tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338856445768148296.comments2010-03-07T18:43:18.260-08:00It's Not "Playdoh"Miss Ashley Jeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13690260441838044245noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338856445768148296.post-47454384297383258292010-03-07T18:43:18.260-08:002010-03-07T18:43:18.260-08:00Aside from my utter joy to see Palahniuk mentioned...Aside from my utter joy to see Palahniuk mentioned in a scholarly post, I have to say that deconstruction is one of my favorite theories so far because it is so liberating. It takes away from this favoring of a reading or interpretation of a work over some other reading. In a way, it opens up texts (and people?) to a variety of readings and interpretations. <br /><br />It also complicates a text and takes away the notion of Truth. We can only understand so much. Even then, we should never be too sure. <br />Great post!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338856445768148296.post-79926166439552642342010-02-06T14:00:38.779-08:002010-02-06T14:00:38.779-08:00I must agree with you. In seeing tragedies, I beli...I must agree with you. In seeing tragedies, I believe that much strength can be harnessed from them! Because we can feel this sort of cathartic release from such things like this, when it comes time for us to experience this, it isn't as hard; we're desensitized. But I must say that I never really believe with Plato, because like Hitler, he was a hypocrite. Where is the credibility in that?Miss Ashley Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13690260441838044245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4338856445768148296.post-47147348170527039652010-01-29T18:38:30.086-08:002010-01-29T18:38:30.086-08:00Dear Ashley:
Your post is very interesting! I thi...Dear Ashley:<br /><br />Your post is very interesting! I think it’s important to keep in mind Aristotle’s claim that “tragedy represents the probable rather than the actual, but in doing so it deepens our understanding of the world in which we live” (xxxii). If we take this claim as truth, then Plato’s theory that tragedy (or any other form of imitation) is irrational becomes less valid, somehow. Would you agree? Plato regards tragedy as harmful since it stimulates emotions that he believes should be suppressed; on the other hand, Aristotle believes this stimulation of our emotions is advantageous to the audience. I don’t know, but I think I might have to side with Aristotle on this one. People go through multiple emotions every single day, and for Aristotle, “it is important that we learn to have correct emotional responses” (xxxiv). Perhaps tragedy offers its audience a way to learn to respond, and maybe even control, their emotional responses to sorrow and loss. Since we are exposed to so much tragedy in so many different genres every single day, we have learned to accept it as part of life, somehow. In this acceptance, we have learned to control our emotions. And isn’t this what Plato wanted in the first place?Angela Keshishyanhttp://litterachure.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com