JoelFagerberg

26April2015
EasternEuropeanLiteratureandCinema
AlexandarMihailovic

WhoisGuilty?Representationand(Meta)PhysicalViolenceinDubravkaUgreis
The
MinistryofPain

Igrewsickattheprospectofallthoserepetitions,recapitulations,renewedcomplaintsand
justifications,ofvirustransmittedmisfortuneandtheumbilicalcordsthatencricleandentwine
us,tyingusalltogetherinthetheawful,painful,bloodymesswereforeverflailinginparents,
children,grandchildren,hangedmanandhangman,victimandvictimizer,guardandprisoner,
judgeanddefendant
(DubravkaUgrei
TheMinistryofPain
137138)

I.

Introduction
DubravkaUgreis
TheMinistryofPain
offersamyriadofsharpinsightsintothe

violentmechanismsofrepresentationthatgovernourtechnologicallymediatedsociety.Her
fictionalstoryofaCroatianemigrenamedTanjaUcic,ateacherofSlavicliteraturein
AmsterdamfollowingthecollapseofYugoslavia,functionsasatoolforexposingthe
metaphysicalassaultswhichformattheyoungwomansdailylifeandthehistoryofWestern
society.Hollandsgrey,flatlandscapeisshowntobeascreenuponwhichthehollowedout
traumasofTanja,herfellowemigrestudents,andhumanhistoryatlargearedisplayed.
FollowingananalysisoftechnologicalrepresentationsthatcombinesMartinHeideggers
thoughtsoftechnologyinTheWordofNietzsche:GodisDead,aswellasWalterBenjamins
workonfacsimilesinTheWorkofArtintheAgeofMechanicalReproduction,onemaysee
TheMinistryofPain
asatestamenttothe(meta)physicalviolenceenactedandexperiencedby
contemporarysubjectsintheirattemptstorepresentreality.
Asendeavorstoaccuratelyrepresenttheworldthroughtechnologyhavecometodefine
andeventranscendpreviousformsofauthoritativeknowledge,suchasjingoistorreligious

narratives,thefeatofrepresentationitselfhasseenitspowerenhanced.Thisformofpower
enactsviolenceupontheworldbyseekingtorepresentsubjectsandobjectsasopposedto
understandingorexperiencingtheuniquenessoftheworldselementsinandofthemselves,
whichconsequentlyseversthemfromtheirauthenticcontext.UgreisHollandtherefore
appearsasatopographyofinjustice,dominatedbytheproliferationofreproductionsand
projectionsthathavecometoshapeTanjaandherstudentsperceptions.Outofsuchadense
milieuoftechnologicalrepresentationsandtheiraccompanyingmetaphysicalviolence,a
detachmentfromoneselfandtheworldisborn.Thisincubatesfurthercruelty,asisevidencedby
Igorsdisturbingproclamationtowardstheendofthenovel:...Itoohaveturnedterminator.The
Schwarzeneggerjawweallhaveit.Murderers,crooks,innocents,victims,survivors,refugees
(ibid212).Allwhotakepartinthismetaphysicalassaultarethusindictedinthephysical
violencethatitenables.

II.

HollandasaTopographyofInjustice:EnactingViolencethroughMetaphysics
ThelandscapeofHollandactsasaprimarylocusofmeditationforTanjainregardstothe

waysinwhichimages,especially,technologicalrepresentations,havecometomoldherwayof
thinking.HerthoughtsabouttheDutchterrain,aswellasitsinhabitants,reflecttheinfluenceof
digitizedformsofmedia.Forexample,Ugreiwrites:Iwouldwatchthepeopleinthetrains...I
wouldprojecttheirfacesontoacomputerscreenandscrolldown,registeringonedetailafterthe
other(ibid30).Furthermore,TanjasperceptionofAmsterdamspeakstothemanylayersof
representationsgeneratedbymoderntechnology:Thewaterandskyandwindowpaneslayered
andreflectedoneanother,andstoppinginfrontofawindowthatfairlyforcedmeintovoyeurism

Icouldcatchmyownimagemeltingintotheinterior,thepictureontheTVscreen,theowner
staringatthescreen(ibid78).Inbothofthesecases,herperceptionhasbeenformattedby
thedominantformofrepresentation,i.e.primarilydigitaltechnologiessuchasthetelevisionor
thecomputer.ThisechoesWalterBenjaminsstatementthatThemannerinwhichhumansense
perceptionisorganized,themediuminwhichitisaccomplished,isdeterminednotonlyby
naturebutbyhistoricalcircumstancesaswell(WalterBenjaminTheWorkofArtintheAge
ofMechanicalReproduction222).Tanjasperceptionofherselfandtheworldthusismodeled
afterthesupremacyofdigitaltechnologyandthepeculiarqualityofthatmedium.
Themetaphysicalimplicationsofthistechnologicallyinfluencedwayofperceiving
realityarebroughttotheforefrontofUgreisnarrativeduringTanjasvisittotheInternational
CriminalTribunalfortheformerYugoslavia.Shewrites:
Atfirstwefollowedthetrialthroughtheglass,throwingonlyanoccasionalglanceattheTV
monitors,butmoreandmoreIcaughtmyeyeslingeringonthescreen,asifIfounditsimage
morereliablethantheliveproceedings.Therealitytheglasswallseparatedusfrominspired
nomoreconfidencethanrealreality:bothofthemtheonethatchurnedoutlies,lies,and
moreliesandtheonethatpromisedthetruth,thewholetruth,andnothingbutthetruthwere
equallyfantastic,ifthatisthewordforit.(Ugrei141)

ThetechnologicallymediatedrepresentationluresTanjaawayfromperceivingthetrial,and
thereforeallthehorrorswithwhichitisconcerned,intermsofthewaytheyexist
inandofthemselves.Here,aratherobtuse(butultimatelyveryuseful)quotefromMartin
Heideggersworkontechnologywillhelpilluminatethemetaphysicalpositionthatisbeing
illustratedthroughTanjasexperienceatthetrial.HeideggerwritesthatAllthatis,isnoweither
whatisreal(
dasWirkliche
)astheobjectorwhatworksthereal(
dasWirkende
),asthe
objectifyingwithinwhichtheobjectivityoftheobjecttakesplace(MartinHeideggerThe
WordofNietzsche:GodisDead100).WhatHeideggerissayinghereisthat,giventhe

proliferationofnewtechnologiesofrepresentation,onesperceptionofrealityismadeto
conformtothefollowingschema:subject,technology,object.Thesubjectapprehendsitselfand
theworldasrealincreasinglythroughtheformatoftechnologicalrepresentation,meaningthat
thingsarerealonlyinsofarasasubjectisrepresentingthemthroughtechnology.
Moreover,UgreisHeideggerianexplorationofthesubject,technology,objectschema
makesclearthemetaphysicalassaultthatsuchaschemaentails.Thisringsasparticularly
poignantgiventhefactthatTanjahasthisrealizationwhilewatchingthefatherofherstudent
whocommittedsuicideashetestifiesatthewarcrimestrial.Ugreiwrites:
WhoisguiltyofthedeathofourUro?WhoisguiltyofrivetingIgorandmetoourseats,
hungeringforabsolution?Therewewere,IgorandI,watchingtelevision!Itwastheimageofa
pervertedrealityinwhichallofus,pervertedaswewere,wereaccomplices.Inawaytherewas
nodifferencebetweenme,whosattheregluedtotheTVscreen,andUrosfather,whosat
gluedtohisscreenreadingoutcannedresponsesinametallicvoice.Inaworldthusmediated
andmediatedsomanytimesovereveryonewasguilty(Ugrei142).

Theproliferationoftechnologicalrepresentationsrenderseveryoneguiltyofviolencebecauseit
instillsadetachedperspective,oneinwhichbothwarcrimesandthepunishmentofwar
criminalsbecomespectacles.Thesniper,thephotographer,andthewomanbleedingonthe
pavementinSarajevoareallcondemnedbyvirtueoftheirpositionswithinthemetaphysicsof
technologicalrepresentationasrevealedatthetrial(ibid).AsHeideggernotes:Theearthitself
canshowitselfonlyastheobjectofassault,anassaultthat,inhumanwilling,establishesitselfas
unconditionalobjectification.Natureappearseverywhere...astheobjectoftechnology
(Heidegger100).ThisiscertainlythecaseinHolland,whichcomestorepresentatopographyof
injusticeforTanja.Herdailylife,aswellastheatrocitiesoftheformerYugoslavia,are
representedthroughametaphysicalassaultthatreinscribesviolencebydetachingviewersfrom
theworldaccordingtothesubject,technology,objectschema.


III.

DestroyingAuraandDisplacingGod:TheRuleofTechnologicalRepresentations
MoreconsequencesmaybeteasedoutfromthemetaphysicalpositionofTanjaifone

considershowitrelatestotheworkofWalterBenjaminasevidencedbyhisessay,TheWorkof
ArtintheAgeofMechanicalReproduction.TanjastakeonJohannesVermeers
Girlwitha
PearlEarring
,aswellasherhorrifyingexperiencewithIgor,

bothprovidenuancedexamplesof
thewaysinwhichBenjaminsconcernsaboutreproducedimagesunfoldwithinHeideggers
schemaofobjectification.BenjaminwrotethatEventhemostperfectreproductionofaworkof
artislackinginoneelement:itspresenceintimeandspace,itsuniqueexistenceattheplace
whereithappenstobe(Benjamin220).Why,then,doesTanjaremarkthatTheoriginallooks
likeapaleimitationofitsnumerousreproductions,goingsofarastosaythatIwassurprised
athowlighttheblueofthegirlsturbanandthegoldofherrainmentwere,muchlighterthanin
thereproductions(Ugrei146)?
ThisisanespeciallyinterestingquestionsinceTanjais(beyondsimplychallenging
Benjaminsbasicthesis)actuallyspeakingnegativelyofthetheoriginalpaintingpreciselydueto
alackofbrilliancecausedbyitswornoutquality.ThatwhichTanjaperceivesasdefectivein
theoriginaldirectlycontradictsBenjaminsstatementthatTheauthenticityofathingisthe
essenceofallthatistransmissiblefromitsbeginning,rangingfromitssubstantivedurationtoits
testimonytothehistorywhichithasexperienced,astatementwhichultimatelyculminatesin
thefamousquote:...thatwhichwithersintheageofmechanicalreproductionistheauraofthe
workofart(Benjamin221).Tanjadoesnotfindtheoriginalpaintingtoberadiantbecauseitis
oldandlighter:sheprefersthereproductionsandconsidersthemtohavean
aura
oftheirown.

DespiteherrevulsionattheICTYtrial,Tanjasattractiontoreproductionsandsimulated
imagesismadeevenmoreclearinherconversationwithIgorregarding
GirlwithaPearl
Earring
.Heresheexplorestheideathattheearringactsasreflectivesurfaceinwhichonecan
seethepaintersface:TherearethosewhosaythatthegirlinthepictureisVermeersdaughter,
Maria,inwhichcaseitcouldbeseenasthefirstsymbolicrepresentationofDNA(Ugrei
149).Shesees,inthisartificialimitationofreflectionbywayofpainterlytechnique,a
representationoftheprocessbywhichhumanshavebeencreated.Herinterpretationofthe
earringspeakstothehighstatusthatthefeatofrepresentationhasascendedtointheincreasingly
technologicallymediatedsocietyoftheWest.
TurningoncemoretoHeidegger,Tanjascommentsechohisviewsonthegrowing
poweroftechnologiesofrepresentationinanageofWesternhistorywhichhasseenthedeathof
Godand,extendingfurthertoaccentuateTanjasownhistoricalcontextasanemigrefromthe
formerYugoslavia,anunprecedentedamountofmurderscommittedinthenameofsuch
doctrinalstandinsasnationalism.Heidegger,inregardstoNietzschesthoughtsonthedeathof
Godandmansroleinit,statesthat:
Thekillingmeanstheactofdoingawaywiththesuprasensoryworldthat
is
initselfanact
accomplishedthroughman.Itspeaksoftheeventwhereinthatwhichisassuchdoesnot
simplycometonothingbutdoesindeedbecomedifferentinitsBeing.Butaboveall,inthis
eventmanalsobecomesdifferent.Hebecomestheonewhodoesawaywiththatwhichis,in
thesenseofthatwhich
is
initself.Theuprisingofmanintosubjectivitytransformsthatwhich
isintoobject.Butthatwhichisobjectiveisthatwhichisbroughttoastandthrough
representing(Heidegger107).

Thus,whenTanjasaysofthe
GirlwithaPearlEarring
that...shedoesntknowsheswearing
theimageofhercreatorandhypotheticalfather.Butthenneitherdowe,sheisessentially
referringtothewayinwhichthepaintersfeatofrepresentationresultsinasituationakinto

humanityssearchformetaphysicalmeaningthroughbeliefinGod.Insteadofanexternalsource
ofmeaningandauthorityintheformofanomniscientcreator,theschemaofobjectification
takesthereigns.Technologicalrepresentationspositthefeatofrepresentationitselfasthemark
oftruthandauthority,displacingGodintheprocess.
Therefore,therepresentationalacttransformsalackoffaithinGodintoanew
metaphysicalformat,onewhichsubsequentlychangesboththeworldandhumansthemselves.
Thesechanges,basedinthemetaphysicalassaultswhichmakeupthisnewformatting,giverise
tonewinstancesofphysicalviolence.Forexample,Igorsturnattheendofthenoveltowards
tauntingandtorturingTanjaisanextremereactionagainstTanjasfeatsofrepresentationandthe
powersheattemptedtowieldthroughthem.Hisdisturbingresponseconsistsinafixationon
Tanjaspresentationofanostalgic,optimistichistoryoftheFormerYugoslaviaandthewaysin
whichthiswasreflectedeveninherpersonalappearance.HeremarkstoTanjathat...you
lookedsoshinyandbright.Likeaporcelainteacup.OfcourseIwantedtobreakyou,smashyou,
knocksomethingoutofyou(Ugrei212).IgorlashesoutagainstTanjasfaithinherownfeats
ofrepresentation,makingitclearthatTanjasnostalgicrepresentationsweretorturoustothose
studentswhowereyearningtoforget(Ugrei207).
Ofcourse,TanjaisnotresponsibleforIgorsaction.Sheisresponsibleforthecontentof
herclassbutiscertainlynottoblameforIgorsdecisionmaking.Thepointisratherthatboth
heractionsintheclassroomandIgorsabusesattheendofthenovelaremotivatedbythe
polarizingpowerofrepresentationalacts,apowerwhichdefinestheendofthenovel.
Anenduring,troublingimageofIgorsstampisleftintheformofthreesmallcutsonTanjas
rightwrist,andsheimaginesanewlyacquiredticktoaccompanythisbrand:
Itconsistedofbringingthemouthdowntothewrist,slowlypressingthelipstothethreethin

stripesandkissingthem...thentracingthemwiththetipofmytongue,testingwhetherthey
werestillthere,andfinallyraisingthewristslowlyandholdingituptothelightsothatthe
stripes,nowmoistwithsaliva,glistenedlikemotherofpearl.(Ugrei215)

ThisexplicitreferencetoVermeerspaintingbringstomindTanjasthoughtsonthepearls
functionasareflectivesurface,connectingIgorsdomineeringviolencetotheGodlikefeatof
representationaswellasthepatriarchalovertonesofthatwhichthepearlreflects(creator
and
father).

IV.

Conclusion
MorehauntingstillisthefactthatUgreiendsthenovelwithTanjaandIgorliving

together.Inthisnewarrangement,formattedbythelegacyofthe(meta)physicalviolence
mentionedpreviously,thefullimplicationsofBenjaminsconcernsabouttheageofmechanical
reproductionaremadeclearwithinthecontextofHeideggersschemaofobjectification.
Benjaminsconcernwiththeauraofartworksdidnotexpandtoincludeaconcernwiththe
meansthroughwhichtechnologicalrepresentationswouldbegintotakeonan
aura
oftheirown
insuchawaythatwouldultimatelyrobsubjectsoftheirhumanity.ConsiderhowTanjabreathes
throughIgors...skinlikeafishthroughgills,notingthat...foratimeweinhalethepure
extractofnothingtorememberandnothingtoforget(Ugrei254).TanjaandIgorhavebeen
reducedtoanimalistic,emptyfiguresbythepowerthatrepresentationsnowwieldovertheir
lives.TanjasexperienceinHollandrevealsthat,inanincreasinglytechnologicallymediated
society,everyoneisguiltyforatopographyofinjusticewhichdefinestheirdailylivesaswellas
theirsenseofthepastthrough(meta)physicalviolence.

WorkCited
Benjamin,Walter.Trans.HarryZohnanded.HannahArendt."TheWorkofArtintheAgeof
MechanicalReproduction."
Illuminations:WalterBenjamin
.NewYork:Schocken,1978.
217253.Web.
Heidegger,Martin.TheWordofNietzsche:GodisDead.
TheQuestionConcerning
TechnologyandOtherEssays
.NewYork:Harper&Row,1997.53112.Web.
Ugrei,DubravkaandMichaelHenryHeim.
TheMinistryofPain
.NewYork:Ecco,2006.
Print.