ENG250Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Pastoralism, Nuclear Family, Lamont Library
Document Summary
Idea of pastoralism in the suburbs: a place between civilization and nature wrapped up in fantasy, pasto(cid:396)alis(cid:373): idealized (cid:272)o(cid:374)(cid:272)eptio(cid:374) of a shephe(cid:396)d"s life. Ethnicity: ideas of biological category versus cultural distinctions: race-based distinction criticized; lines between racial categories questioned, histo(cid:396)i(cid:272)al fluidit(cid:455) of (cid:862)(cid:449)hite-(cid:374)ess(cid:863) a(cid:374)d (cid:862)(cid:271)la(cid:272)k-(cid:374)ess(cid:863); (cid:272)e(cid:396)tai(cid:374) people (cid:448)a(cid:396)iousl(cid:455) la(cid:271)elled (cid:862)(cid:449)hite(cid:863) o(cid:396) (cid:862)(cid:271)la(cid:272)k(cid:863) o(cid:396) (cid:374)eithe(cid:396) throughout history. Context for philip roth and his work: work often set in newark, new jersey or suburban new jersey otherwise, known for autobiographical characters, including neil, provocative depictions of jewish-american life, dangers of this monolithic representation. Intense reaction of the jewish community against roth: roth (cid:272)(cid:396)iti(cid:272)ized fo(cid:396) his (cid:862)u(cid:374)flatte(cid:396)i(cid:374)g(cid:863) po(cid:396)t(cid:396)aitu(cid:396)e of je(cid:449)ish people. In spite of criticism, rather became the voice of a generation: open in his work about sexuality; critical of jewish suburban values. Irony: device of incongruity between things: springs from a perception of the absurdity of life. What is he criticizing: ig(cid:374)ifi(cid:272)a(cid:374)(cid:272)e of adhe(cid:396)i(cid:374)g to neil"s poi(cid:374)t of (cid:448)ie(cid:449)
