Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik

Humboldt Universität zu Berlin

NAME: Minh Quang Dang

MATRIKELNUMMER: 609053

BA ENGLISCH MODUL 3
CULTURAL STUDIES
MAP SS 2021 (1. Prüfungstermin)

SEMINAR: American Cultural Theory (A. Dallmann)

LECTURE: American Cultural History (Klepper)

1
LECTURE PART

11. Modernism – to be modern is to have a relation to the present.

To be modern implies to be particularly rejective towards customs
of old and a strong will to articulate the new. In philosophy,
science and religion – so I would like to enumerate – there lives a
spirit that critically challenges the status quo, except: religion does
not. Religion exists in its completion. Modernism, as in the
philosophical and art movement in the late 19th and early 20th
century in Western society, embraces aforementioned mentality
and goes so far as to radically reject the ideas of the old and non-
forward moving.

Enlightenment thinking is one of many ideas opposed by

modernism. In an industrialized and urbanized world in the early
20th century, rationality was rejected and replaced by distraught. Picasso, Pablo. Girl with a mandolin.
The Modernist individual was left with spiritual emptiness. Though 1910. Wikipedia, https://
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/
American modernism had benefited from its diversity of immigrant 1/1c/
cultures, their inspirations came from Africa, Asia and Europe, new Pablo_Picasso%2C_1910%2C_Girl_w
ith_a_Mandolin_%28Fanny_Tellier%2
incoming views meant a challenge for traditional standards 9%2C_oil_on_canvas%2C_100.3_x_7
resulting in a feeling of alienation. 3.6_cm%2C_Museum_of_Modern_Art
_New_York..jpg,
Forthcoming from emptiness was an urge for creation, creation of
not-before-seen novelty.

Across all the disciplines of arts, modernism is characterized by abstract, avant-garde art. Art that is
innovative, that has its own aesthetic and is therefore self-serving. Art that is the subject, and both
internal and external to the individual. In 1913 the “Armory Show“ introduces European
Modernism to America. In juxtaposition to pre-modern art in which artists often visualized
documents of history or considered themselves to be doing acts in service of god, modernist artists
seeked a new form in expression in which art itself takes the spotlight, clashing against ideals of
prior art forms such as historicism. New forms include cubism, expressionism and surrealism.
Works of painters such as Pablo Piacsso and Henri Matisse, most notably, were shown.
In music, one of the most significant examples of Modernist art is the music of composer Arnold
Schoenberg. Schoenberg rejected traditional tonal harmony and experimented with atonality.

The creational and original character of modernism is particularly important to American Culture
History. Modernism laid groundwork to the idea of the importance of the individual and its
experience. Individualism in turn is the fundament of American Exceptionalism, which argues that
there is an inherent and unique quality to being “American“.

Word count: 380 words

2
Sources:
“American Modernism. HiSoUR, 20 Apr. 2019, www.hisour.com/american-modernism-34668/.

Tate. “Modernism – Art Term.” Tate, www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/m/modernism.

Kuiper , K. (n.d.). Modernism. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/

Modernism-art.

12. Film Noir

The term Film Noir refers to a style of filmmaking in which, as the name suggests, incorporate
various elements of a “noir-“film revolving around darkness. From the cast, which often are cynical
heroes, to the technical aspects of a movie: low-key, black-and-white with and often stark lighting
effects - a Film Noir draws its literary models from hard boiled crime fiction. Notable authors
include Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler.
Its aesthetics rooting in German Expressionism, an artistic cinematic movement ranging
approximately from 1910 to the 1930s, the inspirations and influences on Film Noir derive among
other things from photography, theater and painting. Originally from Europe, directors like Jacques
Tourneur, Robert Siodmak and Michael Curtiz brought dramatically shadowed lighting, often
obscuring characters’ faces partially or wholly in darkness with them to Hollywood’s cinematic
scene. With use of low-angle, wide-angle, or Dutch angle shots all of which help stress and create
psychological intensity.
“Crime was a life style. A way of living in the world“ (Bergmann)
Crime was the primary element in film noirs. Murders, heists, con games involving aldulterous
affairs were almost always involved in a common plot. And so a private eye, typically portrayed as
a witty detective, and a „femme fatale“, associated with a seductive but exploitive in nature, were
archetypes that were always represented in classic film noir. The way film noir depicts femininity is
nuanced. The female often strikes one as “mysterious, ambiguous and often entrancing“ (Tasker).
Critics of the genre lay blame on film noir claiming that film noir is but a „male fantasy, as is most
of art“ (Place), additionally stating that Noir is “one of the few periods of film in
which women are active, not static symbols, are intelligent and powerful, if destructively so, and
derive power, not weakness, from their sexuality.“ (Place)

Word count: 305 words

Sources:

Bergman Andrew. We’re in the Money (New York: Harper, 1971), p. 16

Place Janey. Women in Film Noir. in Kaplan (ed.), Women in Film Noir, p. 47.

Tasker, Yvonne. “Women in Film Noir.” Wiley Online Library, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 3 July
2013, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/9781118523728.ch21.

3
SEMINAR PART

In this chapter of Literary Theory Judith Butler proposes a radical critique towards gender
construction. Gender, for Butler, is to separated from preconceived ideas of natural sex for it is a
performative act. As performing agent, she goes on to cite Merleau-Ponty, pointing out that the
body is but a “historical idea“ subjected to act out intentional “historical possibilities“ as opposed to
a natural, predetermined occurrence. Contemplatively, Butler draws conclusions from
phenomenological, anthropological and feminist literary theory. She asserts that Western
philosophy, on which schools of thought based on, are to be reread and revealed of its “set of
interests that inform ostensibly transparent descriptions of the real and to offer alternative
descriptions“. Nuanced by “gestures, the visual body, the clothed body and the various physical
attributes“ the body reifies its gendered identity through appropriation, repetition and strategic
construction. Heterosexuality marriage as standardized mode conceal “a cultivation of bodies into
discrete sexes with “natural“ appearances and “natural“ attraction, which confine gender into a
binary. Laying bare, deconstructing presuppositions and make aware of the performative aspect of
gender is solution to the issue of it.

EXAMPLE

My example for this topic is the Japanese animated series “Wonder Egg Priority“.
A synopsis:

“In Wonder Egg Priority, 14-year-old Ai Ohto grieves after the suicide of her only friend
Koito, and enters a dream world where she must fight to protect the spirits of dead girls, housed
within “Wonder Eggs.” To help them find peace, Ai has to fight creepy, kitchen knife-wielding
demons called “Seeno Evils” and larger monsters known as “Wonder Killers.” Ai has her own
agenda: her strange benefactors, mysterious mannequin men named Acca and Ura-Acca, promise
to return Koito to life in exchange for her services. As Ai undertakes her missions, she meets and
befriends three other girls doing the same, for their own mostly obscured reasons. That includes
Neiru, a taciturn and isolated child of wealth; Rika Kawai (“as in ‘kawaii’ because I’m so cute!”), a
former young idol whose obnoxiousness masks unspoken pain; and most recently Momoe, calm
and confident in all areas except when faced with stigma toward her androgynous appearance.
Each week, they buy Wonder Eggs from magic gachapon machines and undertake missions to
save Egg girls in their own distinct dreamworlds.“ (Polygon)

As peculiar as the series sounds, it is as much interesting psychologically and thematically. It

requires a little explanation to make the scenic situations clear. In each Dreamworld-battle the
heroines fight monsters who symbolically represent traumas of girls that hatch from the eggs they
buy each week. Girls that hatch from the eggs in the dreamworld are dead by choice in the real life
world. Each majorly strong and distinctive monster is very closely related and resemblant
physically to a relevant person responsible for the suicides. They are aesthetizised grotesquely
through exaggerated malicious dialogue and physical appearance.

4
Enter Momoe Sawaki.

“Momoe Sawaki (沢⽊木 桃恵, Sawaki Momoe?) is one of the main characters in
Wonder Egg Priority. She has a very distinct beauty mark and a slim figure. She is
often mistaken for a boy, and is popular among girls.“ Fandom Wiki

The reason as to why I chose her as an example for this analysis is due to the
fact that aspects of gender performance theory (Judith Butler) such as
traditionally embedded ideas of genders and the performative aspect of it can be
proven on her as an example.

Starting with a description of her physical appearance, one of the possible mediums
through which a gendered body performs.

Outwardly, Momoe is characterized as an androgynous girl. She possesses many

traits that are, by Japanese culture, traditionally seen as “masculine“. In the series,
characters point out how she has broad shoulders, a tall but slim physique, a
“handsome“ as opposed to “cute“ face. This description of physical attractiveness
requires further examination. “Handsome“, (かっこいい Kakkoii) usually refers to
attractive males. It connotes cool and good looking appearance in a brisk way.
Physically attractive girls however are described as cute (かわいい Kawaii) or
beautiful/gorgeous (きれい Kireii / うつくしい Utsukushii)
Born with implicit masculine traits, Momoe grew up frustrated over people
misinterpreting her gender, confusing her biological sex due to the way she
performed gender. Momoe Sawaki 2

Both in mannerism and in clothing she performs male-like

attributes.

Typically, Momoe wears a V-Neck Sweater which reveals a formal-wear

Oxford-Shirt underneath.
Paired with Chino-trousers and Oxford-style semi-formal dress shoes
matching her shirt, her style resembles typical traditionally considered as
male uniform school/college-wear, that is sleek and neatly.

In Japanese language there are several pronouns referring to “I“. Boku

(ぼく/僕) is used as semi-humble pronoun for young men. Watashi (わたし/
私) - in formal or polite contexts, “watashi” is gender neutral. However, when
it's used in informal or casual contexts, it is usually perceived as feminine.
Oftentimes in casual settings Momoe referred to herself as “boku“ in order
to conform to her outward appearance.
Broadly and in summary, a trauma that she experienced in the past is
faulted when it comes to the question why she acts masculine in spite of
Uniform-wear
her female gender identity.

Later on in the series Momoe goes on a date with a real life social media follower of hers. She
dressed herself up in a more feminine style compared to her usual outfits, anticipating the date in
high spirits of someone finally recognizing her of who she is. Upon meeting, her date recognizes
her as a female and apologizes saying that he thought she was male. That upsets Momoe greatly.

5
On the same day, Momoe protects Kaoru Kurita, an egg-hatched
Dreamworld character. Kaoru and her get into a conversation, in which
Kaoru says that Momoe is just their type. Doubtfully, Momoe says that
Kaoru is just like all the other girls, accusing Kaoru silently of liking
Momoe because of her masculine qualities in spite of her identifying as
feminine. Kaoru though corrects her claiming that “inside he’s a boy“,
hinting at his transgender identity.

Upon departure, Kaoru lends Momoe his jacket, typically seen as male
gesture of being strong, able to sustain the cold. Kaoru says “in the next
life it’s my turn to protect you“, hinting at another trait of male gender
performance: the ability to be a hero-figure, protecting the weak Kaoru Kurita3
(presupposed as girl/women being weak).
Momoe goes on to say “Not all girls want to be protected“, Kaoru: “I’m sorry,
what about you?“, “I don’t get a choice about it“ she answers. Finally: “Of
course you do. You’re a lovely girl.“ Giving her freedom and unshackling gender norms, which are
particularly outdated and rigid in Japanese culture, giving it even more significance.

Wonder Egg Priority served as a good example of how gender is in fact performative and does not
always correlate with biological sex. Momoe, by example, identifies herself as female, but due to
her biological body found herself in difficult situations, both uncomfortable and alienating. Breaking
down and being conscious of presuppositions indoctrined by culture is the way to be appropriately
treating the topic of gender.

Source:

Campbell, Kambole. “Wonder Egg Priority Is Reimagining Magical Girl Empowerment.” Polygon,
Mar. 2021, www.polygon.com/2021/3/3/22309850/wonder-egg-priority-anime-season-1-episodes-
review.

2: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/wonder-egg-priority/images/1/1a/Momoe_Fullbody.png/revision/
latest/scale-to-width-down/209?cb=20210116011053

3: https://cdn.myanimelist.net/images/characters/14/436500.jpg

Uniform wear:
https://i.pinimg.com/236x/a0/77/38/a07738145453945ab12d9e3aa6510960--korean-celebrities-
korean-actors.jpg