Understanding of the Story讲解学习.docx

Understanding of the Story讲解学习.docx

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UnderstandingoftheStory讲解学习

UnderstandingoftheStory“LoveIsaFallacy”

Objective:

Understandthestory“LoveIsaFallacy”fromtheperspectiveofMarxistcriticism.

Method:

LectureandDiscussion（QuestionsandAnswers）

Step1:

Review

Lastweek,JohnUpdike’sshortstory“Unstuck”wasstudiedfromtheperspectiveoffeministapproach.ThestorytellsthereaderhowMark,theprotagonist,andhiswifeworktogethertodrivetheircaroutofthegutter（thebacktiresgetstuckinit）bytheroadsideafteranightofheavysnow.Thestorydepictsfamilylifeunderthe“malegaze”inthatwhenthehusbandexperiences“lack”inmarriage,hecanburythebitter“aftertaste”inaharmonioussexactfantasizedintheirefforttopushthecaroutofthegutter.Thisfantasyreveals“history”inthemaking,wheremalememory（time）invadesthefemalebody（space）,andthemalenarrativesilencesthefemalevoice.Thereader,togetherwiththeheroine,isalsoforcedtosharewithMarkhisillusivesenseofsexualgratificationandjoinhiminflauntingtheinflatedmaleegosymbolizedbytheirhugeV-8car.Sothefeministapproachcansupporttheargumentthatwomanhasnofaultherself,butthefaultliesintheidentityofwoman.（女人本身没有错，错就错在你是女人。

）

Step2:

Lead-in

Lastweek,JohnUpdike’sshortstory“Unstuck”wasstudiedfromtheperspectiveoffeministapproach.Asyouknow,thefeministapproachisconcernedwiththepolitical,socialandeconomicalstatusofallwomen.However,itisnotonlyfeministapproachthathasafocusonthesestatusofwomen,butalsotheproblemsaboutpolitics,societyandeconomyinatextarestressedbytheMarxistcriticism,whichwillbeusedtounderstandthestory“LoveIsaFallacy”today.Surely,thefollowingquestionswillhelpyouunderstandtheshortstory.Nowpleasehavealookatthequestions.

Step3:

Class-in

Questions：

1.Asyousee,anycanoncanbeunderstoodfrommanyperspectives,suchastraditionalapproach,feministapproach,culturalstudyincludingNewHistoricismandMarxistcriticism.Thestory“LoveIsaFallacy”isaboutthethemeofLove,soyoucancertainlyunderstanditfromtheperspectiveoffeministapproach,butwhyisitplacedinthechapterofCapitalandCommodity?

2.SinceitisplacedthechapterofCapitalandCommodity,butitseemsthatithasnoanyrelationshipbetweenthethemeandcapitalorcommodity,whyorwhatisthetrueintentionoftheauthor?

3.Lovecanbejudgedbethecriteriaoftherightorwrong?

Ifno,howdounderstandthetitleof“LoveIsaFallacy”?

4.Howdoestheauthorropethereadersfallintohistrap?

5.Accordingtothenarrator,whatarethecommonfallaciesoflogic?

6.WhydoesPollyrefusetheproposalofthenarrator?

7.WhydoesPollyprefertoPetey?

8.CanwesaythelovebetweenPollyandPeteyisatrueone?

9.Howdoestheauthorsupporthisargumentthat“LoveIsaFallacy”?

10.Accordingtothetext,whatfallacydoesthetitle“LoveIsaFallacy”makelogically?

11.Howwouldyoucharacterizethenarrator?

12.Whatarehisstandardsofanidealwoman?

Wouldyouagreewithsuchstandards?

Whyorwhynot?

13.ArethereanyfundamentaldifferencesbetweenPollyandthenarrator?

Explain.

14.DoesPollytreatherselfasacommodity,despiteherargumentagainstit（“I’mnotacake.I’magirl.”）Whyorwhynot?

Ifyouwanttohaveabetterunderstandingofthesequestions,itisnecessarytohavesomeinformationofMarxistcriticism.

MarxistLiteraryCriticism

Marxistliterarycriticismisaloosetermdescribingbasedonsocialistanddialectictheories.Marxistcriticismviewsliteraryworksasreflectionsofthesocialinstitutionsfromwhichtheyoriginate.AccordingtoMarxists,evenliteratureitselfisasocialinstitutionandhasaspecificideologicalfunction,basedonthebackgroundandideologyoftheauthor.

TheEnglishliterarycriticandculturaltheorist,TerryEagleton,definesMarxistcriticismthisway:

Marxistcriticismisnotmerelya‘sociologyofliterature’,concernedwithhownovelsgetpublishedandwhethertheymentiontheworkingclass.Itsaimistoexplaintheliteraryworkmorefully;andthismeansasensitiveattentiontoitsforms,stylesandmeanings.Butitalsomeansgraspingthoseforms,stylesandmeaningsastheproductofaparticularhistory.

ThesimplestgoalsofMarxistliterarycriticismcanincludeanassessmentofthepolitical‘tendency’ofaliterarywork,determiningwhetheritssocialcontentoritsliteraryformare‘progressive’.Italsoincludesanalysingtheclassconstructsdemonstratedintheliterature.

AccordingtoMarxists,andtootherscholarsinfact,literaturereflectsthosesocialinstitutionsoutofwhichitemergesandisitselfasocialinstitutionwithaparticularideologicalfunction.Literaturereflectsclassstruggleandmaterialism:

thinkhowoftenthequestforwealthtraditionallydefin