P/IR/MODA Cultural Memory Judit Friedrich

07.11.2013 Eszter Tory

Rewriting the Victorians Kirchknopf, Andrea. Rewriting the Victorians: Modes of Literary Engagement with the 19th century. The book of which I sent you the first chapter (title) attempts to give a comprehensive overview of reading post-Victorian responses to and rewrites of Victorian texts.
Post-Victorian fiction -belonging to historical romance, adventure stories-as they reproduce conventions with round characters and simple narrative design -others believe-they are closer to experimental fiction, as they compromise multiple genres and utilize modernist and postmodernist writing tools

Kirchnopf examines works that are between these 2 extremes -reader friendly, yet critically self-conscious texts-which comment on Victorian narratives both formally and topically. The first chapter is dedicated to the clarification of the theoretical background of the field of research(post-Victorian studies), therefore it starts with the denotative and connotative aspects of the core term Victorian.
The term "Victorian" may have several meanings from the actual period of Queen Victoria's reign, through set of conventions in the 19th century to characteristics of an era which extend both time periods aforementioned. The term was first used to separate Edwardian attitudes from Victorian ones, where "Victorian values took on an almost oedipal quality"(Bullen). By 1950's the threatening fatherly nature of Victorian gives way to a more tender grand- or great-grandfatherly remoteness and then becomes increasingly intimate from the 1980's. binaries not only exist between Victorianism and each historical era it is contrasted with, but these oppositions also appear within every particular era that rereads the Victorian. (Thatcerite government use of progress and prosperity vs. Kinnockian calling it drudgery and squalor) Victorian = "a dialectical condensation of . . . contrary tendencies"(Joyce) therefore, we have to be conscious of our own investment in the interpretation process 2 approaches to terming contemporary fictional reworkings of the Victorian era can be distinguished: a) makes the literary critical terminology of the novel its foundation-such as historical fiction or historiographic metafiction; b) the other approach takes the term as a basis and attaches prefixes, suffixes to it constructing neo-, retro-, post-Victorian or Victoriana-in order to recontextualize current rewrites in different ideological discourse.

a) Historical fiction/ historiographic metafiction Historical fiction-broadest possible category applied to current rewrites; historigraphic metafiction(coined by Linda Hutcheon)-a postmodern subgenre of the novel that interacts with history and, at the same time, questions the possibility of such a venture. Although necessary in a generic sense (as they account for the heterogenity of these texts adapting previous historical eras and the way these eras are addressed), they do not specify the age that is being refashioned. Most

are rather pastiches of Victorian fiction writing, which display a relationship to the present and often use metafictional techniques. However, numerous novels engage with the Victorian age without having such connections to the postmodern an these belong to the traditional genres like historical novel or romance. b) Victoriography/ Victoriana Victoriography = Victorian + historiography; Victoriana- originally the term was restricted to an exclusively material definition, denoting objects from the Victorian era. Cora Kaplan applies the word differently, the meaning has been broadened to practically all "representations and reproductions for which the Victorian . . . is the common referent". The problem with these terms is that they relate to all sort of representations of 19th century, not just fictional. c) retro-Victorian and neo-Victorian novel retro-Victorian = Sally Shuttleworth's coinage, which is used interchangeably with Victorian centred novel"explicitly nostalgic texts"-no further explanation is given. neo-Victorian = Dana Shiller's definition is "at once characteristic of postmodernism and imbued with a historicity reminiscent of the 19th century novel" both authors attempt to disprove Frederic Jameson's critique of our current 'historical deafness"-by showing that retro or neo-Victorian novels can reveal a profound engagement with history and considerably enrich the postmodern. Bormann proposes that neo-and retro-Victorian fiction both refer to the same group of texts, however, while retro-emphasizes the past, neo-focuses on the future. The two terms' interchangeability was a general consensual at the beginning of the 21st century, which has by now shifted into slowly abandoning the retro as it is discarded as too nostalgic and ahistorical. Kirchknopf underlines an interesting, and consequently somewhat problematic feature of the prefix neo. As when it is added to political movements like neo-fascism it implies a desire to return to the political movement's past, while when it is used with genres or styles, like neo-Gothic it implies something new, modified and more modern. Although current critical usage seems to have settled on adopting the term neo-Victorian, Kirchknopf dismisses the term since it designates the era but lacks an emphasis of the postmodernist influence in theses texts. d) post-Victorian fiction She finds this term more suitable as it incites a more explicit association with postmodernist discourses, similar to postcolonial, postnational in whose context it expresses a purpose of reviewing than replicating earlier accounts and fictional narratives. George Letisser's definition "it conflates postmodernism and Victorianism, highlighting the paradoxes of historical continuity and disruption that underpin the post-Victorian cultural movements"+ Kirchknopf adds that the term connotatively blends the Victorian, the modernist and the postmodernist era The POST in post -Victorian can be read as a) a modifier of Victorian, underlining the presence of the Victorian tradition in everything that comes after, b) as the first part of the compound postmodern, signalling that contemporary practices are perceived to stem more from the Victorian than the modernist era. !!! post-Victorian fiction incorporates texts (meta)critically reflecting on the Victorian era as well as conventional, conservative or reproductive rewritings of the 19th century incl. historical novels and romances

Kirchknopf analyzes post-Victorian fiction mostly through its intersection with postmodernism. She distances herself from McHale's claims in "Postmodernist Fiction"(1987), in which he argues that while modernist fiction foregrounds epistemological issues, the dominant concerns of postmodernism are ontological. Alexander Marguerite questions this proposition in the early 90's, pointing out that number of late 20th century British novels resist this distinction.. Linda Hutcheon along with others, suggests a compromise between the epistemological and ontological features of present artistic products "syncretism" which amalgamates previous aesthetic traditions and synthesizes opposing ideologies. Coexistence of opposites result in works that are evolutionary and revolutionary, de- and reconstructivist. The restoration of the link between experimental writing and the tradition of realism (in postVictorian fiction) provides as an example of the current synthesizing tendencies in postmodernism[cf. Andrzej Gasiorek: Post-War British fiction: Realism and After(1995)]

Julian Barnes: Arthur & George (2005)

I consider JB's A&G to exemplify the synthesizing attempt of post-Victorian literature, as it utilizes 19th century realist novelistic conventions together with 20th century experimental and metareflexive writing techniques. Summary: The novel centres around Sir Arthur Conan Doyle(the writer of Sherlock Holmes stories) and a half-Indian solicitor and son of a Vicar, George Edalji. The first chapter introduces and alternates between the early life of the two characters . Each narration, focusing one or the other protagonist and presenting the events from his perspective, is preceded by his first name.
Both men are lapsed Christians, analytical, and mutually beholden to a romanticized standard of English propriety, but while Doyle is outgoing, athletic, imaginative, Edalji is single-minded, can only think within the framework of the law, unable to socialize, befuddled by simple social courtesy and unable to recognize racial prejudice. Roughly one-third of the book traces the story of Edalji's trial, conviction, and imprisonment for a crime he did not commit(horse mutilation). Meanwhile, we read the story of Doyle's life and his relationships with his first wife Louisa Hawkins and his platonic lover Jean Leckie, who he marries after the death of his first wife. After having spent 3 years out of his 7 years jail sentence, George is pardoned without any explanation and decides to contact Sir Conan Doyle and ask for his help to clear his name in order so he can return to his work as a solicitor. Doyle's attempt to clear the name of Edalji and successfully uncovers the true culprit of the crime.

" Arthur is morbidly observant, physically exuberant, wildly imaginative, and nurtured on tales of chivalry; George is shy, earnest, handicapped by acute myopia, and "lacks imagination" to an almost autistic degree. Arthur is brought up in Edinburgh by his Mam - his absent father is a "soft", drunken artist; while the dominant influence in George's life is his father, the high-minded vicar of Great Wyrley, who believes in truth and the British Empire."(The Telegraphy 2005)

1) Genre Julian Barnes called A.&G. " a contemporary novel set in the past", which represents his turn

away from earlier historical metafiction (like Flaubert's Parrot) Richard Bradford regards it as an example of "new historical novel"(combination of realism and post-modern historiography, novel that attempts to recreate its historical setting faithfully rather than continuing postmodern fabulation.) Elsa Cavali -A.&G. retro-Victorian style having discussed Kirchknopf's arguments for the application of the term post-Victorian, I believe she would consider this term deficient for contemp. fictional rewrites commenting on the Victorian era, as it does not specify the age that is being revisited. 2) Characteristics of post-Victorian novels (identified in A.&G). length and structure: keep the average length and structure of their Victorian predecessors: the bulky tomes(ranging btw 150-1000 pages),usually divided into books or chapters, sometimes preceded by chapter summaries or epigraphs. In A.&G. 500pagesuncharacteristics of Barnes, chapter headings are metafictional elements that also support the narrative of suspense. imitate prevalent genres: resembles a detective novel with implicit and explicit references to Sherlock Holmes multiple reality-fiction layers on each other; intermingled with conventions of biography. Kirchknopf considers A.&G. to be biofiction that emphasizes authorship and plagiarism. Rewrites receive and discuss the charge of plagiarism.(cf. Arthur regrets having created Holmes as he is constantly identified with the fictional character); and historical fiction. Different registers are present court proceedings, journalistic, legal, vulgar and slang register. Narrative: moves from a foregrounded subjectivity to a restrictive third-person consciousness (i.e. realism) Plots: set in England (both the country and the city appear, but the sentimental view of the country is conspicuously rejected). Post-Victorian fiction tends to be also set in the age of the British Empire, on colonies or territories of national interest (Australia, West Indies) or scenes from the Crimean War. Themes the text invokes typical Victorian controversies- def. and status of science, religion, morals, nationhood, identity. Thematic paradoxes, e.g. fascination with sex vs. fear of the sexual imagination; belief in social equality vs. racial prejudice, discrimination and oppression.

1) Personal identity and memory a)the importance of the first memory- traumatic experience (remains unprocessed) Arthur sees a his grandmother's dead corpse- A. fails to recognize that his restlessness, never ending adventures/challenges and obsession to gain empirical evidence of the existence of the spiritual world derive from this encounter with death.(cf. death "was to become central importance to Arthur"(2)- proleptic reference.

 George has no first memory-but his early encounter with a cow is his first occasion when his world " suddenly slips out of control" -animals behaviour seen as irrational, unsettled projected to the world outside the Vicarage; later he confines himself to the soothingly rational world of law, where everything is orderly and static. b)Anxiety of uncertainty (multiplicity of truths) slightly subdued by family-George-father(conservative); Arthur's mother(liberal) tension between logic an belief, evidence and instinct, law and justice: G. subjects everything (even irrational things like love) to logic, whereas A. believes in chivalric love; G. finds A.'s illegal way of obtaining the key evidence outrageous, while A. believes in G.'s innocence contrary to the evidence and so on. both believe and need a set of rules -provided by the law for G. and the chivalry for A. both in search of acquiring some kind of certainty // "How can you make sense of the beginning unless you know the ending?" 2) national identity and cultural memory (Englishness and racism) Edwardian Englishness is depicted as an unstable concept, one that is not necessarily, as common myth would have it, innate and inimitable, but one that is laboriously studied and carefully applied (both A. and G. consider themselves English though neither is English in birth, they both assume their Englishness through careful study and work( for A. Englishness is a conscious choice, for G. it is instilled into him by his Parsee father in what resembles a repetitive mantra: IDzet the artificiality of nationality, national identity is stressed + the individual and the ambiguity of what being English means racial prejudice appears as a motive for the persecutions against G.( cf. Captain Anson: "it is the mixing of blood that is partly the cause of all this"). The justice represented by authority and the police is undermined: "The great British solution to everything has been applied," as Sir Arthur fulminates in Barnes's account. "Something terrible has happened, but nobody has done anything wrong." G's otherness is mistaken (not Hindoo but Parsee) reflects how Western civilization resists recognizing and accepting diversity in otherness At one point Edalji wonders why his case never achieved the fame of the Dreyfus case in France. Edalji had his champion in Conan Doyle just as Dreyfus had his in Zola, but "for all this the name of Dreyfus had constantly increased in fame, and was known around the globe, while that of Edalji was scarcely recognised in Wolverhampton ... he suspected his obscurity was something to do with England itself."-this is as far as his insight goes, Gregory fails to recognize the true meaning of being innocent and yet still considered guilty. Kirchknopf states that the transgenerational repercussion(uthats)of trauma relates the postmodern self and the Victorian other as the self-as-other rather than two opposing entities, meaning that today's traumatized subject pre/rediscover itself in its 19th century others. There is an ethical dilemma involved in this self-discovery due to it bearing afterwitness, which is secondary and possibly misrepresented. post-victorian fiction can assume

an ethical function in 'speaking-for-the-other".(cf. G.'s lack of recognition enhances the sense of trauma.) The Church is depicted as conservative and outdated. Anglicism is replaced with other forms of beliefs such as Catholicism, Darwinism, Agnosticism, Spiritualism. moral disciplines are provided by the chivalric code of the Middle Ages (early VictoriansArthur) and later by laws of the State(George) "honour is not just a matter of internal good feeling, but also external behaviour"(248)[i.e. social expectations and opinions greatly influence the self-image of the individual] condition of instability (// Frank Kermode's 'sense of an ending') = anomie: in societies or individuals, a condition of instability resulting from a breakdown of standards and values or from a lack of purpose or ideals.-a recurring phenomenon which all eras flourishing and declining eras experience.