8.9 Jonathan Dollimore

Jonathan Dollimore, a British literary theorist, revolutionized literary studies with his cultural materialist approach. He challenged traditional views on Renaissance literature, exploring how texts reflect and subvert dominant ideologies and power structures.

Dollimore's work focuses on dissidence, transgression, and the historical context of literary production. His ideas on radical humanism, sexual dissidence, and subversion in Renaissance literature have significantly influenced cultural studies, queer theory, and gender studies.

Biographical overview of Dollimore

• Jonathan Dollimore is a prominent British literary theorist and cultural critic who has made significant contributions to the fields of literary and cultural studies
• His work focuses on the intersection of literature, politics, and ideology, particularly in the context of Renaissance and early modern English literature

Early life and education

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• Born in 1948 in Leyland, Lancashire, England
• Attended local schools before pursuing higher education
• Earned his Bachelor's degree in English and American Literature from the University of Keele in 1970
• Completed his PhD at the University of London in 1974, focusing on Renaissance literature and cultural theory

Academic career and positions

• Began his academic career as a lecturer at the University of Sussex in 1974
• Promoted to Reader in English and Related Literature at Sussex in 1985
• Appointed as Professor of English and Related Literature at Sussex in 1991
• Served as Dean of the School of English and American Studies at Sussex from 1993 to 1996
• Held visiting professorships at various institutions, including the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Washington

Key ideas in Dollimore's work

• Dollimore's scholarship is characterized by a critical engagement with traditional literary and cultural theories, challenging established norms and assumptions
• His work draws upon diverse intellectual traditions, including Marxism, psychoanalysis, and poststructuralism, to develop new perspectives on literature and culture

Radical humanism vs essentialism

• Dollimore critiques the notion of essentialism, which posits that individuals and social groups possess fixed, inherent qualities
• Instead, he advocates for a radical humanist approach that emphasizes the historical and cultural contingency of identity and subjectivity
• Argues that essentialist thinking often serves to reinforce existing power structures and ideologies
  • For example, the idea of innate gender differences can be used to justify patriarchal social arrangements

Dissidence and cultural materialism

• Dollimore is a key figure in the development of cultural materialism, a theoretical approach that examines the relationship between literature and the material conditions of its production and reception
• He explores how literary texts both reflect and challenge dominant ideologies and power relations
• Emphasizes the role of dissidence and subversion in literature, arguing that texts can serve as sites of resistance to oppressive social norms and structures
  • Shakespeare's plays often feature characters who challenge or subvert established hierarchies and values (Falstaff in Henry IV)

Subversion in Renaissance literature

• Much of Dollimore's work focuses on the subversive potential of Renaissance literature, particularly in the works of Shakespeare and his contemporaries
• He argues that these texts often contain hidden or coded critiques of dominant social and political ideologies
• Explores how Renaissance writers used irony, ambiguity, and other literary devices to challenge prevailing norms and assumptions
  • The portrayal of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice can be read as a critique of anti-Semitism and religious intolerance

Transgression and power dynamics

• Dollimore is interested in how literary texts represent and negotiate transgressive desires and behaviors
• He examines how the transgression of social and sexual norms can serve to expose and destabilize existing power relations
• Argues that the representation of transgressive desires in literature can have a subversive or liberatory effect, even as it may also reinforce dominant ideologies
  • The homoerotic subtext in Shakespeare's sonnets challenges heteronormative assumptions about desire and sexuality

Dollimore's major publications

• Dollimore has authored several influential books that have helped to shape the field of literary and cultural studies
• His works are known for their interdisciplinary approach, combining insights from literature, history, philosophy, and social theory

Radical Tragedy (1984)

• In this book, Dollimore offers a revisionist reading of Renaissance tragedy, arguing that these texts often contain radical political and philosophical ideas
• He challenges the traditional view of tragedy as a conservative genre that reinforces social and moral norms
• Examines how tragedies by Shakespeare, Marlowe, and others subvert dominant ideologies and power structures
  • King Lear can be read as a critique of the divine right of kings and the arbitrary nature of political authority

Political Shakespeare (1985)

• Co-edited with Alan Sinfield, this collection of essays explores the political dimensions of Shakespeare's plays and their relevance to contemporary debates
• Contributors draw upon various critical approaches, including cultural materialism, feminism, and postcolonial theory
• Dollimore's own essay in the volume, "Transgression and Surveillance in Measure for Measure," examines the play's themes of power, sexuality, and social control

Sexual Dissidence (1991)

• In this groundbreaking work, Dollimore explores the history and cultural significance of sexual nonconformity, particularly in relation to literature and the arts
• He argues that the representation of sexual dissidence in literature can serve to challenge and subvert dominant norms and ideologies
• Examines a wide range of texts and figures, from ancient Greece to the present day, to trace the evolution of attitudes towards sexual difference
  • The trial of Oscar Wilde in 1895 is analyzed as a pivotal moment in the history of sexual dissidence and its cultural representation

Death, Desire and Loss in Western Culture (1998)

• In this book, Dollimore explores the complex and often contradictory ways in which death, desire, and loss have been represented in Western literature and culture
• He argues that the confrontation with mortality and the experience of loss are central to the human condition and have shaped our cultural and artistic traditions
• Examines a diverse range of texts and genres, from ancient tragedy to modern poetry, to illuminate the enduring themes of death and desire
  • The poetry of John Donne is analyzed as a meditation on the intertwining of erotic and thanatotic impulses

Dollimore's influence on literary theory

• Dollimore's work has had a significant impact on the development of literary and cultural theory, particularly in the fields of cultural materialism, queer theory, and gender studies
• His ideas have challenged traditional approaches to literature and opened up new avenues for critical inquiry and interpretation

Contributions to cultural materialism

• Along with Alan Sinfield and Catherine Belsey, Dollimore is considered one of the founding figures of cultural materialism
• His work has helped to establish cultural materialism as a major theoretical paradigm in literary studies
• Dollimore's emphasis on the historical and ideological contexts of literary production has influenced a generation of scholars and critics
  • His analysis of the political dimensions of Renaissance drama has inspired new approaches to the study of early modern literature

Impact on queer theory and gender studies

• Dollimore's exploration of sexual dissidence and transgression has made a significant contribution to the development of queer theory and gender studies
• His work has challenged essentialist notions of gender and sexuality and emphasized the historical and cultural contingency of these categories
• Dollimore's ideas have helped to legitimize the study of non-normative sexualities and gender identities within the academy
  • His analysis of homoerotic desire in Shakespeare's sonnets has opened up new possibilities for queer readings of canonical texts

Challenging traditional literary canon

• Dollimore's work has played a key role in challenging the traditional literary canon and expanding the range of texts and authors considered worthy of serious scholarly attention
• He has argued for the importance of studying marginalized and subversive voices within the canon, as well as texts that have been excluded or overlooked
• Dollimore's approach has helped to democratize literary studies and make the field more inclusive and diverse
  • His emphasis on the political and ideological dimensions of literature has encouraged scholars to look beyond the narrow confines of the traditional canon

Inspiring new approaches to Renaissance texts

• Dollimore's revisionist readings of Renaissance literature have inspired a new generation of scholars to approach these texts from fresh perspectives
• His work has challenged the idea of the Renaissance as a period of cultural and artistic rebirth, emphasizing instead the tensions and contradictions within early modern society
• Dollimore's ideas have opened up new possibilities for the interpretation of canonical authors such as Shakespeare, Marlowe, and Donne
  • His analysis of the subversive potential of Renaissance tragedy has led to a reevaluation of the political and philosophical significance of these texts

Critiques and controversies

• While Dollimore's work has been highly influential, it has also been the subject of critical debate and controversy
• Some scholars have challenged his interpretations of specific texts and authors, while others have questioned the broader assumptions and methodologies of cultural materialism

Debates with other literary theorists

• Dollimore has engaged in public debates and exchanges with other prominent literary theorists, such as Terry Eagleton and Harold Bloom
• These debates have often centered on the relative merits of different critical approaches and the role of politics and ideology in literary studies
• Dollimore has defended cultural materialism against charges of reductionism and determinism, arguing that it offers a more nuanced and historically grounded approach to literature than other theories
  • His debate with Eagleton in the pages of the New Left Review in the 1980s helped to clarify the key differences between cultural materialism and Althusserian Marxism

Criticisms of Dollimore's methodology

• Some critics have argued that Dollimore's approach to literature is overly ideological and tends to reduce texts to mere reflections of social and political forces
• Others have suggested that his readings of specific authors and texts are sometimes tendentious or selective, ignoring evidence that does not fit his theoretical framework
• Dollimore has responded to these criticisms by emphasizing the need for a historically informed and contextualized approach to literature that takes into account the complex interplay of text and context
  • His analysis of The Tempest, for example, has been criticized for downplaying the play's colonialist themes in favor of a more subversive reading

Responses to Dollimore's provocative ideas

• Dollimore's work has often been seen as provocative and controversial, challenging established norms and assumptions within the literary establishment
• His ideas about sexual dissidence and transgression, in particular, have sometimes been met with resistance or hostility from more conservative quarters
• Dollimore has defended his approach as a necessary corrective to the limitations and biases of traditional literary criticism, arguing that it is the role of the critic to question and subvert dominant ideologies
  • His analysis of the homoerotic elements in Shakespeare's sonnets, for example, has been seen as a challenge to the heteronormative assumptions of much Shakespeare scholarship

Dollimore's legacy in literary studies

• Despite the controversies and debates surrounding his work, Dollimore's ideas have had a lasting impact on the field of literary studies and continue to shape critical debates and scholarship

Continuing relevance of his theories

• Many of the key concepts and ideas developed by Dollimore, such as cultural materialism, dissidence, and transgression, remain central to contemporary literary theory and criticism
• His emphasis on the political and ideological dimensions of literature has helped to make the study of literature more socially and historically engaged
• Dollimore's work continues to inspire new generations of scholars and students who are interested in exploring the subversive and transformative potential of literature
  • His analysis of the relationship between power and sexuality in Renaissance drama, for example, remains a touchstone for scholars working in the field of early modern studies

Scholars building upon Dollimore's work

• Dollimore's ideas have been taken up and developed by a wide range of scholars working in different fields and disciplines
• In literary studies, his work has influenced scholars working on topics such as gender, sexuality, race, and postcolonialism
• In cultural studies, his emphasis on the material and ideological contexts of cultural production has helped to shape the field's methodological and theoretical foundations
  • Scholars such as Alan Sinfield and Catherine Belsey have built upon Dollimore's work to develop new approaches to the study of literature and culture

Dollimore's place in the literary theory canon

• Dollimore is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential literary theorists of the late 20th century
• His work has helped to transform the field of literary studies and has had a lasting impact on the way we think about the relationship between literature, politics, and culture
• While his ideas have sometimes been controversial, there is no denying the significance of his contribution to the development of contemporary literary theory
  • Along with figures such as Raymond Williams and Terry Eagleton, Dollimore is considered one of the key thinkers in the field of cultural materialism and has helped to shape the direction of literary studies in the 21st century