CCLA01: Strangers to Ourselves: the Critical Study of Narrative

Week 7 (2): Ideology--Absences

Read the following texts:

Summary of Macherey and Althusser on literary texts and narratives

W. Somerset Maugham, "Footprints in the Jungle"

Preparation for Seminar Meeting

In this meeting I'd like to do three things:

1. To attempt a reading of ideologies in W. Somerset Maugham's "Footprints in the Jungle."
2. To consider whether we can isolate different "layers" of ideological meaning in a narrative.
3. To consider how a literary text might enable us to question or review ideologies which it enacts.

W. Somerset Maugham was writing at a time when Singapore was part of the British Crown Colony of the Straits Setlements and Malaya, while nominally a series of independent states accepting British advice was, in fact, a colony in all but name. Colonialism, as many of you know, involved ideologies to do with race, gender, and nationalism. Maugham himself, if Althusser is right, would have internalised these ideologies

For this class meeting, then, post a reply to any one of the following questions on the IVLE discussion group.

1. What ideologies would a British man like Maugham have subscribed to under colonialism? Try to be as precise as possible, and think not just about racial stereotypes, but about gender and nationalism.

2.Take a short passage from the Maugham story and, through a close reading of narrative technique and consider how it might be used to reinforce an ideology. You might wish to focus on a single technique, such as:

• narration
• focus
character and setting

3. Are there any aspects of Maugham's story which 'make us see,' . . . 'make us perceive,' 'make us feel' something which alludes to reality. . . ." (Althusser) or silences which enable us to uncover the "unconscious" of the text? (Macherey)

4. "Why bother about ideology? After all, a good story's a good story." Comment on this idea with reference to the Maugham short story.

5. "Why read colonial texts with obnoxious ideologies like Maugham's. After all, all that kind of thing is behind us now. Why not read modern narratives which deal with modern issues?" Comment, with reference to Maugham's story.