Symbolic War: The Cultural Politics of Proletarian Literature, 1929 1935

La!rence " #anley

$e%t of &n'lish
City Colle'e of (e! )or*
hanley+b!aynet
Introduction
$es%ite a %rofusion of ne! critical !or* on the 193,s an- the ra-ical
!ritin' of the -eca-e, it can be -ifficult to recall .ust ho! central %roletarian
literature !as to the /merican literary an- cultural scene of the 193,s 0et!een
rou'hly 1929 an- 1935, %roletarian literature ca%ture- the ener'ies, ambitions,
talents, an- labor of t!o 'enerations of /merican cultural !or*ers )oun'er
!riters li*e 1ac* Conroy, Tillie 2lsen, an- 3ichar- Wri'ht, alon' !ith lesser4
*no!ns li*e &--ie 3olfe, 5race Lum%*in, Thomas 0ell, an- others launche- their
literary careers un-er the ae'is of %roletarian literature, !hile establishe- !riters
an- critics 4 4 from &rs*ine Cal-!ell to Lan'ston #u'hes to 1ose%hine #erbst 4
4-e-icate- themsel6es an- their formi-able literary ca%ital to the %roletarian
mo6ement Publishers an- ma'a7ine e-itors, inclu-in' #L 8enc*en at the
/merican 8ercury, solicite- manuscri%ts from u% an- comin' !or*in'4class
!riters, an- one literary historian of the %erio- counts o6er fifty 9%roletarian9
no6els %ublishe- in this short fi6e4year s%an :3i-eout 2954;< &6ery ma.or
literary ma'a7ine, from #oun- an- #orn to Satur-ay 3e6ie! of Literature
re6ie!e- %roletarian no6els an- en'a'e- !ith -ebates about literature an-
%olitics 5ran6ille #ic*s, the Communist literary e-itor of the left4!in' (e!
8asses, %ublishe- 8ar=ist analyses of %o%ular literature, Sinclair Le!is,
%ro%a'an-a, an- other to%ics on a re'ular basis in &n'lish 1ournal, the
forerunner of to-ay>s Colle'e &n'lish :9/ssum%tions,9 98ystery,9 9Sinclair
Le!is9< 9To-ay,9 the in-e%en-ent 8ar=ist ?" Cal6erton !rote in 1932, .ust as
%roletarian literature !as brea*in' out of more confine- cultural @uarters,
the %roletarian theme has be'un to absorb the con6ersational an-
literary ener'ies of the intellectuals 8a'a7ines reco'ni7e its
challen'eA ne!s%a%er columnists !elcome its -iscussionA lectures
are in -eman- u%on the to%icA an- %ublishers, e6er @uic* to sense
chan'e in literary interest an- taste, are alrea-y ali6e to the
%ossibilities of !hat one of them, a !ell4*no!n >hunch> man in the
fiel-, -escribe- !ith obscene nai6etB as >the %roletarian rac*etC>
:9Can We9 39<
Where Cal6erton un-erscore- the -an'ers of -omestication an- incor%oration
that accom%anie- cultural le'itimacy, 8i*e 5ol-, %roletarian literature>s most
ar-ent %romoter, sa! the mo6ement>s emer'in' cultural authority as a
%remonition of cultural re6olution 9Dt is only a fe! short years in /merica since
the conce%t of a >%roletarian literature> !as a shabby rebel star6in' in a lonesome
furnishe- room,9 5ol- !rote in 193E Df critics once snubbe- the 9cru-e u%start9
of %roletarian literature, no! 9they fin- him hi-in' in e6ery batch of current boo*s
that arri6es from a %ublisher They smell his s%oor throu'h the %a'es of nearly
e6ery %erio-ical They must ta*e account of him, an- fin- ans!ers to the cruel
@uestions he is fore6er %ro%oun-in'9 :9$aniel 0oone9 2E< 5ol->s mer'er of
autobio'ra%hy an- literary history ca%tures the e=citement, ur'ency, an-
antici%ation felt by many on the left in the 193,s as they stru''le-, for a brief,
successful moment, to 9%roletariani7e9 /merican literature
0y 1935, this %roletarian moment !oul- be o6er Some, li*e Leslie
"ie-ler, Phili% 3ah6, William Philli%s, Dr6in' #o!e, an- other former ra-icals soon
to become %ost4!ar man-arins, !oul- rea- %roletarian literature>s brief rei'n as a
%arable of Communism>s threat to liberal culture an- society :"oley 154E2A Pec*,
92r'y9< 9/n honest -e6otion to !ritin' hypothetically attac*s Stalinism, tests its
%retensions a'ainst our o!n analysis at once,9 the youn' Leslie "iel-er
a--resse- his %eers in a 19EF Partisan 3e6ie! sym%osium 9There is, after all,9
he continue-, 9that monument to an o%%osite a%%roach, momento mori an-
sou6enir of Gthe !riter>sH be'innin's in one, Proletarian Literature in the Inite-
States9 :F;5, F;1< Less 6iscerally attache- to Col- War culture, later re6isionist
critics ha6e sal6a'e- ra-ical !riters an- te=ts of the -eca-e by carefully
measurin' the -istances an- %ro=imities bet!een %roletarian literature an- the
Communist Party 0oth !ays of 9reco6erin'9 %roletarian literature 4 4 as liberal
anti4communist %arable an- re6isionist %ro.ect 4 4 ha6e by an- lar'e ta*en the
Party as the chief reference %oint for un-erstan-in' the limits an- %ossibilities of
ra-ical !ritin' in the 193,s Without un-erestimatin' the Party>s role, Symbolic
War e=%lores the !ays in !hich %roletarian literature emer'es from an- interacts
!ith broa-er cultural conte=ts
The nee- to re46alue the cultural !or* of %roletarian literature 'ro!s from
se6eral reco'nitions "irst, %roletarian narrati6es belon' to a !i-er class4ification
of /merican culture Throu'hout the 193,s, the !or*in' class be'an to achie6e
a ne! %resence in #olly!oo- film, %o%ular fiction, ne!s%a%ers, ma'a7ines,
'o6ernment %olicy, an- urban s%ace Proletarian re%resentations colli-e an-
com%ete !ith these other ima'es an- narrati6es, res%on-in' to an- re!or*in'
a6ailable meanin's an- i-eolo'ies of class The %roletarian mo6ement belon's
to the 9laborin' of /merican culture9 reconstructe- by 8ichael $ennin' in his
'roun-brea*in' stu-y, Cultural "ront Secon-, for all its associations !ith the
So6iet Inion an- its affiliations !ith international Communism, %roletarian
literature !as an /merican %henomenon, stee%e- in the forms, con6entions,
themes, styles, an- %roblems of /merican literary culture Proletarian !riters
!rote their classe- narrati6es !ithin an- throu'h e=istin' literary materialsA they
ne'otiate- ne! literary4%olitical i-entities by en'a'in' !ith establishe- authorial
rolesA an-, they confronte- a literary fiel- structure- an- -etermine- by %re4
e=istin' -is%ositions of cultural ca%ital "inally, the cultural !or* of %roletarian
literature nee-s to be re46alue- because %roletarian te=ts !ere themsel6es hi'hly
self4conscious about their ambitions to re%resent the !or*in'4class S%ea*in' for
an- about the !or*in' class in a cultural form 4 4 literature 4 4 that belon'e- to the
mi--le class, %roletarian fiction an- %oetry foun- itself %ersistently theori7in' the
social relations of contem%orary culture Proletarian literature>s mimetic -esire to
re%resent the !or*in' class !as continually haunte- by a more rhetorical -esire
to un-erstan- !here these re%resentations !oul- en- u% an- !hat *in- of !or*
they mi'ht, or mi'ht not, -o Dn Symbolic War, these concerns ten- to -is%lace,
!ithout erasin', the usual focus on the Party or Communist aesthetic i-eolo'y
8y brief for the cultural !or* of ra-ical !ritin' an- !riters in the 193,s mi'ht be
summe- u% this !ay: %roletarian literature in the thirties not only contribute- to a
more 'eneral circulation of !or*in'4class re%resentations, it also stru''le- to
rec*on the effect of these re%resentations !ithin /merican culture
The meta%hor of 9circulation9 has of course become central to recent
efforts to brea* free from ol-er %ara-i'ms of literary an- cultural stu-y The
brilliant interte=tualities of Ste%hen 5reenblatt>s influential 9%oetics of culture,9 for
instance, follo! from his rerea-in's of 3enaissance te=ts as 9the %ro-ucts of
e=ten-e- borro!in's, collecti6e e=chan'es, an- mutual enhancements9
In-erstan-in' literary te=ts as sites !here thin's 4 4 9social ener'y,9 forms,
tro%es, lan'ua'es 4 4 are mo6e- bet!een 9culturally -emarcate- 7ones,9 critics
associate- !ith (e! #istoricism e=%lore @uestions that ra-ically conte=tuali7e
te=ts an- the 9literary9 itself: 9We nee- to un-erstan- not only the construction of
GculturalH 7ones,9 5reenblatt !rites, 9but also the %rocess of mo6ement across
the shiftin' boun-aries bet!een them Who -eci-es !hich materials can be
mo6e- an- !hich must remain in %laceJ #o! are cultural materials %re%are- for
e=chan'eJ What ha%%ens to them !hen they are mo6e-J9 :;< The
inter-isci%linary, or %ost4-isci%linary, ambitions of cultural stu-ies an- its ca%acity
to -efamiliari7e e6ery-ay culture, literature, an- critical !or* itself, rest on a
similarly enablin' meta%hor of culture as 9circulation9 The articulation an-
rearticulation of si'ns, one of cultural stu-ies> most inno6ati6e theoretical
formulations, -e%en-s for instance on the insi'ht that, as Stuart #all %uts it, 9the
meanin' of a cultural form an- its %lace or %osition in the cultural fiel- is not
inscribe- insi-e its form The meanin' of a cultural symbol is 'i6en in %art by the
social fiel- into !hich it is incor%orate-, the %ractices !ith !hich it articulates an-
is ma-e to resonate9 :9(otes9 235< Dntro-ucin' cultural stu-ies to /merican
rea-ers of Social Te=t in 19F;, 3ichar- 1ohnson %laces the 9circuits of culture9
an- the circulation of te=ts at the center of his e=%osition of cultural stu-ies>
interests an- a%%roachesA $oin' Cultural Stu-ies :-u 5ay et al<, an 2%en
Ini6ersity te=tboo* that intro-uces stu-ents to cultural stu-ies an- im%lies one
mo-el for its institutionali7ation, trac*s the Sony Wal*man as it circulates
bet!een commo-ity, mar*etin' an- a-6ertisin' te=t, an- its a%%ro%riation by
consumers an- users Dn a 9cultural economy !here the circulation is not one of
money, but of meanin's an- %leasures,9 1ohn "is*e !rites, 9there are no
consumers, only circulators of meanin's, for meanin's are the only elements in
the %rocess that can be neither commo-ifie- nor consume-: meanin's can be
%ro-uce-, re%ro-uce-, an- circulate- only in that constant %rocess !e call
culture9 :In-erstan-in' 2;< The meta%hor of cultural 9circulation9 stresses the
relational, con.unctural an- contin'ent -imensions of culture as %rocess an-
%racticeA it also 'rants cultural stu-ies its license to -eco-e the ramifications of
culture an- %o!er by ran'in' across -isci%linary boun-aries an- cultural
formations
The rebellious charisma of cultural stu-ies or (e! #istoricism only
becomes %al%able, ho!e6er, in .u=ta%osition to the %o!erful institutions that
re'ulate an- -isci%line cultural flo!s Cham%ionin' 9circulation9 a'ainst
le'islators of %ro%riety, -istinction, an- %urity, these ne! insur'ents often fail to
note that they share the same institutional s%ace 4 4 usually &n'lish, #istory, an-
Communications -e%artments or #umanities -i6isions 4 4 as their anta'onists
In-erscorin' this common location in the Ini6ersity raises the @uestion, as 1oel
Pfister %hrases it: 9if cultural stu-ies is %ractice- by the P8C G%rofessional4
mana'erial classH, !ho is it forJ9 :295< That is, to %ara%hrase 5reenblatt, !hat
ha%%ens to cultural materials !hen they are mo6e- across the class boun-aries
that -elimit the Ini6ersity as a s%ecific social 97one9J This @uestion has be'un
to clou- recent -ebates about the multiculturali7in' of colle'e curricula an-
syllabi, but it is also this *in- -is%lacement 4 4 across class lines 4 4 that -ri6es
%roletarian e=cursions on the %roblem of 9circulation9
9#e !as a fello! from the street,9 the !or*in'4class %rota'onist of William
Saroyan>s 9Prelu-e to an /merican Sym%hony9 tells himself as he %re%ares to
%erform his music for an au-ience of 9artistic %eo%le9 91ust one more -rin* an-
he>- be rea-y to let them *no! he came from the street an- -i-n>t care if he -i-
because he !as a -amne- si'ht realer than they>- e6er be9 :1E< Publishe- in
193E in the chief 6ehicle of /merican %roletarianism, (e! 8asses, Saroyan>s
story re-uces the -ilemmas of %roletarian narrati6e>s cultural self4consciousness
to its most ty%ical e=%ression The story sim%ly narrates the 6olatile
consciousness of Saroyan>s %rota'onist as he circulates across social an-
cultural boun-aries an- confronts the -is.unctures bet!een !or*in'4class
authorshi%, %erformance, an- rece%tion 2>#ara>s mantra of -ifference, his
i-entification !ith 9the street,9 asserts the boun-aries bet!een hi'h an- lo!,
s%urious an- 'enuine, !or*in' an- mi--le classes, e6en as it is the reco'nition
of their %ermeability that -ri6es this com%ulsi6e reiteration /mbition an- talent
seem to ha6e ferrie- 2>#ara across class boun-aries, but this crossin'
com%licates the authority an- trans%arency of his relations to 9the street9
because, once he is alienate- from his ori'inal location, he no lon'er o!ns
himself or his Sym%hony Dnstea-, as 2>#ara reco'ni7es, meanin' an- i-entity
enter the arena of si'ns an- si'nification: 9#e !as from the street,9 2>#ara says,
9an- he !as %rou- of it, only he -i-n>t !ant them to 'et it !ron'9 :1E< "ollo!in'
3olan- 0arthes> insi'ht in 8ytholo'ies that the bour'eois easily recu%erates
other!ise -isturbin' si'nifiers of social -ifference un-er the co-e of the 9e=otic,9
9'ettin' it !ron'9 means that 2>#ara>s au-ience !ill en.oy his %erformance not as
an e=%ression of class e=%erience but as the s%ectacle, as 2>#ara %hrases it to
himself, of a 95o-4-amne- mon*ey9 %layin' classical music 2>#ara>s an=iety
flo!s from the semiotic -an'ers inherent in cross4class communication: as
*no!n, naturali7e- co-es of inter%retation 'i6e !ay to ne!, forei'n co-es an-
conte=ts, the !riter>s or artist>s %o!er to control the meanin's an- effects of his
%erformance is constantly threatene- by o%%ortunities for misa%%ro%riation an-
misinter%retation $is%ossession, of meanin' an- i-entity, is the %rice of cultural
le'itimacy
What 2>#ara -oesn>t 'et, but Saroyan>s %arable of cultural celebrity an-
schi7o%hrenia im%lies, is that the more he stru''les to si'nify his !or*in'4class
i-entity, the more he confirms an- conforms to the -is%ossessin' e=oticism he
fears The an=ieties unleashe- by bor-er crossin' in 9Prelu-e to an /merican
Sym%hony9 are more than .ust reflections on the fate of 9sellin' out9 or the fear of
9bein' co4o%te-,9 to use an alternati6e i-iom of bor-er crossin' 2>#ara>s
ambi6alences may e=%ress the combination of 9lon'in' to %artici%ate in
establishe- culture an- the ra'e articulate- as a curse on its moral ban*ru%tcy9
:E,< that 1ames 0loom fin-s central to 8i*e 5ol->s o!n stru''les to crash the
literary scene in the t!enties an- thirties 0ut in the en-, the self4refle=i6ity that
haunts 9Prelu-e9 an- %roletarian narrati6e must be seen as a structural effect of
the class or'ani7ation an- institution of culture: cultural le'itimacy is the %ro-uct
of stru''les to consoli-ate the 6ery hierarchies an- -istinctions that se%arate
!or*in' an- mi--le4classes /s in 2>#ara>s case, to achie6e cultural le'itimacy,
to be reco'ni7e- as an 9artist,9 is to 'ain access to a structure that !or*s
ceaselessly, as Pierre 0our-ieu has -ocumente- in $istinction, throu'h material
a%%aratuses li*e e-ucation, the me-ia, an- the mar*et, to articulate class
-ifferences !ith a 9natural cultural9 -ifference bet!een the 9tasteful9 an- the
9barbaric9 9Prelu-e9>s -ouble- %erformance 4 4 of 9/merican Sym%hony9 an-
alienate- self 4 4 illustrates the !ay %roletarian narrati6e ten-s to be fissure- by
its com%etin' a--resses, narratin' !or*in'4class e=%erience but also
inesca%ably a!are of its im%lication in the %ro-uction of the 9tasteful9 an- the
9barbaric9
Themati7in' cultural circulation as an instance of the class lo'ic of cultural
-istinction, %roletarian narrati6es ty%ically %ro-uce !hat D call alle'ories of culture
an- class These alle'ories, li*e Saroyan>s %ortrait of 2>#ara an- his Sym%hony,
stru''le to theori7e %roletarian literature as social an- cultural %ractice 4 4 as a
form of narrati6e that me-iates relations bet!een !or*in'4class re%resentations,
%roletarian authorshi%, an- mi--le4class rea-ers The inability to reconcile the
-is.unctures bet!een the authority of !or*in'4class re%resentation an- its
rece%tion !ithin a bour'eois cultural fiel- in-uces the ty%ical self4refle=i6ity of
%roletarian narrati6e, a self4refle=i6ity that re6ol6es aroun- @uestions li*e: !here
an- ho! is %roletarian literature %ositione- in the cultural fiel-J ho! -o the social
relations of culture constrain the cultural !or* of %roletarian narrati6eJ ho! can
minority, or subaltern, re%resentations sub6ert or short4circuit the social %rocess
that con6erts :!or*in'4class< !ritin' into :bour'eois< literatureJ $ifferent
%roletarian te=ts ans!er these @uestions -ifferently Some, li*e 1ac* Conroy>s
The $isinherite-, narrate the surren-er of a literary ambition that fuels the -esire
to 9!rite9 class an-, at the same time, ultimately -is%ossesses the %roletarian
!riter 2thers, li*e /lbert #al%er>s The "oun-ry, try to fore'roun- the s%lits an-
fissures of %roletarian enunciation an- hence e=ert some control o6er the
circulation of !or*in'4class re%resentations across class lines The !ar bet!een
an insur'ent %roletarian literature an- establishe- literary an- cultural authority
thus becomes the other story of %roletarian narrati6e itself
The %ro-uction of this 9other story9 is not ho!e6er confine- to %roletarian
narrati6e "rom the other si-e of the class -i6i-e, a ne! attention to an-
in6estment in the !or*in' classes %ro-uce- similar, if less -o''e-ly %ursue-,
alle'ories of class an- culture (arratin' or recor-in' the 9other half,9
establishe- !riters, artists, an- critics also ma%%e- the com%licate- relations of
social %o!er an- cultural re%resentation To ta*e one famous e=am%le, !hen the
"arm Security /-ministration commissione- -o7ens of %hoto'ra%hers to recor-
e6ery-ay /merican life, it also inau'urate- a -eca-e4lon' in6esti'ation into the
uses an- %ur%oses of %hoto'ra%hy To un-erstan- the alle'ories of class an-
culture enco-e- into -e%ression4era -ocumentary %hoto'ra%hy, one nee- only
com%are the ima'es that be'in an- en- Wal*er &6ans> 193F collection, /merican
Photo'ra%hs &6ans> o%enin' ima'es 4 4 of a commercial %hoto'ra%hy stu-io
an- of its colla'e of sam%le %ortrait %hotos 4 4 un-erscore commercial
%hoto'ra%hy>s mass %ro-uction of ima'es an- in-i6i-uality The collection>s
closin' ima'e, an e=treme close4u% of a tin ornament, fore'roun-s not .ust the
su%erior beauty of crafte- o6er commo-ifie- %ro-ucts, it also 6in-icates the use
of %hoto'ra%hy to re4sacrali7e the !orl- of /merican ob.ects &6ans> %ictures in
/merican Photo'ra%hs, /lan Trachtenber' !rites, 9sho! a nation cau'ht !ithin
o%%ositions an- -ifferences Dn another li'ht they offer by enactment an
alternati6e to the commercial an- instrumental metho-s of seein' !hich they
o%%ose9 :2F5<
The class -imensions of this alle'ory become more 6isible in a
%hoto'ra%h by 3ussell Lee title- sim%ly, 9"S/ Clients at #ome, #i-al'o County,
Te=as, 19399 The %hoto>s
ca%tion em%hasi7es the
ty%icality, or
re%resentati6eness, !hich
!as a chief 'oal of
-ocumentarians Dts
-e%iction of a husban- an-
!ife at home, seate-
o%%osite each other, one
rea-in' a ma'a7ine an- the other *nittin', -emonstrates -ocumentary
%hoto'ra%hy>s license to %enetrate other!ise conceale- interiors, turnin' %ri6ate
life into %ublic recor- :&6ans !oul- %aro-y this license in his 193K %hoto'ra%h
of a furniture com%any billboar- !hich is itself a re%resentation of a -omestic
interior< Dn Lee>s %hoto'ra%h, the !ife>s hairnet an- the holes in the husban->s
soc*s si'nal their class status, but they also si'nal o!nershi% of the ima'e This
is not a %icture the t!o 9clients9 !oul- ta*e of themsel6es /s if to fore'roun-
this conflict bet!een %hoto'ra%hic %ractices, t!o stu-io %ortraits in tiny frames
stan- on either en- of the massi6e ra-io that -i6i-es an- se%arates husban- an-
!ife While their association !ith the ra-io comments %erha%s on the relation
bet!een mass culture an- e6ery-ay life, intentionally or not, the stu-io %ortraits
in6o*e a %o%ular %ractice of %hoto'ra%hy as, in Pierre 0our-ieu>s %hrase, a
9technolo'y of solemni7ation9 :Photo'ra%hy 2;< 0ecause it is subor-inate- to
its 9family function9 :19<, %o%ular %hoto'ra%hic %ractice commemorates an-
reinforces social roles, communal e6ents, an- collecti6e unity Dn this !ay,
%o%ular %hoto'ra%hic %ractice, !hich 9%ublici7es9 %ri6ate life in s%ecific, rituali7e-
L"S/ Clients at #ome, #i-al'o County, Te=as,M 3ussell Lee
!ays that i-eali7e an- sociali7e in-i6i-ual i-entity, conflicts !ith -ocumentary
%hoto'ra%hy>s o!n im%erati6es to e=%ose an- circulate %articular an- imme-iate
realities Photo'ra%hin' his "S/ clients, Lee also sta'es the -ifference
bet!een %hoto'ra%hic %ractices, one belon'in' to %o%ular self4%resentation an-
the other to mi--le4class %ro.ects of reform, an- alle'ori7es the class relations of
-ocumentary re%resentation
Dn its o!n !ay, then, Lee>s %hoto'ra%h %artici%ates in the -ouble- lo'ic
common to %roletarian narrati6eA 9"S/ Clients at #ome9 -ocuments social
-ifference e6en as it raises @uestions about ho! re%resentations of -ifference
circulate bet!een an- across class lines "ollo!in' throu'h on their mimetic
ambitions, "S/ %hoto'ra%hs li*e Lee>s enact an 9other story9 about class an-
culture Dt !oul- be tem%tin' to rea- a theory of class an- cultural circulation out
of the 9other stories9 that %roliferate in te=ts from the 193,s, but the historicity of
class structures an- cultural formations, es%ecially in the 9$e%ression9 -eca-e,
!arns a'ainst such labors in %rinci%le 2n the other han-, rea-in' %roletarian
narrati6e as both a site of cultural circulation, !here !riters an- te=ts ne'otiate
their cultural business !ith other 'enres, forms, an- lan'ua'es, an- as a
me-itation on the %roblems of circulation, the aim of Symbolic War is not @uite
-irecte- at either literary history or the canon The %ur%ose of my e=ten-e-
rea-in's of !riters li*e 1ac* Conroy, "iel-in' 0ur*e, 8eri-el LeSueur, /lbert
#al%er, Thomas 0ell, /'nes Sme-ley, an- others is less to re-eem an- reco6er
faile- can-i-ates for canoni7ation than to -e6elo% a heuristic for un-erstan-in'
the relations of class an- culture that continue to structure our o!n moment 8y
conclusions about %roletarian literature re6ol6e, then, not aroun- the 6alue of
ra-ical !riters an- !ritin' in the 193,s, but aroun- the challen'es %ose- by
%roletarian narrati6e to the nature an- effects of our o!n contem%orary
in6estments in social -ifference
This ar'ument be'ins in cha%ter one, !ith an effort first to -efamiliari7e
%roletarian literature by narratin' its emer'ence in the early thirties as %art of a
more 'eneral cultural in6estment in the re-em%ti6e %o!ers of social -ifference
Po%ular culture of the early thirties is tra6erse- by narrati6es of crisis an-
reco6ery, from %o%ular fiction in the Satur-ay &6enin' Post to a-6ertisin' to
"aul*ner>s Sanctuary These narrati6es treat social -ifference ambi6alently,
ac*no!le-'in' its %o!er to -isru%t social or-er !hile stru''lin' to circumscribe
an- control this %o!er / film li*e Nin' Non' %lots 6ictory o6er forces an- a'ents
of social -ifference, e6en as it 6isually celebrates Non'>s %o!er an- un-ermines
the le'itimacy of the social authorities it re%resents Non', as D ar'ue,
e=em%lifies the increasin' alienation of affect an- i-eolo'y that mar*s the
9$e%ression9>s onsetA ol- beliefs, meanin's, an- 6alues %ersist, but nobo-y really
belie6es in them anymore /s a creation of 8i*e 5ol-, the %roletarian !riter
mo6es into cultural %rominence at the same time as Nin' Non' -econstructs art
-eco 8anhattan In-erstan-in' ho! Lthe %ariah of /merican lettersM :"olsom
19;2< became the ma'netic center of /merican literary culture in the early 193,s
-e%en-s on un-erstan-in' this broa-er i-eolo'ical an- cultural crisis
Dn the early thirties, %roletarian literature bro*ere- a mer'er bet!een
!or*in'4class !riters an- ra-icali7e- literary fi'ures /s the first section of
Symbolic War ar'ues, this mer'er recreate- %roletarian literature as a 9contact
7one9 mar*e- an- -elimite- not by aesthetic %rescri%tions or Party i-eolo'y but
by com%etin' -efinitions of 9literariness,9 authorshi%, an- au-ience Sus%en-e-
bet!een the !or*in'4class an- mi--le4class, %olitics an- literature, history an-
tra-ition, the ra-ical !ritin' %ro-uce- in this %erio- not only enacts the -ilemmas
of the contact 7one but can also be rea- as an effort to mana'e the confusions
an- contra-ictions en'en-ere- by the %olitical, social, an- literary referents
con-ense- into the term 9%roletarian literature9 3a-ical literary criticism of the
%erio- re6ol6e- aroun- insoluble commitments to the !or*in'4class an- to the
rei'nin' institution of literature Dn Proletarian Literature in the Inite- States, the
%roletarian mo6ement>s sho!case antholo'y, the %roblem of the relationshi%
bet!een liberal mi--le4class rea-ershi% an- 9%roletarian9 sub.ects becomes the
-ominant motif, tyin' to'ether te=ts by authors as 6arious as 1ohn $os Passos,
8uriel 3u*eyser, &-!in 3olfe, an- Tiller Lerner :2lsen< 1ac* Conroy>s The
$isinherite- narrates similar in-eterminacies !hen it %ro.ects the conflicts
bet!een !or*in'4class e=%erience an- literary le'itimacy onto a masculine,
!or*in'4class bo-y ma-e 'rotes@ue an- monstrous by its immersion in the
contact 7one 3ea-in' these te=ts to'ether 4 4 ra-ical criticism, %roletarian
antholo'y, an- The $isinherite- 4 4 !e come closer to seein' ho! 9%roletarian
literature9 names a common situation, or %roblematic, susce%tible to a 6ariety of
narrati6e, 'eneric, an- formal strate'ies rather than a stable bo-y of authors,
te=ts, or con6entions
To in6o*e 8ichel -e Certeau>s -istinction, %roletarian literature -esi'nates
a space rather than a place :-e Certeau< Com%ose- of -ifferent aesthetic
%ossibilities, 'eneric stran-s, i-eolo'ical %ermutations, an- cultural materials, but
anchore- in %articular *ey sites li*e (e! 8asses an- other Party4associate-
institutions, %roletarian literature su%%orte- a 6ariety of -ifferent *in-s of cultural
!or* not entirely re-ucible to %olitical %ro'ram or a'en-a Section t!o e=amines
the !or* of 2li6e Tilfor- $ar'an an- 8eri-el LeSueur to in-icate these -ifferent
*in-s of cultural !or* Proletarian literature allo!e- $ar'an, a Southern local
colorist, to become 9"iel-in' 0ur*e,9 the %seu-onymous author of Call #ome the
#eart, a %roletarian no6el about the te=tile stri*es of the early thirties 0y
o%enin' u% ne! forms of authorshi%, %roletarian literature allo!e- $ar'an to
mo-erni7e, or 9re4ca%itali7e,9 her literary career, e6en as it 'a6e her a !ay to
narrate the tumultuous, shiftin' relations of class, caste, an- race in the 9ne!9
South Dn 8eri-el LeSueur>s case, %roletarian literature o%ene- an a6enue onto
!or*in'4class culture an- the mass cultural forms an- i-eolo'ies that seeme- to
baffle socialist %olitics Dn The 5irl, LeSueur narrates the transformation of har-4
boile- crime fiction, an- its i-eolo'emes of ac@uisiti6e in-i6i-ualism, class
6iolence, an- urban masculinity, into a socialist feminist %arable of collecti6ity an-
sur6i6al Dn its ambition to ra-icali7e a 'enre alrea-y %o%ular !ith !or*in'4class
rea-ers, LeSueur>s no6el %ro%oses an alternati6e cultural %olitics to those
ma%%e- by either 5ol- or liberal fello! tra6elers $ar'an an- Le Seuer
a%%ro%riate %roletarian narrati6e in !ays both critical an- affirmati6e,
-emonstratin' that the historical %ossibilities of 9%roletarian literature9 e=cee- our
usual, retros%ecti6e efforts to brin' resolution to the com%licate-, messy scene of
ra-ical culture in the 193,s
(ot all %roletarian !riters !ere %ositione-, or %ositione- themsel6es, to
ta*e a-6anta'e of this s%ace in the same !ays as LeSueur an- $ar'an Section
three recalls Conroy>s The $isinherite- to trace the !ays in !hich literary
ambition coul- both enable an- -isable %roletarian careers an- %ro.ects
Proletarian no6els li*e William 3ollins> The Sha-o! 0efore, Tillie 2lsen>s
)onnon-io, /'nes Sme-ley>s $au'hter of &arth, an- others theori7e a %recarious
cultural s%ace for %roletarian literature, %oise- bet!een bour'eois culture on the
one han- an- mass culture on the other /ccor-in' to the alle'ories of culture
an- class in these fictions, %roletarian narrati6e has to ne'otiate a critical relation
to both the uni6ersali7in', affirmati6e culture o!ne- by the mi--le classes an-
the e@ually esca%ist, but se-ucti6e i-eali7ations of ca%italist mass culture
8a%%in' this in-eterminate, uncharte- location, %roletarian no6els li*e Thomas
0ell>s /ll 0ri-es /re 0eautiful an- /lbert #al%er>s The "oun-ry %ro-uce
-econstructi6e fictions: narratin' %roletarian e=%erience, they simultaneously
narrate the im%ossible situation of their o!n re%resentations /s in Saroyan>s
9Prelu-e,9 this self4refle=i6ity ac*no!le-'es the im%ossibility of 9authentic9 or
unme-iate- re%resentations of the !or*in'4class The only true 9%roletarian
literature,9 accor-in' to 0ell an- #al%er, is a form of !ritin' that constantly
e=%oses an- un-ermines its authority as an en6oy or -ele'ate of social
-ifference
Dn a contem%orary moment an- %lace, the Ini6ersity, officially -e-icatin'
itself to multiculturalism, 9-i6ersity,9 an- -ifference, e6en as it !ith-ra!s access
an- o%%ortunity by retreatin' from affirmati6e action or by raisin' 9stan-ar-s,9
these %roletarian fictions mi'ht %erha%s fin- further em%loyment for their cultural
labors