Discipline And Resistance: A Foucaultian Reading Of The Grass Is Singing

The Grass is Singing, written by Doris Lessing, vividly describes the harsh living conditions of both natives and whites living in Southern Africa in apartheid. The main characters in this novel are repressed by dominant discourse, which causes them to lose their subjectivity and feel fatigue both physically and mentally. Actually, power is implemented on them through the following disciplinary strategies and techniques: the distribution of space, hierarchical observation and normalizing judgment. In other words, behind their miserable living situation, there exists invisible power to shape them into docile and useful body, which is called by Foucault as disciplinary power. Under the control of the power, people feel uneasy and hollow in mind due to the lost self. Although they try to obtain their subjectivity by fighting against the repression of power, their resistances tend to be futile. Finally, they become the prisoners of power.This thesis consists of six parts:Chapter One gives a general introduction to the author Doris Lessing and her novel The Grass Is Singing. Chapter Two contains the current studies of Lessing and The Grass Is Singing both abroad and at home. Chapter Three introduces Foucault’s theory of disciplinary power. Chapter Four and Chapter Five mainly discuss in detail the repression the main characters in this novel suffer from and their resistances against it in light of Foucault’s theory of disciplinary power. Through distribution of space, individuals are confined in the fixed space with functions to make them docile and useful. Ubiquitous surveillance could not only bring constant pressure to individuals but also force them to self-monitor their behaviors. Individuals are constantly inspected by others. Just as Foucautl’s saying, the “fictitious relation” gives birth to “a real subjection”(Foucault, Discipline and Punish 202). At last, behaviors of individuals are judged according to social norms. For instance, Mary is considered to deviate from social norms and receives lots of gossip because of her distinctive living and dressing style. In addition to this, her ambiguous relationship with Moses is considered as a taboo. In a word, through these techniques, power is successfully implemented, which shows the repressive characteristic of power.Where there is repression, there is resistance. Mary fights against gender discourse by stepping off the house and participating in Dick’s farm management; Moses challenges and subverts the authority of white civilization; Dick rebels against other white settlers’ manipulation etc. In short, both whites and natives are tightly controlled and repressed by dominant discourse, but they show their resistances in one way or another. However, their efforts and struggles to get away from the fetters and manipulation are repeatedly suppressed because the law is not on their side, and they belong to the weak group.In the end, this thesis points out that individuals, like prisoners in a panopticon, are repressed by the invisible power and try to self-monitor their behaviors. Finally, they lose their subjectivity, feeling uneasy and spiritual empty. Therefore, they make efforts to obtain their subjectivity by struggling for power, namely, equality, freedom and basic existence through all kinds of resistances. However, their resistances are proved to be futile. Through the depiction of the miserable life of the weak, Lessing expresses her opinion: our society should be a place of multiplicity and heteroglossia in which individual person’s existence and values should be acknowledged and respected, and they should live in harmony by communicating with each other. In this way, individuals could get autonomy and will not lose their subjectivity.