Category: Jessica Benjamin

The Secret Remains (A “The Secret Woman”)

On By Elijah MIn Binaries, Jessica Benjamin, Power of Stories/Storytelling, Short Stories3 Comments

“The Secret Woman,” is a short story following a man and his wife, who both lie to one another in order to attend an ball. Upon arrival, the man witnesses his wife engage with several men and women, cheating on her him.

The story is masterful, in that the lack of length the story contains forces the reader down a rabbit-hole of dissection of what’s already there. There’s so much to pick apart from the story off of such little content.

The narrative and dynamic between both the wife and husband creates a patriarchal binary between the man and woman, as we see the husbands attitude towards the wife do a complete 180 after seeing her self liberation at the party, introducing her as dainty and almost docile, and ending by calling her evil and black. Moreover, the husband initially lied to the wife which leaves readers uncertain towards what his intentions were at the ball in the first place.

The use of the wife’s costume also is a curious metaphor for the secrecy of the wife as I personally interpret it as a double meaning for the reader and the husband not entirely understanding the true identity of the wife. The story is all told through the husbands perspective, so we only ever get to his perception of his wife, when in reality, the wife may have been putting up a front for the husband the entire time, using her social life as a ways to reject/free herself from the binary.

Overall, the story definitely served as a change of pace from some of the other stories we’ve read whilst maintaining a lot of room to dissect, and discuss.

Jessica Benjamin’s View on Independence

On By Lianna B.In Jessica Benjamin, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Jessica Benjamin argues that true independence comes from recognizing the other person in a relationship, rather than attempting to be the dominant person in an attempt for control. A healthy relationship requires balance and mutual respect, not one person having too much or too little “power” that would instead create a divide between them. If one person aims to secure more authority or control over the other person, whether it be a romantic or platonic relationship, the bond is weakened and they both end up being harmed. The relationships that we have with others plays a role in our identity and how we continue to grow as people. Benjamin also brings up the fact that people need to feel distinct yet connected to others. Even though this pattern can be difficult to maintain, being associated with others can help a person grow and learn.

Response to Benjamin’s “Bonds of Love”

On By ELISE C.In Binaries, Empathy, Jessica Benjamin, Mutual RecognitionLeave a comment

Jessica Benjamin believes that love is facilitated through power dynamics in relationships. She explains many ways binaries can be seen in society and how the gender binary is the one that sets up the rest. Due to the fact that sex is the first indicator of who someone is when they are born, it sets people up to be seen as dominant or submissive in the gender binary and then in other ones as they grow up. She explains that one’s entire sense of identity is based on these binaries. These power relationships, whether binary or not, define people’s lives and make power central in everyone’s lives, ultimately contributing to people feeling like they lack fulfillment in their lives. She contradicts Freud’s ideas about one’s sense of identity revolving around their father’s role, also symbolizing society, law, and authority, in separating them from their mother. She argues that identity is found by making efforts to relate to others, rather than by separation but that society makes that difficult because of the way people are socialized. She explains that if people can accomplish this, mutual recognition is possible.

Benjamin’s theory can be seen across most aspects of life, from personal relationships to a global scale. In my life, it operates as all of my relationships feed into some sort of binary whether it’s the MALE/female one or something more specific like MOTHER/daughter. These all impact my ability to have autonomy and how I interact with others. According to Benjamin, if there wasn’t a difference of power in these relationships, I would feel like my life is more fulfilling. I agree mostly with this theory, lots of these binaries, especially more obvious ones such as gender and race can lead to a lot of oppression which is interwoven into all aspects of one’s life and can have many negative effects on someone’s life and their perception of it. Another example of this is binaries based on class, this can alter our perceptions of others and how we perceive our ability to impact their lives. Even if it is done out of sympathy, it can easily perpetuate the idea of dominance as we feel like their lives can be better because of our actions or charity.

The ideas of Benjamin and her ways of Power

On By CADEN PIn Binaries, Jessica Benjamin, Power and IdentityLeave a comment

Jessica Benjamin argues that the key to freedom is through intersubjectivity and those who seek powerful figures early on. She believes that the people who submit power as well as exercise the usage of power are more dominant. The struggle for power in most cases is between the father and the son and it resonates from that into real life situations. There are steps to show the structure of how power forms and the domination of power as well. Jessica firmly believes that opposite sexs have different sorts of power but that one always has less than the other in certain situations. In order to understand the split between femininity and masculinity there must be critics of the masculine side but also the feminine side. But then to also to be focused on the power and dualistic structure between the two major factors. The Binary usage between many ideas that she has is very important to look at comparing two different types of people and seeing what they can and what they cant do to show which one of them has more power over the other. Because there will always be leaders and there will always be followers.

Response to Jessica Benjamin’s “Bonds of Love”

On By SOPHIA PIn Jessica Benjamin, Mutual Recognition1 Comment

Jessica Benjamin’s Psychoanalytic piece argues that society creates hierarchies and that the problems that come with those hierarchies exist because of a lack of mutual recognition. She believes these binaries continue when the dominant individual in the binary uses their power and the submissive individual accepts the dominance and doesn’t stand up. Benjamin values equality and asserts that one’s identity shouldn’t rely on the absence of being something, for example, a man is a man because he is not a woman.

Benjamin’s perspective gave me a new awareness of the binaries in my life. An example of one of them would be the binary of a man and a woman. I took away from Benjamin’s writing that it is essential to not submit to power dynamics and view others as the same, full human being as yourself. Her writing is significant because it can help change people’s views on their everyday behavior no matter what side of a binary someone is on. Silencing the idea of power and who holds it can lead to a much more equal and balanced life for everyone.

Benjamin’s Gender and Power Theory

On By ROAN E.In Jessica Benjamin, Power and Identity2 Comments

Jessica Benjamin argues that subjectivity and power come from individuality separated from the mother and father traits. Benjamin puts to light recent shifts in psychoanalytic theory and their relevance relating to individuality. As Freud’s theory on individuality suggests, boys growing up will recognize their anatomical differences from their mothers and identify with the father, while girls will never understand their own subjectivity in terms of difference from the mother.

As Jessica suggests, individuality is a balance of separation and connectedness rather than solely being decided by class, gender, etc. The primary focus of Benjamin’s writing is not about love but about power; she focuses on love to an extent as its perversion leads to domination and submission. She mainly argues that women seek ideal love more than men, in turn, making them more vulnerable to deception. The male is the subject, and the female is the object at the root of domination.

Abused or Acknowledged: A Benjamin Application

On By Elijah MIn Binaries, Jessica Benjamin, Mutual Recognition, Power and Identity3 Comments

I love movies, and recently, someone very close to me recommended that I watch the movie Whiplash. The film had been lingering on my mind for quite some time as it is critically acclaimed and has been mentioned by many friends and family as of late.

Upon watching, I couldn’t help but draw the similarities of the relationships of characters in the movie to the theories of Jessica Benjamin regarding power dynamics that involve a person subjecting another.

The movie follows Andrew Neiman, played by Miles Teller, a student of the most prestigious music university in the country, who’s obsessed with reaching a level of greatness through becoming a outstanding figure in the Shaffer Conservatory Jazz Band. Throughout the movie, Neiman endures forms of psychological and physical abuse from maestro Terence Fletcher, played by J.K Simmons in his goals to find and create the next great Jazz Musician.

Fletcher is seen practically torturing Andrew by throwing objects at him whilst playing, slapping him for missing tempo, and verbally insulting him time and time again for mistakes whilst playing. But this harm only reinforces Andrews obedience to Fletcher and motivation towards achieving his goal of greatness. Conversely, it allows Fletcher more opportunity to enforce his cruelty in hopes of achieving the goal of his own.

This relationship between the two creates an compelling power dynamic or teacher/student or conducter/musician that’s followed throughout the movie, and ends up resulting in an unforeseen conclusion to the twos relationship that begs the question on whether or not either Fletcher or Neiman achieved a level of Mutual Recognition.

In the end, Andrew plays a final time for Fletcher, disobeying his conducting and reversing the roles of the power dynamic in order to play the set on his own terms. At first, Fletcher doesn’t take kindly to this, mouthing silent threats to him in order not to provoke the audience, however, he eventually submits, and relishes in Andrews talent shining through. The conclusion seems lighthearted and displays the power dynamic fizzling into mutual recognition through Fletcher accepting Andrews rebelling, but it poses the question of the power dynamic being reinforced through Fletcher having his goal achieved of finding solace in Andrew being the next “great” so to speak and Andrew feeling as if he has achieved that status through the approval of his disobedience through Fletchers supposed smile in the final frame of the movie.

Mutual Recognition and Healthcare

On By Taisei P.In Jessica Benjamin, Mutual Recognition, Power and Identity5 Comments

Over the summer, I worked in a skilled memory care facility as a caregiver. In my life so far, that is where I have felt most prominently the power struggles mentioned by Benjamin in Bonds of Love. However, the experience was confusing to me in that I, as a caretaker, had power over the residents as my job was to take care of them and was tasked with controlling many parts of their lives, while they also had power over me as I was their caregiver. I’m still not quite sure if I was the subject or object in this situation, but I am certain that achieving mutual recognition in any place related to medicine would be extremely difficult.

Having a clear hierarchy of power is something that can be found in almost every medical workplace, and often helps facilitate effective and efficient patient care, which should be the ultimate goal of any medical institution. However, I feel this system also has many drawbacks in that the patients are stripped of their personhood and viewed solely as patients, which is a dehumanizing experience to anyone.

Personally, I believe that mutual recognition in a hospital setting would require recognition of patients as humans and not just a chart or list of ailments. In turn, patients would need to recognize their doctors’ humanity, which arguably is more difficult than the former, as hospitals are scary places to begin with, and acknowledging doctors not as doctors but as humans (who can sometimes make mistakes) would only add to that fear. Is a binary balance of power a necessary evil in the field of medicine, or would mutual recognition help alleviate the fear so often associated with hospitals?

Benjamin’s Theory and Saviorism in America

On By Ma'ayan KIn Binaries, Jessica Benjamin, Power and IdentityLeave a comment

In Bonds of Love, Benjamin elaborates on the mutual aspect of power dynamics that involve a dominant and submissive side, explaining that in order to fully access their productive potential, equality must be achieved. This can be observed in the typical American “savior” attitude. The United States and the majority of European countries are generally considered to be a part of of the “developed” world. Even in elementary school, I can recall presenters flipping through slideshows of malnutritioned children. “Believe it or not, this child in Africa is a kid – just like you!” From a young age, my peers – no matter our varied statuses in our own society – have been instilled with the suggestion that as a developed nation (superior, powerful), the rest of the developing world (inferior, helpless) needs our help. While this dynamic may seem one sided, as Benjamin explains, such power dynamics of superiority and inferiority are mutual, although not mutually beneficial. Current projects and foreign aid – while accepted – usually only serve to corrupt nations and provide them with what we think they need. Instead, according to Benjamin, these nations should be recognized as equals. Their decisions and policies should be acknowledged and aid should be considered in accordance with their that. The mindset of superiority and separation in many Americans must be broken down in order to identify equally with others. 

Benjamin’s Theory Applied to U.S Immigration

On By OLIVIA T.In Jessica Benjamin, Uncategorized4 Comments

Benjamin’s theory is present when looking at U.S citizens’ attitudes toward immigration. Many U.S citizens have a negative attitude toward people trying to immigrate to the U.S. Since immigrants were not born in the United States, they are seen as other, or not the same, as U.S citizens. Their dehumanization through the separation of families and unfair treatment is seen as acceptable to many U.S. citizens because U.S. citizens do not view the immigrating people as humanely as they view themselves. There is no mutual recognition between the U.S citizen and the immigrant. They are othered through their different birthplace, language, and culture. Although there are some U.S citizens who advocate for better treatment of immigrants, which works toward mutual recognition, the fact that mistreatment still occurs shows that mutual recognition is not yet met.

Applying Jessica Benjamin’s Theory From Bonds of Love to the Real World

On By Cate RIn Jessica BenjaminLeave a comment

Benjamin’s theory makes clear what I always knew was there. I always knew there were relationships like teacher and student, man and woman, adult and child but now Benjamin’s theory is making me realize that these are binaries and there is more behind it than I thought. She says that in order for someone to have power over another, someone has to submit therefore, there needs to be domination and submission. For example teacher and student. The dominating role is the teacher and the submissive role is the student. With good grades or gaining knowledge as an incentive, students will listen and do what their teachers say. Teachers technically can’t tell the student exactly what to do but the students choose to listen because they know it will benefit them. This gives overwhelming control to teachers and can dictate a lot in students’ lives. Benjamin’s point is important to understand because there have been many times in my life that I have unknowingly submitted to power which is not necessarily a bad thing but sometimes these relationships can turn harmful. Therefore understanding this concept I can choose to not submit if it is unhealthy, causes me harm or is unnecessary for me to succeed.    

Jessica Benjamin’s Master Theory of Mutual Recognition

On By Isabella K.In Jessica BenjaminLeave a comment

Jessica Benjamin’s, Bonds of Love, encourages the reader to rethink the world, by understanding individualism through binary thinking. Individualism allows you to not only thrive but also inspires you to separate yourself from others. I am me because I am not you gives rise to all manner binaries, where one thing is defined by another. The utmost hegemonic binary in our society is that women are subordinate to men. In this case, men are imposing a situation of hierarchy through dominance, while women remain submissive to this authority. A lack of mutual recognition results from an unequal balance of separation and connection, inevitably leading to a “power struggle” or dissatisfaction of one person/group. In order to prevent complete domination, it is necessary to have healthy subjectivity. The universal theory of mutual recognition helps administer self-identity and controlled connections. 

To what extent is domination enabled by both parties?

On By Khylie A.In Binaries, Jessica Benjamin, Power and Identity2 Comments

To understand this obscured question one must understand Jessica Benjamin’s theory on Mutal Respect & Domination. In Bonds of Love, Benjamin proposes a seemingly normal question: Why don’t we have gender equality when society wants it? Benjamin goes on to explain how gender stereotypes, binary norms, and expectations feed into this unnatural dynamic of Domination/Submission. Elaborating that when looking at identity most people look at negotiation and conflict which creates the unnatural power struggle. This idea leads to a controversial take on domination and submission. While it’s noted that this power dynamic is not only unnatural but unhealthy it’s also emphasized how in certain regards it is allowed. Benjamin notates how domination is a two-way street and in some capacity, the one being oppressed is allowing for the dynamic whether it be consciously or unconsciously. However, a possible solution is proposed and that solution is the concept of mutual recognition which essentially moves out of the binaries and deconstructs unnatural power dynamics through connection, understanding, and respect.

Where do I stand?

I feel that Benjamin has a very different and interesting perspective in regard to the power dynamics of society. While I agree to some extent that domination/submission bias is allowed by both parties, I also believe that there are instances where the dynamic is not allowed and happens forcefully. Of the aspects I agree with I have gained an understanding of how certain power dynamics are allowed like teacher/student and parent/child. The respect given to an extent is out of societal expectations, however, part of it is also genuine respect that is constantly changing through experiences. Benjamin’s ideas have led me to contemplate the idea of mutual respect and really work to get rid of those biases I carry whether it is something simple or complex.

Mutual Recognition In “The Semplica Girl Diaries”

On By Olivia LIn George Saunders, Jessica Benjamin, Mutual Recognition3 Comments

In George Saunders’ short story, “The Semplica Girl Diaries,” Jessica Benjamin’s theory of mutual recognition is explored. In this story, Saunders fashions a world similar to the one we live in today. The one major difference, however, is that it has become popular for wealthy people to have “Semplica Girl Arrangements,” where girls from underprivileged countries are strung up by their heads as a form of lawn décor.

Saunders’ story follows a family who recently came into wealth after winning the lottery, and has bought four Semplica Girls. One of the children, Eva, is the only one who sees anything remotely wrong with society’s usage of Semplica Girls. In a piece of artwork, Eva drew her family’s four Semplica Girls with speech bubbles saying, “OUCH! THIS HURTS,” “THANKS LODES,” and “WHAT IF I AM YOUR DAUHTER.” She then, in an act of bravery, releases the Semplica Girls in the middle of the night.

Eva is the only one who has recognized the Semplica Girls as something other than objects. She sees them as human beings, not as simply lawn decorations. Even though she is the one in a position of power, she chose to equalize the power dynamic and allow the Semplica Girls freedom. We are not told, however, if the Semplica Girls also recognized Eva, to complete the circle of recognition. 

Though Eva appears slightly naive in that she released the girls into the night with no plan of where they would go, or how they would survive, and cost her family $8,600, her intentions were good. She witnessed something that didn’t sit right with her, and she chose to fix that thing. Her bravery is admirable.

An Analysis Of Jessica Benjamin

On By Ben Ko.In Binaries, Jessica Benjamin1 Comment

According to the philosophies of Freud a person has two distinct breaks in their childhood, one from their mother and one from their father. In Bonds of Love, Jessica Benjamin argues otherwise. Instead, she argues, this connective break does not factor into the need to connect to others but instead, the discovering of self in the connection to others. Benjamin expresses her belief that it is not a binary issue, disconnected or connected, but rather a need to have an almost paradoxical balance of interconnectedness and separation

I definitely understand her theory and definitely agree with her thinking. Broadly, as a theory built upon the theories of Freud, I think she fills in the holes of his theories and effectively stretches them to not only apply to men but to women as well. First of all, her analysis of the binaries that show up in human society is spot on, in my opinion, and I think the way that we not only put ourselves into such binaries but put others into those same binaries separates us from those we therefore characterize as “different” or possibly “less than”. While, as humans, we rely on and are evolved to need socialization and connection, it is also very important for us to see ourselves as individuals who do not belong in the same category as others.

We cannot all embody the same societal roles, therefore, we feel we must differentiate ourselves from others through binaries- man, woman, employee, boss. While that disconnection is healthy, we have too effectively separated ourselves from others and have lost the mutual recognition we crave. By living in and accepting such binaries we are distancing ourselves from the mutual recognition of “us” and “other”. I would take these lessons and urge others to at least consider and understand the binaries that are ingrained in society and try to go against the urge to follow them. While I believe it is impossible to fully separate ourselves from all binaries- society is too powerful and binaries are too ingrained in us to allow for such a separation- the closest we can get is recognizing and fighting against as many as we can.

Benjamin’s Theory and Religion

On By Grayson A.In Jessica Benjamin1 Comment

Though Benjamin doesn’t explicitly mention religion in her argument, religious affiliation undoubtedly involves a multitude of connections with others and the world around you. As a member of the Jewish community, I face challenges on a daily basis. These obstacles, though difficult, I do not categorize as conflict. In connection with Benjamin’s ideology of mutual recognition, I have found that being a member of a minority religious group has allowed me to fully understand and connect with other religions. Even though I have different beliefs and values, I have found a way to empathize with other belief systems. For example, when the anti-semetic hate crimes struck the OPRF community in 2018 and again in 2022, I was devastated and angry. Instead of ragging out on members of other religious groups – that were possibly seen as a threat to mine – I took this as an opportunity to connect with those who inflicted this damage. After taking some time to reflect on the situation, I understood that misconceptions are prone in our current society to heal these misconceptions, we must educate ourselves and those of other backgrounds.

This is a prime example of Benjamin’s idea of mutual recognition – a profound understanding of who I am, which comes with recognizing someone else as an equal human; and the process of them recognizing me as equal. At the time, those who participated in this hate crime on the jewish community did not see us as equal. When education and connection prevailed, change and respect for my religion occurred. Those who once viewed minority religions as less than now bond over the same values that we all share.

Social Movements and Mutual Recognition

On By Isabelle J.In Jessica Benjamin, Mutual RecognitionLeave a comment

One of the most obvious examples of Benjamin’s theory in action is social movements, particularly Black Lives Matter. After learning about her theory, I find this movement to be a near-perfect example of attempting to achieve mutual recognition. The Black Lives Matter movement is a counter to the systemic inequalities that have given way to white dominance and severe discrimination against black and brown people. The movement (as it says) is dedicated to achieving a universal recognition of Black lives and their importance, in the same way, that white lives have long been recognized as important and worthy of recognition and protection. Now knowing about Benjamin’s theory, I find it to be the core principle of most social movements that fight to achieve rights and acknowledgment of different groups of people. Movements are centered around organization, they’re people gathering in the streets to protest, boycotting institutions, and doing what they can to draw attention to themselves, to be recognized the same as those in power. Because the dominant majority (white men) has long been recognized, the power of achieving mutual recognition lies in the movements of those who have yet to be fully recognized in their worth, their rights, and their power. Social movements that attempt to achieve equal rights and equity are key to advancing democracies and building a better society. Now that I understand Benjamin’s theory on mutual recognition, I truly believe that it is the key to social movements and thus a better world. I think that perceiving these movements as attempting to achieve mutual recognition, highlights their importance in a broader sense of the world. Many people turn away from movements because of their political associations (for example Black Lives Matter is widely recognized as a democrat movement). Further, I believe that by explaining to others that the core principle of social movements is simply mutual recognition, we can give everyone a reason to see their importance, ultimately making them moral causes rather than political ones. 

Jessica Benjamin’s Theory Surrounding Power

On By Jhaden J.In Jessica Benjamin, Mutual Recognition, Power and IdentityLeave a comment

Jessica Benjamin’s book, Bonds of Love, introduces her theoretical argument around subjectivity and power combining the ideas of domination and social, gender, and family roles to bring light to the problem of the power structure. She uses the idea of binary thinking as leverage for domination and hierarchical thought processes. Benjamin ties individualism and the idea that you are you because you are not them into what creates a false sense of self hood and the roles or expectations given to certain people.

The main argument, evident throughout the examples she presents, is that there needs to be a mutual recognition of power and a connectedness to find a common ground on theory of identity. She also highlights the importance that the theory doesn’t deny anyone else’s sense of self as a means to achieve personal individuality and self.

Total domination is a result of unhealthy subjectivity, not being able to be humble enough to fathom the idea of being equally powerful. Mutual respect and recognition between others, being able to recognize an equally respectable sense of self, is what generates a healthy identification of individuality and balance of subjectivity.

Benjamin Reflection

On By RHEA R.In Jessica Benjamin2 Comments

Benjamin’s theory illustrates the power dynamic reflected in many binaries that exist in everyday life, like the relationship between boss and employee. She explains that in order for someone to have power over another, someone has to submit. With money as an incentive, employees willingly follow orders from their bosses. The boss has no physical control over the actions of their employees, but because the employees choose to listen the boss can dictate what they do throughout their shift. Understanding this theory makes it possible to recognize the different power structures in life and potentially dismantle harmful ones. The relationship between boss and employee isn’t innately harmful but many power dynamics are and cannot be addressed without knowing how they are maintained. 

The Old Blog is Dead! Long Live the Old Blog!

On By Bernie H.In Binaries, Course Stuff, Empathy, George Saunders, Imagination, Jessica Benjamin, Mutual Recognition, Power and Identity, Short Stories, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Vladimir NabakovLeave a comment

For many years, we used the Blogger platform for the AP Lit blog. Since it is owned by Google, it integrates pretty seamlessly with your Google accounts — which made it easy to use, in some respects — but it is a very limited and bug-ridden platform. So this year, we have decided to construct a new class blog from scratch using the most more powerful and stable WordPress platform.

If you are interested, though, in seeing what past AP Lit students have been thinking and writing about, feel free to wander over to the old blog.

old blog