Should an author's politics be understood in order to properly analyze their work?
Should an author's politics be understood in order to properly analyze their work?
Charles Collins
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Zachary Barnes
>Yes, let's not discuss the politics and religion of Ginsburg, but only analyze the beautiful aesthetics of his poetry.
The right was foolish to ever accept arguments of fairness from the left; why do we expect them to be fools at their own game? Who would accept a fight of merits who would not even merit a fight?
Dylan Sullivan
No because English Literature degrees don't attract the best and brightest and politics is actually complicated.
Ryder Johnson
It’ll be helpful to understand the depth of its meaning. Most people seem to be thinking that learning about the authors political opinions is supposed to influence. But instead, it provides more of a background as to why the author feels the way that they do through their characters.
Dylan Wilson
Poetry can mostly stand on its own, though knowing about a person's life can make you understand more what he was trying to express in the poem sometimes. Politics are a facet of a person and relevant to understanding them I guess, but not that important really. A lot of artists have ridiculous political beliefs which are very compartmentalized in their minds from their relationship with art and their version of the sublime. You could try to find underlying psychological tendencies that present themselves in both the politics and the art I guess.
Nathaniel Sullivan
>understood
Yes taught, not understood. If you properly understand a determinate politic ideology, it becomes your ideology. and we don't want that, right? Think about ginsberg
Owen Cruz
To read and enjoy, no. But to properly analyse? Yes, one should at least be aware of them.
Orwell, Wells, and Wilde, for example. Having learned what they were thinking and feeling about such matters put their work into new context, and opened up to me a much wider understanding of their works. Frankly I feel slightly ashamed of my past, naive, and literal-minded self who didn't see the forest for the trees.
Blake Cook
But actually, coming to think of it... It may be better to become aware of an authors political preferences only AFTER having read a creation of theirs.
After all, being aware in advance will surely force a lens coloured by existing presumptions and attitudes in the way. And I'm not quite positive I would want my view skewed before making up my own mind.
Liam Sullivan
No. The desire to conflate art with artist is just an extension of identity politics, the only purpose of which is to diminish works held in high regard by impeaching their creators for being of the unapproved group or holding the "incorrect" views.
Julian Hill
>The desire to conflate art with artist is just an extension of identity politics
This...
>the only purpose of which is to diminish works held in high regard
This!
>by impeaching their creators for being of the unapproved group or holding the "incorrect" views.
FUCKING THIS THIS THIS. Finally, this is the only post to answer right!
Colton Morris
Depends on the school of criticism, obviously.
Nathaniel Lewis
Which a majority overlap
Luis Ross
If your professor is teaching Ezra Pound and Toilets they are bad at their job because they are hacks lol
Ayden Bailey
>study Dante
>"You see, it's imperative to understand the political situation of Italy at the time period"
>study Toni Morrison
>"WTF YOU SHOULDN'T TALK ABOUT POLITICS IN LITERATURE STOP VIRTUE SIGNALING REEEEEEEEE"
Hunter Ross
Why hasn't been reported? Quotes not allowed on twatter.
Angel Murphy
It's encroaching upon all ever further...
Ryan Robinson
Of course. With some authors more than others, obviously. You'd have to be a special kind of retard to read through Miguel Hernández's work, for example, without noticing his ideology.
Henry Anderson
*blocks you're path*
Jaxon Perry
Books that are explicitly about politics should be viewed through the lens of politics, and similarly for race. Books that aren't, shouldn't be.
That was difficult
David Kelly
Is this the greatest serial killer the world has ever known?
Alexander Bailey
As long as politics be part of their work.
Michael Bennett
There’s more than O’Neal to look at any literary work. These people just believe that every element of society has to be mobilized to reinforce their beliefs whenever they may be threatened.
Gavin Walker
*one way to look
I’m a dumb phone poster
Aiden James
Imagine paying for a lit degree to have (((professor))) lecture you about why Jews are good and their depictions in literature doubleplusungood.
Ayden Cook
Stop being a faggot
Cameron Foster
Political affiliation is hardly useful.
There's a difference between understanding an author's ideas, time, philosophy, culture vs. rendering an author under the light of unreflective mainstream 'political' conclusions and basically completely ignoring them and failing to understand anything in favour of reinforcing the stock conclusions in yet another area of society.
Matthew Turner