Thoughts on Ohmann

When reading The Shaping of a Canon: U.S. Fiction, 1960-1975, written by Richard Ohmann, I found myself becoming increasingly convinced that if I were to take up literary criticism at all in my life (not likely to happen) I would focus most, if not all, of my time on how literature has affected and been affected by culture and society. I think it is incredibly interesting to draw parallels between events in history, social attitudes/status quos, and literary creations. To see the way that daily life can have such a huge impact on everything a human being does is a good reminder, to me, of just how interconnected everything we say and do, both as individuals and as a community, really is. I think society in general has kind of lost the understanding of cause and affect. Studying literature with a cultural and social emphasis is what will remind us all of this not so radical phenomenon.

In Ohmann's essay, he starts off by stating that "Reading a book becomes meaningful when, after completion, it is shared with others" (Ohmann, 1881). This statement was both refreshing and interesting to me. First, it is refreshing because Ohmann is acknowledging that human beings desire and create meaning through social interaction. It is by communicating and connecting with others that human beings derive a sense of purpose and understand themselves as well as others on a deeper and more intimate level. Secondly, I found this statement to be interesting and intriguing because Ohmann is turning reading from an Introverted practice to an Extroverted one and, in doing so, has defined Reading (Question: What is reading?) as a social tool which allows for interaction between individuals and groups of people. It is funny that a practice looked at as internal and solitary actually becomes the center force in how and why people communicate with one another. I also think that Ohmann echoes the thoughts of both Barthes and Foucault in their Structuralist approach to literature and the author. If reading lines on a page becomes a meaningful practice only when it is shared with others through social interaction then the author really does die and the "writers" of the novel become those who talk about the text and apply meaning to it. Overall, it makes me incredibly excited to finally read an essay where reading (and this, writing) becomes a way of drawing people and society together-this is a purpose for literature that I feel is so important but has been lost in deep theological discussion because some critics think literature as a way of connection just is not a good enough reason for literature and there must be some deeper meaning and purpose.

Finally, going back to my post from yesterday (March 25, 2008) I wanted to share a little more on Storytelling as I think it is an important means of communication that English majors should, as preservers of all kinds of literature, strive to protect and encourage. I wanted to include some links to some stories and information on storytelling for anybody to enjoy and gain a better understanding of how important storytelling is and will continue to be despite it's decreasing popularity:

Traditional African Storytelling

Storytelling Theory and Practice

Biblical Storytelling-Samson