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“ Snowed Up ”

“ Snowed Up ”. Feminine Desire vs. Patriarchal and Class Relations . Outline-- “ Snowed Up ”. General Introduction Questions The Issues of Class Patriarchal Control Edith ’ s Position and Desire The Snow : its Influences on the Others and Edith Historical Backgrounds Summary

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“ Snowed Up ”

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  1. “Snowed Up” Feminine Desire vs. Patriarchal and Class Relations

  2. Outline--“Snowed Up” • General Introduction • Questions • The Issues of Class • Patriarchal Control • Edith’s Position and Desire • The Snow: its Influences on the Others and Edith • Historical Backgrounds • Summary • For Next Week • Reference

  3. Richard Jefferies (1848-1887) • Hard to categorize, he is an essayist (on natural history, rural life and agriculture in late Victorian England), a novelist (with futuristic fantasy After London) and a children’s book classic, Bevis . • After London (1885) a futuristic England in barbarism with only a few outposts of civilization remaining. London in poisonous swamps; much of southern England is covered by a large lake; some city states along the shores ruled by petty tyrants and their corrupt courts. • Having a short life--38 years, he died in penury. Image and info

  4. Snowed Up • The story was sent to ”London Society” once for publication but was rejected. • The manuscript was ’probably’ purchased by Sir Hugh Walpole at Sotheby’s, or from a bookseller, during 1920 or early 1930s. It has, since Walpole’s generous donation, remained in the Walpole’s collection at King’s school. • With inconsistencies and gaps—reasons unknown (intended or due to health)

  5. “Snowed Up” • What are the binary opposites in the story? • How is Edie related to the men around her? • What gets "snowed up" in the story? • What do you think about the ending? Is Edie finally subject to both the control of her society and the belittling of her author?

  6. Characters in Binary Opposites • class and appearance: (pp. 20-21) • --> Aurelles' playing chess -- "trying oh, so hard to play chess--which he does not understand--with papa; and all just because." • father's position: in financial trouble, to be saved only by being appointed by the government.

  7. Patriarchal Order and Edith’s Position • The father’s desire – • play chess with me as the queen (20) • to be an ambassador, to save his estate, to keep the family name (20-21) • The suitors: “come to the point” with her father, not with her. • like a shuttlecock or tennis ball;

  8. Edie in between these men and in Social Order • She prefers Aurelles over the other two suitors, though she is aware of the former's clumsiness in social games. • reflected in her terms of address--> Aurelles or Phillip or Phil (p. 20); Lord Bilberton– cannot call him Charlie, “such an old thing” • Rebellious, she is not to be sold. (20) • find them “laughable” (20) • (22) “I won’t, no I won’t…” • order vs. Edie's giddy head (p. 20) • She is self-contradictory; • not aware of her real desires

  9. Unnamed or Vague Desires Luxury and fun at remote places: Go to Nice (20) pp. 21-22; run away with "Philip or somebody“ (21); Romantic/sexual love: tired of someboby; be loved ‘forever.’ Power of Language: Will be a poetess someday(20); laugh at Thrigg’s language 21 Contradictions Fur jacket (with money from Thrigg); “penniless soldier”“That was just what I wanted.” If the guardsmen would only manage to be rich; but I’m not to be sold exactly. Freudian slips? p. 20 …Thrigg, who I believe has been lending paper (papa) money, and now I think of it…” “snowball Aurelles” (21) ? Edith’s Desires

  10. The Snow: A Test of Humanity and Human Values The Characters’ Views, its Influences and Implications

  11. The Other People: The Helpless and Helpful 1) Lord B: • 1/5 -- courting E. with his "poor shivering ancient body“; the snow as his best friend to imprison him with her (22); half silly with fright (23) • 1/14 – completely helpless 2) Papa, cynical • 1/5 a judgment 3) Mr. Thrigg • 1/5 -- "I shall perish with an angel!" is not good at using metaphors; • 1/6 – in despair, afraid of losing his business; regret how he could have made a fortune • 1/14 – helping in the kitchen (23-24) There’s some good in him. • Buried in snow (24)

  12. The Other People: Physical Force and Courage Mostly helpless: • 1/14 -- All the servants left but the maid, • papa an invalid, Bilberton helpless; • Thrigg trapped in snow; • 1/17 -- Papa and the Alderman may die. Brutal Force and Basic Survival: • 1/14 -- the arrival of Phillip and his brutal threat (25) • 1/15 -- eat the cat; Courage: Philip is the only one active to get food. • 1/18 the last try by Phillip; 1/19 a feast; The Alderman eats a long time. (27)

  13. Edie's changing views of the snow and the others 1) Pleasure: 1/3 snow like death; "Why it is beautiful! I wish I was snowballing Aurelles." (21); fun (22) 2) Discomfort but Still Able to Laugh No Fun: • 1/4 nothing to do; hate the snow (21) • 1/5 - 6, laughs at her suitors. • 1/10 "we shall be starved." Misses "Phillip." --a very short entry. • * turning point: 1/14 "Nothing but snow.""Such fun! The Alderman has been helping me in the kitchen." no laughing matter  Thrigg buried in snow Philip arrives; he is willing to rescue Thrigg only if he gives up his pursuit of Edie. Edie changes her tactics. p. 26

  14. Edie's changing views of the snow and the others (2) • 3) Writing to Survive, Submit to the Larger Forces • 1/15 must write to pass away the time (26); • * Edie's weakness and incisive comment on the "weakness of the snow": 1/17 cries; • comments on the snow. "the weak, feeble despised flakes of snow.“ • 1/18 waiting; • * turning point: 1/19 he has all my heart

  15. Edie's changing views of the snow and the others (3) 3) Submit herself to the Larger Forces • 1/22 the roughs invasion; nice to have a soldier around. • Hope for us at last--fog. • 1/15 Is aware of her being a commodity between two men. Will be a good girl and make Phil a first rate wife. 4) Failure of her Language: • Gaps appear when the snow becomes a ‘serious matter’ (22); on 1/14 when they use up the coal and are afraid • As quiet as a dormouse (28) • The end of her diary/female subjectivity. 5) More to analyze: the dashes.

  16. Snow: Meanings? • Snow = • “Romantic”– beauty, fun, used in courting. • effects of global warming as a consequence of industrialism; the story as an apocalyptic allegory • the physical and brutal, the most powerful, next to which is economic (Thrigg), the patriarchal (father) and political power (Bilberton) • ‘weak’ • Question: the physical-brutal, sexual and military (gun) = courage (25, 26, 28)

  17. Historical Backgrounds • Jeffries –tries to get “Disraeli’s endorsement”; wins public attention through becoming an authority on agricultural economy (though he is not really equipped with the knowledge). (textbook p. 33) • Expresses anti-Darwinism and theories of social degeneration (in the tradition of Hardy, Wells, Forster and Woolf—Lawrence, too). (34) • around 1870’s –national pride and fears • 1875年時,埃及蘇丹破產,拋售埃及所持有的Suez Canal 運河股權; 英國首相狄斯累利(Disraeli)將它買下 • “the absent presence of national anxieties” in 1870's: over the wars, the end of protected market which opened Britain to the import of foreign goods, over whether the nation can still dominate the world market

  18. “Snowed Up”: Contradictions Embodied in Phillip and Edie • Although Jeffries writes a cautionary take about what happens when society is deprived of technological support (e.g. transportation), there also appears to be an unarticulated desire for such a catastrophe to occur, a desire for devastation and for reversion. • [He expresses] liberal anxiety but also a reactionary 'back to nature' impulse. (Meynard 139) • Back to social patriarchal order

  19. Summary: Theoretical Issues • Factors influencing/forming our personalities: • Childhood (development of sexuality, Oedipus complex, incest taboo) • repression and re-channeling of desire (reactionary symptoms, neurosis, psychosis, sublimation, need-demand-desire)  Unstable and insatiable desire • Entry into the Imaginary order and then the Symbolic order; • Sense of lack and splitting of identity

  20. Summary: Women’s Experience of Love since the 19th Century

  21. Summary: Women’s Experience of Love since the 19th Century

  22. Next Week –from the Psychic to the Social • Major Input (1) due • Karl Marx (Reader: chap 5 to p. 79-85) • American Beauty –de-construction of masculinity in some nucleus families in American suburbia in the 90’s • (review The Great Gatsby if you like)

  23. References • Maynard, Jessica. “A Marxist Reading of 'Snowed Up.‘”Literary theories : a case study in critical performance. Eds. Julian Wolfreys and William Baker. London : Macmillan Press Ltd , 1996

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