In How to Read
Literature Like a Professor, Thomas C. Foster describes reading as “an
event of the imagination,” further stating that the reader’s imagination is
“one creative intelligence engaging another,” with the other intelligence being
that of the writer. In order for this
quote to work, one of two things must occur.
Either the writer’s and the reader’s imaginations must click and they
agree on the same idea, or the ideas of the writer and the ideas of the reader
must repel like magnets and their opinions differ. In either scenario, the reader and writer are
engaging one another, which works to spark the creative fires in both the
reader and the writer.
An example
of how the imaginations of readers and writers can differ comes from George
Orwell’s literary masterpiece 1984. If the reader were to agree with Orwell’s
position that the government will one day control all of humanity, the two
creative intelligences could be engaged by talking about the need to watch out
for ourselves and make sure that we do not let Big Brother take over. On the other hand, if the reader were to
disagree with Orwell’s opinion that government will one day reign supreme, the
two intelligences could engage in a discussion about how and why one will
happen, turning into more of a debate than anything else. Either way, the two people have a way of
engaging themselves in educated conversation that stimulates their minds and
intelligences.
This
attitude suggests that writers and readers should not always agree on topics,
as a continual stream of agreements would lead to a lack of discussion and a
lack of creativity from both parties. In
order to fully engage both the writer and the reader’s full intelligence and
imagination, there must be some sort of conflict or disagreement so that both
the writer and reader can express their own ideas.
Chip, I like your idea about how there has to be a disagreement. I agree with you. Its like how in almost everything there will be at least one person who believe the opposite of you and there are always two sides of every situation. Before this book, I didn't even consider that this same thing happens between the reader and the writer. I always saw books as something that the writer wrote and then the reader reads it and thinks “oh interesting”, but now I see that it is definitely more than that. There has to be conflict there. I like how you connected Foster's description about the differences between the imaginations and the importance of having these two opposing sides.
ReplyDeleteChip,
ReplyDeleteI like the way you're going. Think about music and how the intelligence of the composer and performer connects with the listener. Listeners love music that stirs something in them or makes them think of something in a different way. Good music uses some common rhythms and in so doing alludes to certain styles in the overarching musical universe. And the best music leads a listener along, with everything going the way the listener feels it ought to, and then Bam!, throwing a totally unexpected melody or verse into the mix, just like a good author makes the reader think in ways that are uncomfortable.
This post makes perfect sense because I think it is evident in everyday life. All of human interaction is based on this give and take model. Humans inherently crave socialization and interaction, and as the saying goes, "Art imitates life." The author-reader relationship that is found in literature is based in the basic nature of humans. Humans agree, disagree, fight, collaborate, love, hate, but most of all they communicate. Literature and writing is simply another medium for communication and discussion. Humans are also very capable of relating to each other. The fact that more than one person can relate to an idea or emotion is what makes work artistic. Humans seek out works they can relate to because it creates a sense unity and comfort. The author-reader dynamic of give and take is so apparent in literature because it models basic human nature and desires.
ReplyDelete