Theresa
Luk
GSI:
Matt Gonzales
Dis
102 (Fri 11-12)
Sigmund
Freud is widely considered one of the most influential figures of the Modernist
era. He is especially known for
popularizing the concepts of dream interpretation, the subconscious mind, and
psychoanalysis. One of Freud’s most popular theories was his proposition that
the human psyche can be broken into three main parts: id, ego, and superego. The id is the portion of the mind that
operates solely on the pleasure principle, which seeks immediate gratification,
often in the context of sexual desires and/or aggression. The superego is the moral compass of the mind
which seeks to follow the rules according to how society has set them. Meanwhile, the ego, the rational
decision-maker of the mind, attempts to maintain balance between the id and the
superego. According to Freud, these
divisions of the mind are in constant conflict to overpower the others, but
together, they interact to comprise the individual.
However,
Freud is perhaps even more well-known for his controversial theory known as the
Oedipus Complex, which is the term he coined for the phenomenon of a child feeling
sexual attraction towards a parent of the opposite sex. With the increasing popularity of Freud and
his theories on psychopathology, the turn of the 20th century marked
a change in the perception of traditional gender identities, a change which is
reflected in Modernist art and literature.
Much of the art and literature of the Modernist period relies on
experimentation, resulting in a changing social discourse on sexuality and a
shift away from the traditional gender dichotomy.
Among the artists who contributed to
the change in how concepts of sexual and gender identity were viewed are Danish
painters Einar and Gerda Wegener, the subjects of the 2015 award-winning film, The Danish Girl, which was loosely based
on their lives. Einar and Gerda Wegener were a husband-and-wife painting duo in Denmark in the mid 1910’s-20’s.
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| Gerda and Einar Wegener in 1924 |
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| Lili Elbe in 1926 |
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| Gerda Wegener, Lili with a Feather Fan, 1920 |
Discussion Questions:
1.)
In an era of so much experimentation and growth, with regards
to art, literature, and sexual exploration, why was tolerance by the American
people seemingly so elusive?
2.)
How do you think the people of the time reacted to the focus
on sexuality in Modernist art and literature?
Do you think this sparked discussion that inspired change or hindered
it? What do you think this implies about
the artists’ attitudes?
Works Cited
Caughie, Pamela L. "The
Temporality of Modernist Life Writing in the Era of Transsexualism: Virginia
Woolf's Orlando and Einar Wegener's Man Into Woman." Loyola University
Chicago Loyola ECommons (2013): n. pag. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
Ernoult, Nathalie. "Gerda
Wegener." Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions. N.p., 12
Apr. 2015. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
<http://www.awarewomenartists.com/en/gerda-wegener/>.
Freud, Sigmund. "Beyond the
Pleasure Principle." Trans. C.J.M. Hubback. (1922): 1-83. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
Trask, Michael. Cruising Modernism:
Class and Sexuality in American Literature and Social Thought. Ithaca: Cornell
UP, 2003. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
I thoroughly enjoyed your connection of sexual exploration to modernism. Your comments were quite accurate and insightful: "Much of the art and literature of the Modernist period relies on experimentation, resulting in a changing social discourse on sexuality and a shift away from the traditional gender dichotomy." Furthermore, your connection back to characters in the texts we've read thus far that have explored their sexuality was a good reminder of how this topic relates to the class material. (Also, how can we forget the subtle traces of homosexuality in both 'Melanctha' and the '42nd Parallel?')
ReplyDeleteYet the sweeping of this under the rug was, as you put it, a result of racial tensions. For many years, gender equality and identity would be put on the back-burner for other, 'more important' issues.
I thought it was interesting that the public was drawn to the androgynous beauty of the paintings, yet become in conflict with it when they learned that Lili Elba was a transwoman. It seems as though the public wants to be "entertained" by something new and different, but once they know the reality, it becomes too "real" for them and there is a rejection towards the change. Gorda Wegener realized that these traditional gender roles and perceptions needed to be changed.Through her painting, she help bring to people's attentions that gender definitions are fluid and does not have to be categorized into two distinct and separate entities.
ReplyDeleteI loved this post! I think your choice of topic was fascinating as well as the way you were able to tie in a little know yet incredibly important artist and figure such as Lili Elbe with a radical academic (Freud). I think Freud's Oedipus Complex deserves a bit more analysis in connection with modernism and the environment at the time. I love that you pointed out the sprinkling of controversial sexual topics in the modernist works that we have read so far as each of them signifies how this reevaluation of sex was present, and not just in gender roles but also the roles of sexuality. It may be hidden in the midst of the other issue but it is certainly there and your post helped uncover it in these modernist works and that phase society as well!
ReplyDeleteIts possible to look at Joe Starks and Tea Cake through the Freudian lens of the id, ego and superego. Starks appeals to Janey on a rational, intellectual level while her attraction to Tea Cake is based on emotion and pleasure. Viewed in this way, the book is a triumph of the id over the ego and superego.
ReplyDeleteJaney and Jody are poorly matched in age -- upon arriving in Eatonville, Janey is mistaken for his daughter. Freud certainly would have made something of that, especially given that Janey grew up without a father.
I LOVED your blog!!!! Sexuality plays such a strong role in "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston. We haven't gotten to these parts in the book yet, but the book is a continuous dialogue about how women should and should not embrace their sexuality and Janie will defy all norms and gain the scorn of the townspeople to gain true happiness. I definitely see the struggle between the ID, Superego, and ego within Janie as she tries to wrangle her sexual desires in order to please her Nanny and her husbands. Janie is a case example of Freud on how the ID can only be restrained for so long.
ReplyDeleteI found this blog post particularly refreshing as the comparison to Freud and sexuality in the modernist texts we have looked is far from obvious. Sexual exploration and gayness in the texts we have explored often appear, but only to hide beneath the multiple layers of social problems that always seem to be emphasized first. In the 42nd Parallel, Eleanor and Eveline both express their feelings for Maurice, who they crush on for his unique qualities and different point of view, yet seem to secretly wish he wasn't actually that unique, and not actually that gay, so they could indulge in their attraction to him. I am really looking forward to discussing this tomorrow! Thanks for the awesome perspective and blog post.
ReplyDeleteI found this blog post particularly refreshing as the comparison to Freud and sexuality in the modernist texts we have looked is far from obvious. Sexual exploration and gayness in the texts we have explored often appear, but only to hide beneath the multiple layers of social problems that always seem to be emphasized first. In the 42nd Parallel, Eleanor and Eveline both express their feelings for Maurice, who they crush on for his unique qualities and different point of view, yet seem to secretly wish he wasn't actually that unique, and not actually that gay, so they could indulge in their attraction to him. I am really looking forward to discussing this tomorrow! Thanks for the awesome perspective and blog post.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your first question, I think there is a lot of unlearning that needs to be done for progress to take place. I think someone can understand and appreciate a piece of art, but still have to work through established biases that have been established due to their upbringing. Last summer my father died and I had to return to my home state of Oklahoma to arrange the funeral. I hadn't been there in nearly twenty years and was seeing people I had known growing up for the first time in a long while. They were all exceptionally nice, but, to my surprise, very racist. I found it very difficult to maintain a conversation with them. To make things even stranger, their tastes in popular culture went against their racist beliefs. Many were hip-hop fans. One person told my how much they loved Whoopi Goldberg while continuously using the n_ word. I am still trying to wrap my head around it all.
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ReplyDeleteThis post was both fascinating and eye-opening to the perception of sexuality that developed during the Modernist era. For so much of history, the discussion of sexuality was a taboo topic, and thus modernists’ exploration of sexualities—including those that did not fit into restrictive, traditional ideas of heterosexuality—was incredibly progressive. Although the general public may have initially been shocked or hesitant to accept sexualities that deviated from what it perceived as the “norm”, modernists’ movement away from repressive notions of gender and sexuality helped to spark a discourse that raised public awareness and acceptance.
ReplyDeleteActually I had a chance to read an essay written by my friend on something called the feedback mechanism. It essentially states that people are simply playing the gender role that they want other people to understand as who they are, and get feedback on their performance. This mechanism is done on a large scale and thus social forms on sexuality are consolidated. It is perhaps very bold to step out in the early 20th century and become transgender, and yet more interestingly, Lili went to Paris so that her sexuality could be expressed, which may somehow make us reflect on Dos Passos's choice of Paris in his book.
ReplyDeleteModernists always attempted to shock their audience, and often this was one of the ways they would do so, just because sexuality was a taboo topic. Your topic was extremely fascinating and also relevant to the class and modernism overall. I think that the exploration of sexuality in art triggered a public conversation that inspired change among many. A lot of the artists may have wanted to start this conversation because they saw something wrong with the gender roles that had been established in society. However, not a lot of people during this period took well to this observation.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting topic! I agree that while sexuality and gender are very important issues, they are not given much attention in comparison to other topics in the books that we've read. There are hints and insinuations about characters' sexualities, but rarely does it become a relevant or central issue or topic of discussion. Additionally, it's interesting to see how art and literature can shape societal discourse on topics such as sexuality or gender roles.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting topic! I agree that while sexuality and gender are very important issues, they are not given much attention in comparison to other topics in the books that we've read. There are hints and insinuations about characters' sexualities, but rarely does it become a relevant or central issue or topic of discussion. Additionally, it's interesting to see how art and literature can shape societal discourse on topics such as sexuality or gender roles.
ReplyDeleteI feel like while gender is sometimes the object of question and discussion, the topics of sexuality and non-traditional relationships rarely make it into the conversation, so it was nice to read about the role of these themes in Modernist Literature. Whenever any unfamiliar idea is introduced, it is in the human nature to regard it with a certain sense of caution and suspicion. Especially in an era when so many novel views were being promoted in society, it took the public a longer while to understand what these changes held in store, and how they affected society as they knew it. The Modernist authors who introduced these topics and themes in their writing might have particularly openminded and receptive to various forms of sexuality, or may have been personally affected by these new expressions of sexuality at some point in their lives.
ReplyDeleteThe issue of oppressive gender roles has been a theme wove into almost every text we've read. People who tend to not fit in to this dichotomy that defined gender, for example Melanctha's presumed homosexuality, don't feel comfortable publicly breaking these gender roles during the time period. I find it so interesting that you pointed out the fact that this may be due to the popularity of Freudian psychoanalytics, and the perception that homosexuality is an illness to be cured. I'm also curious about the reception of the portraits of Lili Elbe, as modernist artists may have appreciated societal boundaries being pushed.However, society succumbing to the (somewhat harmful) theories of Freud may also have rejected the portraits of a potentially sick man.
ReplyDeleteThis post was very interesting and you gave a great presentation as well. I agree that while these topics are important, they have been glossed over or ignored completely for decades as the focus was directed towards more seemingly important topics. In regards to your first question, I think that the reason the public was not so receptive to these artists was partially because of the learned biases they still harbored, however forward-thinking they may have thought they were. In addition, people of the time were heavily influenced by psychologists like Freud and considered Lili to be mentally ill instead of seeing her true identity.
ReplyDeleteI found the question you posed during class provocative. If the modernist era of art is about new modes of representation, then why was, and still is, considered taboo for a man to present themselves as a woman? Though, I do feel that many of the texts we read in class can be interpreted as an exploration of sexual identity, I do think that many of our interpretations fall under a conditioned response to do so. For example, in Steins Melanctha, I found the wandering to not be a sexually charged theme but one that connoted movement with knowledge. However, I do feel that this art is very avant garde and incredibly important for the time period. And perhaps, there is a bit of hermeneutics of suspicion filtering into the work.
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