preview

How Does Gaddis Use Metaphors In Updating History?

Decent Essays
Open Document

Gaddis’ use of metaphors throughout his writing, makes for a strong theme and allows for the reader to explore a stronger understanding and connection to history in a more atypical manner. It is also interesting how he focuses on updating history and making it more unambiguous- easier to understand by the utilization of contemporary interests. An example of that would be when Gaddis mentioned Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Something as simple as that promotes understanding and interest. It is a connection to the reader. His constant references back to Friedrich’s painting allows a person to have a visual understanding of what he is expressing about our relationship with history, which is best if there is “detachment from- or if you prefer, elevation above- the landscape that is the past, so it also requires a certain mastery” (7). Furthermore, Gaddis mentions, "history is arguably the best method of enlarging experience" (9) and "what historians do... is to interpret the past for the purposes of the present" (10). …show more content…

The fog will only clear from updating our history more explicitly, two of Gaddis’s purposes, essentially widening our view. We already know what is in front of us, but once we detach ourselves from what we already know and become vulnerable to other ways of thinking, reevaluate our history, we can then make progress towards a balanced understanding – as characterized by Gaddis, "historians have always been... abstractionists" (17). "We decide [of the thousands who have crossed the Rubicon] which ones to write about" (23) and understanding what is ‘factual’ or more evidence based, but also comprehending the often overlooked aspects that led to those events- but most importantly how we fit into it

Get Access