I'm sorry, folks--but this post was so brilliant, I think it deserves to be posted twice. Brendan > >Thanks to everyone who has responded to my comment about possibly leaving >the list. I appreciate your feedback and it has certainly given me food >for thought. I wanted to clarify a couple of things. First of all, I >certainly don't object to people using literary criticism to discuss any >author's work, including Salinger's, in any way. In fact, I welcome it, >even if I do not always understand it because I know how exciting an >acedemic discussion of something can be and how important it is to apply >various theories in order to aid in the understanding of whatever is being >studied. What I do object to, in fact find offensive, is having someone >throw literary theory in my face in a condescending manner and basically >invalidate what I have to say, my approach to literature (not to mention >my favorite English professor) because it's supposedly all due to "Reader >Response" theory or whatever other nonsense people conjure to make >themselves feel intelligent. Especially when I am discussing something I >love as much as do 'Catcher.' Whether or not anyone else thinks that >behavior is offensive is immaterial to me. I'm just not sure that I want >to discuss this subject with people who think it's okay to judge the value >of other people's contributions. That's not what I signed up for and >that's not anything I want to be a part of. I want to be part of a >community were people can freely express their thoughts without fear that >someone else is going to come along and ruin it. As Holden says "People >are always ruining things for you" and frankly, this isn't something I >want ruined. It's totally okay for everyone else to think that Antolini is >intentionally left ambiguous, I don't happen to feel that way and i want >to be able to say that, and if I feel particularly articulate that day, >explain my reasons. Maybe I've reacted too sensitively to this whole >issue and will try not to in the future but I felt what I felt. > >Peggy > > Free web-based email, Forever, From anywhere! http://www.mailexcite.com