Note to the reader: This essay is somewhat of an experiment. I am well aware of the standard guidelines within which a student must present and argue ideas, and the implications of nonconformity. However, if I have learned anything in this course, it is that genres and forms are continually under scrutiny, being molded and changed, discarded and exchanged, for sake of efficacy, veracity, adherence to ideology, or in reaction to otherwise unforeseen forces. Consider this as just such a reaction; more accurately, it is my only recourse. In setting out to write this essay, I had a clear objective. My task was to critically engage materials that were covered this term, and where possible reflect, compare, contrast, and analyze those theories …show more content…
In a contemporary sense, there is an involvement between the reader and the text. This denies the Formalist stance that the text is the sole source of meaning. Proponents of this theory fall onto a spectrum, where at one pole the interpretive strategy of the reader entirely determines the text (Stanley Fish), at the other pole is what falls into the realm of Formalism (text dominant), and in between is a bi-active stance, where the reader is both active and passive during the reading process (Wolfgang Iser). Iser talks of an “actual reader” and an “implied reader.” The actual reader is one who brings to the text all their knowledge and experience, what Barthes would term their déjà lu. The implied reader is one which text itself attempts to shape or condition. For Iser, the reading process is one which is gradually unfolding. The reader assimilates various facets of the text, and through this process dictates (in part) the essence of the text. However, unlike some of Fish’s earlier works where the reader is effectively in creative control, Iser states the text imposes some constraints upon the reader. The reader cannot make the text mean what they like, as the text provides a skeleton of meanings, norms, and values that shape and control the reader’s response. Thus, “the convergence of text and reader brings the literary work into existence” (Iser 189). He goes on further to state that “the text provokes certain expectations which in
This question requires you to integrate a variety of sources into a coherent, well-written essay. Refer to the sources to support your position; avoid mere paraphrase or summary. Your argument should be central; the sources should support this argument.
Free Essays M-Q * Free Essays R-Z * Essay Topics * Plagiarism * Donate a Paper -------------------------------------------------
This essay was originally written in February of 1996 for a composition class that I took at a local community college while completing my third and final year of high school. The original text has been edited to correct spelling and grammar. In truth, this essay is more of a collaboration between Betsy and I. She had take the class from the same instructor the year before. Many of the concepts discussed are largely extrapolations and enhancements of ideas she expressed. She got a B+ on her version; I got an A on mine :).
The previous excerpt was provided so that the student could determine the focus of the essay. The complete essay begins
Within this essay an analyses will be taking a close inspection of two articles in an attempt to derive a deeper understanding of the points spoken therein, and to achieve a frank comparison of the ideals written within them.
Some people say that with dedication, persistence, and time people can accomplish any goal. Others say that people are limited in what they can accomplish and need to be realistic when setting goals.
A text offers much potential for the reader to reconcile all the possibilities to get a clear unified sense. The reader compares different parts of the texts to gain achieve this consistency, through the illusions that the text creates. This unity is not inherent in the text but lies somewhere between the text and the consciousness of the reader. Readers’ constructions of the same text will necessarily vary but within the limits imposed by the written text. The reader is invited to exercise his imagination upon those as yet unwritten and indeterminate elements. In the essay Iser states that “with the literary text we can only picture things which are not there; the written part of a text give us the knowledge, but it is the unwritten part that gives us the opportunity to picture things. Without the element of indeterminacy, the gaps in the text, we should not be able to use our imagination”. Readers require and impose consistent patterns that are coloured by their own “characteristic selection process” that derives from the reader’s own “particular history of experience, its own consciousness, and its own outlook”. It forms a gestalt of consistency that is not identical to the true meaning of the text and which remains rather a configurative meaning. Comprehension is referred to
This introduction will give a brief overview of what this essay will include, also giving brief definitions of any key theories and concepts that will be used throughout.
1. (5 pts) Describe the metabolic process providing your energy while you were walking (at an easy pace) before the bee stung you. Include which molecules are being consumed.
This essay intends to critique and analyse the research paper, in order to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the research undertaken. Certain questions are required to ensure that the evaluation is assessing the essential components of the research (Holloway& Wheeler, 2002). Therefore Holloway and
This is an extended referenced essay writing task that requires you to demonstrate your ability to develop a line of argument on a topic related to one of the topics covered in the Skills for Study 3 module.
Finally, some conclusions will be drawn as to sum up the main points of the essay presented and toke a particular position to express some of my opinions.
What exactly constitutes a text? What classifies a text as having canonical quality, what meaning can be derived from that text, and who exactly makes these types of decisions? Welcome to the world of literary criticism, where the approach to the text and the level of reader inclusion varies based upon the school a critic identifies with in his endeavor and/or the individual reader may happen to take most interest in the act of literary analysis. While the Socratic-like formalistic approach of Vladimir Propp, the lavish laymen 's poetic deconstruction of Roland Barthes, and the interpretative communal focus of Stanley Fish maintain both deviations and
Students should propose their topics, and several back up topics, in advance of October 8, 2010, since an effort will be made to minimize repetition of the same topics. The Teaching Assistant for the course will meet the class on October 8 2010 to allocate an essay topic to each student, confirm those students who have decided to opt out of the Participation Mark (see preceding paragraph), and schedule interview dates for the latter students. Other students, may, at the option of the Instructor, be asked to attend an interview if the Instructor is having difficulty in determining a fair grade for the Essay. The Essay should be about 15 typed pages in length, clearly written, logically argued and properly researched, with footnotes to acknowledge sources.
"...each individual reader will fill in the gaps in his own way, thereby excluding the various other possibilities...By making his decision he implicitly acknowledges the inexhaustibility of the text; at the same time it is this very inexhaustibility that forces him to make his decision."