I see literature as the expression of how history was and build up, whatever the writer or the poet intended to show or to say, it’s all about how the audience feel, understand, and elaborate it. So the structure of the literary work should be rock solid, but also it should be art, to attract the audience. Sartre considered literature committed that the writer always trying to speak up and by speaking he changing what he is speaking about, and even if the writer tried to silence that will create more speaking, although not the ultimate intention of the writer but that is the case always, in Sartre’s opinion once you say something to someone, you will never see him as u used to and likewise he will be, also you will not see yourself as you used to. But that is not the case with Valery, who sees literature as art for the sake’s of art only, in one word, autonomous, and it named that way because it has no ideology tying it up its only about the art and the aspect of it, but this opinion will be an underestimation to literary works, because a lot of writers, poets and poetess used their writings as mirrors to the time they were in. Both of these writers got it half right, and in order to reach almost perfection, Adorno emerged their points of view to create peace between the two parties, and his opinion is the one I adopt in my writings and understanding, as Adorno argued ‘Sartrean goats and the Valeryan sheep will not be separated’ which in short mean that their idea complete each other.
Some writers committed in their writing with ideologies, ideologies such as Englishness and imperialism. For more understanding, I will explain what ideology is and what Englishness is. Ideologies are set of ideas and beliefs that a social group praise and follow as a method in their life. Also ideologies always are about certain class which does not include all the classes. The upper class who impose the ideology on the other classes tries to impose it as a way of living, in other words, Marx defined ideology as “the appearance of objective fact but it is purpose is to serve the interests of one class over and against those other”, and Engels puts in other words; “a process accomplished by the so-called thinker consciously indeed but with a false consciousness”, so the importunes of ideologies that it obtain all life aspects and fields.
The next term that concerns us here, is the term of Englishness which is highly considered especially in literature. Englishness is a set of customs, traditions, style of life, its an ideology which is about how English nation, how they behave and think, within a certain class, to shape their identities, personalities, behaviours, language, and to distinguish themselves from other nations.
Adorono’s statement “Sartrean goats and the Valeryan sheep will not be separated” is clearly recognized in the next three texts, my personal interpretation for this statement; literature is the big umbrella and all written texts have autonomous and committed meanings and method. Literature is art, and also literature is history, and by so, there is no way to divide any of them without looking to the other’s aspects, which will lead to a lack of understanding.
The next three texts are all committed, that each one is about ideology and concept, starting with the Georgian poetry, a poem by Walter De La Mare entitled “all that’s past”. In this poem the poet managed to exhibit and portrait the English life and England as a whole, Walter mentioned a lot of images in this poem which all are indicators of Englishness; English wood; our origins are ancient,
Sing such a history
Of come and gone,
Their every drop is a wise
As Solomon
The previous stanza implies the English proud; as if the poet is saying we are all born leaders.
The several mentioning of the word “old” indicates the tradition of English. Also the mentioning of the flower “amaranth” which is a Greek word denoting an immortal flower which never fades is also another feature of the Englishness ideology. Also there are memories he tries to recall, which was indicated by the word “rose” in the last line of the first stanza. This all reflects the idea of commitment to certain ideology, which is Englishness in this case.
The second text is also a Georgian poem entitled “adlestrop” by Edward Thomas. In this poem also Edward Thomas is describing the England, celebrating the beauty of the English countryside. Also there is memory in this poem, as the poet is trying to recall the pleasant moments after a train stopped in the countryside. Also the black bird’s song represents the joyful face of nature. This poem is committed to Englishness that, in many ways, for example the detailed description of the English countryside, with other aspects, also the name adlestrop is a name for a place in Britain, also the comparison between the quiet countryside and the hissing train or the man who clears his throat, which result the nature to win over the man and his inventions. The poet is proud of the English nature which is unique because it is inspiring, inspires us with great and glorious past, also the exhibiting of the boredom of the city life. Also the difficulties of life can be overcame by remembering the aspects of nature, all this is only about the Englishness ideology, and as a result of that this poem is proved to be committed to it.
The third text is about the short story, “sahib’s war” by Kipling; also this text or short story is committed. In this short story, from the opening paragraph, Singh is shown as racist, as he sees himself above, and that indicated clearly when he said “these black kaffirs”, the narrator is an Indian whose job is only to reinforce the imperialism beliefs which are hold by the whites, which is an ideology indicates that colonial rule is not bad for the colonized people, and so the whites are not the racist but the non-white are, this is the concept hidden in the story. And as well known, the British Empire highly praised the imperialism and encouraged it to extend, to decrease the problems faced in the colonies. This story promotes the imperialism, and specific ideas about the race, and all that goes back to the higher ideology which is Englishness. So the most obvious factors of Englishness in “sahib’s war” are; racism, imperialism, and the idealization of the English character and superiority of English ethics.
In summary, as a conclusion to all what above, ideologies are the production of human interests and Englishness is one of these ideologies, and literature is one way to understand the past and the thoughts of the future. Commitment or autonomous, it doesn’t matter if it’s a good literature and serves the purpose and meanings.
References:
- Course material, Block 3
- Prose anthology
- Poetry anthology
block 3, literature and ideology page 4
block 3, literature and ideology, page 5
“sahib’s war” Kipling, short story
