Object Biographies in Literature & Literary Theory

Object Biographies: Etymology/Term, Meanings and Concept

Etymology/Term:

The term “object biographies” originates from the fusion of “object,” denoting a tangible entity, and “biography,” referring to an account of a person’s life. Coined within the fields of material culture and anthropology, “object biographies” represent a methodology that ascribes life-like qualities to objects, treating them as subjects with histories, experiences, and significance in human affairs.

Meanings and Concept:

• Historical Narratives: They involve constructing narratives that trace the life history of an object, exploring its origins, transformations, and the various contexts in which it has been situated over time.
• Agency of Objects: The concept attributes agency to objects, emphasizing their active roles in shaping human experiences, cultural practices, and societal dynamics.
• Cultural Significance: They delve into the cultural meanings embedded in objects, considering how they contribute to the construction of identity, memory, and collective histories.
• Materiality and Transformation: The methodology highlights the materiality of objects, examining their physical attributes and transformations as integral components of their biographical stories.
• Human-Object Relationships: They explore the dynamic relationships between humans and objects, acknowledging that these interactions are reciprocal, with both parties influencing each other.

Object Biographies: Definition of a Theoretical Term

Object biographies represent a theoretical framework in material culture studies and anthropology that treats objects as dynamic entities with life histories, experiences, and cultural significance. This approach involves constructing narratives that trace the life trajectories of objects, examining their origins, transformations, and contextual meanings over time. They emphasize the agency of objects in shaping human experiences and cultural practices, contributing to a deeper understanding of the intricate relationships between people and the material world.

Object Biographies: Theorists, Works and Arguments

Theorists:

1. Igor Kopytoff: In his influential essay “The Cultural Biography of Things,” Kopytoff explores the concept of commoditization and argues for examining the cultural biographies of objects to understand their changing meanings in different social contexts.
2. Arjun Appadurai: While not explicitly focused on object biographies, Appadurai’s work, especially “The Social Life of Things,” contributes to the understanding of how objects circulate and acquire different meanings in diverse cultural contexts.
3. Chris Gosden: In “Anthropology and Archaeology: A Changing Relationship,” Gosden discusses the importance of object biographies in archaeological studies, emphasizing the need to consider the life histories of artifacts.

Works:

1. “The Cultural Biography of Things: Commoditization as Process” by Igor Kopytoff (1986): This essay delves into the cultural dimensions of objects, advocating for a focus on their biographies to unravel the complex processes of commoditization and cultural transformation.
2. “The Social Life of Things: Commodities in Cultural Perspective” by Arjun Appadurai (1986): While not explicitly about object biographies, this work explores the social dimensions of commodities, shedding light on how objects acquire value and significance in various cultural settings.
3. “Anthropology and Archaeology: A Changing Relationship” by Chris Gosden (2001): In this work, Gosden discusses the evolving relationship between anthropology and archaeology, highlighting the significance of considering object biographies in archaeological studies.

Arguments:

1. Cultural Transformation: Kopytoff’s argument centers on the idea that objects undergo cultural transformations as they move through different social contexts, and understanding these changes requires an examination of their cultural biographies.
2. Circulation of Objects: Appadurai’s perspective emphasizes the circulation of objects and how they move between different cultural “scapes,” contributing to their changing meanings and significance.
3. Materiality and Meaning: Gosden’s argument highlights the importance of considering the materiality of objects in archaeological studies and understanding how their biographies contribute to the construction of cultural meanings over time.

These theorists and works collectively contribute to the theoretical framework of object biographies, exploring how objects acquire, lose, and change their meanings throughout their life histories.

Object Biographies: Major Characteristics

1. Life History Exploration:
   • They involve in-depth exploration of an object’s life history, tracing its origins, transformations, and the various contexts in which it has been situated over time.
2. Dynamic Materiality:
   • This approach recognizes the dynamic materiality of objects, emphasizing their physical attributes, changes, and interactions with humans and the environment.
3. Cultural Significance:
   • Object biographies delve into the cultural meanings embedded in objects, considering how they contribute to the construction of identity, memory, and collective histories within specific cultural contexts.
4. Agency of Objects:
   • The methodology attributes agency to objects, emphasizing their active roles in shaping human experiences, cultural practices, and societal dynamics. Objects are considered as dynamic participants in historical narratives.
5. Reciprocal Relationships:
   • Object biographies explore the dynamic relationships between humans and objects, acknowledging that these interactions are reciprocal. Both humans and objects influence each other in complex ways.
6. Transformative Narratives:
   • The narratives constructed in object biographies highlight the transformative journeys of objects, including their production, circulation, consumption, and eventual disposal or preservation.

Literary References:

1. “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde:
   • The portrait of Dorian Gray serves as an example of an object with a life history that reflects the moral and aesthetic transformations of its owner.
2. “The Red Violin” (film) directed by François Girard:
   • The red violin, as a central object, has a life history that spans centuries and continents, influencing the lives of those who possess it. The film portrays the object’s dynamic materiality and cultural significance.
3. “The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien:
   • The One Ring can be analyzed through the lens of object biographies, considering its origin, the transformations it undergoes, and its cultural and symbolic significance in shaping the narrative.
4. “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak:
   • The book, as a recurring object in the narrative, carries its own life history and plays a crucial role in shaping the characters’ experiences and the overall themes of the novel.

These literary references showcase how objects with rich life histories contribute to the narratives, themes, and cultural dimensions of literary works, aligning with the major characteristics of object biographies.

Object Biographies: Relevance in Literary Theories

Literary Theory	Relevance of Object Biographies
Material Culture Studies	Central to the study of material culture, object biographies provide insights into how objects acquire meaning, circulate, and contribute to cultural practices and identities.
Postcolonial Theory	In postcolonial literature, object biographies can be crucial for understanding the impact of colonization on material culture and how objects become carriers of cultural memory and resistance.
Ecocriticism	Object biographies contribute to ecocritical analyses by exploring the environmental histories of objects, shedding light on the ecological impact of human-object relationships in literature.
Feminist Literary Theory	Object biographies are relevant in feminist literary theory to examine how everyday objects reflect and influence gender roles, societal expectations, and the lived experiences of women.
New Materialism	Aligned with new materialist perspectives, object biographies emphasize the agency of objects and their role in shaping human subjectivities, contributing to a reevaluation of materiality in literature.
Postmodernism	Object biographies align with postmodern perspectives by challenging fixed meanings of objects and exploring their fluid, multiple interpretations and roles within shifting cultural contexts.
Psychoanalytic Theory	In psychoanalytic literary theory, object biographies can be employed to analyze how objects become symbolic representations of repressed desires, memories, and psychological states in literary works.
Cultural Studies	Object biographies contribute to cultural studies by examining how objects participate in the construction of cultural identities, values, and narratives within literary texts.
Narratology	In narratology, object biographies enrich the analysis of narratives by considering how objects function as dynamic elements, influencing plot development, character motivations, and thematic elements.
Critical Race Theory	Object biographies are relevant in critical race theory to explore how objects, particularly artifacts or symbols, embody and perpetuate racial ideologies, contributing to the critique of racialized narratives.

This table illustrates the relevance of object biographies in various literary theories, showcasing their applicability in analyzing cultural, environmental, social, psychological, and postcolonial dimensions within literary works.

Object Biographies: Application in Critiques

1. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde:
   • Object Analysis: Examining the portrait of Dorian Gray as an object with a life history, tracing its creation, transformations, and symbolic significance.
   • Cultural Significance: Analyzing how the portrait reflects cultural values and societal expectations, serving as a lens through which the characters’ moral dilemmas are portrayed.
2. The Red Violin (film) directed by François Girard:
   • Object Narratives: Applying the concept of object biographies to explore the life history of the red violin, connecting its various owners and the impact it has on their lives.
   • Symbolic Interpretation: Investigating the symbolic meanings attributed to the red violin, considering how it becomes a powerful symbol of passion, loss, and artistic transcendence.
3. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien:
   • One Ring as Object: Treating the One Ring as an object with a complex biography, analyzing its origin, journey through different hands, and transformative effects on characters.
   • Cultural Symbolism: Exploring how the One Ring symbolizes power, corruption, and the struggle for control, contributing to the cultural and mythic dimensions of Tolkien’s narrative.
4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak:
   • Book as Object: Applying object biographies to the book within the narrative, examining its creation, circulation, and the impact it has on characters’ lives.
   • Cultural and Emotional Significance: Investigating how the book becomes a symbol of hope, solace, and resistance during a tumultuous historical period, reflecting its cultural and emotional significance.

These critiques demonstrate how object biographies can enhance literary analyses by focusing on the life histories, cultural meanings, and symbolic roles of objects within the narratives of diverse literary works.

Object Biographies: Relevant Terms

Term	Definition
Material Culture	Study of objects and artifacts in their cultural contexts, emphasizing their roles in shaping societies.
Thing Theory	Interdisciplinary approach examining relationships between humans and things, exploring their cultural and symbolic significance.
Object-Oriented Ontology	Philosophical perspective asserting the equal ontological status of all entities, attributing inherent agency to objects.
Commodity Fetishism	Marxist concept where commodities, as objects, are imbued with social and cultural significance beyond their utilitarian value.
Cultural Materialism	Analytical approach examining the material conditions and objects that shape cultural practices and ideologies.
Consumer Culture Theory	Focuses on the study of consumer behavior, emphasizing the roles of objects and commodities in shaping identities and societies.
Object Agency	Attributes agency to objects, emphasizing their active roles in shaping human experiences, cultural practices, and societal dynamics.
Assemblage Theory	Analytical framework exploring the relationships and connections between diverse elements, including objects, within complex assemblages.
Biography of Artefacts	Similar to object biographies, involves tracing the life histories and cultural trajectories of artifacts and objects.
Thing Power	Coined by Jane Bennett, emphasizes the vital force and agency inherent in non-human entities, challenging anthropocentric perspectives.

Object Biographies: Suggested Readings

1. Appadurai, Arjun. The Social Life of Things: Commodities in Cultural Perspective. Cambridge University Press, 1986.
2. Bennett, Jane. Vibrant Matter: A Political Ecology of Things. Duke University Press, 2010.
3. Gosden, Chris. Anthropology and Archaeology: A Changing Relationship. Routledge, 2001.
4. Kopytoff, Igor. “The Cultural Biography of Things: Commoditization as Process.” In The Social Life of Things: Commodities in Cultural Perspective, edited by Arjun Appadurai, Cambridge University Press, 1986.
5. Miller, Daniel. Stuff. Polity Press, 2010.