Greg Roach's Berkshires Blog
Friday, April 06, 2007
  After an extremely long day at work....
... and a couple of beers, I find this to be very, very funny.
At the end, we are led to believe that the narrator has discovered his true interests and now enjoys green eggs and ham. But does he? Has he discovered his true tastes, or has he simply been forced under duress to accept a fundamentally unfair conclusion? Why do we assume that a green eggs and ham-liking narrator is in fact better off? Rather than simply accept the superiority of the outcome, future research should adopt a more critical stance, and at least take seriously the possibility that the narrator had good reasons for resisting the green eggs and ham. When the narrator in the end admits that “I will eat them ANYWHERE! [caps in original],” this can be read as such an extreme capitulation to the hegemony represented by Sam-I-Am that it becomes almost subversive of itself. Future research might inquire more deeply into the operation of such hegemony, using this implied critique as a point of entry.
The author is, in fact, considered one of the leading academic commentators on the Middle East and lives just down the road. There is a metaphor in here, somewhere.

Maybe tomorrow I'll think about deeper meanings. For now, I'll keep the Chesire Cat grin pasted on my face.
 
Comments:
Green Eggs and Ham was published in 1960---this analysis by Lynch (date not noted) must have come shortly after--- Lynch uses terms such as hegemony and subversive--sounds like some sort of a metaphor on the Cold War----Green means go- Red means stop in traffic light lingo----plus Lynch's theme is about negotiation and capitulation----"never fear to negotiate but never negotiate from fear" JFK- inaugural January 1961---maybe Lynch is tying them together- although it's obvious that Green Eggs and Ham was publiched before Kennedy's inauguration---just a thought-- chbpod
 
Hum, I thought hegemony and subversive were straight out of the postmodernist playbook, dating it much later, maybe late 80s, early 90s?
 
The word hegemony is of Greek origin-- so it's been around a long time--and is applied essentially to describe one state's control of another-- in essence it is the same as imperialism------it has been used by historians to describe various attempts and actualities of empire from the ancient world to the present--the word has been applied to describe Soviet global ambitions during the Cold War.
Subversive---the attempt to subvert governmental authority--I have seen only applied to the Cold War. The HUAC established a list of subversive organizations as well as individuals especially during the McCarthy era of the 1950's---it included, for example, leftist leaning Hollywood screen writers, producers, directors and actors. So when I saw the word hegemony used as well as the word subversive--I made the connection to the Cold War- of the 40's 50's and 60's---chbpod
 
Amy-- you are at a liberal arts college- if you are who I think you are---better take some history courses---stop thinking that the world began because Betty Freidan wrote The Feminist Mystique--
Those that forget history are condemned to repeat it-- Georges Santayana---those that don't have clue about history--are just plain stupid--if they open their mouths--chbpod
 
Clark,

1) I have not claimed that the word "hegemony" is more modern than Betty Friedan (yes, it precedes her by over two millennia).

2) Nevertheless, I stand by my textual interpretation and dating. I see now that the author of this Critical Review obtained his PhD in 1997, vindicating my theory.

3) I have a Ph.D. in History, from a better University than you attended. So take your pompous attitude back to Florida and its library stacks -- if it has any.
 
Amy---

#1- you asserted that hegemony and subversive were straight out of the post-modernist playbook-- the implication of that statement clearly was that the terms originated there-- otherwise the words should have been accorded their historical-- or in your case hysterical status

#2 The author of the review may have received his Ph.D. in 1997--- but why did any Ph.D begin his review by referring to Geisel's "latest" work- published in 1960 when Teddy published well after that and died in 1991?? Little strange don't you think?
Maybe Marc Lynch wrote this review when he was 12--eh?-- Guess you aren't good at math either-

#3--You have a Ph.D in history?? congratulations----you have just proven the idiocy of affirmative action---same as "social promotions"--- need to make a quota--and not ruin your self-esteem

#4--if you were were referring to Florida in a geographical sense-- OK-- but if you were referring to the University of Florida-- never been there

#5- As far as pomposity goes-- I only hear that from you and your other drinking liberally snot-nosed- pampered--worthless pieces of crap---I am hardly pompous---I can barely spell it---BUT YOU ---and your friends----just love to jerk of the locals--think you are so superior--- and gee whiz-- hold your Ph/D from a school much more prestigious than I went to over our heads--

#6-- trust me on this one-- you are not an asset to this community-- you are a classic example of the worst that this community has become

#7- Did you ever stop to think that the Marc Lynch who got his Ph.D in 1997-- and is as Greg noted an expert on the Middle East-- may not be the same Marc Lynch-- even of Williams College--as the one who wrote the Green Eggs and Ham analysis???

#8-- check it out while you're wiping your nose--- your birkenstocks are showing

# 9-- I present a perfectly reasonable response to Greg's post- that there may be a metaphor in Lynch's review--and what do I get-- nothing from Greg-- and shit from you---typical----refute my observation---- by some snide comments about post-modernism--and do nothing to attack my message--- oh that's right-- that's the style of the drinking liberals-- messenger not message--because I am stupid and you are the world's gift to humanity-

#10- If you did indeed get a Ph.D in history from some prestigious university - you have done nothing to demonstrate that-- you have a dearth of critical thinking ability as well as common sense--

chbpod
 
Amy- Amy - Amy---you have a Ph.D from BC----then why after that particular line in your resume did you write ( A.B.D.) which means all but dissertation--although you do have a dissertation listed on Daniel Shay's----and that it was not self-published-( an entry in your list of publications)--I am in awe of your technical background and the various consulting work you have done-- well before your Masters at Marlboro---anyway--enough of trying to compare BC to FSU----yes indeedy BC did get the best of FSU in football this past season----of course BC did fail me in the NCAA basketball brackets--I'm such a loser---------I guess my question is -do you have a bona fide Ph.D or not---or is at an ABD???---and yes I am a resistnt faculty to the use of computer technology---- I guess you have been a failure at MCLA since you haven't seduced me into the 21st century----I am sure that computer technology has a place in some classrooms---but for me??? what a waste of time and how irrelevant---
---I will tell you this that BC has cranked out more corrupt politicians than FSU----now let's move on to other deghees-- Hobart and William Smith?? Willam freakin Smith---your major was history- right-- history of what???-- log-rolling??-- lumber-jacking??---finding the right size boots??
what was it?? a year at Wisconsin Madison-- and no graduate degree---you must have missed cheese-making and cow-milking when you were at William Smith--too bad----I really don;t know-- but there is an air of bogusuosity on your resume---I just don;t get the PhD and the ABD on the same line---care to (as Desi sked Lucy) splain??? chbpod
 
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