1.) The allusions that Didion uses that related to literature could have a negative and positive effect on the reader. It could have a negative effect because some readers may not have read the books that she is using as an example. It could be positive because if the readers are familiar with the books they will be able to get a better understanding of what Didion is saying. It can be both helpful and non helpful, it just depends on the person's understanding of what Didion is trying to explain. On the other hand I do not find it to be alienating at all.
2.) Didion stated "self-respect is something that our grandparents, whether or not they had it, knew all about." "Although the careless, suicidal Julian English in Appointment in Samarra and the careless, incurably dishonest Jordan Baker in The Great Gatsby seem to equally improbable candidates for self-respect, Jordan Baker had it, Julian English Did not." I think these two statements are based on assumptions that people would generally agree with. Personally I think that it takes a very courageous person to ask for forgiveness no matter what their wrong doing was because they are acknowledging to everyone that they were wrong. Your character becomes ruin whenever you make certain mistakes but you are able to regain you character when people notice you are asking for forgiveness.
3.) Those statements are connected to building writing skills because you have to be very disciplined in order to write well and she classifies discipline as a sign of self-respect. You have to be properly trained and develope writing skills over time. You cant neccessarily take that you are a great writer because it will show in the quality of your work.
I agree that they both could have a negative and positive effect. And it can be both positive and negative because it depends on a person's perceptive of it. I also agree with you when you said that it takes a courageous person to ask for forgiveness.
ReplyDeleteI think that the main reason it could have a negative effect is because it's very difficult to understand some of the analogies she is using and not so much because of the fact that they didn't read the books she uses in examples. But, I do agree that it can have a positive effect if the reader is able to understand exactly what she is trying to say. The statement about our grandparents knowing respect is something that I think most people would agree with, too. Generations before us have a great deal of respect and try very hard to instill that in today's generations. It does take a lot of courage for someone to ask for forgiveness no matter what their wrongdoing was. I think most people would agree with that, too.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when Didion mention different books, it does depend on what material that person may be familiar with. Because in some cases of the essay, I understand and other times I do not. But I definately understand where she its going with it.
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