Monday, October 4, 2010

This blog post sucks! (If I I were still in Ms. Led's class, that would have been a letter)

I have not had so much trouble getting myself to even start on a blog post until this one. Seriously, this was ridiculous. But that may be because I don't understand very well what is going on. But I swear, I'm working on it. Okay anyhow, down to business sorta.

In the argumentative articles regarding the views of Stephen Greenblatt and George Will, the issue at hand was the presence of politics in literature. One guy sees politics in literature, the other guy does not; they argued about it. It was lovely, long-worded, long-sentenced, and just beautiful...yeh, not. As in my last post, I will stand by my own idea that politics are not incorporated in literature unless it is intended that they be. However, it is all up to one's own upbringing to decide what he or she gets or does not get out of the piece being read.

When it comes to Shakespeare, though, well he always has something different to say. Every one of his plays is different from the next, and I find that beautiful, amazing even. I do not see politics in his pieces, no. But each piece has its very own meaning. I don't understand his style most of the time, but I do respect his diversity. And that is how I see all literature; every novel, poem, play, whatever has its own unique style to portray its theme, or moral.

The way I see it, literature is just literature (the "just" isn't being said out of nonchalance or ignorance; I just mean that people are putting all these extra and unneeded ingredients into it). It is a way for the writer to express himself or herself in whatever way he or she pleases; it doesn't matter how things are said. And as far as the readers go, well we should read with just the same freedom as the writers write. We do not have any set format in how we should interpret what we read. Nonetheless, we should have complete and utter freedom in doing so. That is literature.

2 comments:

  1. I'm glad you enjoyed this exercise. No letter needed.

    But I noticed how you said, "The way I see it, literature is just literature (the "just" isn't being said out of nonchalance or ignorance; I just mean that people are putting all these extra and unneeded ingredients into it). It is a way for the writer to express himself or herself in whatever way he or she pleases; it doesn't matter how things are said." What if I write a sincerely racist text? Is it just literature, and it doesn't matter what I say? Or do I deserve to be critiqued? What about the politics of interpretation? It sounds like you're arguing for freedom in that realm--but is that everywhere possible? If George Will was in charge, there would be a very specific message that everyone would need to "get." Sounds a little totalitarian, right?

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  2. haha i totally agree this was rediculous. Just be glad you got your socratic circle over with:) Now im stuck commenting on your blog! just kidding, seriously though i hate the circles because i feel like i have so much to say but i dont want to jump in the circle because i feel like what im thinking wont come out the right way when i say it:( so sad. Well anyways back on topic, i thought your opinion s were really good and i agree that it was difficult to start this blog because half the time i was confused on whos opinion was what, anyways enough of my rambling .good job:)

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