Blog Post 2: Three Artifacts

Over the past couple of days I have collected a list of three artifacts that I believe embody a certain set of beliefs; accordingly, they could be analyzed very well using the ideological method of criticism.

The first artifact is one that I discovered through my job. I work at Hallmark, and among the hundreds of products we carry are calendars. One calendar in particular struck me when I first saw it; upon further examination, I found that the LANG 2010 Schoolhouse calendar is extraordinarily green. I would have expected that a calendar bearing the name “Schoolhouse” would have been oriented towards teaching, and it is; but it heavily promotes a very specific kind of teaching, namely conservation and how to be environmentally conscious. Given the heavy saturation of Earth-friendly themes, both written and painted, this artifact is extremely well-suited to the ideological method of criticism; the dominant ideology is, of course, “Go Green.”

The second artifact was very popular in the 1990s. The Left Behind series, co-written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, tells the story of the Apocalypse, as foretold by The Book of Revelation in the Bible. According to The Book of Revelation, the Apocalypse begins with The Rapture, when God brings his people home to Heaven; in the Left Behind series, this event actually happens with the disappearance of millions of people around the world, inspiring international panic. The freaked-out masses turn to the charismatic Nicolae Carpathia, a strong and quickly-rising leader, who turns out to be none other than the Anti-Christ. Only a few people are aware of Carpathia’s true identity, however; the only way they can fight back is by being loyal to God and advancing God’s will. Obviously, the dominant ideology of this series is Christian, stating that the only way to attain eternal salvation is by following Christian tenets.

The third artifact is one I’m reading for a different class, none other than Jane Austen’s Emma. This book is riddled through with class issues. The main character, Emma, spends her time chasing suitable connections for her friend Harriet, who has no advantages or social leverage. Harriet is, in fact, in love with a respectable farmer, but Emma sabotages the relationship because a “lowly farmer” is not good enough for her friend, and should Harriet make such a poor connection, Emma would have to discontinue the acquaintanceship with her “dear friend.” Status and suitability of connection are more important to Emma than her friend’s happiness. The ideology of high class vs. low class parades throughout the book.