"You couldn't have said something like that at Oxford. You couldn't simply say: I don't like Hamlet because I think he's a lousy person. Everything had to be more clever than that; you had to recognize Hamlet as a character in a text, and then you had to dismantle it accordingly, layer by layer, not just the play itself but everything that had ever been written about it. You had to consider what all the other critics had said, and the accumulated weight of their knowledge and nonsense sat heavily on the play. You had to think about how the play tied in with current events and trends. This process had some value, of course, but for many readers it seemed to have reached the point where there wasn't even a split-second break before the sophistication started. As a student, that was all I had wanted- a brief moment when a simple and true thought flashed across the mind: I don't like this character. This is a good story. The woman in this poem is beautiful and I bet her fingers are slim like scallions." -Pete Hessler, River Town
Pete Hessler spent two years in Fuling, China as an English teacher at a small college, and afterwards wrote River Town providing a written account of his life while there. During his stay, Hessler discovered countless times how extremely important language is in China. Pete writes, "So much depended on knowing the language- my friendships, my ability to function in the city, my understanding of the place." Two tutors arranged to meet with Hessler seven hours a week in order to improve his written and spoken Mandarin. Hessler studied rigorously out of stubbornness, because many of his students and colleagues thought his interest in the language a joke. The process of learning Mandarin was a very enlightening experience for Hessler. Everything was "budui"- everything was wrong. It didn't matter if only one character was slightly mispronounced, in the Chinese way it was all or nothing. This caused Hessler to begin to appreciate what he did correctly, even if it was merely reading a short paragraph a young schoolchild could handle.
Although in Hessler's classroom the roles of teacher and student were reversed, the same concepts still applied. Hessler's students declared their thoughts outright and plainly. Because the students were learning the language, there was no need to go into great detail over the meaning behind what was being read. The students were able to come up with their own observations about the characters and plotlines, imagining them as real people in real situations.
Sometimes I think that we need to go back to the basics. Sometimes I think that we let things become too complicated. We focus more on the author's intentions rather than our own interpretations of the story. Often this mindset causes us to develop a hate for literature, rather than an enjoyment. Even with River Town itself, the first time it was introduced to the class there were moans and sighs of disappointment instead of smiles and excited gasps. We dread the point when we are going to have to dissect the book, and look deeper into the story for connections to our everyday lives and hidden intentions behind the author's word choice or sentence structure. On the other hand, I do understand the importance of developing a deep understanding of the book in all its entirety. Sometimes we learn more from our conclusions than from the story itself. I guess, both aspects might be of equal value. It's possible that the two might go hand-in-hand, that fully comprehending the book's plot leads to attempts at comprehending the book's meaning. Let me know what you think.
Although in Hessler's classroom the roles of teacher and student were reversed, the same concepts still applied. Hessler's students declared their thoughts outright and plainly. Because the students were learning the language, there was no need to go into great detail over the meaning behind what was being read. The students were able to come up with their own observations about the characters and plotlines, imagining them as real people in real situations.
Sometimes I think that we need to go back to the basics. Sometimes I think that we let things become too complicated. We focus more on the author's intentions rather than our own interpretations of the story. Often this mindset causes us to develop a hate for literature, rather than an enjoyment. Even with River Town itself, the first time it was introduced to the class there were moans and sighs of disappointment instead of smiles and excited gasps. We dread the point when we are going to have to dissect the book, and look deeper into the story for connections to our everyday lives and hidden intentions behind the author's word choice or sentence structure. On the other hand, I do understand the importance of developing a deep understanding of the book in all its entirety. Sometimes we learn more from our conclusions than from the story itself. I guess, both aspects might be of equal value. It's possible that the two might go hand-in-hand, that fully comprehending the book's plot leads to attempts at comprehending the book's meaning. Let me know what you think.
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ReplyDeleteWhat I find enjoyable about reading is being able to discover what I personally am getting out of the passage and how it relates to my life. You are right though that sometimes we get so caught up in our own opinions and reactions to a book that we forget about analyzing the plot and the author’s intentions for writing it. But I think it’s safe to say that people just prefer reading that way. Reading and relating it to yourself helps you gain a greater understanding of how people are connected and how people can have similar thoughts, opinions, life experiences, struggles, hopes, and fears. When we feel connected to a person, character, etc. we tend to feel more human: meaning we feel like we are not the only one who has felt a certain way or who has encountered a specific conflict. I sit among the others who gripe at the idea of reading as an assignment mainly because reading then becomes more of an obligation than a source of entertainment.
ReplyDeleteI agree that when we worry too much about how to deconstruct literature and make it meaningful, we often lose it's actual purpose. Literature is meant to be enjoyed, not analyzed to exhaustion. I feel like there is never just one meaning behind a poem or story. It is meant to have different interpretations for everyone that reads it.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteWhen I am finished with reading a book I try to find images that I have made or specific quotes to relate to my life. Sometimes I try to hard to find connections and ultimately I make things complicated for myself. I suffer from over thinking things no matter how small it is and reading is not an exception. I forget that you can find meaning by looking at the book simply. Your blog has reminded me about this.