Comments on: [LWC 71] Umbilical Severance: on the nature of the text http://superfani.com/2008/10/13/lwc-71-umbilical-severance-on-the-nature-of-the-text/ Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:36:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: THAT Animeblog - On “Character” I: Closure http://superfani.com/2008/10/13/lwc-71-umbilical-severance-on-the-nature-of-the-text/comment-page-1/#comment-137 THAT Animeblog - On “Character” I: Closure Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:31:05 +0000 http://superfani.com/?p=1593#comment-137 [...] ←[71] [...] [...] ←[71] [...]

]]> By: Pontifus http://superfani.com/2008/10/13/lwc-71-umbilical-severance-on-the-nature-of-the-text/comment-page-1/#comment-117 Pontifus Wed, 15 Oct 2008 02:51:41 +0000 http://superfani.com/?p=1593#comment-117 I also agree that the author is a translator of sorts, a mouth that speaks for a vast culture and history. What you describe as a "contextual umbilical cord," though, I see as more of an electric power cord. It may draw its power from some default socket, but it can be unplugged and plugged into any alternate socket of the reader's choosing. One of my impetuses as a critic is giving old texts new relevance, as the Romantic poets did with <i>Paradise Lost</i>, reading Milton's Satan as a tragic hero. The Satan-as-hero reading probably didn't spring from the context that birthed <i>Paradise Lost</i>, and can't really teach us anything about that context (or so I'd assume), but resulted from a new context -- a new outlet into which its power cord was plugged. I think that, while a text can teach us about the culture from whence it came, it can also teach us about any subsequent culture based on how it's read and applied. In retrospect, though, I think you may have said that already. Ah well. I also agree that the author is a translator of sorts, a mouth that speaks for a vast culture and history. What you describe as a “contextual umbilical cord,” though, I see as more of an electric power cord. It may draw its power from some default socket, but it can be unplugged and plugged into any alternate socket of the reader’s choosing. One of my impetuses as a critic is giving old texts new relevance, as the Romantic poets did with Paradise Lost, reading Milton’s Satan as a tragic hero. The Satan-as-hero reading probably didn’t spring from the context that birthed Paradise Lost, and can’t really teach us anything about that context (or so I’d assume), but resulted from a new context — a new outlet into which its power cord was plugged. I think that, while a text can teach us about the culture from whence it came, it can also teach us about any subsequent culture based on how it’s read and applied.

In retrospect, though, I think you may have said that already. Ah well.

]]> By: Cuchlann http://superfani.com/2008/10/13/lwc-71-umbilical-severance-on-the-nature-of-the-text/comment-page-1/#comment-106 Cuchlann Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:29:21 +0000 http://superfani.com/?p=1593#comment-106 Ah. Just wondering. : ) Ah. Just wondering. : )

]]> By: lelangir http://superfani.com/2008/10/13/lwc-71-umbilical-severance-on-the-nature-of-the-text/comment-page-1/#comment-105 lelangir Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:01:07 +0000 http://superfani.com/?p=1593#comment-105 “Not to say that gender studies and post-colonial hoohah hold much interest: I see potential analysis, write about such topics, think the presence of random topics alone is interesting. . .” I probably meant that, haha. “Not to say that gender studies and post-colonial hoohah hold much interest: I see potential analysis, write about such topics, think the presence of random topics alone is interesting. . .”

I probably meant that, haha.

]]> By: Cuchlann http://superfani.com/2008/10/13/lwc-71-umbilical-severance-on-the-nature-of-the-text/comment-page-1/#comment-104 Cuchlann Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:48:30 +0000 http://superfani.com/?p=1593#comment-104 Son of a... I knew I left a lot of stuff out of my post, but curses. I'm with you in arguing that the text itself has no meaning. I once pitched a book across a classroom and pointed at it, saying, "This has no meaning. It's just paper with ink on it, that doesn't mean anything." "Not to say that gender studies and post-colonial hoohah hold much interest, it’s that I see it, write about it, think its presence alone is interesting. . ." I was wondering -- in that statement, what is the "it" you're writing about? I think I lost my hold on the pronoun's antecedent as I was reading. : ) Son of a… I knew I left a lot of stuff out of my post, but curses. I’m with you in arguing that the text itself has no meaning. I once pitched a book across a classroom and pointed at it, saying, “This has no meaning. It’s just paper with ink on it, that doesn’t mean anything.”

“Not to say that gender studies and post-colonial hoohah hold much interest, it’s that I see it, write about it, think its presence alone is interesting. . .” I was wondering — in that statement, what is the “it” you’re writing about? I think I lost my hold on the pronoun’s antecedent as I was reading. : )

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