...J. Prevert. „Sables mouvants“ The image of the quicksand is very symbolic. One has to analyse it first, in order to understand J. Prevert‘s poem. Quicksand consists of granular matter (silt, sand), clay and water. It may appear quite solid if it is undisturbed. However, when there is a change in pressure, the surface loses its strength, sand and water separate, causing buildings to fall over. Someone stepping on quicksand would start to sink. I am inclined to believe that the usage of this image was chosen not at random. The title gives us a clue that the poem is going to be about the duality of love. Like everything else in the world, love has both positive and negative faces. What appears to be solid and stable might collapse, when one comes closer. The poem „ Sables mouvants“ also examines the themes of the transience of time and sexuality. The repetition of “Demons et merveilles / vents et marees ” expresses the duality of love. One imagines demons as something magical, evil, dark, dangerous, and insidious. Because of our knowledge of mythology and religion, demons remind us of seduction (for example, Eve and the Serpent, The Bible) and sin. On the other hand, merveilles create the impression of something enchanting and delightful. The contrast between demons and merveilles shows us that what appears pure and fascinating, might allure into danger and darkness. What is more, vents et marees can be regarded as a hint of sensuality and sexuality. It impersonates force...
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...The Phenomenon of “ Father Absence” Reflections on Zweig’s Letter from an Unknown Woman. Abstract The father-absence is a widespread phenomenon in the society nowadays. However, it is recently that people notice the psychological importance of father as a significant influence on female character development. Empirical research has demonstrated various negative outcomes for females in single-parent homes such as being overshy, self-abandoned as well as indifferent to the sorrounding, all of which influence their life-choice. This paper deals with this problem mainly from how psychologically father-absence affects the development of the female character which strongly decides their fate based on Stephan Zweig’s novel: Letter from an Unknown Woman. Key words: father-absence， the Name-of-the-Father 1. Introduction Letter from an Unknown Woman is one of the most famous novels composed by Austrian writer Stephan Zweig. Its cyclically-told tale of romantic yearning and pining for love is embodied in the doomed, delusional relationship of the two romantic leads: a young neighbor girl's steadfast, sacrificial love for a self-absorbed, dilettante writer. Zweig uses the form of the woman’s monologue as a letter to show us a tragic story of her whole life: how she falls in love with her neighbor, keeps faith for him through her whole life while the man has never recognized or remembered her. Many critics believe that the root-cause of this love-tragedy lies in...
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...Nia Nguyen A Blame on Nothing and Nothingness Abject: A Rereading of Vertigo “In a male libidinal economy… the only good woman is a dead woman.” Slavoj Zizek, A Pervert’s Guide to Cinema Robin Wood began his landmark studies, Hitchcock’s Films (1965), with the rhetorical question, “Why should we take Hitchcock seriously?” Yet it was also Wood himself who revised the question in 1983. He asks, “Can Hitchcock be saved for feminism?” While there is no denying the brilliance of Hitchcock’s subjective camera and his skillful manipulation of identification processes, one cannot help but loathe the pungent misogyny prevalent in his works. Vertigo (1958) is arguably no exception. Laura Mulvey, a vocal and influential feminist film critic, contends that Vertigo elucidates an active sadistic voyeurism of the male gaze that subjects the woman, as object-of-desire, to realize his impossible fantasy, time and again at the cost of brutish violence against her body and psychological wellness.[1] Also exploiting Freud’s theory, Tania Modleski deciphers female suffering in Vertigo as a punishment for her inherently close relationship with the mother with which the men envy.[2] In drawing on the phallocentric models of Freud and Lacan, these criticisms bear a blind spot in that they assume certain essentialist sexual development characteristics to formulate the backbone of their analysis, such as Mulvey’s reading of object-of-desire or Modleski’s draw on bisexuality...
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...A Psychoanalytic Approach to “The Yellow Wallpaper” The short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” first appeared in the January 1882 publication of The New England Magazine, a monthly literary magazine published in Boston. Authored by Charlotte Perkins Gilman this short story was not well received at printing and was not reprinted until twenty-eight years later in William Dean Howell’s collection,The Great American Short Stories in 1920. As part of the collection it gained some popularity for a time and then just died out again. Unfortunately this was the extent of the life of her work while she was still alive. However in 1973 the story was reissued by the Feminist Press with an exceptional commentary by Elaine Hedges and finally became popularly rediscovered. Elaine Hedges explained the work as a “pioneering masterpiece of feminist literature” (Pompele 61). Since the publication, theorists using a Feminist approach most overwhelmingly study the story.Gilman’s emphasis on the importance of language and text, and the fact that “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a tale of mental breakdown, make Lacanian psychoanalytic a natural way to consider the work in order to help readers understand the author’s use of language as a manifestation not of herself but the “other” as a means to safely express herself. As an autobiographical story there exist very undeniable connections between Gilman’s personal life and that of the narrator. A study of “The Yellow Wallpaper” is quite remiss if not...
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...a. The Gift The aporia that surrounds the gift revolves around the paradoxical thought that a genuine gift cannot actually be understood to be a gift. In his text, Given Time, Derrida suggests that the notion of the gift contains an implicit demand that the genuine gift must reside outside of the oppositional demands of giving and taking, and beyond any mere self-interest or calculative reasoning (GT 30). According to him, however, a gift is also something that cannot appear as such (GD 29), as it is destroyed by anything that proposes equivalence or recompense, as well as by anything that even proposes to know of, or acknowledge it. This may sound counter-intuitive, but even a simple 'thank-you' for instance, which both acknowledges the presence of a gift and also proposes some form of equivalence with that gift, can be seen to annul the gift (cf. MDM 149). By politely responding with a 'thank-you', there is often, and perhaps even always, a presumption that because of this acknowledgement one is no longer indebted to the other who has given, and that nothing more can be expected of an individual who has so responded. Significantly, the gift is hence drawn into the cycle of giving and taking, where a good deed must be accompanied by a suitably just response. As the gift is associated with a command to respond, it becomes an imposition for the receiver, and it even becomes an opportunity to take for the 'giver', who might give just to receive the acknowledgement from the other...
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...Sarkozy Hyper-presidency Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Sarkozy Hyper-presidency France political governance has experienced numerous leaders with different approaches to its leadership. Nicholas Sarkozy is one of the political leaders who has made himself a name in the history of France. Sarkozy political career started at an early age with a win in the Neuilly Mayor position. Sarkozy was elected as the president in May 2007 through a party that was known as a UMP ( Union for a Popular Movement) becoming the sixth president of the French Republic. Although upon his election his party did not obtain majority compared to the opposition, he launched his reforms and included politicians from the opposition in his government. The paper, therefore, seeks to examine why Sarkozy was referred to as a hyper-president as well as establish whether the presidency is still powerful as compared to the past. Sarkozy title of hyper-president resulted after numerous accomplishments he made during his tenure as president. The president changed the leadership style that other presidents had used in the past, resulting in a better profile of the country among the European countries. Sarkozy did take the first courageous step to run the government as per the new quinquennial institutional rules. The president was the first...
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...part of Canada of form their own sovereign nation. On October 30th when the votes were counted it was revealed that 49.4 percent of people voted in favour of the separatists. This extremely close vote shocked many Canadians but despite the close margins Quebec would stay a part of Canada. The popularity of separatism lessened over the coming years. Quebec’s next premier, Lucien Bouchard, spoke of organizing another referendum but the plans never came to fruition. Despite the continued talk of sovereignty, as the century came to an end there was less and less support for Quebec separating and the debate more or less came to a rest. Main Points * In 1994 Quebec once again elects a separatist party: Parti Quebecois. In 1995 Premier Jacques Parizeau calls for a provincial referendum on Quebec’s sovereignty. * October 30th 1955 the results of the referendum show a 49.4 percent vote for yes and Quebec remains a part of Canada. * The 2000 Clarity Act is passed by the Chretien government, which requires a clear majority in separatist referendums. This means that Quebec would need a clear majority, not just 50 percent plus one, in favour of sovereignty in order the negotiate separatism. Francophone and Anglophone relations French and English relations had a history of being tense in Canada, and during this period in time tensions rose even higher. The English part of Canada was offended that the Quebecois people wanted to leave. Not only would it be a cultural loss...
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...If one examines predialectic appropriation, one is faced with a choice: either accept textual neocultural theory or conclude that the goal of the reader is deconstruction, given that neomodern cultural theory is valid. Lacan promotes the use of predialectic appropriation to challenge capitalism. In a sense, the premise of neomodern cultural theory states that class has significance. “Society is impossible,” says Derrida. The characteristic theme of Porter’s[1] essay on Debordist situation is the role of the observer as writer. However, if predialectic appropriation holds, the works of Burroughs are postmodern. The main theme of the works of Burroughs is the futility, and eventually the paradigm, of capitalist sexual identity. The subject is contextualised into a neomodern cultural theory that includes culture as a totality. Thus, Lacan uses the term ‘constructivism’ to denote the role of the observer as artist. The characteristic theme of Cameron’s[2] analysis of neomodern cultural theory is not, in fact, theory, but posttheory. It could be said that the opening/closing distinction depicted in Eco’s The Name of the Rose is also evident in The Limits of Interpretation (Advances in Semiotics). The subject is interpolated into a pretextual constructivist theory that includes consciousness as a reality. Thus, Sontag’s model of predialectic appropriation holds that the significance of the observer is social comment. Lacan uses the term ‘neomodern cultural...
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...Ted Talks Name: Sherry Turkle: Connected, but Alone? 1. In her introduction, Sherry Turkle says, “I embody the central paradox…” What is the paradox she is referring to? She loves getting texts, and at the same time she believes many people can get a problem by texting. 2. The speaker describes a change in her thinking from the last time she spoke at TED. At first, what did she expect would be the result of online communication? She expected that knowledge learnt from virtual world or online communication can be used to live better lives in the real world. 3. What does she think about it now? She believes that technology or online communication will take people to get worst lives in the real world instead of getting better lives. 4. What are some examples she gives of new odd or disturbing behavior with our devices? * People text or send e-mails during the meetings or presentations. * Students shop, text and go on Facebook during classes. * Parents text and do e-mails during breakfast and dinner while children complain that they didn’t get the attention from their parents. * Children deny each other by texting and playing their devices while they are together. * People text at funeral. 5. In what 2 ways are we “setting ourselves up for trouble” with these behaviors? We set ourselves up for trouble in how we relate to each other and in how we relate to ourselves. 6. Why are people so attracted to texting and posting as opposed...
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...Montreal, Quebec is one of the places in Canada where this language is primary. This is the largest city in Quebec and the second largest city in the country of Canada. Along with 60.5% of the population speaking French, English is the second most popular with 21.2% of the population speaking it. Many people declare this city at the best in Canada since it complex, and has an electrifying energy which is why I nominate it as the World’s Best Francophone City. This city also has a history behind it, along with the rest of Canada. Montreal is an island located in the Saint Lawrence River with a 230 meter mountain placed in the center. This city was originally inhabited by the Iroquois, who named it Tiogtiake Tsi or Ka-we-no-te. In 1535, Jacques Cartier was one of the first Europeans to set foot on the island and he and his men climbed up the mountain and named it Mont-Royal. Augustin Hebert and Adrienne DuVivier were the founders of the first Mass of Ville-Marie of Montreal, which took place in 1637. Montreal is the World’s Best Francophone City due to several different reasons. It was rated as one of the world’s most livable cities and it was also named one of the top hub cities. Montreal was also named a UNESCO City of design, which is one of the three in the world due to its designed community. This city was is also referred to as “Canada’s Cultural Capital” by a magazine published throughout the country. There are also numerous attractions in the city which its 50 National...
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...Twentieth Century Philosopher Maria Pinelle, Treddie Knight, and Shurvell McClendon PHL/215 March 19, 2011 Leon Hallingquest Twentieth Century Philosopher INTRODUCTION - Well-known philosophers have influenced the lives for many centuries. Jacques Derrida was a twentieth century philosopher who was one of the most contemporary philosophers of modern (contemporary) times (Philosophy basics, 2011). Jacques Derrida was born on July 15, 1930, and died October 8, 2004 of pancreatic cancer. Derrida left behind a wife and two sons named Pierre and Jean. Derrida was the founder of Deconstructionism. What is Deconstructionism? IDENTIFY AND EVALUATE THE KEY CONCEPTS AND ANALYSES THAT COMPRISED THE PHILOSOPHER’S THEORIES –Deconstructionism or Deconstruction is a philosophical theory of criticism (usually of literature or film) that seeks to expose deep-seated contradictions in a work by delving below its surface meaning ("Deconstruction"). According to C. John Holcombe (2007), “Derrida has been called philosopher, anti-philosopher, literary theorist, literary subverter and intellectual joker. But his central tenets are clear. Once we use language (speech or writing) to refer to reality, that reality is linguistically formulated and therefore indeterminate. Meaning is not something preexisting in the mind that we struggle to express. Like the main analytical schools of language philosophy from Hume onwards, and contrary to Saussure, Derrida does not regard words as the expression...
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...Capitalist Posttextual Theory 1. Eco and deconstructive narrative If one examines capitalist posttextual theory, one is faced with a choice: either reject deconstructive narrative or conclude that context is created by communication, given that narrativity is equal to art. Therefore, the subject is interpolated into a subcultural patriarchialism that includes language as a reality. Bataille’s essay on capitalist posttextual theory implies that truth is fundamentally responsible for hierarchy. In the works of Eco, a predominant concept is the concept of deconstructivist language. But if deconstructive narrative holds, the works of Eco are postmodern. The premise of the precultural paradigm of narrative holds that art is used to entrench the status quo, but only if Baudrillard’s critique of capitalist posttextual theory is invalid; otherwise, Sartre’s model of textual libertarianism is one of “Foucaultist power relations”, and therefore part of the futility of culture. “Sexual identity is unattainable,” says Baudrillard; however, according to Long, it is not so much sexual identity that is unattainable, but rather the stasis, and some would say the dialectic, of sexual identity. Therefore, the subject is contextualised into a capitalist posttextual theory that includes sexuality as a totality. Marx promotes the use of patriarchialist discourse to challenge capitalism. But the subject is interpolated into a neoconceptual deconstruction that includes art as a whole. Lacan...
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...Poststructuralist thinkers such as Derrida and de Man who outsourced from Benjamin’s works burst double opposition between original text and translated one evoking translators to be invisible (Venuti,1992, p6). Before the process of coming of poststructuralism into view, structuralist Saussure determined language as the examinable world of the symbols including the linguistic system and social structure. According to Roman (2002, p309), a language is set up as a system of signs and each sign is the result of the relation between meaning and word and a signifier or sound-image and a signified (referent). He also claimed that signifiers and signifieds are unchangeable but they can make sign itself by signifying more complicated fabulous signs (Roman, 2002, p310). Conversion of the idea from structuralism to poststructuralism caused to extreme amendments in different parts of language, for instance pushing forward the thinking of ‘the death of author’ which later gained its importance in translation studies. Barthes claims that the texts should not be thought of in terms of intentions of authors since writers work on a system of language in which specialized authors were and are born and formulated. In case of nonattendance of the author, the readers explain the meaning of the texts by setting them against their background of familiar word, phrases, conventions and collocations and their general ideological knowledge. Venuti (1992) states that poststructuralists are of the opinion...
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...The Significance of Cordelia’s Silence in King Lear Cordelia’s silence in King Lear by Shakespeare can be analyzed through different views. Here in this essay I try to criticize this matter through the principles of Kate Millet, Louis Althusser’s hegemony, Jacques Lacan, Roland Barthes, and Michele Foucault’s epitome and language. Although Cordelia’s presence in this play is not much frequent in comparison with the rest of other characters, her silence can reveal exciting information about the historical roots of renaissance. In order to provide a comprehensive approach toward the revelation of the Cordelia’s behavior, I have tried to add historical perspective to all the above mentioned critical thinkers. Kate Millet in her eminent book The Sexual Politics (1969), declares that our sex is determined at the moment of birth by biology and our sexuality is determined by social conventions. For instance, the society decrees that boys must be aggressive and active whereas girls are supposed to be humble and inactive. Now let’s see how far Kate Millet’s claims can be extended to Cordelia’s silence during Renaissance era. Well as we know, Renaissance was a patriarchal period in which men attained the highest jobs such as King, Earl, Minister, and the rest. But women usually had the lowest or the most humble jobs such as cooking and taking care of children. In such a society men used to control women. King Lear was not an exception during his own time. He was the king and had full...
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...including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from Other Press LLC, except in the case of brief quotations in reviews for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or broadcast. Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper. For information write to Other Press LLC, 307 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1807, New York, NY 10001. Or visit our website: www.otherpress.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data McGowan, Todd. Lacan and contemporary film / by Todd McGowan & Sheila Kunkle. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-59051-084-4 (pbk : alk. paper) 1. Motion pictures-Psychological aspects. 2. Psychoanalysis and motion pictures. 3. Lacan, Jacques, 1901- I. Kunkle, Sheila. II. Title. PN1995 .M379 2004 791.43'01 '9-dc22 2003020952 Contributors Paul Eisenstein teaches literature and film in the English department at Otterbein College, Columbus, Ohio, and is the author of Traumatic Encounters: Holocaust Representation and the Hegelian Subject (SUNY Press, 2003). Anna Kornbluh is currently a student in the Ph.D. program in comparative literature at University of California, Irvine. Her work centers on libidinal economy. Sheila Kunkle teaches cultural theory at Vermont College. She is the author of numerous articles on Lacan, film, and cultural politics. Juliet Flower MacCannell is the author of Figuring Lacan (University of Nebraska Press, 1986), The Regime of the...
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