Guest Lecture, Ashley Sheldon on Lacan Response

I found it most interesting to hear from Ashley Sheldon in regards to the contrasting ideas between Fowles and Lacan on theorizing sexuality and identity. After reading the novel Mantissa it is apparent to me that the author, Fowles, is trying to create his theories on discovering ones identity through discovering ones sexuality. Whereas Lacan's theories prove the discovery of ones sexuality is to undo the discovery of ones identity. This is most interesting to me because as disturbing as the novel can be Fowles really gets his reader thinking as to what certain aspects of sexuality can recall of a persons character. Although this makes perfect sense to me after reading Mantissa, Ashley lectured a good argument on behalf of Lacan's theory and i can also somewhat understand his alternative views on the subject- "sexuality, which contemporary culture associates most closely with one's true self, has nothing at all to do with one's self at all". Lacan believes sexual satisfaction and identity to be seen as completely contradictory. The idea of discovering ones identity is based on a completly linguistic structure, where as the sexual has nothing to do with a linguistic structure, as Lacan sees it you are no longer even thinking.

Mantissa

As a whole i found reading the text of Mantissa to be very interesting especially after learning more about theory. At first i wasn't sure why this book would be used for class because of its risque text, but after some discussion of the book i am able to make the connections between the text and theories. Such connections i have found were based off of a feminist reading.
In a feminist reading of Mantissa the lead female character, Erato, is portrayed as less of a character than the lead male character, Miles Green, because of her gender role. At the beginning of the novel Erato stands for what she believes in, as does Miles, but once sex is involved Erato becomes less of a powerful character simply giving in to whatever will please Miles. This can be seen at the end of the book when Miles Green and Erato are discussing The Odessey and the character Penelope. Miles Green openly views Penelope to be a waste of a character, only created for the hopless romantic female readers.

Ken Rufo on Baudrillard

This weeks post was most interesting thanks to Ken Rufo and his lecture on Baudrillard. I had heard the name before but did not know much in regaurds to Baudrillard and his theories. From discussion in class and the online lecture i now have a better understanding of Baudrillard. I found it most interesting when Ken Rufo discussed comparisons and contrasts of Marx and Baudrillard's theories. For myself, when the theories are somehow connected it helps make the learning process a bit easier especially on such intense material.

Another part of the lecture i found most interesting was when Ken Rufo explained Baudrillard's interest in simulation in two basic themes. I found his first explanation of the theory easy to relate to, especially in todays media centered world. It is true for people of all ages that television and all media make the unreal seem real. The second part of his explanation was more confusing , but the idea is that theories function as a critical simulation making meanings appear as if they are real when they are simply producing more simulation. Simulation seems to be constant and all around us, and to me it seems in our culture there is no way to avoid it. So all we can do is aknowledge that it is there and try to live the best we can within the real.