Block 2A: Sorry I was absent today - I asked you guys to blog, and here's what I want you to discuss in your post:
Below I'm going to explain the ideas of our final critic, cultural theorist Rene Girard, who relates to all the lenses, but has a special resonance with the Theological analysis of literature. His theory will guide our reading of The Crucible because it resonates with the events that inspired it: the Salem Witch Trials, and the 1950's "Red Scare." After reading the explanations/watching the videos below and taking notes, please post the following: a. Explain how Girard's theory is reflected in the story "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment." b. Identify a connection between this theory and the "Red Scare" described in the videos. c. Give another example from life, history or fiction that reflects Girard's theory. (Examples - Bullying, The Holocaust, Clarisse from F451 . Now you can't use any of those!) ___________________________________________________________________________ Girard's basic idea is this: Human beings are imitative creatures, which lets us form groups, but also makes us hate and fight each other. (Read the summary linked above first, then my explanation below - links there are helpful videos/images) You read "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment," a story in which three men compete for the same woman, each made jealous by the previous one's flirtation with her. Eventually, their rivalry turns into a fistfight, which destroys the pitcher full of precious magic water. Rene Girard thinks this is essentially how humans are - competitive, violent and self-destructive. Most of us feel a nagging sense of lack (psychoanalytic influence of Lacan) and think if we had what someone else had, it would make us "whole" like them. So we desire what we see those we wish to be like desire, which means we end up wanting and fighting over the same things (which can be objects, or lovers, or positions of status - anything that we think will make us as cool, special and popular as that person). Sometimes this jealousy becomes contagious, because everyone starts to want the same thing (Mean Girls), or everyone lines up on two sides of a rivalry (World War I). This can only be solved by "sacrificing" a scapegoat figure who everyone can agree to blame (Cady in Mean Girls, Germany after WWI). That is the "hidden" truth of every society: the sacrifice of some Other to maintain social cohesion, either in the past (like Oedipus in Greek tragedy) or in an ongoing way (like the child in the basement of Omelas). Notice that this relates to... -PSYCHOANALYSIS: Girard is describing the human id as fundamentally imitative ("mimetic desire"), and therefore competitive/violent - hence he agrees with Freud that humans will always need a superego. He thinks societies' superegoes are structured to prevent the outbreak of id-driven rivalry that can tear a society apart. -FEMINIST/POSTCOLONIALIST: Girard describes how the murder of a scapegoat is justified through some kind of social construction or "cultural narrative" that makes them into a dangerous Other. In The Crucible, Tituba is the first scapegoated, and the vast majority of the accused are women. -STRUCTURALIST (SEMIOTIC): This NEW lens sort of does to a text what Freud did to the mind: creates a unique, structured framework of elements to analyze it. The Archetypes, though based in Psychoanalysis, represent an early Structuralist approach to lit-crit. Structuralists are especially concerned with lanuage and patterns, possibly across a genre (ex. the short-story plot triangle approach) or within a text (deciphering the "logic" of symbols or repetition of certain words). Girard offers the structure of Triangular Desire (desiring subject-desired object "mediating" model). He also looks into myth for examples of the "scapegoat mechanism," which recur throughout traditional literature ("motif"). In most cultures, such sacrifices are woven into religion, like the murders of Salem Witches. Of course in our recent history, scapegoats have been mostly political. One such situation led Arthur Miller to write The Crucible in 1952: the infamous "Red Scare," aka "McCarthyism"... Videos on the Red Scare (they are short - watch all three) -Overview (words/images, no narration) -Footage of Hearings (with narration) -Arthur Miller discussing the Red Scare (from 1971) -Simpsons Parody of Salem Witch Trials (similarities?) -I will check your notes on this next class. I'd also like to see that you have basic notes on the Puritan religion. There are clear connections between these circumstances and Girard's ideas, which I will leave you to explicate. But first, there is one more twist to his theory: Girard, a Catholic, explicitly moves into THEOLOGICAL territory and upholds Jesus as the solution to our problem. This is not meant in the Protestant sense, where simply having faith in Jesus is enough to save your soul. Instead, Girard upholds Jesus as a model of nonviolence. If we are going to imitate someone by nature, then we should imitate His refusal to resent, be rivals with, or pursue revenge against others (meaning, He made no other person into "the Other"). This is why some Catholic Saints described Christian ethics as "the imitation of Christ" (imitatio Dei). Do any characters in the Crucible do this? "History, you might say, is a test for mankind. But we know very well that mankind is failing that test... We must face our neighbors and declare unconditional peace. Even if we are provoked, challenged, we must give up violence once and for all" - Rene Girard (quote links to summary F.A.Q.) ALSO: We'll be starting The Crucible next class, so think about whether you'd be willing to play a part! Ministers - Reverend Parris, Reverend Hale Powerful Men - Putnam, Gov. Danforth, Judge Hathorne Lower-Class Men - John Proctor, Giles Corey, Francis Nurse, Cheever/Herrick Girls - Abigail Williams, Betty Parris, Mary Warren Women - Mrs. Putnam, Elizabeth Proctor, Rebecca Nurse, Tituba ______________________________________________________________ PREVIOUS NOTE: Last class, I forgot to add that the 5 Sentence Patterns sheet I handed out at the end of class requires you to come up with a simple sentence and then write it in the style of the sentence patterns here. So come up with a simple subject/verb statement, and then write it in each of the 5 styles on the front, then with the variations on the back. This shouldn't take very long at all, and if it is and is confusing you, then just do the front and you can fix the back part in class. So, in addition to the two Puritan pieces to SOAPSTone ("Sinner in the Hands..." and "Wonders of the..."), please complete those sentences. If you didn't hand them in today, please drop them off anytime tomorrow.
21 Comments
Akin Gaddis
10/17/2015 03:48:33 pm
A:If the men begin to want one thing, Widow Witchery, only because the other ones want her.
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Akin Gaddis
10/17/2015 03:53:44 pm
A: (continued) This concept in the book translates into real life but on a larger scale.
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Biggs
10/18/2015 05:07:21 pm
Agreed, but you've gotta back your claims up - meaning examples, references, etc. Where in real life does this same phenomenon appear "on a larger scale"? Like, obviously the media plays a role...
Jackie Izzo
10/18/2015 04:20:06 pm
A. Girard’s Theory is reflected in the story Dr. Heidegger's Experiment because his thoughts relate to human being and their way of imitation as seen in the short story. Humans adopt desires and form relationships for the same interests. Eventually, when human beings can not share these common desires, conflicts emerge. The fighting between the younger men for the beautiful Widow Witchery illustrates Girard’s ideas. The friends want to flirt and dance with the young lady, but soon when they all learn they have the same desire and affection for the woman, conflict begins. The friends could not share the widow; thus, this devotion to this women caused the young men to fight and spill the water from the fountain of youth.
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Biggs
10/18/2015 05:19:53 pm
That phrase "their 'way' of imitation" is vague - what about their habit, their pattern, their instinct to, etc.? The points you make here are excellent and setting them up well is crucial for them to really shine.
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Matthew Vanderveer
10/18/2015 04:31:42 pm
a) In the story “Dr Heidegger’s Experiment” Girard’s theory is shown when the widow starts flirting with the now younger men and they all begin fighting over her because they notice that each of the other men are interested in her.
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Biggs
10/18/2015 05:15:33 pm
I think b. got cut off here, Matt. Also, I want to point out two things in your writing here that I've noticing in EVERYONE's writing.
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Allie Talavera
10/18/2015 05:42:52 pm
a) In "Dr Heidegger's Experiment" Girard's theory is shown when all three men acquire a strong attraction to the widow which causes them to despise one other due to the fact that they all share a common interest in her. She goes and flirts with each one which initially causes the conflict.
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Rachel Kline
10/18/2015 06:58:08 pm
A.) "Dr. Heidegger's Expirement" represents Girard's theory because the men are attracted to the women, and they each want her. The men each seem to want her more every time another man shows interest in her. The men are competitive and fighting over the same thing, like Girard's theory says human nature is.
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Sarah Bailey Lakatos
10/18/2015 07:03:05 pm
a.Girard’s Theory is show in the story, Dr. Heidegger's Experiment because his ideas associate themselves to humans and their way of copying people which is shown in the short story. Humans need some common interest with each other, and if they don’t, then eventually problems will occur. An example of Girard’s idea is when the men fight for the gorgeous girl. The conflict begins when all the friends want to dance and throw themselves at the girl , but all the friends have the same interest in the girl and problems begin to occur.
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Makenzie Lowrey
10/18/2015 07:40:31 pm
a) It’s in our human nature to imitate, and when one man wants something, all other men want it too. In this case, Widow Wytcherly is what the men want, but can’t have.
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Kay Franzese
10/18/2015 07:45:19 pm
A) Girard's theory is reflected in the story "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" because humans have the natural instinct to copy each other ,and in the story the men all begin to want to be with the widow. The desire these men had created conflict and the conflict was a result of human nature to compete for something they desire.
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Daisy Major
10/18/2015 08:25:07 pm
a) In "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" Girard's theory is demonstrated when all the men are attracted to widow. They all realize that the other men want her too which causes a lot of conflict between the men.
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Brad Chavero
10/18/2015 09:36:20 pm
A. Rene Girard’s theory is reflected in the story “Dr Heidegger’s Experiment” by the nature of the three male guests to the doctor's experiment. Girard's theory is all about human imitation and how humans come to conflict when their imitations cross paths. This is exactly what happens in the story as the three old men were mentioned to have each been in love with the widow at some point before, however their aging had suppressed these rivalries since everyone was not as young or appealing as they were when they were younger. But then the magical water of youth is introduced and after consuming it, the men quickly revert to their old selves wanting the love and attention of the now young looking woman. However this time, the three men are all in the woman's life at the same time and Rene's theory goes to work. With each man having the common goal of dancing with the woman alone, a physical conflict arises leading to the skirmish and the destructing of the vase in which the youth water was in. Although the conflict was not as large of scale here in the story, it was much worse in history.
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Seamus Cochrane
10/19/2015 04:32:47 am
A) Girard's theory is reflected in the short story, "Dr. Heiddeger's Experiment", by the conflict between the three men for the hand of the widow. As the four people drink from the fountain of youth, they regain all of their youthful lusting and energy. At first this causes them to frolic and laugh with each other as companions, but soon all eyes are on the restored widow. The three men all stake claims on her, leading to a fistfight and the destruction of the base of precious water. This is a reflection of Girard's theory because Girard's theory states that humans are creatures who make a habit of forming groups and communities, but then form rivalries and fight in these communities, and this is an exact reflection of the events that occurred in the short story.
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Courtney Fenty
10/19/2015 02:38:09 pm
A. Girards theory is represented in the story "Dr. Heideggers Experiment" because all the three men want the widow and if one wants her then all of the others want her too. The men imitate each other with their actions.
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Suubi Mondesir
10/19/2015 06:13:18 pm
A.) Girards theory reflects the events in "Dr.Heideggers Experiment" because in the story the three men want and desire the widow based on imitation. This ties into Girards theory, when he states, in the video "the human self does not exist without the other". This ties directly into the story because the three men wanted the widow since the other men also wanted the widow. If there wasn't a desire in one of the men for the widow, there wouldn't be a desire in any of them to imitate.
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Meghan pawlak
10/19/2015 08:07:19 pm
A. Girard's theory is present in "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" where the men are trying to prove who really wants the widow the most. The last two men probably wouldn't have noticed if it hadn't been for the first male to announce her beauty, thus the men wanted what the others couldn't have
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Tyhler Harty
10/19/2015 08:39:10 pm
A: "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" relates to Girard's theory because in the short story the old men turn into young boys and fight over the beautiful young widow (who was once old).
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Liliana Krupinski
10/20/2015 04:26:39 pm
A: "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" relates to Girard's theory because it has to do with imitation or mimicking. Girard says it's in human nature to imitate some one else's desires, possessions, and possibly their status. In this case, the story relates to this theory because as soon as one of the men make it clear that they want to dance with the widow, the other two men drop what they are doing and realize they also want to dance with her.
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Kathleen Patterson
10/20/2015 07:29:49 pm
A. Girard`s theory of human imitation is reflected in Dr. Heidegger`s experiment because once one man wanted to be with Widow Witchery, they all wanted to. This then brought out a conflict between the men that ultimately took away their source of hope and joy.
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