The piece allows us to use what will become our standard mode of textual analysis, with a clear Thesis, determining Audience, analyzing the Method/Rhetorical Strategy, the author's Objective (reason for writing the piece) as well as their Assumptions/Perspective.
As a logophile myself, I actually enjoy the fact that Wideman uses numerous "five-dollar words" like the following:
- admonish
- ameliorate
- antipode
- facile
- furtive
- hegemony
- moniker
- mundane
- obviate
- ossify
- Pavlovian
- pernicious
- predilection
- Prometheus
- schadenfreude
In the comments, feel free to define these words (and add them to the Vocab page)
My favorite part of "Free Papers" is towards the end, where the writing becomes almost poetic, this excerpt:
A life free of scripture and stricture---each man free to write his own script, invent his own life. Part of the power of authorship is the power to write your own rules and enforce them, to harness the power of the word to military might. Thus the primal acts that inscribed you as a citizen of the world (an autonomous author) were voting and bearing arms. The right to write and, if pen did not prove mightier than the sword, he means and privilege to tote both and draw either indiscriminately. We enjoyed no such powers. We could not officially script our lives, so we developed the most sophisticated sense of subversive narrations inn the world: We acquired an endless fascination and proficiency with the insurrectionary properties of language.
What's your favorite part of "Free Papers"?
15 comments:
Admonish- warn or reprimand someone firmly (Oxford Dictionary)
Ameliorate- make (something bad or unsatisfactory) better. (Oxford Dictionary)
Antipode- the direct opposite of something else.(Oxford Dictionary)
Facile- appearing neat and comprehensive only by ignoring the true complexities of an issue; superficial.(Oxford Dictionary)
Furtive- attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt or a belief that discovery would lead to trouble; secretive.(Oxford Dictionary)
Hegemony- leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over others.(Oxford Dictionary)
moniker-a name(Oxford Dictionary)
Mundane- lacking interest or excitement; dull(Oxford Dictionary)
Obviate- remove (a need or difficulty)(Oxford Dictionary)
Ossify- become rigid or fixed in attitude or position; cease developing(Oxford Dictionary)
Pavlovian-relating to classical conditioning as described by I. P. Pavlov.(Oxford Dictionary)
Pernicious- having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way(Oxford Dictionary)
predilection-a preference or special liking for something; a bias in favor of something.(Oxford Dictionary)
Prometheus- a Titan who is chained and tortured by Zeus for stealing fire from heaven and giving it to humankind. (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Prometheus#:~:text=noun,and%20giving%20it%20to%20humankind )
Schadenfreude- pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune.(Oxford Dictionary)
Post a Comment