jameson realism excerpt-1

7/28/2019 Jameson Realism Excerpt-1

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This PDF contains an excerpt from a draft of Fredric Jameson's forthcoming book TheAntinomies ofRealism. Professor Jameson has asked that those who wish to attend theMonday, February 27, Spm event with him try to read the excerpt beforehand.This event will be held in 370 D'vinelle Hall, and will be a kind of"conversation/discussion" with Professor Jameson-about this text, and also about Jameson's workmore generally. The conversation/discussion will be the first of the three events ProfessorJameson will participate in as this year's Avenali Lecturer. The February 27 event hasbeen organized by the Critical Theory Program together with the host of the A venaliLectureship, the Townsend Center for the Humanities, and is co-sponsored by theDepartments of Comparative Literature, English, and Rhetoric.The other two Avenali events will be:--Professor Jameson's Tuesday, February 28 Avenali Lecture, "The Aesthetics ofSingularity," 6 p.m, International House, Chevron Auditorium; and--a follow-up panel discussion responding to Jameson's Avenali Lecture, featuringWhitney Davis (History of Art), Martin Jay (History), and Colleen Lye (English) onWednesday, February 29, 12-2 p.m . , Maude Fife Room, 315 Wheeler Hall.


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FREDRIC JAMESONREALISM AND AFFECT

todayI want/ to t ry out a new theory of the nature of real ism

Ol.' a t l e a s t to share with you some not' 'S about a new kind ofs tory - ~ n a t might b:= to ld about rea l i sm's emergence c-,nd i t ssubsequent disappearance (2. t the moment of 110dern bm ) . I fthere is anything hdkdt innovat ive 1bout my thEory, i t isthe re fusa l to consLler real ism as a phenomenon in i t s ownr igh t , which one could define us such. Rather I wil l considerthe moment of real ism as a kind of perilous unEtable compromisebetween two di s t inc t and even RY1tit.hetical impulsess i t l a s t sas long as those impulses remain in balance and seek compromiseswith each other . Whaitever the one or the other takes the upperhand, realism ss such is weak0ned and tends to di s i ntgra te .

my t i t l e sugges ts , th is has something to do with a f f ec t aswell , but a f fec t wil l net come into tre picture unt i l l a t e r on.


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I chJOsa t J b a ~ t n wil l be, 1n i t s F r ~ n c h vorston, tha t whichImJn F o r n . ~ n d e z ifti>ll'st developed h=h'Em raci t an0 romAn, 8WA/Aist tnc t ton teken up bv Gide then by SArtre, whose el?bJra t lon'j\

saems to rna tho meet in te ras t tng end u s ~ f u l ~ o n a f J r our ourposes.( ~ e w\11 look Pt other nAtional vers ions of th i s opposi t ion

~ e n r o s , which Rlso seem to c o r r e s p o n ~ to two hts tor tca l momonts.,

Th


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l i t t lP power. In af fec t , SRrtre bas not o n l ~ adapted our~ e n e r i c dist inct ion to a form of i ~ e o l o ~ i c e l en8lys1s, he hes1!1Vgn H A philosopbtc-31 cont""nt , "' 'hich i s th8t of hro types

Iof temporAlity. Th,.s is how the time ) f the rec i t works, he


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~ _ m Maupassant. The structure of his short \stories is almost invariable; we are first presented with theaudience, a brilliant and wordly society which has assembledin a drawing-room after dinner. It is night-time, whichdispels fatigue and passion. The oppressed are asleep, as arethe rebellious; the world is enshrouded; the story unfolds.In a bubble of light surrounded by nothing there remainsthis ilite which stays a...wke, completely occupied with itsceremonies. I f here are intrigues or love or hate among itsmembers, we are no t told of them, and desire and anger arelikewise stilled; these men and women are occupied inpreserving their culture and manners and in recognizing eachother by the rites of politeness. They represent order in itsmost exquisite form; the calm of night, the silence ofthe p;assions, everything concurs in symbolizing the stablebourgeoisie of the end of the century which thinks thatnothing more will happen and which believes in the eternity

l of capitalist organization. Thereupon, the narrator is intro- ~dueed. He is a middle-aged ma n who has 'seen much, readmuch, and retained much', a professional man of experience,a doctor, a military man, an artist, or a Do n Juan. He hasreached the time of life when, according to a respectful andcomfortable myth, man is freed from the passions andconsiders with an indulgent clear sightedness those he hasexperienced. His heart is calm, like the night. He tells hisstory with detachment. If it Ius caused him suffering, he hasmaqe honey from this suffering. He looks back upon it andfconsiders it as it really was, that is, sub spe&it a ~ t m t i t a t i s . ,:

J There was difficulty to be sure, but this difficulty ended longl ago; the actors are dead or married or comforted. Thus, the

\adventure was a brief clisturbance which is over with. It istold from the viewpoint of experience and wisdom; it islistened to from the viewpoint of order. Order triumphs;\ order is everywhere; it contemplates an old disorder as i f hej still waters of a summer day have preserved the memory of1 h e _ ~ ~ p l e s w : f : i c h _ ~ a v e _ run through it. ~ e r e


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once for Pl l ' tt ~ 1 1 1 be clp."lr "'?t'JUflh what_ a , P ~ i 1 o s p p h yi h ct r rl e n 1J ~ r p t f t < = > d terr,oor"'ltty: 1tA

PlOnF" , ,dtb thP p;;ronv of ,-'lclsion 'J f ' t t s protAp:onis ts . I t omi ts ,~in oth'-"r w ~ ? J . ~ ~~ - - ci:;;lv o r . o u ~ h , then , 1 ; ; ; ; t - - s ~ - ~ t - r : ; - - - c ; 8 1 I s - ; ; ; ; ; ~ p

. v e - " < " ~ ' N ,_ ,_ . , . , , . -

mor:1fy

iAAnttficAtton of the 9PrtraPn a e s t ~ o t 1 c w,th his tor ica l extrPmes1.tu,tlons \'Tfls HsPl f '" h 1 A t D r t c ~ ! l onp, Rnr) the t the ,f '


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I':'hen he Pccust:)d the rec1t of be1np- P- c loser f'orm; but if "'e

in a r tcher ex\stent ta] temporPl wRy; wb1le to RecountJfo r y;bat closed About the r:tcit , v'e need pn.rhPPs to tu rn ~ n

1n h1s P"rest essBy, The '3toryt,nllr->r (-:m IPskov) .,.,betI n ~ e e d , BenjDm\n m ~ k o s i t cleor W ~ J so mRny exAmples

" l l Itof tho u n ~ r h o r t e B P ~ e b e n h e t t hPve 1n common: namely death ."WBrmln!l ~ n u r ~ B n ~ s ::m r-J deAth t h ~ t 1 s t o ld" , s th wey he

IchArPcterizes the rec1t ; Pnd tf we f ee l ~ h P t \ s too bleak, we

T h ~ s ~ r r , v o c R b ~ l i t y prl(ls 8 ne'-'' d 1 m P n s ~ . o n to Sr>rtro's ~ r t t t c u , . ,Io:f thn ~ n R u t h r . : > n t 1 c H y of th e r e d t : thP tomporPl prst t s nO\r


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SPPU as thr> t ~ m P of "'"'"'r'vnPy l i f o or of rout1nA. Th i r rPvOcBblPon Athen comes t 0 stPnr'l As R mArk of t/ SPAd n c t>=>mporeli ty v'htch

PrAc1sely this shock of R m F r k e ~ t1mP bru ta l ly ~ 1 f f " ' - P n t 1 e t t n ~' t t s e l f from orninPry P x ' t s t P n c A . ~ 'It shoulr:'l bP ecMe0 thPt fo rBenjAmin thet o r ~ i n e r y PX1stence i s t sP l f grAsped as col loet lve

~ B t o , thR t a l eRs such f lourlshRs. I n d e e ~ , we may fur thar poin tou t thAt f:::>r Benjl turn-Ab'Jut , thts new n::>tton

Iof the i r revocAble mArk as thR VP!'Y bFs ,s of the recit ls a lso


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nmPly, the t you lo t vou r s . , l f - p?\n lPss ly , t::> bP s u r e - y':'lu ln tvourse l f bo h 1 . . r ~ POuslv o ""fp. cell a t1 B Ple0ge of s aH 18 r1. t y v-'H h us v.fJ

~ n t ' l e frUflrt 'ntee thPt V'JU , , , ~ 11 DPVPr ' seek to r ~ = > t u r n t a tl1P v.orln

such btnr' l lnf ' commttmants.IWe fnRY thus FrPsP the l i a h t n t n ~ bolt of the rec1t As the m ~ r k l n Fof A b::>0.v Bnd/ the t ransformet1on of en t n r ' l ~ v t l " : u R l tn to a cher8ctpr ' .dth 9

,, j 0 metn "'"-trenes", "l S Ee1 "l pP:aPr 0 esCrl beo 1 n-..:n vtr'luGl dea th . Th1.sb r \ n ~ Z s our r::ccount of the rkit or the t e le p l ~ t t l P cJOsPr tothe nes t tn ies once offered ln sPectacle by t r e ~ e d y as e form,In monf!!rn t imos , hO,evor, ~ u c h .:;"'stin'l"'s e t bf.>st merk RchnrP.cter r>s Onp 'J f Tor'lorov's " h o m m ~ " s - p / c i t s th Tnousenc-and-one-

12'ht s ch e rP c tPre ~ h o 'Ftre t h e i r own st od "'S, k n k d k t k w ' a ~ k ~ ~ t ' l t n k ~ h etIth a hiah t f fp of the roc \ t asP fJrm; wh\le et worst, tn yet more


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Na' 1t ~ " ~ 1 1 not h"lVP PSCP.PI"c'Cl your n::Jt1.cP tbPt 1n tb l sIl ~ n ~ t h y Atscuss1on of r ec t t , we have compl0tely los t s , ~ h t of

choice wes tn th"' proc ,ss of bp!np m s ~ e or b e i n ~ refused: e... t . l i l , l ) ~ - I

tfmp b.:ofore ( lest tny, in DthPr FOrde, 8DO;{'P!'h8pg before the r ec i ti tslf . vle nee('l to rnP, t s commt t l'llPnt toJ.mP81An ' 'ootnt of vi.Pt", i .nto the t h o o r t t , ~ ! l i h p : of thr.>oppoo,l t lon.


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the R u ~ u s t vocPt,on hD ,nvPnted for h1rnself (end for others) ."One's poor worr'l of honor bee ba poor author ' s compRr8Hvely col


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/'.~ \ f t i;.{DI v ).

' . .

Q. Rrt""P. 18 ~ n P 1 u t . h o n t 1 . " ' . } ~ a .. _ P T I P " ' ~ . B t ts, thP. r' l.osttnL"s snfl t b " i r

/t p m o o r P l U ~ . P s , of tho ro.cL!_. Tnr'lA"'rJ I \''Bnt to nis t inguish

which w1ll R}so r ' l e m R n ~ complatton by e thPory of consc1ousness:hCll:ever,I eRn :n ly br\ , ,fLy : _ ~ f l r ; , r t\:cosp th-or1.As,./,,Hh


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f; @ ' - , ( ~ :';:J ' f ! ',:: __/future Pnd of porsonPl i d o n t i t i ~ s ~ e s t i n i o s i s Pt i t s outer

/l\m1t tho r ~ ~ ! m tho roc \ t ; ~ ~ 1 l o tho imparsOnA} C0 D PC1 0 U SD PS8

courses wss lPft in f r e ~ m e n t s the fru1t rnorely

r a e ~ t n r About: tho one which makes Mr. Bloom bolch withs < - ~ U s f e c t 1 o n ,n UJvsses; th , 1rnmf'nse ho-hunc'lrPd-pege lunchf's--"' rr71Dmp; thP t ru ly Abominable lunch brAk thAt SPtS pVoryth1np:Ain motion the bep:. inn1np: of LP B ~ t , humrinP; somo PlaP:ont~ 'sAr'! lunch to v.'h'l.ch one. of Bocceccto 's 1rnpovr1shPd hPr>DAs 1nvlt?sr I. \! "\ ;., -:; 1-f-J. '; ,l "' . t ' f


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events or exparienc?s in the Present , indeed, for c o n s t r u c t t n ~

But th ts t s c]eP.rly no J.onp-er roeUsm, but s o m p t t l n ~wt1ct we dO not o ~ e n napd to nPma.we ao not now need to explore fur ther / ~ h ~ t t s cruc1el

we hPve been eeeklnp- to f o r m u l ~ t e . Now we can Articulate th i soppo1 t 1 on: n0t rP{tt. vorsu,-,. romAn, n::>r evon t " " l l ~ . n P ' versus

what i s cruc1el i s not to loerl ono of these dies Pnf take s ides

Qaa]1sm ls a consequence of tho tension between these two terms;olthAr wrvto rosOlVP the o p n ~ s t t t o n / - a u J . r J dt:?str'Jy H; J-,mt:>s 1 p:ullt fe.:>]Jno:s

th i s l? WhPt r WPnt to ~ 0 now, for J.8te nineteenth~ v s t - s v d ~ ~ tcentury re8l1sm; J WPnt to show h O W ~ potontlR} b r e P k ~ O W m mPkei

0 /1 f.PDss\blo ~ " 1 . 0 of the> ;;:rroB\Ast roP.l'lsttc Pchlr::>vements 1.n thenovl An( l ) t t tJrWI'J al",'" ; / w l ; ~ / ~ ;'JJc \');J> " f e ~ . { -P _ ; J A ' ~ on 1c\!'1. y r(;J:, c v ~ ...l ...._._ _ _ : . ~ . : - - - - - ' - - - > - - - - v

I


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~ ; i l t l ~ J' ~'

J 0 ID r a l u c t ~ n t to C O n s i ~ P r POXLaty Pf f0 c t , fo rf ~ " ' j ' r , f " 'onnuj., 1 t i s porhPDS tho CPnV r'l1Rt1.ncti on , "'nj.1"ss" ' r t P. camo"t 1t 1 ::>n

botwPon thaso two r o n ~ 1 t 1 o n s such thRt tn racont t ,mas, from


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fo r thA f ~ r s t t1m'"' 1n th"" Vr.>rv prGCPSnd of thP pessBge of PArceptionfrom on e vt r tuRl ly insens ib le }c.vel to another . HarP then ,'" s t n mpress1 ont sm, R s : . : - e r t _ : ~ - ~ ~ f m o p - . : ; n e ~ _ 1 y 1 s d 1. sput S P a As an

. , r . r ~ ...... _______..,..--.------PbsGlutA ~ ~ ' "'nn R nPW k1n('l ') f pf1pnOtDPl10}DR'fcR}

. )continuum is grAdually PBtRb]1shnd.

what 1s bP1n>< exolorpoo tocav in r.nv number of "''P.ys As "P.ff . ,ct":tho }PttP.r . " .1:'t 1 .8 8 chrom;:;Uci!'lm ::nf th A bodv Use>lf \:hfch bc.comps the


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o r ~ ~ n p n r c a ~ t 4 o n tho v ~ r l A ~ t s ~ l f , tha vabclo my bo1na- I ~,n-thc-wor}A thPt P h " " n ~ l m ~ n o l o ~ ~ c a } ph41oaophv bng,ns to A4scovcr

u::GuPnchPblc- r'l7prafls1 'Jn Ani! p-u11t Jf P Str1 nr'lbrp:. th1 s ~ 'VIAs T'vP ~ r ~ u a d , to bo r n ~ t c ~ J l y ~ 1 s t t n p : u i e h P i l from tho nPmPdI '

a ~ O t 1 0 n s ns SUCh, oVen t h O U ~ b }Ptor On in thP m o ~ a r n tho i r

bV '" V'"'r1 otv Of ,Apbtltos PbJUt nPturA11sm, P illOVam


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tht.::

A c e t t ~ ~ . f i n e1 cletrP. d 1Un beau n1rnP.nchA,lP so l e t l Jblique, AU rea de l 'hortzon, kla1 . ra i tlB v, l lP 1mrnAnee d 1unP srdente 1 UPUr rou!eoOn .


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'\'IB.rThe


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:n. :

... .. .


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of thP etPt rcssp, crA p:::t ch 'J f/neturP 1mprtsoned, R

b l t n ~ c r n c k o ~ .

mutP ~ ~ s p a t r , \nta wh1ch t . ~ s u n ponetratpd ' .! r . t r i " ~ l -

] i ; : t ~ ; H - . . : 1 ~ } t ~ n _ ~ . : , c!J{ - ~ . ' ; l H l " . : ~ r ,i, ... t--.:.:li. trt.: . U i t ' : ~ : ~ : .d>:nt ~ 1 . - , t h < t t r tl, "''.!in. PuL< 1..krn;:rc {'lie, pr, ... r:'.: : l ~ l : , - . 1t.! .. ,t.nt ; n ; ~ : ~ t r . ... t i:i!-. : \ ! 1 : ~ H ~ . t : : ~ : i i l ! . : - < . . i L : ~ ~{k \ ' H t ~ : t ~ . : i ! H l ;Ul '< ~ r ; , t i , '"l ' . P ! " ~ : l ~ l ' . T ! ( ' . q ~ : ~ ; { l r.:ur.iit Frl'Cpdut u ~ : t illltttt', : . : ~ n ' : k tt;!rH J : ~ . l i l ~ ::t i t ~ t r a ~ ; ; . d ( ~ j ~ : tirt-:;_h ,.i,.H:c C\Liil Lt n;in ,_;y . r::.l . : : ; ~ . u , c r ; i t i q ~ . H : 1 ~ ] i ,,.,:, .. k ~ , , u . t i l ~;u.::- ,_., ~ : . ~ . 1 n ~ qt::

"/ I


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th e f q ~ 1 l v ' ~ nrospcr1ty ns t9 ~ t h o r sP8CPS \n t h t s novel (L'ArgPnt,291" 1 s ni" -"1 nov >=>l on t hP s t o{';k-mP rko t ) \ ' r ~ . c h ;;;r"' si mul t RnPou 9

of the '3.:>COnCl r.o:mptr"' 1 n thP Un' vorsBl -.;:yposHt on, before theFrRnco-Pruss ian ~ R r , 1n the n9vnlrout ~ n ~ ClebRcle of th"' M ~ X ~ i from which ~ e q u o t e ~ e ~ r l i e r ThPra,

On!">.

or t h"' rococo excossPS of t hP ~ ons of the most vulp-B r Sec"Jnr'l-


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Ibt styl"" On th"" 2 PDSP of t h h

...., ] t,. II ' . " ' . ~ ,.'l _.l A......., t1n::r st , ~ ' I V V V ~ "

FlRubort 1 8 romPrk ~ b ~ u t thP w r 1 t t n ~ 0f thAt ~ r o P t historic?}A.r ' J n ~ t r u c t i o n Yh1ch, Sa}nmmbo:.-----'___ ..,..

,-tPeu Ap ~ o n s ~ e v ~ n e r o n t romb1an 11 P f ~ l l u otro


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flnd g roun0 t nFtPctuel lv turns ta f1nd some expression/ in Zola's p s ~ u a o -

according to which effect would be no more exempt then anythinf!semi ott cqlse from the/play of opposit ions 1n ~ e n e r s l . Affect is somehowf e l t in t so lBt ion from Bll r ~ = > l ? t i o n s h l p , and yet Pt the samp timeit remAins defined by 1 ts opposites, the nobler melancholy

more v u l ~ s r oppos!te number, euphorta.But the content of these scales t s of course 1 t se l f

ver t able , and even i f mPl-?nchQl!la remains 8 kt nd of constant ,tn Fla tber t , in Tris tan , in Munch, tn Gogol, i t s opposite i svery ~ 1 f f e r ~ n t in r l l these cases, As also in Zola, where enexpected excess of crrgtaettc excitement i s fe r l e s s authent1cthan t h., nomest1. c she l te r A no met Rpr,ys1. cal comfort of J . < ~ b a t

thP t r l b t a l Ann t ru ly P""tty-bourgeots s te te \


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. -- ------Ik i s 8 symphony in wbit 8 ut ter ly ~ i s t i n c t in tonP from the

9 R ~ d ~ b r t s of Virutn1e Woolf's luncht=>Dn, n n ~ confirmed }PtPr f b ~ s ~ a l l o w s o l ~ 1 a r , J n ~ n , when, fo ron by thP luxurtattOn o - - - -

sinvle 1t ., O.'Llict. h ~ = > i s 8blP to slt=>eP in 8 re so n ~ / s o l l t ~ r y of rc.s eru -----r a p a st a r d A m m ~ n tAh! CPS a r ~ p s blanca, uf t I~ o n v o t t d e , J ~ P . n n ~ voya1t plus qu euXo

C,..?tCitt uno e:ourmAna1ee, Une 1.rnpflt1.PUC9 n 'pnfnnt ,unc t r rPs ts t tb lP passion, $ se ~ l i s s e r oana

/\ \. . 1cet te blPOChPUr, nP08 cet ta f r ~ t ~ h P U r , ot e 8 VpPrr'lrl 'l (555)

----------I t is "rtth the t'levelopment of 2ola 1 s extraordinary bot)tlyAnd l inguis t ic sens ib i l i ty tha t the r ea l i s t t c novel 1e able

+- - -..

to neploy the poss ib t l t t tes of whet James was to ca l l the scene

e x t r a o r a t n P ~ Y A ~ m i r e t t o n for th i s par t icula r novel of Zola).But \orhet I would J t kc us to re f lec t on is t ht s: 1. f affect i st ru ly a feel ing w l t h ~ u t e subject , whet wil l happen to theframN.ro.rk of o.rpossl bi 11ty of such scenes when t he/Psycht c subj ec t l th e se l f ,

wav to e f ree -f l Ja t tng strPam or flux of ef fec t tn t t s own r ight?

jameson realism excerpt-1

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