Black Hole of Desire

Courtly Love is a technical paper about the form and theory of “courtly love;” it also discusses many of the characteristics of courtly love. It is not real in the sense that it is not directed at any specific women. Even the woman in question is not real, “the Lady in courtly love loses concrete features and is addressed as an abstract Ideal” (Žižek 89). There are no specific features given, so the Lady is not relatable or desirable. Lacan even states a woman is a “kind of automaton, a machine which utters meaningless demands at random” (90). She is like a voodoo doll, channeling the form of a real person, but is only an empty shadow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Courtly love is not just not real, but it is only a mirror of the man’s own narcissistic desires. She is unattainable and meant to be viewed as such. Even if the woman were to present herself as available, the man would no longer want her. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . .. . The woman is an imitation of the real and nothing more, “[she is] the mute mirror-surface…a kind of ‘black hole'" (93). The replacement of the woman with a black hole or void is a troupe that reappears through out the essay. The ‘black hole’ refers to the inaccessibility of the Lady, for one can never venture to the end of a black hole. The women is merely a series of unattainable detours put in place by the man who wants her. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Courtly love is expressed in Bernard de Ventadorn’s poems, through the use of literary devises,like imagery and anaphora of words like “color,” beauty,” and “youth.” Lacan also refers to love as a game or formula. Courtly love is not passionate only mannerly. One interesting quote was, “Masochism confronts us with the paradox of the symbolic order of ‘fictions’: there is more truth in the mask we wear, in the game we play, in the ‘fiction’ we obey and follow, than in what is concealed beneath the mask” (92). When does the woman or man stop acting and face reality, how much of the mask is their real self. The need for desire is already there she simply draws it out of him and focuses in. she is the center of his black hole. “Object is attainable only by way of an incessant postponement, as its absent point of reference” (95). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The poems are a conduit of portrayal of this ‘courtly love’ as depicted by Lacan. The speaker believes the pain outweighs the love her feels for the woman. He never provides detailed descriptions of her, effectively keeping her out of the realm of the real and always suspense in this ideal unreality. He always refers to her in a master/king and servant/ peasant dynamic. He never views himself of worthy of her; she is out of reach. She is merely the Object of the Thing according to Lacan. The speaker even admits that “the sighs have a sweeter taste,” referring to the enjoyment of suffering for his desire. In the poem the speaker is constantly removed and distanced from his love. He only loves and fears her, what kind of a relationship is that? More of a God to man, rather than two humans being on equal grounds. The speaker has elevated the women to a God-like position. He references the “Myth of Narcissus” in poem 26, he states that her eyes are mirrors, then he refers to the woman as “Mirror” just an outward projection of his inner longings. She symbolizes the mirror and embodies it as well. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . That Obscure Object of Desire ties in well with the two other pieces because of the dynamic between the two very different actresses. One is sweet and innocent, and more respondent to the wishes of Mathieu, than the other seductive- world-wise actress, who seems very aware of her body, and very disdainful of Mathieu as well. Like Lacan references in Courtly Love, the woman only serves to postpone the highly sought, sexual act, never to fulfill the desires. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . ... . All of these pieces, support the idea that real love and desire is a mirror and lacking a truth, and a real nature. One can only chase, detour, and postpone, but never actually obtain the Object of their desires. There will always be a deferral of gratification that is impossible to be had. Just like Narcissus that pursued the image in the Lake, but as soon as he tried to touch or kiss the image disappear, leaving ripples of disappointment and despair in its wake.