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Cecilia B
Dr. Lee Hobbs
ENG 435
25th February 2009
1. Why do new historicists believe “reliable interpretations” are “difficult to produce?” (Tyson 283).
- For new historicists, objective analysis of an historical event is impossible because men always place a value on various facts and therefore shape our perspective of history.
2. To what do new historicists refer when mentioning “thick description?” (Tyson 288).
- Thick description focuses on the “personal side of history” (Tyson 288) such as a culture’s rituals, penal codes, art, and birthing practices to uncover their meaning for that culture’s people.

Sarah Tatko
Dr. Hobbs
Eng-435
25 February 2009
Reading Check – New Historicism and Cultural
Q: What does Tyson say about subjectivity according to New Historicism?
A: Subjectivity is a lifelong process of negotiating our way through society based upon the constraints and freedoms that are offered to us.

Q: What is “thick description”?
A: Thick description is the personal side of history such as rituals, births, penal codes, laws, etc. It brings the private life to the front instead of ignoring it like traditional history does.

Jessica P.
Dr. Hobbs
ENG 435
2/24/09

Questions for New Historical and Cultural Criticism

Short Answer:
Q: New historical analysis involves a term called thick description. Give a brief definition of this word.
A: Through close examination of cultural practices, critics can discover the meanings behind traditions and social conventions. Looking at cultural systems like penal codes, copyright laws, and ritual ceremonies, one can find the historical meaning from individuals’ private life.

Discussion:
Q: What is the relationship between literary text and historical situations for new historicism?
A: According to new historical critics, a literary text does not embody he author’s meaning. Instead, literary texts are artifacts that can help one discover meaning behind cultural identity. Thus, the literary text and historical situations are equally important because the text and history are created in the same context. They are equal as you can not have text without history.

Travis R
Dr. Hobbs
ENG 435
25 February 2009

New Historicism Quiz Questions

Q: According to a Tyson example, how can discourse help a dictator maintain power over his country? (Tyson 285)
A: Religious discourse can promote the idea of the “divine right” of kings. Discourse of science can champion the reigning elite (survival of the fittest). The discourse of law suggests one is committing treason when they disagree with the king. Etc.

Q: Define the term self-positioning. (Tyson 289)
A: The practitioner must be aware of his/her psychological and ideological positions and how they are relative to the material being studied in order to impart this information to the reader.

What is meant by "history has a linear casual relationship?"

Why is there an impossibility of objective analysis according to new historicists?

What's a master narrative?

Liz H

Dr. Hobbs

ENG 435

February 24, 2009

Reading and Discussion Questions

Reading

1. According to Lois Tyson, what can historical analysis not do (Tyson 282)?

2. Does historicism focus on facts or interpretation for the basis of its claims (Tyson 285)?

Discussion

I found it interesting that our definitions are nothing but “social constructs, by which ruling powers maintain control” (Tyson 282). Do you agree? What examples are current for us today?

Ava Littlefield
Dr. Hobbs
ENG 435
25 February 2009
Reading Check Questions on New Historicism and Cultural Criticism
1.Who is the father of New Historicism?

A.Stephen Greenblatt

2.How does Cultural Criticism differ from New Historicism?

A.Cultural Criticism is concerned with supporting the oppressed from a political perspective, uses Marxist and Feminist theories to perform political analysis, and is more interested in popular culture.

3.Define self-positioning.

A.Self-positioning is when the critic presents the readers with an awareness of what his or her psychological and political ideas are prior to criticizing the work. It is the application of the “human lens.”

Travis R
Dr. Hobbs
ENG 435
2 March 2009

Professing New Historicism: A Definition in Terms

In “Professing the Renaissance: The Poetics and Politics of Culture,” Louis Montrose examines and defines New Historicism and the ideologies that form the lifeblood of the theory. He states that New Historicism examines similarities between the social infrastructure—i.e. history, culture, society, politics, institutions, class, and gender—and language. Language, explains Louis, is limited in power and is a cultural construct similar to the social infrastructure. He goes on to explain that New Historicism, like the subject it studies, is not impervious to subjectivity, and New Historicist’s interpretations are shaped by culture and bias will always be present. Also, a canonical work itself is not the subject of study for the practitioner of this theory. Instead, the time frame and cultural happenings of the period are topics of scrutiny; culture is a text to be interpreted, a collection of stories.

Montrose defines two key terms in his discussion of New Historicism: the Historicity of Texts and the Textuality of History. The Historicity of Texts concerns the written word: all models of writing are influenced by cultural and social stimuli. This not only includes the texts studied (or, rather, events in history) but also the way in which said texts are studied (in other words, the methods used by the practitioner). The Textuality of History, on the other hand, states that (due to subjectivity) there is no access to a full and genuinely authentic past. Because of this, the work historians produce—seeing as they are utilizing unauthentic documentation on which to base their work—is not only to an extent fraudulent by default, but it also perpetuates the problem of un-authenticity for future examiners.

In the end, Montrose states, the best one can do is realize that by the mere practice of analyzing the interplay of culture and history, one is adding to and participating in the very thing he is analyzing.

Work Cited
Montrose, Louis. "Professing the Renaissance: The Poetics and Politics of Culture."
Literary Theory: An Anthology, 2nd Ed. Eds. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan.
Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2004. 584 - 591.

WWesley Johnson
Dr. Hobbs
Eng 435
1 March 2009
Précis 5: “Shakespeare and the Exorcists”
Stephen Greenblatt’s article “Shakespeare and the Exorcists” attempts to historicize the religious and cultural influence of religion and exorcism in Renaissance England (Greenblatt 592). Specifically, in doing this Greenblatt’s focus is on how these cultural influences manifest in the work of William Shakespeare. With this, Greenblatt focuses on King Lear. The overreaching theme of Stephen Greenblatt’s article is that through King Lear, one can understand the cultural and historical significance of exorcism in Shakespeare’s England.
With such a lofty goal, Greenblatt begins, and much of his article is dedicated to this task, by historicizing religion and exorcisms. He begins by laying out the religious structure that caused a sect of priests to become rebels and perform exorcisms to the chagrin of England. These Catholic priests were breaking a law that barred a Jesuit priest’s presence in England (Greenblatt 592). From the actions of these rebels, a book was produced, A Declaration of Egregious Popish Impostures. This book, which critiqued exorcisms, was being read by Shakespeare as he worked on King Lear. This connection is significant because it shows that Shakespeare was actually utilizing culturally significant texts as he produced his work.
Although it is too expansive to try and incorporate all of what Greenblatt says, it is important to note that he further emphasizes that his article represents and explores the dialectical battle over social conventions in 17th and 18th century England (Greenblatt 593). As far as the exorcisms were concerned, the Anglican church desired to have these spectacles, which had become somewhat of a public exploitation, brushed aside and covered up. So, the author of A Declaration sought to illustrate that the practice of exorcism was a criminal act characteristic of Jesuits that were already disliked by England. Without connecting too much to Shakespeare, Greenblatt focuses on the historical significance of this.
After historicizing exorcisms, Greenblatt explains that eventually, the idea of an exorcism became somewhat of a stage play. That is, these acts grew to being parodied as tragicomedies. So, as exorcisms become more popular, they reach the point of parody. Shakespeare becomes significant in that his plays, especially King Lear, reflect a dialectical explanation of cultural exchange (Greenblatt 609). With this, Greenblatt is showing that the dramatic death scenes and the need for exorcism in the play, even though it is set before the writing of A Declaration, reflect the cultural discussions occurring as Shakespeare lived.

Work Cited
Greenblatt, Stephen. “Shakespeare and the Exorcists.” Literary Theory: An Anthology. 2nd ed. Eds. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2004. 592-620.

Ava Littlefield
Dr. Hobbs
ENG 435
1 March 2009
The Fiction behind the History of Fiction
In her essay titled “Some Call it Fiction: On the Politics of Domesticity”, Nancy Armstrong claims that the right connections between literature and history were not made when literary histories were first being compiled (Armstrong 567). Armstrong implies that the connections that were originally applied to history and literature remain unchanged, disregarding the calls for a re-evaluation of these connections. Armstrong states that “the assumption that history consists of economic or political events” (Armstrong 567), are the exact reason that women are alienated from receiving any credit toward literary history. Such assumptions discredit the everyday activities that compose life (Armstrong 567). Traditional histories categorize these activities as personal, social, or cultural, all of which are concerned with the domesticity of women. The personal, social, and cultural were classified as “secondary relationships either in economy or to the official state institutions” (Armstrong 567). Women were not typically allowed hold positions in political affairs or state institutions, resulting in the separation of women as personal and men as political. Armstrong argues that “any model that places personal life in a separate sphere and that grants literature a secondary and passive role in political history as unconsciously sexist” (567-68).
Armstrong attempts to reveal that the basis for the construction of state institutions were directly influenced by the ways women organized their homes, and if this is in fact the case, then home life (personal, social, and cultural) should be considered political. Armstrong draws attention to Raymond Williams (popular theorists of fictions relationship to history). Williams believed that historicizing writing meant to credit the sources of writing outside of and prior to writing itself (Armstrong 568). What Williams implies is that the historical events that were recorded in literary fiction, took place in official institutions and state, which prohibited women. Armstrong feels that Williams’ claim aides her argument that women did not receive recognition for their contributions to literary fiction, particularly because “the rise of the novel was directly related to the rise of the new middle classes, which consisted of a great deal of women writers” (Armstrong 568).
To present her claim more clearly, Armstrong draws attention to the emergence of educational institutions. Armstrong claims that the systems that were used to construct educational institutes directly paralleled the systems women used to run their own homes. Armstrong suggests that domestic fiction was responsible for the separation of sexual relations from the political economy (Armstrong 573). This separation resulted in a new form of logic regarding rhetorical fiction which emphasized “common sense, sensibility, and public opinion” (Armstrong 573). This new approach paved the way for “countless micro techniques of socialization, all of which may be lumped under the heading of education” (Armstrong 573). The approach women took towards writing fiction resulted in the production of institutions that were created to “perform operations in much the same way that domestic fiction did upon characters” (Armstrong 573), presented within the works of women.
Armstrong asserts that “no one has attempted to examine the figure that differentiates the sexes as it links them together by sexual desires” (Armstrong 580). What Armstrong implies is that because women were prohibited from partaking in political, official, and state institutions, they were never capable of receiving the much deserved recognition of their contributions to literary fiction. She states “this power of sexuality to appropriate the voice of the victim works as surely as through inversion, of course, as by strict adherence to the internal organization of the model” (Armstrong 573). If no one is willing to question the system, then why bother attempt to expose the flaws that exist. Armstrong recognizes that there have been advancements toward revealing women’s contributions to literary fiction, however, “literary historians continue to remain aloof from but still firmly anchored in a narrow masculinist notion of politics” (Armstrong 580). Nothing will change if this pattern continues to be followed. Armstrong states that fiction must be read as the gender differences that exist, in order to understand the cultural and class differences that continue to be incorporated in the history of fiction (Armstrong 581).

Work Cited
Armstrong, Nancy. “Some Call it Fiction: On the Politics of Domesticity.” Literary Theory: An Anthology. Eds. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. New York: Blackwell, 1998. 567-80.

Ava Littlefield
Dr. Hobbs
ENG 435
2 March 2009
Reading Check Questions on Gatsby and Cultural Studies
1.Define the platonic conception.
A.The platonic conception is a conception that is outside of history. It exists in a timeless dimension unaffected by the occurrences of daily life in the material world.
2.Name two of the criteria that are required for an individual to become successful, as defined by the self-made man manual.
A.Stay fit, avoid alcohol, work hard, have a clear purpose, be ready for opportunity, do not procrastinate, and preserve.
3.Explain why individuals from poor families tend to become more successful than those individuals who are born into wealth.
A.Individuals who are born into poverty are accustomed to the harsh conditions of life. They work harder and are more willing to apply themselves.

Cecilia B
Dr. Hobbs
ENG 435
2nd March 2009
Précis on Raymond Williams’ “The Country and the City”
The changing significance of land in eighteenth-century rural England to the modernized England of the twentieth century is examined in Raymond Williams’ work “The Country and the City” where Williams specifically notes the social relations between landowner, tenant, and laborer and argues the changing attitudes of this system are evident in literature. For example, Williams argues the pre-industrial period regarded land as a symbol of aristocratic power, and the English novels of writers like Richardson and Fielding reflected this value since the problems of “love and marriage” (509), which would increase an aristocracy’s estate, were heavily written upon. However, as Williams point out, laborers and tenants eventually moved to cities becoming part of the industrial working classes, and the land of the aristocracy no longer benefited from inheritance or rent but “agrarian capitalism” (516). This radical exchange, Williams explains, is due to the demand for food in the cities which made estates futile and farming land important. Thus, the literature produced following the modernization of England shifted focus and values. Poetry, Williams states, showed the image of a “happy tenant” giving way to the “consciousness of change and loss” (509); and novels also had a brief period of melancholic nostalgia as Jane Austen’s works exhibited (527). Arising from this period were different observations of morality and social obligations since Austen’s characters thought duty rested in elegance and manner whereas the urban population thought helping the poor and disrupting the old class structure was appropriate. The sentiments of the city bore “the voice of men who have seen their children starving, and now within sight of stately homes” (530). As a result, later literary works had a non-idealized portrayal of humanity.

Work Cited
Williams, Raymond. “The Country and the City.” Literary Theory: An Anthology. Ed.
Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. New York: Blackwell Pub., 1998. 508-532.

Sarah Tatko
Dr. Hobbs
Eng-435
2 March 2009
Precis: “The Practice of Everyday Life”
In 1984 Michel de Certeau wrote The Practice of Everyday Life. This is a book that discusses social and cultural structures and examines the opportunities of life that allow people to make mistakes. These mistakes give people the opportunity to stray from the structure of society. This specific excerpt referred to focuses on how humans can take advantage of these opportunities which provide more freedom in the structured world.
The first key concept explored by Certeau is “consumption” (1248). The concept of consumption is complicated and leads to the idea of “strategy” and “tactic”. Certeau characterizes consumption as being “quasi-invisible” because it is sneaky. It is a form of production that does not show itself to its own products, rather it is determined by the way it is used by those imposed on it (1249). By this Certeau means using the rules and boundaries that are imposed by the product to one’s own accord.
“Strategy” and “tactic” are two more concepts that Certeau takes the time to illuminate. Strategy is built upon consumption because it is based on calculation and manipulation. It is an isolated power relationship that employs will and power. It is formed around the illusion of power. Some examples Certeau provides are a business, an army, or a city. All of these entities are formulated around a strategy with a focus on power (Certeau 1252).
“Tactic” is even sneakier than consumption and strategy because it cannot be planned. Tactics can only be used when an opportunity presents itself. These opportunities occur when there is an absence of power and a weakness has been seen. In Certeau’s words “a tactic is an art of the weak” (1253). Therefore, strategy and tactic are in opposition because one is centered around the possession of power and the other is centered around the absence of power. Tactic is the unplanned opportunities that undermine the overarching structure of society.

Work Cited
Certeau, Michel de. “The Practice of Everyday Life.” Literary Theory: An Anthology. 2nd ed. Eds. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2004. 1247-1257.

Liz H

Dr. Hobbs

ENG 435

March 2, 2009

Précis of “Culture, Ideology, and Interpellation” by John Fiske

In John Fiske’s article, “Culture, Ideology, and Interpellation”, Fiske examines the meaning of culture in our society today and how we arrive at such a definition of it anyway. He argues that our societal interpretation of what culture consists of is entirely political. Through a Marxist viewpoint, Fiske analyzes how a society comes to understand its ideologies or the meanings behind what they believe.

Overall, Fiske wants his readers to know that our media, television, etc. work hard to communicate societal standards and various meanings. Fiske notes that our society is made up of various levels of pursuits, ambitions, and economic understandings. Every term used is “indivisibly linked to social structure and can only be explained in terms of that structure and its history” (1268). However, society gives meaning to its culture in an unconscious way. It is not a conscious effort but one that is influenced by its ideology. To bolster his argument, he also cites Structuralism as proof for why societal meaning comes from the unconscious. Quite poignantly, Fiske states, “Societal norms are realized in the day-to-day workings of the ideological state apparatuses” (1270). If societal norms are reinforced in an unconscious, day-to-day process, then it makes sense that television and other media would be perfect avenues for such a process.

Works Cited
Fiske, John. "Culture, Ideology, Interpellation." Literary Theory: An Anthology. Eds.
Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. 2nd ed. Malden: Blackwell, 2004

Jessica P.
Dr. Hobbs
ENG 425
3/2/09

Interpreting Television Culture

In his article, Television Culture, John Fiske explains how to recognize and interpret social codes and ideologies which are embedded in television. According to Fiske, a code acts as a symbol that represents the meanings of different actions and experiences which cultures create. The classification of these codes is based on a dominant ideology that a culture adheres to. In television, these codes are the link between producers, texts, and audiences and also represent the different cultural norms that society creates (1275).

Fiske explains that there are three social codes that are encoded in television—reality, representation, and ideology. Through these codes, viewers are able to interpret an already encoded reality (1276). In examining camera work, editing, music, casting, setting and costume, make-up, action, dialogue, and ideological codes, viewers are able to recognize the encoded ideologies in television and understand any implied meaning.

In a cultural analysis of television, the viewer needs to pay less attention to the obvious text and read between the lines to understand the meanings fully (1282). Background experiences of the reader will contribute to these meanings. Further, Fiske concludes that most television is produced according to the standards of western metaphysics. Often, the white, blonde, beautiful, good people are portrayed as the heroes of the story; whereas, the villains are represented by minorities and lower-working classes. Thus, viewers interpret television based on their personal backgrounds and experiences in addition to social codes (1284).

Works Cited
Fiske, John. “Television Culture”. Literary Theory: An Anthology. 2nd ed. Ed. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2004. 1274-1284.

Kristin Brittain

Dr. Hobbs

ENG 435

3/2/09

“Discipline and Punish”

“Michel Foucault” wrote the essay “Discipline and Punish” to examine the role of the body within societal discipline and punishment. Foucault argues that within the realm of micro-physics the power exercised over the body through punishment or discipline is a strategy and is not conceived as a property. Power is thus exercised and not possessed, and this can be prevalent throughout all depths of society. Foucault argues that panopticism is better when compared to other social disciplinary models used in seventeenth and eighteenth century Europe.
During plague outbreaks in seventeenth century Europe people were condemned to there house and were ordered to appear at their window everyday and someone of authority would take inventory. Everyone was excluded from society, existed in a fixed space, and their slightest movements were supervised. The plague-ridden town is a perfect example of the disciplinary model that was used during the time, which existed in other institutions as well (schools, hospitals, prisons, etc.). Foucault examined the use of panopticism because instead of shutting down society, panoptic’s “has a role of amplification […] it’s aim is to strengthen the social forces” (536). Panoptic is a mechanism that is used to dissociate the individual. The individual is separated from others and observed by an authority figure. “He is to be seen, but not see; he is the object of information, never a subject in communication” (554). It operates beyond the control of the king and is exercised subtly within the foundations of society. Panoptics works because it creates a sense of constant visibility in the individual which guarantees the functioning of power.

Work Cited

Foucault, Michel. “Discipline and Punishment.” Literary Theory: An Anthology 2nd Ed. Ed. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 1998. 549-566.

Ava Littlefield
Dr. Hobbs
ENG 435
3 March 2009
Dividing the Sexes in Oz
According to Nancy Armstrong in her essay “Some Call it Fiction: On the Politics of Domesticity” many historical and cultural theorists “constructed separate historical narratives for self and society, family and factory, and literature and fiction” (Armstrong 568). The problem that exists, according to Armstrong, is that the separation that takes place “continues to ignore the sexual division that underwrites and naturalizes the differences between culture and politics” (Armstrong 568). Armstrong’s argument could be applied to Victor Flemings’ film production of Frank L. Baum’s book The Wizard of Oz.
Baum’s main character, Dorothy, is presented as a helpless, naïve, young girl. Baum’s representation of Dorothy may be reflective of the way women were perceived during this time. Dorothy becomes upset when she is told she must relinquish custody her dog Toto to the ill-mannered Miss Gulch. Dorothy is never permitted to present her side of the story to the county officials. This prohibition of Dorothy voicing her account of what actually took place is similar to the way that women were not permitted to speak about the way certain events took place.
Another way that Armstrong’s argument can be applied to Oz is the depiction of Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. Aunt Em is portrayed as an elderly woman who fulfills the role of the domesticated housewife. Aunt Em is also upset with the fact that Dorothy is forced to relinquish custody over Toto to Miss Gulch. Aunt Em tries to reason with Miss Gulch but her attempts are useless. Uncle Henry reiterates to both Dorothy and Aunt Em that Dorothy must abide by the laws. This surrender on Dorothy’s behalf can be paralleled with Armstrong’s argument that because women were prohibited from partaking in state institutions and politics, that had no authority to change such laws. Although Aunt Em and Dorothy felt that the surrender of Toto to Miss Gulch was unjust, they had no choice in the matter. Men and women assumed certain roles within society, “in which the female was certainly subordinate to the male and not upon the equality of the woman in kind” (Armstrong 575).
Armstrong’s argument can be applied to Baum’s representation of the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz. The wizard held a position of power in the Land of Oz. He is described as the know all of Oz. He makes the rules and calls the shots. Cultural Criticist may ask why the ruler of Oz must be male. Perhaps it reiterates Armstrong’s argument that women were exempted from any involvement concerning politics and state affairs. The ruler of Oz must be male because he is in a position to make decisions about what takes place in Oz.
Armstrong’s argument that “we must read fiction not as literature but as the history of gender differences and a means by which we have reproduced class and culture specific form of consciousness” (Armstrong 581) can be applied to the representation of Dorothy’s rescuers. Baum opted to represent Dorothy’s rescuers as all male figures. Although each character, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion, all possess a few flaws, they still manage to aid Dorothy in her pursuit to reach the wizard. Baum’s use of strictly male characters to aid Dorothy may be representative of the ideal that women were incapable of achieving anything, outside of domestic duties, on their own. The heroes in Baum’s book are represented by men, although Dorothy is the one who exposes the wizard as a fake.
If Baum’s book had been written from a female’s perspective, it might have examined Dorothy’s desire to find a happier place. Perhaps she was not content with a life on the farm. Perhaps she had no desire to remain domesticated. Perhaps she was looking for adventure. Perhaps she would have challenged the laws governed by men, which forced her to relinquish custody of Toto. Approaching the text from a cultural criticist approach might expose the many reasons why Baum opted to use male figures as Dorothy’s heroes, or examine why Aunt Em wears an apron. Does the apron signify domesticity? There are many ways that the text might have been written differently if Baum had been a female.

Work Cited
Armstrong, Nancy. “Some Call it Fiction: On the Politics of Domesticity.” 1987. Literary Theory: An Anthology. Eds. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. New York: Blackwell, 1998. 567-83.
The Wizard of Oz. Dir. Victor Fleming. Perf. Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billy Burke, Margaret Hamilton, Charlie Grapewin, Pat Walshe, Clara Blandick, and Terry. MGM, 1939.

Wesley Johnson
Dr. Hobbs
Eng 435
4 March 2009
Baseball and The Great Gatsby
Attempting to historicize F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby might seem from the surface to be a relatively simple task. In fact, much research already exists in the pursuit of understanding the cultural context and significance of the writing of the novel. However, to approach the text contemporarily with new historicism, one needs to look closer into the text. Therefore, if I were to write a new historical article on The Great Gatsby, I would be closely examining the relationship between baseball and the novel.
Baseball is not a subject within the text that is explicit. Rather, it is only mentioned in the passage where Nick Carraway meets Meyer Wolfsheim and learns that Wolfsheim is “the man who fixed the World’s Series…in 1919” (Fitzgerald 73). But, despite the minute size of the passage, it seems that the significance of Nick’s discovery is quite intense. My technique for researching this minute feature will follow the example of Stephen Greenblatt’s “Shakespeare and the Exorcists.” In which Greenblatt researched and paid specific attention to the religious cultural occurrences in Shakespeare’s life. While I have not found an immense amount of research connecting baseball and Gatsby, some scholars postulate the position of sports within Fitzgerald’s other work. “Spectator sports [especially football and baseball] were an essential influence on [Fitzgerald's] representation ... of the American way of life” (McDonald). This attempt at historicizing the context of The Great Gatsby will provide not only a new and more expansive view of the novel, but it should serve to illuminate more clearly the effect of pop culture on art.
A new historical reading of the novel is not simply to better understand the novel. This is simply the surface goal of this kind of research. I feel that the more significant point of new historicism is to understand culture. Whether it be the culture in which the text was produced or connections to contemporary society, examining minute historical factors within a novel and expounding upon them should be poignant. So, in examining baseball in Gatsby and around the writing and publication of the novel, I hope to better understand baseball’s place in American and literary history.

Work Cited
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. 1925. New York: Scribner, 2004.
Greenblatt, Stephen. “Shakespeare and the Exorcists.” Literary Theory: An Anthology. 2nd ed. Eds. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2004. 592-620.
McDonald, Jarome Lyle. Sports, narrative, and nation in the fiction of F. Scott Fitzgerald. New York: Routledge, 2007.

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Remark from Professor:

Great job, Wesley!

Class, this is exactly what I was looking for with this particular assignment. Wesley has made a "proposal" of sorts for his application paper. His paper shows me that he has a grasp of the New Historicism theory. He has cited, referenced, and quoted from his primary text (Gatsby), his main secondary text (Greenblatt), and a supporting secondary text (McDonald), to show how he would historicize Gatsby in terms of America's favorite pastime, "Baseball," to not only emphasize the context of the novel but to also let the novel's context provide an/the interpretation. Wesley is correct: with new historicism/cultural studies, the theory is not only useful for the discussion of culture in the text, it uses literature "as" a historical/cultural artifact to better understand our common history (the human record). Bravo.

~Dr. Hobbs