Reading and Reflection#2 : The Good Corn
The Good Corn by H.E Bates is a short story concerning the characters Joe Mortimer, his wife Mrs Mortimer and a farm hand Elsie. It was only when I was writing the introductions and after careful rereading to make certain did I realise that a Christian name for Mrs Mortimer is never used, referred to as Mrs Mortimer or she. Moon (2007) refers to characters identities that are formed within our imagination through the authors’ use of text to describe their appearance, actions, thought and speech. It’s a sign of friendship and familiarity to use Christian names and is exactly what I feel after rereading that we are purposely kept aloof of Mrs Mortimer. This assists us in thinking of her as barren, depressed, and cold to the idea of intimacy with her husband. The name Elsie means “My God is a Vow” as stated by Behind the name (2010). I believe this name is quite apt and I refer to vows and values further into this reflection.
Mr Mortimer is also referred as Joe or simply Mortimer. Personally this fits in easily to my cultural knowledge and gender practices. Literacy Theorist Roland Barthes (1966) believes there are five key codes to any narrative text, among this list being the cultural code where the reader draws beliefs, values and ideas from the culture that you are assimilated with. I refer to my years in the defence force; a predominantly male institution where everyone is referred to by their surname. It was only the close work colleagues or friends whose Christian names I knew at all. My first read established my dominant view of gender classification and the sexual differences in the culture of The Good Corn and the portrayal of masculinity. This has not changed, perhaps they are to ingrained and I need to try and remove myself entirely to become more of a resistant reader. The main words used to describe Joe Mortimer in the class discussion were hard working, stoic, caring, and capable. All of these words form an idea of masculinity; Barthes notes that this is part of Character code. In group work we discussed how this morphs into identity and is inextricably linked to power with most famous men in history known mostly for their last name. Hitler, Mussolini, Macarthur, Ghandi, but it would be a mistake not to think that Joe is not used as well for power as indeed it is for all the Kings of England. Joe the Stoic could have very well been his title.
I must add though in fairness, the name Joe is also used in the text, in a group discussion we reflected on the way this made you feel empathy for his situation and character. The theorist Michel Foucault has put forward the notion that discourses operate along the lines of unwritten specifications about who can speak, what is spoken and the different matters that can be discussed. For example the dominant reading position that I and most of the class assumed after the first reading is formed after Mrs Mortimer tells Joe she is no good and he should have found someone else. She also states she wouldn’t mind if he would go to someone else. (Bates 1951, 5-6)
After workshop discussions and through reanalysing the text I now believe that the stories theme is about the two characters, one’s need for intimacy and how that can be separated from their loving relationship. The other characters desire for a child, this led to an opinion that it all worked out in the end regardless of the process as Mrs Mortimer did indeed gain a child.
This led us a group to analyse the text and how it affects our own values and attitudes tha we have gained from our social environment (Moon 2007, 164) Only one class member spoke of their religious beliefs that you should not have sex before marriage and then only with your husband or wife. I have concluded people reading this in 1951 certainly would have blamed Elsie for the affair. The blasé way in which the affair is glossed over certainly would be different as the values from their social environment were vastly different.
The teaching strategies I would employ for this text are role plays and the use of a Y chart to describe each character. In Blooms cognitive learning theory, the Y chart is at the highest level of thinking (Atherton, 2010). The Y chart will encourage the students to think about their reading practices, values and engage in healthy discourse with other members.
Reference List
Bates, H.E. (1951) The Good Corn. Reprinted in Reading Stories, 1990. Scarborough, WA: Chalkface Press.
ATHERTON J S (2010) Learning and Teaching; Bloom’s taxonomy [On-line] UK: Available: http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/bloomtax.htm Accessed: 17 September 2010
Moon, B. (2007). Literary Terms, A Practical Glossary (2nd ed.). Western Australia: PK Print
Afc2332's Blog 
Leave a comment