IN TWO RECENT isues of Socialist Challenge I have moticed the use of language reflecting reactionary maines.
In News from Nowbere February] Issue, you ask for steries NORTH WEST PRESTON Socielist Challenge grou Cheilenge Haleny Nodnesday 8p abitatiecc (near Winlaliwis bus ant WARNINGTON Socialiet Challange regel nal READENS letters to the Islington, LondonNi -Rd. Hele between 11 30am and Tem Infamalion fam 081-23 BARLINGION Hock MDOLESBORCUCH Challenge sareh side Boors at Clevoland Centr GUnHAM Sastelle: Challenpe ous Tros J Fox. ing YORKSHIRE HULL Socimilet Challenge arcup meeting, Wacoeadsy, 7 Mad 1 LAKD Caldiner's view of The Spongers and the owya delnition bi socalel ar implied in bis letter (16 Februury). *The Spongers", says Gardiner, ends up reconstructing DoIS ToaLe Cno a Doarecols world viow" because the playwright's naturalism' "reality" and dors not alternalive to it, how to fight back cte. The moodof the play is pessimistic out ol which can spring the seeds of reaction.
It ia, bowever, hard to see how Tim Alen's work can be asimilated to naturalismt. Allen, I would suggest, is more in the realist mould than any naturaliain Naturalism turns the historical into the natural: the relations berwoen people have : preordained and dead Lentron ginaben sind donei. creation of men Naturalism deals with meticulously observed detail and surface phenomfeatures or what Tiet behind" coon. li does impressions, The writer is recinced to a mere observer" and not an active start participant in history.
Jim Allen, on the contrary, by his very cholce of the tifle even, does not merely describe some reality, his is an active intervention EDINBURGH Saciallat Challenge meetings every socond Wallnasch SUCROELNi Intorssitn abcul Tennyson Road:
Socialisi Chaiteng APoriher MIDLANDS TOE oma C Moscurces Dentiu, Nann LONDON NEWHAM OBJECTION tp Carl Zanu reinforcing expresia is Doarseons which merely reflects esentially judaing by CUBITU CH OJBLIs chow typical done. By capitalist the cuts; intervention 'objective' SCUTAANPTONSNOUE CAlls meeting - Womic ind with Judith Alkwtight of the stoming commitlee of tho Naticeal Abortiar meetingg SWANSEA Socialist Challenge ghut cats cey ailer Wedneade :30pm)/n St Hoens ian, Vincent St.
Comect the into an on-going political debate. He penetrates the accidental-seeming and reveals typical 50Ci8 aMs al work - concerned wath unemployment, social security, the role of social workers, Labour councils, and so on from the paint of view of' a working class woman.
Allen argues theough his selection qi circunistances and characters against a prevaiting view of reality which seca, the large proportion. of working people on the dele as lazy or spongers T'has is a laise reality and therefore is ideological He implies quite expoeitly that royalty ae the spongers instead. It is hard to sce low this can reinfonce bourgecis realily The deaths at the end of the play acre clearly not seen an inevitable. Alleo cleveriy unmasked all che debates and political decisions hased pn Ts cula u bocal goveroment. Obviously many people would think LW CADOUL HRTOTCauCCH loes if alternatives were put forwardin the form of the revolurionary left at a local level, IF Allen's play lad tho effect he desired. It seema very Likely that Allen did have sucoms with the play among the working class the Sunduy Mall working class Labour supporting Scorrish paper) readers voting it top television viewing for that week.
A socialist art does not necessarily mean the depiction of what could b showing the effects of policies, Allen surely bolsters the left in their fight against paves the way foc of revolutionarics socialist solutions, with the effects of hourgeois ideologs dented just a little RON PRATT (Aherdeen] GREENWICH/LEWISHAM Sucalis Challange group For desals ting Rer. 01-650 1:8;
WEST LONDON Soclufia HARINOEY Spelallet Challange g'nurp tube. Speaker Geolt Sheridas ten HAMMERSMITH Socialist Challengs
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