Notes on Ideology

This week for Uni we are studying Joseph Conrads, Heart of Darkness. I story about a man who works for a Belgium trading Co. as a skipper for a paddle steamer that commutes along the Congo in late Victorian times. The original audience for the book was conservative, white, male Imperialists - at a time when Europe was 'civilizing' and colonating wild Africa. A VERY interesting read. The corresponding chapter to read today is on "Ideaology" - I find it incredibly interesting that last weekend I was protesting against War (and Bush ideology). Then today I read from "Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory" (3rd Ed by Andrew Bennett and Nicholas Royle)

"Ideology is the confusion of linguistic and natural reality. So, the linguistic abberations Bush's speech (e.g. "I know human beings and fish can co-exsist peacefully") may themselves be said to articulate the illogicality, vanity, evasions and sheer ignorance of disastrous environmental, foreign and welfare policies - that is to say, of a certain view of the world, of a certain ideology. "
check out: www.bushisms.com for more examples of this mans absurdity.

Ideology:
* is an imagined representation of reality
* signifies the way men live out their roles in class society, the values, ideas and images which tie them by their social functions and so prevent them from a true knowledge of society as a whole
* goes to the heart of personal identity

Ideology may be defined in terms of the obvious, in terms of common sense. It is, in the West, 'common sense' that a 'normal' subject or person is autonomous, for example, that crime is the result of induvidual actions, or that such an individual operates through rational motivation. But at the same time each of these obvious, self evident or commonsensical points disguises a very specific concept of self, an ideology. "

Wow! I am loving learning about this stuff. Its amazing how what I am learning about is directly corresponding with my experiences and conversations - hmmm, I guess its not THAT amazing, it's just that I am being more conscious. And since it is a English Literature, it goes without saying that literature is where there is conflict and difference, where beliefs, prejudices, knowledge and social structures are represented and in the process, challenged and open for transformation. Yay!

On Saturday I spent the morning talking to my Dad, who is in line with Bush ideology and then spent the afternoon (while protesting) talking to Nancy, who is in line with Marxist ideology. A very thought provoking day and all I can say is that I'm SO glad that I am even thinking about these things, being challenged, broadening my mind, learning - bring it on!! I'm evolving from being a lemming.

STAND FOR PEACE

Today, 24th Feb 2007, I took my boys and we marched the streets of London for the Troops in Iraq to come home and for No Trident replacement. It was an amazing day and I spent alot of time talking to my friend Nancy (who has very different views of the world to what I have been raised with). Today was a real eye opener for me. It is amazing being around people who really give a shit, who are ALIVE and passionate, who care, who are out there doing what they can to make a difference. You can read more over on the other blog.

I was really present to a love for humanity and these people are marching because they love people (well, not the people that create wars) - They are there because they don't want thetroops killed, they don't want the Iraqi's killed. Why can't people put aside the minor differences in their beliefs and just GET LOVE. Love for God, love for each other, love for our earth. Imagine...

STAND FOR LOVE AND PEACE IN THE WORLD

Charlotte and Wilbur

This evening we got home from piano lesson and in the haste of leaving, with warm brownies for the road and bidding a quick farewell to guests - I left without taking a house key!! So, we were locked out, the one day Oscar forgot to wear his winter jacket and was in a flimsy summer T. We decided that rather than sit and wait for Dad in the car, we'd dash down to Richmond and watch a movie.

I was soo pleased to see Charlottes Web was playing, this was my favourite book as a little girl. I liked it so much that as soon as I grew up and moved out age 17, I went to a pig farm and was given a runt. Of course, I named him Wilbur. Of course my parents were over the moon when I bought him home and he promptly rooted up all of Dads new turf! Of course I couldn't keep him! Still, I really liked him, gave him lots of cuddles, washed him, put sun cream on him, played football with him. He was really intelligent and he quickly got big, so I took him to the local kiddies farm. And to this day I won't kill spiders, I don't mind having spiders in my home - Charlotte should be no excuse for not getting rid of the cobwebs...hehe

I remember crying my little eyes out when I read that Charlotte died and I did again tonight!! My boys are LOUDLY whispering, "WHY ARE YOU CRYING MUM?" hehe. I LOVED this movie, love the story of friendship.

Soft Grey Gentle Rain

Uni started 3 weeks ago, and one of my resolutions for this year is to cycle where I can. So, I cycle to Uni, it's beautiful - I ride through a forest, then through Richmond Park, then on 5mins of road into the lovely grounds of the Uni. It also happens to be the quickest way for me to get there. In the past 3 weeks there has been about 3 days with no rain - this means that I cycle in mud and being a mountain bike, everything on the front tyre spatters onto my face. I arrive covered in mud, from head to toe. I peel off the layer of mud, sit in my fast cooling sweat for 2hr lecture - ending up a bit chilled before peeling the layer of mud back on and cycling home again, not sure what is acid filled rain falling from the sky or muddy water coming from the ground that leaves my face dripping. It is far from a pleasant experience - however, as I cycle I dream of warm summer days, the pending scent of spring - this gets me home. Then I have to peel off the layer and let it dry if it's Tuesday or wash it if it's Thursday. Then I curse this blasted country for being so damn wet and grey. Why do I live here when family in Australia is in the midst of a gorgeous summer? Then some days - probably days when I've had more sleep the night before and everything is a whole lot better - I love the soft grey skies, the gentle rain nurturing the trees & washing the city. Got it, I just need to go to bed earlier - then things will always be great because I will feel better! Should I go take a nap or should I read Vasari, first ever art historian, and the Renaissance....zzzzzzzzz.

ME, I, SELF - being a subject

My homework is to take Notes from "Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory" - Bennett and Royle (Pearson Education Ltd, Harlow). These ideas and words are not my own. But I have enjoyed it so much I want to share these ideas with you. At the end I make my own comments.

"Who do I think I am? Who do you think you are? is the questions humans ask of others and try to answer about themselves".

"The unexamined life is not worth living" ~ Socrates

I or me is subject to forces and effects both externally (environmental, social, cultural, educational etc) and 'within' itself (the unconscious or 'other'). We become subject when are born - subject to our environment, subject to the Queen (if in the UK - a British Subject), subjects of the government, subject to a Christian God. Even our "I" has a name and a proper paternal name (patronym) so we are subject to a patriarchal language.

Freud's psychoanalysis theories were a blow to our Narcissism and anthropocentrism - which puts humans at the centre of the universe. Because his theory of the 'unconscious' demonstrates that the subject who thinks "I think" is composed of forces and effects which are in part unconscious. The subject that thinks "I think" does so in language. "Language governs what we say as much as we govern or USE language. Language is not simply an instrument : we are,unavoidably, AGENTS of language".

"Literature fits in to this by being a way for us to explore and reflect on the nature of personal identity, it is also the space of exhilerating, even anarchic openness and imaginative and transformationla possibility. Literature can be thought of being: "The institution which allows one to say everything, in every way" - Derrida."

"Literature, like art more generally, has always been concerned with aspects of what can be called the unconscious or 'not me' or Other: it is and has always been centrally concerned with dreams and fantasy...visions, madness, ...and other kinds of impersonality or absences of self."

"The extent of Freudian psychoanalysis suggests that everything comes down to the power and signigicance of PROJECTION, of the qualities, moods or emotions which we PROJECT ON TO people and things."

How interesting! This is exactly what The Secret is about and L/mark. We can consciously create: create possibilities as ways of being to live into ("who I am" - being) and also by projecting an energy that the the law of attractions picks up on.

There is no such thing as self, me, I (seperate from others) - we REALLY are Spirit, Everything / Nothing. Language is social, comes from others, is elsewhere and is general. So, if we say that we are subject to language, we ARE language - our word - I am my word, such that others Know me via my words. Words which are from others. We are all part of each other, connected. Jesus knew this and taught love and sent out evangelists. L/mark is up to teaching this so that there can be world peace and love, they evangelize. There is essentially no difference between each "me, I, self" - you and me. Which is why War is so bad, which is why we all need to 'love our neighbour'.

BE love, acceptance, honour and peace.

MY MY, as you can see, I am L-O-V-I-N-G my studies. I have found my Bliss. I'm not sure I have been clear, I'll leave it a couple days and read it again - likely make changes...

Going Faeryly Mad

I always secretly wanted a little girl so I would have an excuse to build a faery dell at the bottom of my garden. Keats has reminded me in La Belle Sans Merci:

I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful - a faery's child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild.

I made a garland for her head,
And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She look's at me as she did love,
And made sweet moan.

oh, I love the way poems used to be written, the old use of words - it conjurs up such beautiful images. So, I got distracted...and ended up thinking this would be fun.

And thought this weekend that we would go to the New Forest camping and find the faery dell we visited a couple years ago, just to make sure they are doing OK over the winter. Take some jam and bread, a few extra bits of fluff and feathers so they keep warm. hehe.
I'm going nuts! My friend gave me this sticker a while ago, now on my front door:




Just look at this from artist Brian Froud - love his art.

500 year plan

Last night I was having a chat to friend Michael Auty - he is a very interesting man, from Melbourne recently moved to London. We have recently started taking our children to The Woodcraft Folk meetings and while the children learn about Fair trade, where their food comes from and about people all over the world (well, that was just last night). We sit and chat, and last night he was telling me how his family always have a 500 year plan, such that, whatever they do, they think about the impact it will have in 500 years. I never pressed him for any of his specific goals...however, I really like the idea of thinking about the bigger picture rather than just our and our childrens generation. Imagine if the government and big business thought like this? What a different place the world would be. At a party not long ago I was telling someone that I had a 5 year plan and this arrogant nob was going on about how ridiculous that was. How do you know how you will feel about it in 5 years? He doesn't plan 1 year ahead... Imagine if we thought beyond ourselves and our own little lives more.

Moving along that line. Recently I have been made aware of how we tend to concentrate so much on ourselves, inward looking. We think about "me" all the time. At uni in Eng Lit, we studied the notion of "me" and then read Virginnia Woolfs 'Mrs Dalloway'. And talking in the seminar, so many people live UNCONSCIOUSLY. They are not aware that they have 'a little voice' that they are sepearate too and that they can control the little voice. Virginnia Woolf was exploring alot of that and being a bit of a mad ol girl alot of the time, certainly made it interesting reading! I love reading about all the psycho /philosophical stuff. I have spoken to people lately who don't seem to be able to step outside themselves and be objective and then powerful in their lives. They get swept along in their stories, emotion and 'poor me' syndrome - when I see this, I see that here are people that do not want to be responsible for their lives. I see it because I was like that for a long time. The mind is a fascinating thing. today I will be reading John Keats sumptous poetry - yum! He's a favourite of mine:

Ode to a Nightingale: (stanza 2)

O, for a draught of vintage! that hath been

Cool'd a long age in the deep-delved earth,

Tasting of Flora and the country green,

Dance, and Provencal song, and sunburnt mirth!

O for a beaker full of the warm South,

Full of the true, the blushful Hippocrene,

With beaded bubbles winking at the brim,

And purple stained mouth;

That I might drink, and leave the world unseen,

And with the fade away into the forest dim:

He says he'll Get pissed and be away with the birds. Today is Friday - Bring on the Weekend (I don't drink through the week...) Did you know the nations favourite sound is the glug glug glug of wine being poured, mine too! I recently watched a program called "The Food We Eat". A BBC production that my friend was a guinea pig in and they say we should drink 1 glass of red wine every day, it is proven to improve health, heart, cholestrol and alzeihmers. I'm thinking I will change my no alchohol through the week rule...only thing is - can I stop at just 1 glass? worth a try me thinks!

Kovered Kew

This morning we woke to about 2 inches of snow. 2nd time this year. Altogether pretty rare for London, which generates so much of its own heat. So, I rugged up and went for a walk in Kew. While I was walking it started chucking it down, looking up it was a really weird sensation...like the sky was falling! It was so pretty, so quite, so serene. I took loads of pics - these are a few of my favs.

The Gentleman

Yesterday I was walking along a pathway in the countryside. It was the North Downs Way, a long path that follows this hill range. So, I was holding the gate open for a man on his horse and...he tipped his hat. Like in the movies! He looked right at me, smiled and tipped his hat. My heart melted! This +60 country gentleman high up on his horse, enjoying himself, full of manners, being so polite and courteous - I love that about this country! Lovely.

13

on the 29th of January, 13 years ago I made vows. Vows that I have broken and mended. Vows that I take more seriously now than I ever have. Vows that despite everything have kept me here. And I can honestly say that I accept and am more in love with my husband than I have ever been. Content at last. Bliss.