When I first read all the pieces, they seemed like three completely unrelated topics. But as I reread and mulled over these pieces, connections started to happen. So throughout the reading of these three texts, there were points that I felt were reiterated through all three pieces.
One of the themes was about living and exercising our minds as we read and ask questions. In "Why Read Literature," the idea is presented that physically "exercis[ing] and reading parallel each other and, finally, intersect"(5). Just as we work out to be fit, we must "'work out' our minds and imaginations through the exercise of reading"(1). Exercising our minds, like exercising our body requires time and commitment. I thought this analogy was so striking and fitting. We do "work out" our minds when we read and ponder things and ask questions while being active readers. It's a work out for our brains. So the more we exercise our brains and make active reading a habit, our minds become stronger and more attuned to the literature that we read.
In Francis X. McAloon's "Reading for Transformation..." he gives us three ways that we can exercise our minds by "focusing upon (1) the world of the text... (2) the world behind the text... and (3) the world before the text"(2). The "world of the text" would be literally what the words are saying, finding the imagery and reading through the difficult passages. The "world behind the text" would be like looking up the history or when it was written and the cultural influence upon the piece that you read. Finally, the "world before the text" is how the reader personally interprets for themselves what the text means to them, how they can relate or learn something new. It makes it so much easier for me, having a guideline to follow, if I wish, on ways that I can exercise my brain so that I can function to the best of my ability in active reading.
From "Darkness, Questions,..." by Paul T. Corrigan, the word "exercise" appeared again in the context of being involved in the what you do by engaging and experiencing, not by being passive. There was also a thought of "living questions" and "questions of darkness" that need to be addressed. We must be aware of what is around us, and be able to confront the things that face us. For me, being an active reader is a struggle for me. But if I can be assertive with what I think and how I feel, that will be a turning point for me in my active reading.
Another thought that carried through the reading was the theme of transformation. We are "living beings who are inspired by literary encounters to explore and transform ourselves"(2). Having these "literary encounters," especially with difficult reading, will help us better understand what we read, better understand ourselves and will make reading a habit for us (2-3). As I work on my reading skills, the only trouble that comes to my mind is what to read. I don't know where to begin to challenge my reading skills. I could just go to the library and pick out a random book that looks difficult and start there. Yet I do want something to start with that I can enjoy and recommend to others with the same interests in books as me. The "transformation" is a process, so slowly working my way up to more difficult texts might be the path for me to start on.
Francis X. McAloon's "Reading for Transformation..." discusses his personal experience of how Gerald Manly Hopkins' poetry challenged him and changed McAloon's appreciation for poetry. When we read a piece of literature, we place ourselves reading the perspective of the author. As we see a different perspective than our own and finish our text, we should not just "come 'back'" but rather "move forward into a newness of being"(2). We should have a different understanding, and as Professor Corrigan said, that moves us forward because it broadens our lens that we look through and now we can look through different scopes. A line that I thought was interesting in this text was this, "[a]dmittedly, each person's encounter with a poem [or any piece of literature] is both universal and particular"(3). We all may agree on one way of seeing a text, like the first time we read for content, but we all have different backgrounds that give a "particular" perspective to each and every one of us as we actively read. This reminded me of when we were in class on Tuesday. The gentleman in class, who I believe is a Film Studies Major, made a connection between Raymond Carver's "What We Talk about When We Talk about Love," and a movie he saw called, "Carnage." Since this guy studies movies for his major, and I assume enjoys them, he knew of that connection and could relate to Carver's story in multiple ways. His mind and how he analyzes the story was completely different from my perspective that I had. I actually thought to myself, "Wow, I am not that deep" and I felt bad because I didn't have that take on the story. But once again, we all have our "particular" way that we interpret the literature that we read, and that also means it transforms us differently as well.
Transformation takes place through engaging in our world around us. In Professor Corrigan's piece there is this darkness that is afoot in life. We have the choice to ignore it or face it. If we ignore or deny things, like darkness, then there is no way that we can be changed because our actions are passive. But there is a hope that can be found, but we first must willing to let the process begin by being aware, and then confronting and mulling it over. After that time of reflection, we can then look toward the hope that is there in front of us. Not everything in life is all beautiful and roses and perfection. There are hardships that we must face at one time or another that will challenge us. But as we meet the challenge, we then become stronger, more aware and more likely to change and move forward in our way of thinking.
All three of these pieces made excellent points through well said phrases that provoked me to really look at myself, my perspectives, and how I can be more open to exercising my mind through reading, and reflecting. I hope that I can be assertive to situations and allow myself to be aware so that a change can be made in the way I perceive things.
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