MSE

2034008 Aryaman Singh

Department of International Studies, Political Science and History

BEST331 : Literary Criticism and Theory

October 04, 2021

 Section A

1. Reading poetry about virtue is like taking “a medicine of cherries”. Based on the

above observation of Philip Sidney and your understanding of the views of Aristotle and

Mathew Arnold, write a short essay reflecting your observations on the functions of

literature.

Ans- Literature and, more specifically, poetry is not just a simple expression or the works of

creative writers, but it has a much more prominent role in society as a whole. It becomes an

escape when life gets too stressful; it becomes a guide in complicated situations; it even helps

us understand the complexities of life through the stories of tragic heroes of. Moreover, much

like in a time of crisis or requirement, we see great thinkers like Aristotle, Sidney and Arnold

who come up to remind us or help preserve this almost divine nature of literature.

We see Sidney putting poetry on a pedestal and the poet along with it. His argument

of poetry as a creation and the poet as a creator helps us understand the power that literature

has. Although he does agree with the fact that poetry is mimetic but for him, it also

“transcends nature.” It not only tells us how the world is but also how it could be. He

considered poetry to be the “monarch” of all arts. He emphasized on the power that good

literature to move people towards virtue and away from vice.

Aristotle took a more psychoanalytical nature of literature and how it aids in the

purgation of our thoughts. A person’s mind is constantly preoccupied with several thoughts,

and the most powerful of these thoughts are pity and fear, which are potent emotions; hence

we are not always willing to embrace them consciously. But through literature, and tragedies,

in this case, there is a purgation of these emotions when we see them on stage. It acts as a

catalyst for us to feel these emotions in their entirety and at the same time not let them affect
us too much in the long run because, after all, it is only an imitation of reality on stage. When

a man dies on stage, we do not scream and run away from the theatre but rather experience

the emotions of fear and pity without them overwhelming us.

Nevertheless, how does one identify what is “good” literature? Mathew Arnolds

proposes a touchstone method to help us identify what is good literature and what is not. In

this method, quotations from the juggernauts of literature like Shakespeare and Dante are

taken and compared to the new writers. And if there are shadows of great literature in them,

they are good literature, and if not, they are worthless. Although this method came under

massive criticism due to its inherent fallacies, it does bring up the critical point of how great

literature should not be forgotten and should be compared to new literature not to find out

which one is better but for being able to get a comprehensive understanding of the unique

characteristics of both and how literature has evolved. Because after all, literature should be

judged for its diction, style and manner, not by its relativity to canonical literature.

Literature has healing abilities; it even provides exercise to our brain muscles and

keeps them active. Good literature following the archetypical narratives also provides us with

ideals and morals for life. Literature is an integral part of society by providing it with a

platform not only for expression but also for rejuvenation, entertainment, and a peek through

the window into the realities of the harsh world. This helps us be not only better and informed

people but also sympathetic and creative personalities in society.

 Section B

1. Explain the key premises of structuralism and analyse the following poem using the

methodology of structuralism.

Ans- A structuralist analysis of the poem helps us understand the deeper meaning of the

poem. It presents the binary opposites existing in the poem and the surface and deep

structures of this particular work of literature. In nature, everything exists in opposites, good

and bad, right and wrong, man and women, such opposition complement each other and

create a fixed distinction between the two. Such binary opposites that exist in the poem are:

● Bird and man [The binary opposition of a bird that exists in an uncivilised nature and

a man that exists in a civilised city. While one is an untamed animal (bird in this

case), the other one is the tamer (or even conqueror) that is man.]

● Towns and fields (The birds are in the natural fields and forests while man resides in

towns which have been made by replacing the fields and forests with jungles of

concrete)

● Machine and Soul (every living organism is born with a soul while man manufactures

machines, and in this case, man tries to tame nature, considering themselves as higher

than nature itself. And through this, they have manufactured not only machines but

also souls by the extensive commercialisation and the ever-growing greed of man) 
 ● Animals and the damned (Perhaps this binary opposition arise from the biblical belief

that man is a damned creature since even in the great deluge, God had instructed Noah

to save the animals and not the men. Hence, we see the impure man corrupting the

pure nature)

● Hardiness and scared birds [while the animals and birds are expected to bow down to

the will of man portraying them as weak, in comparison man is related to a sense of

hardiness and on its steel horse (motorcycles) walk through nature as if man yields to

no power no matter how immense, this also presents a binary opposition of civilised

and the uncivilised.]

The surface structure of the poem talks about how man exploits nature for its benefit

without even considering the drastic impact it would have on the natural ecosystem and the

animals residing in them. But the deep structure also talks about the necessity of balance in

life, self-control and empathy towards all that lives and breathes. It does not abide by the

duality of civilised and uncivilised, but rather it talks about how man and nature are not

opposites but interdependent elements. Man should not treat nature as something to be

conquered but as something to be respected and collaborated with. It also brings out the

concepts of human fallacies and how the concept of “modern” has started to become the

opposite of “holy.” Man’s current perspective of nature and modernisation has kept it in

continuous movement but without reaching anywhere. It drains the meaning out from life,

keeping it in motion but without reaching anywhere. For this, collaboration is required with

what we sometimes might consider being the “uncivilised” aspects of life so that we can

move forward, together, towards a greater ideal. 

 Section C

1. How far has the poststructuralist stance that each socio-cultural experience/issue has

different layers of meaning enhanced the scope of the study and analysis of social and

political issues? Illustrate with a suitable example from a context familiar to you.

Ans- The concept of India only came to life during the independence movement. It created a

dream of a diverse India with various cultures and religions, a pinnacle of secularism.

However, the harsh reality is that with various religions and beliefs also come various

complications. When we had Pakistan wanting to secede, along with Bangladesh and

Hyderabad, we also had a movement for Khalistan in the Punjab province of India.

This movement for Khalistan supported by armed militants was at its peak under the

leadership of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Golden Temple is the heart of the Sikh

community not only religiously but also economically, politically and socially. It was a well-

known meeting place for leaders of prominent families fighting against the Mughals, and

similarly, the leader of the Sikh Damdami Taksal leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale had

found a haven inside the Golden Temple to avoid arrest. During such a sensitive time, Indira

Gandhi was tipped off by the Russian KGB that American CIA and Pakistani ISI were

supporting the Khalistan movement through the supply of arms and ammunition, and even

trained personnel, allegedly to cause instability in India. However, the Russian documents are

thought to have been forged. But in that particular point of time PM Indira Gandhi initiated

Operation Bluestar, which was to storm the Golden Temple and neutralize all Khalistani

militants inside and their leaders.

Although the mission was successful, it resulted in a massive backlash from the Sikh

communities worldwide for desecrating their holy place. A few months later, PM Indira
Gandhi was assassinated by her two Sikh bodyguards in revenge for Bluestar. This further led

to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which resulted in the death of 2800 Sikhs only in Delhi and 3350

nationwide, but first-hand sources from the Sikh community suggest a much greater death toll

of about 20,000 and hence is often referred to as a genocide.

Poststructuralism talks about the non-existence of a grand narrative and emphasis on

micro-narratives. When tackling the problem of Bluestar, it is important that we do so

through a post-structuralist lens because it is not just one thing leading to another; it is a

complex interplay of a multitude of interpretations and ideologies. Focusing on the micro-

narratives of this incident, the problems of nationalism, political integrity, morality, Sikh

beliefs, Hindu beliefs, and international and internal politics rise to the surface.

The structuralist version of Operation Bluestar would be a ‘political decision,’ while a

post-structuralist interpretation helps us to identify the hidden elements at play. The USSR

and USA rivalry had led them to influence warring nations in hopes of spreading communism

or capitalism. Hence, USSR tipping India off and the USA helping Khalistan. Some might

think of it as an important political decision to maintain the unity of India, while others,

especially the Sikhs, would see it as an attack towards their religion and their beliefs from an

authoritarian Hindu government. The nationalists would see it as a necessary evil in the

history of Indian democracy. Furthermore, after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, Hindu’s

saw it as an attack towards them, leading to the bloody anti-Sikh riots where even the Delhi

Police has been alleged of aiding Hindus in the riots.

A structuralist could quickly put it under the meta-narrative of Marxism and Russian

involvement, but that would be naïve. The post-structuralist approach is more relevant here. It

has expanded the study base by including politicians, Hindus, Sikhs, Hindus living in Punjab,

Sikhs living outside of Punjab and so on. The same event has different symbolism for
different groups of people, and the event cannot be understood by paying attention to only

one of these interpretations. They all have to be considered together to get a more

comprehensive understanding of the issue at hand. The analysis of Operation Bluestar and the

subsequent assassination of the PM has been broadened by post-structuralism, making it

easier for us to understand the justification behind the series of events.

This proves that micro-narratives are vital to our understanding of the world because,

without them, it would be like putting together a puzzle with pieces missing from it. Only

after considering all the pieces of the puzzle can the complete picture be brought into being.

Operation Bluestar and the anti-Sikh riots were not just “issues”. They were socio-political

issues influenced by history, religion and international politics and all have to be understood

before one can derive any conclusion on the incidents that have taken place. The same event

has gone down in history, symbolizing different things: a genocide for Sikhs, an attack on the

nation for Hindus, an opportunity of instability for Pakistan, and so forth.

These layers and layers of interpretations and understandings of the same symbols

provide depth and dimensions to a seemingly simple occurrence. It provides so much more

clarity into issues and enhances our understanding. This helps us to avoid taking sides and

seeing things as only black and white. The subjectivity that micro-narratives and post-

structuralism provide have immensely increased the fields of research and analysis.
 References

Section A

● Aristotle (384–322 B.C.) Poetics Summary & Analysis. (n.d.). SparkNotes. Retrieved

October 4, 2021, from https://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/aristotle/section11/

● Literaturemini.Com. (n.d.). Comment On Arnold’s touchstone method. 2018.

Retrieved October 4, 2021, from https://www.literaturemini.com/2018/10/comment-

on-arnolds-touchstone-method.html

● Sidney, P. (n.d.). An Apology for Poetry by Philip Sidney Plot Summary. LitCharts.

Retrieved October 4, 2021, from https://www.litcharts.com/lit/an-apology-for-

poetry/summary

Section B

Section C

● Hindustantimes.com. (2021, June 6). Operation Bluestar: What happened 37 years

ago. Hindustan Times. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/operation-

bluestar-what-happened-37-years-ago-101622937941625.html

● History.com Editors. (2020, October 29). The prime minister of India is assassinated.

HISTORY. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-prime-minister-of-india-

is-assassinated

● Singh, P. (n.d.). Wounds That Never Heal: Remembering Operation Bluestar. The

Wire. Retrieved October 4, 2021, from https://thewire.in/history/wounds-that-never-

heal-remembering-operation-bluestar