Reading and Resisting Ideology: Literary

Theory as Educational Reform

NCTE Assembly for ResearchMidWinter Conference

ChicagoSaturday, February 25, 2006

Literary Theory asEducational Reform?

• Why we teach• What we teach• How we teach• Educational outcomes

Theoretical Perspectives Inform and Reform

The paradox of education is precisely this—that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated. The purpose of education, finally, is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decisions…. But no society is really anxious to have that kind of person around. What societies really, ideally, want is a citizenry which will simply obey the rules of society. If a society succeeds in this, that society is about perish. The obligation of anyone who thinks of himself as responsible is to examine society and try to change it and to fight it—at no matter what risk. This is the only hope society has. This is the only way societies change.

- James Baldwin

Theory ReformsHow Adolescents View

Themselves

Their World

Their Schools

In essence an ideology is a system of thought or “world view” which an individual acquires (usually unconsciously) from the world around him. An ideology determines what you think is important in life, what categories you put people into, how you see male and female roles in life, and a host of other things. You can visualize your ideology as a grid , or a set of glasses, through which you can see the world.

- Bonnycastle The term ideology describes the beliefs, attitudes, and habits of feeling which a society inculcates in order to generate an automatic reproduction of its structuring premises. Ideology is what preserves social power in the absence of direct coercion.

- Ryan

Ideology

Ideological common sense is common sense in the service of sustaining unequal relations of power.

- Fairclough

Transformation = Critical Thinking + Literacy

- bell hooks

Until lions tell their stories, tales of hunting

will glorify the hunter.

- African Proverb

The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. One should, for example, be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise.

- F. Scott Fitzgerald

It is not that we shouldn’t care about individual students and texts. We should, and I do. We also recognize, however, that students and texts are embedded in huge, living, sometimes contradictory networks, and if we want students to understand the workings of textuality, then we have to think about those larger systems.

- Bruce Pirie- Bruce Pirie

Reading the World

The relationship between the text and the world is not simply a fascinating problem for textual theory. It is, above all others, the problem that makes textual theory necessary.

- Scholes 

Being an ‘enlightened witness’ means becoming critically vigilant about the world we live in.

- bell hooks

Deconstruction Formalist

Reader Response

Feminist Marxist

Critical Theories

What We Teach

Advanced Placement English IV Winter/Spring 2006

Semester Theme:

Lend Me a Looking Glass: Lenses of Perception in Literature and Life

Course Goals: You will be extremely well prepared for the challenges that lie ahead in college and beyond. You will be a more skillful, thoughtful and critical reader of prose and poetry. You will become a powerful essayist. Activities: Building upon the skills and techniques we developed last semester, we will focus on a number of key ways in which literature and other texts are perceived. In addition to the typical methods of analysis with which we are already familiar, we will study literary theory and its philosophical underpinnings. We will study several novels and plays in addition to many poems and a number of shorter selections. In addition, you will have the opportunity to read several works you choose yourself and to report on your readings. While building critical faculties, our study will also help prepare you for success on the AP English exams in early May. Readings: Hardy, Thomas, Tess of the D’Urbervilles Chopin, Kate, The Awakening Shakespeare, Macbeth Joyce, James, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man O’Brien, Tim, The Things They Carried Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice Amis, Martin, Time’s Arr ow DiYanni, Literature Independent Readings Writings Weekly reading journal Weekly CRP AP timed essays (O so many!) 4 prepared essays: February 6, February 27, March 17, April 17 Remember the words of Robert Frost: Students should be taught the satisfaction and pride in conveying an idea so well, in either oral or written form, that anyone would remember how the idea had been conveyed and what it was. Books should be used in English classes so that students will be lonely forever afterward without books of their own.

Semester Overview January Theme: Mr. Pontellier Wore Eye-Glasses: Studies in the Lenses of Perception

v Read Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Jan 17 and The Awakening by January 23 v Macbeth (in class) v Introduction to critical theory v Poetry analysis v Practice AP objective tests v Independent reading

February Theme: His Father Looked at Him: Modernism in Perspective

v “Prufrock” Essay due February 6 v Read A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man v Prose analysis v Tess of the D’Urbervilles or Awakening Essay due Feb 27 v Practice AP objective tests v Independent reading

March Theme: Here There is No Why: Studies in Post-Modern Narrative

v The Things They Carried v Time’s Arrow v Independent reading v Portrait Essay due March 17 v Practice AP tests

April Theme: What Judgment Shall I Dread? Preparing for the AP Exams

v Literature Review v The Merchant of Venice v Independent Reading v Independent Reading Essay due April 17 (explore two works) v Practice AP Tests v Boot Camp April 19-30 (Tentative)

May Theme: Let Me Speak to the Yet Unknowing World: The Finale

v Advanced Placement Examinations: Language, May 1 (a.m.); Literature, May 4 (a.m.) v Symposium at Celo Inn (Date TBA) v Dessert

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English 12: “Perception is Everything”

Instructors Ms. Christensen Lisa.Christensen@anoka.k12.mn.us Ms. Freng-Gunderson Mary.Freng-Gunderson@anoka.k12.mn.us Ms. Malchow Lloyd/ Rachel.Lloyd@anoka.k12.mn.us

Mr. Julien Ms. Mork Linda.Mork@anoka.k12.mn.us Course Description In Senior English, the instructional units introduce and explore literary theories and multiple perspectives. Throughout the year, students are introduced to Reader Response, Formalist, Archetypal, Cultural, Historical, Psychological, Marxist and Feminist criticism. Applying new perspectives to both familiar and unfamiliar texts enables students to consider carefully the concept of truth as it is presented in literature, film, nonfiction texts, and drama. Course Materials • Notebook/folder/writing utensil—Bring every day! • One pocket portfolio folder to be kept in class • Copy of your portfolio film (buy, rent, check-out from library) • Access (either at home, school or library) to a word processing program and the internet. You will need to provide copies of your typed drafts for peer review and conduct on-line research.

Term 1/3 Overview I. Introduct ion to Multiple Pers pect ives II. Read er Respon se Criticism

Te xts: from When Heaven and Earth Chan ged Places from Tuesdays w ith Morrie

Writing: *Portfolio film ana lys is *Persona l essay

III. Formalist Criticism Te xts : “Eleven”

“Shoot ing an Elephan t” Oed ipus Re x

The G radua te Writing : *Portfolio film ana lys is

*Research pap er IV. Archetypa l Criticism

Te xts : “Sa int Geo rge an d the Drago n” from The Power of Myth (Jose ph Ca mpbe ll)

Star Wars clips from Into Thin Air/Mountain W ithou t Mercy Hamlet

Writing : *Portfolio film ana lys is *Essay test

Grading: Da ily work/qu izzes: 20% Portfo lio pa pers : 20% Persona l essay : 20% Research paper : 20% Essay test: 20% * All formal writing assignments must be completed satisfactorily in order to pass this term. Term 2/4 Overview I. Cultural/Post-Colonial Criticism

Texts : Princess Mononoke “Nacirema” Trekkies clip “To Be a Slave” “Farewell to Manzanar” “Teenagers—Mohammed to Madonna”

Writing: *Portfolio film analysis *Ethnography

Something Old

English 10 Name ________________________ E-W-1608-1

Period _______ Date________________

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD: LOOKING AT THE NOVEL

THROUGH “DIFFERENT LENSES” – THE MARXIST LENS “No book is genuinely free from political bias. The opinion that art should have nothing to do with politics is

itself a political attitude.” — George Owell

1. Blaine High School, like all communities, operates under a variety of beliefs called ideologies. An ideology is a view of the world, a set of beliefs by which we live in order to reach our goals and desires.

NOTE: Not everyone’s ideologies are identical. a. ______________________________________ In America, typical ideologies are:

________________________________________ “Freedom,” “Equality,” “Democracy,”

“_________________________________”

________________________________________ “_________________________________”

b. What are some ideologies under which Blaine High School operates? STAFF STUDENTS Principal Freshmen

Sophomores Police Liaison Officer Juniors Teachers

Seniors Head Custodian

2.In addition, Blaine High School, like all communities, operates in a particular social structure. This refers to different social groups that possess different levels of power in a community. Those groups with the most power are at the top of the “social ladder.” Those with the least power are at the bottom.

Try plotting some groups from the following communities / societies on the social ladder graphs below. AMERICAN SOCIETY BHS COMMUNITY Most power Most power Least power Least power 3. Looking at Mockingbird from another perspective: the “Marxist Lens.” When we look at literature through this lens, we analyze the ideology and the social structure of the

community / society in the story. Characteristics of the “Marxist Lens”: Now let’s look at some important events in Mockingbird through the “Marxist Lens.” 4. In order to understand Mockingbird from a Marxist perspective, we need to know something about life

in the South during the 1930s. Based on your study of that time period, and on our class discussions of life in Maycomb, summarize what you know.

(continued)

5.Remember, an ideology is a set of beliefs by which individuals or groups of people live their lives. Think of some of the major events that have occurred in Mockingbird so far. Then, identify some ideologies that are represented in the novel, and give an example of an event in the story that illustrates that ideology.

Ideology in Mockingbird Example a. ______________________________________ a._____________________________________ b. ______________________________________ b._____________________________________ c. ______________________________________ c._____________________________________ d. ______________________________________ d._____________________________________ Are there any other differing views of the world that are “at odds” with the beliefs listed above?

Explain.

6. The Marxist perspective pays a lot of attention to the social structures that give power to different groups in a community. Identify some of the “social groups” that are represented in Mockingbird. Plot some of the characters (who represent these groups) on the social ladder graph below. Most power

7. In Mockingbird, there are many “power struggles” between pairs of characters. Identify some of these characters in conflict. What has the power and who doesn’t? Conflict between:

Has Power

Has No Power

Is this a

class conflict?

a.

a.

b.

b.

c.

c.

8.When we look at a story through the “Marxist Lens,” we pay attention to class conflicts, power struggles, and where we see ourselves in a particular social structure. On the diagram below, place an “X” where you see yourself in relation to the center of power and money. (#1 is the closest to the center of power and money; #5 is the most distant.) 5 4 3 2

1

9.To what degree do you t hink the location you cited above may have affected your reading of Mockingbird? Explain.

. Which character(s) in Mockingbird do you feel most closely represent where you are socially? Explain why you chose those character(s).

STOP HERE for further class discussion / clarification before proceeding to #11.

11.Now that you have looked at Mockingbird through the “Marxist Lens,” try to turn the lens away from the novel and focus on your own life and experiences. Consider your own conflicts and struggles, the ideologies you hold and encounter in society, and your place in the social structure. Then, react to the following questions:

a. What is my immediate response / first reaction to turning this lens on myself?

b. Finally, record some specific questions or insights that come to mind as you turn this lens onto your own beliefs and experiences.

On the SubwayThe boy and I face each other. His feet are huge, in black sneakers laced with white in a complex pattern like a a set of intentional scars. We are stuck on opposite sides of the car, a couple of molecules stuck in a rod of light rapidly moving through darkness. He has the casual cold look of a mugger, alert under hooded lids. He is wearing red, like the inside of the body exposed. I am wearing dark fur, the whole skin of an animal taken and used. I look at his raw face, he looks at my fur coat, and I didn't know if I am in his power— he could take my coat so easily, my briefcase, my life—

or if he is in my power, the way I am living off his life, eating the steak he does not eat, as if I am taking the food from his mouth. And he is black and I am white, and without meaning or trying to I must profit from his darkness, the way he absorbs the murderous beams of the nation's heart, as black cotton absorbs the heat of the sun and holds it. There is no way to know how easy this white skin makes my life, this life he could take so easily and break across his knee like a stick the way his own back is being broken, the rob of his soul that at birth was dark and fluid and rich as the heart of a seedling ready to thrust up into any available light.

- Sharon Olds

Something New

“On the Subway,” by Sharon Olds

The Marxist Lens 1. Read the poem aloud in your group. 2. Using the theory cards, glossaries, and any other information

that you have, please summarize what you think it means to apply a Marxist lens to a text.

3. As a group, underline lines that are particularly relevant to a

Marxist reading. 4. As a group, complete this sentence (more than one meaning

statement might result). Based on a Marxist reading, we think the poem means because

“On the Subway”from Four Perspectives

“On the Subway,” by Sharon Olds

The Feminist Lens 1. Read the poem aloud in your group. 2. Using the theory cards, glossaries and any other

information that you have, please summarize what you think it means to apply a feminist lens to a text.

3. As a group, underline lines that are particularly relevant to a feminist reading. 4. As a group, complete this sentence (more than one meaning statement might result). Based on a feminist reading, we think the poem means

“On the Subway,” by Sharon Olds

The Formalist or New Critical Lens 1. Read the poem aloud in your group. 2. Using the theory cards, glossaries, and any other information

that you have, please summarize what you think it means to apply a formalist lens to a text.

3. As a group, list some of the important poetic devices that Olds

employs to convey her meaning. 4. Underline lines that contain those poetic devices. 5. As a group, complete this sentence (more than one meaning

statement might result). Based on a formalist analysis we think the poem means because

“On the Subway,” by Sharon Olds

The Reader-Response Lens 1. Read the poem aloud in your group. 2. Using the theory cards, glossaries, and any other information

that you have, please summarize what you think it means to apply a reader-response lens to a text.

3. Have each person list the personal qualities and/or personal

experiences that are relevant to the poem. 4. Have each person underline lines that are particularly relevant to

those personal experiences. 5. Have each person in the group complete the following sentence: Based on my own reading, I think the poem means because

So What?

Name

From Reading Words to Reading the World:

Perception Is Everything

We’ve spent a lot of time this semester focusing on critical lenses. For our final activity, we would like you to reflect on the ways in which you personally have made sense of the lenses as a tool for reading texts and the world. Think about your film project. Review the journal responses you wrote over the course of this semester. Which lenses did you find most useful, interesting, or thought-provoking with regards to this film? Rate the following lenses from 1-8, where 1 = most effective lense, and 8=least effective lens.

______ reader response theory

______ formalist criticism

______ archetypal theory

______ cultural theory

______ historical theory

______ psychological criticism

______ gender literary theory

______ Marxist literary theory

In one to two paragraphs, explain why you have ranked the lenses as you did for your film. Focus particularly on those that were most/least effective.

2. Now, think of something you’ve heard about or seen outside of class that struck you as worth thinking about.

OR

Describe this event or issue and explain why it is important. Consider this event from at least two of the lenses we’ve been working with. What do you notice or what questions emerge for you as you apply these critical perspectives to that event? How do these lenses affect or increase your understanding of the event/ issue?

3. How do you think the multiple perspectives and the role of perception that we’ve studied in this class can help you understand some things about yourself and your life outside of school?

Something outside of school:

1. a state, nation al, or world event or circumstance

It could be related to scho o l: 5. an interaction between two

people 6. a schoo l po licy 7. a socia l grou p 8. something about the build ing

itself 9. how the scho o l da y is

structured.

What They Read• The war in Iraq

• A group of high school students plotted to kill their parents for insurance money

• The teaching of the Bible in schools

• September 11

• Hurricane Katrina

• The high school dress code

• Cliques and divisions within the school

• Government spying

• Iraqi elections

• The bird flu

• The effects of the media on teenagers

• Racially motivated fights in school

• The mild winter

• The existence of God

• The increasing amount of the world population in poverty

• The tsunami in Southeast Asia

• The war on drugs

• The miners trapped in West Virginia

• The lack of school funding and school overcrowding

• The Ford car company cutting 35,000 jobs in Minnesota

• Weapons of mass destruction

Five Readings

Topic: Fights and violence witnessed during high school The psychological lens helps interpret theses fight very well. It brings up questions like: Are they scared? Do they enjoy it? Why are they doing it? Do they know what will happen afterwards? It [this lens] increases our understanding by asking why. The gender lens also helps us understand fights. In our society guys are taught to be “tough” and not take anything from anyone. The often resort to violence, and think violence actually solves something, which is absurd. Gender lenses shows us that males are more prone to fighting and the sexes are raised in different ways.

Topic: The war in Iraq Through the Marxist lens you can see the US has the upper hand because we have more money and power. We can have more hi-tech weapons and machinery. Through the cultural lens you can see why there might be another reason for conflict. Our countries are on opposite sides of the world with completely different cultures which either side may not understand.

Topic: The cliques in the halls at the school I noticed all of the different groups and cliques at CP. One way to view that would be with the cultural lens. The groups could be formed to fit with everyone’s many different cultures and/or religions. People seem to hook-up with other people who like the same things as them and same backgrounds. Another lens to use for the different groups is the gender lens. Most guys and girls seem to be forming groups with their own gender, girls with girls and guys with guys. Though there is some breaking of this pattern.

Topic: The effect of media of high school students Looking at this issue I believe that the Gender lens is a good way of looking at it. It affects girls in a way of personal appearances and how they think they should look. It affects boys in their mannerisms. After analyzing it a question does arise; What gives media the right to tell millions of kids how they should be? Looking at the subject through a psychological lens might be more interesting. It will give you a look into why kids decide to follow the ways they see. What makes them want to and why they feel it is important to be just like everybody else

Topic: Iraq weapons of mass destruction Looking at this issue through the historical lens helps a great deal. It seems that many of the wars we get into to try and help people, have a tendency to ‘backfire’ on us. For instance, the Korean War, we went in to try and help the South Koreans fight the North, and ended up going no where, just spending a lot of money and losing many lives. This is basically what is happening in Iraq. It is costing us a lot of money and we are losing soldiers, and it does not seem to be getting us anywhere. Another lens to look though on this issue is the psychological lens. It is hard to tell what the real reason we came into this war is. Many people believe it was to stop terrorism, stop communism, keep our oil, or even the President Bush is only trying to finish what his father never did or even that President Bush is only trying to finish what his father never did. It could be anyone of these things, but looking through the psychological lens has helped me come to the conclusion that it is a combination of all of these things.

““Yes, but it’s too much work; Yes, but it’s too much work; almost anything can be looked at almost anything can be looked at through a critical lens.”through a critical lens.”

““Yes, texts are used every day Yes, texts are used every day and everywhere to influence us and everywhere to influence us and reinforce ideas of society.”and reinforce ideas of society.”

““Yes, but Yes, but not every-not every-thing in the world should be critically thing in the world should be critically viewed. We need to be able to use viewed. We need to be able to use lenses but not to over analyze.”lenses but not to over analyze.”

“Yes, it helps a lot to try to analyze things from different perspectives.”

Can We Use Critical Lensesto Read the World?

““No, we cannot use the critical lens to read the world. We No, we cannot use the critical lens to read the world. We must endure what we are in. By analyzing too much, the must endure what we are in. By analyzing too much, the feeling we have is sucked out.”feeling we have is sucked out.”

“Yes, they are necessary to determine the complex and varied messages being thrown at us every day.”

“Yes, it gives us many perspectives on the same thing. It basically makes it possible to see more than just the obvious.”

““No. We can use critical lenses to No. We can use critical lenses to interpret the things we read in interpret the things we read in the world, but we read at face the world, but we read at face value first. When we read, we value first. When we read, we subconsciously use lenses subconsciously use lenses anyway.”anyway.”

““Yes, but it may be overwhelming if you Yes, but it may be overwhelming if you do it all the time. I do think we do it a lot do it all the time. I do think we do it a lot without knowing it.”without knowing it.”

””Yes, but we can’t focus on one Yes, but we can’t focus on one lens or over-analyze everything, lens or over-analyze everything, or we will not get anything or we will not get anything done.”done.”

““Yes, you have to, because Yes, you have to, because nothing is ever direct, you nothing is ever direct, you always have to read between always have to read between the lines to get the entire the lines to get the entire message.”message.”

““Yes, we often use multiple Yes, we often use multiple ones every day; however, ones every day; however, looking at only one at a looking at only one at a time can lead to seeing a time can lead to seeing a muted view of what is muted view of what is happening.”happening.”

“Yes, although it can be carried away. It is necessary so you don’t buy in to stereotypes and products that would be fulfilling false stereotypes.”

““Yes, in a complex world where groups and individuals are vying Yes, in a complex world where groups and individuals are vying for power, it is important to analyze the interests of the creators for power, it is important to analyze the interests of the creators of media that form culture.”of media that form culture.”

Deborah ApplemanCarleton College

dapplema@carleton.edu

Handouts for this presentation can be accessed at

http://www.acad.carleton.edu/curricular/educ/faculty/Appleman/index.html