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Exile and Criticism: Edward Said's Interpretation of Erich Auerbach

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Exile and Criticism: Edward Said's Interpretation of Erich Auerbach Soc (2015) 52:275–282 DOI 10.1007/s12115-015-9898-y CULTURE AND SOCIETY Exile and Criticism: Edward Said’s Interpretation of Erich Auerbach Avihu Zakai1 Published online: 14 April 2015 # Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015 Abstract The literary critic, Edward Said (1935–2003), Philology itself, the branch of literary studies that most examined literature in light of social and cultural poli- loudly cultivates distance from ideology and engage- tics. He analyzed in his words the close connection ment with the most arcane details, might instead be an between history and literature, and exile and history, a authentically – and repeatedly, in one strong voice after subject that occupied much of his life of the mind. another – political activity. Ironically, Said was totally silent about the force, the María Rosa Menocal, Shards of Love: Exile and the passion, the drive to write and invest texts with history Origins of Lyric,1994 in his approach to the writings of the German-Jewish philologist and literary critic Erich Auerbach (1892– Edward Said (1935–2003), who was for many years 1957). In discussing his works, Said gives no sense of Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Co- the historical, ideological and philological context with- lumbia University, was a Bliterary critic who examined in which the famous philologist wrote his works, while literature in light of social and cultural politics.^1 For nevertheless acknowledging that Auerbach always re- example, in his essay BHistory, Literature, and Geogra- ferred to the Bsocial environment^ of a given writer. phy,^ 1995, he analyzed the close connection between My goal is not only to illuminate the suspicious absence history and literature, and exile and history, a subject of historical and ideological context in Said’s treatment that occupied much of his life of the mind since the of Auerbach’s works, but also to offer possible answers time he was Ba graduate student at Harvard in the late why he did so. For Said was decisive in creating [nineteen] fifties.^2 Likewise, in the BIntroduction: Crit- Bnarratives of oppression,^ and in epitomizing them as icism and Exile^ to his book of essays of 2000, Reflec- well. Thus it seems that his obsession with Western tions on Exile and Other Essays, Said emphasized his Bnarratives of oppression^ led him to ignore their con- continuous interest in the close relationship between his- tent and form within the West, when another exiled tory and literature, arguing that to Bvalue literature at all scholar composed them. is fundamentally to value it as the individual work of an individual tangled up in [specific historical] circumstances.^ Keywords Edward Said . Erich Auerbach . Mimesis . Exile . The Bproblem for the interpreter, therefore, is how to align Oppression . Imperialism . Nationalism . Humanism . these circumstances with the work,^ or Bhow to read the work Philology and its worldly situation.^3 1 See, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/516540/Edward- * Avihu Zakai Said [email protected] 2 Edward Said, BHistory, Literature, and Geography,^ 1995, in Said, Re- flections on Exile and Other Essays (Cambridge, Mass.; Harvard Univ. Press, 2000), p. 453. 1 Department of History, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 3 Said, BIntroduction: Criticism and Exile,^ in Reflections on Exile and Jerusalem 91905, Israel Other Essays, p. xv (emphasis in original). 276 Soc (2015) 52:275–282 No wonder that in many works Said accused modern liter- context may lead obviously to serious distortions of the con- ary critics, such as the historian and literary critic Hayden tent and form of Auerbach’s works. Failing to see the intrinsic White, who strove Bto escape from experience^ in their stud- connection between Mimesis and the time and place it was ies, thus transforming Btext^ into Bsomething almost meta- written, Said strangely claimed that this book Bis in many physically isolated from experience^ and in that way Breduced ways a mere calm affirmation of the unity and dignity of and in many instances eliminated the messier precincts of European literature in all its multiplicity and dynamism.^9 ‘life’ and historical experience.^4 More specifically, BWhite As we will see, nothing could be further from the truth. is totally silent about the force, the passion, the drive to write In Said’s writings on Auerbach, no attempt was made Bto and invest texts with history.^ BText are, after all,^ Said de- align^ historical Bcircumstances with the work,^ or Bhow to clared, Bphysical things as well, not just the rarefied emanation read the work and its worldly situation.^10 This stood in clear of a theory,^ such as Semiology or Deconstruction.5 contrast to Said’smainthemeofBCriticism and Exile,^ which Ironically, I would argue, Said himself was Btotally silent condemned both White and the philosopher Richard Rorty for about the force, the passion, the drive to write and invest texts Bminds^ that were Bso untroubled by and free of the immedi- with history^ in his approach to the writings of the German- ate experience of the turbulence of war, ethnic cleansing, Jewish philologist and literary critic Erich Auerbach (1892– forced migration, and unhappy dislocation.^11 Yet such short- 1957). In discussing his works, Said gives no sense of the coming is also apparent in Said’sdiscussionofAuerbach.In historical, ideological and philological context within which sum, what Said wrote about Bazarov, the prototype of the the famous philologist wrote his works, while nevertheless modern nihilistic intellectual in Ivan Turgenev’s novel Fa- acknowledging that Auerbach always referred to the Bsocial thers and Sons, 1862, is applicable to Said’s portrayal of Au- environment^ of a given writer. Hence BAuerbach’s view^ erbach: BBazarov is given no narrative context;^ he Bappears does Bhave to do with the coexistence of realms – the literary, briefly, then he disappears.^12 the social, and the personal.^6 In what will follow my goal is not only to illuminate the Ample evidence of Said’s approach abound. In the suspicious absence of historical and ideological context in BIntroduction: Secular Criticism^ of his book The World, the Text, Said’s treatment of Auerbach’s works, but also to offer possi- and the Critic, 1983, all that Said mentioned in his discussion ble answers why he did so. The theme of exile was very of Mimesis was that Auerbach was Ba Jewish refugee from important in Said writings and resonated in many of his stud- Nazi Europe.^7 Likewise, in BReflections on Exile,^ 1984, ies because, as he acknowledged, of his exilic displacement which probably best reflects Said’s views on exile, he noted from Palestine. Yet one may wonder why Said, who was so only in passing that BAuerbach spent the war years in exile in sensitive to the suffering and existential state of exile, was not Turkey.^8 Nothing further was mentioned on the possible assiduously attending as well to Auerbach’s ordeal and how it influence of such an agonizing ordeal of exilic displacement. may affect his works written in exile, most notably BFigura,^ The same applies even more seriously to Said’s BIntroduc- 1938,13 and Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in West- tion to the Fiftieth-Anniversary Edition^ of Mimesis,2003, ern Literature (Mimesis: Dargestellte Wirklichkeit in der which merely mentioned Auerbach’s education in Germany abendländischen Literatur, 1946). Ironically, as I will argue, and later his exile from Nazi Germany. No attempt was made in Said’s writing there are few Breflections on [Auerbach’s] however to enlighten the reader about possible intrinsic con- exile,^ and not much discussion of Bthe world, the text, and nection neither between Mimesis and concrete historical cir- the critic^ with regard to Auerbach, to borrow again the title of cumstances, nor of German ideological and philological another book by Said. trends, such as Nazism, Fascism and Aryan philology, which The main source for my inquiry into Said’s representation, could have contributed to the evolution of Auerbach’smaster- or indeed misrepresentation, of Auerbach is Said’s Reflections piece. The lack of such an important historical and ideological on Exile and Other Essays, 2000, a book of 46 essays, all of which have been chosen by Said himself and published in the series BConvergence: Inventory of the Present,^ which he 4 Ibid., p. xviii. 5 Ibid., xix. Emphasis in original. For Said’s discussion of the meaning edited for Harvard University Press 3 years before his death and significance of texts, see also Said, BPreface,^ in Literature and Society, ed., Said (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 1980), pp. 1– 9 Said, BIntroduction to the Fiftieth Anniversary Edition^ of Mimesis,in 14, and Said, BThe World, the Text, and the Critic,^ in The World, the Auerbach, Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature Text, and the Critic (Cambridge, Mass.,: Harvard Univ. Press, 1983), pp. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003), p. xvi. See also Said, 31–53. BErich Auerbach, Critic of the Earthly World,^ Boundary 2 31:2 6 Said, BOpponents, Audience, Constituencies, and Community,^ 1982, (2004), p. 550. in Said, Reflections on Exile and Other Essays,p.140. 10 Said, BIntroduction: Criticism and Exile,^ p. xv. Emphasis in original. 7 Said, BIntroduction: Secular Criticism,^ in Said, The World, the Text, 11 Ibid., p. xxi. and the Critic (Cambridge, Mass.,: Harvard Univ. Press, 1983), p. 6. 12 Said, Representation of the Intellectual (London: Vintage, 1994), p. 41. 8 Said, BReflections on Exile,^ 1984, in Said, Reflections on Exile and 13 Auerbach, BFigura^ (1938), in Scenes from the Drama of European Other Essays,p.185. Literature (Gloucester, MA: Peter Smith, 1973), pp. 11–76. Soc (2015) 52:275–282 277 in 2003. Given that Said not only edited this book of his Said admitted that, living in an Bage of politics,^ he was essays, but also chose its name, it will not be far from the truth sometimes engaged in Bthe politics of knowledge,^23 as many to view this book of collected essays as a true representation of of his writings revealed.
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