Foucauldian Power and Identity in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath
Journal Title: International Research Journal of Applied and Basic Sciences - Year 2014, Vol 8, Issue 11
Abstract
Power relation and identity have always been the matter of debates in literature. Althusser, the Marxist critic and thinker, believes that power is possessed by the powerful; consequently, the less powerful are nothing but puppets that are doomed to accept the wills of the system and the institutions. Rejecting this theory, Michel Foucault, the French critic, asserts that power is not something to be held or possessed by the governments, systems and institutions since it is not something fixed and stable. On the contrary, power in power relation is dynamic and for this reason it can be productive. This view of power relation can neither be negative nor result in repression. In fact, it exists wherever there is resistance and it exists in every kind of relation, so it can be positive and productive. According to this theory each individual, in turn, would not have a fixed identity, for the power is volatile, an unstable element which can always be contested. To study John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath under the light of Foucauldian theory of power, firstly two characters, Tom Joad who is just released from prison and Jim Casy, the ex-preacher are selected. These two characters’ resistance against the system in the power relation is studied focusing on Foucault’s theory of power. In the next step, it is tried to show whether the Foucauldian concept of the resistance ultimately leads to productivity as he predicts or not, and finally the effects of the power relation on the two mentioned characters’ identity is studied.
Authors and Affiliations
Abdolreza Goudarzi| Ph. D. Student of English Literature, Department of English, Alborz Campus, University of Tehran, email: a.rezagoudarzi@yahoo.com, Dr. Zohreh Ramin| Department of English, University of Tehran, Iran
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP6836
- DOI -
- Views 364
- Downloads 19
Effect of item variety on the performance of EFL learners' reading comprehension
Reading comprehension can be considered as a multifaceted skill that involves understanding a text, processing information, and interpreting the author's intention. Moreover, item variety has been regarded as one of the...
Yield and Quality of Berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) in Response to Nitrogen Fertilization and Plant Density
A field experiment was carried out in 2012 at agriculture research field of Qaemshahr, Iran, to investigate the effect of nitrogen fertilizer levels and plant density on morphological and physiological characteristics of...
XBRL; A New Language for Financial Reporting
eXtensible Business Reporting Language) is a language for the electronic communication of business and financial data which is revolutionising business reporting around the world. It provides major benefits in the prepar...
Goal orientation in elite volleyball player’s motivation and motivational climate
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the goal orientation on the motivation and motivational climate perceived by Iranian’s elite female volleyball players. A sample was taken consisting of 63 players of ages rangin...
The Effect of Liquidity Risk on the Performance of Commercial Banks
Banks, as the most important financial institutions, have a determinant role in circulating currency and wealth of the society and enjoy a special position in financial system. Therefore, the desired and effective perfor...