In her article “Is Literature Dead?”, Margaret Anne Doody presents a very compelling argument as to why literature “no longer has the charm it did even a short while ago” (1212). Literature has been pushed to the sidelines, if you will, because there is no “intuitive respect for it” (1212). This issue of respect has been previously discussed, but Doody goes on further to explain why there is this lack of inherent respect that it once held. The loss of respect for literature, despite the fact that “reading per se seems on the rise rather than on the wane” (1211), is that we are living in an age where “Information is valued far beyond thinking” which leads to “the impression that reading does not serve imagination, thought, knowledge, or wisdom” (1212).
Information being valued over thought, arguably stems from valuing a science education over an arts education. Darwinian evolution and science have taken precedent. Therefore we gauge knowledge and intelligence on knowing facts opposed to engaging with a topic and exploring with our imaginations. As Kristina “pointed out in [her] article on the decline of the book review, just because we can read, that doesn't mean we are really reading anything of substance.” A clear example of this can be seen in any number of presentations using PowerPoint today. We value three facts in concise bullet points rather than listening to someone explore and engage with a topic. Exploring and engaging with a topic leads to a fuller understanding of it for those who are learning. If we get this exploration and appreciate it, it is far more beneficial than being able to remember a handful of facts and dates. This is not to say information should not be valued: we obviously cannot live in a society in which fact and information are throw aside and replaced by scores and scores of imagination. But, instead, we must reach some balance in which both share equal value.
This emphasis on information also makes sense in the terms of the death of God. God, if nothing else, takes some imagination and thought. If God is not there, then we must look to science and facts to explain everything in this world rationally. Perhaps this is the reason, as a society, we see nothing wrong with preferring facts over thought, science over literature.
Doody, Margaret Anne "Is Literature Dead?" PLMA. v. 115 no. 5 (October 2000) : 1209-1221. JSTOR. Simon Fraser U Lib. 21 Nov. 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Molly, I agree.
I think that this article adds to your 'respect' for education theory. While I still don't think it is universally applicable, I do think that this article shows how impactful the loss of that respect is. In degenerative terms, we need only look to the 'idot box' that is telivision for confirmation of this thesis. Have you ever seen "Are you smarter than a fifth grader?". It delights in humiliating adults based on their ability/or inability to recall factual information from their elementary school text books. Inherently, it evaluates the inteligence of adults based on their ability to recall "facts"/information. To further this point, they mostly choose adults who are post-secondary graduates with above average GPA's. To suggest the children on the show are 'smarter' than these adults is ridiculous, but it does illustrate society's current tendancy to value facts above 'Knowledge'. Perhaps as Newman or Arnold would say, "facts" cannot teach you to be a gentleman (or a good person).
Kristina
I agree with Molly as well, especially on her point that the death of God has a connection with our society's love for science over literature. I went to a Catholic high school, where we were required to take religious education courses up until grade twelve. Despite learning the history of the Church and its morals and traditions, there is an obvious requirement for some sort of imaginative thinking in order to completely believe in what we were taught, and some people simply refused to do this. Some people simply have to have the facts in front of them to believe in something, and it seems that since the Victorian period more and more people have doubted the existence of God.
Molly has a point here, society does prefer information over thought (or imagination). Which as she and the others have pointed out have an affect on the imgination and the belief in God. Faith depends on the imagination and the possibility that there is a God without proof, without facts to confirm his existence. The move towards science stunted this once firm and stable faith. As faith began to be questioned and the industrial revolution came into being we see the start of society's degenration. As Jessica pointed out as time has gone on since the Victorian period more people doubt the existence of God and interestingly so have the morals of people degenerated and society has seen a decline in moral behaviour.
Post a Comment