Cover Letter (Midterm Revision)
The hardest part of this process was going back through my CPB to try and access months-old knowledge. My CPB did serve to jog my brain, but I really had to think about my A.O. Scott work and consider how it connects to Greenblatt. At first, I wanted to connect the texts using form rather than content. I was going to focus on the prescriptive nature of both pieces. However, I eventually realized that the strongest and most profound connection was not purely stylistic, but contextual as well. Both authors are explaining relationships in society and urging readers to do something important and take control using the knowledge given. It was very rewarding to condense and summarize the work of the last semester into a singular connecting idea. My writing makes me feel accomplished because I've learned so much and grown so drastically in my understanding of the texts.
Scott and Greenblatt: Agency Within Society (Midterm Revision)
Scott's Better Living Through Criticism and Greenblatt's Renaissance Self-Fashioning are both densely-packed, intellectual texts. A.O Scott explores the ideas of beauty and taste and attempts to uncover why people enjoy what they do. His goal is to teach readers to criticize the world around them in order to fuel both art itself as well as their own curiosity. Stephen Greenblatt unpacks the influential forces in society and how they impact the identity and the self. He wants readers to understand these systems so that they can understand the inevitability of their effect on individuals. Both authors urge readers to be aware of the systems of power and influence around them and take steps towards agency.
A.O. Scott presents the idea that criticism is an art form in itself. He identifies that some art is just purely enjoyable and easy, but that the best place to be is to grapple with "the good". We defined this as an ennobling experience that inspires adoration and respect. It is also characterized as an experience that is difficult and laborious in the short-term, but very rewarding in the long-term. This process entails difficult work and deep thought that leads to knowledge and long-term rewards. Scott also explores where taste comes from, artistic or otherwise. He says that it comes from the society around us, and that our tastes are shaped by what society determines is beautiful. Scott's goal is for readers to fully realize this source and to then criticize art. This makes everyone a critic and frees them somewhat from the influence of culture. It allows them to question things for the sake of questioning them and prevents the blind acceptance of these powers.
Stephen Greenblatt is focused more on the systems and influences in society rather than solely on the self's place in society. He identifies an authority that the individual submits to as well as an alien that stands against the authority and serves as opposition. The alien is seen as a warped twin to the authority. The identity of the self is fashioned and shaped by these forces around it. Individuals have multiple authorities and aliens and these forces can shift and change over time. Greenblatt wants readers to gain awareness of this system of Self-Fashioning and the fact that individuals can't avoid being shaped by the society around them. By acknowledging this, the reader gains the capacity to use their power. Although they can't escape the influence of society and gain total autonomy, they can still maintain agency over their lives.
Both authors explain how culture and outside forces interact with and affect the individual and these authors want readers to understand these systems so that they can take action. This way, we can take control of our lives and exercise agency over our decisions, even if we can’t change the inherent development of our identities. This is not a negative or pessimistic thing, but something that we just need to accept.
A.O. Scott presents the idea that criticism is an art form in itself. He identifies that some art is just purely enjoyable and easy, but that the best place to be is to grapple with "the good". We defined this as an ennobling experience that inspires adoration and respect. It is also characterized as an experience that is difficult and laborious in the short-term, but very rewarding in the long-term. This process entails difficult work and deep thought that leads to knowledge and long-term rewards. Scott also explores where taste comes from, artistic or otherwise. He says that it comes from the society around us, and that our tastes are shaped by what society determines is beautiful. Scott's goal is for readers to fully realize this source and to then criticize art. This makes everyone a critic and frees them somewhat from the influence of culture. It allows them to question things for the sake of questioning them and prevents the blind acceptance of these powers.
Stephen Greenblatt is focused more on the systems and influences in society rather than solely on the self's place in society. He identifies an authority that the individual submits to as well as an alien that stands against the authority and serves as opposition. The alien is seen as a warped twin to the authority. The identity of the self is fashioned and shaped by these forces around it. Individuals have multiple authorities and aliens and these forces can shift and change over time. Greenblatt wants readers to gain awareness of this system of Self-Fashioning and the fact that individuals can't avoid being shaped by the society around them. By acknowledging this, the reader gains the capacity to use their power. Although they can't escape the influence of society and gain total autonomy, they can still maintain agency over their lives.
Both authors explain how culture and outside forces interact with and affect the individual and these authors want readers to understand these systems so that they can take action. This way, we can take control of our lives and exercise agency over our decisions, even if we can’t change the inherent development of our identities. This is not a negative or pessimistic thing, but something that we just need to accept.
Concept Map
Updated Cover Letter
Throughout the Summer, we've been tasked to read and think about the different assigned texts. A concept map is a way of visually summarizing that thinking in a way that's easily viewable at a glance. The concept map allows us to see thought processes, connections made between texts, and main ideas. Although it's never easy to synthesis something as big as a Summer full of contemplation, my concept map is an attempt to communicate my ideas simply, cohesively, and visually.
Concept Map Breakdown
Better Living Through Criticism is a truly philosophical text. It talks about the role of critics in society, the objective truth (or lack thereof) in the opinions of critics, and more. A big question raised by the passage is about the inherent validity of criticism. It made me start to question: "Is there any objective truth at all?" If a million people have looked at something and come up with a million different views on it, then is there a "correct answer" based in fact or is it all just subjective?
A More Beautiful Question raised many questions about education and curiosity (especially within children). One of the ideas that links A More Beautiful Question to Better Living Through Criticism is the idea that we should always question things. We should be curiosity about the purpose of things in life and about the reasoning for their existence. One piece talks about this topic through the lens of questioning the role of critics while the other talks about this topics through the lens of the innate curiosity of children. This concept leads to a conclusion that curiosity and questioning should be fostered and protected.
Renaissance Self-Fashioning is about the Renaissance tradition of adapting one's behavior, clothing, and speech to be more like everyone else around them. This was especially prevalent within the higher-class at the time. One idea that popped out as linking from RSF to BLTC was the idea that opinions are heavily influenced from culture and culture is heavily influenced from opinions as well. This idea raises the question of whether or not we have free will or choice if everything we do is based around the opinions of others (which always have implicit and cultural biases as underlying factors). Another true link between these two readings would also be that beauty or "goodness" is all subjective. Ideas of good and bad, pretty and ugly, interesting and boring all vary throughout time and from person-to-person.
Finally, an idea that linked all three of these readings together was the idea that our self-image can be determined by others' opinion AND the personal effort that we put in. BLTC says that criticism plays a role in how we create, while AMBC says that adults have an integral role in fostering the curiosity of children. RSF also ties into this by explaining how this functioned in the Renaissance within the upper class.
A More Beautiful Question raised many questions about education and curiosity (especially within children). One of the ideas that links A More Beautiful Question to Better Living Through Criticism is the idea that we should always question things. We should be curiosity about the purpose of things in life and about the reasoning for their existence. One piece talks about this topic through the lens of questioning the role of critics while the other talks about this topics through the lens of the innate curiosity of children. This concept leads to a conclusion that curiosity and questioning should be fostered and protected.
Renaissance Self-Fashioning is about the Renaissance tradition of adapting one's behavior, clothing, and speech to be more like everyone else around them. This was especially prevalent within the higher-class at the time. One idea that popped out as linking from RSF to BLTC was the idea that opinions are heavily influenced from culture and culture is heavily influenced from opinions as well. This idea raises the question of whether or not we have free will or choice if everything we do is based around the opinions of others (which always have implicit and cultural biases as underlying factors). Another true link between these two readings would also be that beauty or "goodness" is all subjective. Ideas of good and bad, pretty and ugly, interesting and boring all vary throughout time and from person-to-person.
Finally, an idea that linked all three of these readings together was the idea that our self-image can be determined by others' opinion AND the personal effort that we put in. BLTC says that criticism plays a role in how we create, while AMBC says that adults have an integral role in fostering the curiosity of children. RSF also ties into this by explaining how this functioned in the Renaissance within the upper class.
Cover Letter on Popova's Style
Maria Popova's unique and distinctive style jumps out at you from the moment you read one of her "brain-picking pieces". The first thing I noticed about her style was the use of different visual imagery to guide the reader. The title is always highlighted in yellow, and the text is broken up with many pictures and videos related to the topic Popova is discussing. This media throughout the writing adds interest to the pieces and gives the reader more angles from which to approach a topic. In addition, Popova structures her writing primarily around quotes. She typically starts each piece with a quote as her hook, drawing readers in and giving them a taste of the topic. She also uses long quotes from other writers, then analyzes them in shorter sections herself. Popova emphasizes that these are outside quotes by using large quote symbols. Since those symbols aren't available on weebly (LOL), I instead italicized the quote to distinguish them from my original writing. I also wasn't able to highlight the title in yellow, but tried to emulate the rest of Popova's techniques in order to give my own version of a "brain-picking piece".
I decided to focus on the idea of curiosity and its importance to the world that Popova presents in her piece A Stop-Motion Love Letter to the Power of Curiosity. As I've said many times throughout my work this Summer, I've always been a curious person who wants to know more about life, about the world, and about myself, so I thought it would be a good topic for personal exploration.
I decided to focus on the idea of curiosity and its importance to the world that Popova presents in her piece A Stop-Motion Love Letter to the Power of Curiosity. As I've said many times throughout my work this Summer, I've always been a curious person who wants to know more about life, about the world, and about myself, so I thought it would be a good topic for personal exploration.
My Imitation of Popova: the Power of Curiosity
Everyone has heard the saying "curiosity killed the cat". Since the dawn of time, people have been wary of curiosity and of the art of questioning. To many, curiosity is dangerous- a way for people to stray from the norm and go against what is known. But this mentality does nothing but hold people back from the possibilities and opportunities waiting for them.
"the forces of feminism, multiculturalism, and other newfangled movements were reported in the news media" -A. O. Scott
Scott discusses examples of situations in which curiosity was squandered. In movements such as feminism and multiculturalism, their newness and willingness to question society in a curious manner were not fully accepted by the masses, but turned out to be very powerful nonetheless.
"If all you do as you're growing up is watch stuff on a screen - or go to school, where they give you the answers - then you don't develop the instinct for asking questions" -Warren Berger
Berger elaborates thoroughly on the importance of curiosity (especially in children) in order to learn, grow, and understand the world. Without genuine curiosity, one isn't able to question things around them and may never think deeply about things that trouble them or that trouble others.
Greenblatt uses the Renaissance idea of Self-Fashioning (or molding one's image to what society expects) in order to prompt a conversation about implicit and cultural biases and assert the important of questioning them with a curious mind.
Regardless of the angle from which it's approached, curiosity leads people down many important roads in intellectual and personal spheres that allow them to grow and learn in ways someone who lacks curiosity cannot.
"the forces of feminism, multiculturalism, and other newfangled movements were reported in the news media" -A. O. Scott
Scott discusses examples of situations in which curiosity was squandered. In movements such as feminism and multiculturalism, their newness and willingness to question society in a curious manner were not fully accepted by the masses, but turned out to be very powerful nonetheless.
"If all you do as you're growing up is watch stuff on a screen - or go to school, where they give you the answers - then you don't develop the instinct for asking questions" -Warren Berger
Berger elaborates thoroughly on the importance of curiosity (especially in children) in order to learn, grow, and understand the world. Without genuine curiosity, one isn't able to question things around them and may never think deeply about things that trouble them or that trouble others.
Greenblatt uses the Renaissance idea of Self-Fashioning (or molding one's image to what society expects) in order to prompt a conversation about implicit and cultural biases and assert the important of questioning them with a curious mind.
Regardless of the angle from which it's approached, curiosity leads people down many important roads in intellectual and personal spheres that allow them to grow and learn in ways someone who lacks curiosity cannot.