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The nature ,purpose and function of literary Criticism
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Why Read by Mark Edmunson
I really kind of got sucked into "Why Read" by Mark Edmunson by surprise, literary criticism is not my fortes, and I've never really fully understood the critical approach properly enough to get a good cohesive paper written. I also was drawn in by the author's suggestion that literature can be a new religion, a religion of sorts I could really believe in. I was also intrigued by his comments on modern pop culture. And then, on a plus side, it is a short book.
I personally like how the book is open and an easier read than other books I have picked up on literary criticism. He talk about the humanities field is a more normal sense, like when you have a teacher that talks to you as a person and not just a student. Gives you that boost of confidence that makes you feel that the teacher sees you as an equal.
I enjoyed that the book challenged some of the biggest problems in our legal system, or even society as a whole. There is still a lot of racism going on, and this book was not afraid to exploit that. I enjoy those kinds of readings. They are the things that will eventually spark a change and shed some light on the problems that are happening right now.
After reading the opening chapters, I was surprised by the laid back, casual attitude Foster displayed. He did not go about explaining certain aspects of previously written novels in a way that was hard to understand. Foster explained things in great deal, but in good taste. He did not go on with boring information; he simply got his point across in a way that made me want to know more. Not only was his way of thinking and expressing his thoughts interesting, but the subjects he tapped into were interesting also. Foster connected things that surround our average day lives to literature, and the effect it brings to the literature. For example, Foster discusses vampires in on of the first few chapters. The majority of people have seen numerous movies about vampires, making it easy to connect with what he was talking about. His overall tone and strategy of writing was relatable and the least bit overwhelming, which quickly grabbed my attention and made me interested in things I would not normally be interested in.
I loved its tone. Dell seems not to be showing off how smart he is, but is just a man concerned that he hasn't seen these ideas explained clearly, and thinks that a basic understanding of the subject makes life a little more comprehensible. The tone is that of a heart-to-heart talk between friends; he has some concerns he'd like to get off his chest, and thinks perhaps you'll profit from hearing them. I think the down-to-earth yet colorful style of the book attracted me even more than the subject matter. In so many ways I was taught in school that pretension was part of what made writing good; this was a beacon saying that there was integrity in stating things plainly and honestly as you saw them, and admitting that you don't know everything. A hard lesson to learn, and all the harder when your whole youth is about maintaining a false front for your own survival. (I grew up gay in Orange County, California, which at the time was a very homophobic place. Maybe it still is; I don't go back much.) I still reread this book every couple of years, and I wish I had more of its style. But then I'm not Floyd Dell and shouldn't try to be. And I admit after 20 years or so the book seems slighter than it once did.
Bressler, Charles E. Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice. 5th ed. New York: Longman, 2011. Print.
One reading that spoke to me in many different levels was Jane Gallop’s: The ethics of reading: Close Encounters. This reading was my favorite when it came to reading complex and sophisticated text during my time in the writing arts program. Prior to reading this article I would always jump to conclusions about a piece of text without fulling understanding all its main ideas and hidden messages. I would simply just highlight the main ideas that stand out to me pushing forward to the next idea without fulling
The topic that I chose for my research paper was Pot-Modernism. I absolutely love this type of writing. It is filled with Science Fiction and Syfy-ish writings. This makes for a very interesting read and it will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. This was the only section that we read all year that I read the story all the way through and not just skim through just so I had a basic idea. I read the story from our post modernism book and not only that I also went and found the whole book and have begun reading it. This section was by far the best read that we had. Don’t get me wrong some of the other sections were really good but Post-Modernism was the most intriguing to me.
The book makes me understand the importance of reading and know how weak I’m in reading comprehension. Not only is my reading speed slow, but also my thoughts after reading are immature. I haven’t fix some time to read English books before so my background knowledge and vocabulary are far from abundant.
Over the years, as time passes by I have become to better understand myself and learn what captures and disappoints my attention. As a young boy I would think no books pertaining to school or gaining beneficial knowledge would ever interest me. As I read and learned about different cultures and heard mesmerizing stories of Prophets I became eager to read more along with interesting worldly based novels. Miraculous real life events and interesting action based novels are the only stories that grab my attention. This has been the case for me for some time and I continue to learn and explore to see what else I can find that interests me.
Bressler, Charles E. Literary Criticism. (3rd ed.) Upper Saddle River New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. 2003
Literary Criticism. Ed. Roger Matuz and Cathy Falk. Vol. 62. Detroit: Gale Research, 1991. Literature Resource Center. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.
The book I read was titled Prey. It was written by Michael Crichton, who has written many other knowledgeable books. This book is all based around the idea of human curiosity and carelessness. The book has an insert where Michael talks about how these concerns addressed in the book are concerns in real life. The book talks about how nanoparticles accidently let into the air caused some unexpected and deadly consequences. The topic of the book affects me because it gave me some insight on what it was like to deal with situations like that. Also, I hope it allows everyone who reads it to see that we need to be more careful and think of long term results instead of just short term fixes.
The two classic books that I read were very inspiring and interesting. They are both widely known books that have impacted people’s lives and views on various subjects greatly. These two books that are known worldwide are Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. Uncle Tom’s Cabin revolves mainly around the aspect of slavery and how slaves were treated unfairly. We learn about how slavery was once lawful in our country, the United States of America, and how our government punished people who helped fugitive slaves escape.
Bressler, Charles E. Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice. 5th ed. New York: Longman, 2011. Print.
Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Jay Parini. Vol. 14. Detroit: Gale Research, 1987. Literature Resource Center. Web. 24 Jan. 2012.
As I mentioned earlier all my experience with books and reading were not bad. I was in middle school when I read two books that I really captivated my attention. One was a biography of Harriet Tubman and the story of the Underground Railroad. I admired Harriet Tubman for her selfness and dedication to freeing slaves.