tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5874106098828841982024-02-20T03:06:45.672-08:00Game-Changing Debates in Americanist Literary StudiesMeredith Goldsmithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00224668133155083279noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-7583852745887713432016-02-17T11:48:00.000-08:002016-02-17T11:49:03.079-08:00Sample Map in CartoDB<iframe width="100%" height="520" frameborder="0" src="https://mergold.cartodb.com/viz/f74177d8-beda-11e5-bf37-0e787de82d45/embed_map" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>Meredith Goldsmithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00224668133155083279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-89557059335772620322015-10-30T08:47:00.000-07:002015-10-30T08:47:02.511-07:00Sample Map<style>.embed-container {position: relative; padding-bottom: 80%; height: 0; max-width: 100%;} .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container iframe{position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;} small{position: absolute; z-index: 40; bottom: 0; margin-bottom: -15px;}</style><div class="embed-container"><iframe width="500" height="400" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" title="Age of Innocence 10.26.1" src="http://dukeuniv.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Embed/index.html?webmap=949ececace4d4d1d92d6512aad632a53&extent=-74.4661,40.4247,-73.3661,40.9806&zoom=true&scale=true&disable_scroll=true&theme=light"></iframe></div>Meredith Goldsmithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00224668133155083279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-68406525423940823132014-03-03T00:34:00.001-08:002014-03-06T19:11:23.824-08:00Don't Override Other's PrideHola all,<br />
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I talked
quite a bit in class on Tuesday and said pretty much what I think about the
situation. I do believe that canons are a positive contribution to the literary
world. I think that because is also looked as a means of “classification” it
gets a lot of backlash. However, these authors have an identity and having a
literary canon in a sense is only forming a sort-of literary community. This,
as I see it, only mocks the “activist” aspect of our society. We have
communities like LGBT, African Americans, Feminists, Physically/mentally
impaired, etc. based off of the premise of activism, communal support, and
calling for equality. These groups are grounded in the declaration of “being”
the very “thing” that “casts” them as “different”. More often than not I have
heard someone from the LGBT community (please correct me if I am misspoken,
because I would hate to have done so) saying something along the lines of “I am
gay and I am proud”. And most communities follow this form: “I am black and I
am proud”,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I am a strong and
independent woman”, “My disability doesn’t mean I am unable”….etc. These groups
openly claim these “labels”—not because it classifies them, or even is labels
them in the restricting sense—but because it is an undeniable PART of whom they
are. The inner identity, exterior identity—the identity—of a person is explicit
for a purpose, and irrevocably theirs to determine. <o:p></o:p></div>
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To “come out” of the “closet” is a
declaration of an inner identity. To not deny the person you love and your ability
to love. It is to not deny yourself a chance of the most fundamental and
instinctual forms of happiness—good sex (…and love). To be proud of your
blackness is claiming pride in your heredity, the hurtles they and you overcame,
your very being, and your essence. It is to truly love what others determine to
hate. It is to recognize the power of strife that brings wisdom in the face of others’
ignorance. <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To claim your strength in womanhood is acknowledging the strength of your womb. The womb that: sustains the existence of humanity, sacrifices her nutrients, her form, and herself in order to nurture a new life--and, which all-the-while, has been the defining factor of her womanhood as being inferior to men. </span></span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">And to identify your impairment, you
identify the abilities gained, which eclipse the ones compromised—the same
abilities that surmount the average abled person’s. It is a declaration of achieved
endowments, which exposes that even an abled body is an impairment when trying
to facilitate the same level of achievement and capabilities of a “disabled”
body.</span><br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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If these communities were to
dissolve into the acidic singularity of sameness, then where would
individuality be? Where would someone be able to find pride in themselves and
those alike by declaring their “difference” as an equal and special part of who
they are? Or even, where would someone go to learn about one way of life to
help put his or her own life into more perspective? Or where would someone go
to support those alike or different from himself or herself? How could one
celebrate themselves and others if the space has been suppressed into a bleak
unidentifiable plain of? …something I cannot even comprehend. No longer would
one allowed a space to rejoice in self love and take pride to combat hate. I
personally see the function of cannons to parallel how our society has
functioned. I would not deny the essential parts of myself because they are
also the words that define the hate for others. I take pride. Cannon’s provide
the space that accepts the surpassing greatness of each individual in light of
a shared strife. If cannons were to be removed then, in my view, the very
aspect of accepting the individuality of an author and their work along with
acknowledging their role as a progressive piece in a common collective movement
would be undone. To erase the specific role that someone played as an
individual and in a particular community, in order to make a greater sense of “oneness”
(as in no labels) is a turn away from acceptance, and towards tolerance. To only tolerate
their uniqueness as being part of a general majority. Not to accept, appreciate, and honor the beauty those who defy the norm, define a personal norm, and celebrate it with those who share and support their chosen identity. <o:p></o:p></div>
Brenna http://www.blogger.com/profile/06693006585840816887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-18578594459908190442014-03-02T21:17:00.001-08:002014-03-02T21:17:28.803-08:00No conclusions whatsoever...<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I know I didn't contribute much to the discussion on Tuesday. But that was because I wasn't even sure of my own opinion in regards to the one major comment I made. Even now, days after our discussion, I'm still not at all sure of my own opinion on this subject. I see the merits of forming a gay canon. It would allow for a more open discussion of the issues and the things people in the LGBT community have to go through. It would also form a definitive community of support for LGBT authors to which they could find a sense of belonging as well as from which they could gain recognition. And I'm sure there are other merits as well that I'm just not thinking of right now. However, I have a few fears or reservations regarding this formation of a gay canon. For one, it would necessitate removing authors from the primary canon, which seems in some way wrong, like we're now saying they're not good enough to be in the primary canon anymore or like we're othering them. Also, there would be a tendency to label gay authors as just gay and read their works from that point of view only when the authors might have wanted to say something different/make a different point. So I'm not sure where the happy medium/solution is there, or if there is one at all. But I think it's important to discuss it, even if we don't come to any answers, because it can at least make us more aware of the issues and other people's points of view.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Sorry this is so short and so late. I didn't know what to think right after the discussion, and so I thought a few extra days to mull over the issues might help, but apparently they didn't... This is a tough issue because it is so personal and involves the issue of identity, which is unique to each person. Each person will have a different view of the issue, and because I'm the type of person who likes to take in all different viewpoints before formulating my own thoughts/opinions, this is a difficult subject for me to work through.</span>Rebecca Manuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01911402278402872200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-21362508243339035402014-02-28T14:41:00.000-08:002014-02-28T14:41:16.187-08:00Reza Aslan Interview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jt1cOnNrY5s?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Ok, guys, this is the video that both Nathan and Brenna mentioned last class. It raises the issues we were discussing last time--identity, authority, and who has the "right" to speak of what in an academic context--in a very dramatic way. I don't know what I find most amusing/disturbing here (though I'm partial to Aslan's insistence on the length of his endnotes.).Meredith Goldsmithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00224668133155083279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-30431139634154595722014-02-27T18:08:00.002-08:002014-02-27T18:08:53.429-08:00You Get a Label! And You Get a Label! What's up guys,<div>
I know I really didn't say much in the conversation we had on Tuesday, but nonetheless I think they were important to address since a lot of us have very strong feelings about these certain issues. I want to start off by meditating one the "labels" point that we all got pretty hung up on. I understand that many of us want to say that we don't care about labeling people, beliefs, sexualities, whatever. I think we need to understand that from the start of large societies in the world people have been labeling people. Today, we label our clothes, TV shows, etc. What I think is a negative aspect about this whole "labeling" dilemma we brought up is the fact that we use labels in negative lights most of the time. I think Sedgwick is saying the same thing when she brings up the strictness of canon, and even the creation of the "closet" in our society today. </div>
<div>
On page 71 Sedgwick writes: "The closet" and "coming out," now verging on all-purpose phrases for the potent crossing and recrossing of almost any politically charged lines of representation, have been the gravest and most magnetic of those figures." </div>
<div>
I think what Sedgwick is trying to get us to understand is the fact that our society, politically, socially, and morally, are attracted to using these labels of "coming out," "closet," and even "gay." This has plagued an opportunity to make our society more open, and meaningful as a whole. If we adopt a gay canon, it wouldn't exclude all the other great works of literature, or put the gay canon high up on a shelf where no other texts can be paired with it. It will increase an open-mindedness toward situations and conflicts that have been swept under the rug by human beings because we have a hard time facing the truth that we are not the same cookie cutter molds of beings like Son Mi in David Mitchell's <i>Cloud Atlas</i>. Sedgwick wants the literature we read to become less rigid as a "Canon." In fact, if we adopt these canons we can only diversify and make the canon that has been in place for years look itself in the mirror and question if it needs to change or not. </div>
<div>
Maybe I just went on a little tangent so I'm going to attempt to wrap this shit up nicely. We are delved in a society where there will always be labels. Good and bad. What makes them bad is the fact that our society puts a negative connotation, and the masses follow that connotation. Just like the masses follow the classic canon. I think we need to open our minds to the fact that with or without labels, we can actually do some good by delving into these labels, finding out where or why they came about, taking a good long look at ourselves and try to figure out a way to change the labels to an open-minded, and accepting identification of human beings. Sure, it's idealistic as hell but the conversation we all had on Tuesday is just a small step for changing something in this highly judgmental and prejudiced world. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04892891567817383672noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-15535917202624631262014-02-27T09:34:00.001-08:002014-02-27T09:34:27.582-08:00And the Hatemail Begins...First up, in light of our discussion last time, I'll leave you with two links to two things I've already written on the topic.<br />
<br />
One, the aforementioned Grizzly article that just got released today (Thursday). So far I've only received one positive email. Kind of a let down considering I was expecting Sports-Overvalued-At-Ursinus level retribution off the bat. I suppose we'll see:<br />http://ursinusgrizzly.com/2014/02/27/straight-wealthy-white-guys-deserve-a-say-too/<br /><br />Second link, the blog post that the Grizzly article I wrote was based on, that's a bit different but very similar obviously. At the very least, the title is less inflammatory:<br />http://forthesakeofdebate.wordpress.com/2013/12/18/235/<br /><br />
Since I've already pitched my piece in class and now twice with those links, let me just take this space to respond to counterargument.<br />
<br />
Here's how the most common one goes, which was levied frequently in class the other day:<br />
"You just don't understand/grasp it. There are so many things about being an X that you can't know about since you're a Y. You may be able to intellectually comprehend (understand what I'm describing) this specific issue, and you may be able to emotionally empathize/sympathize with it, but you're still missing something important, namely the first hand experience of having gone through the experience."<br /><br />Granted! There are things that I haven't experienced that I can't experience, and until you tell me about them as the X to my Y I won't know about them. I'm simply ignorant. You've conceded that I <i>can </i>understand them once you tell me about them, however. And you've conceded that I can empathize. So here's my question in response:<br /><br />"I see you think that even though I can empathize and intellectually comprehend the present issue, you think I'm still missing something. Clearly I am. But, what practical implications does that gap really have? Does it severely impair my ability to discuss the issue with you? In what ways? It seems to me the ball is in your court. Unless you can tell me what my lacking the experience you've had <b>does </b>to my ability to talk with you, I'm not convinced that it <b>does </b>anything, especially if I've already been made aware of it."<br /><br />I'd also respond with this pressure: If there's an irreparable gap between individuals based on personal experience that prevents them from discussing certain issues, how can we <u style="font-weight: bold;">ever </u>hope to fix that problem? Even within the same groups, say within the body of black female homosexuals of low socioeconomic status, I'd imagine that there are <i>tremendous </i>gaps of personal experience. Certainly you don't think that <i>those </i>gaps also prevent people from discussing relevant issues to them as a group?<br /><br /><br />Here's the second objection: "I'm not trying to say that you can't discuss the issue with X group! Certainly you can. But you have to realize that that something you lack is important."<br /><br />Again, granted. But what practical implications does this have? I get that there are things I don't know about until I'm told because I haven't experienced them, and I get that I can't experience them. But where does this leave us? I don't think it changes anything, unless more argument can be provided to the counter.<br /><br /><br />Third objection: "You have to understand, as you are a straight upperclass white guy, you have a level of privilege that lots of others don't have. You can get your voice heard where others can't in larger society. That's a problem, because when you try to talk about issues relevant to a small demographic that has been oppressed in some way, you have the potential to intentionally/unintentionally silence them."<br /><br />Granted! But, we have to recognize that this is a <i>potential</i>, not a guarantee. My desire to weigh in on feminist issues doesn't mean that women have less of a say in the discussion than I do, or that I'm trying to take away their voice. To the contrary! I hope that everyone, regardless of who they are, can work to ensure everyone else has an equal voice in every discussion, regardless of topic.<br />
<br />
My thesis is, essentially, the argumentor ought to be wholly irrelevant to the evaluation of the argument. That is, I'm working to combat what I see as systematic <i>ad hominem. </i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12033732596124213661noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-132181513439103482014-02-26T19:02:00.000-08:002014-02-26T19:02:50.394-08:00Blurred lines
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yesterday we discussed issues of literary canon, minority
literary canons, and labeling in general.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I remember someone making a point that men (for example) should
definitely be encouraged to write feminist literature; however, they should not
be included in an anthology of Women’s Literature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would be inclined to agree with this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think supporting the cause of feminism is
wonderful but is not the same as living as a woman and therefore experiencing
the world as a woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, this
again begs the question of: what should be included in specific canons?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I wrote about the experience of a Latina
living in Tennessee, would it be included in the Latin American canon, even
though I’m Caucasian?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also wonder: if
someone of Latin American descent writes a novel about a dog on an adventure
(which seemingly has nothing to do with race), is this inevitably included in
the Latin American canon because of the author’s ethnicity?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should canon only consider the experience of
the work itself as detached and separate from the author’s identity?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or should the author’s identity or what we
would label as the author’s identity be considered?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are there any English writers who moved to
America and wrote about the American experience and are included in our canon?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, Robin Thicke, I hate these blurred
lines, and the questions regarding canon are endless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously, though – if I wrote a gory horror
story, I really don’t think that should be included in a women’s lit canon just
because I’m a woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That story would
have absolutely zilch to do with the topic of women’s lit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think this kind of discussion of canon is necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just because something is widely accepted as
being in the canon does not mean that I have to like the work or admire the
work’s excellence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also think that
creating these separate canons showcases different kinds of literature that
deserves to be recognized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s at stake
is the exclusion of brilliant authors and their work because they have been
ignored by the so-called “canon.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12457703398929359116noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-58531045299536747202014-02-20T00:43:00.001-08:002014-02-20T00:43:58.862-08:00Holy effin Moly! A new trend??????I know this is slightly off topic. But I still feel there is extended relevance. On that note...wtf???!!!!<br />
<br />
http://m.bilerico.com/bilerico/#!/entry/breaking-az-senate-passes-right-to-discriminate-bill,53054045025312186cd34bcdBrenna http://www.blogger.com/profile/06693006585840816887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-76311361773327074882014-02-17T14:36:00.000-08:002014-02-17T14:36:57.034-08:00holy ish. http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2014/02/14/what-the-hell-just-happened-in-kansas/Brenna http://www.blogger.com/profile/06693006585840816887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-76237400265056659782014-02-16T17:27:00.001-08:002014-02-16T17:27:25.812-08:00This Deserved A Hashtag at the End<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First I wanted to say
that my brain had a longwinded fart… until today when I realized I completely
forgot about the blog for Wednesday. Guess I filed away blogging in my brain’s
Sunday storage space. Sorry about that—I'm making a blog now (since we didn’t
technically have to for this week) in attempt to make up for my little
oopsy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I really
wanted to blog about the little Arac paragraph that I brought up during class.
I'm not quite sure what I understand of it and I had trouble verbalizing the
mixed feelings it gave me during class. I'm afraid this close reading has
broken a brain circuit, so my writing/understanding might be a tad circular—bear
with me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Page 31 second paragraph)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“The fact
that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nigger</i> is widely used in the
text of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Huckleberry Finn </i>has had the
effect of encouraging authors, scholars, teachers, and other persons of
goodwill to feel that they are doing the right thing when they name Jim in the
language of a racism that is less important to locate in the psyche of
individuals—as Myrdal did in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">An American
Dilemma</i>—than in the structures of our nation, what since the days of Black
Power has been called “institutionalized racism. “ Over forty years ago, Lionel
Trilling praised <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Huckleberry Finn</i> for
being a “subversive book,” and Hechinger echoed him in his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Times</i> article, but it seems to me that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Huckleberry Finn</i> is currently being read and publicly used in
support of complacency. “<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I was able
to break down the first long convoluted sentence. I have come to the conclusion
that the “authors, scholars, teachers, and other persons of goodwill,”(basically
everyone) are the ones who now believe that racism is not an individual act.
They believe that the blame has been lifted and relocated to a
structural/institutional issue. However, Arac argues different. Unlike Trilling
and Hechinger who both believe <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Huckleberry
Finn </i>is “’subversive’” or “undermining the principals of”(Dictionary.com)
the word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nigger</i>. In other words:
Trilling, Hechinger, the authors, teachers, scholars, and Myrdral believe that
Huck saying <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nigger </i>does not make him
racist. However, society has instituted the word and therefore they are to
blame…not Huck. Instead, Arac determines that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Huckleberry Fin</i> is, “in support of complacency,” or, “a feeling of
satisfaction, esp extreme self-satisfaction”(dictionary.com). So, Arac
basically believes that it is the individual who is to blame in the name of
racism. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This means
that since Arac disagrees with how Trilling and Hechinger, and how other
authors, scholars, and teachers interpreted the book—which is paralleled to
Myrdal’s criticism—Arac then is arguing against institutionalized racism. The
framework of the first sentence of the paragraph then becomes just that much
more curious. He cites Myrdal as the founder of structural racism in his book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">An American Dilemma</i> and then follows up
with a citation of “Black Power” labeling Myrdal’s theory as “institutionalized
racism.” (omg) I have to ask then: is Arac, the emotional low blower, throwing
a jab at the black power movement? Is he saying that Black Power is trying to
blame the institution in order to take hold of it some how? Because Arac argues
that the institution here is not at fault, but the individual. Why then <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>does Arac cite two different people for
something he disagrees with? One: Myrdal, whom is from Sweden (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_American_Dilemma">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_American_Dilemma</a>)
and then secondly the Black Power movement, who he says in reference to
Myrdal’s theory, “what since the days of Black Power has been called
“institutionalized racism”. It is understood that throughout Arac’s book, his
in-text citations are emotionally charged. Only one of many examples is how he
described one scholar he disagreed with, “so the authoritative scholar’s
pedagogical guidance required students to perpetuate this wounding error”(27).
Not to mention Arac decided to omit the second part of Myrdal’s book title, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">An American Dilemma: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Negro Problem and Modern Democracy</b></i>. Why did Arac include both
references and then neglect to do it in completeness? It seems to me that Arac
has an agenda—and in the face of passive aggression, trying to accuse Myrdal,
the Black Power movement, and maybe the individual of “goodwill”(31) for having
their own agenda.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I found it particularly
interesting that in order to make this point he began by saying, “The fact that
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nigger</i> is widely used in the text of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Huckleberry Finn </i>has had the effect of…”
Here, Arac places blame ON the book for making people, “feel like they are
doing the right thing…” in reference to their relief of personally driven
racism. He is arguing that the book makes it seem as if the word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nigger</i> has become embedded in society
and that using it is not racist because it has been instituted in, and, thus, a
normal part of society. He disagrees, as I said earlier, and blames the
individual for attempting to find release from his or her own racist
tendencies. But this is not a book that the common individual decides to pick
up and then comes to such conclusions all alone, is it? Arac even says in his
preface, “This book [his book] details and analyzes the emergence of
hypercanonization [of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Huck. Finn.</i>] in
the academy,”(vii) and “early-teenage children are being made to study and
admire a text in which the character, hero, and narrator, Huck, uses the term <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nigger</i> hundreds of times,”(viii). He
makes the point that this book is being institutionalized. Forced upon young
America—teaching them to only idolize the main character and ignore the
possibilities of racism within his dialogue. One preface and 31 pages later,
Arac completely combats his own argument, saying it is the book that penetrates
the minds of its readers and plants the idea that racism lies on an alternate
level than individually. Even though 31 pages and a preface ago he states, “I
do not argue that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Huckleberry finn </i>is
racist or un-American,”(vii). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
passage alone made me take a new perspective on everything that Arac says. I
don’t know if I like him too much. In fact, I don’t. He gives me bad vibes and
at times like this, seems ill-willed and sneaky…….. #justsayin<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></div>
Brenna http://www.blogger.com/profile/06693006585840816887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-44143603515495491802014-02-13T14:11:00.002-08:002014-02-13T14:11:36.714-08:00Sport caster video cliphttp://www.upworthy.com/old-white-guy-drops-a-monster-speech-on-anti-gay-football-teams-seriously-impressive-performance-rw7-7d?c=ufb1Brenna http://www.blogger.com/profile/06693006585840816887noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-34944989058586767622014-02-13T11:01:00.001-08:002014-02-13T11:10:18.832-08:00Snap-a-roos!Hey guys, sorry this is late!<br />
<br />
By now pretty much everyone has expanded on what I thought was the most impacting of Arac's essay.<br />
<br />
The terms hypercanonization and idalotry really peaked my interest. In high school way before I appreciated literature as much as I do now I still kept questioning what <i>was </i>it that classifies GREAT literature? How did the classics become <i>the </i>classics? What makes them standout?<br />
<br />
Those terms mentioned by Arac really resonated with me because I can see it everyday. I don't know if this is a good example, but Harry Potter, man. Yes I do love those books but I can't imagine what it must be like for someone who never having read the book and having that made public to a room of people... all the dirty looks and jaw dropped faces! Insulting or criticizing Harry Potter is nearly considered something so DRASTIC as a crime! I can't help but ask myself, to what extent has people's passion for the series affected my own perception of the story?<br />
<br />
Totally unrelated to Huck Finn, so here we go: Again, not knowing any of the <i>content </i>of Twain's novel, I did not know what I was in for, only that this book has been very beloved and discussed yay number of times. So the first day of class (which I was totally unprepared for, didn't even have the book yet) I was shocked witht he discussion of racism and the problems addressed in the story. So when I started reading it after class I already had the impression of the controversies throughout Huck Finn's adventure. But I enjoyed the last 12 chapters as I did because it was in those sections I felt immersed in Huck's old intimate world but still see the issues that go with it. Basically everything I'd said in my presentation.KidneySkidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534278618774083798noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-62698902663506973702014-02-13T08:10:00.000-08:002014-02-13T08:10:00.052-08:00A Creative Choice <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In chapter two of Arac’s argument, the critic made a
statement that really stood out to me. I
actually paused in my reading so I could take in exactly what he was trying to
get at. He wrote, “I prefer to
understand <i>Huckleberry Finn</i> as built
from highly selective artistic choices rather than simple reflections of the
reality of antebellum America” (Arac 39).
The way that Twain is representing a version of Missouri that is
entangled in slavery at the time, is not necessarily historically
accurate. Arac mentions that everything
is a bit more simplified in the world of Huck Finn. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For me, personally, this is a reassuring
assessment. In the previous chapter, and
continuing into the second as well, Arac describes the way some readers have
latched on to Twain’s work, creating ideological beliefs from it. But the sooner we accept the fact that it is
fiction work, the sooner people will hopefully stop trying to turn his work
into a political statement. Twain was
not trying to be Harriet Beecher Stowe when he wrote his novel. Since the beginning of the semester, I have
held fast to the idea that Mark Twain depicts a world in a realistic manner,
not offering concrete answers to life’s difficult questions via the
narrator. In my opinion, Arac’s explanations
for the slight inaccuracies or inconsistencies of the real world to the novel
highlight the case for Twain offering his readers an example of human
relations, race relations, what have you, during a moment in time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Courtney Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07709375439854228377noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-11720538780835867572014-02-12T23:20:00.002-08:002014-02-12T23:21:58.720-08:00The 129 Year Old ElephantArac's argument that debates and discussions regarding Huck Finn should be more multidimensional and comprehensively informed is both engaging and lucid; however, it is easy to overlook how necessary such a seemingly simple argument is today, even though it concerns a book that has been around for 129 years. One would think that a text that incorporates the "N-word" (yes, I'm copping out of typing/saying such a loaded word) 219 times would be unraveled very carefully, as Arac suggests, but its canonization has impeded our ability to carefully dissect the text. Evidence of this is seen in the influx of hostile mail that <i>Harper Magazine </i>received when it published Jane Smiley's "Say It Ain't
So, Huck," in 1996, more than any other essay had ever received in Harper's history (Berube 693)! The impulse to shield <i>Huck Finn</i> from criticism due to the notion ingrained into us that it is a cornerstone of American literature is counterproductive for it allows us to ignore the nuances that the text truly contains. As Arac puts it, <i>Huck Finn </i>became "an icon of civil rights consciousness," even though this idolatry led individuals to read <i>Huck Finn </i>with blinders, causing them to loose sight of other muddied moral and social conflicts imbedded in the text. Arac's argument really struck me when he asked the question, "How great must artists be before we trust them so much that their words are treated not only as unchangeable but also as obligatory?" (Arac 31). It seems that by placing Twain and <i>Huck Finn</i> on a pedestal and lashing out at critics, we only do ourselves a disservice. If we encourage an attitude of complacency around a word, topic and history, it will pollute the future with this infectious complacency. While important, worthwhile discussions can stem from reading <i>Huck Finn, </i>ignoring major conflicts that the text brings to the table is irresponsible, especially at a grade school level. To ignore these conflicts is like ignoring an elephant in the room, one who stomps on notions of social justice, equality and civility while no one comments or explains the deeper issues and complicated historical context. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543411244805429585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-36026653406596859722014-02-12T19:29:00.002-08:002014-02-12T19:29:30.393-08:00Like many other people...I think (probably like many of the rest of us in class) his argument idolatry and hypercanonization stuck with me the most. While I'm not sure I loved his presentation of his argument (occasional poorly written sentences like the one we discussed in class, lots of name dropping, a bit of overkill on the historical background - in my opinion), I do, however, agree with his argument. I definitely think we have a tendency to make assumptions based on other, "smarter" people's opinions. <br />
<br />
For example, there is a book (I won't name it so as not to offend anybody who actually likes it...) that I have been forced to read twice - once in high school and once in college. And neither of those times did I find the book any more worth reading. I attempted to read it in high school and disliked it so much that it became the first book I ever SparkNoted. It is horribly written, not just in terms of diction but also of basic grammar and sentence structure. And not only are the potentially important themes overblown and poorly addressed, but the actual plot of the story is ridiculous. Yet, because this book is just one of those books, I've had to read it twice.<br />
<br />
So, I agree with Arac when he argues that we each need to strip books like Huck Finn of all the widespread externally imposed meaning and see it for its own merit - or maybe lack of merit, if that is what we see.Rebecca Manuelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01911402278402872200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-13601622079531891682014-02-12T18:29:00.000-08:002014-02-12T18:29:30.675-08:00The style discussion. <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I’m a little bit hung up on the discussion of
style. A quote from my notes: “<b>POLEMIC— root: battle, disputatious, raging,
aggressive--- Do we want our criticism to be like this?</b>” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My brain sometimes goes fuzzy in class when we have
discussions because I feel like I have to make a judgment call on the reading. Either I liked it or I didn’t. I know that sounds ridiculous but maybe that’s
just years of people asking that simple question. I know my opinion is supposed to change while
I’m learning, but after last class I just felt confused. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Someone will say something like, “Arac is being
sarcastic and talks down to everyone” and then someone else will point out him
being intelligent in this other way and by the end I feel like my opinion about
him gets wishy washy. I think my brain likes black and white. And there’s so much grey area. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We talked in class about criticism being polemic or “weak”. Then someone in class made a comment about
how we want a classroom to be a nuanced discussion, with people agreeing with some
parts of the discussion and disagreeing with other parts. This sounds like how I might want criticism
to be and maybe I’ll learn to adopt this way of criticizing criticism. </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
heidihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17526924692995277653noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-6361645791823410592014-02-12T16:16:00.002-08:002014-02-12T16:16:34.628-08:00American Idols<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The “idolatry” aspect of
Arac’s argument really hit home with me.
I think that there are quite a few things like that in America today,
things like deism, democracy, and the Constitution, things that people get
immediately get shot down for even implying that they disagree with. What I wonder, though, is whether or
not this is a phenomena somewhat isolated to America. It seems to me that our society breeds idolatry with its
fierce patriotism and sensationalized media. Arac seems frustrated with the inability to challenge <i>Huck
Finn</i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">’s idolatry easily, and it
seems to me that nothing could get so concretely ingrained in a society without
some underlying sociological issues.
Muy interesante.</span><!--EndFragment-->
Raynahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00925080282591070761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-25297390335362734892014-02-12T08:29:00.005-08:002014-02-12T08:29:54.916-08:00Huck Finn vs. Tupac vs. Biggie<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> After paging through
the Arac book again, I think what has stuck with me the most is this term of “idolatry”
that he pairs with <i>Huck Finn</i>. I
definitely agree that over time we have raised this book up on a pedestal a bit
higher than what it should be. However, I’m not saying that the novel isn’t
important or isn’t worth debate and analysis. I tried to think of other things
that we idolized over time in American society, and one thought always came
back to me as I was writing this post. Just as American society has idolized <i>Huck Finn</i> as the “quintessential” novel
that describes our Americanness, can be comparable to the debate between which
rapper is better: Tupac Shakur, or the Notorious B.I.G. This debate is one that
has given both deceased artists a legacy and debate that has gone on for over
eight years. Many hip-hop enthusiasts get into arguments about whose topics,
verse structure, and overall song writing was better. It may not seem like I’m
going anywhere with this, but I think it’s interesting to point out the type of
things that we idolize in our American society. Writing rap music about money,
women, and power that a great majority of people adore and love can be compared
to the seemingly “racist” nature that <i>Huck
Finn</i> is said to have come from. However, I don’t think American society and
American literature would be the same without <i>Huck Finn</i>, just as I think rap music as we see it today would of
ever gave opportunities to multiple artists without the few albums created by
Tupac and Biggie. I agree with Arac when he says that we cannot let this
idolatry shadow what the book stands for, and how our history has shaped the
criticism over time because we’ve always known it to be a “great” book. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">-Jon</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04892891567817383672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-77872094467266090042014-02-11T19:02:00.000-08:002014-02-11T19:02:24.348-08:00Venting?
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">After reading Arac, one thing is absolutely evident:
Arac does not agree that Huck Finn should be put on a pedestal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking specifically at the first chapter,
Arac relies heavily upon sarcasm (which we talked about in class) a little too
much in order to get his point across.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ironically he seems to condemn those people who religiously defend Huck
Finn with seemingly personal, degrading comments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For instance, Arac seems to mock Trilling’s teaching
experience by claiming that Trilling has experience teaching a “great books” (which
Arac puts in condescending quotes) course AKA the Columbia College Humanities
course (19).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arac further claims that
Trilling equates Twain’s passages on the river to the choral odes of Greek
tragedy and Twain’s ending had the aptness of a Turkish masque found in Moliere
(he does this without ever actually quoting directly from Trilling).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arac sums up this point by saying: “So
Trilling asserted” (19).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But isn’t that
what Arac is doing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could say, “so
Arac asserted.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unless I look up all of
these articles that Arac references and read them myself, I have no idea what
Trilling actually said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arac is too busy
putting everything into his own highly sarcastic voice, making it really hard to
read through a critical lens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why doesn’t
Arac quote directly from Trilling instead of merely mocking him?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arac condemns the idolaters of Huck Finn for
resorting to ridiculous claims about how wonderful the book is, but in my
opinion, he hasn’t done much but sneeringly ridicule those who support the book
(at least in chapter one).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be fair,
he does make some interesting claims, including the fact that critics continue
to call Jim by a name that was never in the book to begin with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I would have liked Arac to take some
of the points with which he disagrees and answer specifically each one with his
own critical analysis/evidence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">On reading this chapter again just now, I also found
that his overuse of empty rhetorical questions (which we also talked about in
class) is not strengthening his argument but merely crippling it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are many instances where Arac poses a
rhetorical question and leaves it hanging without delving into its implications
or answering it himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This first
chapter almost reads like academic venting rather than literary criticism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12457703398929359116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-91199826828821392182014-02-11T14:02:00.001-08:002014-02-11T14:02:13.994-08:00A Simultaneous Strength/Weakness of Arac's ArgumentI find myself both compelled and frustrated by a piece of Arac's framework regarding the criticism surrounding Huck Finn. Let me first frame the argument and what I find compelling about it, as it's the obvious and intended angle he seeks, and then I'll work to show why I think it's also problematic.<br /><br />In multiple places, but palpably on 32 and 33, Arac identifies the plausibility that critics may give undo credit to Huck simply because of its/his status as canon. At the start of the first paragraph on 32, Arac works to forward this argument by quoting Pilot:<br />"Once a work has been admitted tot he highest canon of literary reputability," critics then must "find reasons... for admiring every bit of it"<br />This concern of Arac's seems legitimate, and gives us reason to be <i>suspicious </i>(note, <b>not dismissive</b>) of positive criticism regarding the novel's progressiveness.<br /><br />Certainly granted this plausibility, we ought to be cautious not to fall into the trap of seeing positives where none exist, simply because of the work's status within American canon.<br /><br /><br />I <i>also </i>worry, however, that Arac perhaps unintentionally sets up a trap for himself here. In much of this first chapter while Arac is forwarding his own argument, it seems he occasionally gives way to the temptation to use this aforementioned worry as a way to unfairly entirely <b>dismiss or belittle </b>arguments praising Huck Finn, in essentially an ad hominem move. Example (excuse my inability to hold back from formalizing the argument.<br /><br />1. Some praise for HF may stem from HF being canon. <br />2. Argument X/Author Y praises HF<br />3. Argument X/Author Y only praises HF because HF is canon.<br /><br />The structure here is pretty clearly invalid. While #1 is a serious concern, it doesn't follow that because #1 and #2 are true, #3 is necessarily true. <br /><br />Meanwhile, Arac falls into using language like (further down on 32):<br /><br />"This inadequacy of vocabulary, which idolaters take as a truth about Huck's America, Poirier instead treated as a limiting artistic feature of the fictional world Twain has constructed"<br /><br />While it's again entirely plausible that <i>some </i>arguments (1) praise HF, (2) take Huck's inadequacy of vocabulary as the result of the society he's embedded in, and (3) think this because of their need to uphold HF as a piece of canon (his use of the word idolaters), it doesn't follow that <i>ALL </i>arguments that do (1) and (2) necessarily do so because of (3). He doesn't state (3) as the <i>cause </i>of their thinking this, but his use of his word "idolaters" here seems to point towards that conclusion, which worries me.<br /><br />Arac seems to, in many other places as well, give room for the possibility of accidentally (deliberately?) straw-manning his intellectual opponents by dismissing their arguments as being motivated by idolatry.<br /><br />I think it's important to recognize, that while his concern is compelling, even <i>if </i>an argument is motivated by idolatry, <b>this does not necessarily mean the argument itself is invalid. </b>To say so is to attack the person giving the argument, rather than the argument itself, quintessential ad hominem.<br /><br />His concern only goes so far as to alert us that we ought to look at the text for what it is, and work to avoid any biases we might have towards it. <b>The worry is not a sufficient counterargument in and of itself. </b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12033732596124213661noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-36730807640125411102014-02-03T06:20:00.000-08:002014-02-03T06:20:42.123-08:00There's a fine lineI feel there is a pretty fine line between efficiently close-reading a text and beating down a text into a giant pool of nothing. Close-readings are always valuable, especially to slower readers like myself, because when a group of individuals have any type of discussion, there are always going to be different perspectives on any given point. It's helpful to gain insight to these other perspectives because one person's take on a certain scenario in the novel can change a solid portion of your own understanding of the novel. For the most part, I walk away from close readings feeling more solidified with the novel than I did while reading it on my own. However, there comes a point, which I think Rayna could have been alluding to, when close readings become an overly open forum to discuss minor details at major length. In Huck Finn, it is perfectly reasonable to discuss the use of the word "nigger" and why the word appears exactly where it appears. But there are plenty of other word choices that were most likely meaningless to Twain when he was writing the novel. It seems that sometimes when we are told to close-read a section, we search for every minute detail in the passage to have some sort of significance. When that is the case, I think close readings become a blunder because we force circles to fit into squares. Personally, close reading Huck Finn has helped me move away from just viewing the text as a war on racism, and more as an uncivilized journey of an outcast child maturing into his own character without the walls of civilization holding him in. So I think close reading is very helpful until it gets to go overboard.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-3035201654330623162014-02-02T22:40:00.001-08:002014-02-02T22:43:29.880-08:002<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">While close reading is crucial in order to gain a comprehensive understanding
of any text, it is particularly essential in shaping one’s understanding of
Huck Finn. The fact that oppositional interpretations of Huck Finn are still
debated today reflects how the ambiguity of the text fuels the creation of a
vast array of analyses. While we will never be able to pinpoint one “right”
meaning , peeling back the layers of the story allows us to understand the text
from an enlightened vantage point. Instead of simply being a story of a boy on
a raft, the dialogue, internal reflections, descriptions, word choice,
punctuation, structure and characterizations provide more depth, making it not
simply the “adventures” of “Tom Sawyer’s companion,” but a profound piece of
American literature. When engaging in a text through close reading, the intensified
critical thinking allows the reader to see connections and symbolism that are
not apparent on the surface. As we have seen in class, one of the most potent
questions to explore when conducting a close reading of a passage is “why?” For
instance, when we read the scene where Huck attempts to trick Jim following
their separation in the fog, and Jim is hurt by his deception, we asked why the
chapter did not end where it felt like a natural break could have been
implemented. Why did Twain go on to write about Huck’s remorsefulness and
regret? Why was the word “his” italicized when Huck said he could almost kiss
Jim’s foot? While it was a small section of the story that might be
overshadowed by scenes with intensified action, dissecting the minute details
of it reveal a lot about the meaning of the text. To avoid an existential
crisis I will not attempt to answer whether the meaning of a text depends on
the authors intended meaning or shaped by what the reader personally takes from
the text in the 300 word limit, but I will conclude by saying that while there
might not ever be an ascertainable “right” meaning, that does not mean there
are never any “wrong” interpretations of a texts meaning. </span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08543411244805429585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-6273345593850363142014-02-02T20:16:00.002-08:002014-02-02T20:16:59.585-08:00Space for free thinking <div class="MsoNormal">
During class last week, one topic that became unavoidable
was in regards to Huck’s morality. No
one was really able to come up with a definitive status of his moral compass. My personal opinion on this dilemma goes back
to the way that Mark Twain writes. He
sets up his narrative in a style that creates dialogue and action without much
explanation to follow. He drops his
characters into a world that is in the midst of political and social
upheaval. In such a setting, it would be
easy to think that Twain’s own biases and opinions would seep into the
text. However, he is able to somehow suppress
his own voice, allowing Huck to chronicle moments in his life rather than
extrapolating on them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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By leaving some questions unanswered, Twain makes room for
his audience to fill in the gaps for themselves, in my opinion anyway. He is not intruding on their beliefs, but
setting up events to let the reader infer further for themselves. This is where close-reading becomes vital to
the process of getting through Huck Finn.
By reading in depth, the reader can take the time to make the
connections for that Twain does not offer upfront. Of course, this idea, that everyone’s
opposing opinions can somehow be equally meaningful, may rub some people the
wrong way. But the point is that Twain
has forged a space in the novel where people are able to think for themselves,
having a chance to grow and develop in thought as the characters do the
same. <o:p></o:p></div>
Courtney Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07709375439854228377noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-587410609882884198.post-79429811603357178182014-02-02T19:36:00.000-08:002014-02-02T19:39:46.610-08:00Some incoherent thoughts <div>
I think before I can attempt to answer the question of why we should read Huck Finn/what's the purpose of close reading a text I should share what initiated my passion for reading literature.</div>
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Ever since I was a child I've always had a huge imagination. My head was always in the clouds and I'd happily fantasize of day dreams over and over in my head. Though thoughts can be scattered as soon as they float in my ever racing mind and each re-visit to a fantasy would ultimately never be the same. I loved reading because I wanted to experience more than the reality I was simply growing in (as overdone cliche and stupid that sounds) because I was bored with it or knew my limitations. Every time I'd pick up a book (one that would interest me that is) I'd dive into the pages of the story and picture it all clearly in my head. I always cherished the ability to live vicariously through the lives of others, whether they be fictional or not. </div>
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In others, reading was not only a source to pass the time, it was a place I could go, an experience I could... well... experience without actually experiencing. (And here I praise the duality of body and mind. WOO!)</div>
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Going off that, sorta, the first time I opened Huck Finn weeks ago it was so difficult for me to make sense of the world depicted by this wildchild who could barely write a paragraph without me doing a double-take of his poor grammar.<i>Of course, I say poor grammar coming from a literate (at least I hope I am) 21st century 'Merican who's had the privileged of what we deem to be "proper" education of the use of the english language. </i>It took me a good getting used to the voice of Huckleberry because it was a voice from a character I was not familiar with and used words in different ways I was used to. I think what really allows Huck to embody is own character is the language he uses. I've always admired and respected writers who write in the dialect of their characters. As soon as I got comfortable and could hear the voice of Huck clearly in my head the world depicted in Twain's novel became all the moire real and authentic for me because of it's presentation through his unique voice and towards the end of the novel I was entrapped in it that I didn't take into account the larger picture that everyone else gets out of Twain's work. </div>
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There are multiple layers to reading and how we interpret Huck Finn. On one hand, we can concentrate on his character and his personal account on his adventures. On other we can look at all the issues that are embedded in the text whether they have been put there intentionally or not. It really is crazy when you think about the humor in this story and how it paradoxes the harsh severity of people. </div>
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It makes me uncomfortable when we discuss the writer's intention because it's something that we will never know (unless as Jarrett suggested, they write it all out) and also because as I writer myself, I believe that the process of writing/creating takes such a powerful form itself that it becomes a being of its own. Given that, things that are deep or interpersonal or whatever about the writer are revealed on the page without their intentions. </div>
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(I am having major difficulty expressing myself now so I'm really sorry if none of this makes sense to anyway)</div>
KidneySkidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02534278618774083798noreply@blogger.com0