Pop culture versus the great American novel
In an essay in the Weekly Standard, Roger Kimball writes about why there will never be another "great American novel." Kimball argues that the fall of the novel as an art form is, in part, the result of the rise of a culture that values pure entertainment above all--the rise, in other words, of what we today call the pop culture. During the heyday of the novel in this country--when Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Faulkner were writing deeply meaningful stories---the culture still viewed art as a source of spiritual meaning. As Kimball points out:
Wallace Stevens . . . suggested that in the modern age, “an age of disbelief,” art takes the place of religion as “life’s redemption.” In such an age, Stevens wrote, “it is for the poet to supply the satisfactions of belief.”
Today, the best art (defined broadly) does not speak to these transcendent facets of the human conditions. Rather, it tends to beat us into submission by shocking us with its perversions. This is true of both high art and low art. I wrote about this syndrome as it plays out in the high culture earlier this week. In the low culture, there are also plenty of examples. The one that immediately comes to mind for me is Rihanna's hit song S&M.
So, is our culture doomed?
Kimball writes:
Perhaps Hegel was right when he said that “art in its highest expression is and remains for us a thing of the past.” Hegel’s thought was that if, traditionally, art had been tied to the truth, our culture’s commitment to scientific rationality had in an important sense led to the replacement of art by reason. Art would not disappear, Hegel thought; it would simply degenerate to a form of entertainment, a vacation from rather than a revelation of reality.
Of course, Hegel was wrong about a great many things. And perhaps he is wrong about this, too. If our tendency to tie truth to reason—to look, when we are really in earnest, to the scientist rather than the artist for truth—describes an important aspect of our culture, there is another aspect summed up (for example) by Wallace Stevens when he suggested that in the modern age, “an age of disbelief,” art takes the place of religion as “life’s redemption.” In such an age, Stevens wrote, “it is for the poet to supply the satisfactions of belief.”
I bring up the Wallace Stevens quote again because it makes me think that there is hope yet for our culture. Redemption is a religious concept, and as we all know, there is little room for religion in today's pop or high culture. But that concept did manage to sneak its way into the secular culture not too long ago. I'm thinking here of the massively popular show 24, which is about the heroic and spiritually adrift national security agent Jack Bauer, who gives up everything in order to serve his country. In between seasons 6 and 7 of 24, when Bauer hits a moral trough, the producers released a special two-hour show about Bauer's condition and they called it. . . . Redemption.
In fact, if you watch 24, it's amazing to see how much of its lessons--we can even call them moral lessons--fly in the face of the standard pop culture narrative that celebrates deviancy. 24 is about heroism, ideals, doing the right thing, and talking responsibility for your actions. There is clearly a market for its messages because when it was running, 24 was one of the most popular shows on television.The novel's days may be over, and that may, in general, be a negative indictment of our culture--but there are some gems of goodness there, too. We just have to look harder to uncover them.
- Comment (36)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (3)
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
Comments:
Dec '10
Re: Pop culture versus the great American novel
Leslie Watkins:Emily Esfahani Smith: So, is our culture doomed?
No, but Rihanna probably is. · 1 hour ago
Funny and true.
Jim
Dec '10
Re: Pop culture versus the great American novel
Emily,
I had a friend in High School. He later went on to Brown in English and Poetry. After that he went on to Gradutate School at Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship in English and Poetry.
In High School he kept on asking me about the Great American Novel. He was editor of the school newspaper, 2nd best miler on the track team, and they made him class president senior year.
Finally, I said, "Brian, I haven't any idea about the Great American Novel. However, I do know the title, 'Young Brian Mchale'."
Hmmm... I wonder what ever happened to Brian. If the rest of his life was interesting, one might do a trilogy. 'Young Brian Mchale'. 'Mchale at 50'. 'Mchale Fades Out'.
Obviously, I still don't have a clue about the Great American Novel.
Regards,
Jim
May '10
Re: Pop culture versus the great American novel
The short story (the engine of Hemingway and Fitzgerald's popularity) is certainly dead, but that's because TV and movies are the new short story. With the novel, I'm less certain. TV and movies have replaced novels to some extent, but a trip to Barnes and Noble will show you' they're still quite popular. Artfully written novels? They still happen. Diamonds in the rough, but weren't they always? We forget the trash of previous centuries and remember the great.
Hemingway does float my boat, but not 100%. Snows of K and Hills Like White Elephants (best pro-life story ever) are marvelous. I like Green Hills of Africa a great deal too but it gets a little self indulgent at times.
May '10
Re: Pop culture versus the great American novel
I know, I find Crowly so maddening! I kept asking myself how a person can write so beautifully and yet be such a blockhead. Humans are amazing creatures.
Feb '11
Re: Pop culture versus the great American novel
Tabula Rasa...."TV is getting better while the movies are getting worse"
Emmy-award-winning screenwriter (and excellent blogger) Robert Avrech has said that screenwriters have more control in TV series than in films for theatre distribution (his comment in this discussion)
Feb '11
Re: Pop culture versus the great American novel
Thoughts on the changing role of the novel from Roger Kimball.
Nov '10
Re: Pop culture versus the great American novel
When the nights were dark, long and cold one needed something to read while sitting by the fire under a quilt, stroking the dog. A good novel took one away to another world and nicely passed the time before going up the stairs to sleep in a room with no heat.
Today novels compete with a myriad of other pleasures, and life is full of creature comforts. But a novel still takes one away in their own mind better than any other thing. Does anyone else miss being young and unencumbered when you could get into a good novel and shut the rest of the world away for long periods? Herman Wouk, Nordofff and Hall, A.B. Guthrie, Robert Heinlein, Evan Connell, Cormac McCarthy, all helped me escape my youthful bewilderment. There was a time when I could think I was the only one who knew about Cormac McCarthy. His earlier books remain obscure.
More recently I wait impatiently for each new Daniel Silva, Stephen Hunter, Michael Connelly, Vince Flynn or Robert Crais, each of whom write thrillers that I suppose aren’t going to be great American novels, but they will suffice for now.
Edited on February 23, 2012 at 6:35amMay '10
Re: Pop culture versus the great American novel
Likewise, lyrics have replaced poetry with the rise of music recordings.
Dec '10
Re: Pop culture versus the great American novel
Midget Faded Rattlesnake
Anybody besides me willing to admit to having a hard time finding Hemingway deeply meaningful?
Or maybe I just find his brand of machismo so annoying that it distracts me from the deep meaning... · 14 hours ago
I'm with you MFR.
Dec '10
Re: Pop culture versus the great American novel
“Rather, it tends to beat us into submission by shocking us with its perversions.”
About a year ago I took a date to the Detroit Institute of Art, generally considered high art. On display was The Rape of the Sabine Women,Friedrich Christof Steinhammer - 1622. My date was upset wondering why they would display such a thing. I would say she was shocked with its perversion. Would the ricocheteer agree with her?
Please do not come back with something about the old meaning of the term rape referring to abduction not sexual violation. When they got those women back to Rome they did not woo them, they raped them.
Art has always been about the bad in men as well as the good.
Edited on February 23, 2012 at 3:19pmAug '10
Re: Pop culture versus the great American novel
USA Today's Top 10 Best-Selling Books for 2011:
Now, are these "art" or "entertainment"?
Ok, we can immediately scratch the two non-fiction and four youth books of the list.
How about the rest?
Dec '10
Re: Pop culture versus the great American novel
Misthiocracy: Ok, we can immediately scratch the two non-fiction and four youth books of the list.
How about the rest? · 17 minutes ago
Are you saying that non-fiction cannot be art? I disagree.
Aug '10
Re: Pop culture versus the great American novel
Foxman
Misthiocracy: Ok, we can immediately scratch the two non-fiction and four youth books of the list.
How about the rest? · 17 minutes ago
Are you saying that non-fiction cannot be art? I disagree. · 15 minutes ago
I'm saying that Emily's original post is about the novel as an art form, therefore non-fiction doesn't count for this particular discussion thread.
Dec '10
Re: Pop culture versus the great American novel
Misthiocracy
Foxman
Misthiocracy: Ok, we can immediately scratch the two non-fiction and four youth books of the list.
How about the rest? · 17 minutes ago
Are you saying that non-fiction cannot be art? I disagree. · 15 minutes ago
I'm saying that Emily's original post is about the novel as an art form, therefore non-fiction doesn't count for this particular discussion thread. · 8 minutes ago
my mistake
Dec '10
Re: Pop culture versus the great American novel
Of these I only read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
I'd say not art
Aug '10
Re: Pop culture versus the great American novel
Why can we immediately scratch the youth books from the list? Is not "Alice in Wonderland" art? Are not "The Hobbit," "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe?" What of "Tom Sawyer?"
As for the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series, I have enjoyed them. They are a nice substitute for "Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing" and "Superfudge." They are modern "fables" if you will, except with a family instead of animals. Heck, they even featured a story about role playing games.
The Hunger Games series starts of very well written. The later books descend into teen angst romance, but the first is quite strong. Is not "The Giver" -- another youth book -- highly regarded?
Heck, someone on this list mentioned how "Old Yeller" was their favorite novel. It is indeed wonderful, and aimed at youth.