gives some idea to guess that the whole story is related to shooting an elephant.

2.                 The author or narrator comment in some stories or other text, there is the comment given by the author or the narrator. By reading such comment, we can guess meaning of the text. Eitzriled's comment about the Great Gatsby helps us to guess that the whole novel about the American society after the 1^st World War.

3.                 a special scene or action -in some texts, a special scene or action can be very helpful to guess it's meaning. The narrator of 'Shooting of an elephant's riding a pony and going to market with the gun is sense that help us to guess a meaning that the story is about British colony in Asia because the narrator is a white man.

4.                 Use of repetition - some texts has the replaced use of an image or an action. Such repetition is also helpful to make meaning in the story called 'clay' the repeated use of Maria's long nose and long chain helps us to guess that the story is related to Maria's life and ugliness.

3.                 Tale

·        Tale is the oldest forms of story. A collective story and the author are unknown.

·        It has oral tradition shifted from generation to generation.

·        Love money of social position used as subject matter

·        But most of the tales are love story either comic of tragic.

·        Good tales have the comic word at first, tragic in the middle and again comic in the ending.

·        Every tale has the use of ironic in plot.

Tale is the oldest form of story because it is an orally transmitted that one generation to another generation. As an early forms of story tale is collected story which is anonymous identity of the author and such story has completely oral tradition. In tale love money and social position and are the subject matter in general but most of the tales are love stories and they have both comic and tragic resolution. In other words, take may have happy ending as well as the possibility of sad ending. Good tales are those storied which have the combination of both comic and tragic elements. The plot of good tale begins with comic atmosphere but in the middle part there is the tragic atmosphere and finally there is comic ending like in the window of Ephesus.

All tales have the use of irony in the plot. Irony is the contrast or opposite between appearance and reality. In other words irony means the difference between that looks like true and what is the exact true. In the tale the window of Ephesus, there is irony in plot because there is contrast between what the window says and what see finally does in the story.

Elements of Fiction (continued...) (B A 2nd Year Major English)

1.                 Plot

·        Plot is the arrangement of action in plot

·        It is the systematic presentation of the story

·        There are three types of plot used if fiction:

1.     traditional plot

2.     flashback plot

3.     stream of consciousness of plot

·        A plot has following episodes element

-           Exposition

-           Development

-           Conflict

-           Climax

-           Resolution

Plot in a fiction is the arrangement of action in order to present the style in the systematic and meaningful way. So plot is the weapon to present the subject matter of a story. There are three type of plot mostly used in fiction. The first type of plot is called traditional plot which is a very popular and common way of writing story. In such plot actions are systematically presented in the chronological order without breaking the sequence. The other type of plot is called flashback plot which is the twisted type of presenting in the story. In such plot the story begins with somewhere middles part and past of the character and action are connected with the memory which is called flashback. The next plot is called stream of consciousness which is named metaphorically. Human mind is metaphorically like is a stream and our flow of thinking is metaphorically similar with the follow of water in a stream.  So in such plot the story is complex because the writer takes the reader in the mind and thinking of the characters. James Joyce introduces and popularizes this plot.

In a plot of fiction there are some episodes of elements. In the beginning introduction of the plot, there is the introduction of character and setting. it is called exposition. After the exposition there is the development in plot which is the relationship of the characters. The next element is not conflict which is the heart of plot. This is the clash between good and evil characters and conflict cause rising action in plot. The pick point of plot is climax and after climax actions are almost finished. So climax is falling action. The ending of the plot is called relation which can be comic and tragic. If there is happy ending there is comic solution resolution and unhappy ending is called tragic resolution.

2.                           Setting

·        Setting is the place and the time related to action in faction

·        It is about where and when a action happen

·        A place where action happen is spatial setting

·        The time when action happen is temporal setting

·        Special setting can microcosm or macrocosm

·        Temporal setting can be a point of time or a period of time

Setting is related to the place and the time where and when action happen in a fiction.

In order words, the place where action happened and the time when action happened is called setting. The place setting the place setting is also called temporal setting. So both spatial and temporal setting make the setting complete.

The place is setting is called spatial setting can be microcosm or macrocosm. Microcosm is spatial setting is related to a small place where action happen like a room, a house, a bus, a boat etc can be taken as a example of microcosm. Macrocosm is a big place where action happened. The natural places such as a jungle, river, sea, etc are some example of such setting. Temporal setting can be either a point time of a period of time such as ten year ago, 1973, last January, spring and last week are the some example of the temporal setting.

3.                 Character/ Characterization

·        Character: human figure created in the fictional world

·        They look like real but they unreal

·        Identity in many ways

1.    individual character and typical character

2.    flat and round character

3.    developing and develop character

·        In terms of action:

1.    Protagonist and antagonist

2.    confident and foil

3.    dandy and clown

Characters are the human figures created in the fictional world by the writer. Such fictional character looks like very similar with the human ways but they are not real alt all because they don't have any existence in the real world. Even they characters are unreal, they act and react very exactly like the real people.

Characters are praised in many ways and the most important category is individual and typical category. Individual character has no any link with a group or a race of people because he or she represent only to himself or herself. On the other hand, typical character is the symbolic character representing a group or a race of people. Flat character is a simple in identity but round character is complex. Developing character is in the process of change while developed character is unchanged.

          In terms of role playing or action, there are other identities of the character such as protagonist, antagonist, confident, foil, dandy and clown. Protagonist is the central character with the positive role even called hero and heroine and antagonist is also the central character with the negative role even called villain. Confident character is close to the protagonist and foil character is close to the antagonist. A clown is a comic character and uses in the humorous propose while a dandy is a showy character guided by the artificial values.

4.                           Narration/Point of view (v.v.i)

·        Narration: the style of telling story

·        Point of view our understanding with the help of the narration

·        Two types of narration

1.  First person narration

2.  Third person narration

A Story or a fiction is presented by a story teller called narrator. The narrator way of telling the story is called narration. We begin to understand the story which is called point of vied. So point viewer is the understanding of the readers about the story with the help of the narrator. A drama and fiction are different because of narration as a drama has no narrator but a story has the narrator. We watch drama on the stage and we make our own point of view in fiction. So in fiction there is either the first person narration of the third person narration.

In the first person narration the narrator is present as the first person narration T. 1^st person narration gives us limited point of view, because he does not know everything about the factional world. Such narrator has double role to play narrator as well as character. The narration in the 'Great Gatsby' or in 'shooting an elephant' is the first person narration. In the third person narration, the narrator is identified and is reality it is the writer himself. In the third person narration there is the use of third person narration such as 'he, she and they' and the proper nouns. The narrator in the third person narration plays only one role of the narrator and he is not character. He is all knowing narrator and he gives omniscient narration. 'Hasal and Greatel' or the 'moonlight' are the same example of the third person narration.