Ideological “I”: Final Segment on the Four Parts of Memoir Identity

Each of us has visible parts of our identity, like green eyes or that too-big nose inherited from our mother. Our identity also has invisible features, which are just as important, that we may be so used to that we notice them about as much as the features on our face. The invisible component I’m talking about is our ideology.

Thus far, in my discussion of the parts of memoir identity, over the past four weeks, I have covered:

1. Historical "I" – The person producing the memoir.

2. Narrating "I" – Person telling the narrative. 

3. Narrated "I" – The version of the self the “Narrating I” is presenting to the reader.

This week I enter into my final segment on the parts of memoir identity closing out the discussion with last component: Ideological “I.”

4. Ideological "I" – The cultural, historical, and belief systems embedded in the “I” of the memoir.

In their discussion of the four parts of memoir identity, Sidonie Smith and Julia Watson define the Ideological “I” as the “concept of personhood culturally available to the narrator when he tells his story.” Ideological “I” is responsible for a person’s sense of “I-ness.”

"I-ness"

A big part of our "I-ness" comes from the big iinstitutional belief systems we are a part of such as religion, nationality, and race which all shape our ideology. The roots of these massive cultural systems are like old-growth trees. Our visible leaves are colored by ideological roots that reaching deep down into the soil of our personality. The ideology we identify with influences us far more than we may consciously be aware of.

Artwork by blogger Steve Sutanto which he explains is “An art piece inspired by my own ideology in conjunction to L.A. Ideology.” https://shutter79studio.wordpress.com

Our ideological position is “understood to be always present” according to 19th century Marxist philosopher Louis Althusser. He continues “Ideology, or the background ideas that we possess about the way in which the world must function and of how we function within it.” What this tells us is, at any given moment, our interactions with the world have an ideological significance. Even when we are not consciously thinking about our cultural ideology or beliefs, those ideas leak out in our actions, from our bodily position when standing, the words we use when talking, the food we choose to eat, the clothes we wear, the forms of entertainment we participate in and so on.

“The ideological “I” is “at once, everywhere and nowhere in autobiographical acts,” according to Smith and Watson, because “in the sense that the notion of personhood and the ideologies of identity constitutive of it are so internalized (personally and culturally) that they seem “natural” and "universal.”

Understanding that all of us are operating within some kind of ideological condition, it follows that as readers we should be prepared and expect to encounter the author’s ideology when we enter the text of a memoir.

Helpful Ideological "I"

As readers, awareness of the ideological “I” helps us in two ways:

1. We bring our own ideological position to the reading experience. Our position may be similar to or very different from what we are reading. Our position may effect or bias how we receive the information we are reading.

Anticipating this, a reading strategy to adopt for ideological “I” is:

First to acknowledge the difference.
Second to proceed with an open mind.

For example, racism and segregation are interwoven in the narrative of Maya Angelou’s 1969 memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

As, a white reader, born after the civil rights era, my ideological position is pretty far removed from the context of the memoir. So, before I even start reading, I have accepted I am coming at this from a very different ideological perspective than Angelou. I'm also aware that I might be surprised by or have difficulty relating to some of the ideas or experiences that are part of her everday experience.

Angelou relays the following tale of white school officials giving a speech at her 8th grade graduation commencement:

He told us of the wonderful changes we children in Stamps had in store. The Central School (naturally, the white school was Central) had already been granted improvements that would be in use in the fall. A well-known artist was coming from Little Rock to teach art to them. They were going to have the newest microscopes and chemistry equipment for their laboratory. Mr. Donleavy didn't leave us long in the dark over who made these improvements available to Central High. Nor were we to be ignored in the general betterment scheme he had in mind.

He said that he had pointed out to people at a very high level that one of the first-line football tacklers at Arkansas Agricultural and Mechanical College had graduated from good old Lafayette County Training School. Here fewer Amen's were heard. Those few that did break through lay dully in the air with the heaviness of habit.

He went on to praise us. He went on to say how he had bragged that “one of the best basketball players at Fisk sank his first ball right here at Lafayette County Training School. –Maya Angelou

This instance of thoughtless racism and discrimination on the part of the white speaker in no way reflects my ideology and is unsettling to say the least. Nonetheless, while it is offensive, I do not take personal offense when reading it. Instead, I use this information to see the ideological place from which Angelou is coming. Reading about an experience like this shows us how personal experience forms and reinforces ideologies within the individual.

2. Awareness of the author’s ideological position enhances our understanding of why the memoirist is saying and doing the things they do.

Awareness of Angelou’s ideological position as a young black girl growing up during segregation informs our understanding of her response to the commencement speech:

The white kids were going to have a chance to become Galileos and Madame Curies and Edisons and Gauguins, and our boys (the girls weren't even in on it) would try to be Jesse Owenses and Joe Louises.

Owens and the Brown Bomber were great heroes in our world, but what school official in the white-goddom of Little Rock had the right to decide that those two men must be our only heroes? –Maya Angelou

Her ideology including race, background, economic condition, is clearly the source of her outrage at the careless stereotypes inflicted upon her, and her classmates, limiting the potential future careers of the young black students in Stamps, Arizona.

3 Clues

for identifying ideology when reading.

Word Choice

In the two passage above several phrases stick out as blatant ideological word choices, which are identifable as directly connected to ideology:

“white school” “white-goddom” “Amen’s” “white kids” “our boys” "heroes"

Context:

Knowing the background of the historical figures Angelou mentions is important for understanding the comparison she is making.

“Jesse Owenses” –Olympic medal winner track and field, black male
“Joe Louises” – Famous black boxer, black male
“Galileos” – Astronomer - white
“Madame Curies” – Scientist - white female
“Edisons” – Inventor – white male
“Gaugins”- Famous painter - white male

In this comparison all the intellectual heroes are white people and the black heroes represent physical prowess with no obvious intellectual component.

Language & Tone

Throughout the memoir Angelou’s ideological position comes through at all times through her writing style with is a conversational tone mixed with black vernacular. It can be tricky to precisely pin it down but the entire reading experience feels distinctly voiced by a black woman.

Bits of conversation sprinkled throughout the memoir are the easiest examples to identify that demonstrate Angelou’s ideological voice coming through even when not specifically addressing ideological topics. Bequeathed an item by a neighbor that passed, Angelou’s grandmother (called Momma throughout) provides a small example of this voice.

“You going to the funeral, Sister.” Momma wasn't asking a question.

Momma said, “You going 'cause Sister Taylor thought so much of you she left you her yellow brooch.”… “She told Brother Taylor, ‘I want Sis Henderson's grandbaby to have my gold brooch.’ So you'll have to go.”–Maya Angelou

In Angelou's memoir ideology is major topic and foundation for the piece. It would be quite impossible to read it without developing some kind of awareness of it. But even in memoirs where ideology is not the main topic, paying attention to the three clues will help you locate the writer's ideology.

Tuning into ideological awareness is especially important when reading memoir. The writer is telling us a story about themselves and a big part of understanding that story is figuring out where the writer is coming from.

And better understanding the story is really what our discussion of memoir identity has been all about.

Yes, we've finally arrived at the end of our journey into the four “I’s” of memoir.

Photo by Alex of Wall Mosaic art with four eyes.

We looked at the Historical “I” which is the unknowable “I” of the writer situated outside the memoir. While the existence of this “I” is a verifiable fact (preventing fake memoirs!), we cannot access this “I” in the memoir but we do feel the presence of Historical “I” exerting pressure upon the narrative.

Narrative “I” is the persona created by the historical “I.” The memoir writer has to invent a character version of them self to tell the story and walk through the memory bringing up the relevant details. The attitude, mannerism and speech of narrative “I” show us how the writer wants us to see them. As we read the stories told to us by the “Narrative “I” our goal is to be aware of what perception of the self the writer is trying to impart. Do they want us to see them as intelligent? Righteous? Happy? Violated? The details Narrative “I” gives use affects our perception of the story teller.

Narrated “I” are memories of the younger self conjured up by the persona of Narrative “I.” The child-like voice and mannerism are all being crafted by an older writer. We should be alert to the influence or, lack thereof, of the older self affecting the younger. Is the education or moral values of the adult leaking into the words making the younger self a mouthpiece for the older? Or is the writer purposefully attempting to leave the older self out trying to allow a glimpse of the thinking process and morals of the younger self to shine through.

And lastly, weaving in and out of all of this, the Ideological “I,” is at the center of why the writer thinks and acts as they do. According to Smith and Watson, every memoir writer is “historically and culturally situated, each is a product of his or her particular time and place.” Identifying time and place informs our understanding of the place from which the memoir writer is writing.

Ultimately, all four identity components are useful tools for us as readers as we seek to take away a deeper understanding from these personal stories that goes beyond a casual reading experience.

Rather than passive acceptance, these tools encourage us to be active readers uncovering the strategies used to tell the story and the subtle ways the author impacts and directs our reading experience which reveals the author’s intentions behind their work. Rather than being fooled by the trick at the magic show, we’re the savvy audience member in the know.