Re: jd is just an author
J J R (jrovira@juno.com)
Thu, 19 Nov 1998 17:20:50 -0500 (EST)
Michael--
Your point of view entails a lot of assumptions that many of us have
examined and abandoned, that's all.
What you're basically affirming is that the author controls the meaning
of the text--that the meaning of the text is defined by the "author's
intent." There are a lot of problems with that view, the most obvious
being that language just isn't all that precise--so multiple meanings are
possible for virtually any text. I don't take this as far as some do--I
don't think there are an "infinite" number of possible readings of a
text, but that there are usually at least more than one.
And where does "meaning" in a text come from? Just the language of the
text, or a cross between the language of the text and what we know from
the "real" world? If it is a cross between the two, what is more
important--the text itself, or our imported knowledge of the real world?
What happens if the "author's" imported knowledge of the real world is
substantially different from ours? What happens if the author didn't
bother to spell out that information (and when does that ever happen? :)
)? How can we then know what a text means at all? (some people say we
can't).
The more we ask, "How does language work?", the quicker we find out it's
a very difficult question. Some people answer this question purely for
the sake of meeting an ethical goal or serving a value system. And then
the question gets really difficult.
Jim
On Thu, 19 Nov 1998 12:45:38 -0800 (PST) Michael Tipermas
<mlt3456@hotmail.com> writes:
>How can you say the author is just a reader? That is saying that you
>are
>looking for messages that aren't there. The author creates the
>character and their actions and their reasons for their actions. The
>author knows what the character is feeling because he is the
>character(especially in jds case). I have not said you don't
>critizcize
>him frequently. If you read my previous messages you would see that I
>
>said that you separate the author from the works. Then you separarate
>
>the enjoyment of the works and the disecting of the works. Then you
>separate the author's message from your made up meanings. Then you
>separate the author as a person from the author as a semi-god. Then
>you
>demonize the author as a person, but worship the semi-god author. Can
>
>anyone understand what I said?
>
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