Ambiguities of Counter-Hegemonic Monologism in Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing
In his book Ideologies of Epic, Colin Graham looks at the recognisable tendency of Victorian epic poetry to establish or attempt to establish a monologic discourse in relation to the concept of nation, national literature and empire. Epic as genre and the concept of nation, “ . . . desiring to be ‘centripetal’, turning in upon themselves, denying the existence of the ‘other’” (Graham,1), is a phenomenon relevant to monologic discourse as it may be perceived not only in national epic but also in the novel and it’s concomitant ideologies.
Graham points to the evolution in literary history, the move towards the adjectival use of the word ‘epic’, particularly with regard to the work of Wordsworth and George Eliot. He notes, “ . . . [the feminising and privatising of ] the once-public, turning narratives of action into narratives of the drama of selfhood.” (Graham,4)
In a post-colonial context and in the geographical context of Canada one can see in Surfacing how Atwood asserts a feminist counter hegemonic discourse with and within a discursive framing of Canadian national identity.
Graham draws on the work of M.M.Bakhtin, the Russian critic. Michael Gardiner’s comments on Voloshinov are also seen by Graham as relevant to this discussion of monologism:
The dominant class is motivated to ensure fixity of meaning and arrest the flux of the sign, insofar as the establishment of a monolithic or ‘official’ language facilitates the socio-political unification of society. (Gardiner, 16)
So, monologism is synonymous with hegemony - be that sexual, social, imperial or any other ideological assertion of dominance and fixity. Thus, the status of the subaltern - where the subaltern has no ‘voice’ - leaves them, as Bakhtin says, as, “ . . . another person [who remains] wholly and merely an object of consciousness, and not another consciousness.” (qtd.in Gardiner, 26)
In Surfacing the subaltern role could be filled by both male and female. The narrating I holds the discourse firmly. She alone has her inner consciousness exposed and denies others their consciousness. Unlike, say, Toni Morrison in Jazz, where questions of gender and race are dealt with through a narrative consciousness that moves fluidly from one voice to another.
As feminist epic, structurally and adjectivally, the foregrounding and dominance of the ‘I’ forms a moral-ideological hierarchy.
Anna walks out of the bedroom, dressed in jeans and shirt again. She combs her hair in front of the mirror, light ends, dark roots, humming to herself.
Hester’s sin is that her passions and love were of more importance to her than the Puritan moral code. This is shown when she says to Dimmesdale, "What we did had a consecration of its own. We felt it so! We said so to each other!" Hester fully acknowledged her guilt and displayed it with pride to the world. This was obvious by the way she displayed the scarlet letter. It was elaborately designed as if to show Hester was proud.
Hatto, A. T., gen. ed. "Heroes and Heroines." Traditions of Heroic and Epic Poetry. Volume Two: Characteristics and Techniques. London: The Modern Humanities Research Association, 1989.
Many feminist/post-modern theorists see language as a patriarchal construct that excludes women. As Jeanie Forte writes, this characterization of language is informed by Lacanian theory, which, in turn, is influenc...
An epic is a long narrative poem on a serious subject. It usually is about
Adultery is considered evil by Puritan belief (Korobkin 3). In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne’s Scarlet “A” goes against the Puritan community and culture with her conceal of sin, which has negative as well as positive results. Hester was a passionate, persistent woman who wanted to turn her sin into a positive act (Stewart 56).
National Council for the State Boards of Nursing, APRN background, (2012). Report of the nursing policy and legislative efforts. Retrieved from https://www.ncsbn.org/428.htm#Nurse_Practitioner_Certification
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s book, The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne committed adultery with the town’s most loved minister, Arthur Dimmesdale. During the Puritan era, marriage was sacred, and breaking the bond was punishable by death (Hawthorne 49). As fate would have it, only Hester was found out for her sin because of her pregnancy. Hester’s life was spared, but her sin forever changed her. Hester’s sin warped her interactions with society and her loved ones, altered her way of life, and ultimately changed her persona.
Amy Tan is a Chinese-American author. She had become Americanized, according to her mother, who still held traditional Chinese values. They fought sometimes, just as the women and daughters of The Joy Luck Club, over who was right and who was wrong regarding many problems they encountered. Tan most likely modeled The Joy Luck Club after her relationship with her mother. She even dedicated the novel “To my mother and the memory of her mother. You asked me once what I wo...
Although, the purpose of this text was to fit such description as the “epic poem”, ...
Beowulf is the conventional title of an Old English epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature due to the fact that it is the oldest surviving epic poem of Old English and also the earliest vernacular English literature. Tragedy and epic have been much discussed as separate genres, but critics have not hesitated to designate certain characters and events in epics as tragic. For the most part, they have assumed or asserted an identity between epic and dramatic tragedy. Even in The Odyssey, Penelope and Telemachus suffer enough to rouse their deep passions and to force them like the tragic sufferer to consider their own predicaments in the world they live in. C.L. Wrenn wrote on Beowulf, “A Germanic hero is a tragic hero, who shows his highest greatness not alone in winning glory by victory, but rather by finding his supremely noble qualities especially in the moment of death in battle” (Wrenn 91). Beowulfs hubris, the representation of wealth as a profiling characteristic for the villages, and Beowulf’s ability to find his might in his moment of “death,” all show the very nature of the poem which defines it as not only an epic poem, but also a tragic one.
Stump, Colleen Shea, Kevin Feldman, Joyce Armstrong Carroll, and Edward E. Wilson. "The Epic." Prentice Hall
The Board of registered nursing is a state governmental agency and serves to protect the public and regulate the practice of registered nurses (California BRN, 2014). The BRN enforces the Nursing Practice Act. Specific to my practice as a RN the BRN sets the educational standards to make sure the education a RN receives is acceptable for the state of California. For example, when I relocated from Minnesota to California, I applied for licensure by endorsement. The BRN for California had me send all of my transcripts from any college/university I had previously attended to insure that my education met the standards set forth by the California BRN. This is designed to protect the public. The BRN also does a thorough background check with fingerprinting to ensure that nurses licensed haven’t been convicted for any crimes that would make them ineligible for licensure. As a new nurse I had to ensure that the program at WGU for my BSN met California’s criteria and would be recognized if I decided to pursue any additional education down the road. Lastly, the BRN protects the public by allowing the public to view information regarding a RN’s license, any advanced practice titles, certificates, and if a nurse has disciplinary action against them or change in license status (inactive, active, lapsed). The overall goal of the BRN is to protect the public, promote quality-nursing care, and regulate the practice of RNs.
Traditionally, an epic is a grand and elaborate story of a hero and their travels. The obvious hero travels over long geographic distances, and may possibly visit the underworld. Celestial transitions are common, as well as long and elaborate speeches by the characters. The hero in an epic undergoes a battle, after intricate descriptions of their preparations, and the result is a clear outcome. Masculinity is evident in epic poems taking on themes of grant events, elevated situations, courage, importance, and strength; but the same cannot be said for a mock-epic.
An epic is an extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, celebrating the feats of a legendary or traditional hero. The main characteristics of an epic as a literary genre is that it is a long poem that tells a story, it contains an epic hero, its hero searches for immortality (but doesn't find it physically, only through fame), gods or other supernatural beings are interested and involved, and it delivers an historical message. The Epic of Gilgamesh is classified as an epic because it fits all the characteristics of an epic as a literary genre.
To be considered and epic, a piece of literature must exhibit quite a few specific, literary techniques. Some of the main criteria points include being a long, narrative poem, having an epic hero, and containing rhythm, alliteration, and imagery. Beowulf can be considered an epic because it contains all of this criteria.