It
is not often that I can consider a book game-changing in terms of impact. This is certainly true of Annette Kuhn’s
edited collection Little Madnesses:
Winnicott, Transitional Phenomena, and Cultural Experience (I. B. Tauris,
2014). Drawing on the theories of the
psychoanalyst D. W. Winnicott, the contributors look at different ways in which
individuals make use of the experience of watching movies, attending art
galleries, or viewing installations to make sense of their lives.
I
have referred in previous posts to the effect that Winnicott has had on my own
thinking. This collection reinforces the
idea of the ways in which we create “third spaces,” using transitional objects
(such as films) that help us redefine the relationship between the psyche and
the environment. In such spaces we are
both “me and not me” – in other words, we can reconsider our previous
behavioral constructions while exploring the potential to create new
possibilities. This “third space” is
potentially limitless; there are no boundaries other than those that we choose
to impose on ourselves.
This
model is especially appropriate to fan cultures, where aficionadoes of
particular movies (e.g. Star Wars, Blade Runner) not only construct their
lives according to the characters and their actions, but rewrite the movies in
their own way, publishing their work online or in discussion-groups. Kuhn’s anthology not only looks at movies as
transitional objects, but also shows how cinema buildings fulfill similar
functions, especially in the mid-twentieth century. At that time movie-goers
went on a regular basis to local cinemas, not just to see movies, but to savor
the behavioral rituals associated with the event – meeting their potential
spouses, dressing up, enjoying the double feature, and so on. When the massive picture-palaces opened, with
their carved interiors, plush seats and elegantly uniformed staff, this sense
of occasion was increased: movie-goers could forget the humdrum realities of
their quotidian lives and enter dream-worlds offering illusions of gentility.
Other
transitional objects explored in the collection include sounds. This is a suggestive concept, reminding me of
my own life, in which my daily ritual of “me-time,” where I sit down in peace
and read a book, is inevitably accompanied by classical music in the
background. The sound of the music is
associated subconsciously with relaxation, allowing my mind to wander wherever
it wishes, and to reflect on my past and the way it can determine my
future. Put more simply, the sound of
classical music becomes the catalyst by which I can learn how to adapt to
changing situations.
The
collection also invites us to question the distinction between “fiction” and “reality”
by showing how fictions – as represented in movies or other cultural products –
offer alternatives to readers and/or viewers, giving them the chance to
reconsider or redefine their lives. The
text becomes the means by which they learn how to adapt to changing situations,
and thereby determine future actions.
Storytelling assumes a highly powerful function; by submitting to the
alternative reality (perhaps a more appropriate term than “fiction”) of the
tale, we learn how to redefine our own realities; we reflect on past
experiences and use such reflections to determine our futures. Storytelling stimulates creativity in
everyone’s consciousness, so long as they appreciate the value of transitional
objects. Kuhn’s collection is a highly
democratic work in this respect.
The
collection also emphasizes the importance of “de-differentiation.” This is a suggestive notion: if we all
understand the power of transitional objects, we can appreciate the value of
the transformative processes associated with them. Such moments encourage us to set aside our
notions of social, gender, ethnic and racial difference and understand how
every human being is capable of enjoying them.
All of us can learn how to contemplate and reflect on our lives if we
are given the time and space to do so.
This
conclusion should be understood by everyone involved in the pedagogic
profession – educators, learners, administrators. It suggests that “learning” has little or
nothing to do with factual acquisition, but only occurs when individuals are
stimulated to do so. They need to be
creatively stimulated, so that they learn how to create their own spaces and
identify their own transitional objects.
This process involves a considerable amount of laissez-faire; rather
than telling people what to think and how to think, educators and
administrators should be prepared to listen to their learners and learn from
them. Winnicott talked a lot about the
ways in which infants learn from their mothers; Kuhn’s collection suggests that
this is a two-way process in which mothers (and other figures of responsibility)
should learn from their infants.
The
collection contains so much to reflect on and learn from, it needs to be reread
more than once. I congratulate Kuhn on
her efforts.
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