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Deconstructive Responses in/on Ted Hughes "Theology"

Deconstruction from Siswo Harsono

Deconstructive Responses in/on Ted Hughes "Theology"

By Siswo Harsono

Abstract

In this paper, the writer tries to analyze a poem, entitled "Theology" written by Ted Hughes. The purpose of this writing is to analyze the deconstruction implied within the poem. This research uses deconstruction theory and methodology. In this chase, the poem deconstructs a religious myth of Adam into psychoanalytical reconstruction. It can be concluded that the poem deconstructs theological aspect of the myth into psychological one.

Keywords: Theology, deconstruction, psychoanalysis

1. Introduction

"Theology" written by Ted Hughes is a unique poem. The title of the poem implies the question of the divinity that is theology. The subject matter of the poem deals with the myth of Adam and Eve in paradise. Its association is not located on the prevalence of these myths but on its deconstruction. The problem of deconstruction is the subject of this study.

2. Theory and Methodology

This study uses the theories and methods of deconstruction that are applied to the poem "Theology" by Ted Hughes, in the triad of construction-deconstruction-reconstruction. In the realm of construction, the study is focused on religious myth. In the realm of deconstruction it is focused on the poem. And in the realm of the reconstruction it is focused on interpretation.

Christopher Norris in his book, Deconstruction: Theory and Practice (2002: xii) defines deconstruction as follows.

Deconstruction is a constant reminder of the etymological link between 'crisis' and 'criticism'. It makes manifest the fact that any radical shift of interpretive thought must always come up against the limits of the seeming absurdity.

Deconstruction is a form of philosophical and literary analysis is mainly derived from Of Grammatology (1967) by Jacques Derrida. Deconstruction major effect on European and American academics, especially in the debate about ontology, epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, hermeneutics, and the philosophy of language, as well as the influence of architecture, music, art, and art criticism. Deconstruction deny the possibility of the presence of pure and thus also denies the essential meaning or intrinsic and stable of "reality". As a system of signs, language is only a difference. Words have meaning only because of the contrast with other words. The first task of deconstruction is to reveal how the opposition operates in literary texts to cancel the opposition. But Derrida argues that it is not enough to expose and deconstruct how the opposition works and how meanings and values generated, but the deconstruction of the need to create a new term, not to synthesize the concept of opposition, but to mark the difference. This explains why Derrida always propose a new term in his deconstruction, as pure needs analysis ("Deconstruction": par 1-4).

Derrida's methods show all forms and types of semiotic complexity by doing a thoroughly careful, sensitive, yet transformational reading on philosophical and literary texts. Deconstruction shows the inhibition of the meaning of the text to point to contradictions and internal opposition. It is an approach that can be used in philosophy, literary analysis, and even in the analysis of the scientific literature. Deconstruction tries to show that the text is not entirely discrete but contains some meaning irreconcilable and contradictory, has more than one interpretation. Derrida initially resisted giving the term "deconstruction," but ultimately accept the term in common usage to refer to the textual approach, and Derrida himself increasingly began to use the term in a more general way ("Deconstruction": par 5-7).

Methodologically, deconstruction is associated with construction and then reconstructed to triadic forms of construction-deconstruction-reconstruction. In this paper the method of deconstruction is done to examine the mythological construction, poetic deconstruction and psychoanalytic reconstruction of "Theology" by Ted Hughes. Methodical steps undertaken are as follows.

1. Examine carefully the text with readings (close reading) to the poem "Theology".

2. Researching mythological construction that made allusions in poem.

3. Examining the poetic deconstruction contained in the poem.

4. Examining the psychoanalytic reconstruction of the poem

Reconstruction of psychoanalytic research is concerned with the issue of Psycho-biology contained in "Theology" by Ted Hughes, especially with phallic symbols.

The subject of psychoanalytic Symbolism is vast and, Contrary to popular ideas, not all psychoanalytic symbols are necessarily sexual. According to Freud, dream-symbols refer to 'the human body as a whole, parents, children, brothers and sisters, birth, death, nakedness'. Sex, however, is of cardinal importance to psychoanalysts, and Sexual Symbolism (especially the Symbolism of the gay male genitalia) has preoccupied a large number of practitioners (Sengoopta, 2001: par 2).

3. Research Object

The objects of research are sorted into a material object and formal object. Material object of this study is "Theology" by Ted Hughes. Formal object of this research is a form of deconstruction contained in the poem.

4. Biography and Poetry

This section will discuss the biography of Ted Hughes and paraphrase his poem, "Theology".

4.1 Biography of Ted Hughes

Ted Hughes (1930-1998) was born in the small village of Mytholmroyd, Yorkshire. After finishing elementary school he spent two years in the Royal Air Force, stationed in a remote radio station in Yorkshire where he spent most of his time reading. Although the move from learning English majors to archeology and anthropology, he was still voraciously reading and writing influenced by British novelist and poet Robert Graves. After graduating in 1954, he spent two years working in London, and then returned to Cambridge to start a literary magazine with friends. He met with Sylvia Plath an American Fulbright student and married later. They spent two years at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, 1957-1959, where he taught English and creative writing. Both of them spent time to write poetry. By the time they returned to England in 1959, he had begun to publish his work. Their wedding had cracks. When Hughes started an affair with another woman, leaving Plath, moved to London with their children, and in 1963 she committed suicide. Hughes continued to write dozens of books on various subjects and poetry that made him the most prominent poet of his generation. In 1981, he was named a British court poet. Book Birthday Letters (1999) became an international best seller ("Ted Hughes Biography" 2010: par 1-3).

4.2 Poetic Paraphrase

Theology by Ted Hughes

"No, the serpent did not

Seduce Eve to the apple.

All that's simply

Corruption of the facts.

Adam ate the apple.

Eve ate Adam.

The serpent ate Eve.

This is the dark intestine.

The serpent, meanwhile,

Sleeps his meal off in Paradise -

Smiling to hear

God's querulous calling."

The poem tells that it was not the snake that attracted Eve at the apple. It was just a mere corruption of facts. As a matter of fact, Adam ate the apple, Eve ate Adam, and the snake ate Eve. This is a dark digestion. Meanwhile the snake slept in Heaven and smiled to hear God's calling.

5. Discussion

Discussion of "Theology" is focused on the aspects of mythological construction, poetic deconstruction and psychoanalytic reconstruction. The mythological construction of the poem deals with the myth of Adam and Eve. The poetic deconstruction of the poem shows the binary opposition between theological term used as the title of a poem and psycho-biological issues as the content of the poem. Then, based on the poetic deconstruction is performed the psychoanalytic reconstruction of the poem.

5.1 Mythological Construction

The mythological construction of "Theology" by Ted Hughes refers to the myth of Adam and Eve who exist in Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The mythology tells that Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden, the four rivers flowing into the world. Garden of Eden is a fertile place that satisfy all the needs of Adam and Eve. God only gives the restrictions of life in this paradise: do not eat a fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. A sneaky snake in the garden persuaded Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, and Adam tasted it, too. Both of them soon lose their innocence. Ashamed of their nakedness, they covered themselves with leaves. God saw that they did not obey Him and expelled them from the Garden of Eden ("Adam and Eve": par 2-4).
Then Adam and Eve fell down from heaven to earth. They started to live and reproduce on earth.

The myth of Adam and Eve in the scope of mythological construction of "Theology" can be traced in the work of Gary Greenberg especially the myth of the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (2000: 48-53). The myth tells that the serpent affects Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit.

5.2 Poetic Deconstruction

The mythological construction of Adam and Eve is poetically deconstructed in "Theology" by Ted Hughes. The poem tells that the serpent did not seduce Eve to eat the apple. It is just a mere fact of corruption. The fact is that Adam ate the apple, Eve ate Adam, and the Serpent ate Eve, which happened in the dark digestion. Then the snake slept in Heaven, and smiled at the complaint calling from God.

The poetic deconstruction shows the binary opposition between the theology of human creation and the psycho-biological reproduction of human birth. It is a mythological tale of fact corruption/fiction. The fact imaged in the poem shows that it is the fruit of knowledge forbidden apple. Adam ate the apple. Eve ate Adam. Then the snake ate Eve. The events of meals refer to a dark digestion.

To understand the mysterious events require reconstructions because it is not just a mere biological problem of eating. One of the reconstructions of the poetic deconstruction of this research is a psychoanalytic reconstruction.

5.3 Psychoanalytic Reconstruction

The poetic deconstruction of the mythological construction of "Theology" provides an opportunity to reconstruct a psychoanalytic interpretation. The choice of psychoanalytic reconstruction is based on sexual issues implied within the poetic deconstruction of the psycho-biological issues, especially psycho-sexual assessment which is the realm of psychoanalysis.

In the theological realm, the myth of Adam and Eve is associated with God's law about the commands and prohibitions. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve could eat everything but the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Because of snake as the devil incarnation, they ate the fruit. God punished and expelled them from the Garden of Eden, descended to earth to live and reproduce in pain and pleasure. Thus the myth is associated with the origin of human life and descent on earth.

In the realm of psychoanalysis snake is not the devil incarnation, but a phallic symbol which refers to the penis like in the following quotation.

In religion, mythology, and literature, serpents and snakes often stand for fertility or a creative life force-partly because the creatures can be seen as symbols of the male sex organ ("Serpents and Snakes": par 2).

In other words, the snake's seduction is a boost of sexual desire for sexual intercourse in the dark digestion (intestine), which is imaged the poem as follows.

Adam ate the apple.

Eve ate Adam.

The serpent ate Eve.

“Adam ate the apple” is a metaphor of the forbidden fruit of Eve's breasts. “Eve ate Adam” is a style of pars pro toto, that part of Eve's body eats the body of Adam. It refers to oral sex. “The serpent ate Eve” refers to genital sex. The snake is a symbol of Adam's penis, and a style of pars pro toto, that part of Eve's body is her vagina. In the biological realm, intercourse is a means of reproduction. In the psychological realm, intercourse is a means of fulfillment of love and lust.

Then what happened after the incident imaged in the following quotation.

The serpent, meanwhile,

Sleeps his meal off in Paradise -

The serpent as a phallic symbol sleeps soundly in Paradise. In the theological realm, Paradise refers to a heavenly bliss. In the realm of psychoanalysis, heaven is a symbol of pleasure. The line is the image of sexual satisfaction so lust back subsides and sleeps in pleasure.

As the result of the sexual pleasure that causes alignments of ego and superego, the full system of spiritual values of Adam and Eve fall into id that is filled with lust. It is the falling from the theological realm down to the biological one. That leads to the revelation of Adam and Eve from paradise to the world. Nevertheless, lust still smiles at the heavenly calling of God's law as contained in the following quotation.

Smiling to hear

God's querulous calling."

In this case, the myth of Adam and Eve is a hierophanic view of the events of human creation that is theological. The poem is a propane perspective on human reproduction referring to the psycho-biological process.

6. Conclusion

"Theology" a poem written by Ted Hughes is a poetic deconstruction of the mythological construction in Abrahamic religions. The poem deconstructs theological issues in the myth of Adam and Eve into psychoanalytic problems. By using the analytical deconstruction it seems that the myth of Adam and Eve is a view of theological events of human creation. The poem is a propane perspective on human reproduction that refers to the psycho-biological process.

In theology, heaven referring to hereafter life is psychoanalytically deconstructed into desire. In theology, the serpent referring to devilish symbol is psychoanalytically deconstructed into phallic symbol. The forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge in the myth is biologically deconstructed into the apples, which psychoanalytically refer to breasts as a means of reproduction and erotic zone of oral phase. The serpent refers to erotic zone of genital phase. Digestion in the darkness refers to sexual intercourse. It can be concluded that the poem deconstructs the myth of human creation into psycho-biological reproduction of human birth.

References

“Adam and Eve” in Myths Encyclopedia. <http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/A-Am/Adam-and-Eve.html> (18 Desember 2014).

“Deconstruction” in Wikipedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deconstructionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deconstruction> (18 Desember 2014).

“Serpents and Snakes” in Myths Encyclopedia. 2014 < http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Sa-Sp/Serpents-and-Snakes.htmlhttp://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Sa-Sp/Serpents-and-Snakes.html> (20 Desember 2014).

“Ted Hughes Biography” in Famous Poets and Poems. 2006-2010. <http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/ted_hughes/biographyhttp://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/ted_hughes/biography> (18 Desember 2014).

Freud, S. (1900/1953). The interpretation of dreams. In The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud, Vols 4, 5 (ed. J. Strachey et al.). Hogarth Press, London.

Greenberg, Gary. 101 Myths of the Bible. Illinois: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2000.

Hughes, Ted. “Theology” in Famous Poets and Poems. 2006-2010. <http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/ted_hughes/poems/13808> (18 Desember 2014).

Norris, Christopher. Deconstruction: Theory and Practice. 3^rd Ed. New York: Routletge, 2002.

Sengoopta, Chandak. “Phallic Symbol” in Encyclopedia.com. 2001. <http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O128-phallicsymbol.htmlhttp://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O128-phallicsymbol.html> (20 Desember 2014).

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