Class, capital, and distinction in philip larkin’s the whitsun weddings

• Autores: Hossein Pirnajmuddin, Fazel Asadi Amjad, Fatemeh Shahpoori Arani
• Localización: Anuario de estudios filológicos, ISSN 0210-8178, Vol. 45, 2022, págs. 261-284
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.17398/2660-7301.45.261
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Clase, capital y distinción en The Whitsun Weddings de Philip Larkin
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo
• Resumen
  • español

    With the publication of Philip Larkin’s letters, his claim to celebrate the common reader and the common English lifestyle, in contrast to modernist elitist’s attitudes, was revealed to be not quite sincere. Some poems in his The Whitsun Weddings collection particularly depict Larkin’s ambivalence toward issues of social class, habitus, and dis- tinction. Deploying Pierre Bourdieu’s theorization of society and culture, this article ex- plores issues of social class, the embedding of characters in their social class and habitus, and forms of capital figuring in four poems in Larkin’s collection. Four poems («Mr.

    Bleaney», «Dockery and Son», «For Sidney Bechet» and «The Whitsun Weddings») are examined to see how Larkin attaches common characters to their social space through describing the kinds of capital they possess or lack, and how, ironically, the speakers attempt to keep their distance –to mark out distinction– while professing sympathy and understanding. Thus, some light is shed on Larkin’s ambivalence about common people and lower classes as well as toward the very idea of distinction

  • English

    Con la publicación de las cartas de Philip Larkin, se reveló que su afirmación de ce- lebrar el lector común y el estilo de vida inglés común, en contraste con las actitudes de los elitistas modernistas, no era del todo sincera. Algunos poemas de su colección The Whitsun Weddings ( Las bodas de Pentecostés) describen en particular la ambivalencia de Larkin hacia cuestiones de clase social, habitus y distinción. Haciendo uso de la teori- zación de la sociedad y la cultura de Pierre Bourdieu, este artículo explora cuestiones de clase social, la integración de los personajes en su clase social y habitus, y formas de capital que figuran en cuatro poemas de la colección de Larkin. Se examinan cuatro poe- mas («Mr. Bleaney», «Dockery and Son», «For Sidney Bechet» y «The Whitsun Wed- dings») para ver cómo Larkin vincula personajes comunes a su espacio social al describir los tipos de capital que poseen o carecen y cómo, irónicamente, los hablantes intentan mantener la distancia –para marcar distinción– mientras profesan simpatía y compren- sión. Por lo tanto, se arroja algo de luz sobre la ambivalencia de Larkin sobre la gente común y las clases bajas, así como sobre la idea misma de distinción

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