In class recently we have done a lot of work with close reading a piece of literature. I feel like I'm starting to read more in-depth into the poems and segments of novels that we discuss during class. Before I took this class, I never really knew what to look for when looking for the theme and purpose of the literature. Now I fell like I have a better understanding while I'm reading what I'm looking for and what connections I have to make while reading. The one thing that strange to me is how broad and far-reaching some of the conclusions feel when we discuss them during class. The conclusions usually seem logical and have information to support them, but I'm often thinking to myself, "How do we know."
We also discussed the different critical lenses during class as well as the different time periods. Both of these things are important to consider when analyzing literature. The critical lenses lesson really gave me a broader view of the different ways of anazling literature. I would have liked to see more examples of the critical lenses that we hadn't discussed in previous classes such as post structuralists because often times when reading a piece of literature you don't think that the writing is indirectly referring to something. I found the discussion of the different eras of writing a lot more interesting. In particular I really liked the discussion about the simulacrum. It made me rethink certain movies and books about high schools that I have read and how they all are about societies view of high school and what high school is actually like. In the movie 21 Jump Street there is such a strong divide between the "popular" and the "unpopular" kids. This is a common view in many movies and books, but in reality the line is much more blurred. Unlike in 21 Jump Street most high schools have groups that blend together. "Jocks" are friends with "nerds" and people who may be considered popular work on projects with and are in clubs or play sports with people who are considered unpopular. I found it interesting how powerful these ideas created by Hollywood and authors are in determining how we view certain things.
I felt like most of the subjects we covered the last few weeks including the close reading, critical lenses, and the history of literature are mostly preparing us for the AP exam rather than adult reading and writing. I can see why it is important to understand the critical lenses, and the history of literature when you are writing an analysis of a poem on the AP exam. They both help you understand the authors purpose and the meaning of the literature when you are doing your close reading.
Nathan, I liked that you went in depth and wrote a lot about what you learned that week. I especially liked your second paragraph and how you applied what you learned about simulacrums with 21 Jump Street. I totally understood what you were saying and another example of this would be the movie Grease. It shows a view of what the 60's were like, but in reality it was very different. In your first paragraph I like how you talked about things you didn't understand. But, I feel that you could use examples to help get your point across clearly. Maybe you can put in examples about the "Century Quilt" or the American Dream. Overall I can really relate to your troubles because I often ask "How do I know" too.
ReplyDeleteI think as time goes you'll realize that its not really that far reaching, because the works we read have lots of underlying meanings, that you wouldn't normally catch. I agree, that you often don't know for sure and the author could have meant something completely different, but as long as you can support your claim, that's all the AP cares about.
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