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Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Too Chose or Not to Chose
I was struck by the following statement from page 452 in the "What is Feminist Criticism" essay, "if from the male perspective it seems fluid to the point of being chaotic, that is the fault of the male perspective." The statement gave me pause more than anything I have read in recent memory and caused me to reevaluate "Wuthering Heights" in a way I had not done before. Perhaps the reason I could not connect with this piece of work is because of the feminist perspective it was written from.
I have to admit that my reading taste tends to lean towards male writers and that is something I intend to correct from this point forward. I see now that I have created a box around my literary experience and have grown comfortable in that box. I can never expect myself to be truly educated unless I am willing to see the world from other perspectives.
I had a hard time following this novel at several points throughout the story; it was so difficult at times that I felt like throwing it against the wall or even worse throwing it in the trash. After reading the first essay I see now that it was not only written from a female perspective, it used female language. As Julie Kristeva is quoted on page 452, "feminine language is "semiotic," not "symbolic"." This story is written different from anything I have ever read before.
I must also admit that when I read this novel I tried to find meaning in Heathcliff and did not give much thought to Catherine and what Bronte was saying though her. After reading Pykett's essay I see it from another perspective. On page 472 she writes, " In short, Catherine's story vividly illustrates the fact that no matter how powerful and ruling her personality, a woman, as defined in nineteenth-century ideologies of gender and the family, must always cede definition and control to others and she is always, at least potentially, a victim." By reading this book and the accompanying critical essays I not only see the novel different I understand that I need to reexamine many things I have read. I look forward to that challenge.
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ReplyDeleteBrent,
ReplyDeleteI am delighted you were able to discover something new about yourself through reading the "What is Feminist Criticism" essay. I remember when we began reading Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë, back in September; you were worried about not understanding the meaning of the story. Yet now, not only do you understand Wuthering Heights in it's entirety, but you are able to draw philosophical conclusions about yourself as a result of reading this story.
Nevertheless, I have to admit, I, too, sway towards a preference when it come to the genre of literature I read in my spare time. Typically, I do not read literature written by men or from the male perspective. It is very rare I venture out from a specific type of novel I will read, occasionally. However, reading your post has encouraged me to remove myself from the narrow literature "box" in which I, too, have placed myself.
I think it is important for as as people and English students to not possess any forms of prejudices when it comes to literature genre or authors. Reading material outside of our norms can help us to develop into profound English students which can lead to successful careers.
In addition, I admire the fact you are willing to widen your literature horizon in order to incorporate more material written by women and from the female perspective. Though making a transition such as this one will not be easy, I am pretty sure you will find it to be very rewarding.
Brent,
ReplyDeleteYou really should read more female authors' works, but I would have to agree with you that "Wuthering Heights" is not the right one to start with. Despite the fact that this text was very difficult to get through and understand completely, the essays following the novel were extremely helpful for me as well. The idea that Bronte employed so many different techniques, each with a specific purpose and meaning, astounds me. The explanations of Bronte's writing put forth in the critical essays worked wonders in helping me view the novel on many different levels that I hadn't thought of before.