Symbolic War Intro

8/12/2019 Symbolic War Intro

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Symbolic War: The Cultural Politics of Proletarian Literature, 1929 1935

La!rence " #anley$e%t of &n'lishCity Colle'e of (e! )or*

hanley+b!aynet
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Introduction

$es%ite a %rofusion of ne! critical !or* on the 193s an- the ra-ical

!ritin' of the -eca-e, it can be -ifficult to recall .ust ho! central %roletarian

literature !as to the /merican literary an- cultural scene of the 193s 0et!een

rou'hly 1929 an- 1935, %roletarian literature ca%ture- the ener'ies, ambitions,

talents, an- labor of t!o 'enerations of /merican cultural !or*ers )oun'er

!riters li*e ac* Conroy, Tillie lsen, an- ichar- Wri'ht, alon' !ith lesser4

*no!ns li*e &--ie olfe, race Lum%*in, Thomas 0ell, an- others launche- their

literary careers un-er the ae'is of %roletarian literature, !hile establishe- !riters

an- critics 4 4 from &rs*ine Cal-!ell to Lan'ston #u'hes to ose%hine #erbst 4

4-e-icate- themsel6es an- their formi-able literary ca%ital to the %roletarian

mo6ement Publishers an- ma'a7ine e-itors, inclu-in' #L 8enc*en at the

/merican 8ercury, solicite- manuscri%ts from u% an- comin' !or*in'4class

!riters, an- one literary historian of the %erio- counts o6er fifty %roletarian

no6els %ublishe- in this short fi6e4year s%an i-eout 2954;


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are in -eman- u%on the to%icA an- %ublishers, e6er @uic* to sense

chan'e in literary interest an- taste, are alrea-y ali6e to the

%ossibilities of !hat one of them, a !ell4*no!n >hunch> man in the

fiel-, -escribe- !ith obscene nai6etB as >the %roletarian rac*et>

Can We 39s most

ar-ent %romoter, sa! the mo6ement>s emer'in' cultural authority as a

%remonition of cultural re6olution Dt is only a fe! short years in /merica since

the conce%t of a >%roletarian literature> !as a shabby rebel star6in' in a lonesome

furnishe- room, ol- !rote in 193E Df critics once snubbe- the cru-e u%start

of %roletarian literature, no! they fin- him hi-in' in e6ery batch of current boo*s

that arri6es from a %ublisher They smell his s%oor throu'h the %a'es of nearly

e6ery %erio-ical They must ta*e account of him, an- fin- ans!ers to the cruel

@uestions he is fore6er %ro%oun-in' $aniel 0oone 2Es mer'er of

autobio'ra%hy an- literary history ca%tures the e=citement, ur'ency, an-

antici%ation felt by many on the left in the 193s as they stru''le-, for a brief,

successful moment, to %roletariani7e /merican literature

0y 1935, this %roletarian moment !oul- be o6er Some, li*e Leslie

"ie-ler, Phili% ah6, William Philli%s, Dr6in' #o!e, another former ra-icals soon

to become %ost4!ar man-arins, !oul- rea- %roletarian literature>s brief rei'n as a

%arable of Communism>s threat to liberal culture an- society "oley 154E2A Pec*,

r'y


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States F;5, F;1


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rearticulation of si'ns, one of cultural stu-ies> most inno6ati6e theoretical

formulations, -e%en-s for instance on the insi'ht that, as Stuart #all %uts it, the

meanin' of a cultural form an- its %lace or %osition in the cultural fiel- is not

inscribe- insi-e its form The meanin' of a cultural symbol is 'i6en in %art by the

social fiel- into !hich it is incor%orate-, the %ractices !ith !hich it articulates an-

is ma-e to resonate (otes 235


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Communications -e%artments or #umanities -i6isions 4 4 as their anta'onists

In-erscorin' this common location in the Ini6ersity raises the @uestion, as oel

Pfister %hrases it: if cultural stu-ies is %ractice- by the P8C G%rofessional4

mana'erial classH, !ho is it forJ 295- e6er be 1Es

story re-uces the -ilemmas of %roletarian narrati6e>s cultural self4consciousness

to its most ty%ical e=%ression The story sim%ly narrates the 6olatile

consciousness of Saroyan>s %rota'onist as he circulates across social an-

cultural boun-aries an- confronts the -is.unctures bet!een !or*in'4class

authorshi%, %erformance, an- rece%tion >#ara>s mantra of -ifference, his

i-entification !ith the street, asserts the boun-aries bet!een hi'h an- lo!,

s%urious an- 'enuine, !or*in' an- mi--le classes, e6en as it is the reco'nition

of their %ermeability that -ri6es this com%ulsi6e reiteration /mbition an- talent

seem to ha6e ferrie- >#ara across class boun-aries, but this crossin'

com%licates the authority an- trans%arency of his relations to the street

because, once he is alienate- from his ori'inal location, he no lon'er o!ns

himself or his Sym%hony Dnstea-, as >#ara reco'ni7es, meanin' an- i-entity


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enter the arena of si'ns an- si'nification: #e !as from the street, >#ara says,

an- he !as %rou- of it, only he -i-n>t !ant them to 'et it !ron' 1E


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to be reco'ni7e- as an artist, is to 'ain access to a structure that !or*s

ceaselessly, as Pierre 0our-ieu has -ocumente- in $istinction, throu'h material

a%%aratuses li*e e-ucation, the me-ia, an- the mar*et, to articulate class

-ifferences !ith a natural cultural -ifference bet!een the tasteful an- the

barbaric Prelu-e>s -ouble- %erformance 4 4 of /merican Sym%hony an-

alienate- self 4 4 illustrates the !ay %roletarian narrati6e ten-s to be fissure- by

its com%etin' a--resses, narratin' !or*in'4class e=%erience but also

inesca%ably a!are of its im%lication in the %ro-uction of the tasteful an- the

barbaric

Themati7in' cultural circulation as an instance of the class lo'ic of cultural

-istinction, %roletarian narrati6es ty%ically %ro-uce !hat D call alle'ories of culture

an- class These alle'ories, li*e Saroyan>s %ortrait of >#ara an- his Sym%hony,

stru''le to theori7e %roletarian literature as social an- cultural %ractice 4 4 as a

form of narrati6e that me-iates relations bet!een !or*in'4class re%resentations,

%roletarian authorshi%, an- mi--le4class rea-ers The inability to reconcile the

-is.unctures bet!een the authority of !or*in'4class re%resentation an- its

rece%tion !ithin a bour'eois cultural fiel- in-uces the ty%ical self4refle=i6ity of

%roletarian narrati6e, a self4refle=i6ity that re6ol6es aroun- @uestions li*e: !here

an- ho! is %roletarian literature %ositione- in the cultural fiel-J ho! -o the social

relations of culture constrain the cultural !or* of %roletarian narrati6eJ ho! can

minority, or subaltern, re%resentations sub6ert or short4circuit the social %rocess

that con6erts !or*in'4class< !ritin' into bour'eois< literatureJ $ifferent

%roletarian te=ts ans!er these @uestions -ifferently Some, li*e ac* Conroy>s

The $isinherite-, narrate the surren-er of a literary ambition that fuels the -esire

to !rite class an-, at the same time, ultimately -is%ossesses the %roletarian

!riter thers, li*e /lbert #al%er>s The "oun-ry, try to fore'roun- the s%lits an-

fissures of %roletarian enunciation an- hence e=ert some control o6er the


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circulation of !or*in'4class re%resentations across class lines The !ar bet!een

an insur'ent %roletarian literature an- establishe- literary an- cultural authority

thus becomes the other story of %roletarian narrati6e itself

The %ro-uction of this other story is not ho!e6er confine- to %roletarian

narrati6e "rom the other si-e of the class -i6i-e, a ne! attention to an-

in6estment in the !or*in' classes %ro-uce- similar, if less -o''e-ly %ursue-,

alle'ories of class an- culture (arratin' or recor-in' the other half,

establishe- !riters, artists, an- critics also ma%%e- the com%licate- relations of

social %o!er an- cultural re%resentation To ta*e one famous e=am%le, !hen the

"arm Security /-ministration commissione- -o7ens of %hoto'ra%hers to recor-

e6ery-ay /merican life, it also inau'urate- a -eca-e4lon' in6esti'ation into the

uses an- %ur%oses of %hoto'ra%hy To un-erstan- the alle'ories of class an-

culture enco-e- into -e%ression4era -ocumentary %hoto'ra%hy, one nee- only

com%are the ima'es that be'in an- en- Wal*er &6ans> 193F collection, /merican

Photo'ra%hs &6ans> o%enin' ima'es 4 4 of a commercial %hoto'ra%hy stu-io

an- of its colla'e of sam%le %ortrait %hotos 4 4 un-erscore commercial

%hoto'ra%hy>s mass %ro-uction of ima'es an- in-i6i-uality The collection>s

closin' ima'e, an e=treme close4u% of a tin ornament, fore'roun-s not .ust the

su%erior beauty of crafte- o6er commo-ifie- %ro-ucts, it also 6in-icates the use

of %hoto'ra%hy to re4sacrali7e the !orl- of /merican ob.ects &6ans> %ictures in

/merican Photo'ra%hs, /lan Trachtenber' !rites, sho! a nation cau'ht !ithin

o%%ositions an- -ifferences Dn another li'ht they offer by enactment an

alternati6e to the commercial an- instrumental metho-s of seein' !hich they

o%%ose 2F5


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The class -imensions of this alle'ory become more 6isible in a

%hoto'ra%h by ussell Lee title- sim%ly, "S/ Clients at #ome, #i-al'o County,

Te=as, 1939 The %hoto>s

ca%tion em%hasi7es the

ty%icality, or

re%resentati6eness, !hich

!as a chief 'oal of

-ocumentarians Dts

-e%iction of a husban- an-

!ife at home, seate-

o%%osite each other, one

rea-in' a ma'a7ine an- the other *nittin', -emonstrates -ocumentary

%hoto'ra%hy>s license to %enetrate other!ise conceale- interiors, turnin' %ri6ate

life into %ublic recor- &6ans !oul- %aro-y this license in his 193K %hoto'ra%h

of a furniture com%any billboar- !hich is itself a re%resentation of a -omestic

interior< Dn Lee>s %hoto'ra%h, the !ife>s hairnet an- the holes in the husban->s

soc*s si'nal their class status, but they also si'nal o!nershi% of the ima'e This

is not a %icture the t!o clients !oul- ta*e of themsel6es /s if to fore'roun-

this conflict bet!een %hoto'ra%hic %ractices, t!o stu-io %ortraits in tiny frames

stan- on either en- of the massi6e ra-io that -i6i-es an- se%arates husban- an-

!ife While their association !ith the ra-io comments %erha%s on the relation

bet!een mass culture an- e6ery-ay life, intentionally or not, the stu-io %ortraits

in6o*e a %o%ular %ractice of %hoto'ra%hy as, in Pierre 0our-ieu>s %hrase, a

technolo'y of solemni7ation Photo'ra%hy 2;


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!ays that i-eali7e an- sociali7e in-i6i-ual i-entity, conflicts !ith -ocumentary

%hoto'ra%hy>s o!n im%erati6es to e=%ose an- circulate %articular an- imme-iate

realities Photo'ra%hin' his "S/ clients, Lee also sta'es the -ifference

bet!een %hoto'ra%hic %ractices, one belon'in' to %o%ular self4%resentation an-

the other to mi--le4class %ro.ects of reform, an- alle'ori7es the class relations of

-ocumentary re%resentation

Dn its o!n !ay, then, Lee>s %hoto'ra%h %artici%ates in the -ouble- lo'ic

common to %roletarian narrati6eA "S/ Clients at #ome -ocuments social

-ifference e6en as it raises @uestions about ho! re%resentations of -ifference

circulate bet!een an- across class lines "ollo!in' throu'h on their mimetic

ambitions, "S/ %hoto'ra%hs li*e Lee>s enact an other story about class an-

culture Dt !oul- be tem%tin' to rea- a theory of class an- cultural circulation out

of the other stories that %roliferate in te=ts from the 193s, but the historicity of

class structures an- cultural formations, es%ecially in the $e%ression -eca-e,

!arns a'ainst such labors in %rinci%le n the other han-, rea-in' %roletarian

narrati6e as both a site of cultural circulation, !here !riters an- te=ts ne'otiate

their cultural business !ith other 'enres, forms, an- lan'ua'es, an- as a

me-itation on the %roblems of circulation, the aim of Symbolic War is not @uite

-irecte- at either literary history or the canon The %ur%ose of my e=ten-e-

rea-in's of !riters li*e ac* Conroy, "iel-in' 0ur*e, 8eri-el LeSueur, /lbert

#al%er, Thomas 0ell, /'nes Sme-ley, an- others is less to re-eem an- reco6er

faile- can-i-ates for canoni7ation than to -e6elo% a heuristic for un-erstan-in'

the relations of class an- culture that continue to structure our o!n moment 8y

conclusions about %roletarian literature re6ol6e, then, not aroun- the 6alue of

ra-ical !riters an- !ritin' in the 193s, but aroun- the challen'es %ose- by

%roletarian narrati6e to the nature an- effects of our o!n contem%orary

in6estments in social -ifference


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This ar'ument be'ins in cha%ter one, !ith an effort first to -efamiliari7e

%roletarian literature by narratin' its emer'ence in the early thirties as %art of a

more 'eneral cultural in6estment in the re-em%ti6e %o!ers of social -ifference

Po%ular culture of the early thirties is tra6erse- by narrati6es of crisis an-

reco6ery, from %o%ular fiction in the Satur-ay &6enin' Post to a-6ertisin' to

"aul*ner>s Sanctuary These narrati6es treat social -ifference ambi6alently,

ac*no!le-'in' its %o!er to -isru%t social or-er !hile stru''lin' to circumscribe

an- control this %o!er / film li*e Nin' Non' %lots 6ictory o6er forces an- a'ents

of social -ifference, e6en as it 6isually celebrates Non'>s %o!er an- un-ermines

the le'itimacy of the social authorities it re%resents Non', as D ar'ue,

e=em%lifies the increasin' alienation of affect an- i-eolo'y that mar*s the

$e%ression>s onsetA ol- beliefs, meanin's, an- 6alues %ersist, but nobo-y really

belie6es in them anymore /s a creation of 8i*e ol-, the %roletarian !riter

mo6es into cultural %rominence at the same time as Nin' Non' -econstructs art

-eco 8anhattan In-erstan-in' ho! the %ariah of /merican lettersM "olsom

19;2< became the ma'netic center of /merican literary culture in the early 193s

-e%en-s on un-erstan-in' this broa-er i-eolo'ical an- cultural crisis

Dn the early thirties, %roletarian literature bro*ere- a mer'er bet!een

!or*in'4class !riters an- ra-icali7e- literary fi'ures /s the first section of

Symbolic War ar'ues, this mer'er recreate- %roletarian literature as a contact

7one mar*e- an- -elimite- not by aesthetic %rescri%tions or Party i-eolo'y but

by com%etin' -efinitions of literariness, authorshi%, an- au-ience Sus%en-e-

bet!een the !or*in'4class an- mi--le4class, %olitics an- literature, history an-

tra-ition, the ra-ical !ritin' %ro-uce- in this %erio- not only enacts the -ilemmas

of the contact 7one but can also be rea- as an effort to mana'e the confusions

an- contra-ictions en'en-ere- by the %olitical, social, an- literary referents

con-ense- into the term %roletarian literature a-ical literary criticism of the


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%erio- re6ol6e- aroun- insoluble commitments to the !or*in'4class an- to the

rei'nin' institution of literature Dn Proletarian Literature in the Inite- States, the

%roletarian mo6ement>s sho!case antholo'y, the %roblem of the relationshi%

bet!een liberal mi--le4class rea-ershi% an- %roletarian sub.ects becomes the

-ominant motif, tyin' to'ether te=ts by authors as 6arious as ohn $os Passos,

8uriel u*eyser, &-!in olfe, an- Tiller Lerner lsens The

$isinherite- narrates similar in-eterminacies !hen it %ro.ects the conflicts

bet!een !or*in'4class e=%erience an- literary le'itimacy onto a masculine,

!or*in'4class bo-y ma-e 'rotes@ue an- monstrous by its immersion in the

contact 7one ea-in' these te=ts to'ether 4 4 ra-ical criticism, %roletarian

antholo'y, an- The $isinherite- 4 4 !e come closer to seein' ho! %roletarian

literature names a common situation, or %roblematic, susce%tible to a 6ariety of

narrati6e, 'eneric, an- formal strate'ies rather than a stable bo-y of authors,

te=ts, or con6entions

To in6o*e 8ichel -e Certeau>s -istinction, %roletarian literature -esi'nates

a spacerather than a place-e Certeau


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South Dn 8eri-el LeSueur>s case, %roletarian literature o%ene- an a6enue onto

!or*in'4class culture an- the mass cultural forms an- i-eolo'ies that seeme- to

baffle socialist %olitics Dn The irl, LeSueur narrates the transformation of har-4

boile- crime fiction, an- its i-eolo'emes of ac@uisiti6e in-i6i-ualism, class

6iolence, an- urban masculinity, into a socialist feminist %arable of collecti6ity an-

sur6i6al Dn its ambition to ra-icali7e a 'enre alrea-y %o%ular !ith !or*in'4class

rea-ers, LeSueur>s no6el %ro%oses an alternati6e cultural %olitics to those

ma%%e- by either ol- or liberal fello! tra6elers $ar'an an- Le Seuer

a%%ro%riate %roletarian narrati6e in !ays both critical an- affirmati6e,

-emonstratin' that the historical %ossibilities of %roletarian literature e=cee- our

usual, retros%ecti6e efforts to brin' resolution to the com%licate-, messy scene of

ra-ical culture in the 193s

(ot all %roletarian !riters !ere %ositione-, or %ositione- themsel6es, to

ta*e a-6anta'e of this s%ace in the same !ays as LeSueur an- $ar'an Section

three recalls Conroy>s The $isinherite- to trace the !ays in !hich literary

ambition coul- both enable an- -isable %roletarian careers an- %ro.ects

Proletarian no6els li*e William ollins> The Sha-o! 0efore, Tillie lsen>s

)onnon-io, /'nes Sme-ley>s $au'hter of &arth, an- others theori7e a %recarious

cultural s%ace for %roletarian literature, %oise- bet!een bour'eois culture on the

one han- an- mass culture on the other /ccor-in' to the alle'ories of culture

an- class in these fictions, %roletarian narrati6e has to ne'otiate a critical relation

to both the uni6ersali7in', affirmati6e culture o!ne- by the mi--le classes an-

the e@ually esca%ist, but se-ucti6e i-eali7ations of ca%italist mass culture

8a%%in' this in-eterminate, uncharte- location, %roletarian no6els li*e Thomas

0ell>s /ll 0ri-es /re 0eautiful an- /lbert #al%er>s The "oun-ry %ro-uce

-econstructi6e fictions: narratin' %roletarian e=%erience, they simultaneously

narrate the im%ossible situation of their o!n re%resentations /s in Saroyan>s


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Prelu-e, this self4refle=i6ity ac*no!le-'es the im%ossibility of authentic or

unme-iate- re%resentations of the !or*in'4class The only true %roletarian

literature, accor-in' to 0ell an- #al%er, is a form of !ritin' that constantly

e=%oses an- un-ermines its authority as an en6oy or -ele'ate of social

-ifference

Dn a contem%orary moment an- %lace, the Ini6ersity, officially -e-icatin'

itself to multiculturalism, -i6ersity, an- -ifference, e6en as it !ith-ra!s access

an- o%%ortunity by retreatin' from affirmati6e action or by raisin' stan-ar-s,

these %roletarian fictions mi'ht %erha%s fin- further em%loyment for their cultural

labors

Symbolic War Intro

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