Reader-Response, T. S. Eliot, and Jung

I may have joked about the "heresy of the skim" when I ran my finger across an Eliot essay and saw Jung references, but it would also appear that my second glance--my actual reading of the piece--changed my perception. This, apparently, is a reader-oriented critical response. According to a PowerPoint presentation found on the Philadelphia University website, "rethinking one part of the text after reading another" means that I engaged in literary criticism.

Hmmmmm.......time to research Rosenblatt.

Something like this makes me stop and consider the books I've read lately, and if any of them are Literature. I know that the Sookie Stackhouse novels are fluff and not literature. Not because I can read a book a night, but because they don't force me to think (or re-think!). But I wonder about the Game of Thrones series I'm reading now. Too bad I've just started the fourth book, because I might have to re-visit the first book, and each book is 1000 pages. D'oh!

...on the other hand, maybe I'll finish my midterm essays first.

Recognizing a Literacy Experience

I have an idea about why I read both The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque aloud. Some of it might have to do with their similar writing styles; both authors are modern and writing in the style of "ago," and I found a certain lyricism in them that might deserve further study. But I can also relate this to the type of literary criticism I'm currently studying--Reader-Oriented Criticism.

Assigned as homework in two different classes and two different semesters, both books were required, and I read them as an efferent reader, looking only for what might help me in class. As a student, mandatory reading assignments are usually given a quick skimming instead of an in-depth read (more on the skimming theory later!). But my subconscious said, "NO! Enjoy these books! Don't read because you have to, read because you want to!" And suddenly, I found myself reading aesthetically. Instead of rushing through each page, I experienced the words, sounds and phrases.

I became an active participant in the literacy experience.