Prior to entering English 333: Contemporary Literature, I was at the second stage of reading development in which I recognize the relationships between different texts. The first example that comes to mind took place in English 340: Modern British Literature. Here, for the first time. I was introduced to Joseph Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness and Francis Ford Coppola’s film Apocalypse Now. For me, both the story and the film each hold their own as very complex, yet captivating narratives. However, when examining Apocalypse Now as a response to Heart of Darkness, I find that the film enhances the harrowing journey up river, yet preserves the story.
Another example comes from my Senior Seminar class, taught by Paula Friedman. One of the novels I read was Suite Française, written by Irene Nemirovsky. The story has two parts; the first part is set in the shadow of the Nazi invasion of Paris, the second is the story of a small French town that is occupied by Nazis. Surprisingly, the Nazis portrayed in part two are not the cold-blooded killers that the audience is used to. In fact, most of them are gentlemen, who embrace the town’s hospitality and respect the people. This is a stark contrast to many books and films that tell of the heinous crimes of the Third Reich, including the novel Night, by Elie Wiesel, and films such as Schindler’s List, and Spike Lee’s latest film, Miracle at St. Anna.
Before this semester, I also fell under the third stage of reading development, which explores the relationships between texts and the world around them. I tend to believe that my understanding of the third stage was in early phases prior to taking English 333. This summer alone I saw many films, some good, some bad, but I came away from all of them attempting to interpret what they were saying about the world at large. I think it’s fair to say that I have, for a long time, been conscious of how art interprets reality. In addition, I have also written various works that comment on human nature through the use specific texts. One such example came from my Irish Literature class, also taught by Paula Friedman.
I have always been fascinated by Irish culture, but within recent years I have, at the same time, become quite captivated and angered by the tyranny against the Irish people, especially the turmoil of the early 20th century. Not only did the writers of the time (Joyce, Yeats, O’Casey) respond to England’s stronghold on Ireland, but they also critiqued the repressive nature of traditional Irish values. While I found all of this very engaging, it was actually the Irish political and revolutionist arena that I found intriguing. The Irish Civil War is arguably one of the darkest periods, if not the darkest, in Irish history. The film Michael Collins (1996) succeeded in enlightening me about the conflicts of this period, but it is really no more than a narrative interpretation of that time. The film The Boxer (1997) on the other hand, submerges itself among the lives of struggling Irish families, who find themselves face to face with the same loyalties and betrayals that defined the Irish Civil War.
Having been in English 333 for nearly half a semester now, I feel that I am still in the same place regarding stages. The majority of my weekly blog entries are limited to discussions of the texts themselves, including the Moulin Rouge, City of Glass, and Pulp Fiction posts. More recent posts, such as the two regarding Jonathan Lethem’s novel, You Don’t Love Me Yet, suggest that I am still in the early phases of stage three, at least electronically! In other words, I am more aware of how a text relates to the world and its issues since I’ve started blogging. In order to demonstrate my third-stage-consciousness, if you will, here are two excerpts from my Lethem posts:
“Jonathan Lethem's Promiscuous Materials Project is a very postmodern approach to literature. By allowing and encouraging his readers to adapt his novel, You Don't Love Me Yet for film, Lethem reacts against the notion of safeguarding published material.”
“Can material that is just floating around in everyday language be protected? I believe Lethem is suggesting that this could occur in the future. It's a bleak outlook that is worth thinking about. New ideas, ventures, etc., are quickly gobbled up and patented, or at least credited these days, so who’s to say that language cannot?”
I think it’s important to at least have a basic understanding of the three stages of reading development. Applying my ideas and thoughts to each of these stages has opened up even more room for critique and analysis, and I find that it’s oftentimes very fun and I feel smart! One way in which I could expand my horizons would be to get a better handle on literary theory. Admittedly, I struggled with theory when I took Dr. Paul Gleason’s Literary Criticism class. The reading material was quite daunting, and often I just could not get my head around what the theorists were presenting, nor did I want to at times. Thankfully, Paul’s lectures and activities were helpful, and I came to really enjoy the class. Toady, I still struggle with some facets of theory, but I’m still curious. I wonder, is there such thing as theory for dummies? That would help me a lot.
Finally, I think it’s important not to get stuck in one of these stages. Sometimes I just want to enjoy a book, or a movie, or a song without having to put any real thought into it. Sometimes I just want to be entertained and be a tool! But I also want to know that a work of art can stick in my head for days, even years, dying to be discussed and shared with others. A good way I participate in all three stages is to always find something to learn, which also includes learning from yourself.
No comments:
Post a Comment