Straw Man in Literature

Straw Man in Literature: Introduction

The straw man in literature, a deceptive rhetorical device, finds its way into literature as authors create characters or situations that misrepresent opposing viewpoints or ideas. This logical fallacy involves distorting arguments to make them easier to refute, often diverting attention from the actual complexities of a debate. In literature, characters who embody straw man fallacies can serve as foils or antagonists, manipulating the narrative to create a false dichotomy or oversimplifying opposing perspectives. By exploring the presence of straw man arguments in literature, readers gain insight into the nuanced ways authors engage with and challenge differing viewpoints within the narrative context.

Straw Man in Literature: Shakespearean Examples

Play	Character/Scenario	Straw Man Fallacy Explanation
Othello	Iago’s portrayal of Cassio as disloyal and deceitful	Iago distorts Cassio’s actions and interactions to convince Othello that Cassio is involved in an affair with Desdemona, creating a misleading image of Cassio to manipulate Othello’s emotions.
Hamlet	Polonius’s advice to Laertes	Polonius offers generalizations and clichés in his advice to Laertes before he departs, presenting a simplistic view of human behavior. This oversimplification can be seen as a straw man representation of life and relationships.
Romeo and Juliet	The feud between the Montagues and Capulets	The longstanding feud between the two families is characterized by an exaggerated and uncomplicated hatred, creating a broad and oversimplified conflict. The straw man portrayal serves to emphasize the irrationality of the feud.
Macbeth	Macbeth’s view of Birnam Wood	In the witches’ prophecies, Macbeth interprets the prediction that he will be defeated when Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane as soldiers using tree branches for camouflage. This literal interpretation oversimplifies the prophecy, creating a straw man.
The Taming of the Shrew	Petruchio’s taming of Katherine	Petruchio employs tactics such as denying Katherine food and sleep to tame her and make her more obedient. The extreme methods used by Petruchio create a caricatured version of Katherine, representing a straw man argument about women’s behavior.

These examples from Shakespearean plays showcase instances where characters or scenarios embody the straw man fallacy, either through deliberate misrepresentation or oversimplification, contributing to the complexity and depth of the literary works.

Straw Man in Literature: Examples

1. “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë:
   • Straw Man: Mrs. Reed misrepresents Jane’s character to others, painting her as a rebellious and deceitful child to justify mistreatment and maintain social appearances.
2. “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens:
   • Straw Man: Pip misinterprets the intentions and character of various characters, such as Joe and Magwitch, creating a simplified narrative that serves his evolving aspirations and prejudices.
3. “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë:
   • Straw Man: Heathcliff’s portrayal as a malevolent force is exaggerated, simplifying his character and motivations, which contributes to the novel’s Gothic and dark themes.
4. “Dracula” by Bram Stoker:
   • Straw Man: The characters’ perception of Count Dracula is manipulated by superstition and fear, creating an exaggerated and monstrous representation that justifies their pursuit and the vampire narrative.
5. “Middlemarch” by George Eliot:
   • Straw Man: Characters in the town misrepresent Dr. Lydgate’s actions and intentions, simplifying his complex character and creating social tension to serve their own interests.
6. “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde:
   • Straw Man: Society misinterprets Dorian’s portrait as a symbol of his moral corruption, oversimplifying the consequences of his actions and contributing to the novel’s exploration of vanity and moral decay.
7. “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” by Thomas Hardy:
   • Straw Man: Tess is unfairly judged and condemned by society based on a distorted view of her past, contributing to her tragic fate and highlighting societal hypocrisy.
8. “The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson:
   • Straw Man: Dr. Jekyll’s transformation into Mr. Hyde serves as an exaggerated representation of the duality of human nature, simplifying complex psychological themes.
9. “North and South” by Elizabeth Gaskell:
   • Straw Man: Characters misunderstand the motivations of each other due to social and class differences, contributing to conflicts and creating oversimplified views of one another.
10. “Far From the Madding Crowd” by Thomas Hardy:
    • Straw Man: Characters misjudge Bathsheba’s choices and actions, creating a simplified narrative that influences interpersonal relationships and societal expectations.

In these Victorian novels, the straw man fallacy is evident through the misrepresentation of characters and situations, contributing to complex narratives and social commentary prevalent in the literature of the time.

Straw Man in Literature: Relevance in Literary Theories

Literary Theory	Relevance of Straw Man Fallacy
Reader-Response Theory	The reader’s interpretation of characters and events may be influenced by straw man representations, impacting the emotional and cognitive responses to the narrative.
Marxist Literary Theory	The straw man fallacy can be employed to oversimplify and misrepresent class struggles or portray ideological opponents, reflecting power dynamics and societal conflicts inherent in Marxist analysis.
Feminist Literary Criticism	Characters, especially female ones, may be subjected to straw man misrepresentations reinforcing gender stereotypes, revealing how literature can perpetuate and challenge societal expectations.
Postcolonial Literary Theory	The straw man fallacy may be used to oversimplify and distort representations of colonized people, reflecting power imbalances and Eurocentric perspectives inherent in postcolonial narratives.
Psychoanalytic Criticism	Characters subjected to straw man representations may reflect the oversimplified aspects of human psychology, offering insights into the subconscious desires, fears, and conflicts explored in psychoanalytic analysis.
Structuralist Literary Theory	The straw man fallacy can be examined as a linguistic structure, analyzing how it functions within the narrative to simplify complex ideas or characters and contribute to the overall structural framework of the text.
Deconstructionist Literary Theory	Deconstruction explores the ambiguity and multiplicity of meanings, and the straw man fallacy can be deconstructed to reveal the layers of misrepresentation, challenging fixed interpretations and revealing hidden complexities.
Postmodern Literary Theory	In postmodern literature, the use of straw man representations may be intentional, reflecting a self-awareness of narrative constructs and the manipulation of conventional storytelling techniques for artistic or critical purposes.
Cultural Studies	Straw man representations in literature contribute to cultural discourses, shaping and reflecting societal values, norms, and power structures, making them central to the examination of culture through literature.
Queer Theory	The straw man fallacy may contribute to the oversimplified and stereotypical representations of LGBTQ+ characters, showcasing the importance of queer theory in challenging and deconstructing such portrayals.

These examples illustrate how the straw man fallacy is relevant in various literary theories, impacting the interpretation and analysis of literature through different critical lenses.

Straw Man in Literature: Relevant Terms

Term	Explanation
Straw Man Fallacy	Misrepresenting opponent’s argument for easy refutation.
Red Herring	Introducing irrelevant info to divert from the main issue.
Ad Hominem	Attacking the person, not the argument.
False Dichotomy	Presenting only two options when more exist.
Circular Reasoning	Using the conclusion as part of the premise.
Appeal to Authority	Relying on an authority figure, not evidence.
Hasty Generalization	Drawing conclusions from insufficient evidence.
Appeal to Ignorance	Claiming something is true because it’s not proven false.
Tu Quoque	Dismissing an argument due to inconsistent behavior.
Loaded Question	Asking a question with a biased or assumed answer.

Straw Man in Literature: Suggested Readings

1. Booth, Wayne C. The Craft of Research. University of Chicago Press, 2008.
2. Booth, Wayne C. The Rhetoric of Fiction. University of Chicago Press, 1983.
3. Graff, Gerald. Beyond the Culture Wars: How Teaching the Conflicts Can Revitalize American Education. W.W. Norton & Company, 1992.
4. Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. W.W. Norton & Company, 2014.
5. Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Anchor, 1995.
6. Lunsford, Andrea A., and John J. Ruszkiewicz. Everything’s an Argument. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2019.
7. Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings. Pearson, 2017.
8. Strunk, William, and E.B. White. The Elements of Style. Pearson, 2017.
9. Toulmin, Stephen. The Uses of Argument. Cambridge University Press, 2003.
10. Williams, Joseph M., and Joseph Bizup. Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace. Pearson, 2017.