27
Beyond self-regulation, the consequences of such omnipresent scrutiny also extend to its shaping of broader social interactions. James C. Scott( 1990) explores this dynamic through his concept of the‘ public transcript’, 53 which he defines as the overt interactions that take place between the dominant and the submissive classes within society. Scott suggests that the‘ public transcript’ is a constructed performance which functions as‘ the self-portrait of dominant elites as they would have themselves seen […] It is designed to be impressive, to affirm and naturalize the power of the dominant elites, and to conceal or euphemize the dirty linen of their rule’. 54 By ensuring that subordinates are conscious of both their inferior status and the power of the ruling elite to‘ harm or help [ them ] in some way’, 55 Scott argues that the governing faction can exercise control over the public transcript, using it to‘ provide convincing evidence for the hegemony of dominant values’ 56 and maintain their position in the hierarchy.
He also crucially acknowledges, however, that the influence and control of the dominant class is limited to the public sphere. In private,‘ where subordinates may gather outside the intimidating gaze of power’, 57 Scott posits that there exists the capacity for an alternate, subversive narrative to emerge: that is to say, a‘ hidden transcript’. 58 Such a possibility indicates that, by outwardly conforming to the expectations of the public transcript, individuals can stage compliance whilst secretly cultivating insurgent communities that resist hegemonic ideology and sustain a subversive counter-narrative. Although, these communities are inevitably small – limited by the rarity of true privacy and identifiable confidants – their acts of resistance are nevertheless essential in challenging hegemonic ideology.
This paper seeks to apply the theoretical frameworks of Bentham, Foucault, and Scott to Markus Zusak’ s 2005 bestselling novel The Book Thief 59. Interestingly, despite its popularity worldwide, The Book Thief has received surprisingly little critical attention; as such, this paper seeks to remedy this lacuna by making an original contribution to the limited existing scholarship through its exploration of how the novel
53
James C. Scott, Domination and the Arts of Resistance: Hidden Transcripts( Yale University Press, 1990).
54
Ibid., 18.
55
Ibid., 1.
56
Ibid., 4.
57
Ibid.
58
Ibid., 18.
59
Markus Zusak, The Book Thief,( Doubleday, 2007).