Notes: J. Fiske, “Reading Characters”
By Megan O'Reilly
- Spoke of television; serials (fem)-Chapter/ One episode to the next; more realistic vs.series (masc.) -collection like Dubliners; Not as realistic (does not connect from previous episodes- every episode restarts) i.e. Always Sunny in Philadelphia Series
- One primary opposition that structures argument
1. Realism vs structuralism: Two ways of reading the text and the ways in which we can make sense to it.
(1) Realism: identify with character; as self–bounded, autonomous, contained
(a) (Self: “individualism” ––“Round” many traits which define the self) ex. Global climate change: about individuals; If changing their behaviors can work this means that it is all about the individuals, if not you go after corporations that are the problem.
(b) Encourages for us to identify with characters as people. Makes us think about narrative problems as being about individuals.
(c) This is an ideology because it wants us to look at the world in a particular way; solution is Structuralism
(d) Mimesis–> imitate(art exists to imitate); Verisimilitude–> true likeness
(2) Structuralism: There are no selves. Cannot start with the self because it is a construction. World–> representation; Everything is perspectival, representations structures the way we view the world.
- Reflect on Saussure: no intrinsic meaning to “cat”, meaning of word does not follow its connection to things but the relation of its difference.
(a) Embodied in relation of differences; signified in relation of differences.
(b) Subjects(in relation to selves): Structuralism word of self–> do not have to be coherent. Contradictory– Characters can be constructed from this. - Characters are the subjects which the discourse relates them to one another. Our relation to characters is the result of unresolved contradictions. Ex: Marvel movies- allegorical structure
(c) Social: Ultimate goal is to read the text as it is immersed in social events.
2. Way that Fiske reads: all about oppositions/ all about relation of traits
Examples
- Female VS Male; Housewife vs. Cop
- Lacey vs Cagney
- Passive vs Active
- Imagination vs Reality
i. What is our relation to them
a. Ex: Lenehan/ Corely/ Servant: Lenehan had a relation to both feminine and masculine– Shared similarities of hat with the servant (yacht hat and sailor hat).
b. Closer we look at the text the more social conflicts will be apparent. Ex:Withering Heights- Difference between households, dislikes of characters; property capital vs entrepreneur capital