Understanding the Cultural Lens: The Cultural Shift from Enlightenment to Romanticism:
First: yes, Kelly, this is just the Little Red Riding Hood lecture again!
Once we've grasped the differences between the Enlightenment era and the Romantic era, the next question is why did these massive attitudinal changes occur. We can use the "Socio-economic, material means of production" element of the Cultural Lens Theory, Hinduism, Vegetarianism, and Bambi as keys to answering this question.
This element of the lens looks for explanations to cultural values and artistic choices by asking: how are the values related to the control of goods and services?
Why are Hindus vegetarian?
Why won't Hindus eat the sacred cow? Use the Cultural Lens Theory
What does Bambi (1942) have to do with the rise in Western vegetarianism?
But mama, I'm hungry... or Bambi is scary
American Rural-Urban Population Migration:
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_1741500824_7/United_States_People.html#s33
http://www.jstor.org/view/00237639/sp040035/04x1289o/0
http://www.jstor.org/view/00324701/dm990894/99p04315/0
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Traditional |
Romantic |
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Nature is a source of natural resources, either for subsistence (hunting, gathering) or for extractive industries (grazing, logging, mining etc.) The experience of nature takes place within one's overall economic experience: one enters the natural world to remove materials necessary to one's economic well being; or the local economy is at least connected to the removal of materials. Access to nature is equated with extraction.
Those things that threat the extraction process threaten one's economic well being.
One must fight to protect one's piece of the natural pie.
Animals are an element of the economic means of
production, thru grazing rights, hunting etc. Animals that threaten the
means of production must be controlled or eliminated. Violence is seen as a
justified means of increasing the means of production (thru
hunting/extraction or predator control). In a democracy, the fight over resources takes place with the legislative system, which is a fight over votes, which is a fight over public values. Values are formed by perception. Perception is formed through aesthetic products (media). Equating predators such as wolves with monstrosity is the most effective means of controlling public perception, and thus votes etc.
Returning to above, recall that in this context one's experience of nature often takes place through direct, often violent physical contact with nature's elements: shooting and gutting, running chainsaws etc. This reinforces the perception that nature is a dangerous environment and one is justified protecting oneself in it. |
Nature is a vestige of Eden-ic virtue where we get in touch with the sublime beauty of pre-industrialization.
Extractive industries threaten one's escape into beauty; industry is that thing one is attempting to escape thru nature.
One must fight to protect one's piece of the natural pie.
Animals in nature are a part of the beauty one seeks to experience. The elimination of animals in nature is the elimination of the (religious?) experience one seeks in nature.
In a democracy, the fight over resources takes place with the legislative system, which is a fight over votes, which is a fight over public values. Values are formed by perception. Perception is formed through aesthetic products (media).
Returning to above, recall that in this context one's experience of nature often takes place when one is purposefully escaping the urban environment; nature is associated with peace and calm because that is the experience one creates when in nature. This reinforces the perception that nature is tranquil. |
Summary: the battle over the image of the wolf – as monster or beautiful creature – is the battle over public perception (the Cultural Lens). This battle is driven by a competition over natural resources. More generally, it is a battle over power.
Another Application of the Socio-Economic Elements of the Cultural Lens:
Victor and the Creature: a critique of British colonization of The Other?
Using the "means of production" element of the Cultural Lens again, recall the book is written during the heyday of the British Colonial Empire during a time when:
a) most philosophers were beginning to agree that "all men are created equal"
b) yet most European and New World economies are entirely driven on outright slavery or de facto-colonial slavery of The Other.
c) the concept of equality drives revolutions against colonial, imperial, religious etc. powers everywhere.
In short: The Creature can easily be interpreted as representing an Othered man demanding equality. Certainly he views himself in this light.