We’re having a quick look at subtext today.
So according to Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopaedia of Literature (American, I know, but we all work with what we’ve got), subtext is “the implicit or metaphorical meaning” (Merriam-Webster 1995, p. 1078) in a literary text. Basically, it’s an element of the text which may not be explicitly written – instead it’s implied. The surface text (or the obvious meaning of the story) can even “serve as a “disguise” or “mask” of its real meanings” (Abrams 1999, p. 242). This allows the author to inject a sense of mystery, ignorance, or drama into a seemingly banal scene.
Subtext requires the audience to be able to draw inferences based on prior knowledge, an understanding of the characters and their motives, and the setting in which they are placed. It is especially important when a text is set in a time or place we are unfamiliar with.
For example Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, which is set in Regency England during the Napoleonic Wars, takes place in a setting most modern audiences are not intimately familiar with. Some readers may have a passing understanding of the time from history classes, movies, or even Austen’s books, but as we do not live in the same environment (and as standards concerning hair, clothing, manners, and language have changed so much since the 1800s), we do not have an innate understanding of the time and its society. So for example, we might not immediately understand why when Mr Collins is proposing to Elizabeth Bennet and says “almost as soon as I entered the house, I singled you out as the companion of my future life” she does not view it as a compliment, but an insult. Mr Collins is effectively telling Elizabeth that she was not his first choice of wife, and that he would have preferred to marry another one of her sisters.
The audience can also find subtext in the tone of a scene, by comparing a character’s actions or words to those of the past, or by the inflection of the dialogue.
In Pride and Prejudice, Austen uses subtext to allow her characters to be maintain social decorum, bridge difficult conversations, and avoid confrontations – all while insulting each other and somehow maintaining plausible deniability. One handy example of this is an exchange between Mr and Mrs Bennet early in the book, when the audience does not yet know much about either of them. The more astute reader (AKA a 14 year old) will have noticed by this point (page five, to be exact) that Mrs Bennet is extremely silly and prone to tantrums. Meanwhile, Mr Bennet is an altogether more serious character, who is slightly exasperated with his wife and prefers to spend his time in the library, rather than with his family. This exchange sums up their relationship quite well (Austen 1813, p. 5):
Mrs Bennet: “Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way? You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion for my poor nerves.”
Mr Bennet: “You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these last twenty years at least.”
To Mrs Bennet, Mr Bennet is being his usual grumpy self. To a first time reader, he is making a humorous jab at his wife. To someone who has read this book at least twice a year since 2013, Mr Bennet’s tone is much more deadpan and irritated than amused, and he is merely framing an insult as a joke.
Subtext in a book or movie can even relate to the real world. Famous examples of this include Animal Farm and The Crucible – and I suffered through these books in high school so you don’t have to. The very basic subtext of The Crucible is that it uses one event in history (a fictionalised account of the Salem witch trials) to represent another (the McCarthy Era). Meanwhile, Animal Farm is presented as a fairy tale about a group of farm animals (which is definitely not suitable for children FYI) and is actually an allegory for the violent rise of Communism in Russia.
It is telling of my environment, high school, and government that the first examples I could think of are both famous anti-Communist texts. Fun fact: the movie of Animal Farm (terrifying voices and animation, by the way) was funded by the CIA. Doesn’t that make you feel all warm and cozy about the integrity of art?
It’s disturbing, but seeing the CIA credited in the titles of the movie better helps us to understand the subtext of the story – especially since the Red Scare was a driving force of conflicts in the twentieth century, and nowadays we are much more concerned with a person’s religion than their economic preferences. I can’t say I view that as an improvement.
As always, back to the point: subtext is present in everything we read and everything we watch. This could very easily turn into a conversation about intertextuality, transtextuality, bias, and circumstance, but in trying to steer this post cleanly through that mess, I will end with this: subtext is everywhere. It is in a character’s dialogue and actions, in the setting of the text, and even the tone of the writing. It can relate to the real world, or be confined to that of the story. It is also one of the many reasons textual analysis is so important – it allows us to have a better understanding of the text and the author’s intentions, and in the case of Jane Austen, subsequently learn some very sneaky ways to call our cousin an idiot.
References:
Abrams, MH 1999, A Glossary of Literary Terms, 7th edn, Heinle & Heinle, Boston Massachusetts.
Merriam-Webster, 1995, Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature, Springfield, Massachusetts.
Giphy 2015, Pride and Prejudice Gif, Giphy, viewed 19 August 2019, <https://giphy.com/gifs/pride-and-prejudice-5T52L981XDTq0>.
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