Re: your mail

WILL HOCHMAN (hochman@uscolo.edu)
Thu, 05 Mar 1998 10:36:09 -0700 (MST)

ok

On Wed, 4 Mar 1998, Brendan McKennedy wrote:

> 
> 
> ... but anyone who can
> >use critical reading to find real ideas is probably going to build 
> reading
> >experiences that are closer to both soul and mind of text to begin
> >with...I'm sorry, but Brendan's approach doesn't sound like the kind
> >of knowledge seeking I get from mr. salinger and the valuing of
> >intelligence the glass family seems to exemplify.  Trusting your heart 
> >doesn't have to mean that you ignore your mind and the experiences of
> >others...will
> >
> 
> 
> 
> Hmmm...I've thought about this, Will, but I'm still not convinced that 
> criticism is an appropriate way for a first-time YOUNG reader to 
> approach Salinger.  Certainly the criticism may come in handy, but I 
> honestly think that a reader must form his or her own impressions and 
> feelings about literature in order to know what he or she really does 
> feel.
> 
> How many times have you read the introduction to a novel (or the 
> afterword prematurely), only to have it reveal an interpretation of the 
> novel, an expository discussion of key symbols and allusions--and now 
> you'll never know whether you would have come to that conclusion 
> yourself.
> 
> I say let the students read the work, direct them towards criticism, and 
> they will discover what they should discover.
> 
> Brendan
> 
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