DEFAMILIARIZATION DEFAMILIARIZATION

ostranenie ostranenie – “making – “making strange”strange”

Russian Formalist criticsRussian Formalist critics

In a famous essay first published in In a famous essay first published in 1917, Victor Shklovsky argued that 1917, Victor Shklovsky argued that the essential purpose of art is to the essential purpose of art is to overcome the deadening effects of overcome the deadening effects of habit by representing familiar things habit by representing familiar things in unfamiliar waysin unfamiliar ways

Victor ShklovskyVictor Shklovsky

“ “ Habitualization devours works, clothes, Habitualization devours works, clothes, furniture, one’s wife, and the fear of furniture, one’s wife, and the fear of war ... And art exists that one may war ... And art exists that one may recover the sensation of life; it exists to recover the sensation of life; it exists to make one feel things, to make the make one feel things, to make the stony stony stony. stony. The purpose of art is to The purpose of art is to impart the sensation of things as they impart the sensation of things as they are perceived and not as they are are perceived and not as they are known.known. ” ”

Tolstoy’s parody of operaTolstoy’s parody of opera

“ “ Then still more people came running Then still more people came running out and began to drag away the out and began to drag away the maiden who had been wearing a maiden who had been wearing a white dress but who now wore one of white dress but who now wore one of sky blue. They did not drag her off sky blue. They did not drag her off immediately, but sang with her for a immediately, but sang with her for a long time before dragging her away ”long time before dragging her away ”

How does this parody work? How does this parody work?

Charlotte Brontë’sCharlotte Brontë’sVilletteVillette

Villette is the fictional name of Brussels, Villette is the fictional name of Brussels, where the heroine and narrator, Lucy where the heroine and narrator, Lucy Snowe, is obliged to earn her bread as a Snowe, is obliged to earn her bread as a teacher in a girls’ boarding-school. She is teacher in a girls’ boarding-school. She is secretly and hopelessly in love with an secretly and hopelessly in love with an English doctor, John Bretton, who escorts English doctor, John Bretton, who escorts her to art galleries but leaves her to her to art galleries but leaves her to explore them alone – an arrangement explore them alone – an arrangement which suits her independent spirit.which suits her independent spirit.

The Nude in 19The Nude in 19thth C. Art C. Art

Subjects attached to Subjects attached to mythical or historical mythical or historical sourcessources

Intimidating grandeur of Intimidating grandeur of scalescale

Coded signs of high Coded signs of high cultureculture archeological or luxurious archeological or luxurious

propsprops the discourse of art history the discourse of art history

and connoisseurshipand connoisseurship

Jean Dominique Ingres Jean Dominique Ingres The Turkish BathThe Turkish Bath

Jean AndrJean Andréé Rixens Rixens The Death of CleopatraThe Death of Cleopatra (1874)(1874)

How does this How does this passage from passage from VilletteVillette parody the sexist conventions of ‘the parody the sexist conventions of ‘the Nude’ in oil painting?Nude’ in oil painting? Using such features previously Using such features previously

mentioned of the Nude as a genre of mentioned of the Nude as a genre of ‘High Art’, identify specific quotations in ‘High Art’, identify specific quotations in the text where Brontthe text where Brontëë makes us look at makes us look at such a painting in a new, critical waysuch a painting in a new, critical way

Thus the monumental size of the female figure and the Thus the monumental size of the female figure and the superfluity of drapery about her, facts ignored or superfluity of drapery about her, facts ignored or suppressed in conventional art appreciation, are brought suppressed in conventional art appreciation, are brought into the open by an empirical, quasi-scientific calculation of into the open by an empirical, quasi-scientific calculation of weight and quantity: “from fourteen to sixteen stone ... weight and quantity: “from fourteen to sixteen stone ... seven-and-twenty yards, I should say, of drapery.” We have seven-and-twenty yards, I should say, of drapery.” We have become so familiar with the use of drapery in classical become so familiar with the use of drapery in classical paintings of the nude, billowing round the figure in paintings of the nude, billowing round the figure in convoluted folds without covering anything except perhaps convoluted folds without covering anything except perhaps a few inches of pubic flesh, that we no longer perceive its a few inches of pubic flesh, that we no longer perceive its essential artificiality. The same applies to the picturesque essential artificiality. The same applies to the picturesque arrangement of various objects and utensils in the arrangement of various objects and utensils in the foreground of such paintings –why foreground of such paintings –why are are those goblets those goblets invariably overturned on the floor, when the personages invariably overturned on the floor, when the personages depicted would have had plenty of opportunity, or servants, depicted would have had plenty of opportunity, or servants, to pick them up? Lucy’s unblinking scrutiny raises questions to pick them up? Lucy’s unblinking scrutiny raises questions habitually repressed in the ritual of gallery-visiting. The habitually repressed in the ritual of gallery-visiting. The languorous reclining pose of the woman, with its tacit erotic languorous reclining pose of the woman, with its tacit erotic invitation, is ridiculed by remarking on its incongruity with invitation, is ridiculed by remarking on its incongruity with the time of day depicted, and the lack of any evidence of the time of day depicted, and the lack of any evidence of the subject’s physical debility. And by holding back the ride, the subject’s physical debility. And by holding back the ride, “Cleopatra”, till the end of her description, Lucy implies the “Cleopatra”, till the end of her description, Lucy implies the arbitrariness and spuriousness of the historical/mythological arbitrariness and spuriousness of the historical/mythological justification claimed by the painting, which could just as well justification claimed by the painting, which could just as well have been called “Dido” or “Delilah”, or (more honestly) have been called “Dido” or “Delilah”, or (more honestly) “Odalisque”.“Odalisque”.

The narrative function of such The narrative function of such a passagea passage

The story “pauses” so that the painting may be The story “pauses” so that the painting may be described. But its description does have a narrative described. But its description does have a narrative function. function.

1.1. Firstly, it contributes to the characterization of Lucy Firstly, it contributes to the characterization of Lucy Snowe: a young woman of strong, independent and Snowe: a young woman of strong, independent and unconventional views, though her lack of beauty, status or unconventional views, though her lack of beauty, status or wealth oblige her to keep them to herself most of the wealth oblige her to keep them to herself most of the time. time.

2.2. Secondly, it provokes an interesting scene with M. Paul Secondly, it provokes an interesting scene with M. Paul Emmanuel, the testy, unprepossessing, but vital Emmanuel, the testy, unprepossessing, but vital schoolmaster at Lucy’s school, whom she in due course schoolmaster at Lucy’s school, whom she in due course recognizes as a much more fulfilling mate than the recognizes as a much more fulfilling mate than the superficially eligible Dr John. Paul Emmanuel discovers her superficially eligible Dr John. Paul Emmanuel discovers her in front of the “Cleopatra” and is shocked – a reaction in front of the “Cleopatra” and is shocked – a reaction which shows him as immune to the cant of which shows him as immune to the cant of connoisseurship (he is not impressed by the painting’s connoisseurship (he is not impressed by the painting’s high cultural pretensions), but in thrall to gender high cultural pretensions), but in thrall to gender stereotyping (he does not think it suitable far stereotyping (he does not think it suitable far contemplation by a young lady).contemplation by a young lady).