The Queen's Thesis
Established in 1754 as King's College, the Ivy League Columbia University holds a prestigious position as one of the oldest and most renowned institutions of higher education in the United States. Columbia’s early years were marked by notable figures such as Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and Gouverneur Morris, who played significant roles in shaping the nation. Over the centuries, Columbia has evolved into a world-class research university. Its Morningside Heights campus in New York City has become an iconic landmark, while its alumni, including numerous Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and heads of state, attest to its enduring legacy of academic excellence and global impact.
With an admittance rate in the four percent range, an eye-popping $90,000 cost of attendance per year in one of the country’s most expensive cities, Columbia remains a space mostly for those who
described here as having “rich parents.”In other words, it’s a citadel of luxury beliefs, and other hogwash.
Consider for one the University’s Department of English and Comparative Literature. Pressing for things such as curing cancer, developing a working nuclear fusion reactor, and figuring out just WTF happened in 1971 are pushed to the wayside here. A much more important thing has slipped its way under the metaphorical microscope here, at least with one of Department’s noble and prestigious graduate students.
“My dissertation is on fantasies of limitless energy in the transatlantic Romantic imagination from 1760-1860. My goal is to write a prehistory of metabolic rift, Marx’s term for the disruption of energy circuits caused by industrialization under capitalism. I am particularly interested in theories of the imagination and poetry as interpreted through a Marxian lens in order to update and propose an alternative to historicist ideological critiques of the Romantic imagination,” writes graduate student Johannah King-Slutzky on her Columbia University-hosted biography.
Ms. King-Slutzky has unfortunately needed to take a break from this groundbreaking academic work to work on other items.
Green Leap Forward recognizes the pressing need for such stellar contributions to society to take place and is providing a draft of this dissertation for the world to see.
Title: "Energizing the Romantic Imagination: Exploring Fantasies of Limitless Energy in Transatlantic Literature (1760-1860)"
Abstract:
This dissertation delves into the bowels of the transatlantic Romantic imagination spanning from 1760 to 1860, scrutinizing the pervasive fantasies of limitless energy within literary and cultural contexts. In particular, it aims to delineate a prehistory of metabolic rift, a concept elucidated by Marx, which pertains to the disruption of energy circuits engendered by industrialization under capitalism. This study pivots around the interplay of imagination, poetry, and Marxist theory, endeavoring to furnish an alternative perspective to conventional historicist ideological critiques of the Romantic imagination. Through textual analysis and theoretical inquiry, this research unveils the intricate dynamics between Romantic ideals and socio-economic transformations, thereby offering fresh insights into the dialectics of creativity, power, and environmental consciousness.
Chapter 1: Introduction:
1.1 Background and Rationale
The period from 1760 to 1860 marks a pivotal epoch in literary and cultural history, commonly referred to as the Romantic era. Characterized by a fervent celebration of individualism, an appreciation for the sublime in nature, and a profound exploration of the human imagination, Romanticism left an indelible mark on Western thought and artistic expression. Central to this movement were notions of boundless energy, both in the natural world and the creative spirit of humanity.
Within the vast tapestry of Romantic literature, fantasies of limitless energy emerged as a recurring motif, captivating the imaginations of poets, writers, and thinkers on both sides of the Atlantic. From the thunderous cascades of Niagara Falls to the tempestuous depths of the human soul and eventually the harmony of Richard Paul Astley, the Romantics found inspiration in the dynamic forces that shaped existence. Yet, beneath the surface of these exultant portrayals lay a complex interplay of ecological, social, and economic realities, foreshadowing the onset of what Marx would later term as metabolic rift.
The rationale behind this dissertation stems from a desire to unravel the intricate threads of Romantic imagination and its relationship to the burgeoning industrial age. By delving into fantasies of limitless energy, we seek not only to comprehend the Romantic worldview but also to illuminate its reverberations in contemporary discourse surrounding ecology, capitalism, and societal transformation. In doing so, we aim to excavate a prehistory of metabolic rift, tracing its conceptual origins to the Romantic era and situating it within broader narratives of environmental degradation and socio-economic upheaval.
1.2 Objectives and Scope
This study sets out to achieve several interrelated objectives. Firstly, it aims to explore the fantasies of limitless energy that pervaded transatlantic Romantic literature between 1760 and 1860. Through a nuanced analysis of select texts and poetic movements, we seek to uncover the multifaceted manifestations of this thematic motif and elucidate its significance within the cultural milieu of the time.
Secondly, this dissertation endeavors to delineate a prehistory of metabolic rift, a concept articulated by Marx to describe the ruptures in energy circuits caused by capitalist industrialization. By tracing the roots of metabolic imbalance in Romantic thought, we aspire to shed light on the dialectical relationship between nature, society, and the human imagination.
The scope of this study is delimited by both temporal and geographical parameters. Focusing primarily on the transatlantic context, we examine literary productions from Europe and America during the specified time frame. While acknowledging the diversity of voices and perspectives within Romanticism, we concentrate on key texts and authors that exemplify the thematic concerns under investigation.
1.3 Methodology and Structure
The methodology employed in this dissertation combines close textual analysis with theoretical inquiry, drawing on insights from literary criticism, cultural studies, and Marxist theory. Through meticulous examination of primary sources and engagement with secondary literature, we endeavor to elucidate the ways in which fantasies of limitless energy intersect with broader socio-economic and ideological currents.
The structure of the dissertation is organized to facilitate a comprehensive exploration of its central themes. Following this introductory chapter, subsequent sections will delve into the theoretical frameworks underpinning our analysis, examine the manifestations of Romantic energy fantasies in transatlantic literature, and interrogate their implications for our understanding of metabolic rift. By adopting a structured approach, we aim to offer a coherent and incisive account of the complex interrelations between imagination, poetry, and socio-economic change during the Romantic era.
Chapter 2: Theoretical Framework
2.1 Marxian Notions of Metabolic Rift
Karl Marx's conception of metabolic rift provides a foundational framework for understanding the interplay between human society and the natural world. Coined in his analysis of capitalism's ecological consequences, the concept of metabolic rift elucidates how the mode of production under capitalism disrupts the metabolic interchange between humanity and nature. Marx posits that capitalism's relentless drive for accumulation and profit extraction engenders a rift in the metabolic relationship, resulting in ecological degradation, resource depletion, and social alienation.
Central to Marx's analysis is the notion of social metabolism, which refers to the dynamic exchange of materials and energy between human society and the environment. Under capitalism, this metabolic process becomes increasingly skewed as production is driven by the imperative of capital accumulation rather than human needs or ecological sustainability. The relentless extraction of natural resources, coupled with the indiscriminate disposal of waste products, leads to the degradation of ecosystems and the destabilization of planetary systems.
Metabolic rift, as Marx conceptualizes it, encompasses both the physical disruptions in natural cycles (such as soil depletion and deforestation) and the social alienation resulting from the separation of humanity from its natural environment. This dialectical understanding of ecological crisis situates environmental degradation within the broader context of capitalist social relations, emphasizing the interconnectedness of economic, social, and ecological systems.
2.2 Imagination and Ideology: A Critical Overview
The Romantic era witnessed a profound reevaluation of the human imagination and its role in shaping individual and collective consciousness. Romantic thinkers challenged Enlightenment rationalism and embraced a more holistic understanding of human experience, wherein imagination was celebrated as a primary faculty for apprehending truth and beauty. However, this elevation of the imagination was not without its ideological implications.
Critics such as Raymond Williams and Terry Eagleton have argued that the Romantic imagination served as a battleground for competing ideological forces, reflecting and reinforcing broader socio-economic structures. While Romantic poets exalted in visions of nature's grandeur and the human spirit's capacity for transcendence, their works often obscured the material realities of social inequality, environmental degradation, and imperial exploitation.
Moreover, the Romantic emphasis on individual creativity and subjective experience has been critiqued for its depoliticizing effects, diverting attention away from collective struggles for social justice and ecological sustainability. By foregrounding the inner world of the imagination, Romanticism risked obscuring the material conditions that shape human existence and perpetuate systems of oppression and exploitation.
2.3 Poetry as a Site of Ideological Contestation
Poetry occupies a unique position within ideological discourse, simultaneously reflecting and contesting dominant cultural narratives. As a form of artistic expression, poetry offers a space for negotiating the complexities of human experience, articulating dissenting voices, and challenging prevailing ideologies. In the context of Romanticism, poetry became a site of ideological contestation, wherein competing visions of nature, society, and the human subject were articulated and interrogated.
Romantic poets such as William Wordsworth, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Walt Whitman used poetry to explore themes of nature, imagination, and social justice, often imbuing their works with radical political undertones. From Wordsworth's meditations on the sublime beauty of the natural world to Shelley's impassioned critiques of tyranny and injustice, Romantic poetry encompassed a wide spectrum of ideological positions, reflecting the diverse political and social currents of the era.
However, while Romantic poetry may have served as a vehicle for challenging dominant ideologies, it also remained entangled in the cultural and historical contexts of its production. Critics have noted the limitations of Romanticism's ideological critique, arguing that its emphasis on individual subjectivity and aesthetic experience often obscured the structural inequalities and systemic injustices of the time.
In the subsequent chapters, we will delve into specific examples of Romantic poetry, examining how fantasies of limitless energy intersected with broader socio-economic and ideological currents. By situating these literary texts within the theoretical frameworks outlined above, we aim to elucidate the complex dynamics of imagination, ideology, and social change during the Romantic era.
Chapter 3: Romanticism and Energy
3.1 The Romantics and the Sublime: Nature's Boundless Forces
The Romantics were captivated by the awe-inspiring power and beauty of the natural world, finding in its grandeur a source of inspiration and transcendence. Central to their aesthetic sensibility was the concept of the sublime, which referred to the overwhelming experience of encountering phenomena that exceeded the capacity for comprehension or representation. From the rugged peaks of the Alps to the tumultuous fury of the sea, the Romantics reveled in nature's boundless forces, evoking a sense of awe and reverence in their poetic depictions.
In the poetry of William Wordsworth, for instance, we find a profound appreciation for the sublime manifestations of nature, as exemplified in his famous poem "Tintern Abbey." Here, Wordsworth reflects on the transformative power of nature to uplift the human spirit and imbue life with meaning and purpose. Similarly, in the works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, we encounter sublime landscapes that evoke a sense of the mysterious and the infinite, inviting contemplation of the transcendent mysteries of existence.
The Romantics' fascination with the sublime was not merely aesthetic but also philosophical and spiritual. By immersing themselves in nature's sublime spectacle, they sought to transcend the limitations of human understanding and commune with the divine essence that suffused the natural world. In this sense, fantasies of limitless energy were intertwined with broader metaphysical and existential concerns, reflecting the Romantics' quest for meaning and significance in an uncertain and rapidly changing world.
3.2 Transatlantic Influences: Nature, Industry, and Imagination
The transatlantic exchange of ideas and images played a crucial role in shaping the development of Romanticism, particularly in relation to perceptions of nature, industry, and imagination. In America, the vast expanses of untamed wilderness and the rapid expansion of industrial capitalism fueled a distinctively American brand of Romanticism, characterized by a celebration of rugged individualism, manifest destiny, and the myth of the frontier.
Figures such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau epitomized this American Romantic ethos, extolling the virtues of self-reliance, communion with nature, and spiritual transcendence. Thoreau's transcendentalist masterpiece, "Walden," for example, chronicles his experiment in simple living amidst the tranquil beauty of Walden Pond, where he sought to cultivate a deeper connection with the rhythms of nature and the inner workings of the human soul.
Meanwhile, in Europe, the rapid industrialization and urbanization brought about by the Industrial Revolution prompted a reevaluation of humanity's relationship to nature and technology. Romantic poets such as William Blake and Percy Bysshe Shelley grappled with the dualities of progress and alienation, envisioning a future where humanity's creative energies were harmoniously aligned with the rhythms of the natural world.
The transatlantic exchange of ideas thus served as a fertile ground for the exploration of fantasies of limitless energy, as Romantic thinkers on both sides of the Atlantic grappled with the profound implications of industrialization, urbanization, and environmental degradation.
3.3 Limits and Limitlessness: Ambivalences of Romantic Energy
Despite the Romantics' exuberant celebrations of nature's boundless energies, their writings also betray a deep ambivalence towards the consequences of human intervention in the natural world. While they reveled in the sublime spectacle of nature's power, they were also keenly aware of the fragility and vulnerability of the ecosystems upon which human civilization depended.
In the poetry of John Keats, for instance, we encounter a poignant awareness of the transience and impermanence of natural beauty, as exemplified in his famous ode "To Autumn." Here, Keats reflects on the cyclical rhythms of nature, celebrating the bountiful harvest while also acknowledging the inevitability of decay and decline. Similarly, in the works of Lord Byron, we find a sense of foreboding and melancholy amidst the grandeur of nature's landscapes, as exemplified in his poem "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage."
These ambivalences of Romantic energy reflect the tensions between humanity's aspirations for progress and the ecological limits imposed by the natural world. As we shall see in the subsequent chapters, these tensions would come to the fore in the context of capitalist industrialization, giving rise to new forms of ecological consciousness and critique.
Chapter 4: Industry, Capitalism, and Disrupted Energy Circuits
4.1 Industrialization and Its Socio-Economic Impacts
The advent of industrialization in the late 18th and early 19th centuries heralded a profound transformation in human society, ushering in an era of unprecedented technological innovation, urbanization, and economic growth. Powered by the harnessing of fossil fuels such as coal and steam, industrial capitalism unleashed a torrent of energy that propelled humanity into a new age of productivity and consumption. However, this rapid expansion of industrial production came at a cost, as traditional modes of subsistence were supplanted by wage labor, and rural communities were uprooted and displaced in the pursuit of profit.
The socio-economic impacts of industrialization were manifold, reshaping the fabric of society and reconfiguring the relationship between labor, capital, and the means of production. The rise of factory-based manufacturing led to the proliferation of urban centers and the emergence of a new class of industrial proletariat, whose labor was exploited to fuel the engines of capitalist accumulation. Meanwhile, the enclosure of common lands and the commodification of natural resources fueled social tensions and sparked resistance movements among disenfranchised workers and peasants.
4.2 Capitalism's Voracious Appetite for Energy
At the heart of capitalist industrialization lay a voracious appetite for energy, as the machinery of production demanded ever-increasing quantities of fuel to sustain its relentless expansion. Fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas became the lifeblood of the industrial economy, driving the engines of progress and powering the machinery of modernity. However, this reliance on finite and non-renewable resources came at a steep ecological cost, as the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels unleashed a cascade of environmental destruction, from air and water pollution to deforestation and habitat loss.
The insatiable demand for energy also fueled imperial expansion and colonial conquest, as capitalist powers sought to secure access to the raw materials and markets necessary for their continued growth and accumulation. The exploitation of colonial territories and the forced labor of indigenous peoples further exacerbated the ecological and social toll of capitalist expansion, laying bare the inherent contradictions of a system predicated on endless growth and extraction.
4.3 Metabolic Rift: Unveiling the Ecological Consequences
It was against this backdrop of rampant industrialization and capitalist expansion that Marx articulated his theory of metabolic rift, a concept that sought to illuminate the ecological consequences of capitalist production. Drawing on insights from both natural science and political economy, Marx argued that the relentless drive for profit accumulation under capitalism disrupted the metabolic interchange between humanity and nature, leading to a rupture in the biogeochemical cycles that sustain life on Earth.
The metabolic rift, as Marx conceptualized it, encompassed both the physical disruptions in natural cycles (such as soil depletion, deforestation, and desertification) and the social alienation resulting from the separation of humanity from its natural environment. By prioritizing the imperatives of capital accumulation over ecological sustainability and human well-being, capitalism engendered a profound disconnection between society and nature, exacerbating social inequality and ecological degradation in the process.
Chapter 5: Conclusion
5.1 Summary of Findings
Throughout this dissertation, we have embarked on a journey through the landscapes of transatlantic Romanticism, exploring the fantasies of limitless energy that animated the imaginations of poets and thinkers from 1760 to 1860. In tracing the contours of Romantic energy, we have encountered a rich tapestry of aesthetic, philosophical, and socio-economic currents, each contributing to a nuanced understanding of humanity's relationship to nature, industry, and the forces of progress.
Our analysis began by situating Romantic energy within the broader framework of Marxian theory, elucidating how fantasies of boundless creativity and power intersected with the ecological and social dynamics of capitalist industrialization. Drawing on Marx's concept of metabolic rift, we explored how the relentless drive for profit accumulation under capitalism disrupted the metabolic interchange between humanity and nature, leading to ecological degradation and social alienation.
From the sublime landscapes of Wordsworth and Coleridge to the transcendental visions of Emerson and Thoreau, we traced the contours of Romantic energy as it manifested in the poetry and prose of the era. Across the Atlantic, Romantic thinkers grappled with the dualities of nature and industry, imagination and alienation, seeking to reconcile the awe-inspiring beauty of the natural world with the disruptive forces of industrial capitalism.
5.2 Contributions and Limitations
This dissertation has contributed to our understanding of the Romantic imagination and its relationship to socio-economic and ecological change during the 18th and 19th centuries. By interrogating fantasies of limitless energy, we have shed light on the dialectical tensions between creativity and destruction, progress and regression, that animated the Romantic sensibility.
However, it is important to acknowledge the limitations of our study. While we have focused primarily on the literary and cultural manifestations of Romantic energy, there are broader historical and political dimensions that warrant further exploration. Moreover, our analysis has been confined to a specific time period and geographical context, and future research could profitably expand the scope of inquiry to encompass a more diverse range of voices and perspectives.
5.3 Directions for Future Research
Moving forward, there are several avenues for future research that emerge from the findings of this dissertation. Scholars could delve deeper into the ecological dimensions of Romantic energy, exploring how fantasies of boundless creativity intersected with debates surrounding land use, resource extraction, and environmental stewardship. Additionally, further investigation into the transatlantic exchange of ideas and images during the Romantic era could illuminate the ways in which fantasies of limitless energy were shaped by cross-cultural encounters and colonial encounters.
Furthermore, the insights gleaned from this study could inform contemporary debates surrounding climate change, sustainability, and social justice. By excavating the historical roots of metabolic rift in Romantic literature, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of human society and the natural world, and the urgent need for transformative change in the face of ecological crisis.
In conclusion, this dissertation has provided a prehistory of metabolic rift, tracing its conceptual origins to the fantasies of limitless energy that animated the Romantic imagination. By situating these literary texts within the broader context of Marxian theory and ecological critique, we have illuminated the complex interrelations between imagination, ideology, and the material conditions of existence during a pivotal moment in human history.
If you, Dear Reader made it all the way down here after having read the whole thing: what the hell is wrong with you?
That entire “dissertation” was written using AI, with minor edits.
Ha. I was wondering where all that bullshit came from. Too much for an actual human mind. Good one!
After that, I need a one of those 19th century intestinal purges.