Final Paper

The Benefits of Villainy?

“In any story, the villain is the catalyst. The hero’s not a person who will bend the rules or show the cracks in his armor. He’s one-dimensional intentionally, but the villain is the person who owns up to what he is and stands by it. He’ll do the things that are sometimes morally questionable, but he does it because it’s his nature to do it…” – Marilyn Manson

Perspective vs. Fact

In writing there is fiction and there is non-fiction. Fiction is the imaginary world while non-fiction is the real, the actual, the factual world. In fiction there are no rules by which writers must abide while fiction assumes one will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. The line between fiction and non-fiction has traditionally been a non-negotiable division that separates, without compromise under any circumstances, reality from fantasy. Thus, the simple question emerges: why? Why must writers find themselves beholden to restrictions on their art? In music artists borrow lyrics and sample particular melodies or baselines. While in film or in television productions directors and producers borrow video clips or soundbites only to combine them into a cohesive facsimile of reality. However in writing there is the looming limitation that prevents this type of experimentation, and the answer: the lyric essay.

Well perhaps it is the answer, but in order to fully explore the problem, it is first necessary that it be identified. As such, the notion of perspective versus fact is made relevant. “Perspective” will be used as referring to the author’s willingness or ability to sidestep traditional rules facing non-fiction or to their ability to manipulate facts. “Fact” will be used therefore in the opposite sense, which is how the writer must depend on using factual evidence responsibly and accurately. Thus, at what point does authorial intent take a backseat to factual accuracy or the author’s reliability or the credibility of their perspective; does it ever take a backseat?

Perspective    

The Lifespan of a Fact: “Jim: Ok so now I understand. The rules are: There are no rules, just as long as you make it pretty” (D’Agata, 53). In 2003 the monthly magazine Harper’s commissioned John D’Agata, a professor at the University of Iowa, to write for the magazine an essay that would cover the suicide of a boy named Levi Presley. The essay was rejected by Harper’s for its questionable interpretation of facts and tendency to manipulate them, which resulted in the article then being submitted to Believer Magazine where it was reviewed by fact checker Jim Fingal and similarly rejected. Finally, in 2012 the essay was eventually released in the form of a novel, which included both D’Agata’s controversial essay along with Fingal’s extensive fact checking. D’Agata is considered a lyric essayist, which is to say: a writer who combines poetic, essayistic and research based techniques in order to form what has become a recognized subgenre of traditional essay writing. However, though the lyric essay is a form that is recognized its place within the writing community remains uncertain.

Fact

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an American Slave : “It is partly in consequence of such facts, that slaves, when inquired of as to their condition and the character of their masters, almost universally say they are contented, and that their masters are kind” (Douglass, 19). During the 18^th and the 19^th century the United States of America engaged in the practice of enslaving other human beings because their skin was darker. Wealthy white men had the power and they made the rules by which all others followed. Published in 1845, Frederick Douglass, a former slave, abolitionist, and writer, released an autobiography titled, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an American Slave, Written By Himself. This narrative reported on the atrocities taking place in the southern part of the nation and was presented to white New Englanders as a plea for recognition and a demand for definite action. For Douglass facts are his ally in a fight against racism and mistreatment, where an accurate retelling of a slave masters abuse may prove to be the difference between swaying public opinion or preserving the status quo.

Perspective

Reality Hunger: “Art is theft.” (qtd. In Shields) Consisting of twenty-six chapters, listed “a” through “z,” David Shields’ Reality Hunger is a collection of quotes. However, if not for the appendix at the back, knowing the novel consisted entirely of quotes might be difficult to discern. With no acknowledgment, or references provided, the novel simply reads like a curious collection of miniature stories all related or unrelated by some unknown connection. The only narrative provided is that of the reader’s own creation and the tantalizing headers given to each chapter, such as: “books for people who find television too slow,” “autobio,” or “let me tell you what your book is about.” Which, in an interview with Steven Colbert, Shields simply stated that Reality Hunger is, “a call to writers to ignore the laws regarding appropriation, obliterate the distinctions between fiction and non-fiction, and to create new forms for the twenty-first century.”

Fact

Girl, Interrupted: “Insanity comes in two basic varieties: slow and fast…the predominant quality of the slow form is viscosity. Experience is thick. Perceptions are thickened and dulled…in contrast…velocity endows every platelet and muscle fiber with a mind of its own, a means of knowing and commenting on its own behavior. There is too much perception….” (Kaysen, 75) As a retrospective on time spent within the confines of a mental health institute Susanna Kaysen’s Girl, Interrupted is a look into time lost. The novel recounts Kaysen’s time spent at the McLean mental institute where she was placed under the pretense of falling prey to split personality disorder. While Kaysen references sexist statistics, recounts instances of horrendous treatment, and divulges personal medical documents, it is ultimately up to the reader to trust Kaysen or trust the doctors. Kaysen’s story is a retelling of events and through the use of facts the reader is left to interpret the story to the best of their ability. Whether she is insane or merely a victim is question that lingers.

Choosing Sides

The four writers referenced above have all participated in the experiment that is perspective versus fact. D’Agata and Sheilds have been placed under the perspective category while Douglass and Kaysen inhabit the fact category. What then is worth more, authorial intent and the writer’s perspective, or the pursuit of truth and the power of fact.

Choosing Perspective

Dadaism was an art movement that took place during the early 20^th century. Today it is simply referred to as Dada and it emerged out of Switzerland around the year 1915 or so, and the movement was led in large part by a man named Marcel Duchamp. In 1917 Duchamp submitted for display, at The Grand Central Palace in New York, what he referred to as a “readymade.” Duchamp’s readymade was a urinal which was turned upside down, written on with a black marker, with the words: “R. Mutt 1917,” and named Fountain. (1) The submission appalled Duchamp’s colleges of the Society of Independent Artists, and after Fountain was refused submission to the First Annual Exhibition, Duchamp promptly resigned as director of the society. While Duchamp may not be a household name in 2015, in many ways his legacy of pushing the boundaries and traditional definition of art is very much alive, and now we generally think of items such as Fountain under the broader category of “modern art.”

Duchamp’s upside-down urinal, D’Agata’s fact bending, as well as Shield’s literary sampling are very similar because they are examples of artists, of different disciplines, expanding the boarders that traditionally defined those disciplines. New ideas or new approaches will always upset the existing order, as the internet has done to traditional cable television networks, but to great benefit of the average person. In other words, there is a benefit to relaxing the strict definitions that we use to define what art is or what high art is, or what the difference is between Levi Presley’s suicidal jump from the Stratosphere Hotel taking seven seconds versus eight. If we look at D’Agata and Shields as purveyors of a new type of writing, which has been labeled the lyric essay, the  it could be said that The Lifespan of a Fact and Reality Hunger are very much like Fountain. Just as Duchamp was decried for daring to defile the “purity” of high art with his so-called pseudo artistry so too are D’Agata and Shields testing a new form of art.

Choosing Fact

In Michael Moore’s documentary Bowling for Columbine, released in 2002, the actions leading to and following the infamous 9/11 world trade towers terrorist attacks are analyzed. The documentary is narrated throughout by Moore and follows the director’s travels throughout the United States as he both confronts the politics directly related to the attacks as well as investigating underlying aspects of American culture such as gun rights. Ultimately the film implicates such figures as then president George W. Bush and the actions of his administration in being culpable in the attack. Likewise, through interviews with various individuals Moore is able to fill out his narrative in a manner that relies on his own interpretation of the events, as narrator, as well as input from government representatives, corporation representatives, celebrities and everyday American citizens. Narration, video clips, soundbites, official and unofficial documents, and testimony all culminate in a report on the events of September 9/11 and its present and long-term effects.

Because Moore is able to demonstrate so clearly the blunders of the United States government in the wake of 9/11 his documentary benefits immensely. Likewise, by exposing his own scars, as a result of being whipped, Douglass is able to substantiate his gruesome claims of slavery in the southern United States. For Kaysen it is the uncensored medical documents that she provides throughout Girl, Interrupted that provide an added layer of factual evidence to her narrative. Furthermore, each individual provides their own form of testimony as they describe the events of their captivity and the mistreatment faced by each. Without factual evidence both Douglass and Kaysen’s writing loses a great deal of persuasiveness. The rhetorical value of substantiating a claim with fact based evidence is paramount in convincing individuals of the seriousness of an event. In the same way that Douglass or Kaysen’s mistreatment is more fully appreciated upon seeing the evidence, the events of 9/11 become more grounded in reality when one reviews footage of the towers crumbling.

Choosing Neither

For both Douglass and Kaysen there is lost time that can never be regained. For both individuals there is the pain both mentally and physically from being ostracized from the rest of society. For both individuals there is the negative effect of captivity on their education. For both individuals there is the effect of captivity on the social, and emotional aspects of their lives. As such, the power of both Douglass and Kaysen’s writing is that it is able to broaden the definition of what slavery is by exposing the individual factors that break down a person who is forcibly separated from the normal, social, emotional, and free experience of society.  Both writers succeed therefore in altering the readers perspective and forcing them to focus not on the writer and the writer’s experience, but on the events themselves and their implications. In effect, relying on fact, while beneficial as rhetorical tool, is ultimately not what convinces the reader that they should care.

Likewise, for D’Agata and Shields there remains a similar conundrum which is that manipulation can work against the writer. In the same way that Douglass and Kaysen can be seen to utilize factual information as a rhetorical tool to advance their position, in manipulating facts, as D’Agata does, or by lying to the reader, as Shields does, the opposite effect can occur which is the mistrust of the reader.

Villainy?

           

            As stated by Marilyn Manson, it so often seem that it is up to the villains to push boundaries and break rules. While rules are so often put in place for the purpose of protection, they seem out of place within the realm of writing. While it may be evident that writers such as D’Agata and Shields have successfully managed to expand the boundaries of nonfiction writing there will always remain the necessary requirement that in order to manipulate facts one first needs facts to manipulate. Similarly, for Douglass and Kaysen, while a power rhetorical tool, facts can only provide the reader with a basic understanding of the narrative.

Ultimately, perspective and fact must be considered two weights placed either side a weigh scale. While it may be that we depend upon villains to break rules, and heroes to uphold sacred values, it is in the everyday average individual that we find an equilibrium between the two.

 

Works Cited

D’Agata, John, and Jim Fingal. The Lifespan of A Fact. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 15-123. Print.

Douglass, Frederick. “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an American Slave, Written By Himself.” ibiblio. N.p., 1845. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ibiblio.org/ebooks/Douglass/Narrative/Douglass_Narrative.pdf&gt;.

Kaysen, Susanna. Girl, Interrupted. New York: Vintage Books, 1999. 4-169. Print.

Shields, David. Reality Hunger. second ed. Toronto: Random House Inc., 2010. Print.

Final Paper Proposal

Focus: I intend to write an essay that will expand on the writing I have done for a previous class project. For the second writing project we were tasked with looking more closely at the writing of Annie Dillard, Frederick Douglass, Claudia Rankine, and Susanna Kaysen. For that project and continuing into this, the final paper, I wrote a paper focused on the notion of separating notions such as factual accuracy or the author’s credibility from the author’s intent. Expanding upon it will be easy to incorporate John D’Agata and even David Shields. As such, the final paper will be critical in nature, probably lacking any personal writing, though I haven’t made any final decision on that quite yet.

Mentor: Because this paper is so focused on the notion of the intention and ideas of the writer taking precedent over fact or reliability I would be inclined to choose David Shields as a mentor. This is due to the fact that Shields,’ in Reality Hunger, composes his book entirely out of uncredited and unsourced chunks of borrowed text. For this reason there is perhaps no author better to draw inspiration from when tackling this type of topic. However, while Reality Hunger may be a fine example of an author placing authorial intent at the forefront of their “writing,” the book is also a collection of borrowed things, therefore a second mentor is required when considering such facets of writing as style. Throughout the course we have read a variety of authors with my personal favorite being Annie Dillard. From a style perspective her writing is unique amongst that of the other writers. In particular Dillard is extraordinarily adept when it comes to surprising the reader with an unexpected point-of-view or a shift in the story that sends the narrative in an entirely different direction. If writing can be seen as constantly moving and flowing then Dillard’s writing is a perfect example.

Keywords: Given that this topic will be so focused on exploring the relationship between credibility and reliability versus authorial intent the use of counter-example seems a perfect fit. Similarly, exposition is another keyword that will be important to consider for this topic. Both counter-example and exposition will key because if exposition serves as the information the essay is focused on then counter-example will be key in working towards exploiting and scrutinizing that same information. A third keyword that will be integral in this essay will be irony. Irony is useful as a tool that works against counter-example, which in turn is meant to be working against exposition. The inclusion of irony is not meant to confuse the essay, because instead, it complicates matters but in a positive way. If the purpose of the essay is to determine how credibility and reliability factor into writing when opposed with authorial intent then it is key that all sides of the argument be fully exposed and through the use of examining the writer’s exposition, then scrutinizing it with counter-example and further exposing flaws through irony, it will be possible to come to some conclusion.

Further Reading/Research: Because this is an expansion of my second class project I have already engaged in some degree of further reading from Frederick Douglass. In addition to this I will also be looking into additional writing by John D’Agata and Annie Dillard.

Sample Paragraph: The following is an excerpt from my second writing project that will serve as a guide for my final paper”

“In both of these instances, though, what is key is how these possible weaknesses ultimately detract from the messages both authors are attempting to convey. This is because it is also possible to begin to breakdown the experiences of Douglass and Kaysen individually in an attempt to determine which is more important than the other or which individual suffered more than the other. However, for both individuals there is lost time that can never be regained. For both individuals there is the pain both mentally and physically from being ostracized from the rest of society. For both there is the negative effect of captivity on their education. For both individuals there is the effect of captivity on the social, and emotional aspects of their lives. As such, the power of both Douglass and Kaysen’s writing is that it is able to broaden the definition of what slavery is by exposing the individual factors that break down a person who is forcibly separated from the normal, social, emotional, and free experience of society.  Both writers succeed therefore in altering the readers perspective and forcing them to focus not on the writer and the writer’s experience, but on the events themselves and their implications.”

Questions: In particular this paper is looking quite broadly at a selection of writers from the course that may include Dillard, Douglass, Kaysen, D’Agata, Shields and perhaps more. As such, my primary concern will be finding a way to keep all of the authors organized within the paper. Each author, excluding Dillard and Shields, represents a different perspective on the same question and thus organizing each one will be key to presenting the argument and subsequent conclusions effectively.

The Digital Essay: Writing Project #3

Much of the in class discussion regarding this week’s assigned essays was often focused on how the multimedia essay engages the reader or viewer in ways that a traditional text-only essay cannot. As such, the task of taking an idea and translating it into a multimedia essay, as was the assignment due today, forced me to think about creating an essay in a way I was not comfortable with. Having spent the entirety of my academic career writing, editing, and revising traditional word based essays, the process of transferring that system to the multimedia essay was not entirely straightforward. I choose to create photographic/digital essay through the use of Prezi. In its finished form it lacks the refinement a text based essay would due to my relative inexperience with trying to create a multimedia essay, however, it does provide the viewer a different experience than compared to a normal text-based essay.

Choosing a topic for the multimedia essay was perhaps the biggest challenge because instead of just telling or reporting, as you do in a text-based essay, a multimedia essay is visually based and this introduces a completely new dimension to the process. Ultimately, I choose to create a visual essay regarding an upcoming internship I have in Tajikistan. The trip has been on my mind, and in particular, the ways in which my family and friends have been reacting to the news has been very interesting to me. More than anything, it is the diversity of responses that I have received that has been of particular interest when considering that fact that all of these people are equally informed. That is to say, their knowledge of Tajikistan, like mine, was entirely influenced by the minor snippets of news that had leaked out regarding the country or just by the base knowledge they had about the region of East-Asia.

Prior to making my own decision as to whether or not I would take the internship I had to do my own research and expand my knowledge on the area. However, when I continued to get messages from family or friends who were happy or angry with my decision, I then decided it might make for an interesting juxtaposition in the form of a digital essay. For this, I focused on two particular text message conversations I had with some of my family members. Both of these individuals were, in my estimation, equally knowledgeable about Tajikistan, and most importantly their opinions derived from the same information, while their responses were completely different. With this in mind I constructed the digital essay as a reflection of that fact with the same information being displayed twice with two different responses accompanying it. Furthermore, because my family members had similar knowledge of Tajikistan, I choose to represent through the CNN and BBC news headlines and other information that can be easily found on the internet.

While an interesting experiment, I do not think that this particular digital essay is accompanied with the level of refinement that I could have otherwise achieved in a traditional essay. The greatest obstacle to this was the fact that translating an idea into a text-based essay is much easier than doing so in a digital essay. This is because the only factor involved with the former is the ability of the writer to properly articulate their points, while with the former, it is necessary that the appropriate text, images, or video already exist or can be created. As such, the digital essay I created does suffer and feels somewhat unfinished. While I may have had a clearer idea of what I wanted to create in my mind, which included the David Shields like process of borrowing news clippings and images, when all of that material wasn’t readily available or available in the way that I needed, I had a difficult time adapting.

The link to the Prezi is here: http://prezi.com/vq4wcnvqukve/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

The Multimedia Essay

This week multimedia essays were the focus of our attention. As a potential evolution of the written essay it can be very useful to consider how an essay can be translated into audio or video, or both. In a written essay the writer is less empowered to convey their ideas simply because the number of tools they have are limited to just one: the written word. In contrast, an audio essay uses written word and sound. While a video essay utilizes writing, sound, and visual tools all in concert with one another. Three of the essays from this week that were particularly interesting were David Sedaris’s Radiolab audio essay, an excerpt from Santaland Diaries, a video essay from Claudia Rankine, titled Zidane, and a segment of the Daily Show in which Jon Stewart discusses gun control.

When comparing an audio essay to a visual essay it might be easy to assume that the visual essay will always trump the audio essay, however, the benefit of an audio essay is that it must only be listened to, and because it is only audio it can do things that visual essays cannot. For a commuter an audio essay is perfect, it lets an individual driving focus on that while also benefiting from the story or information within the essay. In this way the audio essay can be more accessible. But more importantly, the audio essay is often more refined than a visual essay. This is due to the fact that an audio essay only uses audio, which involves the narrator’s voice, but also music, ambient noises, sounds effects and so on. In the Radiolab audio essay music is used to enhance the narration from Sedaris, who’s very voice can also be seen as a narration tool as it is so distinct from the voice of the show’s host.

In contrast to the audio-only essay from Sedaris, Rankine brings video into her essay, and a new set of factors emerge. Just like in the audio essay Rankine can use her voice in specific ways to impact the tone or mood of the essay. Similarly, the visual component of the essay works towards the same goal and gives the viewer something to connect the narration with. In this way, the visual aspect of the essay can be seen as a benefit over the audio-only essay because it offers a more tailored essay from the creator. However, it also brings up the question of editing and choice of visual. Does the editing enhance or detract from the essay? Does the choice of visuals enhance or detract from the essay?

From these to questions it is easy to lead into the Daily Show where news clips, interviews and extensive editing are the most obvious tool utilized in the production of the show. However, unlike the Rankine essay, Stewart brings another tool into his essay, which is himself. As a sort of final evolution of the essay, Stewart’s show includes writing, audio, visuals, and actual face-to-face interaction with the creator themselves. As such, the Daily Show can be seen as the riskiest form of multimedia essay with so many parts needing to work in conjunction in order to convey the intentions of Stewart and his writing team. That being said, the Daily Show also has the potential to be the most rhetorically convincing multimedia essay because it is using a variety of tools to persuade the viewer. Stewart’s acting and on screen antics make his points memorable, clips of politicians validate his point, audio is used selectively to enhance his points, and even the presence of a live crowd grants Stewart a degree of legitimacy.

The ultimate benefit of the multimedia essay is that it is diverse and malleable. The multimedia essay offers creators a much greater degree of control over their essay than a writer of a traditional essay ever has. But, the trade off, is simply that creators of multimedia essays are forced to plan much more carefully than a traditional essayist. When constructing a multimedia essay, or even when considering doing so, the creator needs to determine which form of essay is most appropriate to their topic of interest. Creators must then compile the necessary material and then record, edit, and present the essay in most effective way possible. With all of the essays assigned this week, each and every one had elements that benefited the narrator or presenter’s intention, just as much as some elements detracted from their intentions. As such, the multimedia essay is an interesting evolution of the essay because it affords more direct control to the creator while also burdening them with more work, and forcing them to ask what form of essay is most beneficial to their needs.

Kaysen and Moore

Susanna Kaysen’s Girl, Interrupted, and a reading selection from Dinty Moore’s Crafting the Personal Essay were the two assigned readings for this week. Both readings can easily be summarized as being focused on in some way on the topic of conflict. Moore’s writing serves as an overview and guide to utilizing and understanding conflict while Kaysen draws from her personal experiences and explores concepts such as conflict, contradiction, and counter-argument.

Perhaps the greatest strength of the book is the way in which Girl, Interrupted is able to grab the attention of the reader very quickly. From the title its self, in which the comma is literally a disruption, to the short chapters, reading the book is easy and full of curiosity. Furthermore, the sporadic inclusion of the author’s actual medical health documents throughout the novel serve as a tool to hook the reader’s attention. As a rhetorical tool these medical documents add weight to Kaysen’s claims and remove from the reader’s mind any notion of fiction within the novel. Additionally, the medical documents provide the benefit of elevating the novel beyond simply being a memoire and recounting of the author’s past experiences. Similar to the reading from last week, Fredrick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas an American Slave, Writen by Himself, the medical documents serve as a report and confirmation of the information provided by Kaysen. The notion of comparing Girl, Interrupted as a sort of modern day slave narrative is thus not entirely out of the question.

However, what made Douglass’s writing so interesting to the modern day reader was its inherent contradictions. The narrative was introduced as being a report and nothing but a report, while closer analysis of Douglass’s narrative clearly reveals that he had two audiences in mind when writing. While he did report on the suffering of slaves he also had a message for the slaves themselves. In similar fashion it is not unreasonable to compare Kaysen’s questionable holding at the Maclean mental institute where she was subject to immoral treatment to the behavior of southern slave owners. Her movement and freedom was greatly restricted and she was subject to treatment she may well have never needed.

In the chapter velocity vs. viscosity, Kaysen attempts to summarize in some way the experience of what she calls insanity. What is curious is how applicable her definition of insanity is, not only to her situation, but to the broader politics that underlie the novel and once more draw connections with the Douglass narrative. Kaysen writes, “Insanity comes in two basic varieties: slow and fast…the predominant quality of the slow form is viscosity. Experience is thick. Perceptions are thickened and dulled…in contrast…velocity endows every platelet and muscle fiber with a mind of its own, a means of knowing and commenting on its own behavior. There is too much perception….” This description is fitting in describing the circumstances of Kaysen whose life inside the mental institution is analogous to the quickness of insanity and the outside world slow.

Girl, Interrupted succeeds in the same way the Douglass does in his narrative. A mere report of an experience is adequate but in addressing multiple audiences Kaysen elevates the importance of reading her novel. While a short book in total, the quick chapters, and interspersed medical documentation within the novel prove to be just the right combination. Kaysen is able to address her dissatisfaction with her time at Maclean while also offering a critical view on mental health and the potential for unreliable diagnosis and sexism. However, what remains unclear is whether or not the novel’s ending is simply too ambiguous. Would a definitive declaration of her thoughts have been a more convincing ending? Or does the novel’s unique structure and composition stand on its own?

Douglas: Personal Narrative and Self-Made Men

This week’s reading was an essay from former slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass entitled Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas an American Slave, Written by Himself. The essay is an account, written by himself, of the process by which Douglass was able to escape from his slavery in the south. The essay is in many ways very typical, it introduces Douglass and his situation, it gives the reader some insight into his past, it charts the timeline of his slavery and ultimately the essay ends with Douglass escaping to the north. What the essay does that is of particular note, is partially Douglass’s willingness to bring the reader into scenes of sickening violence, because through these scenes there is the obvious ethical appeal. But more so than simply charting the events of his life Douglass’s essay is significant because he is the writer, and he is a former slave at a time period in which a slave being able to read and write is uncommon to the point of the legitimacy his slavery being doubted by many.

Because this week was also my turn to present on further reading of Douglass’s work I read a speech Douglass gave multiple times throughout his life entitled Self-Made Men. While reading his narrative there is perhaps less emphasis on the audience or the message that Douglas is trying to convey. For the reader the accounts of his atrocious treatment tend to linger in the mind and can quite easily obfuscate any message Douglas is trying to convey. Furthermore, the introduction to the narrative is in many ways misleading to the reader as it presents Douglass’s writing more as a historical document whose intention is to inform, and only to inform. After reading Self-Made Man, it is much more readily apparent that there is a message Douglass is trying to convey to his audience in his narrative.

Upon reaching the end of his narrative the reader can easily find themselves feeling somewhat unsatisfied. This is due to the abruptness with which the essay concludes in which it denies the reader satisfaction of learning how Douglass actually escaped to the north. If the reader is to believe the introduction of the narrative then this is simply the case because Douglas is focused on reporting the treatment of slaves in the south. However, after reading Self-Made Man it is evident that the decision to withhold the details of his escape, beyond the practical matter of protecting other would be escapees, is done so very purposefully.

Douglas has two audiences in this time, and he is very much aware of this. In both his narrative and in Self-Made Man Douglas is speaking to the non-slaves directly, and indirectly to the slaves themselves. For those who are non-slaves his writing is an ethical appeal that seeks to condemn the slave owners of the south and build momentum for the abolitionist movement. On the other hand Douglass is addressing a second audience which the slaves themselves. His narrative and his speech are focused not on the escape or the prospect of freedom, but the hardships associated with slavery and the hard work and persistence associated with escaping.

There is a certain irony in the way in which Douglass charts the timeline of his slavery only to deny the reader the payoff of his escape. However, it is clear that Douglass knows exactly what he is doing. Though what is unclear is whether or not Douglass’s insistence on maintaining a persistent attitude as well as working hard to learn to read and write is really a reasonable request of slaves in the south. The question of good fortune has to be considered when considering Douglas. While his treatment was deplorable his proximity to the northern border was fortuitous and it is unclear whether the philosophy he presents in Self-Made Man is reasonably achievable by those slaves held in the deep south.

Dillard: Teaching a Stone to Talk

This week’s reading was specifically focused a compilation of essays from Annie Dillard, titled Teaching a Stone to Talk. The writing of Annie Dillard is in many cases bewildering and confusing, however, if anything it is the uncertainty found in her essays that compels the reader to continue. Oftentimes sudden shifts in the subject of the essay can be surprising to the reader though they are not so abrupt as to distract from the essay. By the end of any particular reading it is often the case that a purpose or clear idea can be deciphered, and thus Dillard’s unpredictable writing leaves one certain of a careful purpose behind each and every paragraph of her essays.

A particularly good example of Dillard’s writing style can be found within the books opening essay, which it titled, Total Eclipse. As an introduction to the essays to follow Total Eclipse, for those unfamiliar with Dillard’s writing, can be almost jarring. In particular it is the odd fascination that the essay’s narrator has with a strange painting of a clown that immediately throws the reader off balance. This moment in particular is one that feels warranted and not altogether out of place by the conclusion of the essay, however, upon initial reading it serves as a very unusual opening.

Another of Dillard’s essays, Lenses, is another prime example of Dillard’s ability to move in and out seemingly disparate topics while maintaining an overall theme or idea. Akin to the way in which the oddity of the clown picture is set against the terror of an eclipse, in Lenses, Dillard is able move from reminiscing about her childhood to contemplating the genocide of microscopic organisms. This transition is then trumped by a third sudden shift that proclaims, “But oddly, this is a story about swans.” (104)

What is most notable regarding the writing ability of Dillard is quite simply her ability to unsettle the reader. At any moment a seemingly harmless recollection of the past could transform into something terrible. Likewise, with the reader sure of the direction the essay is headed, Dillard more than often asserts her control as the writer by readjusting the story she is telling by abandoning the previous thought in favor of something new. In much the same way her essays are often focused on matters of a scientific nature, Dillard style of writing reflects this subject matter. Dillard’s writing is precise and analytical while also unafraid to broach subjects that the reader my find uncomfortable. In the second hand copy of Teaching a Stone to Talk, which I have purchased, some past owner included the following inscription on the inside cover: “Take care, Richard.” It is amusing to consider whether such a collection of essays would be given as a thoughtful gift, or a devious surprise.

Throughout our readings we have encountered writers such as Montaigne and Emerson who are unafraid to tackle personal topics. However, Dillard’s ability to take a personal topic, thought, or idea, and attach it to seemingly mundane everyday encounters is what makes her writing so impactful. However, the question emerges, does Dillard’s writing simply sensationalize these every day encounters, or is there in fact so much we simply miss during the course of our everyday lives hidden behind the very ordinary.

Emerson and Shields

This week’s reading consisted of a Ralph Waldo Emerson essay, Quotation and Originality along with the more contemporary Reality Hunger by David Shields. Both readings looked at a similar question while providing completely different answers. What constitutes borrowing, what is inspiration and what really defines plagiarism are difficult subjects to explain. In Quotation and Originality Emerson explores the relationship between original ideas and borrowed ones. Emerson writes in the essay’s concluding paragraph: “Only an inventor knows how to borrow, and every man is or should be an inventor.” If this is the case then David Shield is the ultimate inventor whose entire novel is a collection of borrowed quotes repurposed.

If Emerson’s Quotation and Originality is a reminder to writers that true originality is simply impossible then Reality Hunger can be seen to serve as an homage to this idea. After reading the novel there are two prominent reactions that are most likely to come from the reader. On the one hand, the novel is bold in its attempt to borrow without quoting and introduce literature to a new form of writing. On the other hand, it could be said that the book is a mere collection of stolen work with little to no purpose.

Beginning with the negative perspective Reality Hunger is easily seen as carefully curated collection of quotes that are presented within the book without quotation marks. Upon initially reading the book it is fair for the reader to assume that the words written are original and not in fact plagiarized. Upon learning that Shields is merely repurposing the words of others to his advantage the reader may find themselves frustrated. While this realization can lead to the reader constantly referencing the back of the book in order to discover a particularly interesting quote’s true author, there is also the side effect of the novel loosing much of its intrigue. Where the unusual collection of short numbered paragraphs collected within oddly lettered chapters may have presented a sort of mystery to the reader, upon realizing that there is no distinct narrative or plot behind the scenes, the novel can suddenly become quite dull.

From the positive perspective Reality Hunger is a completely new way of writing that refuses to quote and challenges the reader to formulate their own narrative. Lacking any true sense of direction or plot Reality Hunger is completely up to the reader to interpret. At its worst the novel can be seen as a wonderful collection of quotes with which the reader can constantly refer to in order to discover a new word, perspective, or idea which they can then follow up with in the reference section of the novel. At its best, Reality Hunger is a creation akin to the work of Marcel Duchamp whose famous ready-made Fountain took a urinal and merely flipped it upside down. As Emmerson argues it is virtually impossible to create something truly original and thus writers, or inventors, must take what they have at their disposal, alter it, and present the viewer or the reader with a similar object from a different perspective.

Emerson’s Quotation and Originality and David Shield’s Reality Hunger are two such writings that challenge the reader to consider a different perspective, in this case, on the matter of originality. This notion of merely altering what has come before is very contemporary in nature and while it invites praise it also attracts criticism. In many ways Reality Hunger is reminiscent of a notorious Hollywood celebrity whose questionable actions have found them in the news once more. Does Reality Hunger seek to encourage a new way of interacting with literature, or does it merely obfuscate plagiarism behind trickery and technicality?

Emerson: American Scholar, Intellect, Circles, and Experience

This week’s readings focused on the writings of Ralph Waldo Emmerson and included The American Scholar, Circles, Intellect, and Experience.  Each essay is in line with Emmerson’s dense and complicated writing style as he looks to explore equally dense and complicated ideas. Circles, Intellect, and Experience, follow the traditional convention of focusing an essay on a particular subject or idea while American Scholar remains slightly less confined in its focus in order to better communicate with its audience of the time; the Phi Beta Kappa Society at Harvard University. All four essays are unmistakable as being Emmerson works, each essay is extremely thorough and all succeed in comprehensively exploring every facet of their subject matter.

However, while all four essays may well be considered comprehensive in presenting the reader with a near unbearable collection of musings, ideas, and conclusions, which will guarantee multiple readings, Emmerson’s writing can leave the reader feeling jaded and thus the question arises: is Emmerson’s writing simply overly convoluted? Looking at Experience there is specifically an overriding sense of uncertainty and complication that is worked into the essay with Emmerson writing: “…Ghostlike we glide through nature, and should not know our place again.” Emmerson is referring to the notion of “experience” with this quote yet it remains highly relevant to the reader who themselves will experience what it is like to feel out of place simply by reading the essay. This double meaning appears to be very much by design when considering the repeated use of the term “temperament” throughout the essay leaving the reader to feel as though their own temperament is being tested as they read.

In contrast to Experience which is nebulous and even confusing Circles may feel to the reader like a minor relief. Circles as the title would suggest is focused in on the concept of a circle, as well as a sphere, and much of the essay’s structure and conversation references the concept of a circle frequently. The poetic opening of the essay serves as a reference point for the reader with the first paragraph further expanding. Emerson writes, “Our life is an apprenticeship to the truth, that around every circle another can be drawn; that there is no end in nature, but every end is a beginning; that there is always another dawn risen on mid-noon, and under every deep a lower deep opens.” When compared to Experience, Circles is much more approachable, the very concept of the circle as being confined and repeating is a comfort to the reader when so much of Emerson’s other writing is so open and wandering. In a sense, Circles can feel very much like a response to Emerson’s other writings and his words, “…there is always another dawn risen on mid-noon…” much like a warning to persist and work for the meaning Emerson has bundled up in complex structure and metaphor.

Purposely complex, the work required in deciphering the meaning behind Emerson’s words is simply a part of the process of reading Experience, Intellect, American Scholar, or others. Emerson’s work is a test of patience and dedication and it feels nearly completely inaccessible after one reading. While there exists a certain satisfaction in finally understanding even just one paragraph of Emerson, the question remains, is reading Emerson worthwhile, and furthermore is his writing irresponsible in demanding so much from its reader or does its complexity enhance the experience of reading?

Montaigne, Woolf and White

This week’s readings consisted of three essays whose authors concerned themselves with discussing the lofty topics of life, death and the passage of time. Each author approached the topic from a different angle with Michel de Montaigne, the “inventor” of the essay, choosing to take a more introspective look at his life in Of Repentance. In contrast to this, Virginia Woolf focuses her attention on the brief existence of a moth whose struggle to survive inspires her writing in The Death of The Moth. While combining both introspection and observation E.B. White’s Once More to the Lake charts the relationship between a father and son. Though each essay may seek to explore a similar idea or theme the differences between them highlight the subjective nature of the essay.

The oldest of the three and perhaps the most challenging read, Of Repentance is complicated in its subject matter and structure. However, despite the necessary work of deciphering Montaigne’s words and meanings the essay is and interesting thought experiment. When considering the definition of the essay it can be surprising to learn that Of Repentance, while completely dissimilar to the writing done in most American schools, is no less and essay. In particular Of Repentance introduces the reader to a type of essay that is very personal in nature and one that is very unfocused. While there is certainly a constant theme throughout the essay, Montaigne’s thoughts and ideas often tend to spill out on the page and his writing begins to feel more like a conversation than a story or narrative. Though more difficult to read this type of writing has the advantage of feeling genuine and insightful.

Once more expanding on the definition of the essay Woolf and White present much more tailored and story driven essays than does Montaigne. Where Of Repentance is broad, Woolf’s The Death of The Moth tackles the subjects of life and death in more manageable format. Narrating the life of a particularly spirited moth, the narrator writes of a fascination with the strong will of a moth whose desire to survive instils a, “queer feeling of pity him.” (1) Throughout the essay Woolf utilizes the pronoun “one” thus freeing the experience with the moth from one that is personal to a situation that the reader can feel involved in. This tactic is very much the opposite of Montaigne’s, whose intimate conversation with the reader invites their attention, as compared to Woolf, who simply provides narration and guidance during a common occurrence.

Serving as a sort of hybrid between Montaigne and Woolf, Once More to the Lake chooses to narrate a particular experience within the narrator’s life. The retelling of the narrator’s experiences as a child on a lake is revisited when the narrator returns there with his own son. The narrator is entranced by the lake and speaks almost reverentially about the place once referring to it as, “the cathedral.” (1) Similar to Woolf the essay is specific in the events that it recounts though like Montaigne the narrator is unafraid to share with the reader his thoughts and the thus, Once More to the Lake, is easily the most compelling of the three essays. In the same way any great story’s characters gain the support and compassion of the reader, White’s passion for the lake is conveyed in his storytelling leaving the reader to feel similarly invested in the place. Coupled with White’s exploration of the cyclical nature of life and his somber parting thought, Once More to the Lake, is more compelling than the life of a moth and more tailored than the esoteric thoughts of Montaigne.

The thoughts and ideas shared by all three writers are straight forward and each essay is satisfying in its own right. What is curious is the unique ways in which each writer has chosen to broach the same topic. The varying approaches taken by each writer encourage me to seek additional writings on the matter of life and death so as to experience additional ways in which authors are tackling the subject.