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Every text is trying to convey some message or some story, and hence is representing the lives of a particular group of people. We have recently been looking at texts and how they represent various cultures and time periods in the way that they depict certain groups of people. One thing Mr. Watson brought up today that really conflicted me, was whether authors have a responsibility in how they represent people, and if so, to what extent? I do believe that literature is an art, it is subjective, used to convey meaning and can spark emotional connections, so in that sense, I believe an author is entitled to tell whatever story they please. However, I also can relate to seeing yourself being inaccurately and even offensively represented in texts, and who else to blame but the author in that case? I believe that authors should always be ready to adhere to criticism of how they portray characters, especially those with which they do not fully relate (e.g. a Western author writing about Asians). However I believe that readers must also recognise that for the sake of a story line or message, that some cultural or personal details may be sacrificed to keep the focus on the plot.
In relation to what was earlier mentioned about how people are represented, which looks at the author’s actions, I believe that identifying with texts is just as crucial, which is more pertinent to the reader. I believe that (especially now) in a time where society places so much value on understanding your values, priorities, sexuality and history, it is very important that people of all ages can identify with various platforms around them. First and foremost, I believe identification allows us to be proud of what makes us different while also living in the comfort that we are not alone, and we identify with other societal groups. Not too long back, I read a book called ‘All the Bright Places’, which looks into the lives of two high school kids who try to find their own truths while dealing with all the realities of peers and school. I was able to identify so closely with the main character’s love interest, and even the general plot. The book was a catalyst for me to reflect upon my experience as a high school kid, and what I wanted my truth to be. Being able to identify with the book made me realise that what I struggle with, is what many people struggle with on a day to day basis, and it is not something that makes or breaks me as a person. Many people look at teenagers and their growth as a “phase” and I believe the book did a good job of focusing on a particular circumstance depicting how it is far more personal than that.
While acknowledging that stories always have a personal aspect to them, we could also question whether in literature, some topics tend to create a pattern around them. An example would be the rise of many texts that highlighted the struggles of African American’s. I believe this niche genre of stories followed quite a similar pattern of looking at a particular social injustice, developing a key black character around it while enhancing the racial prejudice through accompanying white characters. ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and ‘The Help’ are both books that I believe fall well into this pattern. ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ looks at the social injustice of the judicial system while ‘The Help focused more upon the societal discrimination that occured. In this case, I see the pattern to be of positive significance. As more books (regarding African American’s) followed the trend of discussing racism, it became an issue that people discussed and criticised, aiding the development of equality. Patterns can allow for a powerful idea to be reinforced, and in some cases to the point where it leads to important societal change. On the other side of things, if patterns became too exaggerated, cliche or inaccurate, they can be the start of stereotypes that do not reflect a group properly.
As discussed earlier, literature can change how people behave and even transform society as a whole. I see the connection between this subject, to another subject of mine, Environmental Systems and Societies. We have recently been studying how the environmental movement in the 1960s began to take off, and what moments were of help. It was quite interesting to see that texts such as Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring’ and John Lovelock’s ‘Gaia hypothesis’, where very much at the heart of the movement. The book ‘Silent Spring’ was about how pesticides were harming the wildlife, which ultimately lead to the death of birds, resulting in the springtime being a silent one. This book transformed the way that people looked at pesticides and their role in the environment, which lead the government to investigate into the harmful chemicals used. When the results came back, and what the book described was confirmed, the government took several steps to try and address the issue. John Lovelock’s hypothesis was the foundations for how we see ourselves as one with nature, rather than as separate entities. The detail to which he expressed our dependence on the environment triggered a lot of changes. It brings to light how important it is that all types of issues, even environmental, are represented in texts as it can be transformative of our day to day lives.
As audiences to various forms of media, we are given the chance to interpret texts as we feel. A lot of the beauty of literature comes from the fact that we can all read the same thing, and draw so many different meanings from it. Perspective can help use explore our differences, enhancing the beauty and diversity of people coming from all walks of life. A difference in perspective could also lead to texts becoming controversial, with different stakeholders responding differently. George Orwell’s ‘1984’ was a book that dealt with this particular, known as one of the most controversial books of all time. The book looked at the role of a “Big Brother” who pushed people into a routine, brainwashed them and punished them for not cooperating, which many people saw as a commentary of certain governments. Some people viewed the book as an important moment for common people to recognise their right to creativity and self thought, while authors saw it as an attempt to wreak havoc and an invalidation of authority.
While exploring several texts and the stories they put forwards, we see a huge underlying network of connected themes and concepts. This allows us to draw inspiration, knowledge and even experiences to things we have encountered before, leading to a more holistic understanding of the role it plays in our lives and society today.