History of Orientalism
Emergency Literature
Note: glossary terms have (*); the rest are concepts/themes
Method & Rationality
A priori (*)
A statement which is viewed as true on its own, instead of being derived from observations or senses; it is independently true and subsequent deductions stem from that.
Descartes (Hatfield, 20)
Cartesian subjectivity (*)
Universality of reason, and therefore idea that there exists pure, objective truth. Descartes wanted to find a method which discovered truth in an absolute way, like that of math axioms and logic principles.
Epistemology (*)
The study of how we know what we know. Descartes used this to question Classical modes of thinking and Classical philosophers, such as Aristotle. (Hatfield, 11)
Form & Composition vs. Formal Analysis
Tolstoy’s authenticity comes from his dispersal of form. By destructing and complication form, he brings the reader closer to “truth”. It dually deconstructs past notions which obscure truth and emphasizes a sensory approach to experience as a truer experience. (class notes)
Method (*)
A logical set of rules (almost like axioms) for guiding reflection and actions toward truth without causing stagnation or tangents into infinite error.
“Simple natures or simple ideas lay at the heart of his generalized method,” (Descartes, 13)
“If complex things are in fact constituted through combinations of basic entities, we might comprehend those things by isolating in our thought the simple ideas of such entities and then combining them so as to reflect the composition of things in the world,” (14-5)
Tolstoy agreed with Descartes method of taking a complex thing, breaking it down into “simpler” parts, and from there reassessing, yet instead of a mathematical approach, Tolstoy used literary estrangement. Interestingly, estrangement required the complication of form in order to deconstruct it. Descartes took a different approach which required isolated reflection, using doubt to break down and reassess ideas.
Shlovsky also mentioned method:
-“Now nothing is certain. Method reigns supreme. Method was devised by man. METHOD. Method left home and started to live its own life,” (34)
Rationality
For Descartes everyone is born equally rational. However, for Tolstoy people are very far off from being rational creatures, and to suppose that we are rational creatures might somehow be wrong. (Sevastopol, 204)
These two concepts might be reconcilable. Tolstoy is less clear about whether he thinks we are naturally rational, but stresses the fact that we are “far from being” rational. Descartes also believes that people do not currently act rationally, yet he stresses that we are naturally rational. He describes our error through journey metaphors, implying that our error comes from the inability to doubt.
Metaphor
Circle (••)
The circle is used by Ginzburg as a symbol for a closed system, which could represent the blockade of Leningrad or the automated actions of winter. Ginzburg writes, “to write about the circle is to break the circle” (77). Before this, throughout the book, Ginzburg continues to bring up the idea of a circle: “the endlessly renewed achievement of endlessly shattered goals was no more that running round a closed circle,” (17)
This concept could possibly relate to Descartes’ notion of infinite error. By not employing doubt, we end up continuing in a path of error, entering into infinite error. In a circle, because it is a closed loop, it has no outlet, you are doomed to keep repeating the same process.
There is a continuity in both which seems to be the root problem. Circles can then act “linearly” by sharing this characteristic of continuity.
Love
Love is a metaphor used by Shlovsky to estrange the typical approach to writing about historical events. Instead of directly talking about his experience of being exiled from Russia and having to live in Berlin, Shlovsky uses the notion of love as a basis, but more as a façade, as an overarching connection, for his work. (20)
Zoo
Shlovksy uses “zoo” as a metaphor to describe the amalgamation of various people and backgrounds in Berlin as many people were exiled or fleeing Russia. Shlovsky also might be comparing himself to a monkey in the zoo, feeling like he is locked in Berlin, like he is separated from others’ normal, everyday life, yet still part of the geographical area, like a monkey in a cage, his food and abilities contained and controlled by someone else. He doesn’t feel completely immersed in Berlin culture or community. (25-6)
Literary
2 different types of nostalgia:
Boym outlines two different types of nostalgia.
- Brodsky’s nostalgia, which is gradiose, rooted in form, Utopian, and simple.
- Shlovsky’s nostalgia, which is ironic, fragmentary, cultural, complex, and nothing whole to begin with.
Economy of creative effort (*)
The idea that the more energy the receiver/reader puts into understanding something, the more he/she will get out of it. (Art as Device, …)
Suffering expands people
-Svetlana Alexievich
Epistolary
A genre of writing which is in the form of letters. Shlovsky used this genre to estrange the form of documentary writing. It is no longer; its strangeness and broken nature force the reader to put in more effort into understanding what is going on, which is something Shlovsky wants to do because he believes in the economy of creative effort. Shlovsky uses this to write a, “new kind of documentary novel,” (Shlovsky, xxx)
Estrangement (*)
Estrangement is a term coined by Viktor Shlovsky which is used to disrupt a reader’s automated or preconceived attachments to a word of experience, providing space for the reader to think about what is true and what is a continuation of historical or cultural perceptions. Tolstoy uses this literary device. For example, he says, “War in its authentic expression–as blood, suffering, and death,” (192). Ginzburg also uses this technique: “It turns out the staircases actually are suspended in the air (if you look closely, it’s really frightening), held in place by some inviside interior connection with the house,” (15).
Everyday vs. what’s recorded
This is the distinction between what history is recorded as and therefore often subsequently taken as true versus the reality of everyday people which is often not taken into account. Svetlana Alexievich wanted to record unheard voices. Ginzburg was also interested in recording unheard voices, given that media outlets such as newspapers and posters were controlled by Stalin and drew a picture of the siege as a heroic and patriotic display of triumph against a terrible enemy. This concept also came up when we discussed the lack of autobiographical literature written by women.
Investigative Description
Tolstoy investigates what is true and what is not true through exhaustive & detailed description (class).
Montage (*)
A literary device used to bridge non-sequential events by acting as though the gap between them does not exist.
Negation is also used to create a montage effect, where present-day experiences are converted into romantic descriptions of past history.
Propulsion (*)
Movement forward despite friction which pushes one backwards. Shlovsky uses this term on p. 61-4 of Zoo: Letters Not About Love. This relates to Shlovsky’s concept of the economy of creative effort, as Shlovsky misses the sense of challenge and empowerment that he got from the community of intellectuals back in Russia.
Unfreedom (*)
Shlovsky’s notion of “unfreedom” is to be economically, politically, and socially not free. Shlovsky is writing in the time of exile from his home, Russia, and therefore exile is like a kind of imprisonment.
Historical Context
Stoicism (*)
Stoicism is a branch of philosophy which believes that pain and struggle can be overcome through application of the mind. This relates to Descartes’s idea: cogito ergo sum, I think therefore I am. Descartes believed that things could be overcome through sheer will and application of the mind. However, the plausibility of this notion, especially when considered in times of emergency like the siege of Leningrad, is uncertain.
17th century, Galileo-time
Descartes was living in a period where there were two major forces:
- Push for experimentation
- Backdrop of chaos (ecological crisis killed almost 1/3 of earth’s population
This created an environment conducive for revolutionary thinking, yet still cautious and dangerous for thinkers who were too deviant from the Catholic Church.
Siege of Leningrad (*)
The Siege of Leningrad began in 1941 and lasted until 1944. According to Cynthia Simmons’ Writing the Siege of Leningrad, between 1.6 and 2 million Soviet citizens died. German forces blocked entry and exit from Leningrad, all the while bombing the city as well.
Crimean War (*)
The Crimean War started out as a war between Turkey and Russia, but soon the European powers joined Turkey because they were scared Russia would gain too much control if they didn’t step in. Sevastopol was …
Russian formalism (••)(*)
Russian formalism is a literary discourse, the purpose of which was to break from Classical structures and employ devices like estrangment to do so. Shlovsky was a big proponent of the Russian formalist movement. Ginzburg, being a student of Shlovsky, also contributed to the Russian formalist movement. However, Ginzburg’s context of the siege of Leningrad gave her perspective on the real-life implications of Russian formalism. Kobrin described it as a climax of estrangement.
Tolstoy was before time of Russian formalism yet felt same aversion to current literature & used techniques like estrangement.
“Why did authors such as Homer and Shakespeare write of love, glory and suffering, while the literature of our own age is merely an endless sequel to The Book of Snobs and Vanity Fair?”(Tolstoy, 211)
Mind/Body
3 simple natures
Descartes’s idea of how the mind and the body were related were broken up into three categories. (Discourse on Method, 14)
- what is known about the mind by the mind (knowledge, doubt, ignorance,voltion/willing)
- what is known presently in the body (shape extension, motion)
- what is common to both the mind and the body (existence, unity, duration)
Ginzburg plays with this idea because in the case of extreme conditions (those of the Leningrad blockage), the idea of “will” becomes more complicated. She suggests that at first N believes, “the resistance of every object had to be overcome through one’s own will and body without the intervention of technical aids,” (15) But later, Ginzburg suggests that it is necessary to bring back automation, so that there is less resistance or effort needed. This suggests that the relationship between mind and body is a little more complex, as it’s more dynamic than “3 simple natures”.
I think therefore I am (cogito ergo sum) (*)
Descartes’s notion that one’s mind is what creates one’s reality and existence. Descartes believed in the independence of the mind and its ability to control one’s experience. However, he never had to live through what Lydia Ginzburg had to live through, and therefore his idea of cogito ergo sum, might not be entirely true.
I analyze therefore I am
Kobrin used this phrase to describe Ginzburg’s thinking. He suggested that it is the act of analyzing life which actually gives existence to people. For Ginzburg, this might relate to her ideas about writing and deeds.
Human ear
This is a concept used by Svetlana Alexievich to illustrate what purpose her writing served. She equated herself to a human ear to show that she was like a vessel to convey the stories of the previously unheard. (4)
Ostrota/ostryi
Acuteness or sharpness; used to describe the intensity of something. Barskova used “ostrota” to describe the sharpness of the architecture of Leningrad and its juxtaposition to the death and horror occurring within the city during the siege. The idea of intensity is related to Shlovsky, who often used terminology like “energy” to convey the importance of employing continuous effort.
“‘I make cabbage soup. Like any greens. You’d think you didn’t know…’ The sharpness is just in case, prophylactic. What if the question had been put by someone with lily-white hands, thinking she was above it all… and thus superior to the one answering the question,” (Ginzburg, 44)
Psychological death
Barskova
“temporarily losing sensitivity to pain they can neither digest nor conceptualize in its immediacy,” (327)
Tolstoy: Pest/Praskukhin
Ginzburg
“she had no time to experience real fear on that occasion. Real fear excludes everything else as if it didn’t exist. She had been too preoccupied with other things,” (34)
“what was going on was terrifying in the extreme. Right at this moment, at any instant, before he could pull up the bedclothes, before he could let out the breath which was now inflating his chest, this reality now present to his senses could be replaced by another—incredible, howling, jangling, from an extremity of suffering toppling into non-existence,” (35)
Sangfroid (*)
Calmness and collectedness in time of chaos. Tolstoy used this term to describe how people living in Sevastopol really reacted to the war. It is mentioned directly on p. 197, and indirectly on pages 193 and 188. Tolstoy described everyday people acting, “calmly, confidently and dispassionately,” (188)
Vozvyshennost (sublime) (*)
A state of happiness and being which is a result of the process of changing that which is horrific into something beautiful.
“‘siege sublime’ that does not lie in the distinction between the horrific and the beautiful, but rather in the observer’s tendency to replace the horrific with the beautiful, or to reconstruct the horrific as beautiful,” (Barskova, 221)
-Burkean & Kantian sublime create distinction, but this focuses more on process/change, the act and the result
Community vs. Individual
Conversation
“Conversation is a process of discharging…” (Ginzburg, 41)
Also related to self-assertion & deed
“Conversation is a model of the passions and emotions; love and vanity, hope and anger find in it a transparent embodiment…inaccessible barriers are scaled end are achieve, which in the world of deeds would take years of failure and effort,” (41)
Deed (*)
A physical action which affects another being, a possible affirmation of existence beyond one’s own individual reality. Ginzburg implies that a deed, esp. the deed of writing, can break the “circle”.
Ginzburg
-“a deed is always an acknowledgement of some common ties” (76)
-“Subjectively [conversations] are carrying out an act almost independent of opposition from an objective world, which hangs heavy over every deed,” (41)
-analysis which will relate individual back to collective; will bring back social meaning
Capturing social relations on film
-Abounaddara
-http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2016/03/21/voices-from-different-syria-abounaddara-films/
Self-sufficient economy of the self
This is the Descartes’ idea of autonomy, that we should be reliant on only ourselves to guide us toward truth, that we should keep a critical eye towards things which other people say.
-(WIE, 58)
Vanity
Tolstoy
-“Vanity, vanity, all is vanity–even on the brink of the grave, and among men who are ready to die for the sake of a lofty conviction. Vanity! It must be the distinguishing characteristic and special malady of our age,”(211, 233)
Ginzburg
-Conversation is simply a way to reaffirm one’s existence….
“Generalisations are sometimes necessary, but it’s most accurate to think of Syria as a collective of 23 million individuals.”
-http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2016/03/21/voices-from-different-syria-abounaddara-films/
Architecture
Cartesian plane (*)
A structured, logically planned area divided into sections like a grid with coordinate axes. A Cartesian city would be a city constructed and planned out as if it were a grid. Descartes was interested in logic and purpose of layout as a way of thinking critically about building. He critiqued the plans of ancient cities which lacked clarity and organization. Interestingly, the layout of Leningrad was planned & organized, yet it still couldn’t escape the destruction and tragedy of the blockade.
poele (*)
Poele is a minimal, small room where Descartes lived for the years he spent building his method.
Van Den Abbeele speaks about it in Wanderings in Error (60). Shlovsky also talks about his room in Berlin, saying, “my room is hateful to me,” (47). This is because Shlovksy’s isolation is forced, as he is exiled from Russia. However, Shlovsky found the circle of his friends comforting, possibly like the poele? (Boym, 519). Cynthis Simmons’ article describes the “siege rooms” which are small, minimal rooms during Siege of Leningrad. There is a picture of one on p.3. Ginzburg mentions the siege room as well: “in the room behind his back lay fog and raging cold. There was only a little circle of light and heat outlined round the stove door. The circle of life,” (17). The siege room is like the poele, except unlike Descartes, Ginzburg does not take pleasure from the poele in the same way, seeing as how it is a forced circumstance of extreme minimal living where food and other necessities are scarce.
War
Purpose of War
Tolstoy
-“But the dispute which the diplomats have failed to settle is proving to be even less amenable to settlement by means of gunpower and human blood,”(Tolsoy, 204)
Outside versus Inside
Assumptions about those inside
Tolstoy
Sevastopol in December—you (assuming from outside, also autobiographical you) might…
Ginzburg
“People from the outside world finding themselves in Leningrad were at a loss. They would ask, ‘Why are none of you afraid? How do you do it?’ The reply would come: ‘Living here for 18 months, starving, freezing… Well, it just can’t be explained,'” (34)
“Very few people read in a queue, even a newspaper. That will surprise only those who have never stood for hours every day in queues,” (39)
“And there’d be some philosopher, ignorant of the mechanics of mental states, who will be sure to respond: ‘Why push up? It’ll be no quicker for that,'” (40)
Basic law of behavior
Ginzburg
“utterance achieves realization and a social existence—this is one of the basic laws of behaviour,” (41)
-identity formed by interaction, declaration of self to others
Cornerstones of human existence
Ginzburg
“”(21)
Space
City Distances
Ginzburg
-“We have once more attained something unknown to the modern man –the reality of city distances, long ago swallowed up by trams, buses, cars and taxis. A city plan appeared…a visual system of regions…friends who lived on Vasilievsky, the Vyborg side of the Petrograd side didn’t meet for months on end and died unnoticed by one another,” (26)
Vacuum
Kobrin: the necessity of social ritual as a method for organizing everything which was deconstructed
-time, vacuum, man abhors vacuum, needs the social to fill it up (255)
Ginzburg
“Man abhors a vacuum. The immediate filling-up of a vacuum is one of the basic functions of the word,” (40)
Descartes
-vacuum of doubt = truth
Will vs. Fate
Imposed-upon laws
-“the shop with its unshakeable laws (they won’t accept a tornout ration coupon or issue bread for the day after tomorrow) is a fairly well-organized system of undernourishment,” (Ginzburg, 37)
-Levi
Relative sense of freedom
-“a man will go into genuine hysterics over one queue-jumper…then after getting his ration, the same person will stand for half an hour chatting to a friend, talking freely now, like someone here of his own will,” (Ginzburg, 40)
Historiography
Giving voice to the unheard
-Alexievich
-Tolstoy
-Ginzburg
-Abounaddara
http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2016/03/21/voices-from-different-syria-abounaddara-films/
-“images of the war in Syria ‘are too frequently about mutilated and starved bodies, not about persons; they are too frequently images of the dystopian landscapes of wretched camps and the ruins of devastated neighborhoods and not images of the network of social relations and forms of collective cultural and political life.”