Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!

Reply to comment

Elizabeth319's picture

Sosnoski- You almost got me for a second!

The essay starts off well- I nodded my head as I read the first few paragraphs. I agree with the concept of, knowing what one thought one knew was no longer believable, is without a doubt learning and an important part of knowledge.

The paragraphs following the beginning, regarding the implications of words such as wrong, and incorrect remind me of the situations when conflict arises with a friend and dialouge is shared yet misunderstood. In order to resolve the issue one has to change what one had said to correct oneself, "When I said I was ANGRY, I really meant that I was HURT." The potential that words have to imply alternative or additional meaning can be dangerous. So all seemed to be going well in my reading until The construction of intellectuality in the institution of criticism was introduced.

Simply the metaphor of literary criticism to a secretary was offensive though that is only with the patriarchal implications that women are secretaries and men are not. Would this assumption that I made while reading Wellek's metaphor classify my thoughts as patriarchal even though that generalization appears to be correct? 

The notion that literary criticism is a principle of falsificity is disenheartening. If the goal of the individual is soley to prove another incorrect than there is no knowledge- based gained. The second part of the essay, Intellectual sexuality in the institution of critcism save my weakening appreciation for the text.

Bledstein's description of a calling and a career surprised me. Even though he did not mention the necessity or even right of a women to act upon a calling, it was a step in the right direction. It probably was  unintentional that he did not leave women out of the notion of calling, but it was enough that I wanted to slap the man a high five for a step in the right direction.

I also found the created Magister Implicatus incredibly relevant and believe that he tends to have an over powering role in many young women's lives including my own. Does he also haunt those of the male gender but is not spoken of because a fear of shame?

Fasforwarding a bit, the second page of 72 reminded me of what we aim to have in our classroom community; intellectual collaboration through literary criticism.

Reply

To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty.
1 + 3 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.