Page 138 - Vinkler, Jonatan, Ana Beguš and Marcello Potocco. Eds. 2019. Ideology in the 20th Century: Studies of literary and social discourses and practices. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 138
Ideology in the 20th Century: studies of literary and social discourses and practices
the poetic role of an equivalent interlocutor and, on the level of perspec-
tivisation, acts as an equal focalizer. This equation of different perspec-
tives is not complemented with an attempt to reverse gender relations
and their social roles, which in the collection clearly belong to the patri-
archal framework. The lyric persona is consistently represented through
stereotypical and patriarchal feminine attributes: she is unobtrusive, pa-
tient, merciful, self-sacrificing, devoted, and faithful even after the death
of the loved one and regardless of the fact that their love was not recipro-
cal. Even the silent eroticism of the poems remains suppressed, modestly
concealed with plant metaphors—something which we might attribute
to youth and inexperience of the lyric persona. Only in the next Škerl’s
collection of poetry entitled Obledeli pasteli, the part of which is a section
Status febrilis, does the eroticism become more direct, loose, and physical.
138 Trying to classify the work of Ada Škerl according to the typology of
historical development of women’s writing as proposed by the gynocrit-
icism of Elaine Showalter, I would argue it belongs to the first stage of
development, that is, the phase of imitating dominant patriarchal pat-
terns, specifically with regard to the social and gender context.5 To a large
extent, this also applies to the poetic aspect of the collection. There are
no indications that Škerl’s poetry would break with the tradition of the
male authors (while matrilinear tradition was concealed), who represent-
ed a conscious or unconscious model for Škerl.6The most apparent in this
regard is her appropriation of the eros—thanatos theme as developed by
Alojz Gradnik and the related dialogic structure between the male and
the female voice utilised within this theme. Nevertheless, because Sen-
ca v srcu articulates an authentic female experience, which clearly defines
the semantic, formal, and subjective structures of the poetic discourse
(even if the poetic patterns of androcentric tradition are not challenged),
a deviation from Gradnik’s model is apparent on both the thematic and
structural level. It is hence surprising that literary historians understood
Ada Škerl as an initiator of women’s writing (Pogačnik 2001, 84). If this
5 Elaine Showalter, beginner of gynocriticism, discovered three phases of historical de-
velopment of women’s writing in her famous work A Literature of Their Own (1977).
Those are: “imitations of the prevailing dominant tradition”, “protest against male
standards and values as well as defending the rights and values of minorities, includ-
ing a demand for their autonomy”, and self—discovery, “partially independent of the
opposition” (see Moi 1999, 66). Irena Novak Popov (2014, 72) attemted to apply this
typology to Slovenian women’s poetry.
6 She mentions France Balantič, Alojz Gradnik, Dušan Ludvik (Škerl in Pibernik
1978, 89).
the poetic role of an equivalent interlocutor and, on the level of perspec-
tivisation, acts as an equal focalizer. This equation of different perspec-
tives is not complemented with an attempt to reverse gender relations
and their social roles, which in the collection clearly belong to the patri-
archal framework. The lyric persona is consistently represented through
stereotypical and patriarchal feminine attributes: she is unobtrusive, pa-
tient, merciful, self-sacrificing, devoted, and faithful even after the death
of the loved one and regardless of the fact that their love was not recipro-
cal. Even the silent eroticism of the poems remains suppressed, modestly
concealed with plant metaphors—something which we might attribute
to youth and inexperience of the lyric persona. Only in the next Škerl’s
collection of poetry entitled Obledeli pasteli, the part of which is a section
Status febrilis, does the eroticism become more direct, loose, and physical.
138 Trying to classify the work of Ada Škerl according to the typology of
historical development of women’s writing as proposed by the gynocrit-
icism of Elaine Showalter, I would argue it belongs to the first stage of
development, that is, the phase of imitating dominant patriarchal pat-
terns, specifically with regard to the social and gender context.5 To a large
extent, this also applies to the poetic aspect of the collection. There are
no indications that Škerl’s poetry would break with the tradition of the
male authors (while matrilinear tradition was concealed), who represent-
ed a conscious or unconscious model for Škerl.6The most apparent in this
regard is her appropriation of the eros—thanatos theme as developed by
Alojz Gradnik and the related dialogic structure between the male and
the female voice utilised within this theme. Nevertheless, because Sen-
ca v srcu articulates an authentic female experience, which clearly defines
the semantic, formal, and subjective structures of the poetic discourse
(even if the poetic patterns of androcentric tradition are not challenged),
a deviation from Gradnik’s model is apparent on both the thematic and
structural level. It is hence surprising that literary historians understood
Ada Škerl as an initiator of women’s writing (Pogačnik 2001, 84). If this
5 Elaine Showalter, beginner of gynocriticism, discovered three phases of historical de-
velopment of women’s writing in her famous work A Literature of Their Own (1977).
Those are: “imitations of the prevailing dominant tradition”, “protest against male
standards and values as well as defending the rights and values of minorities, includ-
ing a demand for their autonomy”, and self—discovery, “partially independent of the
opposition” (see Moi 1999, 66). Irena Novak Popov (2014, 72) attemted to apply this
typology to Slovenian women’s poetry.
6 She mentions France Balantič, Alojz Gradnik, Dušan Ludvik (Škerl in Pibernik
1978, 89).
