20

8 9 , 13/5/2010 (7- Human Stain -8 )

Oscar winning Director Robert Benton 2003

Kramer vs. Kramer

Pieces in the Heart

Nobodys Fool

1st part of the bookPay attention to the structure

The human stain (book)

The book has 5 chaptersThats what comes of his life with people like us. The human stain We leave a stain, we leave our imprint, impurity abuse, errorimplication of human stainWe are in 1998: Lewinski and Viagra

Historical novel (1998) summer of Clinton scandal and when the Viagra kicks off the market place. The history of desire; not only sexual. But desire to perform your life.

Historical markers are mundane and debased but the novel evokes trans-historical truths such as the history of desire. Element of History in postmodernism: A tendency to rewrite history irony. (Why does Roth start the story giving the parallel story of Monica-Clinton?) Puritan ethic how Americans should be

At the beginning Roth states that he wants to criticize this ecstasy of sanctimony.Why Clinton-Monica is important?

How the novel is extended to a larger critique of the 20th century culture?

Roth builds up a plot as a microcosmic case the individual case of the hero/Silk to tell us something for 20th century culture in general

The desire to impeach the president is out of proportion to the crime the hypocrisy of people.

It is possible that congressmen railing against Clinton were covering up their own offenses or inner desiresThe underlying message zealots of the left and right are tainted by the same disease: smugness and self-righteousness.

Roths fury at American Puritanism and his vehement contempt for all forms of moral scapegoatingThe cultural implication of political correctnessPolitical correctness is a historical element that spread in the cultural community with focus on the language.

Novel belongs in the identity plot genre. The construction of identity is it racial? Biological? Essence? Performance?

Tension with individuals in a group tension between the I and the We. Plot twists in this classical theme.

Page 106 the protagonist decides not to conform to the group. He hated Howard.Coleman reference to his race (middle name Brutus reference to betrayal)

The novel is also about class limits/transgressions not only about race.I VS WE (page 108)

Pioneers! Book The pioneersThe great of the greatest pioneers of the I They create their own self (Emerson, Whitman, Gatsby etc)p. 144 Coleman decides to get rid of the ancestors worship. The hell with that imprisonment - Radical un-freedom: he wants to be different than the usual we. He wants to be himself.Identity as fluidity He could play his skin however he wanted, color himself as he chose (p.109)

Although his father gave them middle names from Sh and tried to show them the grandeur of the English language he gains his power from the act of performing his identity

(p.109) He wants to transgress every group he is in (all sorts of border), to create his own life.Character..became personality. Became identity (fluid etc)

Novels point of view (Nathan Zuckerman)

Judith Butler: sex/race is a social construction Steenas dance (more than foreplay)Full of connotations novel; sth that does not come up in the movie

(p.115) In the dance scene with Nathan the description of his body is revealing (p.21-22).

Body as revelation its transparency Coleman is still the maker of himself in the world

Jazz music hybrid music (black and Jewish!?!) +Steenas pure whitenessIt evokes an identity of absolute fluidity..

Irony

Who are you? emphasis on identity..(Identity as secrecy)

p.93 They learned the power of naming precisely It is exactly what Coleman does not do. He uses his father lessons in a subversive manner! Decision not to be classified!The materiality of the body(The dance with Nathan) revealing some elements of Colemans identity (p.21)Importance of physique but also mind! Boxing emphasis on being smart for Coleman. Not an overpowered opponent but a cunning one!Like the Human Stain is the sequel of Ellisons The Invisible Man that he never got to write!Boxing as metaphor (boxing in American literature) individualism!Tattoo as a symbol of the decision of his passing / permanency/ human stainPhysical markers reveal sth about ones identity. But the book is contrary to that; to those markers. The details are the ciphers that make us different. Million little symbolsPeople identities are not transparent!THE BODY AS CIPHERThe blue tattoo as a sign of differenceColeman is not decipherable

Tuesday the 25th makeup class at 9amLILY-WHITE faceLanguage as a demonstration of identity (p.182) revealing and concealingColeman uses it to Nelson when he is enraged with him. It slips from his mouth.

He is angry and he reveals sth about himself.Delphine Roux (Delphine mysteries) but she lacks complexity(P.38-39)Secrecy at the heart of identity

(p.99 100) He did love secrets Counter-confessional! (Connotation: The confessional poets)Power and pleasure in concealing and being counter-confessional!Roth biography! Roth keeps being confessional in the 5 decades of his writing history.His heroes approach Roths age and have his own problems.

Nathan is Roths mouthpiece writing secluded etc (similarities but do you know him?)Secrecy is his credo and not revelation.

Immerse yourself in competition